There were a lot of shows canceled in 2025 and, as of right now, Poker Face is included in that list. The Natasha Lyonne-led mystery crime dramedy was axed by Peacock in November, but it was also announced that the series' creator, Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson, would shop it around for a potential third season, with Peter Dinklage taking over Lyonne’s role as Charlie Cale. Now, Lyonne is opening up about why she wanted to step back and if she’d ever step back into her role.

It was a surprise when Dinklage was announced to be in talks to play Charlie, while Lyonne would be staying on as an executive producer of the show. However, it sounds like this is what Lyonne ultimately wanted. The Emmy-nominated actress told The Hollywood Reporter that she wants to prioritize feature filmmaking but is more than excited about Dinklage taking over the role:

Lyonne has really been branching out from acting in recent years, adding directing and writing credits to her resume. She's also been executive producing numerous projects as of late. With Poker Face alone, Lyonne directed three episodes and wrote two of them. Of course, she still has plenty of acting roles coming up and other projects she’s excited for.

The American Pie alum seems to be looking forward to having other passions to focus on and branching out even more. With that, it makes sense that she wanted to step down as Charlie Cale. She continued:

If or when Poker Face returns, it will be exciting to see how Dinklage pulls off Charlie Cale. Still, even with someone else donning the mantle, could Lyonne ever actually step back into those shoes? Well, it sounds like the door isn’t exactly closed on that front. As for what it would take her to return, Lyonne said the following:

It is a little too early to start thinking about Lyonne’s theoretical return to Poker Face, especially since the series hasn’t even been confirmed for a third season elsewhere. Still, fans can hope, right? As a fan, I'm also glad she'll still be attached as an executive producer if the show continues and, quite frankly, anything with Peter Dinklage is great. Of course, the Tyrion Lannister does have some big shoes to fill, given Lyonne is so perfect as Charlie.

Speaking of which, while Poker Face doesn’t have a new home yet, HBO is reportedly in the running to scoop it up, and executive Casey Bloys previously revealed that discussions are happening. Bloys seems excited at the prospect of having Dinklage back in the fold following Game of Thrones. Still, nothing is confirmed as of yet, so we'll have to wait and see what lies ahead for the mystery-of-the-week show.

In the meantime, both seasons of Poker Face are streaming with a Peacock subscription.

In case you missed the sad news, the second-season run of Poker Face that aired earlier in the 2025 TV schedule was its last, and folks with Peacock subscriptions are not getting a third season on that particular service. The mystery-of-the-week series led by Natasha Lyonne won’t return for Season 3 on the streaming service, but that hasn’t stopped series creator Rian Johnson from shopping a new take on the series featuring Peter Dinklage taking over as lead from Lyonne. For all that I’d love to see that version of the show, what is actually going on following all those rumors?

During the recent premiere of the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Johnson spoke with Deadline about the swirling rumors. He confirmed that yes, he’s actively trying to keep the Poker Face concept alive; and yes, the Emmy-winning actor is central to the pitch he’s taking out. Johnson explained:

That “wild swing” he mentions lines up with earlier reporting that Johnson now envisions Poker Face as an evolving project with new leads every few seasons — essentially handing Charlie Cale's crime-solving mantle to a different actor as the show moves forward. Natasha Lyonne herself, who also executive produced, confirmed in a joint statement that she and Johnson had been planning this shift since wrapping the Season 2 finale. Meaning Dinklage isn’t a panic-induced replacement, but already part of the long-term creative roadmap, at least hypothetically.

Even so, the situation is complicated. Season 2 performed well on Peacock, but not at the breakout level of Season 1, but the series is an expensive one with new locations, settings and guest stars on a weekly basis. Combine that with Lyonne stepping away, and the cancellation starts to make more financial sense. Still, Johnson isn’t treating Poker Face as a finished chapter. He’s treating it like a story engine worth saving, even if it shifts platforms, formats, and even leads.

And honestly, Dinklage is as inspired a pick as you could ask for. He’s funny yet can carry the dramatic weight when he needs to, and his recent work on Dexter: Resurrection tapped into everything that makes him great. So the idea of him playing a road-trip sleuth with a complicated past is definitely the kind of inspired pivot that could give the series a genuinely fresh life.

If Johnson succeeds in taking this idea “out,” whether to HBO, Netflix, Amazon, or anywhere else, fans of the original two seasons of the show should expect a very different Poker Face, but one still rooted in the old-school mystery-of-the-week DNA that made fans fall in love with it. Nothing has been officially greenlit, but Johnson's making noise publicly means this project is far from dead.

We’ll have to wait and see whether this “wild swing” actually becomes the next chapter of Poker Face. In the meantime, Rian Johnson is keeping busy with his other big franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, the newest Knives Out mystery on the 2025 movie schedule. The film arrives in theaters on November 26 and will be available to anyone with a Netflix subscription starting December 12.

After Season 2 of Poker Face aired on the 2025 TV schedule, Rian Johnson's show was unfortunately canceled by Peacock, despite its acclaim. The second season of the crime dramedy has been praised by critics, and its lead, Natasha Lyonne, who said they were bringing more “ridiculous” fun to the series for Season 2. Now, while it did get canceled, don’t count Poker Face out just yet, as there’s a wild plot to save it that features Peter Dinklage. Personally, I’d love to see him on the series, and I couldn’t be happier about the fitting TV executive expressing interest as well.

When it was announced that Peacock opted not to move forward with a third season of Poker Face, it was also revealed that creator Rian Johnson, his T-Street partner Ram Bergman, MRC, and Lyonne were shopping the show to other outlets in the hopes of a new two-season commitment. It was also revealed that while Lyonne would be staying on as executive producer, Dinklage would actually take over the role she originated, Charlie Cale.

Now, while the show has not found a new home yet, Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, revealed that he’s had conversations about the series. He said, via Deadline:

Not only is the concept of Poker Face possibly returning for another season exciting, but the fact that HBO seems to be interested makes it even better, especially when you consider Dinklage’s involvement. Of course, fans know that the actor portrayed Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s massively popular fantasy series Game of Thrones, and the role won him four Emmys for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Dinklage returning to HBO for a new series over six years after GOT ended would be pretty great.

If Poker Face were to move to HBO and Dinklage were to take over, this would mark his first role at the premium cable network since Game of Thrones ended in 2019. It sounds like Bloys is interested in bringing Dinklage back into the fold, but even though conversations have happened, there’s no telling how it will all go down. However, the fact that the exec has an interest in the show is encouraging.

Meanwhile, Dinklage has been plenty busy as of late. He can be seen in Dexter: Resurrection, streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, and he reprised his voice role as Doctor Dillamond in the much-anticipated Wicked: For Good. He's also in the crime film Roofman, which premiered earlier on the 2025 movie schedule.

Now, going back to Poker Face, conversations are still pretty early, and it’s unknown which (if any) platform, including HBO, will save Poker Face. However, I know I would love to see Dinklage make his debut as Charlie Cale, and I would love it even more if he did it on HBO.

Poker Face just got a bad beat, and it's not good news for folks with a Peacock subscription. The mystery-of-the-week series led by Natasha Lyonne won’t return for Season 3 on the streaming service, even after a solid sophomore run and plenty of critical love. That would usually be the end of the story, except there’s a crazy curveball: the team behind the show is already shopping a new two-season plan built around Peter Dinklage.

Series creator Rian Johnson, partner Ram Bergman, producer MRC, and Lyonne (who remains an EP) are taking Poker Face to other buyers with an eye on continuity and a bold twist: Peter Dinklage would step into the role of human lie detector Charlie Cale if the show finds a new home, per Deadline. Johnson and Lyonne said they’ve been planning the next phase since writing the Season 2 finale and teased that Charlie could soon be “back on that open highway.”

