The Muppets and celebrities have always gone hand in hand, so it comes as no surprise that the updated Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets is absolutely packed with celebrity cameos. I was anticipating there being a lot to unpack, but I did not count on just how many there would be. However, what was even more surprising was the staggering number of deep-cut Muppet references. Shoutout to the Imagineer who looped me in.

The Rock’n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets is just one of Walt Disney World’s new attractions. CinemaBlend had a chance to experience the ride firsthand during a preview of Cool Kids’ Summer, which kicked off on May 26, and I tried to spot as many Muppet references as possible while queuing up to ride the chaos-fueled coaster.

As I made my way through G-Force Records, I spotted a couple of deep-cut references myself. One of my favorites has to be a tribute to MuppetVision 3D — may it rest in peace.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled for Gonzo, Gags, and Deep-Cut Details

Near the old show’s entrance, there used to be a door with a sign reading “keys under mat,” where guests could lift a nearby floor mat to find a hidden key underneath. I’m happy to report that the door has made its way into the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster queue, where it now serves as the entrance to Gonzo’s Flight School. A sign explains that Gonzo is away at the concert and, once again, the “keys” are under the mat — though this time, if you look closely, you’ll spot a set of piano keys peeking out from underneath.

This is just one tiny example of the details hidden throughout the ride. So when I had the chance to speak with one of the Imagineers behind the new coaster, David Brescia, I had to ask about other hard-to-spot Muppet references. He told us:

I got a little choked up when I saw the portrait for myself the first time. Brescia also told us to be on the lookout for PizzaRizzo, and I can confirm there are several references to the fun-loving rat’s restaurant both in the queue and on the ride itself. Pizza slices and boxes are scattered throughout the sets and can even be spotted while cruising down the 101. And if you take a quick peek to your left after loading into the L.I.M.O. (Lengthy Immediate Motion Object) ride vehicle, you might spot the Squeakeasy, a rat biker bar established in 1936 — the year Jim Henson was born.

A Constantly Revolving Door of Celebrities in the Livestream

Besides the countless Muppet references — of which I barely scratched the surface — I need to talk about the “livestream” video that plays in the rotunda queue. The video features all-new material showing everyone backstage and in the audience waiting for the Electric Mayhem to show up to their own concert, which they are several hours late to.

If you stay and watch the whole thing (or are stuck in line for more than 30 minutes), you will spot a ton of celebrities throughout the stream. I was able to catch most of them, but I still had to follow up with Brescia to make sure I did not miss any. He had several names to drop:

Ken Marino goes from soundboard operator to G-Force studio executive—a pretty solid upgrade. Brescia also mentioned John Stamos and Danny Trejo, but the full list is even more impressive, including Awkwafina, Neil Patrick Harris, Questlove, Travis Barker, Joe Elliott, and Phil Collen. And for another fun Muppet reference, Walter from The Muppets and The Muppets Most Wanted also shows up ready to watch the concert.

This is only a fraction of the references you can find on the ride, and every time you go on, you are bound to discover something new. Whether you are rocking out to one of the songs on the set list, spotting a poster featuring Angus McGonagle — who appeared in a single episode of The Muppet Show — or waiting to see if John Stamos finally makes it into the VIP room, there is always a reason to ride again.

Over the years, I’ve watched Wet Hot American Summer more times than I can count. Seriously, it has to be dozens of times between random bits on cable or multiple screenings with my wife over the years. I recently went back and rewatched the iconic summer camp movie about the final day of Camp Firewood’s 1981 season, and there are so many random thoughts I can’t get out of my head.

From the absurdity of David Wain’s semi-autobiographical R-rated comedy to the outrageously talented cast to the fact that Paul Rudd hasn’t aged since 2001, there’s a lot to unpack here.

It's Crazy How Many Of The Actors Became Massive Stars

Watching Wet Hot American Summer in 2025 is a wild experience, and not just because this movie is straight-up bonkers. I mean, just look at the cast. You’ve got everyone from The State who’ve gone on to find success, but also Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler are in the mix, both of whom have become top A-listers since the film’s release.

Andy Killed At Least Four Kids, Right?

Paul Rudd’s Andy is probably the most non-Paul Rudd character the actor has ever given us. Not only is he sassy, sulky, annoying, and flaky, but he also killed at least four kids – two from drowning and two by throwing them out of a van at a high rate of speed. Dude is a menace!

The 'Going Into Town' Scene Is The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Whenever I go back to watch Wet Hot American Summer, the scene I always look forward to the most is the “Going Into Town” sequence. It starts off harmless enough, but quickly devolves into a manic, depressing, and incredibly dark few minutes.

'It's Always Fun To Get Away From Camp, Even For An Hour' Kills Me

One thing I love about the “Town” sequence is when the counselors come back from robbing old ladies, stealing sixers, and joining a Trainspotting situation, it’s revealed they were only gone for an hour.

I Still Can't Figure Out How Old The Counselors Are Supposed To Be

I’m not talking about the Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp miniseries years after the movie’s release, where the cast didn’t care how old they looked. This is more of an honest question. Are the counselors adults? Teenagers? Both? It’s all over the place here.

Wet Hot American Summer Takes All The Best Camp Movie Tropes And Mashes Them Together For A Gonzo Experience

Wet Hot American Summer takes movies like Meatballs, Ernest Goes to Camp, and countless others, combines them, and spits out some gonzo amalgamation of those classics. It’s off-kilter, and that’s what makes it so weird and fun.

I Still Don't Understand How Henry And The Nerdy Kids Were Going To Change Skylab's Path, But I'll Allow It

Alan Shemper (Michael Showalter) with his standup routine at the Camp Talent Show is great in Wet Hot American Summer, but it’s the response from the campers and counselors that makes it so ridiculous. The exaggerated laughter just gets crazier and crazier as his routine continues.

I Still Don't Understand How Henry And The Nerdy Kids Change Skylab's Path, But I'll Allow It

There are so many random subplots in Wet Hot American Summer, and one of the most bonkers is the one involving ASSOCIATE Professor Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce) and a group of nerds trying to prevent a piece of Skylab from falling on the camp. I don’t get it, and I think that’s the point.

But Was That Steve Who Saved The Day With His Weather Manipulation?

Henry and company might have had a hand in saving the camp, but I totally think it was Steve (Kevin Sussman) and his wind manipulation that stopped the piece of space junk from falling on the talent show.

'You Taste Like A Burger' Is The Most Ridiculous Way Of Breaking Up With Someone

Andy and Lindsay (Elizabeth Banks) have a budding romance in Wet Hot American Summer until the annoying counselor tells his make-out buddy that she tastes like a burger before calling things off. Ice cold!

I Can't Get Over The Fact That Chris Meloni Was In Wet Hot American Summer, Law & Order SVU, and Oz At The Same Time

At a single point in the early 21st century, Christopher Meloni was playing Gene the cook in Wet Hot American Summer, Chris Keller on Oz, and Elliot Stabler on Law & Order: SVU. I have nothing to add; this is just wild to think about.

Victor's Arc Is Both Hilarious And Heartbreaking, But Mostly Hilarious

Ken Marino’s Victor in Wet Hot American Summer has perhaps the film’s most over-the-top, hilarious, and heartbreaking arc, especially after going from thinking he was going to hook up with a girl to wrecking a van to running back to camp to nearly dying in the woods to finding said girl with another guy. At least he has great hair.

I Love The Fact That The "9, 9:30" Reunion Joke Paid Off 16 Years Later In The Netflix Series

There’s a great scene where the counselors talk about getting back together 10 years later, which they do in the 2017 Netflix miniseries, where they do the greatest thing ever by acknowledging the joke from long ago.

Paul Rudd Playing A Sassy Teenager Is Just Too Good Here

Paul Rudd’s Andy isn’t the most likable character. Heck, he’s not even Rudd’s best role. However, the Clueless actor perfectly pulled off the sassy, arrogant, and rude teenager better than just about anyone else.

Beth Waiting 10 Seconds To Meet Henry At The Picnic Table Is Such A Great Yet Overlooked Moment

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good time-based bit, and Wet Hot American Summer features an all-time great when Henry tells Beth (Janeane Garofalo) to wait around 10 seconds before walking over to him. And she does. It’s silly, it’s unnecessary, and it’s hilarious.

Seriously, The Number Of Kids In Peril Here Is Wild

Kids driving motorboats, kids getting thrown out of cars, kids almost getting crushed by space junk, the movie has it all… including a group of kids on a river trip by themselves that ends with them going over a cliff.

The Motorcycle Chase Scene Is Just Too Much, And I Love It

Neil (Joe Lo Truglio) chasing Victor on a motorcycle after his fellow counselor abandoned him and a van of campers is just too much. The tonal shift of the film, the visual of a man outrunning a motorcycle with little to no effort, tand he obstacles that prove to be too much for Neil. All of it is wonderfully absurd.

The Deconstruction Of The 'Unlikely Team Of Misfits' Trope Is Top-Notch Comedy

Just when you think Wet Hot American Summer is going to take a cue from the great kids sports movies with its “unlikely team of misfits” speech, the movie throws the trope out the window, and the big game with a rival camp is called off at the last minute.

Coop Storming Off, Getting Caught In A Bucket, Slipping On A Banana Peel, And Landing In A Pool Is Peak Physical Comedy

The physical comedy in this movie is top-notch, and that’s especially true in the scene where an upset Coop gets caught in a bucket, slips on a banana peel, and then lands in a small pool is peak form.

Can We Talk About That Training Montage?

There are so many great movies with intense training scenes, and I feel weird including Wet Hot American Summer. However, that’s very much the case here with the random montage of Gene turning Coop from a teenager into a man. It’s just great!

The Talking Can Of Mixed Vegetables Scene Is So Random, But It Makes Sense In A Movie Like This

The incredible H. Jon Benjamin voicing a can of mixed vegetables in Wet Hot American Summer is one of the oddest things I’ve seen in a movie. I know, his backstory is explained in the 2015 Netflix series, but spending the better part of two decades not knowing if this was real or not was quite an experience.

Ben And McKinley's Wedding Scene Is Hilarious But Also Poignant

Ben (Bradley Cooper) and McKinley’s (Michael Ian Black) wedding is both hilarious (Amy Poehler’s flute playing) and poignant, and is handled in a meaningful and purposeful way. No notes.

