The Equalizer 2021 Cast & Character Guide

The Equalizer cast carried the television adaptation through its five seasons, proving the series about someone helping people who can’t help themselves is just as popular now as it was when the original series aired in the 1980s. Based on the original series of the same name starring Edward Woodward, the CBS reboot features Queen Latifah as a former CIA operative who seeks justice on her own terms in New York City. The Equalizer retains the spirit of the original series, along with the movie franchise starring Denzel Washington, but gender-swapped the lead to Robyn McCall instead of Bob McCall.

In the pilot, Robyn (Latifah) helps a young girl, Jewel Machado, who becomes mixed up in a murder conspiracy. Robyn considers returning to the CIA but would rather spend time with her teenage daughter, Delilah, while moonlighting as a Big Apple vigilante. The show has changed up the cast somewhat over the course of five seasons, with the biggest change in replacing the second lead star from the first season, Chris Noth, after off-screen controversies forced the move. However, thanks to the star power of Latifah, the show remains one of CBS’s top-ranked scripted series.

Queen Latifah

As Robyn McCall

Character: Queen Latifah stars as Robyn McCall in the Equalizer cast, a former CIA operative who protects the citizens of New York City. Robyn was living a regular life when she ended up swept back into the role of protector when a child in need came to her for help.

She spent much of her time hiding her vigilante actions from everyone, including her own teenage daughter, until finally opening up to her about that.

She spent much of her time hiding her vigilante actions from everyone, including her own teenage daughter, until finally opening up to her about that. Despite the name, there has been no connection to her and Denzel Washington’s Robert McCall from The Equalizer movies.

Actor: In the ’80s, Queen Latifah rose to fame as a popular hip-hop recording artist. She later portrayed Cleo in the 1996 drama Set It Off and also starred as Khadijah James in the Fox sitcom Living Single. Latifah found new levels of success in the 2000s with her Oscar-nominated role as Matron Mama Morton in Chicago, her lead performance in the hit comedy Bringing Down the House, and her voice role as Ellie in the Ice Age movies. More recently, she played Sasha Franklin in Girls Trip and appeared in the Adam Sandler movie Hustle.

Chris Noth

As William Bishop

Character: Chris Noth co-starred as William Bishop in the Equalizer cast, an ex-CIA director who recruits Robyn for a private security job. Bishop was Robyn’s mentor in the CIA, and he grew close to many of his agents and their families. However, he knew of the corruption inside the CIA and ended up leaving to start his own security company, and he began to help Robyn once she took on the role of a vigilante. Bishop ended up dying in season 2 when Mason Quinn killed him at the behest of a mole in the CIA named Carter Griffin.

Actor: Chris Noth rose to fame as part of the original cast of Law & Order as Detective Mike Logan, a role he played for the first five seasons of the iconic crime series. After leaving that show, he found another iconic TV role as Mr. Big in the Sex and the City franchise, which was followed by his role as Peter Florrick in The Good Wife. After sexual misconduct allegations rose against him in 2021, he stepped away from acting completely.

Adam Goldberg

As Harry Keshegian

Character: Adam Goldberg portrays Harry Keshegian in the Equalizer cast, Robyn’s hacker friend who is legally dead. Before the events of the show, Harry almost ended up in prison when he leaked information about a communist politician and rejected every deal offered to him due to corruption in the system. It was Robyn who helped him fake his death, and he repaid her by becoming her on-hand tech specialist. Harry has remained by Robyn’s side throughout the entire series.

Actor: Adam Goldberg found success with one of his earliest roles as Mike in the cast of Dazed and Confused. He then starred alongside Tom Hanks as Private Mellish in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning war movie Saving Private Ryan. He has also appeared alongside Denzel Washington in the sci-fi thriller Déjà Vu and alongside Russell Crowe in the Best Picture winner A Beautiful Mind. He recently reteamed with Crowe in the horror movie The Exorcism.

Liza Lapira

As Mel Bayani

Character: Liza Lapira portrays Melody Bayani in the Equalizer cast, Robyn’s friend and a former sniper who operates a bar that serves as the secret base of operations for Robyn’s vigilante work. She has since become one of the three main members of the vigilante team, working alongside Robyn and Harry to help those in need. She also happens to be Harry’s wife, who most people believe makes her his widow.

Actor: Liza Lapira’s first major role was on the Showtime series Huff before joining the cast of Joss Whedon’s series Dollhouse. Her early movie roles include Tony Scott’s Domino and JJ Abrams’ Cloverfield. She played Agent Trinh in Fast & Furious and appeared as Liz, the best friend of Hannah (Emma Stone) in Crazy, Stupid, Love. She recently was featured as part of the voice cast of Inside Out 2, replacing Mindy Kaling as the voice of Disgust.