For newcomers, Poker Face is Johnson’s riff on a classic, Columbo-style format, with each episode presenting a murder that you watch happen, and then follows Charlie, an ex-casino employee with an unfakeable knack for calling lies, as she drifts town to town in a ’69 Plymouth Barracuda and solves what the locals can’t. The first season drew raves and awards attention; Season 2 remained one of Peacock’s beloved series, though ratings were off a bit and costs were high, according to Deadline’s reporting.

The “wild subplot” here is the proposed baton pass. Dinklage wouldn’t play a new character; he’d inherit Charlie Cale, with Johnson hoping to rotate the lead every couple of years.

TV has precedent for this kind of identity handoff (think Doctor Who, The Crown, even the mid-run swap on Bewitched), and the franchise’s case-of-the-week structure makes it easier to pull off than most. It’s also very Johnson, who, with his Knives Out films, changes ensembles around Daniel Craig every time, and he’s long been fascinated with truth-telling as a storytelling engine.

There are still questions. It isn’t clear whether Season 2 showrunner Tony Tost would continue. Distribution is TBD as CAA takes the package to market. But the creative center remains intact, that being this is Johnson’s baby, and the outlet notes he’s prepared to write and direct as needed to steady the retooled version. Lyonne, busy with projects under her Animal banner, would stay on behind the scenes as well.

From a business angle, the move makes sense. Prestige guest stars, travel, and production design aren’t cheap, and asking a new partner for a two-season order provides stability for casting and scheduling while signaling confidence. From a fan angle, the pitch is pretty simple: keep the format and tone, keep Charlie’s gift, but swap the face. Dinklage—fresh off films like Wicked, Roofman, the Toxic Avenger, and a stint on Dexter: Resurrection—brings a different energy and comic bite that could change how episodes play without breaking the show. It’s a weird angle, but one that could definitely work.

Peacock passed on Season 3, but Poker Face isn’t folding and accepting a place on 2025's canceled shows list just yet. If the plan lands, the next iteration will test how elastic Charlie Cale really is as a character, and I’m here to see it.

We’ll have to see how this wild idea plays out. Meanwhile, Rian Johnson has another Knives Out entry, Wake Up Dead Man, on the 2025 movie schedule. It hits theaters on November 26 and streams for anyone with a Netflix subscription on December 12. You can also watch the first two seasons of Poker Face on Peacock.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will recall the latest big screen release was The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which was set in a retro futuristic world. I recently re-watched it thanks to its release on Disney+, alongside my fiancé who missed its theatrical run. And, he had some memorable hot takes that had me rethinking the blockbuster.

Fans waited for years for the Fantastic Four to finally join the MCU, with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opening the doors for that to happen. That team of heroes made a splash in their debut movie, and are already set to return in upcoming Marvel movies. I liked First Steps in theaters, and re-watching it with my casual fan fiancé pointed out some things I'd like to talk out.

We, As A Society, Failed H.E.R.B.I.E.

Right off the bat, the Richards family's robotic sidekick H.E.R.B.I.E. stole the heart of my fiancé. I remember also loving this character in Fantastic Four: First Steps, but upon reflecting, I'm surprised that he didn't become a bonafide sensation. Marvel and Star Wars are two franchises that have really leaned into their adorable mascot characters, such as Guardians of the Galaxy's Baby Groot, The Mandalorian's Grogu and the Porgs of The Last Jedi.

H.E.R.B.I.E. was totally adorable throughout First Steps' runtime, and even showed some real heart and care for Franklin... despite being a robot. There have been some concerns for superhero fatigue in recent years, and I have to assume that's why poor H.E.R.B.I.E. came and went without the internet becoming obsessed with the little guy. Justice for H.E.R.B.I.E.!

Another one of my fiance's takeaways was less surprising. Namely that the internet's daddy, Pedro Pascal, is endlessly watchable and easy on the yes. His casting does seem like a stroke of brilliance, especially if the Fantastic Four are going to become major presences in the MCU. What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but they're expected to have major roles in the mysterious blockbuster.

Another supporting character that my fiance couldn't get enough of was Natasha Lyonne's Rachel Rozman. She only had a few brief scenes in the movie, but her chemistry with Ben/The Thing was palpable. Like Pascal, Lyonne is a wildly charismatic actor in any role. Hopefully, her relationship with Ebon Moss-Bachrach is fleshed out in the future; I know my fiance would have liked her to get more screen time.

Overall my fiance enjoyed The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While I'm a Marvel superfan, he's less invested in the lore and takes each new release as they come. Although, I have to assume that how much he responded to both First Steps and Thunderbolts* will make him invested in the forthcoming Avengers movies.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is streaming now on Disney+, and the next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list.

Minor spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps lie ahead, so keep that in mind as you read on, true believers!

The Fantastic Four: First Steps ushers the titular team into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in excellent fashion. While Matt Shakman’s film offers up retro-futuristic vibes and cosmic action, it truly succeeds in the way that it highlights the heroic quartet. As a result, fans are stanning Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, and I’m impressed by how Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm improves upon past iterations of the character. However, as I continue to think about this MCU film, there’s one supporting player I really think should have more time to shine.

Which Character Is Underutilized In First Steps?

As much as I enjoy MCU films (which I’ve helped rank), even I can acknowledge Marvel has a bad habit of casting major actors and underusing them. (Ask Idris Elba, Mads Mikkelsen and Michael Stuhlbarg.) In the case of First Steps, Natasha Lyonne gets the short end of the stick. The always delightful Lyonne plays Rachel Rozman, a school teacher who forms a connection with Ben Grimm. Rachel appears in only a few scenes, including one where she speaks to Ben on the street and another in which the pair meet again inside a synagogue.

Lyonne (who’s pictured above in another production due to a lack of Rachel pics) is effective amid her scenes. Also, the actress herself even enjoyed getting to flirt on screen with co-star (and real-life friend) Moss-Bachrach. Yet Lyonne’s presence feels far too limited, and that’s a real shame. Rachel is a clear representation of the human life that the FF are working so hard to protect. If her role in the film were bigger, she could’ve helped to further ground the narrative, which is chock full of over-the-top elements.

Ben Grimm’s arc also could’ve been greatly enhanced had Rachel been around more. Yes, I applauded Shakman and co. for not making Grimm (a.k.a. The Thing) a more tragic character but a more upbeat individual. However, shedding further light on the do-gooder’s romantic prospect could’ve brought out even more sides to him and also fleshed out Rachel even more. I personally love the thought of the two characters getting some time to talk about their professions, hobbies and shared Jewish faith. Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.

What Could The Future Hold For Rachel Rozman?

While Rachel’s small role is disappointing, there’s the possibility that fans will get to see more of her down the road. During Disney’s most recent earnings call, company CEO Bob Iger not only referred to Fantastic Four as an “original property,” but he also referred to the franchise as being “important.” Iger didn’t confirm nor deny that a sequel is in the works (likely due to First Steps’ somewhat underwhelming box office performance). However, given the exec’s emphasis on the IP’s importance, maybe a follow-up isn’t out of the cards.

On that note, I’d be mighty surprised if Lyonne weren’t brought back if a sequel were to be greenlit. Shakman could certainly use a follow-up to spend more time with Rachel and further develop her relationship with Ben. Ideally, fans would get to see their romance fully blossom.

I’m not only hoping for a follow-up to First Steps but also that Rachel Rozman receives her due. There have, unfortunately, been too many instances in which Marvel Studios has wasted impeccable actors, and I’d hate to see MCU newbie Natasha Lyonne fall into that category.

Check out The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters now alongside other 2025 movie releases. Also, stream other MCU installments and films centered on Marvel's First Family using a Disney+ subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away a detail from The Fantastic Four: First Steps that honestly will not ruin the new 2025 movie for you at all. However, if you still wish to go into every cinematic release with the absolute freshest of eyes, proceed with caution.

Marvel Studios seems to have an unspoken goal of inducting as many names from Hollywood’s A-List into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as possible, even if that means casting them in a small part of little to no significance. This has actually happened on more than one occasion, including in the latest Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I’ll start there as I recall some of the big stars who took on decidedly minuscule roles in the MCU.

