Maeve is one of the most layered characters in HBO’s Task. The crime drama is set in a Philadelphia town where an FBI agent, Tom Brandis, leads a team that investigates robberies being carried out by a seemingly normal family man, Robbie Prendergrast.
Maeve is Robbie's niece in the show. She is only 21 years old, but bears the responsibility of taking care of Robbie’s children after his wife’s departure. The character depicts both maturity and innocence, which makes one wonder who plays Maeve in Task.
British actress Emilia Jones plays Maeve in the series. She has appeared in numerous shows and films over the years and has earned several accolades throughout her career, including a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.
Who stars as Maeve in Task?
Emilia Jones stars as Maeve in Task. The 23-year-old actress hails from Westminster, London, and has been acting ever since she was a child. She began her career by playing Jasmine in the 2011 film One Day. That same year, she appeared in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and the television series House of Anubis.
Jones then made episodic appearances in shows like Doctor Who, Residue, and Wolf Hall. She also portrayed the recurring role of Alice Ward in Channel 4’s Utopia. In 2020, the actress became a household name with her lead role as Kinsey Locke in the Netflix fantasy drama Locke & Key. Jones appeared in all three seasons of the show and received wide fame and acclaim.
Meanwhile, on the big screen, she starred in High-Rise, Two for Joy, Ghostland, and Horrible Histories. In 2021, she played Ruby Rossi, a child of deaf parents, in the coming-of-age comedy-drama CODA. The film proved to be a milestone in her career and earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.
Jones then went on to star in movies like Winner, Fairyland, and Cat Person. She will next be seen in The Running Man, a dystopian action thriller directed by Edgar Wright. Also starring Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, Lee Pace, and Jayme Lawson, the film will hit the theaters on November 14, 2025.
In December 2023, it was announced that Jones had joined the cast of Task. Almost two years later, the show arrived on screens, and the actress impressed the audience with her nuanced acting chops.
Emilia Jones’s role in Task
Emilia Jones makes her debut as Maeve in the very first episode of Task, Crossings. Maeve is the niece of Robbie Pendergrast. After her father, Billy, was murdered and Robbie’s wife left, Maeve had to take care of Robbie’s kids. Even though she is a young girl, she has to step into the role of a parent.
This leaves her life incredibly difficult, often reflecting how unhappy she feels about being burdened with so much responsibility. Matters take an even darker turn when one of Robbie’s robberies goes wrong, resulting in him kidnapping a young boy named Sam.
Maeve is someone who wants to keep her family together, but she also knows Robbie’s actions are putting them in danger. Given her circumstances, she stands out as one of the most tragic characters in the show.
Task airs new episodes on HBO on Sundays.