New Prime Video series Swarm is set to be one of the most unsettling series of the year, shining a light on megafan culture, social media and serial killers.

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The new seven-part series follows Dre, a young woman whose obsession with a certain pop star leads her down a very dark path of events.

The series combines horror with effortless wit and has been created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, who have previously worked together on Atlanta.

Swarm is led by Dominique Fishback as Dre, who many will recognise from her captivating performance as Deborah Johnson in Judas and the Black Messiah. But there's also a fair share of star-studded guest appearances throughout the series.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Swarm.

Swarm cast

Dominique Fishback plays Dre

Dominique Fishback as Dre in Swarm.
Swarm - Prime Video Prime Video

Who is Dre? Dre is our deadly protagonist and we follow her as she goes from a somewhat harmless mega fan to a full-on dangerous criminal, intent on tracking down online haters of Ni'Jah's. She lives and breathes everything to do with the fictional star but her appreciation has turned into an unexpected cross-country trip.

Where have I seen Dominique Fishback before? Fishback shines in this leading role but she has also most recently starred in The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey and Judas and the Black Messiah, which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Her other TV credits include The Hate U Give, The Deuce, Modern Love and Show Me A Hero.

Chloe Bailey plays Marissa

Swarm - Prime Video
Swarm - Prime Video Prime Video

Who is Marissa? Marissa is Dre's best friend and sister, who has been part of The Swarm fandom previously but has bigger fish to fry in her life than stalking Twitter with Dre. Namely, she's balancing a job, a fledgling career as a make-up artist and a boyfriend but is battling her own inner demons too.

Where have I seen Chloe Bailey before? The Grammy-nominated singer is one half of musical sister duo Chloe x Halle alongside her sister and The Little Mermaid actress, Halle Bailey. Known by her stage name of Chlöe, she is due to release a solo album this year but is also an actress. She has starred in Grown-ish and 2022 psychological drama Jane.

Damson Idris plays Khalid

Damson Idris
Damson Idris Getty

Who is Khalid? Khalid is Marissa's charming boyfriend who doesn't really understand why Dre is so obsessed with Ni'Jah.

Where have I seen Damson Idris before? The British actor leads the hit FX series Snowfall, which has run for six seasons and is classed as Idris's breakout role after appearances in Casualty, Doctors and Miranda. He has also starred in the Smithereens episode of Black Mirror, and films Farming and Outside the Wire.

Nirine S. Brown plays Ni'Jah

Swarm - Prime Video
Dominique Fishback and Nirine S Brown in Swarm. Prime Video

Who is Ni'Jah? Ni'Jah is the fictional megastar at the centre of Swarm and is the main love in Dre's life. Her similarities to Beyoncé are "intentional", as per the opening credits of each episode, and she boasts millions of monthly listeners, sold out tours and has The Swarm, her dedicated group of loyal fans.

Where have I seen Nirine S. Brown before? Brown is best known for her recurring role as Lynn in Ruthless, but has also starred in Sprinter, White Boy Brown and Abbott Elementary.

Billie Eilish plays Eva

Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Amanda Edwards/FilmMagic

Who is Eva? Eva is the softly spoken and introspective woman that Dre comes across in episode 4 when making her way to a music festival that Ni'Jah is headlining. Brought into Eva's home, she is offered a place to stay and free tickets but soon, Eva's mysterious life starts posing a threat to Dre's dreams of seeing Ni'Jah.

Where have I seen Billie Eilish before? Billie Eilish is of course, a popular American songwriter and singer, and boasts chart-topping songs, a James Bond theme song, seven Grammy awards and has appeared in musical documentaries and her own concert film, Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.

Paris Jackson plays Hailey

Paris Jackson
Paris Jackson Getty

Who is Hailey? Hailey is someone that crosses paths with Dre early in the series, when Dre is navigating life without Marissa. She's a fellow dancer at the club she works at, is in an abusive relationship but manages to stay (a bit too) cheery for Dre.

Where have I seen Paris Jackson before? The model, actress and singer is the second child of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe. She released an album in 2020 but since then, has also starred in spin-off drama American Horror Stories, Scream: Resurrection, Habit and Star.

Additional cast members for Swarm

Due to the nature of Dre's cross-country journey in Swarm, there are quite a few notable characters dotted throughout this series.

The additional cast of Swarm is as follows.

  • Karen Rodriguez as Erica
  • Rory Culkin
  • X Mayo
  • Kate Lyn Sheil as Cricket
  • Victoria Blade as Salem
  • Heather Simms as Loretta Greene
  • Kiersey Clemons as Rashida
  • Cree Summer as Rashida's mum
  • Norm Lewis as Rashida's dad
  • Leon as Harris
  • Byron Bowers as George Clemons
  • London Rose as young Dre
  • Stephen Glover as Caché
  • Teresa L. Graves as Patricia
  • Atkins Estimond as Reggie
  • Ricky Thompson as Kenny

Swarm is released on Prime Video on Friday 17th March. Try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Authors

Morgan Cormack
Morgan CormackDrama Writer

Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.

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