Shonda Rhimes' new show "Inventing Anna," based on real-life swindler and socialite Anna Sorokin (or, as the world knew her, Anna Delvey), is sure to boom for the Netflix box office this month amid its release on Feb. 11.
Based on a true story, this show follows sharp-witted journalist Vivian (a replacement name for real-life journalist Jessica Pressler who was actually on the assignment for New York Magazine) attempting to uncover details about the life of Anna Sorokin.
Anna Sorokin, played by actress Julia Garner, deceived people out of money and convinced the world that she was a rich, German heiress by the alias Anna Delvey. She ran rampant through the streets of New York, placing herself on a pedestal as a fake socialite and committing numerous crimes in the process — and Vivian, played by Anna Chlumsky, is committed to getting to the bottom of it.
Although certain details of the story were fabricated for the series, the show is directly inspired by Anna's life and the trial that took place against her — and we can revel in all of the craziness that took place between Anna, her "friends," Vivian and the attorneys on the case.
Here's what all of the show's actors look like compared to their real-life counterparts.
Anna Sorokin/ Delvey
Anna, played by Julia Garner, exhibits some serious acting chops in this series, including a strange, unidentifiable accent that helps pull the mystery of her swindling, elusive character together. We'd say the two look pretty similar.
Vivian Kent (Jessica Pressler)
Vivian, the journalist behind the words of Anna's exposé, does not entertain the possibility of failure in getting Anna's name out to the public. In reality, Jessica Pressler is also a wildly successful writer, who had another one of her stories for New York Magazine turned into the hit movie "Hustlers."
Todd Spodek
Every famous person with a hot scandal needs a lawyer, and Anna's was Todd Spodek. Spodek, played by Arian Moayed, told Insider in 2019 that his hope for Anna was to convince the courts that her attempts to swindle money were too incompetent to receive a harsh sentence.
Rachel DeLoache Williams
Rachel, played by "Scandal" alum Katie Lowes, was a Vanity Fair photographer, and befriended Anna after she promised her an "all expenses paid" trip to Morocco — which was not actually all expenses paid. She later went on to write a book called "My Friend Anna" about Sorokin herself.
Kacy Duke
Laverne Cox gives a stellar performance as Kacy Duke, fitness coach and wellness guru. Kacy and Anna became friends after Anna hired her as a personal trainer — and got to learn much about Anna's strange behaviors and lies.
Neff Davis
Neff Davis, another one of Anna's friends (perhaps the most devoted of the bunch) is played by actor Alexis Floyd. Neffatari Davis did indeed work at the concierge desk of the New York hotel 11 Howard in real life, where Anna stayed for months. With the help of Anna's tactical generosity, the two became friends, and Paper Magazine later deemed Neff as Anna's "only friend in New York" for her loyalty to Anna.