The Number Of Times My Wife And I Watched This Movie When We First Started Dating Is Shocking

Back when Wet Hot American Summer was a staple on Netflix, my wife and I would watch it all the time. I’ve honestly lost count of how many times we’ve gone back to Camp Firewood over the years. Not so much now with the three kids, but back in our younger days, it was a monthly staple.

Gail Von Kleinenstein Turning Arts & Crafts Into A Therapy Session Perfectly Captures The Adult Experience

Molly Shannon’s Gail Von Kleinenstein turning her arts & crafts hour into an unorthodox and mortally questionable therapy session is honestly one of the quirks about this movie that makes it so great. Yeah, there are some ethical questions to answer, but let’s not think about those.

Arty Solomon Could Very Well Be My Favorite Character

The first time I watched Wet Hot American Summer, I thought Arty Solomon was just your normal radio-obsessed camper. However, he’s anything but. Over the years, the stinky camper who refuses to bathe or live in our reality (his microphone isn’t plugged in) has become my favorite character.

Beth And Henry Looking At Highly Specific Sections In The Library Is Too Good

The budding romance between Beth and Henry is one of the charms of Wet Hot American Summer and a subplot I love to revisit from time to time. What I love about it is the way in which it takes what could be a very straightforward love affair but turns the wonkiness up a bit. One of the best moments in this romance comes when they are both at the library at the same time (not knowing it, though), looking at very specific sections – Beth is looking at astrophysics (which isn’t that odd) while Henry glances over books on being a camp director.

I Didn't Realize Henry And Niles From Frasier Were Played By The Same Actor For Nearly A Quarter-Century

Hi, it’s me, I’m the guy who didn’t know that Niles from Frasier and Henry from Wet Hot American Summer were played by the same guy until 2025. Carry on…

My Summer Camp Was Nowhere As Fun As Camp Firewood, And I Think I Missed Out

I went to an overnight camp in central Louisiana for a few years when I was younger, and things were never as crazy as they were in Wet Hot American Summer. Sure, the counselors were up to no good at times, but we didn’t have a boat, or river trips, or talking cans of veggies. I feel like I was missing out.

Katie's Big Turn On Coop At The End Is Something

The whole movie, it feels like Katie (Marguerite Moreau) has a thing for Coop, and that they’ll eventually end up together before the movie ends. While that is partially true, the love of Coop’s young life informs him at the last second that she just wants to be friends before riding off with Andy in some random guy’s car. Brutal!

Susie's Meltdown About The Talent Show Is Some Of Amy Poehler's Best Work

Susie, the director and choreographer of the musical at the talent show, is one of the most outrageous characters in Wet Hot American Summer, especially when it comes to the production she’s putting on with Ben. Her meltdown when she suspects Beth is trying to sabotage her project is so out of left field. Honestly, it’s some of her best work, which is saying something.

The Search For Victor Is So Chaotic, So Random, And So Awesome

The scene near the end of the movie, where Beth and Neil go insane looking for Victor so he can save the campers from going over a cliff, is nuts. They run wild all over the camp, not listening to anyone or reason, and it creates a chaotic cap on an already wild movie.

I Remember Watching This Movie As A Kid And Just Not Getting It

I first watched Wet Hot American Summer when I was like 13 years old, and I remember just not getting it at the time. Years later, it’s one of my favorite movies.

After a break of more than a decade, Party Down is finally back with a new season full of new adventures for the struggling actors and career caterers on the cult classic Starz comedy series. The new season, which picks up with the beloved Party Down Catering Company employees (and their pink bow-ties) for a hilarious reunion, brings with it some new characters to share the screen with Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, and the rest of the gang.

If you have watched the show’s return, or at least plan on doing so in the near future, you are probably wondering where you’ve seen the new additions to the Party Down Season 3 cast. Because it’s been so long since Party Down first aired, we’ve also included a little rundown of all those familiar faces who returned for the show’s third season.

Jennifer Garner (Evie)

Leading things off when it comes to Party Down newcomers is Jennifer Garner, who shows up in the show’s third season as Evie, a successful film producer who starts a new journey in life, one that includes dating Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard.

Garner, who was one of the first additions to the Party Down Season 3 cast reported on by Deadline in January 2022, is mostly known for roles in movies like 13 Going on 30, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Dallas Buyers Club, and most recently The Adam Project. However, Garner has long appeared on the small screen as well, including memorable performances on shows like Alias, Camping, and Upload.  

James Marsden (Jack Botty)

Next up for the Party Down Season 3 new additions is James Marsden, who shows up on the Starz original comedy series as Jack Botty, a big-time actor at the center of a massive superhero franchise.

Marsden joining the cast is the latest in a line of TV appearances for the actor who has popped up on The Stand, Mrs. America, Dead to Me, and Westworld in recent years, all while keeping up his film career. Over the years, Marsden has done everything from lead the X-Men movies to help make Sonic the Hedgehog one of the best video game adaptations of all time. He’s also shown up in movies like The Notebook, Superman Returns, Straw Dogs, and most recently, in the Disenchanted cast. 

Tyrel Jackson Williams (Sackson)

The first of two new additions to Party Down Catering Company is Tyrel Jackson Williams, who takes on the role of struggling internet personality Sackson on the revival.

If you were a fan of Disney Channel original shows from the past decade, then there’s a good chance you’ll recognize Williams from his portrayal of Leo Dooley on the Disney XD comedy series, Lab Rats. Williams also appeared in the 2014 Disney XD original movie, Pants on Fire.

Over the years, he has also had small roles on shows like Everybody Hates Chris, Modern Family, Community, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. His film roles to date include Failure to Launch, Thunder Force, and Hollywood Stargirl.

 Zoë Chao (Lucy) 

Also joining the Season 3 cast is Zoë Chao, who joins the catering team as aspiring celebrity chef, Lucy, who has to settle for the party circuit and a pink bow-tie for the time being.

This is the latest in a long line of TV shows for Chao, who continues to be one of the hardest working actresses around today. In the past half-decade, Chao has popped up on shows like Strangers, The OA, Living with Yourself, Love Life, and Modern Love. That also includes The Afterparty, the 2022 Apple TV+ original murder mystery comedy that will once again feature Chao when the show returns, according to Deadline.

Chao is also no stranger to the silver screen, as she has appeared in movies like Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Downhill, The High Note, Senior Year, and most recently, the 2023 Netflix original movie, Your Place or Mine. 

Quinta Brunson (Jaff) 

Last, but not least, when it comes to the cast newcomers is Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress and writer Quinta Brunson, who has become a household name in recent years thanks to her work on Abbott Elementary. Brunson shows up in a guest role as Jaff, Kyle Bradway’s (Ryan Hansen) agent, according to Variety.

Prior to finding success with Abbott Elementary in 2021, Brunson appeared on shows like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Big Mouth, Lazor Wulf, Miracle Workers, and multiple others. Her film appearances include An American Pickle, As of Yet, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which she portrayed Oprah Winfrey. 

Party Down Returning Actors

Though Lizzy Caplan won’t be returning for Party Down Season 3, the rest of the major players from the show’s first two seasons will all be back. Here’s a quick refresher on who’s coming back and where you’ve seen them before.

Adam Scott (Henry Pollard)

As seen in the Party Down Season 3 trailer, Adam Scott will be returning as actor-turned-caterer Henry Pollard, who crosses paths with his old coworkers after more than a decade away.

Outside of saying “Are we having fun yet?” on the cult classic Starz comedy series, Scott is known for appearances on shows like Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and most recently, Severance. 

Ken Marino (Ronald Wayne ‘Ron’ Donald)

Ken Marino also returns for the revival, once again playing Party Down Catering Company manager Ronald Wayne “Ron” Donald.

A comedy mainstay for more than 30 years, Marino has made a career out of playing over-the-top characters on The State, Childrens Hospital, and The Other Two, to name a few. His notable film work includes Wet Hot American Summer, Reno 911!: Miami, and Role Models. 

Jane Lynch (Constance Carmell)

Jane Lynch is another Party Down alum returning for the revival season, once again playing Constance Carmell.

Outside of her work on this comedy, Lynch is known for iconic performances on shows like Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Hollywood Game Night, all three of which have earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. 

Martin Starr (Roman DeBeers)

Martin Starr, who played the condescending screenwriter Roman DeBeers on the show’s first two seasons, is back once again for Season 3.

In the years since appearing in the Freaks and Geeks cast, Starr has continued to find success on the small screen (as well as in movies), especially as of late with great performances on Tulsa King and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 

Megan Mullally (Lydia Dunfree)

Megan Mullally also shows up in the new season, once again playing the chronically optimistic Lydia Dunfree.

Mostly remembered for her award-winning portrayal of Karen Walker on Will & Grace, Mullally has also worked on shows like Childrens Hospital, Bob’s Burgers, and Parks and Recreation over the years, the last of which was alongside her husband, Nick Offerman. 

Ryan Hansen (Kyle Bradway)

And then there is Ryan Hansen, who is back once again as actor, model, and musician Kyle Bradway on Party Down.

Outside of slinging hors d'oeuvres on the Starz comedy series, Hansen has also appeared on 2 Broke Girls, Teachers, and A Million Little Things. 

You can see these faces (as well as some major guest stars) on Party Down, which airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET on Starz. If you want to know what other new and returning shows are coming to the airwaves this spring, check out our 2023 TV schedule.

It has been more than a decade since we last caught up with pink-bow tie-wearing actors-turned-caterers in the cult comedy Starz series Party Down. No one would hold anything against you if you were under the impression that the June 2010 Season 2 finale would have been the last we saw of Adam Scott, Ken Marino, and the rest of the Party Down cast together, but after a very long stretch of time, the wise-cracking sextet is back for a Party Down revival.

That’s right, soon we’ll be tuning in to Starz to watch Party Down Season 3 like it's 2009 all over again and as if the past few years never really happened. Below is a quick rundown of several quick things we know about the upcoming revival of the cult comedy series about struggling actors finding a new way to support themselves in Hollywood.

The Party Down Revival Premieres February 24th On Starz

Party Down originally debuted in March 2009, with its second (and final) season ending June of the following year, at which point it seemed like the series, which later became a cult classic, was done for good. Well, those who loved the show nearly a decade-and-a-half ago, or have fallen in love with it since then, will be able to pick up with the Party Down catering company when the revival premieres Friday, February 24th on Starz.

