''Mr. Robot'' is an American
drama thriller
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
television series created by
Sam Esmail
Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer and director of the award-winning USA Network televi ...
for
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
. It stars
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
as Elliot Alderson, a
cybersecurity
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...
engineer and
hacker
A hacker is a person skilled in information technology who uses their technical knowledge to achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle, within a computerized system by non-standard means. Though the term ''hacker'' has become associated in popu ...
with
social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is an anxiety disorder characterized by sentiments of fear and anxiety in social situations, causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some aspects ...
,
clinical depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...
and
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
. Elliot is recruited by an
insurrectionary anarchist known as "Mr. Robot", played by
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
, to join a group of
hacktivists
In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of ''hack'' and '' activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. With roots in ha ...
called "fsociety". The group aims to destroy all debt records by
encrypting
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can deci ...
the financial data of E Corp, the largest
conglomerate in the world.
The
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
premiered via online and
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
services on May 27, 2015. The series stars an ensemble cast featuring Rami Malek,
Carly Chaikin
Carly Hannah Chaikin (born March 26, 1990) is an American actress. Her acting career began in 2009 and she received her breakout role two years later, co-starring as Dalia Royce in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory''. She played the role until the se ...
,
Portia Doubleday
Portia Ann Doubleday is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sheeni Saunders in the film '' Youth in Revolt'' (2009), Chris Hargensen in the film '' Carrie'' (2013), and as Angela Moss in the USA Network television drama ''Mr ...
,
Martin Wallström
Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cy ...
,
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
,
Michael Cristofer
Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for ''The Shadow Box'' in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip ...
,
Stephanie Corneliussen,
Grace Gummer
Grace Jane Gummer (born May 9, 1986) is an American actress. She received a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of '' Arcadia''. Her television work includes recurring roles in '' The Newsroom'' and '' American Horror ...
,
BD Wong
Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Crit ...
,
Bobby Cannavale
Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in ''Third Watch'', ''Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in ''Will & Grace'', which wo ...
,
Ashlie Atkinson
Ashley Elizabeth Atkinson (born August 6, 1977), known professionally as Ashlie Atkinson, is an American character actress who works in movies and television (with over 90 credits) – as well as in theater. Atkinson is known for her work as Ace o ...
, and
Elliot Villar
Elliot Villar (born June 6, 1980) is an American theater and screen actor. He made his Broadway debut in 2011 as part of the original cast of ''War Horse''. He is perhaps best known for his role as Fernando Vera in the USA Network show '' Mr. Rob ...
. The first season debuted on USA Network on June 24, 2015, while the second season premiered on July 13, 2016, and the third season premiered on October 11, 2017. The fourth and final season premiered on October 6, 2019, and concluded on December 22, 2019.
''Mr. Robot'' has received critical acclaim, particularly for the performances of Malek and Slater, its story and visual presentation, and
Mac Quayle
Mac Quayle is an American composer for film, television and video games, best known for his work on the USA Network's ''Mr. Robot'' and for FX's ''American Horror Story''.
Quayle was born in Suffolk, Virginia, but moved around the state, living ...
's musical score. Esmail has received praise for his direction of the series, having directed three episodes in the first season before serving as the sole director for the remainder of the show. The show received
numerous accolades, including two
Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, three
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
s, and a
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
.
Premise
The series follows Elliot Alderson, a young man living in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, who works at the cybersecurity company Allsafe as a
cybersecurity engineer. Constantly struggling with
social anxiety
Social anxiety is the anxiety and fear specifically linked to being in social settings (i.e., interacting with others). Some categories of disorders associated with social anxiety include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autism spectrum disord ...
,
dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
,
clinical depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...
and
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
, Elliot's thought process seems heavily influenced by
paranoia
Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...
and
delusion
A delusion is a false fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some o ...
.
He connects to people by
hacking them, which often leads him to act as a cyber-
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...
. He is recruited by a mysterious
insurrectionary anarchist known as Mr. Robot and joins his team of
hacktivists
In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of ''hack'' and '' activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. With roots in ha ...
known as ''fsociety''. One of their missions is to cancel all
consumer debt
In economics, consumer debt is the amount owed by consumers (as opposed to amounts owed by businesses or governments). It includes debts incurred on purchase of goods that are consumable and/or do not appreciate. In macroeconomic terms, it is ...
by encrypting all the data of one of the largest corporations in the world, E Corp (which Elliot perceives as Evil Corp), which also happens to be Allsafe's biggest client.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
as Elliot Alderson,
a senior cybersecurity engineer at Allsafe Cybersecurity and a vigilante hacker.