Natasha Lyonne In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

CinemaBlend’s Adam Holmes suspected that Natasha Lyonne would be voicing H.E.R.B.I.E., a robotic assistant, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps prior to its release, but she ended up playing a love interest to The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) named Rachel. The teacher only shows up for a couple of brief scenes and is never brought up again, which makes me wonder if Marvel is keeping an opportunity open for Ben Grimm to meet Alicia Masters in a later film. However, that also makes me wonder why the Poker Face star’s role was introduced in the first place.

Wendell Pierce In Thunderbolts*

Twice in 2025, Wendell Pierce appeared in a new superhero movie for what amounted to a few, relatively inconsequential minutes, the most recent being in the new DC movie, Superman, as The Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White. A couple of months earlier, he showed up in Thunderbolts* as Gary, a Congressman who, in a subplot that I have almost completely forgotten about, has it out for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and wants to see her impeached.

Giancarlo Esposito In Captain America: Brave New World

One issue I had with 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World is how it makes Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder a throwaway side character. How does one cast an actor who has perfected the art of villainy (i.e. Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, The Boys) and make him the secondary antagonist to Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel “The Leader” Sterns? I just hope the claims that we will see more of the terrorist leader are true.

John C. Reilly In Guardians Of The Galaxy

At the time Guardians of the Galaxy was released in 2014, John C. Reilly was one of the biggest names in the cast. Yet, the Academy Award nominee’s Corpsman Dey is one of the hilarious space adventure’s most forgettable characters, which might not have been the case if he had been brought back in at least one of the sequels.

Idris Elba In Thor

I would not say that Heimdall is really a random or unimportant role in the Thor movies, considering he does guard the Bifrost and shows up in six MCU installments, not counting a What If…? episode. However, it is a pretty small role for an actor as popular and acclaimed as Idris Elba, especially when compared to his other, more prominent comic book movie roles in The Losers, The Suicide Squad, and more.

Benicio Del Toro In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Speaking as a huge fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, I think we can all agree that The Collector’s sole purpose in that film, and ultimately the MCU as a whole, is to provide exposition. Quite frankly, I believe Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro deserves more chances to make this bizarre character really stand out.

Hannibal Buress In Spider-Man: Homecoming

Donald Glover’s role in Spider-Man: Homecoming is surprisingly small for an artist of his magnitude, but still noteworthy for his previous connections to the webslinger and his reprisal cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as Aaron “The Prowler” Davis. The one who really gets the short end of the stick in the 2017 hit is acclaimed comedian Hannibal Buress, who appears just twice and for mere seconds at a time as Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) gym teacher, Coach Wilson. He would show up again in No Way Home, but for even less time.

Just to reiterate how little of an impact Buress’ character makes on Homecoming, the comedian couldn’t make it to the premiere and hired a lookalike to pose as him, and barely anyone noticed. I don’t think it should be that easy for an actor to pull off an otherwise brilliant stunt like this at a red carpet event for a huge blockbuster they are appearing in. In other words, Marvel, if you can get the best, give them the best.

Spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps lie ahead.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting projects on the 2025 movie release schedule. Not only does it have a cool, retro-futuristic 1960’s setting and a new vision, but the FF cast is also filled with talented stars. One of those cast members is Natasha Lyonne, whose mysterious role was a major point of discussion amongst fans. Now, Lyonne is not only talking about her character but her interactions with The Thing as well -- and she has a very on-brand take that I love.

Natasha Lyonne recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly while promoting her new animated film, The Bad Guys 2. The fan-favorite actress specifically chatted about what it was like working on Fantastic Four, and getting to play a potential love interest for one of the central characters. In true Lyonne-fashion, she admitted that flirting was something she relished while working on the film, especially with Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who plays The Thing, a.k.a Ben Grimm. When humorously describing it, Lyonne said the following:

For context, Lyonne plays Rachel Rozman, a school teacher who meets The Thing while he is playing with one of her students. While shy and afraid of rejection due to his appearance, The Thing retreats until he ultimately decides to seek her out at the end of the film. The two characters have great chemistry, even with Moss-Bacharach fully CGI-ed as The Thing. Given that the two actors have a friendly past, I can understand why they had such great energy.

The Poker Face star is never one to mince words, and I love that she just used "kinky" to describe the situation. However, she also had some serious compliments for her scene partner:

I’d love to know more about the past between these two stars. Lyonne says they have known each other for a long time, but they have never crossed paths professionally before The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They did both appear on the HBO series, Girls, with Lyonne guest starring for one episode and Moss-Bachrach having an arc as one of the prominent love interests on the show. I find it Marvelous (sorry) that they were finally able to work together by way of Fantastic Four, though.

Lyonne also joked that while her character and The Thing are sending some serious romantic vibes by the end of the latest Fantastic Four film, Rachel Rozman is still a single gal, and exploring relationships with all sorts of “rocky” partners:

I love that Natasha Lyonne is so into this project and had such a great time working with Moss-Bachrach. While she may have a small part in the film, Lyonne leaves her mark, making Rachel a grounding element within the film. I’m rooting for these two lovebirds, and I hope we can see this relationship blossom in future MCU installments. Right now, there’s no word on a First Steps sequel.

However, I’m crossing my fingers that Lyonne and this romance returns in Avengers: Doomsday, because I never get tired of seeing her on screen -- and want to see her work more with Moss-Bachrach.

You can see Natasha Lyonne in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Also, stream other MCU films on Disney+. On top of that, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for news on upcoming Marvel movies as well.

SPOILERS are ahead for Smurfs.

The latest Smurfs movie is here, and a whole new cast of talented actors were assembled to bring Peyo’s phenomenon to life for a new generation of young ones. But one element of the movie I wasn’t expecting was a hint of romance between a Smurf named Ken and the leader of the Snooterpoots, Mama Poot. I talked to the Mama Poot voice actress Natasha Lyonne about the whole affair, and she had some positive thoughts about a “spinoff.”

Natasha Lyonne Had The Sweetest Response To Her Smurfs Romance

During CinemaBlend’s interview with Natasha Lyonne about Smurfs, she shared a popular sentiment among actors who do animated movies: they don’t often get to meet their star-studded co-stars. In the specific circumstance of Smurfs, Lyonne is waiting for Rihanna to text her considering she’s the movie’s new Smurfette. Anyways, when I asked her about the nudge of a love affair between her character and Ken, she had this to say:

In the animated movie, Nick Offerman’s Ken is very happy about his confrontation with Mama Poot, and there’s definitely an air about the pair already crossing paths many times before. Ken even says “We’ll always have Paris” in one moment before actually confessing his love for her later in the film. As Lyonne continued:

How the heck has it taken this long for Natasha Lyonne and Nick Offerman to cross paths? Lyonne had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with him while promoting Smurfs, and they have a few friends in common considering she knows a couple members of the Parks and Recreation cast personally. Otherwise, Smurfs is the first time they’ve had the chance to be in the same project. As Lyonne shared, she loves the actor so much she’s ready to explore more of Mama Poot and Ken’s backstory through a spinoff.

Could Another Smurfs Movie Happen?

That being said, given where things currently stand Smurfs, getting an offshoot doesn’t seem necessarily like it will be a top priority for Paramount after its performance so far. Critics loathed Smurfs, placing the movie at a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences liked it, but didn’t love it, with it earning a B+ on Cinemascore.

The movie also opened at No. 4 at the box office over the weekend, failing to compete with the continued success of Superman and Jurassic World: Rebirth. Horror movie I Know What You Did Last Summer even performed higher than Smurfs in its opening weekend. Of course, you never know, but I wasn’t disappointed with all the love Lyonne showed for Offerman when I asked about their characters being sweet on each other.