The Party Down Revival Cast Includes Adam Scott, Ken Marino, Jane Lynch And Martin Starr

When Party Down comes back, the revival will see the return of most of the show’s main stars from the first two seasons. Upon announcing the return, Starz revealed that Adam Scott (who is also one of the show’s executive producers) will be returning as Henry Pollard. Joining him will be Ken Marino as Party Down team lead Ronald Wayne “Ron” Donald, Jane Lynch as Constance Carmell, Martin Starr as Roman DeBeers, Ryan Hansen as Kyle Bradway, and Megan Mullally as Lydia Dunfree.

Although most of the original Party Down cast will be returning for the upcoming revival, one of the major stars won’t be joining them. In November 2021, Deadline reported that Lizzy Caplan, who played Casey Klein in the first two seasons, will not be around for the latest slate of episodes, but it’s not because of ill will or anything like that. According to the report, Caplan was already committed to the FX on Hulu limited series Fleishman Is in Trouble.

The Party Down cast had its share of guest stars during the show’s original run, and that trend looks to continue with the upcoming revivals. In January 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Jennifer Garner, Tyrel Jackson Williams, Zoë Chao, and James Marsden would all appear throughout the latest season. There is no word if previous guest stars like J.K. Simmons, Ken Jeong, or Kevin Hart will be appearing at any point.

The Party Down Revival Picks Up Ten Years After The Events Of The Original Series

The Party Down Season 2 finale, which ended up being the final episode of the original show’s run, ended with a chaotic wedding and Henry Pollard making the decision to skip out on work and audition for another acting gig. When the revival series picks up in late February, it will see the former coworkers at the Party Down catering company crossing paths 10 years after we last saw them, according to Variety. 

In an exclusive first look of the Party Down revival, Entertainment Weekly revealed that the new season will pick up with the old familiar gang as they begin to pick up catering gigs for random parties and events throughout Los Angeles. Not much else has been revealed about the plot of the Party Down revival at this point, but with series co-creators Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Paul Rudd, and Dan Etheridge all coming back as executive producers, and John Ehbom once again serving as showrunner, it sounds like it will be more of the same fun and games. 

The Party Down Trailer Shows The Returning Cast Celebrating In Their Iconic Pink Bow Ties

In January 2023, Starz gave the world its first full look at the return of Party Down with the release of a trailer showing the various returning members of the cast getting back together for a reunion after 10 years apart.

In addition to showing returning stars like Ken Marino, Jane Lynch, and Adam Scott – who appears to be going through some kind of existential crisis – the trailer also introduces new members of the Party Down cast, including James Marsden’s character who mockingly yells “Are We Having Fun Yet?” much to the chagrin of Adam Scott’s Henry. 

Adam Scott Has Said The Party Down Revival Will Give The Show A Chance To ‘Finish The Story’

Even though Party Down had die-hard fans during its original run, the show was never a ratings smash-hit and failed to really capture the attention of the general population not familiar with its creators and actors’ previous works. During a February 2022 appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Adam Scott took time out of his promotion of the Apple TV+ original series Severance to talk about the Party Down revival, which he said was giving the show a chance to ‘finish the story,” stating:

Earlier in the chat, Scott told Colbert that only around 13,000 people watched the Party Down finale back in 2010, and that the show, which later became a cult classic, only became popular after the fact. The 2023 Golden Globe nominee also said the revival is a result of those people finding the show in the years since its cancellation.

Party Down Season 3 Will Consist Of Six 30-Minute Episodes

The first two seasons of Party Down consisted of 10 episodes apiece, but the new revival will be much shorter. In November 2021, Starz announced that Party Down Season 3 will be made up of six 30-minute episodes, nearly half the amount as the first two seasons. No details have been revealed as to what the members of Party Down will be getting themselves into during the limited series, but it is all but guaranteed to be more of the insane hijinks and situations similar to those featured in the first go-around.

The Party Down Revival Spawned From A 2019 Reunion Of The Cast And Crew

There has been a lot of support for a Party Down revival of some sort for years now, with star Ryan Hansen even saying he’d “chop off a toe” for a movie at one point. Despite a small yet diehard group of fans, cast, and crew wanting to see the show’s characters return in some shape or form, nothing ever panned out for Party Down for a decade before everyone got back together for a panel discussion at Vulture Festival LA in November 2019.

According to Deadline, the panel featured the full Party Down cast and the executive producers who made the show a reality in the first place. During the discussion, co-creator Dan Etheridge revealed that a reunion was in the works:

A little more than a year later, co-creator Rob Thomas said in a statement (via Vulture) that this 2019 Party Down retrospective was the catalyst for the revival before saying everyone had such a great time and wanted to find a way to get them back together again.

There is still a lot we don’t yet know about Party Down, but expect to hear more about that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out all the other shows on the 2023 TV schedule.

During its syndicated eight-season run, Monk wasn't simply a cornerstone of USA Network's continued brand. It became one of the most acclaimed and meticulously watched original shows of the '00s. So much so that the unconventional detective procedural was the most-watched scripted drama show when its series finale aired.

Suffice to say, Monk was a very popular program, and it helped usher in the careers of several prominent actors today, while also hosting several notable celebrity cameos that might've slipped your mind over the years. If you're wondering what pre-famous stars appeared on this show, we're here to help. Here are the celebrities you might've forgotten were on Monk, including Jennifer Lawrence, Danny Trejo, and several more.

Jennifer Lawrence (Mascot)

Everyone needs to get their start somewhere. Before the future A-list actress became an Oscar-winning, franchise-topping superstar — and, you know, one of the biggest movie stars of her generation — Jennifer Lawrence earned her first acting credit by playing a character credited solely as "Mascot" (though she's referred to as "Jen") in Season 5's "Mr. Monk and the Big Game." The cameo is quite quaint in retrospect, knowing that the young actress in this minor part would become the major league mega-star behind The Hunger Games franchise, Silver Linings Playbook, and the recent X-Men prequel series, but the first-time actress makes the most of her screen debut.

Reflecting back on the experience on Conan, Jennifer Lawrence considered her time on Monk to be "really cool" but also "the most humiliating thing in my life." The reason? The up-and-coming soon-to-be-famous actress believed that she would have a bigger role than she ultimately had. She even told her church as much — much to her chagrin. But JLaw has no reason to be embarrassed! It's an amusing appearance and a fun debut.

Nick Offerman (Jack Whitman)

Before he became Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation, Nick Offerman was Jack Whitman, a rug importer with unlawful intent, in "Mr. Monk and the Election." Prior to this appearance, Offerman was still coming into his own as a performer. His other acting credits remained limited to minor characters in City of Angels, Speaking of Sex, and Stealing Havard. Also, the TV actor appeared in Deadwood, The Practice, The West Wing, NYPD Blue, and 24, though Offerman was rarely seen in more than one episode. Arguably his most notable credit at this point was his recurring role in George Lopez.

Suffice to say, Nick Offerman didn't have nearly the same acclaim and notoriety that he has today, so it's understandable if you forgot about this brief pre-fame cameo in Monk.

Jane Lynch (Dr. Julie Waterford)

Before she found fame with her Emmy-winning star turn in Glee, Jane Lynch was proving her sharp comedic talents in a number of movies and shows, including Party Down, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Likewise, Lynch took on the role of Dr. Julie Waterford, a marriage therapist, in Season 2's "Mr. Monk Gets Married."

Though her appearance was limited to one episode, Jane Lynch showcases her dry wit and signature deadpan delivery throughout this performance. Even from this brief clip, it's easy to see why the actress found such an exceptional career in the years to follow.

Danny Trejo (Spyder Rudner)

With upwards of 400 credits to his resume (and counting!), Danny Trejo has been seen in a hell of a lot of movies and shows over the past three-plus decades. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that Trejo found some time in his ever-busy schedule to appear in Monk. In the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail," Trejo plays Darnell "Spyder" Rudner, a convicted quadruple murderer whom Monk corresponds with during his investigation. The convicted criminal and the eccentric detective form a connection from there.

At this stage of his career, Danny Trejo was a standout supporting player in Robert Rodriguez's Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and the Spy Kids trilogy, along with other notable '90s/'00s movies like Heat, Con Air, Anaconda, Bubble Boy, and Anchorman, though he wasn't heading movies like Machete and Bad Ass just yet. Still, Trejo always makes the most of every moment. Monk is no exception.

Sarah Silverman (Marci Maven)

Between 2004 and 2008, during the advent (and first season) of Comedy Central's The Sarah Silverman Project, that show's title-bearing comic had a recurring role as Marci Maven, an obsessive superfan who forms a deep longing for our neurotic sleuth, in "Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star," "Mr. Monk And His Biggest Fan," and "Mr. Monk's 100th Case."

Prior to this notable performance, Sarah Silverman was a proven stand-up comedienne who became popular in the public eye through Saturday Night Live and other guest star appearances. She was certainly a name, albeit not as big as she is today; her concert film, Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic, even premiered in select theaters. But her time on Monk came just shortly before she would find greater success, both as a comic and actress. Nevertheless, this energetic supporting role showcased her developing talents.

Jon Favreau (Dr. Oliver Bloom)

Just a few short years before he jumpstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man, called the shots on one of the highest-grossing movies in film history with The Lion King (2019), and became the showrunner behind The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau had a standout cameo as Dr. Oliver Bloom, a nefarious endodontist, in "Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist." While it's a prominent appearance, the character ultimately only lasted a single episode — though it came at an interesting point in Favreau's expanding career.

Already established as both an indie-darling actor-writer thanks to Swingers and top-grossing director through Elf, Jon Favreau was well-proven at this stage of the game, but the actor-writer-director wasn't necessarily a household name. Therefore, it's hard to call this role a celebrity cameo per se — at least, in the strictest sense. But in retrospect, it's interesting to see Favreau in a minor guest role shortly before his career propelled.

Stanley Tucci (David Ruskin)

Admittedly, Stanley Tucci was well-established as an actor, writer, and director by the time the character actor appeared in Season 5's premiere, "Mr. Monk and the Actor." Nevertheless, it's a real kick to see the esteemed thespian reunite with his Big Night co-star to play David Ruskin, a method actor who vigorously tries to nail down Adrian Monk's whole persona. This inspired performance was such a delight that Tucci won an Emmy for this guest role, which admittedly makes it more memorable than the other cameos that we've listed. It's fitting, though, because it's arguably the best of the bunch.