[ He has ]dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
and deals with other mental illnesses such as clinical depression
Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...
and severe anxiety, which are partly responsible for his antisocial behavior and drug use. Elliot's hacker nickname is "Sam Sepiol" or "samsep10l". Elliot is portrayed as a child by Aidan Liebman (seasons 1–2), Alex Bento (season 3), and Evan Whitten (season 4).
* Carly Chaikin
Carly Hannah Chaikin (born March 26, 1990) is an American actress. Her acting career began in 2009 and she received her breakout role two years later, co-starring as Dalia Royce in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory''. She played the role until the se ...
as Darlene Alderson, Elliot's younger sister, a malware
Malware (a portmanteau for ''malicious software'') is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption to a computer, server, client, or computer network, leak private information, gain unauthorized access to information or systems, depri ...
coder and one of the fsociety hackers.
* Portia Doubleday
Portia Ann Doubleday is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Sheeni Saunders in the film '' Youth in Revolt'' (2009), Chris Hargensen in the film '' Carrie'' (2013), and as Angela Moss in the USA Network television drama ''Mr ...
as Angela Moss, Elliot's childhood friend and a fellow employee at Allsafe, later PR Manager for E Corp. Mabel Tyler portrays a young Angela.
* Martin Wallström
Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cy ...
as Tyrell Wellick, originally the ambitious Senior Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
of Technology at E Corp and later part of fsociety.
* Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut with a leading role in ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985) and gained wider recognition for his breakthrough role as Jason "J.D." D ...
as Mr. Robot, an insurrectionary anarchist who recruits Elliot into an underground hacker group called fsociety; and Edward Alderson, Elliot's father.
* Michael Cristofer
Michael Cristofer (born January 22, 1945) is an American actor, playwright and filmmaker. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for ''The Shadow Box'' in 1977. From 2015 to 2019, he played the role of Phillip ...
as Phillip Price, the CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of E Corp (seasons 2–4; recurring season 1).
* Stephanie Corneliussen as Joanna Wellick, Tyrell's wife (seasons 2–3; recurring season 1).
* Grace Gummer
Grace Jane Gummer (born May 9, 1986) is an American actress. She received a Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of '' Arcadia''. Her television work includes recurring roles in '' The Newsroom'' and '' American Horror ...
as Dominique "Dom" DiPierro, an FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
field agent investigating the E Corp hack (seasons 2–4).
* BD Wong
Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Crit ...
as Whiterose, a trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
, cyber-terrorist and head of the Dark Army. Whiterose also operates as Zhi Zhang, China's Minister of State Security (seasons 3–4; recurring seasons 1–2). A younger Whiterose was portrayed by Ross Kurt Le (season 4).
* Bobby Cannavale
Roberto Michael Cannavale (; born May 3, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for various television roles, including leading roles in ''Third Watch'', ''Vinyl'', and ''Mr. Robot'', as well as recurring roles in ''Will & Grace'', which wo ...
as Irving, a used car salesman who is a Dark Army fixer (season 3; guest season 4).
* Elliot Villar
Elliot Villar (born June 6, 1980) is an American theater and screen actor. He made his Broadway debut in 2011 as part of the original cast of ''War Horse''. He is perhaps best known for his role as Fernando Vera in the USA Network show '' Mr. Rob ...
as Fernando Vera, Shayla's drug supplier and Elliot's only supply of suboxone
Buprenorphine/naloxone, sold under the brand name Suboxone among others, is a fixed-dose combination medication that includes buprenorphine and naloxone. It is used to treat opioid use disorder, and reduces the mortality of opioid use disorder ...
who has a unique dangerous philosophy and is obsessed with Shayla and later Elliot (season 4; recurring season 1; guest season 3).
* Ashlie Atkinson
Ashley Elizabeth Atkinson (born August 6, 1977), known professionally as Ashlie Atkinson, is an American character actress who works in movies and television (with over 90 credits) – as well as in theater. Atkinson is known for her work as Ace o ...
as Janice, a chatty taxidermist and Dark Army fixer with a peculiar sense of humor (season 4).
