Paul Anthony Kelly’s Hollywood glow-up continues.
The actor has officially been announced as the latest addition to The Housemaid’s Secret, the sequel to the wildly anticipated thriller The Housemaid, and fans are already eager to see what kind of trouble he’ll be stirring up. This news comes out just a few weeks after Kelly was announced as the latest cast member to join American Horror Story’s latest season.
The announcement arrived in appropriately cheeky fashion. The film’s official social media accounts shared a video of Kelly reading the novel, casually letting audiences know that he will be stepping into the role of Douglas Garrick in the upcoming sequel.
Welcome home, Douglas. Paul Anthony Kelly joins the cast of The Housemaid’s Secret: coming to theaters December 17, 2027. pic.twitter.com/1tG3t15uIH
— The Housemaid (@HousemaidMovie) June 11, 2026
If you’ve read the book, you already know this is not exactly a character who enjoys keeping things simple.
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Meet Douglas Garrick
In The Housemaid’s Secret, the story shifts to New York City’s Upper West Side, where Sydney Sweeney’s character, Millie Calloway, finds herself working for an extremely wealthy new employer. That employer is Douglas Garrick. On paper, he appears successful, polished, and particular. Very particular.
He likes things neat. He likes things organized. He likes things done his way.
Naturally, that means there are probably several alarming secrets lurking just beneath the surface. The question on top of Douglas’ very stringent need to maintain control is whether he is actually who he says he is.
Because this is The Housemaid universe, after all. Nobody is ever just a wealthy guy living quietly in a beautiful home.
According to the official synopsis, Millie takes a housekeeping job for a woman she is never allowed to see. The deeper she digs into the mystery behind a locked door, the closer she comes to uncovering secrets that may be even darker than her own complicated past.
In other words, exactly the kind of delicious thriller setup audiences love.
A New Face in a Dangerous World
Kelly, who wowed fans with his performance as John F. Kennedy, Jr., joins an already impressive cast led by Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst.
#LoveStory star Paul Anthony Kelly says he had just three weeks to transform into JFK Jr.
“They got me a dialect coach, an acting coach, a physical trainer – because I had to get a little bit bigger. John was a very active guy. He was always running, always biking,… pic.twitter.com/4nHz1sEnt7
— Variety (@Variety) June 7, 2026
The sequel will also see Michele Morrone return as Enzo Accardi, Millie’s love interest, giving fans another reason to keep this movie firmly on their watchlists. And let’s be honest, after Brandon Sklenar’s memorable role in the first film came to a rather permanent conclusion, many viewers were wondering who would step in to fill the handsome-man-shaped void left behind.
Kelly appears more than ready for the challenge.
The actor has steadily been building momentum in Hollywood, and landing a major role in one of the most anticipated thriller franchises currently in development is another significant step forward.
The Mystery Deepens
One of the reasons readers embraced The Housemaid’s Secret is its ability to constantly keep audiences guessing. Every character seems to be hiding something. Every room feels like it contains a secret. Every seemingly innocent interaction carries an extra layer of tension. That makes Douglas Garrick one of the most intriguing new additions to the story.
Is he trustworthy? Probably not.
Is he hiding something? Almost certainly.
Will Kelly make audiences suspicious of him from the moment he appears on screen? We can’t wait to find out.
Directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, The Housemaid’s Secret is shaping up to be another twist-filled ride. And with Paul Anthony Kelly officially joining the cast, the mystery just became a lot more interesting.