Howie Mandel (Ralph “Father” Roberts)

There's something cosmically perfect about Howie Mandel appearing in Monk. In a pair of Season 6 episodes titled "Mr. Monk Joins a Cult" and "Mr. Monk's 100th Case," Mandel played Ralph "Father" Roberts, a supposed cult leader, in what appeared to be a winking nod to the actor's personal life. More specifically, Mandel is an outspoken germaphobe, much like Adrian Monk, which has hindered him throughout his life.

Likewise, Monk's detective career is often disrupted by his own individualized fears and phobias. The titular TV sleuth and the child actor-turned-game show host are, in a way, kindred spirits. One may argue that their paths were destined to cross, as they did here.

Snoop Dogg (Murderuss)

Playing the part of Russell Kroy, i.e. Murderuss, a rap artist who wants Monk to clear his name after he's accused of murder, Snoop Dogg proved to be an amusing guest star in Season 6's "Mr. Monk and the Rapper." Though the musician isn't the type of actor who disappears into his characters, Dogg is game to play up the heightened absurdities of this rap personality. The result isn't a "before they were famous" appearance, unlike many other celebs listed in this article, but Dogg is always an exceptional entertainer.

Ken Marino (Lester Highsmith)

Ken Marino isn't necessarily a household name, but there's a decent chance that you're familiar with his work. In 2004, following his time in The State and Wet Hot American Summer but years before he made Party Down, Children's Hospital, or Burning Love, Marino played Lester Highsmith, the ex-husband of the victim behind "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine." It's a brief appearance and it might not have made a huge splash for anyone who wasn't a fan of Marino's brand of alternative comedy. But it's an amusing cameo that came only a few years before his profile rose — both in front and behind the camera.

Monk is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Peacock.

Party Down, the Starz comedy about a catering company in Hollywood, was an instant classic, boasting series regulars like Adam Scott and Martin Starr in its group of lovable losers moonlighting as caterers who are trying to break through to stardom. It’s been over a decade since we’ve seen the Party Down gang slinging d’oeuvres under the incapable leadership of Ron Donald (Ken Marino). When it was announced recently that the Starz underground hit would be rebooted, fans raised their beers to a collective cheer of “Are we having fun yet?” So as we plan to reunite with our favorite disgruntled waiters — and wonder what astonishing A-list guest stars might grace our screens in this reboot — let’s take a look at what the Party Down cast has been up to since the series last aired in 2010.

Ken Marino (Ron Donald)

Ken Marino, who played the most unlikely candidate for responsibility possible in Party Down’s Ron Donald, is seemingly the exact opposite off-screen, as Marino has stayed busy both in front of and behind the camera. He reprised his role as rival private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe in the long-awaited new season of Veronica Mars in 2019, and also had recurring roles on such shows as Fresh Off the Boat, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and most recently, the Showtime dark comedy Black Monday. He’s taken his turn behind the camera directing the web series Burning Love, a hilarious satire of the Bachelor franchise, and a handful of episodes of Adult Swim’s Children’s Hospital — acting in both shows as well.

Ken Marino has two movie director credits, with How to Be a Latin Lover and Dog Days, and if that’s not enough, he wrote Wanderlust, co-starring Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd and the bewitching Kathryn Hahn. Marino also had a hand in the screenplay for Role Models. In 2020, Marino reunited with the cast that started it all — MTV’s sketch comedy The State — to raise funds for the NAACP and the California Immigrant Resilience Fund, which helps undocumented California residents affected by the COVID pandemic. I mean, these credits are good, but how do they stand up next to running a Soup R’ Crackers?

Adam Scott (Henry Pollard)

Adam Scott’s Henry Pollard was a one-hit wonder on Party Down, finding 15 minutes of fame on a beer commercial with a memorable tagline before flaming out and quitting acting. Scott’s career as an actor has thankfully gone the other direction, and he’s stayed pretty busy since his fictional catering days. We liked him and we loved him as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, and he also had recurring television roles in hits such as The Good Place and Big Little Lies. Many of these actors run in the same circles (see Veronica Mars), and Scott reunited with Ken Marino for Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later and the web series Burning Love. On the big screen, he and Lizzy Caplan reignited their red-hot chemistry to again play lovers in Bachelorette. Other movie credits include The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Krampus and Sleeping with Other People.

Adam Scott has also found success in the world of podcasts. His initial project, U Talkin’ U2 to Me?, dissected his love for the iconic band U2. That led to R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?, a similar show about REM, and in 2020 launched U Talkin’ Talking Heads 2 My Talking Heads. Next up he’s slated to star in the Ben Stiller-directed workplace thriller Severance on Apple TV+, which is currently filming and set to air sometime this year.

Lizzy Caplan (Casey Klein)

Lizzy Caplan was wonderful as sarcastic aspiring comedian Casey Klein, but much of her post-Party Down career has skewed away from comedy. Caplan picked up nominations for a Primetime Emmy, two Satellite Awards and a Critics’ Choice Award for her portrayal of Virginia Johnson in the Showtime series Masters of Sex. Most recently Caplan was in the Apple TV+ thriller series Truth Be Told with Octavia Spencer and played Annie Wilkes in the Season 2 of the Stephen King-inspired Castle Rock. Caplan’s next project stays in the horror realm, with Cobweb, starring opposite The Boys’ Antony Starr. The movie, which filmed in Bulgaria in late 2020, is in post-production.

It hasn’t been all horror and thriller for Lizzy Caplan, however, as the Mean Girls alum has also had recurring roles in New Girl, The League and Children’s Hospital. Movie credits include The Interview from James Franco and Seth Rogan, as well as the sci-fi thriller Extinction, (no word from Party Down’s Roman on if that counts as “hard sci-fi”).

Martin Starr (Roman DeBeers)

We fell in love with Martin Starr as a lovable nerd on Freaks and Geeks, and aspiring sci-fi author Roman DeBeers could certainly be an older version of Bill Haverchuck — albeit more cynical and beaten down by life. Hopefully Starr’s acting career is slightly less frustrating than trying to make it in the world of hard sci-fi. Starr co-starred as the fantastically named Bertram Gilfoyle on all six seasons of HBO’s five-time Emmy nominee Silicon Valley. Starr also had small roles in the CBS comedy series Life in Pieces and Hawaii Five-O and played multiple characters on Comedy Central’s Drunk History.

Martin Starr’s been no stranger to the big screen either, playing Daniel in Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, and teaming up with his Apatow buddies in Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's apocalyptic comedy This is the End. And speaking of old buddies, Starr had a couple of projects with Party Down guest star Kristen Bell, playing Stu Cobbler in Veronica Mars and Bell’s friend Todd in the uncomfortable drama The Lifeguard. Starr has also joined the MCU, playing Mr. Harrington, the teacher with the unenviable task of keeping tabs on teens like Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far from Home and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Up next for Starr is a supporting role in the dark superhero film Samaritan, starring Sylvester Stallone and set for a June 4 release.

Ryan Hansen (Kyle Bradway)

As previously noted, the cast of Party Down is strongly connected to Veronica Mars, and none more than Ryan Hansen, who played the douchey Dick Casablancas on the smart mystery series. Hansen and Kristen Bell became best friends, and his resume boasts numerous projects with The Good Place star, including Burning Love and Hansen’s YouTube Red series Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television. Hansen had a hilariously awkward guest role as Bell’s lover on her Showtime series House of Lies. He also played a part in the movie Hit & Run with Bell, which Bell’s husband Dax Shepard wrote, directed and starred in.

That doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of his work either, but some of Ryan Hansen’s projects have failed to find critical acclaim. Hansen took a couple of swings on NBC comedies, playing the lover of Kate Walsh’s Rebecca Wright in the lone season of Bad Judge and starring as Ben Lewis on the short-lived comedy Friends with Benefits, but Hansen’s bread and butter seems to lie in guest roles and recurring spots. He’s made appearances on Key and Peele, Parenthood, The Mindy Project and Santa Clarita Diet. He had a recurring role as Andy in Season 2 of 2 Broke Girls, played Doug Weiner in the Hulu series Resident Advisors and played Brent in the TV Land series Teachers. Hansen had roles in three movies that came out in 2020: Friendsgiving, Fantasy Island and Like a Boss, all of which were panned by critics.

Megan Mullally (Lydia Dunfree)

Megan Mullally joined the Party Down crew in Season 2 as the well-meaning but desperately lonely Lydia Dunfree. While Lydia struggled as momager for thankless daughter Escapade, Mullally’s path couldn’t be further from her character’s, as she was a force to be reckoned with both before and after Party Down on pretty much any platform she chose in entertainment. Most recently, on top of reprising her role as Karen Walker on Will & Grace, the actor has lent her voice to a number of animated projects including Bob’s Burgers and The Great North. In 2015 her voice acting led to a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for her work on Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast.

Mullally was also a series regular on Children’s Hospital and had a memorable recurring role as the second ex-wife of Ron Swanson (played by real-life husband Nick Offerman) Tammy Two in Parks and Recreation. In 2014 she starred in Annapurna off-Broadway with Offerman and on Broadway in It’s Only a Play alongside Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing, Nathan Lane and more. In 2021 she is slated to play Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Barbican Theatre in London. And don’t forget to add “author” to the multi-hyphenate’s resume. In 2018 she and Offerman published The Greatest Love Story Ever Told about their “epic” romance.

Jane Lynch (Constance Carmell)

No personal business on company pond for this hard worker. Constance Carmell’s optimistic attitude always had her willing to go the extra mile to hone her craft. (Have you seen her cow? “Are you milking me for information, Old MacDonald? I’m not in the mooooood.”) And if that’s the effort Jane Lynch puts into her real-life acting career, it’s working. Unfortunately Lynch had to leave the catering company after Season 1 because of a contractual obligation to Glee for her brilliant role as Sue Sylvester, but that worked out in her favor, if not ours, as it led to five Primetime Emmy Awards from twelve nods, two SAG Awards from six nominations and one Golden Glove from two nominations.

Lynch has had recurring TV roles on numerous shows, such as Criminal Minds and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She’s leant her voice to animated TV and movies alike in The Simpsons, Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet and UglyDolls. She’s hosted game shows, such as the reboot of Weakest Link and Hollywood Game Night. Lynch even has her own record label, KitschTone Records, on which she released a Christmas album with her cabaret group See Jane Sing.