Recurring
* Gloria Reuben
Gloria Elizabeth Reuben is a Canadian-American actress, producer, and singer. She is well-known for her role as Jeanie Boulet on the medical drama ''ER (TV series), ER'' (1995–1999, 2008), for which she was twice nominated for an Emmy Award, a ...
as Krista Gordon, Elliot's psychiatrist.
* Michel Gill
Michel Gill (born April 16, 1960), also known as Michael Gill, is an American actor best known for playing President Garrett Walker in the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Gideon Goddard on ''Mr. Robot''.
Early life
Gill is a first genera ...
as Gideon Goddard, CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of Allsafe Security (seasons 1–2; guest season 3).
* Ben Rappaport
Ben Rappaport (born ) is an American actor. He played the role of Todd Dempsy in the NBC sitcom '' Outsourced'', which aired during the 2010–11 television season. The series marked Rappaport's debut acting role on screen.
Life and career
Rapp ...
as Ollie Parker, Angela's boyfriend and an employee at Allsafe (season 1; guest seasons 2, 4).
* Aaron Takahashi
Aaron Takahashi is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the "male nurse" Lee in the film '' Yes Man'' (2008), one of the fake groomsmen in '' The Wedding Ringer'' (2015), as Troy in the film ''Welcome to the Jungle'' (2013), and his ...
as Lloyd Chong , Elliot's co-worker at Allsafe (season 1; guest seasons 2, 4).
* Frankie Shaw
Rachel Frances Shaw (born 1981) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime series ''SMILF,'' based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, directed and starred in. Shaw ...
as Shayla Nico, Elliot's drug dealer and girlfriend (season 1).
* Ron Cephas Jones
Ron Cephas Jones (born January 8, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the drama series '' This Is Us'' (2016–2022), which earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Gues ...
as Leslie Romero, a member of fsociety (season 1; guest season 2).
* Sunita Mani
Sunita Mani (born December 13, 1986) is an American actress, dancer and comedian. She is best known for her television roles as Trenton in the USA Network drama ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2017) and Arthie Premkumar in the Netflix comedy '' GLOW'' (2 ...
as Shama "Trenton" Biswas, a member of fsociety (seasons 1–3).
* Azhar Khan as Sunil "Mobley" Markesh, a member of fsociety and Bank of E employee (seasons 1–3).
* Bruce Altman
Bruce Altman (born July 3, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama.
Early life
Altman was born in The Bronx, New York. He is of Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish ...
as Terry Colby, the former CTO of E Corp who is framed by fsociety for a hack attack (season 1; guest seasons 2–3).
* Armand Schultz as Lenny Shannon, Krista's ex-lover, and one of Elliot's early hacking targets (season 1; guest seasons 2–3).
* Michael Drayer
Michael Drayer (born March 19, 1986) is an American actor. He is best known for his recurring role as Cisco on the television drama–thriller series ''Mr. Robot'', Gabe on the television drama series '' Deception'', and for his supporting role a ...
as Francis "Cisco" Shaw, Darlene's ex-boyfriend who was the U.S. liaison to the Chinese hacker group Dark Army (seasons 1–2; guest season 3).
* Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theater since the 1990s. He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000 for ...
as Scott Knowles, the CTO of E Corp following Colby's arrest (seasons 1–2).
* Jeremy Holm as Donald "Mr. Sutherland" Hoffman, a fixer under Tyrell and Joanna Wellick (seasons 1–2; guest season 3).
* Sakina Jaffrey
Sakina Jaffrey (born February 14, 1962) is an American actress.
Early life
Jaffrey was born in New York City, the youngest daughter of Indian-born parents, actress and food and travel writer Madhur Jaffrey, and actor Saeed Jaffrey. Her parents ...
as Antara Nayar, Angela's lawyer (seasons 1–2; guest season 3).
* Don Sparks as Donald Moss, Angela's adopted father (season 1; guest season 2).
* Michele Hicks
Michele Hicks (born June 4, 1973) is an American screen actress and former fashion model who has worked in both film and television.
Career
Her television appearances include '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', '' Law & Order: Special Victims Uni ...
as Sharon Knowles, Scott's wife (season 1; guest season 2).
* Vaishnavi Sharma as Magda Alderson, Elliot's abusive mother (seasons 1–2, 4).
