Netflix’s A Man on the Inside: Release date, cast, plot, and everything you need to know

A Man on the Inside is an upcoming Netflix comedy series from Michael Schur, creator of The Good Place. The series is based on the documentary The Mole Agent, which was an international co-production directed by Maite Alberdi. A Man on the Inside is scheduled to release on November 21, 2024.

A Man on the Inside and The Mole Agent both follow an elderly man who gets hired by a private investigator to infiltrate a nursing home. This is because the nursing home is under suspicion of malfeasance.

According to an October 2024 report from Tudum, Schur was inspired to adapt the documentary into a Netflix series after a discussion with his production partner, Morgan Sackett. As he told Tudum:

"It didn’t occur to me right away to fictionalize it or adapt it. Then, Morgan Sackett, who’s my producing partner, suggested we remake [it] and have Ted Danson play the main character. As soon as he said that, it became so clear that there was a way to take that story, swapping in Ted’s unique charisma for Sergio’s unique charisma."

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A Man on the Inside is an adaptation of The Mole Agent

A Man on the Inside follows a widower, Charles, who discovers an opportunity to shake up his life after discovering an advertisement from a private detective.

It turns out that someone's family heirloom has gone missing from the Pacific View Retirement Community, and a private investigator, Julie, has been hired to find out what happened to it. Charles, having become a drifter looking for some excitement in his life, eagerly answers the call to adventure.

Speaking to Tudum for an October 2024 article, Mike Schur further elaborated on the themes he intended to explore with A Man on the Inside.

"This is a multigenerational show, and it is equally important to investigate the inner lives of the people who are my age — because it’s a weird thing, when your parents start to need your help. You’re not used to that[...]It struck me as such a good idea to adapt this because we just don’t talk about this stuff. It feels painful, and it’s especially hard to talk about it directly with your parents."

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A Man on the Inside cast and characters

The main and supporting cast of A Man on the Inside are as follows:

• Ted Danson as Charles, a retired professor and widower. Ever since the death of his wife, he's become a drifter with no real idea of what to do with himself, concerning his daughter. That changes when he sees a newspaper advertisement from a private investigator.
• Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Emily, Charles's daughter, who's also a married mother of three. Her life undergoes a significant upheaval after her father embarks on his new life as an undercover informant.
• Stephanie Beatriz as Didi, the managing director of the Pacific View Retirement Residence, which is located in San Francisco, and which Charles infiltrates.
• Lilah Richcreek Estrada as Julie, a private investigator looking into the case of a family heirloom that went missing in Pacific View. She hires Charles to infiltrate the community undercover and poses as his daughter.
• Stephen McKinley Henderson as Calbert. Originally from Washington, DC, he serves as the "eyes and ears" of the Pacific View Retirement Community.

• Sally Struthers as Virginia, an extroverted and exuberant woman who builds a rapport with Charles.
• Eugene Cordero as Joel, Charles's son-in-law and Emily's husband, who teaches science in the 10th grade.
• Margaret Avery as Florence, who is Virginia's best friend.
• John Getz as Elliott, a Pacific View resident who feels threatened at the disruption Charles brings upon his admittance into the retirement home.
• Susan Ruttan as Gladys, a former costume designer who becomes Charles's next-door neighbor in Pacific View.
• Lori Tan Chinn as Susan, the authoritarian President of the Pacific View resident council.
• Clyde Kusatsu as Grant, an egomaniacal Princeton graduate who stays at Pacific View.
• Marc Evan Jackson as Evan, a man whose family heirloom has gone missing and who's hired Julie to investigate its disappearance.
• Jama Williamson as Beatrice, the polyanna activities director of Pacific View.

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A Man on the Inside is set to release on Netflix on November 21, 2024.