Lynch has also tried her hand at theater, making her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in Annie in 2013. She’s also done a ton of charity work, most notably to support equal rights in the LBGTQ community. In 2013, Lynch was honored by The Trevor Project for her advocacy of marriage equality. In 2020 she co-hosted the live telethon Love in Action to help raise funds for the Los Angeles LGBT Center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Party Down fans, myself included, are eager to see our favorite caterers don their pink bowties again and reveal if the last 10 years has brought them any of the same success as the actors who portray them (assuming not, if they are in fact still catering). Be sure to check back for more information on the reboot, and find something else to stream on Starz in the meantime.

Ken Marino has now directed two films, How To Be A Latin Lover and Dog Days, but you shouldn't exactly expect him to give up working in front of the camera. His acting career goes back to the early 1990s, when he starred in the popular sketch series The State, and he continues to perform on both the big screen and small. That even extends to his latest directorial effort, as the filmmaker has a small part to play in the movie -- but without listening for it, you probably won't catch is his audio-only cameo in the first act.

There is a scene early in Dog Days featuring Nina Dobrev's character, Liz, the host of a morning show, interviewing Tone Bell's Jimmy, a former athlete. Without giving too much away, things get a bit contentious -- but there is one tension-breaking moment where a lone laugh rings out from the studio audience. Watching the film, I was certain I recognized the voice of Ken Marino, and he confirmed it was him when I spoke with him the next day:

Being a fan of Ken Marino's, particularly from his work on the cancelled-too-soon Starz series Party Down, I was 90 percent positive of what I heard -- and won't like and say I wasn't kind of proud to catch it. Of course, in order to save you any spoilers I won't reveal any details about what happens when Marino shows up on camera in Dog Days -- you'll just have to see the film and find out for yourself.

You can watch Ken Marino talk about his surprise, miniature cameo in Dog Days by clicking play on the video below:

Based on an original screenplay by Elissa Matsueda and Erica Oyama, Dog Days is a film crafted with five interwoven stories - each of them set in Los Angeles and showcasing how our canine friends can change lives. The massive ensemble cast includes not only the aforementioned Nina Dobrev and Tone Bell, but also Eva Longoria, Vanessa Hudgens, Adam Pally, Finn Wolfward, Rob Corddry, Thomas Lennon, Jon Bass, Ron Cephas Jones, Tig Notaro, and more. The movie arrives in theaters this Friday -- and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with the director and stars.

You know the old saying, "You can't keep a good Eva Longoria off of TV." Okay, so that's admittedly not very old, nor is it a standardized idiom, but that doesn't make it any less true. The veteran TV actress has tried valiantly to recapture the longtime success of her former drama Desperate Housewives, but has so far come up short. Hopefully her newest gig can be the charm, as Longoria is joining the talented squad of Ken Marino, Kyle Bornheimer, Steve Harris and Andy Richter for what sounds like an extremely harsh Fox comedy called Type-A.

Expect to see a more comedically piercing side of Eva Longoria for Type-A, a single-camera project that will see the actress playing a character named Axler, a consultant within a corporate firm made up of employees that do the jobs that few others want to do: they go into other firms and drop the layoffs, the downsizings and other bits of horrible news that mainstream employees hate to hear about. Axler, whose name is about as on the nose as a nostril, is brutally honest with everyone she talks to, and her ambitions are also worn on her sleeves. There is something inside of her that strives to break free and be nice to people, but she keeps that personality trait locked down.

This will be yet another lead role for Eva Longoria, and this time it's from the Life in Pieces creative team of executive producer Jason Winer and writer/producer Lesley Wake-Webster, and Winer will step in and direct the pilot. Having last taken the front lines on the short-lived network comedy Telenovela, Longoria complemented that time with appearances on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Lip Sync Battle and Devious Maids, and she's got a spicy arc coming to Fox's Empire when it returns for the remainder of Season 3. I love that she has zero issues flipping from comedy to drama and back, and Type-A already has one of the best casts she's ever worked with. TVLine claims another female lead is currently being cast, so expect that to come out soon.

Ken Marino, of Party Down and Veronica Mars fame, will take on the role of Garland, a slick and schmoozy attorney whose quasi-predatory approach put him in a relationship with Axler once upon a time. (We're certain that won't come up in weird ways.) Marino is a comedy genius, having also worked on greats like Wet Hot American Summer and its Netflix series, as well as the spoof show Burning Love, Marry Me and much more. Even Agent Carter, which wasn't a comedy, but it made him an MCU character, as Ken Marino should be.

Similarly, Kyle Bornheimer is an actor who has seemingly been on every fourth comedy on TV in the past 10-15 years. He will step in and play the moral compass of the group, whose name is Ben. He's a war vet who only has one leg, so he'll be stepping in presumably in an awkward manner, as is Bornheimer's way. In 2016-2017 alone, the actor has appeared in 7 different TV shows, including a larger role in Hulu's Casual, as well as a couple of movies and a TV pilot that went nowhere. (He memorably reprised his Breaking Bad role on Better Call Saul, which was obviously the best one.)

Steve Harris is a veteran of The Practice, which puts him a little closer to Eva Longoria for genre comparisons, but in Type-A, he'll be bringing the laughs as a security chief named Carson. Part of where Caron's humor lies in in the contrast between his large and intimidating physique and his love for his tiny show poodle. Your mileage may vary. Most recently, Harris starred in the TNT drama Legends and appeared in a 2015 episode of NCIS, while he showed up on the big screen in Spike Lee's Chi-Raq.

Finally, we have Andy Richter, best known as Conan O'Brien's late night sidekick for many years, as well as someone known for appearing in hilarious TV comedies. (Including his own short-lived pieces of brilliance.) Richter will bring his sardonic ways to the role of Luderman, someone whose ability to manipulate is untouched by not only those around him, but also most others in the world. Richter appeared earlier this year in an episode of Life in Pieces, so that's some good synergy.

It's unclear when we'll get to hear any more about Type-A and Eva Longoria's future as a network TV lead, so while you're waiting, head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer premiere guide to see all the shows that are heading to TV in the future.

Back in 2004, the unlikely little UPN network premiered one of the most fantastic series of the year: Veronica Mars. Following the exploits of teen private detective Veronica Mars, it was dark and noir and about as far from Nancy Drew as possible. Sadly, airing first on UPN and then on The CW for its third and final season meant that the Rob Thomas-produced Veronica Mars never had a high enough profile for major awards nominations. Still, the series has remained popular since its 2007 conclusion, leading to the fan-funded feature film in 2014. Now, the cast whose careers in the detective biz were cut short have found successes elsewhere. So, let’s take a look at just what the actors behind Veronica and Co. have been up to in the years since Veronica Mars.

Kristen Bell

The woman behind Veronica has been busy over the last couple of years. To name just a few, her narration gig at Gossip Girl ended after five seasons in 2012, then was followed up with her voicework as Anna in Frozen, which guarantees that approximately most of the United States knows her voice. She’s played Jeannie for four seasons on the Showtime comedy House of Lies opposite Don Cheadle, she’s set to guest star on Rob Thomas' new show iZombie in 2016, and she’s been cast as the female lead in a new sitcom opposite Ted Danson.

Jason Dohring

The guy behind everybody’s favorite brooding bad boy may have lost his job as Logan Echolls on Veronica Mars thanks to cancellation by The CW, but he’s found success on the network in the years since. He had a recurring role on Sarah Michelle Gellar’s show Ringer from 2011 – 2012, guest-starred in a memorable episode of Supernatural, appeared on The Tomorrow People, and spent some time on The Messengers and The Originals in 2015. He even appeared once more as Logan Echolls in the CW Seed web series Play It Again, Dick.

Percy Daggs III

After reprising his role as Veronica’s reliable BFF Wallace Fennel for the Veronica Mars movie, Percy Daggs III once more brought his character to a CW production with four appearances on Play It Again, Dick. He’s since guest-starred as a killer on iZombie and played James Hook for thirteen episodes on YouTube series The New Adventures of Peter and Wendy.

Tina Majorino

Following her turn as computer genius Mac on Veronica Mars, Tina Majorino spent a few years on HBO’s critically acclaimed Big Love, then moved over to another HBO series for a stint on True Blood. She then spent a memorable twenty-two episodes on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Heather Brooks, then took on the role of tech guru Maggie Harris on the sadly now-cancelled Legends. And that's not even naming all her gigs. Girl gets around.

Ryan Hansen

Ryan Hansen – the actor so lovable that he made the gross Dick Casablancas a fun character – joined the cast of Party Down as his first major TV project after Veronica Mars, then starred in the unfortunately short-lived comedy Friends With Benefits. Following the Veronica Mars movie, he joined Kristen Bell for an episode of House of Lies, then headlined in the CW Seed web series Play It Again, Dick that followed his fictionalized attempts to launch a Dick Casablancas-centric spinoff of Veronica Mars. He too guest starred on iZombie, then hopped over to 2 Broke Girls for eleven episodes as Andy.

Krysten Ritter

Krysten Ritter bounced back from the role of Gia Goodman with an unforgettable stint as Jane Margolis on Breaking Bad. She starred as Chloe in sitcom Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 on ABC with former CW actor James Van Der Beek. She played Ruby in the 2014 film Asthma, then headed to Netflix to play the titular Jessica in the fantastic Jessica Jones. She’ll reprise the role in The Defenders in 2016.

Teddy Dunn

Teddy Dunn left the role of Veronica’s first love in the second season of Veronica Mars, after which he dropped off the showbiz radar to attend law school. In the years since, he’s had small roles on Grey’s Anatomy and CSI: NY on the small screen and big screen roles in Kill Theory and A Good Funeral. If you are in need of some law services, you can find Dunn, here.

Tessa Thompson

Tessa Thompson also appeared on Grey’s Anatomy after leaving her Veronica Mars role of Jackie, then spent twenty-two episodes as Sara Freeman on BBC America drama Copper. More recently, she's added to her profile with movie roles, appearing as Diane Nash in Selma and then tackling the part of Bianca in Creed.

Enrico Colantoni

After spending three seasons as Veronica’s dad/private investigator Keith Mars on Veronica Mars, Enrico Colantoni played J. Edgar Hoover in the TV miniseries The Kennedys. He was a main player on CBS’s Flashpoint for all five seasons, appeared on Play It Again, Dick, then starred on Canadian medical drama Remedy for two seasons. More recently, he played organized crime syndicate leader Carl Elias on nineteen episodes of Person of Interest.