* Rick Gonzalez
Rick Gonzalez (born June 30, 1979) is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles as Timo Cruz in the motion picture ''Coach Carter'', as Spanish in ''Old School (film), Old School'', as Ben Gonzalez on the The CW Television Network ...
as Isaac Vera, Fernando Vera's brother (season 1).
* Nadia Gan as Elizabeth, Tyrell's assistant (season 1; guest season 4).
* Stephen Lin as Hamburger Man, Elliot's contact with the Dark Army (season 3; guest seasons 1–2, 4).
* Joey Badass
Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), known professionally as Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro ...
as Leon, a new close friend of Elliot and an inmate obsessed with sitcoms, as well as an agent for the Dark Army responsible for Elliot's safety (seasons 2–4).
* Bernadette Quigley as a chaplain
A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...
who hosts a prayer group attended by Elliot (season 2).
* Sandrine Holt
Sandrine Claire Holt (born Sandrine Vanessa Ho; 19 November 1972) is a British-born Canadian model and actress.
Early life
Holt was born Sandrine Vanessa Ho in Croydon. Her middle name was later changed to Claire. Her father, Man Shun ("Horace" ...
as Susan Jacobs, an E Corp General Counsel, known as Madame Executioner (season 2).
* Anthony Jennings as Vincent, an fsociety member given orders by Darlene (season 2).
* Erik Jensen as Frank Cody, a conspiracy theorist and talk show host (seasons 2–3).
* Chris Conroy as Derek, Joanna's secret lover who works as a bartender and a DJ (season 2; guest season 3).
* Craig Robinson as Ray Heyworth, a prison warden who secretly runs a Tor
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia
Sc ...
routed website involving human trafficking, drugs and weapons (season 2).
* Michael Maize
Michael Maize (born Michael Meyer; December 1, 1974) is an American motion picture and television actor, perhaps best known for his role of Daniel in the film '' National Treasure: Book of Secrets''.
Biography
Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisc ...
as "Lone Star" Lockwood, a Texas native and an off-balanced prison guard and associate of Ray (season 2).
* Omar Metwally
Omar Metwally is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Vik Ullah in the Showtime television series '' The Affair'', as well as for '' Rendition'' (2007), ''Munich'' (2005), and ''Miral'' (2010). He has also appeared in the ...
as Ernesto Santiago, Dom's superior at the FBI who also works for the Dark Army to protect Tyrell Wellick (seasons 2–3).
* Grant Chang as Grant, Whiterose's assistant and lover (seasons 2–3).
* Luke Robertson as RT, Ray's former system admin (season 2).
* Rizwan Manji
Rizwan Manji (born October 17, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known best for his portrayals of Ray Butani on ''Schitt's Creek'', Tick Pickwick on '' The Magicians'', Rajiv Gidwani in the NBC Universal TV series '' Outsourced'', and Jamil in th ...
as Norm Gill, Dom's new partner working with her to investigate the 5/9 hack (season 3).
* Ramy Youssef
Ramy Youssef ( ar, رامي يوسف; ; born March 26, 1991) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and director of full Egyptian descent known for his role as Ramy Hassan on the Hulu comedy series '' Ramy'' (2019–present), for whic ...
as Samar Swailem, Elliot's co-worker at E Corp (season 3).
* Christine M. Campbell as Janet Robinson, a high-level manager at E Corp (season 3).
* Kathryn Danielle as Bobbi, the HR manager at E Corp (season 3).
* Josh Mostel
Joshua Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American actor with numerous film and Broadway credits. The son of Zero Mostel, he is best known for his supporting roles in films such as ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973), ''Harry and Tonto'' (1974) ...
as Bo, Elliot's landlord (season 3).
* Jing Xu as Wang Shu, Whiterose's assistant (season 4).
* Dominik García as Olivia Cortez, employee for Cyprus National Bank (season 4).
* Young M.A
Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (acronym for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper. She first gained widespread recognition with the release of the quadruple-platinum hit single " Ooouuu ...
as Peanuts, Vera's loyal henchman (season 4).
