Women Like Us is an upcoming Netflix comedy built around an exceptionally experienced ensemble: Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams and Vivica A. Fox. Directed by Tasha Smith and executive produced by Michelle Obama, the film follows a group of women whose trip to the Hamptons becomes an emotional reckoning with grief, marriage, friendship and unfinished dreams.
Netflix announced the project on July 27, 2026. Character names and a release date were not included in the initial announcement, so the confirmed information currently centers on the four lead actors, the director and the story premise.
Women Like Us Netflix Cast cast at a glance
| Actor | Character | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Whoopi Goldberg | Role not yet announced | Sister Act, The Color Purple |
| Jenifer Lewis | Role not yet announced | Black-ish, What’s Love Got to Do with It |
| Vanessa Williams | Role not yet announced | Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives |
| Vivica A. Fox | Role not yet announced | Kill Bill, Set It Off |
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is one of the four women at the center of the film. The Oscar-winning actor and comedian has balanced comedy, drama, television and stage work throughout her career. Her most familiar films include The Color Purple, Ghost and Sister Act.
Netflix has not yet confirmed which member of the friendship group Goldberg plays, but her ability to move between humor and grief makes her a natural fit for the film’s emotional premise.
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis is known for forceful comic timing and memorable family matriarch roles. Recent audiences know her as Ruby Johnson in Black-ish, while her film credits include What’s Love Got to Do with It and The Princess and the Frog.
Her casting suggests that Women Like Us will lean into lively group chemistry rather than treating the weekend getaway only as a serious drama.
Vanessa Williams
Vanessa Williams joins the ensemble after a career spanning music, film, television and theater. She earned widespread recognition for playing Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty and has also appeared in Desperate Housewives and Soul Food.
Williams is particularly effective at characters who combine polish, vulnerability and sharp humor, qualities that suit a story about long-standing friendships and private disappointments.
Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox has appeared in action films, comedies, thrillers and dramas, including Set It Off, Independence Day and Kill Bill. She brings energetic screen presence to an ensemble designed around the history and chemistry between its characters.
What is Women Like Us about?
The film follows a recently widowed woman whose lifelong best friends and sister take her to the Hamptons. The trip falls on what would have been her 30th wedding anniversary. What begins as an attempted escape becomes an examination of grief, marriage and the friendships that have sustained the women through different stages of life.
The premise also emphasizes the idea that personal dreams do not expire. That gives the comedy room to explore reinvention later in life rather than presenting the characters only through their relationships or losses.
Who is directing Women Like Us?
Tasha Smith is directing the film. Smith is known as an actor, filmmaker and television director, with directing credits that include episodes of Mayor of Kingstown and other major drama series.
When will Women Like Us be released?
Netflix has not announced a release date. The project was newly revealed in July 2026, and more cast details, character names and production updates are expected later.
Frequently Asked Questions
The confirmed cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Jenifer Lewis, Vanessa Williams and Vivica A. Fox.
Yes. It is an upcoming Netflix original comedy.
Tasha Smith directs the film.
Yes. Michelle Obama is an executive producer through Higher Ground Productions.
No release date has been announced yet.