After months of speculating who would play one of the most notorious grifters of the Instagram age, Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix series about Anna Delvey has officially set its star-studded cast, according to Variety.
New series Inventing Anna, which received a 10-episode order from the streamer, is based on Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People.” Pressler is also the writer behind other scammer article “The Hustlers At Scores,” which was recently adapted into the critically-acclaimed film Hustlers with Jennifer Lopez.
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Dirty John star Julia Garner, who just earned an Emmy for her role on Netflix’s Ozark, will portray Delvey, a woman who posed as a German heiress in order to scam her New York City friends out of thousands of dollars. In May of 2019, Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for four counts of theft of services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny.
The series will focus on Delvey’s relationship with a journalist, portrayed by Veep star Anna Chlumsky, who attempts to get the truth about Delvey as she is placed on trial for her crimes. It’s unclear if Chlumsky will portray Pressler specifically.
Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox is set to portray Kacy Duke, a “celebrity trainer and coach” who befriends Delvey during her time in New York. Kacy is described by Variety as “mature and centered,” and ultimately becomes more than just a coach to the grifter.
A trainer is mentioned (though not by name) in the New York Magazine article. In the piece, the trainer is described as taking a “motherly interest” in Delvey, and being impressed by Delvey’s desire to open up a business rather than cruise on her apparent trust fund.
Scandal star Katie Lowes will play Rachel, a friend who blindly "worships" Delvey, per Variety. During their friendship, Delvey nearly destroy Rachel's “job, her credit, and her life.” Real-life friend of Delvey, Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel Williams, wrote a piece for the website about being conned by Delvey out of thousands of dollars during a trip to Morocco. She now has published a book titled My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress.
The Bold Type’s Alexis Floyd will portray Neff, likely based on Neffatari Davis, a concierge at a Soho hotel who befriended Delvey and is the point of entry into Delvey’s world in Pressler’s article.
We may know how Delvey's story ends (um, with her in prison) but with a cast this good, there's now every reason to watch her story of grifting New York come to life.