Production
Conception and development
Sam Esmail, the show's creator and showrunner, is the credited writer on the vast majority of the episodes. In an interview, Sam Esmail shared that he is fascinated by hacker culture and wanted to make a film about it for around 15 years. In the production, Esmail consulted experts to give a realistic picture of hacking activities. Another inspiration for Esmail, who is of Egyptian descent, was the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring ( ar, الربيع العربي) was a series of Nonviolent resistance, anti-government protests, Rebellion, uprisings and Insurgency, armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s. It began in T ...
, mainly the Egyptian Revolution, where young people who were angry at society used social media to bring about a change. He has said that Elliot is a "thinly-veiled version" of himself.
Esmail had originally intended ''Mr. Robot'' to be a feature film, with the end of the first act being someone finding out that he had a mental disorder while enacting a greater scheme. However, midway through writing the first act, he found that the script had expanded considerably, and that it had become better-suited for a television show. He removed 20 of around 89 pages of the script then written, and used it as the pilot for the series, and what was to have been the end of the first act became the finale of the first season. Esmail took the script to film and television production company Anonymous Content
Anonymous Content (AC) is an American entertainment company founded in 1999 by CEO Steve Golin. It is based in Los Angeles with offices in Culver City, New York City and London.
History
Anonymous Content was founded in 1999 by CEO Steve Gol ...
to see if it could be developed into a television series, which was then picked up by USA Network. USA gave a pilot order to ''Mr. Robot'' in July 2014. After an exhaustive search to cast the lead role, it was announced in September 2014 that Rami Malek had been cast as Elliot; the remainder of the roles in the pilot were cast later in September and October.
USA picked it up to series with a 10-episode order in December 2014. Production began in New York on April 13, 2015. The pilot premiered on multiple online and video on demand services on May 27, 2015, and the series was renewed for a second season before the first season premiered on USA on June 24, 2015. In December 2015, it was announced that Esmail would direct all episodes in the second season. In June 2016, it was announced that the second season's episode order was increased from 10 to 12 episodes. The 12-episode second season premiered on July 13, 2016. On August 16, 2016, USA renewed ''Mr. Robot'' for a third season to air in 2017. The third season debuted in October 2017 and consisted of 10 episodes. All episodes were directed by Esmail, just as in the second season. On December 13, 2017, USA renewed ''Mr. Robot'' for a fourth season. In August 2018, it was confirmed that the fourth season would be the final season.
Originally, the show planned to dress Elliot in a worn sweatshirt and colorful backpack; however, Malek suggested a black backpack and wore his own B:Scott black hoodie to set. The outfit became the signature look for the character, and the costume designer ordered 20 more of them, despite the item having been discontinued years earlier. To portray the unusual, often confused worldview of lead character Elliot Alderson, Franklin Peterson, who edited three ''Mr. Robot'' episodes in the first season and six in the second season, used creative editing styles that included jump cuts, varied lengths of takes and shuffling scenes around within an episode and sometimes even between episodes. Esmail encouraged the experimentation as Peterson and his team explored the personality of each character in the editing suite, finding creative ways to tell their stories and maintain their humanity.
Visual effects
FuseFX
FuseFX is a motion picture special visual effects (VFX) company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Their creative studios include FuseFX, Folks VFX, Rising Sun Pictures and El Ranchito. Established in 2006, the company develops visual ...
was hired to provide the visual effects for episode " eps3.4_runtime-error.r00" of season 3, in which they took 40 shots and stitched them together to appear as one seamless shot for the entire episode.
Technical accuracy
''Mr. Robot'' has been widely praised for its technical accuracy by numerous cybersecurity
Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...
firms and services such as Avast
Avast Software s.r.o. is a Czech Multinational corporation, multinational Computer security, cybersecurity software company headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic that Research and development, researches and develops computer security softwa ...
, Panda Security
Panda Security is a Spanish cybersecurity software company that specializes in creating products for IT security. Panda Security started with antivirus software, and the company now also provides and develops cybersecurity software. This includ ...
, Avira
Avira Operations GmbH is a German multinational computer security software company mainly known for their Avira Free Security antivirus software. Avira was founded in 2006, but the antivirus application has been under active development since ...
, Kaspersky
Kaspersky Lab (; Russian: Лаборатория Касперского, tr. ''Laboratoriya Kasperskogo'') is a Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider headquartered in Moscow, Russia, and operated by a holding company in th ...
