Stephen King's Favorite Character Has Already Been Played By Two Very Different Actors

Stephen King's Bill Hodges Trilogy ("Mr. Mercedes," "Finders Keepers," "End of Watch"), "The Outsider," "If It Bleeds," "Holly," and his recently announced novel, "Never Flinch," scheduled for May 27, 2025, all feature one of his most beloved characters: Holly Gibney. Initially intended as a side character in "Mr. Mercedes," Holly "just kind of stole the book and stole my heart" King notes in the blurb for her 2023 solo book. Holly has appeared on screen in TV adaptations of "Mr. Mercedes" and "The Outsider," played by Justine Lupe and Cynthia Erivo, respectively.

We are first introduced to Holly Gibney in "Mr. Mercedes," where we learn that she's a computer whiz and a wallflower, highly intelligent yet a social klutz. She proves to be the perfect partner for retired cop Bill Hodges as they team up to hunt down a psychopathic mass murderer. Over the course of a few years, she gradually blossoms into a strong, capable investigator in her own right. It's clear that King is enamored with her, even mentioning in an NPR interview, "I wish she were a real person and that she were my friend because I'm so crazy about her." 

What is it about this middle-aged, bashful, private detective that fascinates King so much?

During an interview with Good Morning America, Stephen King explained what makes Holly such a fascinating character to write:

"She's kind of insecure and yet at the same time, she has a lot of courage, and those two things fight against one another. And for me, that's what makes a character interesting when you see them go against their basic nature, so she's fun."

Stephen King described Holly on the New York Times Book Review podcast as someone with a lot of "bells and whistles." All of the juxtapositions and complexities that lie within Holly are what make her so fascinating to read, too. She speaks in a stilted, robotic manner, storing observations in her highly gifted memory bank, which suggests she is on the autism spectrum. 

Although Holly is often treated like a doormat by family members and co-workers, leading her to feel skittish and insecure, she is also "extremely smart, and she's got a deductive power that rivals Sherlock Holmes." King also mentions that she has OCD, which he relates to personally. While all of this comes across in the book, it also had to be translated to the screen — not just once, but twice.

After the "Mr. Mercedes" series ended on November 12, 2017, "The Outsider" began on January 12, 2020, featuring the same character of Holly Gibney, but played by a different actor. The showrunner of "The Outsider," Richard Price, initially wanted to change Holly Gibney's name because he took a lot of liberties with her character and had not engaged with the "Mr. Mercedes" series at all. But of course, considering how protective Stephen King is over Holly, the author refused.

"The Outsider" television series alters Holly's background, giving her a family history from Trinidad in the Caribbean. She grows up learning about ghosts, which plays a strong role in her hunches. Cynthia Erivo completely nails Holly's terse way of speaking, often taking her time in between words and choosing them carefully. Even her movements are cautious and calculated. She carries herself with a pensive demeanor and shrewd intelligence, drinking in everything around her and wielding it for her investigations.

Justine Lupe from the "Mr. Mercedes" series is more quirky, mixing deadpan humor with wide-eyed innocence. She speaks with a hurried shortness of breath, as if she second-guesses everything she says, and her lips are pursed. With an overall mousy appearance, Holly seems to fold into herself, almost vibrating with nervousness like a chihuahua until finding her confidence.

Women rarely get to be portrayed as such flawed individuals in literature and on screen — someone so awkward, intelligent, tenacious, and vulnerable all at once. Cynthia Erivo's interpretation of Holly is especially significant because Black women are not often seen as fully realized characters with nuance. Although Lupe aligns more closely to the emotional life of the character from the books, Erivo brings her own personal, inherent poise and strength that adds a different kind of depth.

"Mr. Mercedes" is currently available to watch on Peacock. "The Outsider" is available on Max.