The new Smurfs movie is the latest of 2025 movie releases, and it makes for another animated film jam-packed with huge talent. Along with Rihanna being highly-publicized for playing Smurfette and having her first song in years in the movie, a ton of other big names are part of the cast. When CinemaBlend spoke to one of them, Poker Face’s Natasha Lyonne, about being among the cast, she had some funny remarks.

Natasha Lyonne plays a fuzzy snooterpoot called Mama Poot alongside the likes of James Corden, John Goodman, Nick Offerman, Dan Levy, Sandra Oh, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Kurt Russell, Xolo Maridueña, Billie Lourd, and Marshmello, and that’s not even the whole cast list. When I asked if there’d be any Smurfs voice cast dinner parties coming up, here’s what Lyonne had to say:

If Natasha Lyonne is asking me why Rihanna isn’t texting her, she’s got a little problem here. Because I definitely don’t have that connection. Anyway, can you imagine sharing a credit with all these incredible actors and not getting a chance to meet them? Natasha Lyonne shared that she has gotten a chance to connect with a couple of them on the press tour, but Rihanna remains an enigma to her. As she continued:

Natasha Lyonne has been booked and busy as of late, between starring in Poker Face Season 2, having a role in Fantastic Four: First Steps and also lending her voice to another summer animated movie, The Bad Guys 2. Lyonne quipped that she was “delighted and surprised” to learn she was wanted for a Smurfs movie, but wouldn’t be playing one. Here’s her character below:

When I asked Lyonne how she might react to being in the same room as Rihanna and Russell should there ever be a Smurfs dinner party, she also shared her thoughts. In her words:

It sounds like Lyonne would really be connecting the whole cast together, and perhaps getting them on new projects together if she really was in the same breath as Rihanna and Kurt Russell. Anyways, the new Smurfs movie follows Corden’s “No Name Smurf” who is just trying to find his thing like the other Smurfs in their village when he suddenly starts noticing magical abilities. However, his new gift leads to Papa Smurf being kidnapped and the Smurfs going on an adventure to rescue him and the universe at large.

You can check out what critics are saying about Smurfs, and see it in theaters now.

But I’m a Cheerleader continues to stand as one of the best titles with lesbian relationships and remains a standout among some of the greatest '90s teen movies. As we count down the days until its 25th anniversary, one of the film’s stars, Clea DuVall, reflects on the story’s legacy. Along with it, she recounts a sweet interaction with a mother-daughter duo’s love and appreciation of the LGBTQ+ classic.

While the 2025 movie calendar continues to drop flick after flick, DuVall opened up to People about the coming July 7 anniversary. During the chat, she shared that at the time of making the eventual cult-worthy comedy romance, no one had any idea that the young ragtag cast (Natasha Lyonne, Melanie Lynskey, Michelle Williams and more) was making something big. As she said:

I can only imagine what a time it was for the cast on the seemingly easygoing set. The Babbit film tackled conversion therapy camps in a satirical but meaningful way that hit home with many of its eventual viewers. Audiences of the beloved title, and specifically those within the LGBTQ+ community, continue to deeply resonate with the experiences and emotions showcased same sex relationships on screen.

The ensemble’s realistic depictions of queer realtionships and dealings cemented its place in film, and was ahead of the curve. DuVall, who’s no stranger to discussing LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood and how it's changed over the years, continues to note that But I’m a Cheerleader is her favorite project. With the thought, she shares that it is because it provides fans with comfort in regards to sharing more of themselves:

It’s wonderful that the actress and director connect so deeply to the iconic staple. Any piece of art or media that helps connect a lot of people to themselves and others is always a good thing in my book.

DuVall then remembered an instance where she and Lyonne had a mother-daughter duo express how much the movie meant to them at a film festival. They shared how far they traveled to see it and why it resonated with the two, sharing:

The film has certainly done that countless times over for viewers of all ages, and the 47-year-old recognizes that it’s as important for individuals as it is for families. Representation on screen helps bridge hard conversations, and something as positive and humorous as this is A+ material to work with in that regard.

So, if you’d like to celebrate along with DuVall and co. how much the campers of True Directions have endured, you can stream But I’m a Cheerleader with a Paramount+ subscription. And let’s hope some of the upcoming LGBTQ+ movies are just as powerful and funny as the Jamie Babbit flick.

As of late, Rian Johnson has become synonymous with the mystery genre for movie and TV lovers thanks to his Knives Out movies and the Poker Face series having just began its new season to the 2025 TV schedule. But what if Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc and Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale teamed up at some point? Could that happen, please?

Now that Poker Face Season 2 has started over on Peacock, Natasha Lyonne actually brought up the idea herself when she was asked about the idea of Charlie Cale ever making it to the big screen with one of her mysteries. Here’s what she said:

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Lyonne shared her million dollar idea, and now I officially need this in my life. This is an especially exciting answer because the Poker Face star is also behind the writing, and serves as executive producer and has helmed a couple episodes of the show.

I’m particularly interested in this because I’m so curious how the two detectives would interact with the other. While Benoit Blanc is more of a straight shooter with a Southern draw, Charlie Cale is a lot more rough around the edges. I think they would definitely butt heads, which would make for a great, unlikely detective duo that's very comedic, and now I need this to happen.

Poker Face returned last week with a more “ridiculous” season and a ton more exciting celebrity guests like John Mulaney, who acts our socks off in his episode, and Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo. Oh, and Daniel Craig is also set to play Benoit Blanc again in the third Knives Out movie, Wake Up, Dead Man. Seeing both of their new cases is only going to make me want this more, I know it.

However, Natasha Lyonne's answer got a little bit wild when she joked that she also wants to get The Pink Panther involved, or at least have the late Henry Mancini score the movie. Which is, of course, impossible unless they use already composed pieces of music. All in all, Lyonne particularly has her eye on doing more roles that can be seen on the big screen. As she continued:

Did you know that Natasha Lyonne is working on an A.I.-assisted movie called Uncanny Valley? Sure, there’s often a negative connotation around A.I. being connected to filmmaking lately, but the movie is about a teen starting to lose her grip on reality due to an augmented reality video game, so I think she’s doing so for a good reason.

It's great to hear Lyonne is down for a Poker Face movie, and crossover with Knives Out, because she could actually help make it happen.

Spoilers for Episode 3 of Poker Face Season 2 are ahead! Catch up with a Peacock subscription.

As Natasha Lyonne's Charlie Cale roams around the United States in Poker Face, unintentionally running into murder after murder, she’s introduced to an incredible cast of characters played by equally incredible actors. So far, Season 2 has shown us Cynthia Erivo playing five sisters, Giancarlo Esposito portraying a funeral home owner, and so many more. However, the performance I want to highlight didn’t come from someone you’d likely think of as an actor first; it came from comedian John Mulaney.

That’s right, John Mulaney gave the standout performance in Poker Face’s first three episodes of the season that is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule, and it made me realize he really should act a lot more.

John Mulaney Showed Off A Whole New Side Of Himself In Poker Face

First of all, everything I love about John Mulaney’s comedy is on display in his episode of Poker Face. His timing is impeccable, and some of his lines in “Whack-a-Mole” had me doubling over with laughter. Those lip-reading sequences? The bit where he tries to make a deal with Charlie after he lost? Hilarious! Overall, he was able to play into a bunch of his comedic strengths as FBI agent Daniel Clyde-Otis.

However, his performance was so much more than that. Daniel Clyde-Otis is a rat, mole and snake, as Charlie put it, who is working as a double agent. Watching Mulaney play both sides of this agent as he tried to hide his work for Rhea Perlman’s crime boss Beatrix Hasp from his colleagues and friends, like Simon Helberg’s Luca Clark, was fascinating and nuanced.

Daniel was an interesting character because he both seemingly cared for people like Luca while also being heartless and ruthless at times. That’s no easy part to play. And Mulaney did it in a way that both highlighted his signature sense of humor while also developing a three-dimensional and complex character who ultimately ended up being the biggest bad of the episode.

