Over half a decade ago, NBC premiered one of its most hilarious crime comedies, Good Girls, with its amazing cast. Good Girls wasn’t the first female-led heist series in television or in film. Like the British primetime television crime drama Widows, which Steve McQueen’s 2018 movie was based on, Good Girls quickly became a hit with audiences because of its relatability. Unsurprisingly, the Good Girls pilot episode attracted 8 million viewers.
The show’s premise centers around three suburban mothers in Michigan who decide to work together to rob a local supermarket to help solve their financial situations. Unbeknownst to them, the supermarket is a money laundering front for a local crime lord. While its plot sounds generic, it’s the Good Girls cast performances that helped turn it into success. With Good Girls’ finale airing on July 22, 2021, and taking a trip down memory lane, here are the Good Girls cast and the characters they played.
Christina Hendricks as Elizabeth “Beth” Boland
Playing the unofficial leader of the heist gang was the six-time Emmy Award-nominated American and British actress Christina Hendricks. The actress joined the Good Girls main cast after a successful run as Joan Holloway in the AMC period drama Mad Men. In Good Girls, Christina Hendricks played the housewife and mother of four, Elizabeth “Beth” Boland. Beth is lured into the heist after her husband’s bad financial decisions leave them broke and dry. She later discovered her car salesman husband, Dean Boland, whom she had been married to for 20 years, was cheating on her. Amongst the lead trio characters, Beth grows to enjoy the life and thrill of being a criminal.
Retta as Ruby Hill
Stand-up comedian and actress Retta played Ruby Hill, one of the three female lead characters. The character is in desperate need of money to help pay for her daughter’s kidney disease and medical treatment. Although having a supporting husband, the couple are desperate to save their daughter’s life. Ruby Hill is introduced as a waitress and Beth’s best friend. She and Beth became friends when they were younger after Beth crashed her parent’s car. Ruby Hill was the most innocent of the three women involved in the heist.
Mae Whitman as Annie Marks
Having all three women connected in the way they were in Good Girls made it more believable. While financial problems can push anyone to the edge, it takes a whole new level of trust for everyday ordinary citizens to want to collaborate to rob a supermarket. Annie Marks was Beth’s younger sister. She was in the car with Beth the day they crashed into a trash can. For years, Beth and Annie were close friends of Ruby Hill.
Annie works at Fine & Frugal, the supermarket the trio eventually robbed. It was Annie who gave the store’s floor plan to help with the robbery. Like the other women, Annie is also a mother. Mae Whitman, an American actress with an extensive television career, played the character. Before joining the Good Girls cast, Whitman was known for her roles in Chicago Hope (1996-1999), State of Grace (2001-2002), Arrested Development (2004-2006; 2013), and Parenthood (2010-2015).
Reno Wilson as Stanley Hill
American actor Reno Wilson joined the Good Girls cast as Stanley Hill, husband to Ruby Hill. He was a mall security guard who later became a policeman. Stan was initially unaware of his wife’s heist at Fine & Frugal. However, her unexplained, sudden access to money helped him connect the dots. Although visibly upset, understanding Ruby’s motivation for the theft, he later learned to forgive her and ensure she doesn’t get caught. Television audiences from the late 80s would have easily recognized Reno Wilson as the actor who played Howard in The Cosby Show from 1988 to 1999. Wilson also starred in The Chronicle (2002-2002) and Blind Justice (2005) and is popularly known for playing Officer Carl McMillan in Mike & Molly (2010-2016).
Manny Montana as Christopher/Rio
Rio is introduced as the criminal lord or gang leader whose money was stolen from the Fine & Frugal heist. He used the supermarket as a front for his money laundering business. Rio was Good Girls main villain. After locating the three women, he gets them to pay back what they stole by working for him. Although tough, Christopher/Rio began developing feelings and attraction towards Beth. After a sexual affair together, they both begin a complicated relationship. American actor Manny Montana played Christopher/Rio. Some of Montana’s notable credits on television before Good Girls include Graceland (2013-2015), Conviction (2016-2017), and Rosewood (2017).
Matthew Lillard as Dean Boland
Matthew Lillard played Beth’s husband, Dean Boland, in Good Girls. Early on in the series (episode 1), Beth catches Dean cheating on her with Amber Dooley, his assistant. In addition to emptying their bank accounts to impress Amber, Beth divorced Dean. Although suspicious of her unexplained source of wealth, Dean later discovers and tries to have Beth caught, especially after knowing about her relationship with Rio. Dean Boland is also close friends with Stan Hill, as their wives are best friends. Before joining the Good Girls cast, Matthew Lillard was known for playing Stu Macher in Scream (1996) and Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo films and later as the character’s voice actor. If you were a fan of the hit crime show Good Girls and its cast, check out Bewitched Cast: Who Starred in the Iconic Show.