, Proton Mail, and bloggers who analyzed and dissected the technical aspects of the show after episodes containing hacking scenes. Aside from the pilot episode, Esmail hired Kor Adana (former network security analyst and forensics manager for Toyota Motor Sales), Michael Bazzell (security consultant and former FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
Cyber Crimes Task Force agent and investigator) and James Plouffe (lead solutions architect at MobileIron
MobileIron Inc. was an American software company that provided unified endpoint and enterprise mobility management (EMM) for mobile devices, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). The company announced in September 2020 it was being acquired ...
) as his advisors to oversee the technical accuracy of the show. By the second season, Adana assembled a team of hackers and cybersecurity experts including Jeff Moss
Jeffrey Arnold "Jeff" Moss (June 19, 1942 – September 24, 1998) was an American composer, lyricist, playwright and television writer, best known for his award-winning work on the children's television series ''Sesame Street''.
Early life
...
(founder and director of Black Hat
Black hat, blackhats, or black-hat refers to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Black hat (computer security), a hacker who violates computer security for little reason beyond maliciousness or for personal gain
* Black hat, part of black and white ...
and DEF CON
DEF CON (also written as DEFCON, Defcon or DC) is a hacker convention held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first DEF CON took place in June 1993 and today many attendees at DEF CON include computer security professionals, journalists, lawyer ...
computer security conferences), Marc Rogers (principal security researcher for Cloudflare
Cloudflare, Inc. is an American content delivery network and DDoS mitigation company, founded in 2009. It primarily acts as a reverse proxy between a website's visitor and the Cloudflare customer's hosting provider. Its headquarters are in San ...
and head of security for DEF CON), Ryan Kazanciyan (chief security architect for Tanium
Tanium is a privately held cybersecurity and systems management company with headquarters in Kirkland, Washington and its operations center in Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the ...
) and Andre McGregor (director of security for Tanium
Tanium is a privately held cybersecurity and systems management company with headquarters in Kirkland, Washington and its operations center in Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the ...
and former FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
Cyber Special agent) to assist him with the authenticity of the hacks and the technology being used. Hacking scenes were performed by members of the technical team in real life, recorded and rebuilt using Flash animation
Adobe Flash animation or Adobe Flash cartoon (formerly Macromedia Flash animation, Macromedia Flash cartoon, FutureSplash animation, and FutureSplash cartoon) is an animation that is created with the Adobe Animate (formerly Flash Professional) p ...
. Animation process is carried out by animator Adam Brustein under the direct supervision of Adana himself. Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It is maintained and funded by Offensive Security.
Kali Linux has around 600 penetration-testing programs (tools), including Armitage (a gr ...
and its tools were used in multiple episodes.
The show has also attempted to accurately represent Elliot's mental health issues. In an interview with Terry Gross
Terry Gross (born February 14, 1951) is an American journalist who is the host and co-executive producer of ''Fresh Air'', an interview-based radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed nationally by NPR. Since joining NPR i ...
for the radio show ''Fresh Air
''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...
'', Malek recounted contacting a psychologist to learn about schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social withdra ...
, dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
, and social anxiety
Social anxiety is the anxiety and fear specifically linked to being in social settings (i.e., interacting with others). Some categories of disorders associated with social anxiety include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, autism spectrum disord ...
. When in meetings with Esmail, Malek's knowledge on the topics led Esmail to bring the psychologist on as a consultant for the show. Subsequently, the show has been widely praised by critics, viewers and psychiatrists as being one of the most accurate representations of mental health issues ever portrayed on TV or film, especially for its depictions of dissociative identity disorder, social anxiety, panic disorders and chronic depression
Dysthymia ( ), also known as persistent depressive disorder (PDD), is a mental and behavioral disorder, specifically a disorder primarily of mood, consisting of similar cognitive and physical problems as major depressive disorder, but with lon ...
. Malek and Chaikin's performances have been further singled out for their "raw and authentic depictions of mental illness hich
Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
makes it more relatable to those who haven’t experienced it firsthand" while also representing a "kindred spirit" to viewers who do have mental health issues. '' Inverse'' described ''Mr. Robot'' as "setting a new standard for depictions of mental illness n media
N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
... without ending up exploitative."
Influences
Sam Esmail has acknowledged several major influences on the show, such as ''American Psycho
''American Psycho'' is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan investment banker. Alison Kelly of ''The Observer'' notes that while "some countr ...