Now, I Need John Mulaney To Act More

I fully realize John Mulaney has acted quite a bit before this. He guest-starred on The Bear in a very memorable episode, and he’s a five-timer on Saturday Night Live. Plus, he has a fairly extensive catalog of voice work that includes Big Mouth, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. However, I (and I’d assume many others) think of Mulaney as a stand-up comedian first. So, his acting roles feel like fun little pop-ups here and there.

However, Poker Face showed me that this man should act way more than he currently does.

As much as I love seeing Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney thrive, and I will re-watch his stand-up with my Netflix subscription at least once a year, I really want to see him play someone else more often.

This Peacock mystery show let him play on a totally new playground, and I absolutely loved it. As I mentioned earlier, he brought that A+ timing and intelligent humor we know and love. However, he also mixed in some dramatic flair and nuance that made Daniel Clyde-Otis a fascinating character to watch.

So, Rian Johnson, let’s get Mulaney in the next Knives Out Mystery if there is one. Or, really, any director who is reading this, please cast this comedian in more roles that allow him to show off his range as a performer. He absolutely killed it (pun intended) in Poker Face, and I want to see him on our screens as new characters just as often as we see him as himself, the wildly talented comedian.

Rian Johnson’s Poker Face starring Natasha Lyonne became an instant hit when it premiered for Peacock subscription holders back in 2023, and now the long-awaited second season of the refreshing “howcatchem” murder mystery is finally upon us. Critics were able to screen the new episodes before they hit the 2025 TV schedule, so are we in for more fun times seeing Charlie Cale literally call out people’s “Bullshit,” or is the murder-magnet premise getting stale?

Just as Season 1 featured plenty of recognizable faces for Charlie to encounter as she solved her case of the week, Poker Face Season 2 has tapped some A+ guest stars, including Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes and Cynthia Erivo, who was able to squeeze in her appearance while doing press for Wicked. So, how does the sophomore season live up to the first? Alison Herman of Variety says it evolves by toying with the show’s baseline. Herman writes:

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw of TV Guide says the creative team behind Poker Face has settled into a reliable groove, giving us more of what we loved from Season 1 with larger-than-life guest stars and cartoonish criminals. Fans can rest assured, it’s still one of the best murder mysteries on TV, the critic says, writing:

Belen Edwards of Mashable, however, points out that even with a set formula, the showrunners are constantly changing things up and finding new ways to play within those constraints, ensuring that Poker Face remains one of the most fun shows on TV. Rewards says:

David Opie of Empire gives the second season 4 out of 5 stars, writing that if the show stays this consistently impressive, it could easily go for 10 more seasons. Natasha Lyonne has created a deadpan masterpiece with her laid-back Charlie Cale. However, Opie continues:

Ben Travers of IndieWire praises Natasha Lyonne for bringing us more of her enjoyable Charlie Cale. The critic grades the season a B, noting that two tweaks to Poker Face’s format help to distinguish this batch of episodes from its original run. Travers continues:

It sounds like critics agree that Poker Face Season 2 gives us more of what we loved the first time around, while still updating its formula enough to differentiate it from its rookie run. The first three episodes are available to stream on Peacock now, with one new episode dropping every Thursday through its 12-episode order.

May is now in full swing, and that means it’s time for the annual summer movie season. This may draw a lot of viewers back to theaters, but considering all the same studios that are releasing movies also run streaming services, you can bet they don’t want to take all your attention away from the TV.

If the new movies in theaters aren’t quite your cup of tea, this week’s streaming highlights include a couple of theatrical releases you may have missed, as well as new seasons of several different popular streaming series.

Poker Face, Season 2 - May 8 (Peacock)

The worst part of the new streaming television landscape is the seemingly endless wait between seasons of shows that are actually able to get more than just a single season. I basically got my Peacock subscription so I could watch Poker Face, and now I finally have the Season 2 I’ve been waiting so long to see. Natasha Lyonne returns with a who’s who of guest stars as she solves new mysteries, all while trying to keep herself alive.

Criminal Minds: Evolution, Season 3 - May 8 (Paramount+)

It was an interesting decision when CBS made the call to cancel the popular procedural Criminal Minds, only to revive the show on CBS. The series clearly never lost a step, as this week, your Paramount+ subscription will bring you the beginning of the third season of Criminal Minds: Evolution.

Conan O’Brien Must Go, Season 2 - May 8 (Max)

Conan O’Brien is one of our greatest comedy treasures, and he must be protected at all costs. The man was able to host the Oscars, a thankless and largely futile task, and did it so well he’s already been asked back. He’s also, as it turns out, the perfect host for a travel show. If you have a Max subscription, you can use it to watch the new season of Conan O’Brien Must Go and see the hilarious man visit beautiful and exotic places, and make a fool of himself while there.

Heart Eyes - May 8 (Netflix)

The romantic horror movie Heart Eyes was a rare theatrical achievement as a film that actually made more money on its second weekend at the box office than it did during its first. Clearly word of mouth for this one told fans it was a slasher worth seeing. Still, it wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, so if you’re one of the many that didn’t see it, and you have a Netflix subscription, now you can fix that.

Love Hurts - May 9 (Peacock)

Based on the box office, or lack thereof, of Love Hurts starring Ke Huy Quan, you probably didn’t see the romantic action/comedy in theaters. However, the movie is a lot of fun, and proof that Hollywood screwed up by not making Quan a leading man decades ago. Take the opportunity when it arrives on Peacock to check this one out.

Summer of ‘69 - May 9 (Hulu)

Co-written and directed by Jillian Bell, Summer of ‘69 tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a teenager and the exotic dancer she hires to help her seduce her high school crush. The R-rated teenage sex comedy isn’t a genre that’s gotten a lot of attention of late, but perhaps telling the story from a female perspective is what has been missing.

The rest of May still has plenty to bring fans, including the final three episodes of Andor on Disney+ next week.

There’s no limit to what might surprise folks on the 2025 movie schedule, especially when it comes to movies that are in development. While there’s still no confirmation on Natasha Lyonne’s mystery Fantastic Four: First Steps role, we now know more about her upcoming directorial debut. While the project is the first effort in her venture into A.I.-assisted filmmaking, the concept organically lends itself to that sort of execution - and it actually intrigues me.

Natasha Lyonne’s ‘Uncanny Valley’ Project Surprisingly Sounds Good

Per reporting coming from Variety, the Poker Face star has co-written a script named Uncanny Valley, along with The OA vet Brit Marling, for “A.I. production studio” Asteria. Marling will co-star in the picture, which is said to center around the following concept:

Whoo boy. Setting aside the controversy surrounding artificial intelligence in the world of moviemaking, Uncanny Valley couldn’t have come at a better time. Seeing as Netflix subscription holders have recently enjoyed Black Mirror’s Season 7 episode “Plaything,” this story actually has me hoping that Natasha Lyonne might link up with Charlie Booker for a future entry of that dystopian anthology. Which, of course, circles us back to discussing that “A.I.-assisted” aspect in greater detail.

The Story And Approach To Uncanny Valley Shows Promise For A.I. Assisted Filmmaking

So knowing that Uncanny Valley’s story is all about an augmented reality game inspiring some real life consequences already makes this pitch a fit for some sort of CGI-enhanced spectacle. Despite being someone who’s super wary of A.I. being abused in the creative process, I’m cautiously optimistic on how the Orange is the New Black star-turned-helmer will be using those tools.

You can thank her co-writing partner Brit Marling for that optimism, as her remarks below cover similar ground to James Cameron’s recent A.I. pivot:

Playing to the brighter side of things, Uncanny Valley sounds like it’s going to use artificial intelligence to assist, rather than replace human artists. Sure enough, the question of budgetary restrictions in crafting such concepts is the driver, based on those comments above.