Amanda Seyfried

Amanda Seyfried’s Lilly Kane only ever appeared in flashbacks as Veronica’s fun-loving BFF after being murdered prior to the series’ beginning, but she was still a key part in Veronica Mars. She then had a lead role in the musical Mamma Mia! as Meryl Streep’s daughter, and starred in Dear John and Red Riding Hood. She took another musical turn, and become one of approximately four people to survive to the end of Les Miserables. Soon after, she hopped genres and took a key role in Ted 2. Catch her on the small screen again for the Twin Peaks revival on Showtime in 2017.

Francis Capra

In the years since his tenure as Weevil Navarro on Veronica Mars, Francis Capra has been a prolific guest star on the TV circuit, appearing in everything from Sons of Anarchy to Castle to Bones. He had a four-episode stretch on FX’s The Strain, then became yet another Veronica Mars alum to appear on Play It Again, Dick on CW Seed.

Max Greenfield

After his stint as Veronica’s older boyfriend Leo D’Amato, Max Greenfield spent some time on Greek and Ugly Betty. He then spent quite some time on the guest star circuit before landing the role of Schmidt on Fox’s New Girl, now in its fifth season. He spent three episodes on American Horror Story and provided voice talent for the character of Roger in Ice Age: Collision Course, which is set to premiere in theaters in July of 2016.

Ken Marino

After his time as private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe on Veronica Mars, Ken Marino tackled the role of Ron Donald on Party Down, then spent twenty-nine episodes on Ben Stiller’s comedy Burning Love. He starred in 2013 film Bad Milo, then he too dropped by Play It Again, Dick on CW Seed. More recently, he starred as Jake Schuffman in Marry Me on NBC, reprised his film role of Victor for Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, and will be a member of the cast for the second season of ABC’s Agent Carter.

The Veronica Mars cast was vast, and there are more characters we may not have gotten around to, so if there's someone else you'd like to catch up with, let us know in the comments, below.

In the 20 years since The State introduced the world to a new super-squad of comedic minds, actor Ken Marino has made us laugh in just about every role he’s taken. But he’s got something rather different in mind for his next gig, as he’s taken on a bad guy role in the upcoming Season 2 of ABC and Marvel’s spy thriller Agent Carter. That’s right, the man who wants to “dip his balls in it” is going to be a Marvel villain. I love this world.

Marino won’t be a superpowered evildoer wielding a huge scepter or blasting energy beams out of his hands. He will instead play mob boss Joseph Manfredi, the top dog in the Maggia crime syndicate. Marino has been great at playing meatball characters in the past, but something tells me Manfredi is going to be a little more vicious than stereotypically goofy. While it’s not clear from Variety what specific things Manfredi will be dealing with, we know that he’ll be working with those working against Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter, and he’ll be helping them in their dastardly efforts. Sounds more like a middle man than a big boss, but I won’t let him hear me say that, for my own safety.

It’s no mere coincidence or feat of random nature that Marino finds himself on Agent Carter. Showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazeka were the pair who created the totally underrated CW horror comedy series Reaper, on which Marino played the demon Tony, a former neighbor of Sam and widower to another demon played by fellow The State member Michael Ian Black. Butters and Fazeka are both quite happy to get an available Marino for the role, and they both think he’s got an incredible character range. We can’t wait to see how he chameleons his way into this show.

Season 2 of Agent Carter has moved the action over to Los Angeles for Peggy to investigate a murder. We’ll still get to see the likes of James D’Arcy, Enver Gjokaj and Dominic Cooper, and other new cast members include Kurtwood Smith, Currie Graham, Reggie Austin and Wynn Everett and Whitney “Madame Masque” Frost.

Marino has been as busy as ever recently on the small screen, as he’s wrapped up the shortlived NBC sitcom Marry Me, co-starred in the Netflix revival series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and the Adult Swim comedy Childrens Hospital, and also appeared in Maron. Axe Cop, Golan the Insatiable and Life in Pieces. On the big screen, he appears in Goosebumps and will next be seen in Jared Hess’ caper comedy Masterminds with Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson.

Fans can expect to find the 10-episode Season 2 of Agent Carter hitting ABC at some point early in 2016 as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes its winter hiatus.

The upcoming biographical comedy, Army of One, doesn't just echo a military recruitment motto, it plans to send Nicolas freaking Cage to a war-torn Middle East. Now, it looks like an impressive cast of comedic talent will join the man of maniacal mirth as he heads on an off-the-wall adventure to find the Osama Bin Laden.

Deadline recently reported that Nicolas Cage’s Bin Laden bonanza, Army of One, received an impressive influx of cast members, headed by names like Russell Brand and Rainn Wilson. Notable talents like Denis O’Hare, Ken Marino, and Paul Scheer are also set to join the war romp. It’s shaping up to be a great cast, especially with the previously announced addition of Wendi McLendon-Covey from Bridesmaids and TV’s The Goldbergs. At the moment, no details have been revealed about any of their characters.

Yes, as far as movies about Bin Laden, the world’s most notorious terrorist, are concerned, it seems that some folks found Katheryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty to be lacking zany slapstick flair. Well, thanks to Army of One, that gap will finally be filled. The film will see Nicolas Cage portray a real life construction worker from Colorado named Gary Faulkner, who, out of some ridiculous whim, armed with no skills whatsoever, tried to cross Pakistani and Afghan borders on a solo mission to capture the elusive asshat on his own. On that note, let’s take a look at the new cast members who will be supporting old Nic.

Russell Brand, the shock comedian and once-celebrated headliner, whose star power sank hard "between the Moon and New York City" with his excoriated 2011 remake of Arthur, will bring his bizarre observational witticisms to the picture. While he’s always been a divisive and controversial figure, his casting could imply a more light-hearted tone for this film’s black ops bananas.

Rainn Wilson, who currently stars in the Fox crime procedural Backstrom, and will be seen in the upcoming sci-fi drama Uncanny, will add a reliably hilarious presence. Of course, he will bring his fanbase from his long run on The Office, which his 2008 starring effort, The Rocker, couldn’t quite accomplish. He’s always great as a novel nutcase or an eccentric straight man.

Looking at the other additions (pictured above in order from left to right), Denis O’Hare should bring his signature vibe of "creepy meets badass" that he’s displayed in Dallas Buyers Club and on TV in shows like True Blood, American Horror Story, and The Good Wife. Ken Marino is a long-established sketch comedy veteran who has been seen on TV’s Marry Me. However, for a generation who came of age in the 1990’s, he’s best remembered from The State as Louie, the guys who perpetually wants to "dip his balls in it." Finally, the addition of Paul Scheer should please fans of TV’s The League, as the comedian will bring along his unmistakable brand of sarcastic wit.

Given the odd direction that Nicolas Cage’s career has taken in recent years, Army of One already distinguishes itself by providing a role where people are meant to laugh at his antics…on purpose. However, with Seinfeld legend Larry Charles in the director’s chair, and now the unveiling of a super-talented supporting cast, it’s becoming increasingly clear that this movie will be more satirically sophisticated than just having Cage scream and do crazy stuff for 90 minutes. (Although that film might appeal to a certain audience.)

It will be fascinating to see where this ridiculous real-life premise takes the creative process. The absurdity imbued in the idea of some ordinary schmoe setting out to find Bin Laden is full of potential hilarity in its own right. However, the degrees to which the film further applies its comedic qualities could render it a trainwreck either unintentionally or on purpose. Let’s hope for the latter when the film finally hits. There's no release date set for Army of One as of yet.

It was in 2001 that David Wain first introduced us to the comedic cult family of characters in his feature film Wet Hot American Summer. Now, almost a decade and a half later he has struck a deal with Netflix, filming has reportedly begun on the project and most of the original cast is set to return.

According to Deadline, the 8-episode limited series will be based on the original film and will feature the cast (presumably in their original roles), almost in its entirety. That in itself should have fans of the pre-existing film salivating but let’s look a little bit closer as to who exactly has been confirmed for the project.

*The following actors/actresses have all been confirmed for the project. It is presumed they will return as their original characters.

Elizabeth Banks originally played the role of Lindsay.

H. Jon Benjamin originally voiced the “Can of Vegetables.”

Michael Ian Black originally played the shorty shorts-wearing McKinley.

Bradley Cooper originally filled the shoes of Ben. Will we see more of the McKinley bromance? One can only hope!

Judah Friedlander originally played the role of Ron von Kleinenstein.

Janeane Garofalo originally played the role of Beth.

Nina Hellman originally played Nancy.

Ken Marino originally played Victor Kulak. Let’s hope he will bring his iconic afro back with him.

Zak Orth originally played J.J.

David Hyde Pierce originally played the role of Henry Newman.

Joe LoTruglio originally played the thick spectacle-wearing Neil.

Christopher Meloni originally played camp chef Gene.

A.D. Miles originally played the role of Gary.

Marguerite Moreau originally played Katie.

Amy Poehler originally filled the shoes of Susie.

Paul Rudd originally filled the role of Andy.

Marisa Ryan originally played Abby Bernstein.

Molly Shannon originally played the role of Gail von Keinentein.

Michael Showalter originally played both Gerald ‘Coop’ Cooperberg and Alan Shemper.

Kevin Sussman originally filled the role of Steve.

Wain and Showalter, who together wrote the script for the original Wet Hot American Summer, will take on duties as the limited series’ creators, with Wain set to reprise his role as director. The duo will be executive producing the prequel series, alongside Howard Bernstein, Jonathan Stern and Peter Principato.

Wet Hot American Summer follows a group of counselors as they try to take care of unfinished business on their last day of Jewish summer camp. While not a box office hit, the film gathered a cult following on the home-viewing market.

Many of the cast have gone on to have extremely successful careers, most notably Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, Silver Linings Playbook), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and Paul Rudd (Role Models), the latter two whom co-starred in Wain’s most recent feature They Came Together. Michael Ian Black (The Gaffigan Show), Ken Marino (Marry Me, Togetherness) and Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) have also been gaining traction in recent years.

This isn’t the first time the cast has reunited. In August of 2011 many of them gathered at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn to celebrate the movie’s 10th anniversary. The original cast also pulled together in January of 2012 to perform at the San Francisco Sketchfest for a live radio play version of the film.

See the trailer for the original film below.

Of the plethora of actors currently working, there are few that I enjoy seeing on a regular basis more than Ken Marino, founding member of the legendary sketch group/series The State. So it should be easy to understand why I’m so jazzed about Marino signing up to join fellow funnyperson Casey Wilson for the single-camera pilot Marry Me. The pilot is being set up at NBC, so it should be just as obvious why I’m as worried as I am excited.

