Since moving to the Ozarks in the Netflix original series “Ozark,” Marty and Wendy Byrde have made a number of powerful enemies and acquaintances in their quest to set up a profitable money laundering operation for the Navarro cartel.
Between local families (the Langmores), business leaders (the Snells), and small-time criminals (too many to name), the series is a revolving door of characters, from major players like Ben Davis and Helen Pierce to onetime guest stars.
With “Ozark” Season 4 – Part 1 out on Netflix this weekend, here’s a guide to this season’s cast and characters. For a refresher on last season, check out our Season 3 recap here.
Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde
Jason Bateman, who also executive produces and frequently directs (winning him an Emmy in 2019) the series, is Marty Byrde, the driving force behind “Ozark.” The show kicks off when the unhappily married financial advisor and father of two finds out that his business partner has been stealing from the cartel whose money they have been laundering. Marty avoids being executed by proposing that he launder money in the Ozarks, the beginning of a long and bumpy ride involving several near misses with criminals, the FBI and various other parties that want Marty’s head on a platter. Marty is the financial brains of the operation, and by the end of Season 3 he has a solid grasp on his position as one of the most powerful men in the Ozarks.
Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde
Wendy Byrde, played by four-time Emmy winner Laura Linney, may have been dragged to the Ozarks against her will, but it quickly becomes clear that she’s the one who’s cut out for a life of crime and corruption. Wendy is a ruthless and cunning strategist who spearheads many of the Byrdes’ political and business gains. She can charm almost anyone into doing almost anything, but she’s also behind the show’s most cold-blooded moments.
Julia Garner as Ruth Langmore
The scrappy, whipsmart leader of her small-time criminal family, Ruth is the beating heart of the series. Julia Garner is a two-time Emmy winner for playing the Ozarks local who comes to work with the Byrdes after Marty catches her stealing from him. Her highly volatile relationship with Marty and Wendy is on the downswing when Wendy has her brother (Ruth’s boyfriend) Ben killed at the end of Season 3. Mouthy, fiercely loyal and highly capable, Ruth is the character to root for.
Lisa Emery as Darlene Snell
The Ozarks were Darlene and Jacob Snell’s oyster until the Byrdes showed up, making both parties a constant thorn in each other’s sides. Lisa Emery’s steely-eyed Darlene revealed the extent of her cold-blooded ambition when she murdered her husband. As an opium poppy farmer, Darlene is constantly at odds with the cartel and the criminals she does business with. Incredibly callous and prone to violence, she’s responsible for the deaths of several characters. In Season 3, she begins a romantic relationship with the much-younger Wyatt Langmore after he saves her from losing her foster baby to child services.
Skylar Gaertner as Jonah Byrde
Marty and Wendy’s son Jonah is barely a pre-teen when the Byrdes move to the Ozarks, but he’s more mature and observant than most of the adults in his life. As Marty’s protégé, Jonah is a natural math whiz and puts his prodigal talents to use for the family business. Jonah took matters into his own hands last season, confronting Helen about what happened to his uncle Ben at gunpoint.
Sofia Hublitz as Charlotte Byrde
Of the two Byrde siblings, Charlotte has always been more of a rebel. After acting out and even filing for emancipation from her parents, the dynamic shifted last season. Her main responsibility was keeping Helen Pierce’s daughter Erin in line. Her on-again, off-again friendship with Wyatt Langmore is also a regular feature of her storyline.
Charlie Tahan as Wyatt Langmore
Poor Wyatt Langmore is proof that the Langmore family curse is probably real. Charlie Tahan’s smart, sensitive Wyatt is frequently strung along by other characters, whether that be his cousin Ruth, the Byrdes, or Darlene, who he starts dating in Season 3. His close relationships with Ruth and Charlotte – along with his plans to get out of the Ozarks and go to college – are derailed after Ruth kills his father. He’s also responsible for his younger brother Three, who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time.
Felix Solis as Omar Navarro
Felix Solis plays the leader of the Navarro cartel, who remains unseen in the first two seasons and regularly features after that. He holds the Byrdes to impossibly high standards, often leaving them scrambling. Though he’s one of the show’s most cold-blooded antagonists, Navarro is typically calm and collected, making him that much scarier.