With even Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ comments suggesting that A.I. can help improve the workflow of any given project, we may be seeing a huge shift in Hollywood’s filmmaking process. So long as all involved are upfront about this technology, and the human element is allowed to not only survive, but also thrive in this creative model, that doesn’t sound like a bad thing at all.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see when Uncanny Valley plans on revealing itself to the world. But if you want to see some 100% real human Natasha Lyonne antics, don’t forget to check out Poker Face Season 2, which premieres on Peacock starting May 8th.

Premiering in 2023 with a 10-episode first season, Poker Face quickly established itself as one of my favorite original streaming shows. The setup is terrific (Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale has a natural talent for instantly sniffing out bullshit). the serialized plot is exciting (Charlie forced to live a life on the road fleeing from gangsters), and the structure of the episodic mysteries is unique and super fun (replete with a number of great one-off appearances from terrific actors). This opinion was only reinforced during a recent rewatch of the series, and my anticipation is extremely high for Poker Face Season 2 – set to make its premiere on Peacock in May.

Everything we’ve seen from the new run suggests it’s going to be another wonderful ride full of reverse mysteries and colorful characters, and I’m excited to see Charlie employ her unique gift in new ways to find justice. Because of the show’s capacity to surprise, it would probably be foolish to anticipate everything that’s going down in the next 12 episodes, but I do have a specific hope for Poker Face Season 2: less murder.

Poker Face Season 1 Has A Murder Magnet Problem

I have personally never witnessed a murder, nor ever been embroiled in a circumstance involving murder. The same is true for all of my close friends and immediate family, and I have to imagine it’s true for the vast majority of people who make up Poker Face’s audience. I’ll cede the fact that we all don’t live nomadic lives and travel in the same kinds of circles as Charlie Cale, but when you look at Season 1 from a macro perspective, it’s insane how many homicides the woman stumbles into.

It can’t be said that every episode of the seminal run features murder… but that’s just because “The Future Of The Sport” only features two cases of attempted murder. While traveling around the country for a year, Charlie’s adventures involved a guy getting pushed off a roof and beaten, a staged suicide, an electrocution, multiple poisonings, an explosion, a trap door death, a faked car accident and a couple staged shootings. That’s a lot!

The murders in the first and last episodes play honestly because they are catalyst events that put Charlie on the road running from danger, but the fact that she constantly finds people killing each other in every stop she makes around the country is ridiculous. It renders the protagonist into a murder magnet, which is to say that there is a threat that she will become less of a character and more a plot device. Unless there is some big behind-the-scenes game plan that eventually sees Charlie’s regular proximity to death become a story unto itself, something should change.

I can already hear a lot of you in my head responding to this saying, “It’s a TV show! What about the suspension of disbelief?” To you, I will say that I respect your perspective, and it’s one that let me very much enjoy Poker Face Season 1, but what I think is more important going into the future of the show is greater creativity in the writing.

There Are Plenty Of Other Crimes That Charlie Can Use Her Skills To Try And Solve

This is not a unique issue in the history of television. Shows like Murder, She Wrote and Psych, as two examples, turned the towns of Cabot Cove, Maine and Santa Barbara, California into unlikely hotspots of homicide. It’s not a phenomenon that is hard to explain, either: stories need conflict, and murder is both an extreme and universally understood consequence that instantly sets high stakes for the killer, the bereaved and the investigators (not to mention that creating an imaginary murder is a fun creative exercise). But going to the same well over and over again is at the heart of lazy writing, and Poker Face has the opportunity to not be lumped in with that particular legacy of small screen mysteries by changing things up – and hopefully it’s done sooner rather than later.

There aren’t exactly a limited number of other options. Theft/grand larceny is an obvious candidate for exploration. Maybe Charlie makes friends with some people who are robbed of a precious family heirloom. Or maybe someone keeps jacking the register at a place she works and she has to find the person/people responsible before her asshole boss puts the blame on her.

Fraud could be a hell of a lot of fun. Imagining the perfect arch villain for Charlie Cale – the Professor Moriarty to her Sherlock Holmes – my mind conjures not a vicious murderer, but a con artist who can lie so impeccably that they don’t set off her bullshit detector. A hero figuring out how to work without their greatest skillset is a staple in fiction for a reason.

But what about assault? Abduction? Arson? Animal cruelty? Those are just crimes that start with the letter “A,” and all of them could make for great fodder in the future of Poker Face.

Naturally I don’t expect the show to abandon murder entirely, and the gunfire, explosions and more in the Poker Face Season 2 teaser don’t make me think that it will.

Still, mixing things up a bit beyond just various methods of death will hopefully end up being a part of the new run, as it could very much benefit the show long term in terms of verisimilitude and keeping things fresh.

With a stellar cast lined up including Katie Holmes, Giancarlo Esposito, Cynthia Erivo, Kumail Nanjiani, John Mulaney, Awkwafina, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Justin Theroux, Taylor Schilling and Melanie Lynskey, Poker Face is making its long-awaited return very soon, and Season 2 is stacked with 12 new Charlie Cale mysteries. The first three episodes (the first directed by series creator Rian Johnson and the second by Natasha Lyonne) will premiere on Peacock on May 8, and there will then be a weekly rollout that will see the finale debut on July 10.

Considering how many child stars have walked away from Hollywood, it is always so inspiring to see an actor who started early and continues to act to this day. Of course, some of them would walk away from the spotlight or experience a bit of a career hiccup before making an impressive return, either with more acting roles or in a new medium altogether. See for yourself by taking a look at these former child actors who went on to impress us as adults.

Mayim Bialik

After hitting it big as the title character of the hit '90s sitcom Blossom, Mayim Bialik lived a normal life that included earning a neuroscience degree and starting a family. She made her major industry return by joining the Big Bang Theory cast as neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, which led her to lead another sitcom called Call Me Kat and host Jeopardy! for a short time.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

After getting his start in movies like Angels in the Outfield and A River Runs Through It and playing an alien posing as a human teen on the great ‘90s TV show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt never really went away from Hollywood. However, he did experience a moment of relative obscurity before roles in the likes of (500) Days of Summer, a few great Christopher Nolan movies, and his many collaborations with Rian Johnson put him on the A-List.

Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett made a grand impression in her youth with a recurring stint on Full House and as the title role of the acclaimed Black horror movie, 1997's Eve’s Bayou. Her career would take an astonishing turn toward A-list success in 2020 after her Emmy-nominated turn in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which was followed by her role as Black Canary in DC’s Birds of Prey, her great performance in Amazon Prime’s The Burial, and more.

Jason Bateman

Following his debut appearance on Little House on the Prairie, his roles on sitcoms like Valerie (later called The Hogan Family after some major casting shake-ups), and his lead part in Teen Wolf Too made Jason Bateman an '80s heartthrob. Years later, playing Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development cast made him a comedy icon before his Emmy-nominated turn as Marty Byrde in Netflix's Ozark cast further proved his remarkable versatility.

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer – who proved she was an acting powerhouse at 9 years old with her debut role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business before scoring her first lead role in 2006's Akeelah and the Bee – never needed a comeback moment because her notoriety never really stopped. However, it is clear that the multi-talented Emmy winner was never more popular before her scene-stealing performance in Jordan Peele’s 2022 alien invasion movie, Nope.

Josh Brolin

After making his acting debut at 17 in 1985's The Goonies cast, Josh Brolin rarely had another role quite as successful until, at 39, he was cast in 2007's instant classic Western movie, No Country for Old Men, as Llewellyn Moss. The son of James Brolin went on to receive an Oscar nomination for 2008's Milk, was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first big bad, Thanos, and has given commanding performances in various other acclaimed films.

Drew Barrymore

Many forget that, years after 1982's E.T. the Extra-terrestrial made her a sensation at just 7 years old, Drew Barrymore had a few career shake-ups due to personal drama including addiction. Yet, her astonishing performance in the opening scene of 1996’s Scream brought her back to the A-List and earned her roles in blockbusters like Charlie's Angels and TV shows like Santa Clarita Diet before she found later success as a daytime talk show host.

