'Homecoming season 2: Meet the cast and characters of the Prime Video thriller

Homecoming is back with a second season of suspense, mind-bending mysteries and psychological thrills to increase your blood pressure.

Season one, which starred Julia Roberts, opened the door into the world of the mysterious Geist Group and their Homecoming Initiative – a company using memory wiping to treat PTSD in soldiers.

The new episodes take us deeper into the world of Geist and also presents us with a new central mystery – a woman who wakes up in a boat in the middle of the lake with no memory of how she got there or who she is.

Early reviews are praising Janelle Monáe and Hong Chau’s performances in the series and the puzzle-box style storytelling.

Here is our quick guide to the Homecoming season two cast:

Janelle Monáe – Plays 'Jacqueline'

Her character wakes in a rowboat adrift a lake, with no memory of how she got there — or even who she is. Her ensuing search for identity will lead her into the heart of the Geist Group, the unconventional wellness company behind the Homecoming Initiative. 

You may have previously seen Monáe in the critically-acclaimed movies Moonlight, Hidden Figures and Harriet.

She’s also a successful singer and songwriter, whose albums include The Electric Lady and Dirty Computer. Her musical style has seen her compared to artists such as Prince, Outkast, Lauryn Hill, James Brown and Erykah Badu.

Stephan James – Plays Walter Cruz

The second season finds Stephan James (Race) reprising his role as Walter Cruz, who is trying to build a new life following the traumas of war and the Homecoming Initiative, when he begins to realise that there’s an even more insidious version of the programme underway – if only he can remember…

Stephan James played Jesse Owens in the 2016 film Race, appeared in the critically acclaimed If Beale Street Could Talk and last year starred in action thriller 21 Bridges.

Hong Chau – Plays Audrey Temple

Audrey Temple was an anonymous underling at Geist who found herself thrust into unexpected position at the top of the corporate ladder at the end of season one. How did she suddenly get so powerful and when did she start rubbing that powerful red liquid on her wrists?

Chau’s best known for her roles in Matt Damon’s 2017 movie Downsizing, playing Lady Trieu in the 2019 TV adaptation of Watchmen and roles in TV series including Forever, Big Little Lies and BoJack Horseman.

Chris Cooper – Plays Leonard Geist

The eccentric founder of Geist Group will be revealed in season two and he’s probably not what you were expecting.

Chris Cooper is an Oscar and Golden Globe-winning actor whose impressive CV includes the films Adaptation, American Beauty, Seabiscuit, Capote, Little Women and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood.

Joan Cusack – Plays Francine Bunda

Francine Bunda is an eccentric military woman, who finds herself stepping into the world of Geist following the investigations of Thomas Carrasco in season one.

The actress and comedian is well known for her roles in Working Girl, In & Out, playing Sheila Jackson in the US version of Shameless and voicing Jessie in the Toy Story movies.

The season 1 cast

Julia Roberts – Played Heidi Bergman

Heidi Bergman was the caseworker of Walter Cruz at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center and she built up a strong bond with her the former soldier. When she discovered what was really happening a Homecoming, she ate some extra-strong memory-erasing drugs with Walter. This wiped Heidi’s memories of her time at Homecoming, but it did save Walter from being redeployed.

Bobby Cannavale – Played Colin Belfast

Colin was Heidi’s pushy and maniacal boss. Desperately ambitious and lacking any sort of ethical code, he’s keen to maintain Geist Group’s secrecy and keep the Homecoming project up and running.

At the end of season one, he pays the price for the fall-out from Walter and Heidi’s actions in the Homecoming Initiative and he signs up to take the fall as a rogue employee who went to far – in the hope that Leonard Geist will repay him in the longrun.

Shea Whigham – Played Thomas Carrasco

Thomas Carrasco is a bureaucrat from the Department of Defense investigating the secret government facility that Heidi Bergman works at.

Socially awkward and reserved, Carrasco shows a steely determination to get the truth, despite his own boss discouraging him from pursuing the case and facing intimidating pressure from Colin Belfast.

Alex Karpovsky – Played Craig

A loyal member of staff at the Homecoming Initiative, Craig attempts to keep Heidi in line and playing by the rules.

Sissy Spacek – Played Ellen Bergman

In the 2022 timeline in Homecoming season one, Heidi has forgotten about her time at the Homecoming Initiative and she’s working as a waitress and living with her mum Ellen.

Homecoming season 2 is available now on Amazon Prime Video.