Premiering August 7, 2025, on Tubi, Demascus is a groundbreaking sci-fi drama that explores the fractured psyche of Demascus (Okieriete Onaodowan), a 33-year-old man navigating a near-future world where digital psychiatry promises to unlock his “truest self.” Created by Terence Nance (Random Acts of Flyness), the series blends Afrofuturist visuals with intimate character studies, as Demascus undergoes experimental neuro-mapping therapy to confront suppressed memories and alternate identities. Set against a hypnotic, synth-scored Detroit, the show interrogates technology’s role in healing—or erasing—Black identity, blurring lines between reality, simulation, and ancestral trauma.

An ensemble of stage and screen luminaries brings Demascus’s inner world to life, each character embodying facets of his consciousness. From his skeptical therapist Dr. Bonnetville (Janet Hubert) to the chaotic digital entity “Forty” (Martin Lawrence), the cast mirrors the labyrinth of self-discovery. Below, meet the voices guiding—and sabotaging—Demascus’s journey toward wholeness.

Demascus Cast Revealed

1- Okieriete Onaodowan as Demascus

Okieriete Onaodowan (Hamilton, Grey’s Anatomy) delivers a tour-de-force as Demascus, a man whose quest for self-definition fractures his reality. Onaodowan’s theatrical prowess electrifies the role, shifting seamlessly between Demascus’s vulnerable core and the assertive personas buried in his subconscious. His physicality—stiff with anxiety in therapy scenes, fluid in digital dreamscapes—mirrors the character’s battle for control. Off-screen, Onaodowan trained with neuroscientists to depict neuro-mapping’s visceral effects, including tremors during memory extraction.

For the role, Onaodowan drew from his Nigerian heritage, weaving Igbo cosmology into Demascus’s visions of ancestors. “This isn’t just therapy—it’s an exorcism of everything he was told to be,” he reveals. His chemistry with Janet Hubert crackles with tension, especially when Dr. Bonnetville’s methods unearth a violent memory involving Aaron Julius Spicer’s Young Demascus. The season’s climax—a data-storm showdown with his digital “selves”—showcases Onaodowan’s staggering range.

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2- Janet Hubert as Dr. Bonnetville

Janet Hubert (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Christmas Lottery) commands as Dr. Bonnetville, the pioneering psychiatrist whose NeuroSync technology promises breakthroughs at ethical costs. Hubert’s performance balances clinical precision with maternal ambiguity—her calm voice guiding Demascus through trauma while her eyes hint at corporate compromises. Inspired by real digital psychiatry debates, Hubert portrays Bonnetville as a woman torn between healing and hubris, her own past failures shadowing Demascus’s treatment.

Hubert’s signature wit sharpens into chilling pragmatism in boardroom scenes with Joshua Mikel’s tech CEO. Her monologue about “editing pain” in Episode 5 reframes the series’ moral stakes. “Bonnetville believes she’s a god of the mind,” Hubert states. “But gods make dangerous mistakes.” Off-screen, she consulted psychologists to ground the role’s ethical dilemmas.

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3- Martin Lawrence as Forty

Martin Lawrence (Bad Boys, Martin) reinvents himself as Forty, a glitchy, sarcastic AI persona manifesting Demascus’s suppressed rage and humor. Lawrence’s improvisational genius shines as Forty—delivering razor-sharp taunts via hologram while subtly revealing the character’s origin in childhood trauma. The role merges Lawrence’s comedic legacy with unexpected pathos, particularly when Forty battles Sasha Hutchings’s serene digital guide, Budhi Banks, for control of Demascus’s mind.

Lawrence based Forty on “the devil on your shoulder with a WiFi signal,” ad-libbing 30% of his lines. A scene where he materializes as a ’90s game-show host to distract Demascus from a memory becomes darkly hilarious. “Forty’s not just code—he’s Demascus’s armor,” Lawrence hints. The role marks his first major TV return since 2021.

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4- Shakira Ja’nai Paye as Naomi

Shakira Ja’nai Paye (The Sex Lives of College Girls) radiates warmth as Naomi, Demascus’s grounded best friend and a community gardener nurturing Detroit’s soil—and his sanity. Paye’s Naomi serves as the audience’s anchor, her skepticism of NeuroSync contrasting with Bonnetville’s zeal. Her subplot involves reviving ancestral farming techniques, symbolizing organic healing versus tech shortcuts.

Paye’s chemistry with Onaodowan peaks in quiet scenes tending her rooftop garden, where she challenges his reliance on simulations: “Roots don’t grow in the cloud.” The actor studied urban agriculture in Detroit, embedding Naomi with earthy authenticity. “She’s the compass in Demascus’s storm,” Paye notes.

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5- Sasha Hutchings as Budhi Banks

Sasha Hutchings (Hamilton, The Gilded Age) mesmerizes as Budhi Banks, the ethereal AI guide designed to stabilize Demascus’s psyche. Hutchings’ ballet background informs Budhi’s fluid movements, while her voice—filtered through haunting vocoders—shifts from soothing to sinister as corporate agendas corrupt her programming. Budhi’s evolving sentience, mirroring Demascus’s self-awareness, becomes the season’s sci-fi heartbeat.

Hutchings drew on Buddhist philosophy for Budhi’s mantra-like dialogue. Her digital duet with Lawrence’s Forty—a Tron-esque light battle in Episode 4—is a visual triumph. “Budhi isn’t software; she’s a soul in beta,” Hutchings reveals. The role required motion-capture work, with Hutchings performing in a LED volume stage.

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6- Brittany Adebumola as Shaena / Sarah-Grace Spicer as Young Shaena

Brittany Adebumola (Power Book II: Ghost) portrays Shaena, Demascus’s estranged sister, whose trauma mirrors his own. Adebumola’s fierce vulnerability explodes in confrontations with Onaodowan, particularly when NeuroSync reveals their shared childhood secret. Flashbacks feature Sarah-Grace Spicer as Young Shaena, whose haunting presence in Demascus’s memories drives his guilt.

Adebumola’s arc climaxes in a therapy session where she confronts Candace B. Harris as their mother Dyanne, reframing their fractured bond. “Shaena’s anger is her survival language,” Adebumola states. Spicer’s silent performance as young Shaena—especially in a pivotal fire memory—anchors the family’s tragedy.

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Supporting Standouts

• Caleb Eberhardt (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window) as Redd, a street philosopher challenging Demascus’s reliance on tech.

• Brie Eley (Them) as Shekinah, a fellow NeuroSync patient whose merged consciousness with Demascus sparks ethical chaos.

• Marvin LaViolette (Swagger) as Arnez, Demascus’s coworker at a drone factory, symbolizing blue-collar resilience.

• Amos Blackmon (Atlanta) as Drew, a data-hacker exposing NeuroSync’s corporate sins.

• Grace Junot (Treme) as Ol’ Girl, a spirit guide in Demascus’s ancestral visions.