Romance adaptations are having a moment, and Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling The Love Hypothesis is the latest fan-favorite novel to make its way to the screen. The romantic comedy stars Lili Reinhart as biology Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Stanford professor Dr. Adam Carlsen in a fake-dating romance.
Olive’s plan is simple: convince her best friend, Anh Pham, that she’s moved on from her ex-boyfriend Jeremy Langley. When Anh reveals she has feelings for Jeremy, Olive panics and claims she’s dating someone new. To prove it she impulsively kisses Adam. Surprisingly, instead of brushing off the awkward encounter, he agrees to go along with Olive’s fake dating story. But as they spend more time together, their arrangement starts to feel surprisingly real, and lines begin to blur.
Directed by Claire Scanlon and written by Sarah Rothschild, The Love Hypothesis premieres September 23, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video. Here’s everything to know about the cast and the characters they play.
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Who’s in ‘The Love Hypothesis’ Cast?
Here’s a look at the main The Love Hypothesis cast and the characters they play:
Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith
Known From: Riverdale, Hustlers, Chemical Hearts, Hal & Harper
Olive Smith is a third-year biology Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University whose research focuses on pancreatic cancer, inspired in part by losing her mother to the disease. She is ambitious and hardworking but tends to question her place in the competitive world of academia.
Olive’s best friend is Anh Pham, and she is willing to do just about anything for her. So, when Anh admits that she has feelings for Olive’s ex-boyfriend, Olive tries to convince her that she is over the breakup, even if she isn’t quite. When Anh questions whether Olive has really moved on, Olive spots Professor Carlsen nearby and, in a moment of panic, impulsively kisses him to make her story believable.
Instead of brushing off the strange encounter, Professor Carlsen unexpectedly agrees to play along, and the two begin a fake relationship that gives Olive the cover story she needs. The catch? Her new “relationship” forces her to spend considerably more time with the professor she once found incredibly intimidating. As their arrangement continues, Olive starts questioning whether her feelings for Adam are still part of the ruse or something much more genuine.
Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen
Known From: Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Snatched, Cold Pursuit
Dr. Adam Carlsen is a young, highly respected professor at Stanford University who has earned a reputation for being notoriously difficult to impress. Brilliant and deeply dedicated to his work, Adam has little patience for what he sees as academic shortcomings, helping earn his reputation among students.
When Olive impulsively kisses him, Adam shockingly agrees to pretend that the two are dating. As part of their fake-dating arrangement, he agrees to accompany Olive to events and provide her with the proof she needs to convince Anh that she is seeing someone new. As their fake relationship forces the two to spend more time together, Olive begins to discover that the professor behind the intimidating reputation is more complex than she initially thought.
Rachel Marsh as Anh Pham
Known From: Unstable, The Morning Show, Fallout, Adults
Anh Pham is Olive Smith’s best friend and a fellow biology Ph.D. student at Stanford. The two are extremely close, so when Anh develops feelings for Olive’s ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, Olive decides to keep her own lingering feelings to herself rather than risk hurting her friend.
Unaware of just how complicated the situation really is, Anh believes Olive has moved past Jeremy and is happy to hear that she is seeing someone new. That seemingly innocent belief is what sends Olive into the fake relationship with Adam Carlsen. As the story unfolds, Anh becomes an important part of the complicated web of relationships surrounding Olive, Jeremy and Adam.
Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy Langley
Known From: The White Lotus, Not Suitable for Work, Bel-Air, Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living
Jeremy Langley is Olive Smith’s ex-boyfriend and a graduate student in the same academic world as Olive and Anh Pham. Although his relationship with Olive has ended, he remains part of their close-knit circle, especially after Anh develops feelings for him. Suddenly, Olive, Anh and Jeremy find themselves caught in a messy love triangle that Olive desperately tries to find her way out of.
Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm Browne
Known From: Only Murders in the Building, Companion, Dating & New York
Malcolm Browne is Olive Smith’s close friend and roommate, giving her someone to turn to outside of Anh as she deals with the chaotic situation she managed to land herself in. He is more laid-back than Olive and is there to provide a welcome dose of humor and kindness as Olive attempts to navigate her increasingly complicated academic and personal life.
Arty Froushan as Dr. Thomas Benton
Known From: House of the Dragon, Daredevil: Born Again, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Dr. Thomas Benton is an associate professor at Harvard and a colleague of Adam Carlsen. He is well respected in the scientific community and runs a biology lab with resources that would be valuable to Olive and her research. Benton initially takes an interest in Olive’s work and offers her an opportunity to join his lab, but their professional relationship takes a turn as his interest in Olive becomes increasingly inappropriate.
Jeananne Goossen as Dr. Juliet Aslan
Known From: The Handmaid’s Tale, NCIS, Alcatraz, The Vow
Dr. Juliet Aslan is Olive Smith’s Ph.D. advisor and one of the more supportive professors in her academic life. She recognizes Olive’s talent as a researcher and encourages her to pursue opportunities that can help advance her career. As Olive deals with the competitive and sometimes cutthroat world of academia, Juliet acts as a trusted mentor and an ally in her corner.
Who Else Is in ‘The Love Hypothesis’?
Several other actors have confirmed roles in The Love Hypothesis, although not much has been released about their characters ahead of the film’s premiere.
Aladeen Tawfeek plays Dr. Eugene Fastuca, Howard Bilerman plays Dr. Keeney and Daniel Brochu plays Dr. Hargrave, all presumed faculty members. Kenny Wong plays McConnell and Alexandra Petrachuk plays Natalie Lazotti.
The supporting cast also includes Amber Jonas as Jamie, Aadi Maaj as Dr. Roshan Sethi, Martyne Musau as Dr. Annie Sargis and Ines Feghouli as Rosa, among others.
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