‘The Residence’: Everything to Know About Netflix’s White House Murder Mystery from Shonda Rhimes

Netflix’s new murder mystery from Shonda Rhimes, The Residence, will hit the streamer in 2025, and it features a star-studded cast. Closer shares everything to know about the whodunit.

What Is ‘The Residence’ About?

Shonda is no stranger to murder mysteries with her hit series How to Get Away With Murder, and she’s back at it again with The Residence. The show follows a detective through one night at the White House as she tries to solve a murder, all while 157 guests are stuck inside until she does.

Netflix’s logline for the series reads, “132 rooms. 157 suspects. One dead body. One wildly eccentric detective. One disastrous State Dinner. The Residence is a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.”

Who Stars in ‘The Residence’?

The Residence features multiple big names. Uzo Aduba stars as the main protagonist of the series, Cordelia Cupp, the quirky detective tasked with solving the murder.

“I loved her quirky little behaviors,” Uzo said about her character in an interview with CBS News published on March 12, 2025. “She’s come to cases in a way we’ve never seen a detective come to a case before. She’s a birder, as well, so she brings some of that with her to her detective work. She’s excellent at her job and she loves it. She (Cupp) keeps a straight face the whole time. She doesn’t want to let anything on her face indicate to her person of interest to start moving in a direction she doesn’t want them to.”

While Cordelia seemingly prefers to work alone, Special Agent Edwin Park, played by Randall Park, is assigned to help. However, Randall’s time in the role of Edwin was one he enjoyed.

“He’s good at what he does, but in the shadow of Cordelia — everyone is dim-witted in the shadow of Cordelia,” Randall explained in an interview with Shondaland. “My approach to the character was to actually make him think of him as the sharpest tool in the shed, and Cordelia as the one who’s causing confusion. It was fun to play.”

Along with Uzo and Randall, Giancarlo Esposito, Bronson Pinchot, Jason Lee, Jane Curtin, Ken Marino and more make up the ensemble cast.

Is ‘The Residence’ Based on a True Story?

While The Residence isn’t based on a true story, it did pull its inspiration from a book. The book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen draws “on hundreds of hours of interviews with butlers, maids, chefs, florists, doormen, engineers, and others.” It “offers a group portrait of the dedicated professionals who coordinate the smooth running of elaborate state dinners; stand ready during meetings with foreign dignitaries; care for the president and first lady’s young children; and cater to every need the first couple may have, however sublime or, on occasion, ridiculous.”

When Does ‘The Residence’ Premiere?

Fans itching to put their detective skills to work don’t have to wait long. The Residence hits Netflix on March 20, 2025. All eight episodes will be available to stream at once.