Marry Me doesn’t have too complicated a storyline, which means it’ll probably run out of steam in about three episodes. It will follow Marino and Wilson as a young couple who get engaged, only to realize that the road to marriage is one paved with difficulties. I’m foreseeing eccentric family members, problems buying rings and a wedding venue that keeps changing. Oh, and a couple of exes will probably pass by to spice things up a bit. Honestly though, good writing could make any stereotype workable, so here’s hoping this script is full of it.

According to Deadline, the pilot is being developed by Sony TV, Fanfare and David Caspe, the creator of ABC’s Wilson-starring Happy Endings, which was cancelled last year. (Caspe also wrote Adam Sandler’s 2012 groan-fest That’s My Boy, but we promise to forget about that if you will.) Seth Gordon will step in as director. Gordon’s breakout documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters landed him directing jobs on Parks and Rec and The Office before he found huge success with both Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief, but he’s been busy with episodes of ABC’s The Goldbergs, so this should be a piece of cake for him.

Marino has been all over movies and TV in the past few years. 2013 saw him in Jacob Vaughan’s ass-blasting horror comedy Bad Milo and Lake Bell’s directorial debut In a World…, and he recently finished filming Rob Thomas’ big screen debut of Veronica Mars. On the small screen, Marino was an asinine sports show host in the fourth season of HBO’s Eastbound & Down, and also stars in Adult Swim’s absurdist hospital comedy Childrens Hospital, the Bachelor/Bachelorette web-turned-TV spoof Burning Love, in addition to having lent his voice to Fox’s Axe Cop and the holiday special Toy Story of Terror. He also has a handful of upcoming TV projects in differing stages of production, including a Fox sitcom he was developing with his wife Erica Oyama.

Because it seems like not enough people have watched Burning Love, here’s a preview to get you interested.

We hear all the time that stress kills. While as you can see in the trailer for the outrageous horror-comedy Bad Milo, it’s not always the stress sufferer who gets killed. Sometimes it’s the person who caused the stress, killed by a razor fanged demon.

In Bad Milo, Party Down’s Ken Marino stars as Duncan, a guy who just can’t catch a break. His boss (Patrick Warburton) is manipulative, cruel and crooked. His nagging mother (Mary Kay Place), burnout dad (Stephen Root), and pregnant wife (Gillian Jacobs) make demands on him left and right. And the pressure is building to be a real pain in the ass. Like literally, all this stress has created a demon in his gut that emerges from Duncan’s ass to wreak vengeance on those who cross him.

Of course, if you had a monster crawling out of you and killing those who annoy you, you’d do your damnedest to make sense of the strange scenario. So, Duncan seeks help from his hypnotherapist (Peter Stormare, because of course), who urges him to befriend the pint-sized monster to better manage it. Duncan names him Milo, and so begins a bizarre buddy adventure of man and colon demon.

It’s a wild premise and a promising comedy cast. But what sets this horror-comedy apart from the likes of Haunted House, Scary Movie 5, and the forthcoming Hellbaby in our estimation is its ties to the producing Duplass Bros and Magnet Releasing. Having produced a string of celebrated indie features including their breakthrough dramedy The Puffy Chair and the time travel centered rom-com Safety Not Guaranteed, Mark and Jay Duplass’s names alone suggests this will be a smarter—and thereby more engaging—take on terror and comedy. And that’s bolstered by Magnet signing on to distribute. Having brought us such enthralling genre features as The House of the Devil, Trollhunter, I Saw the Devil, and V/H/S/2, Magnet’s logo should raise hopes and expectations for Bad Milo. Now here’s hoping it lives up to them!

The horror-comedy penned by video editor turned director Jacob Vaughan and up and coming scribe Benjamin Hayes made its world premiere at SXSW earlier this year. You can see what Vaughan and his leading lady Jacobs have to say in the film’s panel presentation below. In the clip, Vaughan speaks to his inspirations and why he chose puppetry over CGI for his creature feature. For him, having a physical Milo there on set was crucial to create the connection he felt his actors would need to make the demon character, plus it allowed his cast of compelling comedians to explore more freely on set and in character. He also talks about how he knows the Duplass Bros, and how they came to be involved with his Bad Milo.

Magnet releasing will make Bad Milo available on iTunes and On Demand starting August 29th. A theatrical release will follow on October 4th. In the meantime, check out the film’s latest poster release, which shows Duncan cuddling with Milo. It’s almost cute, but mostly creepy.

Veronica Mars Rob Thomas creator has been doing an impressive job wrangling the show's far-flung cast six years after its cancellation for its long hoped for movie. Unfortunately, Leighton Meester, who played classmate Carrie Bishop in a pair of episodes, won't be back for the Veronica Mars movie, though her character will be. THR reports Thomas has told his Kickstarter contributors that Meester's busy shooting schedule clashes with Veronica Mars'. So, Andrea Estella, lead singer of the band Twin Sister, is taking over the role. Thomas is regretful about the decision, stating, "Sadly, Leighton was doing a different movie during the same time frame on the wrong coast. In the end, she was unavailable."

Estella will be making her film debut in Veronica Mars, and was largely cast because Thomas needed someone who could sing in the pivotal part. Having already decided that Twin Sister would have a couple of tracks in the film's soundtrack, casting Estella seemed an obvious leap to make. Though she'd never seen an episode of the cult-adored series before being cast (gasp!), Estella wrote she has since seen the pilot and "was totally into it!"

On the show, Bishop was a notorious gossip who had Mars on her case once she claimed to have been seduced by Veronica's favorite teacher, Mr. Chuck Rooks (played by Adam Scott). Devotees of the show might remember Bishop was lying, but for a good (well, understandable) cause. Turns out her, best friend Susan Knight (Christine Larkin) was the one Rooks wooed, bedded, then left…pregnant. Knight didn't dare press charges, so Bishop did once she saw Rooks was on the prowl for new impressionable students. Thomas's update e-mail notes Larkin will reprise her role, but no mention is made whether or not Scott will be back.

However, much of the original cast of the show that ran for three seasons will return, chief among them Kristen Bell in the title role. Also back are Ryan Hansen, Enrico Colantoni, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, and Ken Marino, who played sleazy detective Vinnie Van Lowe. In an new image released just before Veronica Mars tears into Comic Con, Marino and Bell can be seen as Van Lowe and Mars, though what mischief they are up to remains a mystery. Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly.

While Meester won't be able to reprise her role in the Veronica Mars movie, there's still a way she could appear. Rumor has it that some stars--like James Franco and Kristen Bell's real-life beau Dax Shepard--might be popping up in cameo roles as themselves. Could Meester find time in her schedule to pop in that way? We'll have to wait and see.

Veronica Mars is now in production in Los Angeles. For a taste of what's to come, check out Twin Sister performing "I Want a House," a track Thomas admitted to listening to as he penned the screenplay.

After a long wait between seasons, HBO recently announced its hit series, Eastbound & Down, will return to the pay cable schedule in September. Kenny Powers and most of the gang will be back, but now the series is signing on a few new names to fill new plotlines in the new season. The first big casting goes to Party Down and Veronica Mars actor Ken Marino, who has signed on to the series in a season-long arc. Additionally, Tim and Eric’s Tim Heidecker has signed on to the series in a smaller, recurring capacity.

Deadline first reported the news, noting that Marino will join the series on the athletic end. It sounds like Marino may essentially be filling the niche that Jason Sudeikis’ character brought to the show in 2012 as the hard-partying athlete, Shane. In Season 4, Marino will play a middle-aged athlete named Guy Young who still enjoys going out and having an insane time. He and Kenny Powers sound made for one another, but we'll have to wait and see how the season pans out.

Heidecker is also set to join the show, and it sounds like he may become Kenny Powers’ new verbal punching bag. In Season 4, Heidecker will play Kenny’s neighbor, Gene, a man who is straitlaced and lacks any sort of humor. With Kenny’s constant douchebag comments, it looks like war lines could be drawn.

While HBO has renewed the series for a fourth round, the subscription cable network also effectively announced that the series will be over after the next eight-episode run (if you haven’t heard that already, I’ll give you a moment to mourn). Now, a few details have come out about the new series. First off, Kenny Powers will be back in fine and obnoxious, self-obsessed form.

Secondly, Season 4 is going to skip some time again, picking up a few years down the road from the end of Season 3, where Kenny faked his own death. In the new season, Kenny will have moved from the lovely waters of Myrtle Beach to North Carolina, where he will reside with his family, which I’m assuming refers to April and an older Toby. There’s no word on whether or not Kenny will actually be playing baseball, but since Marino is playing an old, washed-up athlete, there’s reason to believe Powers will at least be somewhat around the game. Or maybe he’ll just be teaching his son to play little league. The possibilities are actually pretty endless, but it won’t be too long before we get to see what Danny McBride, Ben Best, and Jody Hill have in store for our band of fucked up characters.

Eastbound & Down returns to the schedule on Saturday, September 29.

Days ahead of the start of the major network upfronts, NBC has made a bit more room in their 2013-2014 line-up by deciding not to renew their freshman soap Deception for a second season. And from the sound of it, they won't be filling the space with another primetime soap, as the Peacock has reportedly passed on the modern-day Hatfields & McCoys drama that was in contention among the pilots in development this season.

Created by Liz Heldens, Deception starred Meagan Good as Detective Joanna Locasto, a cop who returns to the wealthy household of her childhood best friend when said friend, Vivian Bowers, is found dead in a motel room. Wanting to get to the bottom of her old friend's death, Joanna returns to the drama she once left behind in an effort to reacquaint herself with Vivian's family. TVLine says their sources say NBC has cancelled the show.

I thought the drama had potential but I'll admit, I didn't stick with it beyond the first handful of episodes or so. I wasn't alone either. The series' viewership dropped from the 5.66 million who tuned in for the premiere, to a little over 3 million for the series' final episode, which aired in March and wrapped up the drama before The Voice and Revolution returned.

In other NBC news, the modern-day Hatfields and McCoys pilot in development for NBC is not going forward. THR says the pilot was passed over at the network. The pilot starred Rebecca De Mornay, Virginia Madsen and Dexter's James Remar and followed the descendants of the Hatfields and McCoys, two legendary feuding families who evidently know how to hold a grudge. Maybe the pilot didn't come out good, or perhaps the lackluster ratings for Deception has NBC wary of taking a chance on another soapy drama.