'', ''Taxi Driver
''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
'', ''A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'', and ''The Matrix''. In particular, Esmail credited ''Fight Club'' as the inspiration for a main character who has dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
creating a new manifestation of his deceased father in the form of a hacker, as well as for the Anti-consumerism, anti-consumerist, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism, anti-capitalist spirit of its characters. Commentators have also noted the parallel in its plot on the erasing of consumer debt records to the film. Even so, Lauren Lawson for ''GQ'' remarked, "''Mr. Robot'' elevates the ''Fight Club'' formula: the show's mindfuckery lubes us up to think about society (Elliot's and ours) in a discerning way, but it's not the main event. You can see ''Fight Club'' once and pretty much get the picture, but it will take years of scholarly binge-watching to answer the questions ''Mr. Robot'' raises." In an interview, Esmail explains how playing the song that David Fincher used to underscore the climax of ''Fight Club'' ("Where Is My Mind?") when Elliot initiates the hack in episode nine is intended as a message to the audience that he is aware of the inspiration they took from the film. The narration by the protagonist was influenced by ''Taxi Driver'', and other influences mentioned included ''Risky Business'' for its music score, ''Blade Runner'' for the character development, and the television series ''Breaking Bad'' for the story arc.
Filming locations
The series was filmed in New York City, New York. Filming locations include Silvercup Studios and Coney Island, which serves as the exterior of the base of operations for the hacking group fsociety. As the production crew was unable to shut down Times Square for filming, the scenes at Times Square in the first-season finale were shot late at night just before July 4 holiday weekend to catch the area at its emptiest while other shots were done on sets. Production on the second season began on March 7, 2016, resuming filming in New York City.
Aftershows
In June 2016, USA Network announced ''Hacking Robot'', a live aftershow hosted by Andy Greenwald to air during the second season. ''Hacking Robot'' debuted after the second-season premiere and aired again following the tenth episode. In addition, a weekly web-only aftershow titled ''Mr. Robot Digital After Show'' premiered on ''The Verge'' and USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
's websites after the third episode, and continued through the third season.
Reception
Critical response
Season 1
The first season of ''Mr. Robot'' received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a rating of 98%, based on 146 reviews, with an average rating of 8.35/10. The site's consensus reads, "''Mr. Robot'' is a suspenseful cyber-thriller with timely stories and an intriguing, provocative premise." It set a record on Rotten Tomatoes as the only show to earn perfect episode scores for an entire season since the site began tracking television episodes. On Metacritic, the first season scored 79 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Merrill Barr of ''Forbes'' gave it a very positive review, writing, "''Mr. Robot'' has one of the best kick-offs to any series in a while" and that it "could be the series that finally, after years of ignorance, puts a deserving network among the likes of HBO, AMC (TV channel), AMC and FX (TV channel), FX in terms of acclaim."
In ''The New York Times'', Alessandra Stanley noted that "Occupy Wall Street, the protest movement that erupted in 2011, didn't do much to curb the financial industry. It didn't die out, though. It went Hollywood", before finding ''Mr. Robot'' to be, "an intriguing new series ... a cyber-age thriller infused with a dark, almost nihilistic pessimism about the Internet, capitalism and income inequality. And that makes it kind of fun". The UK ''The Daily Telegraph'' reviewer Michael Hogan gave the show five stars, finding it to be "''The Matrix'' meets ''Fight Club'' meets ''Robin Hood''", noting that, "bafflingly, it took months for a UK broadcaster to snap up the rights". Although Hogan found too much attention was devoted to Elliot's social anxiety, he eventually decided that "this alienated anti-hero was a brilliant, boldly complex character." Overall, Hogan concluded that the show deserved to find an audience in the UK.
''Mr. Robot'' made several critics' list for the best TV shows of 2015. Three critics, Jeff Jensen of ''Entertainment Weekly'', Rob Sheffield of ''Rolling Stone'', and the staff of ''TV Guide'', named it the best show of the year. The series was also placed second on the list from three other critics, and was named among the best of the year from four other critics.
Season 2
The second season also received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 89%, based on 262 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's consensus reads: "Unique storytelling, a darker tone, and challenging opportunities for its tight cast push ''Mr. Robot'' even further into uncharted television territory." On Metacritic, it has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Sonia Saraiya of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' praised Rami Malek
Rami Said Malek (; , ; born May 12, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for portraying computer hacker Elliot Alderson in the USA Network television series ''Mr. Robot'' (2015–2019), for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outs ...
