Hulu is expanding the cast of its upcoming drama pilot Young Americans, bringing together five rising actors for a story exploring privilege, political ambition and the complicated lives of Washington, D.C.’s most influential families.
Billie Boullet (A Small Light), Sam Rechner (Scream 7), Mia Isaac (Black Cake), Oscar Winter Iannone and Lauren Mei (Bite Size Halloween) have been cast in leading roles for the project. They will star alongside previously announced cast member Scott Foley, who is set to portray U.S. President Judd Burchfield.
Set at the fictional Capitol Crest Academy in Washington, D.C., Young Americans centres on the children of the nation’s political and media elite, whose personal rivalries and relationships increasingly reflect the power struggles unfolding among their parents.
Boullet will play Julia Burchfield, the President’s sharp-witted and independent daughter. Following the mysterious death of her older sister, Julia has spent a year in isolation and is determined to reclaim a sense of normal teenage life by attending the prestigious academy her sister once attended.
Rechner takes on the role of Rome Washburn, the charismatic but brooding son of a controversial senator. Growing increasingly disillusioned with the political environment in which he was raised, Rome is searching for an identity beyond his family’s influence.
Isaac will portray Saskia Carmichael, the adopted daughter of a powerful Washington media dynasty. As one of Capitol Crest’s most influential students, Saskia uses her social standing and calculating nature to maintain her position at the top of the school’s hierarchy.
Meanwhile, Iannone will play Hogan Young, the ambitious son of the Vice President. Confident and determined, Hogan intends to follow his father into politics, with plans to eventually surpass his achievements.
Mei rounds out the five leads as Harper Sinclair, an exceptionally intelligent scholarship student who becomes an unexpected guide for Julia as she navigates Capitol Crest’s complicated social landscape. Beneath Harper’s composed exterior lies a mischievous streak and a mysterious side of her personality.
Beyond the pressures of elite school life, Young Americans will explore how secrets, scandals and competing ambitions can blur the boundaries between teenage drama and the political battles fought by the adults around them. A forbidden romance between students from opposing political families is also expected to intensify tensions, threatening to push already fragile relationships towards a breaking point.
The pilot is written by Chris Hutton and Eddie O’Keefe, who will also serve as executive producers. Bruce Miller, the creator behind Hulu’s acclaimed dystopian drama The Handmaid’s Tale and its follow-up series The Testaments, is attached as an executive producer alongside Priscilla Porianda.
Produced by 20th Television, with White Oak Pictures also involved, the project remains at the pilot stage. A full series order has not yet been announced.
With its blend of elite-school rivalries, family secrets and political intrigue, Young Americans aims to explore what happens when the next generation of powerful Americans begins challenging the world they were born into.
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