John Lithgow (The Crown) plays Roger Ailes, one of the founders and former chairman of Fox News, Theron plays former Fox News host Megan Kelly, Nicole plays former host Gretchen Carlson, Robbie plays a fictional character, an assistant producer named Kayla Pospisil, Jenny plays Ailes' lawyer Susan Estrich, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Roman Empire) plays Rupert Murdoch, Brigette Lundy-Payne (Atypical, Downsizing) plays Julia Clarke, Liv Hewson (Taste of Small Town, Suddenly) plays Megan Kelly's assistant Lily, Holm plays host Martha MacCallum, a defender of Ailes, Garrett plays host Sean Hannity, who has always regarded Ailes as a second father, calling him one of "America's greatest patriotic fighters." In addition to running Fox News, Ailes is also a prominent figure in the Republican Party. He helped elect three US presidents, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and helped develop the careers of famous hosts such as Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson. In 2016, Ailes was forced to resign after being accused of harassment by multiple women, and Kelly and Carlson played an important role in it. The news station tried to pressure Kelly to force her to support Ailes, but she refused.