Also Passed over are Brenda Forever, starring Ellie Kemper (The Office), Drop-Off (formerly The Gates) starring Ken Marino (Party Down, Veronica Mars), Holding Patterns starring Erinn Hayes, Joe & Joe & Jane starring Dave Annable, Will Greenberg and Sally Pressman, and drama Bloodline. We'll find out which pilots NBC did greenlight to series next week when they announce their line-up at the upfronts.

Update: Deadline says The Sixth Gun joins the list of pilots not going forward at NBC, along with The Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives.

When you have a cast as talented as the one featured in Wanderlust, you know there’s going to be a lot of improvisation. In their previous films, actors like Paul Rudd, Kathryn Hahn, Kerri Kenney, and Joe Lo Truglio have demonstrated that they can be at their most hilarious when they aren’t sticking to the script. But how does that affect the writers, who worked hard to develop scenes on the page? For Ken Marino, who wrote the script for the upcoming comedy with director David Wain, the key is balance.

I was recently granted the great opportunity to sit down with Marino to talk about Wanderlust, which arrives in theaters tomorrow. In addition to talking about improv, we also discussed how the story originated, the way he ended up playing the role of Paul Rudd’s brother, Rick, and how he views both the writing and acting sides of his career.

I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a comedy set in a hippy commune before, so where exactly did this idea come from?

I think it was an idea that Dave had, he just wanted to do something about a commune. He talks about how The State was this communal process of creating ideas and there was no one person or one leader who made decisions, and Dave was affected very strongly by camp and things like that. And we both really loved this movie, Together. It’s a foreign film. Have you ever seen that?

No, I haven’t.

It’s great. It’s about a commune in the 70s and these people living in this house in more of a suburban area. And that kind of sparked it. That kind of got us thinking about, “That would be a fun place to do a story and create this ensemble comedy of all these odd people who are on the outskirts of how people live. And then as we were writing we realized that we probably needed an in – like a couple of normal people dropping in and experiencing it. And so then we started exploring what’s going on today and how people are a little overly ambitious with their finances and how people are losing their homes and “what would you do?” How could we thrust somebody into a commune? So that was kind of the seed of it. We just thought that it would be a fun world to explore.

Talking about that sense of community, if you watch the other films that you have made with David Wain there are always tons of recognizable faces, and just about all of them are back for Wanderlust. Did you write these characters for specific actors?

We definitely had Paul [Rudd] in mind, we had Justin [Theroux] in mind, for Seth. Actually, he was originally called “Justin.” You’re always thinking about Kerri Kenney’s voice, when we wrote it we were like, “That sounds like Kerri.” We just thought how she would deliver something. So we had certain people in mind and then some characters we wrote, didn’t know who we wanted, but then after we got it greenlit we started thinking about, “Okay, who would be great for this?” And we saw a lot of people for Wayne, or we started thinking about a lot of people for Wayne. And then we’re like, “Let’s give it to Joe [Lo Truglio]! Joe is funny and he’s gonna rock it!” Go straight to the guy who is going to shave his head and he’ll embrace it fully! He has that sweetness and it was important to make Wayne lovable and you can’t get more lovable than Joe.

And how about yourself? Were you always going to play Rick?

No, at first we were just writing it and the way that Dave and I write, we sit in a room together and he usually types and we act it out and we play different parts and talk about it. Certainly the voice of that guy came easy to me, so I was throwing out a lot of lines for him. But we weren’t talking about me playing him. And then when Paul read it he was like, “Ken’s going to play Rick, right?” And then I was like, [low grumbling] “Maybe I should play Rick.” At first I was like, “Who are we going to get for Rick?” but I guess maybe in the back of my head I was thinking I’d like to play Rick.

After you decided to take it on, did you kind of beef up the role at all?

No! Actually, we pulled back on it. In the draft that got greenlit that we were moving forward with Rick had a little more of an arc. He wasn’t just kind of a blowhard the whole time. He got kicked out of his house and he and George wound up at a seedy hotel because they had nowhere to live. So they were living at the hotel and then George wakes up and I’m having sex with a prostitute [laughs]. And then he’s like, “You make it very difficult to root for you!” And then something happens that sparks George to get up and he takes my car and I jump in the car with him and then we have this kind of heart-to-heart on the way to the commune. And then he’s like, “Stop being a dick and be my brother and let me use your car!” So then I go to the commune, and we actually shot a version where I, at the end, end up living at the commune, because I have nowhere to go. And I wind up with Karen, played by Kathryn Hahn. But then shooting it, it took too long – we actually didn’t shoot that scene at the hotel because as we were writing it we were like, “We gotta get him back sooner.” It’s the third act and we can’t create this whole other scene at this whole other place. Hindsight, I wish we would have shot it to see how it played out, but him running down the street is a solid end for him.

Do you have a preference between writing and acting?

I always wanted to act. I just stumbled upon the, for lack of a better phrase, the acting bug, or whatever you call it, at a very young age. So I always wanted to do it and I enjoy it. I don’t like the business end of it, because it’s really hard. There’s a lot of rejection. And writing, you have a little bit more control over that, that’s your baby. Of course that has to get produced and somebody has to give you money to do that. So I like both. Do I prefer one over the other? No, they both have their pros and cons. I like doing all of it. Dave and I produced this movie and we’ve been involved in producing a number of other things we’ve been working on lately. I enjoy that, I enjoy being involved and on that end because maybe I like to have a little bit more control over what’s going on. And that’s why I like directing. I’ve been directing a little bit, I enjoy that. I have a good time doing it.

To talk a bit more about the writing side, one thing I’m always curious about with projects like this, with casts filled with great comedians and improvisers, does the writing process ever really end, or are you just adding and taking away constantly through production?

I think even in post you’re creating things, you’re building stuff that maybe wasn’t even there. You’re taking a sound bite from that take and this take and kind of creating a whole other kind of delivery of something. So yeah, it’s never ending. That’s why last night [at the premiere] was very cathartic for me, because it’s been a long process and to sit back and be like, “Okay, now there’s nothing we can do. That’s the movie, enjoy it!” There were a couple of times I was like, “Oh! Why did we cut that line?! That line would have killed tonight!” But it was very cathartic last night because we’re done with it. But the process, the short answer followed by my long answer, is that no, it doesn’t end. You write it, you do the text, and then you let talented actors improvise and go in different directions, and that only elevates the material.

When it comes to improvisation, do you have to kind of put your ego aside?

No, I guess I see it from both ends, being an actor and a writer. So I always want, as a writer, for the actors to do the text, because we spent a lot of time honing it and trying to figure out the best way to say it. But then I know as an actor that if I put a handle on something and I can make it a little better, that seed of an idea. I can go off on a tangent and those little moments of first-time saying it, there’s a little extra energy or kind of spark behind it and you surprise people. And when you’re in a scene with somebody and you surprise them, and then they say something that you didn’t expect, all of that is magic and you want to grab that stuff. My feeling is do the text, work it out a little bit, and break from the text and go wherever you want inspired by the text.

I do also want to ask about the status of the Party Down movie, because I’m a huge fan of the show.

You know, you’re guess is as good as mine. I know this, that they are working on a script, that there are people who are interested in doing it, but until I’m there on set I wouldn’t commit to saying that it’s happening, you know?

Are you interested in jumping back into the Ron Donald character?

Oh my god, yeah! I love Ron Donald and I love all the people who worked on that show. That was a magical experience for me. And working with Adam [Scott] and Lizzy [Caplan] and Martin [Starr] and Ryan [Hansen] and Megan [Mullally] and Jane [Lynch] and John Enbom…everybody was just amazing, so to get a chance to play with those people one more time would be phenomenal.

Ken Marino was one of the key reasons why Party Down was such a brilliant show. Ron Donald, the overly-ambitious leader of the catering crew, was one of those rare characters who you really want to root for, but is so self-destructive and can be such an asshole that it makes it almost impossible (it also doesn't hurt that he's also hysterical). One of the key reasons why I want to see a Party Down movie happen is just so that I can once again see Ron reach the precipice of success only to watch everything crumble around him. But will it ever come together?

This morning I had the chance to sit down one-on-one with Marino at a press event for Wanderlust (look out for my full interview next week) and took the opportunity to ask about what's going on with the potential Party Down film. I started by asking about where the project is and when it might come together, but Marino was a bit hesitant to confirm the status. "You know, you’re guess is as good as mine," Marino said. The writer/actor did confirm that a script is being worked on and that there are many people interested in doing it but he's going to wait until he's actually in production before making any major statements. "Until I’m there on set I wouldn’t commit to saying that it’s happening, you know?"

But when I asked him if he would be excited to play Ron again he couldn't have been more enthusiastic, particularly because it would bring him back together with his Party Down costars. "Oh my god, yeah! I love Ron Donald and I love all the people who worked on that show," Marino said, "That was a magical experience for me. And working with Adam [Scott] and Lizzy [Caplan] and Martin [Starr] and Ryan [Hansen] and Megan [Mullally] and Jane [Lynch] and John Enbom…everybody was just amazing, so to get a chance to play with those people one more time would be phenomenal."

At this stage in the game, like with all cancelled-before-their-time shows, fans just have to cross their fingers and wait. The fact that they are working on a script and that there is so much interest from the cast is a great sign for the project, but obviously it doesn't mean that it's a sure thing.

You're about to read an article about another comedy starring Jennifer Aniston, but wait! Don't run away in terror! This one actually might have a lot of potential, but it has nothing to do with Aniston. The film in question is Wanderlust, starring Aniston and Paul Rudd, and as THR reports Rudd will be writing the script with Kevin Marino and David Wain, with Wain directing.

So, rather than being something along the lines of The Break-Up or Along Came Polly, this film will be coming from the same place as Wet Hot American Summer and Role Models, meaning it's time to get excited now. Aniston and Rudd will play a couple who winds up living in a hippie commune, making plenty of room for bizarre side characters who will inevitably be played by Wain's favorite actors like Marino, Joe LoTruglio, Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter, etc. Really, with the rural setting a hippie commune suggests, it seems fair to hope this will just be some kind of Wet Hot American Summer follow-up, just with fewer kids running around. "Hey, let's all promise that 10 years from today we'll meet again, and we'll see what kind of people we've blossomed into. What time do you want to meet?"