Tory Kittles

As Detective Marcus Dante

Character: Tory Kittles plays Detective Marcus Dante, an NYPD investigator in the Equalizer cast. In the first season, he was a good cop who set out to stop the vigilante who had been operating in his town. However, when he learned it was Robyn, and he realized what she was really doing, he became her friend and ally in the police force. When Bishop died, he replaced him in the cast as one of her main allies.

Actor: Tory Kittles is perhaps best known for his antagonistic role as Laroy Wayne in Sons of Anarchy. He has also starred as Broussard in Colony and as Detective Thomas Papania in True Detective season 1. In movies, Kittles is best known for playing Justice in Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Lieutenant Birdsong in Miracle at St. Anna, Frederick Douglass in Harriet, and his starring role as Henry Johns in Dragged Across Concrete.

Laya DeLeon Hayes

As Delilah

Character: Laya DeLeon Hayes portrays Delilah, Robyn’s daughter. At 15, she was developing a rebellious streak, especially since she felt her mother was neglecting her. However, when she learned that Robyn was the vigilante helping people, the two finally began to bond. Over time, Delilah had become a protector like her mother, proving that she has the selfless and courageous streak in her, just like her mother, to risk her own life to save others.

Actor: Joining The Equalizer cast came fairly early on in Laya DeLeon’s career, but it’s far from her only role. Laya DeLeon Hayes portrayed Priya in Liv and Maddie and voiced the title character in Doc McStuffins. She also starred in the 2023 horror movie The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster, alongside Denzel Whitaker.

Lorraine Toussaint

As Aunt Vi

Character: Lorraine Toussaint plays Aunt Vi in The Equalizer cast. She is an artist and moved to New York City to live with Robyn and Delilah, where she is able to help take care of the young girl. As the series has gone on, fans have learned more about Vi’s past life. She is a strong and protective person, but not always someone of action like Robyn, she also worries about the safety of her loved ones in this dangerous world. However, as she becomes more a part of the team, she has proven herself an asset.

Actor: Lorraine Toussaint portrayed Amelia Boynton in Selma, a performance that won her a SAG Award. She also played Vee in Orange is the New Black, which earned her a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress. In the ’90s, she appeared as Almond Joy in Hudson Hawk and Beth in Point of No Return. She was also a recurring character as defense attorney Shambala Green in Law & Order, appeared as Dr. Elaine Duchamps on Crossing Jordan, and as Capt. Kate Perry in Saving Grace.

Donal Logue

As Colton Fisk

Character: Veteran character actor Donal Logue joined The Equalizer cast in season 3 where he took on the role of Colton Fisk. He was an undercover agent sent to find dirty agents and expose them. When he met Robyn, he admitted that she might not like his methods, but if he called her, she would need to answer and be ready to help him. Every time he showed up, there was always trouble for Robyn. He was back in the season 3 finale, where he and Robyn were held captive in the season-ending cliffhanger.

Actor: Donal Logue has been in several TV shows over his career in major roles. He starred in Grounded for Life as Sean Finnerty. In 2010, he took the lead role in Terriers, starred as the deadly Lee Toric in Sons of Anarchy, and portrayed Harvey Bullock in Gotham. In movies, he has appeared as Quinn in Blade, as Dan Scott in The Patriot, and Ken Narlow in Zodiac. He also signed on for the upcoming J.J. Abrams series Duster.

The Equalizer 2021’s Supporting Cast

Jennifer Ferrin as Avery Grafton: Jennifer Ferrin stars in The Equalizer as district attorney Avery Grafton. She was the main person who wanted to bring in Robyn and put her behind bars for her vigilante ways. However, after Robyn saved her life from a corrupt A.D.A., she agreed to drop the charges as long as Robyn never stepped over the line. Ferrin has appeared in several shows, including Hell on Wheels, The Knick, and most recently, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

Erica Camarano as Detective Paley: Erica Camarano played the partner of Dante, as he was looking at figuring out who the vigilante was. However, she didn’t last long as she ended up shot and killed in the season 2 premiere at a bank robbery. Since leaving The Equalizer cast, she joined the cast of Law & Order: SVU as Officer Rachel Ortiz.

Frank Pando as Captain Torres: Frank Pando stars as Captain Torres, Dante’s commanding officer. Outside of The Equalizer cast, Pando has also appeared in The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Nurse Jackie, and as Agent Frank Gasso on The Sopranos​​​​​​.

Dominic Fumusa as Detective Ken Mallory: Avery Grafton brought in Detective Ken Mallory to help figure out the identity and arrest Robyn. Fumusa is best known as one of the lead actors, Kevin Peyton, in Nurse Jackie. In 2021, he also appeared in the Jason Momoa movie, Sweet Girl.

Brett Dalton as Carter Griffin: Carter Griffin was a CIA agent tasked with being a by-the-books handler for Marcela Mendez in The Equalizer cast, a former trainee who called Robyn for help. However, it turned out that Carter was the mole in the CIA that Bishop was after, and it was Carter who had Bishop killed. Most fans know Dalton from the MCU series Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he played the Hydra agent who infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. traitor, Grant Ward.