The drama miniseries Inventing Anna premiered on Netflix in February 2022, and it quickly became one of the streaming platform's biggest hits. The show was created by television legend Shonda Rhimes, and it certainly didn't disappoint.
Today, we're taking a look at just how true to real life some characters on the show are. As fans surely know, the whole show is based on true events. Keep on scrolling to see just which Inventing Anna character is most accurately portrayed on the show!
7 Sameer Usmani Is Chase Sikorski (Hunter Lee Soik)
One of those characters that probably wasn't portrayed too accurately is Chase Sikorski who is portrayed by Saamer Usmani. While Chase Sikorski is not a real person, fans quickly concluded that he is based on Hunter Lee Soik — a guy who has given a TED Talk and been profiled by The New Yorker. In the article that the show is based on, his name isn't given, and the Inventing Anna shows us that while he gave certain information on Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin, he asked to remain anonymous.
6 Anna Chlumsky Is Vivian Kent (Jessica Pressler)
Anna Chlumsky is the actress behind Vivian Kent who is based on journalist and New York Magazine writer, Jessica Pressler. While plenty of things about the character mirror Jessica Pressler's real-life experience some have been slightly changed for dramatic effect.
A lot of aspects of Vivian Kent are true to life, but one that isn't exactly the same is the fact that Jessica Pressler wasn't that close to giving birth while writing the article. However, the storyline in which Vivian Kent tries to redeem herself for writing a story that turned out not to be entirely true is parallel to Jessica Pressler's life.
5 Arian Moayed Plays Todd Spodek
Next up is Arian Moayed who plays Todd Spodek, Anna Sorokin's defense lawyer. While it is unclear just how accurate his personality was portrayed in the show, it's true that he was there next to Sorokin's side all through the trial. After the high-profile case, the lawyer became very well-known. Besides practicing criminal law, Spodek also practices matrimonial and family law. Todd Spodek actually met up with actor Arian Moayed who plays him on the show, meaning that he probably gave him some tips on how to stay as true to life as possible.
4 Alexis Floyd Is Nefftari Davis
Let's move on to Alexis Floyd who plays Nefftari Davis in the Netflix hit. As those who have seen the show know, Nefftari Davis worked at one of the hotels Anna Sorokin stayed at — in the show it is the 12 George hotel, in real life, it is the 11 Howard hotel in New York City. Currently, the real Nefftari Davis is pursuing a career in filmmaking, just like the character in the show was planning to. Alexis Floyd and the real Nefftari Davis also met in real life, which leads us to believe that the character's portrayal is mostly authentic.
3 Laverne Cox Is Kacy Duke
Four-time Emmy Award nominee Laverne Cox portrayed celebrity fitness expert Kacy Duke who ended up training Anna Sorokin and her friends. Apart from Sorokin, real-life Kacy Duke also trained A-list celebs like Denzel Washington, Bebe Rexha, Bruce Willis, and Dakota Johnson.
In the article the show was based on, Kacy Duke is anonymous and referred to as "the trainer" — but for the show, she decided to step out and reveal her identity. After the whole Anna Sorokin debacle, Kacy Duke managed to move on, and today she continues to be a coach and life trainer.
2 Katie Lowes Is Rachel Williams
Rachel Williams is portrayed on the show by Katie Lowes. The real-life Rachel Williams also sold her story to Vanity Fair — and she also wrote a book about her experience with Anna Sorokin (she sold the rights to it to HBO). Apart from this, Rachel Williams also wrote an article for TIME about her experience. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Rachel Williams admitted that she isn't a fan of the Netflix show and doesn't support it, so perhaps she doesn't think the portrayal of her is accurate.
1 Julia Garner Plays Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin
Lastly, wrapping the list up at spot number one is Julia Garner as Anna Delvey/Anna Sorokin. While Anna Sorokin seems to still be a mystery to plenty, it's safe to say that Julia Garner's portrayal of her was as true to life as it can get. From how she looked to how she behaved, anyone who has ever seen one of real-life Anna Sorokin's interviews knows that Julia Garner did an incredible job. The only thing that some may have an issue with is the unique accent Anna Sorokin has in the show — some have argued that real-life Anna doesn't really sound like that. However, considering that Julia Garner was trying to make it difficult for the viewers to guess whether Sorkin is German or Russian, her accent got the job done.