Neil Patrick Harris

Playing the prodigious title role of Doogie Howser M.D. made Neil Patrick Harris a household name, at least for a while. His popularity would skyrocket, however, when he played Barney Stinson in the How I Met Your Mother cast, which opened up many avenues for the now multi-Emmy-winning performer, from working with David Fincher on Gone Girl to hosting award shows and taking the stage on Broadway.

Gaby Hoffman

Gaby Hoffman had an amazing run as a child actor in the late 1980s and early 1990s with roles in movies like Uncle Buck, Field of Dreams, Now and Then, and Sleepless in Seattle. After stepping away to focus on her education, she resurfaced as a sought-after talent with her Emmy-nominated starring role in the Amazon Prime original TV show, Transparent.

Ke Huy Quan

Following his iconic roles in classic '80s movies Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as Short Round, and The Goonies, as Data, Ke Huy Quan’s role offers began to disappear. That would change decades later when he won an Academy Award for his uplifting performance in A24's acclaimed multiverse movie, 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Anna Chlumsky

For years, Anna Chlumsky was best known for her heartbreaking performance as 11-year-old Vada in 1991's My Girl. Years later, she significantly increased her star power with her multi-Emmy-nominated role in the hit HBO series, Veep, as Amy Brookheimer.

Macaulay Culkin

One of the most essential examples of a “former child star” is Macaulay Culkin, who had Hollywood in the palm of his young hands after leading the original Home Alone cast as Kevin McCallister. He still acts from time to time, having shown up in the American Horror Story Season 10 cast or on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, is in a power couple with Brenda Song, and finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci would continue to find notable acting roles beyond her star-making turn as Wednesday Addams in 1991's The Addams Family and 1993's Addams Family Values. However, starring in Showtime’s Yellowjackets cast did wonders for her modern notoriety before she revisited her breakout role with a fun part in Netflix’s Wednesday cast, opposite Jenna Ortega.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale owes his fame to starring in Steven Spielberg's 1987 period drama Empire of the Sun and the cult-favorite 1992 musical Newsies but his menacing turn in 2000's American Psycho earned him wide respect as an adult. However, leading Christopher Nolan's live-action Batman movies as Bruce Wayne made him one of the top actors of his generation, leading to his Oscar win for 2011’s The Fighter.

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar embodied the ultimate girl next door when she was cast in the original Wonder Years as Winnie Cooper from 1988 to 1993. Much later in her career, she would acquire a much different fanbase when she became one of the most prolific stars on the Hallmark Channel with roles in movies like Christmas She Wrote and Swing into Romance.

Cole Sprouse

Cole Sprouse had already acted alongside his sibling, his identical twin brother Dylan, numerous times (such as in Big Daddy) before Disney Channel’s The Suite Life franchise made them teen idols. However, you could argue that Cole was never more popular after he joined the Riverdale cast as Jughead Jones.

Hilary Duff

There were few teen Disney Channel stars who became quite as iconic and as quickly as Hilary Duff after she starred in the title role of Lizzie McGuire. She would find later success in the scene-stealing supporting role of Kelsey Peters on TV Land’s Younger and as the lead protagonist of Hulu's short-lived but well-liked How I Met Your Mother spin-off, How I Met Your Father.

Josh Peck

Josh Peck first rose to fame on Nickelodeon by scoring major roles in kid-friendly comedies like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh. He would later prove his worth as a versatile actor with more mature roles, such as on Fox's Grandfathered or in Christopher Nolan’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Oppenheimer.

Vincent Kartheiser

Vincent Kartheiser first made a name for himself by appearing in ‘90s teen movies like Alaska and Masterminds. However, he would find later and greater success after starring in AMC's Mad Men cast as Pete Campbell.

Kurt Russell

Following his feature debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair alongside Elvis Presley, Kurt Russell continued to have success as the star of light and funny Disney movies like The Strongest Man in the World. In 1981, he reinvented himself as an action movie icon after playing Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, which led to plenty more awesome movie roles, such as R.J. MacReady in The Thing and Coach Herb Brooks in Miracle.

Kieran Culkin

Kieran Culkin was previously best known as Macaulay Culkin’s younger brother, who also showed up in the Home Alone movies and played Matty Banks in the Father of the Bride movies. However, he would become one of the more prolific Culkin siblings following his Emmy-winning turn in the Succession cast as Roman Roy and other widely acclaimed performances.

Johnny Galecki

For years, Johnny Galecki was best known for playing the third Rusty Griswold in 1989's National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and David Healy on Roseanne. He would later reprise the latter role on The Conners years after experiencing a career resurgence by playing Leonard Hofstadter on CBS' The Big Bang Theory.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Thomas Brodie-Sangster made an impressive feature film debut as Liam Neeson’s onscreen stepson in the 2003 rom-com, Love Actually. The British actor would later surprise audiences with his role as Jojen Reed in the Game of Thrones cast, leading to parts in the Maze Runner movies and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams became a bonafide sitcom star by playing a young Chris Rock on Everybody Hates Chris, which led to more interesting roles, such as Lionel in the acclaimed 2014 indie comedy, Dear White People. However, his recurring role on the Walking Dead cast and multi-Emmy-nominated turn as Gregory Eddie on the Abbott Elementary cast earned him wide respect as an adult actor.

Alisan Porter

Alisan Porter only appeared in a handful of movies, including Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes' Curly Sue in the title role, before she walked away from acting when she was still very young. She would later reinvent herself as a talented musician when she competed in and won the tenth season of NBC's hit singing competition show, The Voice.

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson broke into the business when she joined the Growing Pains cast as the Severs' youngest child, Chrissy. She is best known these days as a prolific voice actor who has breathed life into iconic roles such as Gretchen on Recess and Ellie in the hit post-apocalyptic video game The Last of Us, which was adapted into an HBO series that she cameoed on.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy became one of the most promising young talents to break through on Nickelodeon, having been cast on iCarly as the charmingly bullish Sam Puckett. However, she became better known and even better respected years later for her acclaimed, revealing 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which focuses on her life as a reluctant child actor.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne began her career early in life – notably appearing on Pee-wee's Playhouse – and seemingly hit her peak in her late teens and early 20s with the American Pie movies and But I'm a Cheerleader before substance abuse caused her career to slow down. Years later, Emmy-nominated turns on TV shows like Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll (which she co-created), and Poker Face and a few acclaimed movie roles reignited her wonderfully versatile career.

Mara Wilson

Following her star-making roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda, Mara Wilson walked away from the spotlight soon after starring in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. She would later take up minor, infrequent parts after becoming better known for writing about her experiences as a top child actor.

Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment would never go on to play a role quite as iconic as young medium Cole Sear in, arguably, the best M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Sixth Sense (which earned him an Oscar nomination) at 11 years old. However, his work as an adult – such as recurring roles on hit series like Silicon Valley and The Boys and memorable parts in movies like Kevin Smith’s Tusk – has been nothing short of exciting.

Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen made a charming debut as Cindy Lou Who in 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas and, in her teens, made an impression on the Gossip Girl cast as Jenny Humphrey. She would later reinvent herself as the frontwoman of a successful rock group called The Pretty Reckless.

Lukas Haas

Following an acclaimed run as one of the most revered child actors of the 1980s for his roles in Witness and Lady in White, Lukas Haas went on to take progressively smaller roles as he grew up. However, much of the projects he has taken in his adulthood – including movies like Inception and Babylon and TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones and War of the Worlds – have been met with great receptions.

Three upcoming Marvel movies are slated on the 2025 release schedule, with the last of the bunch being The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The introduction of this superhero quartet to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (not counting John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) will take place on a different Earth in the Marvel multiverse, and while we know who many of the actors in the Fantastic Four cast are playing, there are a handful whose roles are being kept secret, including Natasha Lyonne. However, following the Poker Face actress sharing a new detail about her mysterious character, I’m pretty sure I know who she’s playing.

