Every team needs a boss, and Ava is the one calling the shots for the Obliterated crew. Showrunner Heald says Ava is a top CIA intelligence officer and “badass with the skills to lead this group.” She possesses a strategic mind and an ability to remain poised under pressure — which comes in handy as Obliterated descends into chaos. 

“I love that people needed so much from Ava,” Hennig tells Tudum. “I loved taking on her responsibility.” 

But Ava is also battling the ghosts of her past following a recent devastating loss. Hennig is happy the Obliterated writers quickly reveal Ava’s backstory. “She [starts out as] the un-fun one,” she admits. “So it gives Ava some empathy and it makes the audience want to root for her.” Even the toughest agents have their tender spots. 

Hennig made a name for herself with YA fare including witchy The Secret Circle and were-youth romp Teen Wolf. She has since starred in the thriller parody The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window alongside Kristen Bell and the sci-fi rom-com When We First Met.  

If Ava is the brains of the operation, McKnight is the brawn as the team’s tactical lead. Heald says this Navy SEAL “goes with his gut and has the scars and medals to prove it.” McKnight’s unflappable drive has won him devoted friends and followers within the squad. But that doesn’t mean he’s won Ava over yet.

Zano, still, appreciates the “push and pull” of the pair’s connection. “They’re giving respect to each other at times and realizing the other knows what they’re doing in their respective fields,” he tells Tudum. “They’re handing over power when it was OK to hand over power. It’s great.” 

Plus, he’s someone who never forgets about his loved ones back home. Could McKnight also find space in his heart for someone else on the team? 

Zano scored his first major TV role with the WB sitcom What I Like About You. But his longest-running television stint was in the CW’s superhero-packed Arrowverse. Zano portrayed historian turned time traveler Nate Heywood in Legends of Tomorrow. 

Like McKnight, Trunk is a Navy SEAL. This charming titan idolizes his best pal McKnight and goes to great lengths to maintain their friendship. Terrell reveals he and co-star Zano have a similarly tight-knit relationship off-screen. “Me and Nick are [so close], his kids call me Uncle T.”

Beyond his BFFship with McKnight, Trunk will also do anything for a snack as his Las Vegas munchies take hold during the mission. And which Sin City snack does Terrell most associate with his character? “Hot wings. Some dry-rub hot wings,” he tells Tudum with a wide smile. 

We weren’t joking when we called Terrell a titan. He played Tim “The Titan” Teslow in Batwoman, another series in the Arrowverse. Although his longest-running TV stint was in the comedy B Positive, Terrell has also appeared in sitcoms like Black-ish, First Wives Club, and The Mindy Project. 

Angela is the third member of McKnight’s inner circle. Unlike McKnight and Trunk, she is a Marine Raider and an eagle-eyed sniper. Angela shares her teammates’ “work-hard-play-harder way of life,” Heald says. Angela’s wild ways put her directly in the path of one particularly rowdy bride-to-be (Jade Bender). 

Lázaro relished Obliterated’s tipsy take on an action romp. “That experience was super fun because it kind of releases you from the stress of having to look serious all the time,” Lázaro says. “It’s kind of like being a kid and playing make- believe.” 

It’s no wonder Lázaro is ready to fight against a city-leveling event. She’s already taken down zombies. The Puerto Rican actor starred in two seasons of  The Walking Dead as Juanita “Princess” Sanchez. Lázaro also appeared in Lethal Weapon as detective Luisa Gutierrez. 

Call Maya if you ever need to track down your crush on social media (or, anywhere, really). As Heald explains, the NSA genius is fresh out of MIT and ready to prove her talents. “Maya has the tech and hacking skills to run communications and keep our team one step ahead of the enemy,” he says.   

If only her big feelings for one member of the team didn’t threaten to tear the mission apart. 

Obliterated is relative newcomer Rutledge’s first major TV role. She previously guest starred in an episode of the Aidy Bryant comedy Shrill. 

You should never trust an explosives expert with all their fingers. Grizzle-digited Hagerty is proof of that maxim. The Army EOD specialist “is on hand to disarm and dispose of any explosives,” according to Heald. Despite his wild card reputation — and killer guacamole recipe — Hagerty deserves your trust. 

“Hagerty is pretty old school… But I really made a choice to not let him be that quintessential macho dude,” Howell says. “He’s a lover.”

Hagerty’s soft side shines through with his passion for Michael Bublé — even when deactivating a bomb. Although Hagerty is a fan of pop-jazz, Howell says he’s more “of a Zeppelin guy.” So the actor says he would turn to their track “Moby Dick” if put in his character’s bomb diffusing situation.

Howell has been stealing scenes since the ’80s. His debut roles were in instant classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Outsiders, in which he played Tyler and Ponyboy Curtis, respectively. Since then, Howell has racked up more than 200 acting credits. He most recently appeared in the comedy Old Dads. 

You can also catch him mixing it up in the kitchen. Howell has a passion for cooking, and says the key to great guac is “not totally demolishing the avocados.” Instead, he says to look for “lumpy mashed potatoes” consistency. 

While the rest of the squad is happy to party to their hearts’ content — yes, even you, Ava — Paul is different. Heald says the Air Force pilot is “a reliable family man seeking the ultimate work-life balance.” Paul’s biggest priority is his daughter, Jen (Minnie Mills). “Our first day on set together, Minnie and I took father-daughter pictures,” Kim says. “We bonded through that. And Minnie was just so wonderful.”

Still, Paul’s not afraid of some danger. He’s the one who flies the team into battle in a state-of-the-art helicopter.

Kim has the honor of appearing in the very first sketch of I Think You Should Leave Season 2. He played Dennis, a corporate leader who gets in the way of a very important hotdog lunch. 

Kim has also guest starred in The Lincoln Lawyer, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, FBI: Most Wanted, and Major Crimes. 

Lumbly brings gravitas to Obliterated as Langdon, Ava’s boss and the director of the CIA. Although Langdon has the utmost belief in his protégé, even he starts to question what, exactly, is going on in Las Vegas. 

While most of Lumbly’s scenes with Hennig were over the phone, she still feels “very connected” to her co-star. “I loved Ava’s relationship with him … I think we all feel so lucky that he was also part of the show.”

Horror fans likely just had Lumbly’s face on their screens. The actor starred in Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher as C. Auguste Dupin, the assistant US  attorney. Dupin spends one spooky night bearing witness to protagonist Roderick Usher’s (Bruce Greenwood) chilling confession. 

Obliterated isn’t Lumbly’s first time playing a spy director. He previously took on the challenge during Alias’ run as Marcus Dixon, the CIA director of the Joint Task Force. 

Meet your villain. Koslov is a top Russian arms dealer and the individual at the center of Las Vegas’ nuclear threat. If the team can manage to stop Koslov, they might just be able to save the city. But first they’re going to need to sober up. 

Ronin has a penchant for spy thrillers. He starred in five seasons of The Americans, and appeared in Homeland, Agent X, and Agent Carter.

Las Vegas revelers might look at Lana and see “a typical party girl” Gorske says. “All sexy, super tight clothes — putting it all out there.”But, Lana proves to be quite the asset as someone with the inside scoop on Koslov.

Obliterated is one of Gorske’s first major roles. She previously appeared in two episodes of the therapy comedy Shrinking.