Alfonso Herrera as Javier “Javi” Elizonndro
Played by Alfonso Herrera, Javi is introduced in the first episode of Season 4 and remains a prominent character throughout. Rash and short-tempered, he’s the perfect foil to his uncle Navarro. Javi dreams of taking over the cartel one day, and he will kill or threaten whoever he needs to in order to make that happen.
Veronica Falcón as Camila Elizondro
Camila Elizondro is sister to Omar Navarro and mother to Javi, and she becomes a major player in the final episodes of Season 4. She’s played by Mexican actress Veronica Falcón, whose credits include “Queen of the South” and “Perry Mason.”
Jessica Frances Dukes as Special Agent Maya Miller
FBI agent and forensic accountant Maya Miller comes to “Ozark” with the singular goal of taking Marty Byrde down. However, their relationship becomes more complicated as they get to know each other. Maya tries to persuade Marty to turn himself in and come work with her at the FBI.
Damian Young as Jim Rattelsdorf
Political fixer Jim and Wendy Byrde cross paths when she gets involved in local and statewide politics. He starts off as an advisor to State Senator Charles Wilkes and eventually becomes Wendy’s advisor, confidant and informant for her political and business dealings.
Joseph Sikora as Frank Cosgrove Jr.
Joseph Sikora plays the hot-headed son of Frank Cosgrove Sr., the head of the Kansas City Mob. As part of their operation distributing drugs for the cartel, Frank Jr. is forced to work with Ruth. Their bitter rivalry ended with Darlene shooting him in the crotch last season.
Adam Rothenberg as Mel Sattem
Adam Rothenberg makes his “Ozark” debut this season as Mel Sattem, a private investigator who is hired to find Helen Pierce after she disappears. He is relentless in his pursuit of Helen and frequently irritates the Byrdes and others with his questions.
John Bedford Lloyd as Frank Cosgrove Sr.
Frank Cosgrove Sr. is the head of the Kansas City Mob. He controls the movement of drugs and other contraband in the Ozarks and beyond, necessitating the cooperation of the Snells and the Byrdes. His impulsive son, Frank Jr., is often the cause of his problems.
Katrina Lenk as Claire Shaw
Another fresh face this season is Katrina Lenk as Claire Shaw, the CEO of her family’s scandal-ridden pharmaceutical company. The Byrdes court her to join their foundation and become a distributor for the cartel.
Madison Thompson as Erin Pierce
Erin, played by Madison Thompson, is the daughter of Helen Pierce, the cartel’s former lawyer. She comes to live in the Ozarks for the summer with her mom, where she befriends Jonah and Charlotte. Unlike the Byrde kids, she’s in the dark about her mother’s work until Ben tells her the truth and she gets shipped back to Chicago.
Nelson Bonilla as Nelson
Nelson is the Navarro cartel’s in-house assassin. He served as Helen Pierce’s bodyguard until Navarro ordered him to kill her at the end of Season 3. If he shows up at a character’s house, it’s probably not going to end well for them.
Eric Ladin as Kerry Stone
Eric Ladin plays Kerry Stone, a celebrity chef and restaurateur who frequently gambles at the Missouri Belle. Ruth attempts to use his influence and connections to help sell Darlene’s heroin.
Robert C. Treveiler as Sheriff John Nix
Like the other power players in “Ozark,” Sheriff Nix is basically amoral and will do almost anything for the right price. He and the Snells have a longstanding agreement that allows them to run the illegal branches of their business. In Season 3, he gets Ben released from the state mental hospital at Darlene’s behest.
CC Castillo as Sheriff Guerrero
CC Castillo joins this season as Sheriff Guerrero, a hard-headed officer who investigates the various deaths and missing person cases tied to the Byrdes.
Kevin L. Johnson as Sam Dermody
Perennially clueless Sam has been the Byrdes’ pawn since day one, when he sells them their house. They enlist his help managing a number of their businesses without telling him who they work for. In Season 3, he gets arrested after the Byrdes pay him to help launder money.
Richard Thomas as Nathan Davis
Nathan Davis is Wendy Byrde’s father. Much to his estranged daughter’s ire, he temporarily moves to the Ozarks to lead the search for his son Ben, who went missing in Season 3. He’s played by Richard Thomas, who you may recognize from “Billions,” “The Americans,” “The Waltons” or the original adaptation of Stephen King’s “It.”