's performance and wrote, "It's Malek's soulful eyes and silent pathos that give ''Mr. Robot'' its unexpected warmth, as the viewer is lured into Elliot's chaos and confusion." Tim Goodman of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' lauded Sam Esmail
Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer and director of the award-winning USA Network televi ...
's direction, writing "Esmail's camerawork—characters tucked into corners of the frame, among other nontraditional compositions—continues to give the sense of disorientation and never feels tired" and "there are some flourishes in the first two hours that are brilliantly conceived and [...] contribute to what is one of the most visually remarkable hours on television."
Season 3
The third season also received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 92%, based on 143 reviews, with an average rating of 8.25/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Mr. Robot''s striking visuals and bold narrative fuel its seductive blend of reality and fantasy." On Metacritic, it has a score of 82 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Based on six episodes for review, Darren Franich of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave it an "A" grade, calling it a "noir masterpiece", and overall, wrote that "Season 3 of ''Mr. Robot'' is a masterpiece, ballasting the global ambitions of season 2 while sharpening back to the meticulous build of season 1."
Season 4
As with previous seasons, the fourth and final season has been met with acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 97% with an average rating of 8.95/10, based on 121 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Mr. Robot'' returns with a thrilling final season that is sure to surprise and satisfy its audience." On Metacritic, it has a score of 81 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
The episode "407 Proxy Authentication Required (Mr. Robot), 407 Proxy Authentication Required" specifically gained exceptional acclaim by ''Decider (website), Decider'', who called it "among the best individual TV episodes of 2019, and possibly one of the best of all time." ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' listed it as the 22nd best show of the 2010s, and Emily St. James of ''Vox (website), Vox'' named it among "shows that help explain the decade". Emma Garland of ''Vice (magazine), Vice'' described the show as defining the 2010s and post-Occupy Wall Street, Occupy world as one of vast inequality: "Even if you don't buy into its earnestness, you can't argue with its bittersweet irony."
Ratings
Awards and nominations
Critics' top ten lists
In other media
''Mr. Robot'' has spawned a variety of video games. Its mobile game, titled: ''Mr. Robot:1.51exfiltrati0n.apk'' (for Android) and ''Mr. Robot:1.51exfiltrati0n.ipa'' (for iOS) are set during the first season of the series and was published by Telltale Games. Users play as a fictional character who has stumbled upon the phone of an important member of fsociety and takes it upon themselves to assist them in bringing down E Corp. The ''Mr. Robot'' Virtual Reality Experience, written and directed by Sam Esmail, is a 13-minute video viewable using virtual reality headsets that explores Elliot's past. ''Mr. Robot'' also features several Easter egg (media), Easter eggs, including websites related to the show or IP addresses used within the series that redirect to real websites.
A book tie-in, ''Mr. Robot: Red Wheelbarrow (eps1.91_redwheelbarr0w.txt)'' written by Esmail and Courtney Looney, was released on November 1, 2016.
Release
Broadcast
''Mr. Robot'' premiered in the United States on USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
on June 24, 2015, and in Canada on Showcase (Canadian TV channel), Showcase on September 4, 2015. Amazon.com secured international broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the first season added on Amazon Prime on October 16, 2015, and second-season episodes to be released immediately after initial broadcast in the United States. In Australia, the series premiered on Presto (streaming company), Presto on August 14, 2015. After Presto shut down, the series moved to Fox Showcase for its third season and to Foxtel, Foxtel On Demand for the fourth season. The show aired in the Republic of Ireland on TG4.
Home media
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released all four seasons on DVD and Blu-ray. The first season was released on January 12, 2016. It contains all 10 episodes, plus deleted scenes, gag reel, making-of featurette, and UltraViolet (system), UltraViolet digital copies of the episodes. The second season was released on January 10, 2017. The third season was released on March 27, 2018 in the United States. The fourth season as well as a complete series collection was released on March 31, 2020.
In September 2015, Amazon.com acquired exclusive streaming VOD rights to ''Mr. Robot'' in several countries. The first season became available to stream in June 2016 for U.S. Amazon Prime subscribers.
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mister Robot
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