Government Cheese Cast & Character Guide

Government Cheese has a cast so good it’ll hook you right away, though the show offers plenty more reasons to stick around. Co-created by Paul Hunter and Aeysha Carr, this show joins Apple TV’s best shows as a comedy set in 1969 in L.A. County’s San Fernando Valley. The story follows David Oyelowo’s Hampton Chambers, a Black father returning home after years in prison. As he struggles to reconnect with his wife and sons, he also tries to build a legitimate business, but trouble from his past is never far behind.

The surreal, quirky, and surprisingly touching TV show has just dropped its first three episodes, with five more releasing every Wednesday. While Oyelowo recently spoke about Lawman: Bass Reeves‘ season 2, he’s currently making waves as executive producer of Government Cheese — a project he says is unlike anything he’s even seen before. At Government Cheese‘s red carpet premiere, the cast shared how working with Oyelowo pushed both emerging and veteran actors “into another gear,” calling the experience a true opportunity to “level up.”

Government Cheese Main Cast & Characters
Actor	Character	Picture
David Oyelowo	Hampton Chambers
Simone Missick	Astoria Chambers
Evan Ellison	Einstein Chambers
Jahi Di’Allo Winston	Harrison Chambers
Bokeem Woodbine	Bootsy
Julien Heron	Patrice Prevost
Jeremy Bobb	Manny Brinks
Louis Cancelmi	Youngest Prevost
Bob Glouberman	Rabbi Marty

David Oyelowo as Hampton Chambers

Date Of Birth: April 1, 1976

Actor: David Oyelowo was born in Oxford, United Kingdom, and had his breakout role in the 18-time BAFTA-nominated series MI-5, as Danny Hunter. He’s been a part of many acclaimed projects throughout the years, including Lincoln, Silo, and Queen of Katwe. The standout in David Oyelowo’s best movies is Selma, where he portrays Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recently, Oyelowo has earned nominations from the SAG Awards, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards for his work in Lawman: Bass Reeves, Nightingale, and The Butler.

Character: Davil Oyelowo leads the cast of Government Cheese, playing Hampton Chambers, an ex-con trying to win the affections of his family back by proving he can be a successful businessman. While he was in Chino State Prison, Chambers developed a self-sharpening drill, hoping it would make him and his family the “toast of Chatsworth.” However, an old debt threatens to pull him away from the righteous path and into the world of crime again.

Simone Missick as Astoria Chambers

Date Of Birth: January 19, 1982

Actress: Simone Missick was born in Detroit, Michigan, and broke big as Misty Knight in Marvel’s The Defenders, a role she reprised in Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Additionally, Missick is known for portraying Judge Lola Charmicael in the courtroom drama All Rise, a three-season production by Oprah Winfrey’s Network. Though All Rise‘s season 4 is heavily demanded, fans can find the actress in other notable projects — including Jinn, a coming-of-age story about a Black Muslim teen, and the sci-fi series Altered Carbon, where she played the bounty hunter Trepp.

Character: Simone Missick takes on the role of Astoria Chambers, Hampton’s sharp and spirited wife, who isn’t exactly thrilled about his return. Still hurt by his absence, Astoria finds his efforts to slip back into family life almost laughable. However, while she clearly enjoys making him work for her forgiveness, her admiration for his creativity and determination lingers. The character is also portrayed as a self-made woman with big ambitions beyond Chatsworth, having earned a degree while Hampton was in prison.

Evan Ellison as Einstein Chambers

Date Of Birth: 2003

Actor: Evan Ellison was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and broke out in Netflix’s adaptation of Daria Polatin’s mystery thriller, Devil in Ohio, playing Sebastian Zelle. In the series, he acted alongside Bones‘ Emily Deschanel, Sam Jaeger, and Madeleine Arthur. Though still early in his career, Ellison has already made a name for himself by working with major talent. In 2023, he shared the screen with Anne Hathaway, Marisa Tomei, and Peter Dinklage in the rom-com She Came To Me.

Character: As part of Government Cheese‘s main cast, Evan Ellison portrays Einstein Chambers, Hampton’s genius and eccentric older son — and the only one who greets his return with genuine warmth. While Einstein seems happy to have his father home, he’s often lost in his own world, which involves a lot of pole-vaulting in the yard. With unconventional views on religion and college, Einstein leaves Hampton both intrigued and bewildered, adding humor and heart to the family dynamic.

Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Harrison Chambers

Date Of Birth: December 1, 2003

Actor: Jahi Di’Allo Winston was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and had his breakout role in the 90s coming-of-age series, Everything Sucks! Though Netflix quickly canceled Everything Sucks!, the actor’s performance as Luke O’Neil left a lasting impression. Shortly after, he had a role in Daniel Kaluuya’s Queen & Slim, and in 2020, he got the lead in the Sundance award-winning film, Charm City Kings. Most recently, he shared the screen with David Harbour in Netflix’s We Have a Ghost.

Character: In the original Apple TV series, Jahi Di’Allo Winston plays Harrison Chambers, Hampton’s cynical son who resents his criminal past. It seems Harrison is closer to his father’s cellmate, Rudy, a member of the Chumash people, and lives as if a part of his community. As the younger son, Harrison seems to be the most affected of the family by Hampton’s bad decisions and has a desire to be as different as possible from him.

Government Cheese Supporting Cast

The Historical Surrealist Drama Stars A Great Mix Of Supporting Talents

Bokeem Woodbine as Bootsy: Bokeem Woodbine is best known for playing Mike Milligan in Fargo. He’s had notable appearances in Halo, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Queen & Slim, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the show, he plays Bootsy, an old friend of Hampton, who’s still working in the criminal scene.

Julien Heron as Patrice Prevost: Heron has had minor roles in several productions, including Baskets, The Possessed, Les Idées Reçues, and Dune: Part Two. Reaching a new step in his career, he portrays Patrice Prevost in Government Cheese, one of the criminal brothers in charge of the whole town.

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Jeremy Bobb as Manny Brinks: Jeremy Bobb is a prolific TV actor most known for his roles in The Knicks, Jessica Jones, Godless, Russian Doll, and The Continental. In Government Cheese, Bobb plays Manny, Hampton’s struggling friend with whom he wants to start a business.

Bob Glouberman as Rabbi Marty: Bob Glouberman has over 100 acting credits, including guest appearances, voice acting, and some recurring TV roles. Recently, he acted in Young Sheldon, Netflix’s Running Point, and Kristen Bell’s Nobody Wants This.

Louis Cancelmi: the actor broke out by playing Mike D’Angelo in Boardwalk Empire, and had a recurring role in Billions. He’s had parts in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and The Irishman. In Government Cheese, Cancelmi plays one of the infamous Prevost brothers, usually the one sent to do the dirtiest bidding.

Government Cheese

Release Date

April 15, 2025

Network

Apple TV+

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  David Oyelowo

  Hampton Chambers

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  Jahi Di’Allo Winston

  Harrison

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