EXCLUSIVE: Hulu has added five series regulars to the cast of Nick Paley’s upcoming coming-of-age mystery Phony.

Joining previously announced series regulars Connie Britton and Sam Nivola are Meera Syal as Sharla, Grace Brennan as Mallory, Mahaela Park as Chloe, Maliq Johnson as Vogel and Colter Lee as Weldon.

Phony is a coming-of-age mystery about Sonny (Nivola), a teenager who wakes up in the hospital after a car accident to discover his mom Ellen (Britton) — his only parent and his best friend — appears to have been replaced by an impostor. 

Syal’s Sharla is a private investigator who lives on the outskirts of town. Sonny hires Sharla to help him find his mother. Sharla believes in “alternative knowledge”, something Sonny finds useful. Sharla has a hard exterior, a defense mechanism after years of disappointment, but she’s more sensitive than she lets on.

Brennan will play Mallory, Sonny’s middle school crush who just re-enrolled in public school after being homeschooled by her religious parents for the last few years. Mallory struggles to figure out where she fits in socially at her new school, and moreover, what she actually believes in. Authentic to a fault, Mallory is skeptical of Sonny’s predicament and can’t help but voice what she thinks.

Park’s Chloe is Sonny’s girlfriend and class president of Delby High. Chloe cares deeply for Sonny, even as his accident presents obstacles with their relationship. Deep down, Chloe feels misunderstood and likes when she’s seen for who she really is: a secret weirdo.

Johnson will play Sonny’s childhood best friend Vogel. He’s on the Delby soccer team, but a recent injury has him questioning if sports are really his thing. Vogel’s a popular goofball with a big heart that Sonny can always rely on, a friend who is down for anything.

Last but not least, Lee is taking the role of Weldon, Mallory’s cousin and a new student at Delby High. Weldon’s an outsider who doesn’t see himself that way. He becomes Sonny’s biggest confidant and the most fervent believer that Sonny is right about his mom.

Phony will premiere on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally. A premiere date has not yet been announced.

Paley wrote and directed the first episode and executive produces the half-hour series with co-showrunner Anthony King, series star Britton, Charlie Alderman (Charlie’s Production Company), and Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg (Goddard Textiles). Andrea Massaro (Goddard Textiles) serves as a co-executive producer. The series is produced by 20th Television.