Everything to Know About A Man on the Inside
Go undercover with Ted Danson in the new Mike Schur comedy.
By Jean Bentley and Christopher Hudspeth
Jan. 8, 2025
A Man on the Inside: Everything to Know About the Ted Danson and Mike Schur Comedy Series - Netflix Tudum
Ted Danson is breaking out of a rut and finding a renewed sense of purpose in A Man on the Inside, which hails from The Good Place creator Mike Schur.
Based on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Mole Agent, the eight-episode series follows a retired man, Charles (Danson), who gets a new lease on life when he answers an ad placed by a private detective and becomes a mole in a secret investigation of the Pacific View retirement residence in San Francisco.
Schur watched the original film — which takes place in Chile and follows an 83-year-old widower named Sergio — after several people recommended it to him, and quickly connected with the story.
“I knew almost nothing about [The Mole Agent], and I just fell for it so hard,” Schur told Netflix. “The hero, Sergio, is so wonderfully wrought, so real, just a lovely human being. It’s a beautiful meditation on aging, a subject we are uniquely terrible in this country at confronting, dealing with, or discussing. It showed the reality of aging for people along a very broad spectrum — some folks who were doing great and some folks who were not — and that really grabbed me.”
Even though Schur was moved by the doc, his first instinct wasn’t to adapt the movie as a series. “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,” he recalled. Schur and Danson last worked together on the Emmy-nominated series The Good Place, which wrapped in 2020. “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. As soon as we had that idea, things happened very quickly. I started working on my idea for the adaptation, we pitched it to Ted, and he was in.”
Joining Danson is a pedigreed list of stars, including several Schur veterans from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. And, executive producers of the new series include Schur for Fremulon; Morgan Sackett; David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment; the original film’s director, Maite Alberdi; Marcela Santibáñez for Micromundo Producciones; and, for Motto Pictures, Julie Goldman and Christopher Clements.
Check below for more info on the show and photos of Danson doing detective work as Charles.
What is A Man on the Inside about?
A widower, eager to shake up his routine, answers an ad from a private detective to solve a mysterious theft. Posing as a new resident, he goes deep undercover at a senior living community, building heartwarming new friendships and a stronger bond with his daughter along the way.
In keeping with the spirit of The Mole Agent, Schur views A Man on the Inside as an opportunity to examine the frequently ignored topic of aging from a comedic yet heartfelt angle. “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,” he said. “The whole basis for the relationship was that you need their help. 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.”
Executive producers of the new series include Schur for Fremulon; Morgan Sackett; David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment; the original film’s director, Maite Alberdi; Marcela Santibáñez for Micromundo Producciones; and, for Motto Pictures, Julie Goldman and Christopher Clements.
Who’s in the cast of A Man on the Inside?
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Ted Danson
as Charles
About the Character
Former professor Charles goes undercover in a retirement community to solve the mystery of a resident’s missing family heirloom.
Previously In
Cheers, The Good Place
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Mary Elizabeth Ellis
as Emily
About the Character
Emily is a married mother of three boys who has to adjust when her father, Charles, makes a surprising late-life career move and becomes an undercover detective.
Previously In
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, New Girl, Masterminds
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Stephanie Beatriz
as Didi
About the Character
Didi is the all-seeing, all-knowing managing director of the Pacific View retirement residence in San Francisco.
Previously In
Encanto, Twisted Metal, Hazbin Hotel
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Lilah Richcreek Estrada
as Julie
About the Character
Julie is a San Francisco–based private investigator who hires Charles to be her mole. To maintain the ruse at the retirement home, she pretends to be his daughter.
Previously In
Chicago Med, Dave, The Wonder Years
Stephen McKinley Henderson
as Calbert
About the Character
Calbert is a transplant from Washington, DC, who serves as the stoic eyes and ears of the Pacific View community.
Previously In
Fences, Civil War, Lady Bird
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Sally Struthers
as Virginia
About the Character
Vivacious Virginia is the life of the party at Pacific View, and immediately takes a shine to Charles.
Previously In
All in the Family, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Eugene Cordero
as Joel
About the Character
Emily’s husband, Joel, is a supportive and exceedingly competent 10th-grade science teacher.
Previously In
The Good Place, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Loki
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Margaret Avery
as Florence
About the Character
Virginia’s sweet best friend Florence loves poetry and the Golden State Warriors in equal measure.
Previously In
The Color Purple, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
John Getz
as Elliott
About the Character
Elliott is Pacific View’s resident lothario. He immediately feels threatened when Charles moves in and starts receiving all the attention.
Previously In
Blood Simple, The Fly
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Susan Ruttan
as Gladys
About the Character
Gladys is a glamorous former costume designer from New York City, and Charles’s next-door neighbor at Pacific View.
Previously In
Sprung, Mom, Shameless
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Lori Tan Chinn
as Susan
About the Character
Susan is the president of the Pacific View resident council, which she rules with an iron fist.
Previously In
Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Turning Red, Strange Planet
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Clyde Kusatsu
as Grant
About the Character
Grant is a Princeton grad who is deeply concerned with you knowing he is a Princeton grad.
Previously In
All-American Girl, Brick ’Em Back Alive
Marc Evan Jackson
as Evan Cubbler
About the Character
Evan is the client who hires Julie to investigate the theft of his mother’s necklace.
Previously In
Popular Theory, Finding ’Ohana, The Disruptors
Watch them on Netflix
Colleen E. Hayes/Netflix
Jama Williamson
as Beatrice
About the Character
Beatrice is the Pacific View activities director and she’s never had a bad day in her life.
Previously In
School of Rock, Parks and Recreation, I Am Potential
Is The Mole Agent on Netflix?
Yes! You can stream the documentary that A Man on the Inside is based on right here.
Has A Man on the Inside received any award nominations?
Yes, Danson’s portrayal of Charles earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Male Actor - Musical or Comedy Series, as well as a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series at the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
When does A Man on the Inside come out?
A Man on the Inside is now streaming on Netflix.
Let the sleuthing begin.
Additional reporting by Troy Pozirekides
Want Netflix News? Hear It First on TudumStay in the know about cast announcements, first look photos, sneak peeks and other breaking news when you get your Netflix news from the source.
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