Mea Culpa Movie Characters: Every Main Cast Member & Who They Play (Photos)

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Mea Culpa, Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes

A criminal defense attorney falls in love with her high-profile client in Netflix's Mea Culpa

Tyler Perry's new thriller, Mea Culpa, dives deep into the dangers of getting romantically entangled with a client and the ramifications that come along with it. 

Mea Culpa premiered on Netflix on February 23, with a cast spearheaded by Destiny Child's Kelly Rowland.

Every Main Cast Member of Netflix's Mea Culpa

Mea - Kelly Rowland

Kelly Rowland as Mea in Mea Culpa
Kelly Rowland

Mea (played by Kelly Rowland) is a defense attorney tasked to help a new client accused of murdering his girlfriend. 

Outside of her professional life, Mea is not satisfied with her marriage after learning about her husband's infidelity and her continued riff with her mother-in-law. 

Mea's life changes when she meets Zyair Malloy and asks for help with the case. 

Kelly Rowland is a former member of the hit girl group, Destiny's Child. She also appeared as a judge in reality shows like X Factor UK and X Factor USA

Zyair - Trevante Rhodes

Trevante Rhodes as Zyair in Mea Culpa
Trevante Rhodes

Trevante Rhodes plays Zyair Malloy, a rich and aggressive businessman who aggressively asks Mea to take his case. 

Zyair is calm, but his calculating nature makes him seem dangerous. While he insists that he didn't kill his girlfriend, some of the evidence doesn't add up, but he seduces Mea to mask the truth.

Zyair is also fascinated with provocative paintings, and the movie reveals that those works of art might be the key to finding the truth in the case.

Rhodes previously appeared in Moonlight, The Predator, and Bird Box.

Ray - Nick Sagar

Nick Sagar as Ray in Mea Culpa
Nick Sagar

Nick Sagar's Ray is Mea's brother-in-law, Charlise's husband, and Kal's brother. 

Ray is a district attorney hellbent on putting Zyair Malloy behind bars. 

When Mea decides to take the case and defend Zyair, Ray and his mother are furious about it since he thinks that it would derail his chances of running for mayor. 

Sagar's most recognizable role is playing Detective Alonzo Loya in Queen of the South. The actor also appeared in The Princess Switch, Ill Manors, and Shadowhunters

Kal - Sean Sagar

Sean Sagar as Kal in Mea Culpa
Sean Sagar

Kal is Mea's unfaithful husband whose love for his mother slowly affects their marriage. The character is played on-screen by Sean Sagar. 

Although Mea insists that he's cheating, Kal says that he's not and that it's just accusations. Kal also sides with his mother, making Mea lose confidence in him. 

Sagar is known for his roles in The Covenant, The Gentlemen, and Our Girl

Jimmy - RonReaco Lee

RonReaco Lee as Jimmy
RonReaco Lee

Jimmy (played by RonReaco Lee) is a private investigator working for Mea who helps her unpack the specifics of the murder case against Zyair Malloy. 

Jimmy is also one of Mea's trusted friends and even helps him prove that Kal is cheating on her. 

Lee has over 50 credits to his name, with roles in The Glory, Survivor's Remorse, Guess Who, and The Shield.

Charlise - Shannon Thornton

Shannon Thornton as Charlise
Shannon Thornton

Shannon Thornton's Charlise is Mia's friend and sister-in-law who seems to be the protagonist's only ally. 

Charlise tries her best to help Mea amid the family drama. Aside from being a good friend, Mea Culpa showcases that not everything is what it seems as it is later revealed that she has shocking ties to Zyair. 

Thornton's most recognizable role is playing Keyshawn in P-Valley. The actress also starred in Inventing Anna, Power, and Dynasty

Azalia - Kerry O'Malley

Kerry O'Malley as Azalia
Kerry O'Malley

Kerry O'Malley stars as Azalia, Mea's mother-in-law and Kal's overprotective mother who seems to be not a fan that her son married the titular protagonist. 

Aside from her overbearing personality, Azalia is also dying. The fact that she has no health insurance pushes Mea to the edge, considering her husband sends huge checks for her every month even if he doesn't have a job anymore. 

O'Malley recently appeared as Dolores in The Killer. The actress also has credits in Why Women Kill, Snowpiercer, and Sami.

Jenna - Arianna Barron

Arianna Barron
Arianna Barron

Arianna Barron is part of Mea Culpa's cast as Jenna, Kal's childhood friend whom Mea accuses of having an affair with her husband. 

Mea Culpa is Barron's first major acting credit.

Bobby - Connor Weil

Connor Weil
Connor Weil

Connor Weil plays Bobby, Mea's executive assistant who helps her get information about Zyair's case. 

Weil's previous credits include playing roles in K.C. Undercover, Scream: The TV Series, and Black Pumpkin

Renee - Angela Robinson

Angela Robinson
Angela Robinson

Angela Robinson brings Renee Wilson to life in Mea Culpa

Renee is a witness for the prosecution who owns a gallery with ties to Zyair. She speaks with Mea about who Zyair is and how she helps him sell some of his paintings. 

Robinson has credits in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Lady and the Lake, and Harlem of the South

Fans may recognize her for playing Veronica Harrington in The Haves and The Have Not

Hydie - Maria Gabriela Gonzalez

Maria Gabriela Gonzalez
Maria Gabriela Gonzalez

Maria Gabriela Gonzalez stars as Hydie, Zyair's girlfriend and the murder victim. 

The only problem is that Hydie's body is nowhere to be found (if she is indeed dead, that is). Hydie also left a video message to seemingly warn about Zyair's intent to kill her. 

Gonzalez's most famous role is starring as Isla in Fantasy Island.

Maddy - Gene Weygandt

Gene Weygandt as Maddy
Gene Weygandt

Gene Weygandt's Maddy is the man who introduces Zyair to Mea. This development ultimately leads to unexpected events that turn Mea's life upside down. 

Weygandt's notable credits include The Beast, Shattered Illusions, and Game Day


Mea Culpa is now streaming on Netflix.

Read more about other Netflix movies and shows:

Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix Ending Explained: What is Sozin’s Comet?

Is Purple Hearts 2 Releasing on Netflix Soon? New Movie Speculation Explained

Young Sheldon Season 7's Netflix Release: When Will It Start Streaming?

- In This Article: Mea Culpa
Release Date
February 23, 2024
Platform
Actors
Kelley Rowland
Nick Sagar
Trevante Rhodes
Genres
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.