Towards the end of her interview with Vanity Fair, Lyonne addressed her involvement in both The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Smurfs, the latter of which also comes out later this year. Here’s what she had to say about her involvement in the MCU’s first Phase Six movie:

The interstellar part shouldn’t come as a shock considering that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will see Galactus, played by Ralph Ineson, coming to the title team’s Earth to devour it with his herald The Silver Surfer, played by Julia Garner, in tow. However, the fact that Natasha Lyonne started to compare the next Fantastic Four movie to Smurfs, a fully-animated movie, could seemingly indicate that her role in the former could be a voiceover role. If that’s the case, then that basically narrows down her character to H.E.R.B.I.E., the team’s robot pal.

We know that H.E.R.B.I.E. will appear in First Steps thanks to the concept art released a little over a year ago, and while the character was originally voiced by Frank Welker in The New Fantastic Four, there’s nothing that says a man has to take on the role again. Throw in Lyonne’s comedic sensibilities, and I can easily envision her voice coming out of the robot to drop wisecracks. Obviously this is in no way officially confirmed, but I’m more convinced than ever that Lyonne is voicing H.E.R.B.I.E.

Other actors whose roles in The Fantastic Four: First Steps remain unknown include Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich and Sarah Niles, though the common guess among fans regarding Hauser is he’ll be playing Mole Man. There are also rumblings that Robert Downey Jr. will make a cameo appearance as Doctor Doom ahead of his full debut in Avengers: Doomsday. As for our intrepid team of protagonists, we’ll see Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps hits theaters on July 25, 2025. Meanwhile, listen to Natasha Lyonne’s first MCU outing as Byrdie, the daughter of alternate versions of Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck, by streaming What If… ? Season 3 with your Disney+ subscription.

I’m an enormous fan of murder mysteries. I grew up reading as many examples of the genre as possible, absorbing everything from Agatha Christie to Encyclopedia Brown. If there was a puzzle I could try and solve before the end of a story, I’d devour it. That’s why recently, I’ve been so jazzed by the narratives cooked up by Rian Johnson in his Daniel Craig-led Benoit Blanc mysteries. The feature films Knives Out and Glass Onion both have revitalized the industry’s emphasis on whodunit stories, leading to a revival for shows such as Matlock, A Man on the Inside, Elsbeth, Only Murders In The Building, Deadloch, and more. Eager to dig into another offbeat mystery show, my wife and I started up High Potential on ABC. We like Kaitlin Olson, and were hooked on the premise of a brilliant cleaning lady hired by the cops to assist their investigations.

The only thing is, the show reminds me too much of Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face… a detective series with far superior writing.

This, no doubt, has to do with the fact that Poker Face is a side project for the aforementioned Rian Johnson, as if the man just had too many twisty mysteries in his head, and needed a clever outlet on which to unleash them. You might argue against my premise that these shows are similar. One’s a gritty (though often hilarious) character drama available to stream with a Peacock subscription, and the other’s a blatantly made-for-TV dramedy that’s palatable for all consumers.

But to me, they both feature incredibly intelligent female lead characters who have a unique gift that allows them to see through crime scenes. And the structure of the episodes leads to a crime-of-the-week that must be solved, while also building a bigger mystery behind the scenes.

Katlin Olson and Natasha Lyonne are both outstanding at what they do. Neither of their characters care very much for authority, and they’re both very comfortable bending the rules if it means they can help someone who’s distressed (and fighting the system – that’s a big hook on both programs). They also both excel at delivering jargon, the necessary information dumps that move the mysteries through the situational-comedy pipeline. But it’s in the writing where, in my opinion, Poker Face triumphs over High Potential, at least following the first season of the Peacock streamer.

We ranked the episodes included in the first season of Poker Face. And even in the lamest of the 10-episode season, Lyonne’s Charlie Cale still finds herself in an unpredictable and murderous situation that highlights the flyover country of this great nation. Throughout the course of the season, Charlie – who has a God-given ability to sniff out when someone is lying – has been bouncing from state to state, solving crimes and helping the innocent. But she also has been staying ahead of an enforcer played by Benjamin Bratt. You have to wait for the season finale, titled “The Hook,” to learn why Charlie’s on the run. And the way that “The Hook” connects several dots from the entire season earns a round of applause from me.

Perhaps High Potential will reach a higher potential. I’m definitely intrigued by the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Roman, Morgan’s (Olson) first husband. And the cases in Season 1 of High Potential have grown more interesting, though again, with the level of writing, the show too often leans on contrivances and coincidences where a show like Poker Face found ways to be more clever and concise.

My takeaway here seems to be that if you are one of the people who’ve tuned in to High Potential on ABC, and you haven’t yet seen Poker Face on Peacock, dive head first into the latter and binge away before Poker Face Season 2 arrives on the streaming service. You will not regret it.

There is a seemingly never-ending list of great options to binge on Netflix, and while I do love to actually make a trip to the theater, there’s no denying the convenience of streaming. After hearing some positive things about His Three Daughters — an offering on Netflix’s 2024 schedule — I decided to check it out, despite knowing the subject matter might hit a little close to home. It’s now been weeks since I watched the movie about three sisters navigating their father’s final days, and I still cannot shake how true it felt to my family’s own experiences with end-of-life care.

His Three Daughters stars Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen as estranged sisters who come together at their father’s home, where Rachel (Lyonne) has been living with and caring for their sick father. Old wounds and a complicated family dynamic are quickly revealed as they all deal with his impending death in their own ways. The story really stuck with me, and here are a few reasons it felt so real.

I Saw Parts Of Myself And My Family In Each Of The Three Sisters

First, I want to say that I would never pretend to be an expert on the topic of hospice or caretaking. I can only speak to my limited experience, which includes my husband and I providing end-of-life care for a loved one a few years ago and seeing other members of my family serve as long-term caregivers. I know every family’s experience is different, everybody handles grief differently, and every family has its own drama to contend with. All of those individualities are exactly why I was not prepared to see so much of myself and my family in the very specific characters of His Three Daughters (which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription).

I recognized Rachel’s discomfort with having Katie (Carrie Coon) and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) in the house while simultaneously being relieved to finally have some help. I saw Katie’s gratitude for Rachel caring for their dad present itself as judgment and jealousy. Christina’s guilt was ever-present, whether that was over not having been around to help Rachel or guilt that to be with her father meant she wasn’t home taking care of her own kids.

More than their overall personalities, there were a lot of small moments and anxieties that struck a familiar chord with me: someone obsessing over paperwork, someone needing validation, decisions over grocery shopping, documenting breathing changes and fretting over who — if anyone — was in the room with the person receiving the care. This may have been a fictional family, but it felt all too real to me.

The Feelings Of Isolation Were Beautifully Portrayed

One thing that struck me right off the bat was Katie’s tendency to talk at people instead of to them. I thought this would bother me, but I came to understand it as her way of coping. She was often giving monologues, not noticing or caring if her audience was paying attention, because she was just trying to process the situation for herself. It was very "main character syndrome," but also pretty understandable given that her dad was dying. Rachel and Christina had their own ways of showing how isolated they felt.

The camera work also helped to drive home the feeling that they were going through this along, even when surrounded by each other. So many of the conversations between the women showed just one of them, shots lingering on their faces rather than switching to capture her sister’s response.

The Sisters’ Interactions With The Hospice Nurse Were Some Of The Most Relatable Moments

I think I was most amused by the sisters’ interactions with the hospice workers, a profession which filmmaker Azazel Jacobs paid tribute to by naming one character “Angel.” It’s because those moments were so relatable that I was able to find some humor there.

In addition to Katie and Christina obsessing over their advocates’ names being Angel (“That’s quite a name, considering what you do.”) and Mirabella (“I’m sorry, it’s just so weird that’s her name. I keep picturing my daughter when you mention her.”), some of the conversations they had with Angel felt like someone had secretly recorded that time in my life and was playing back my words coming from the characters’ mouths.

I remember us being desperate for any morsel of information, hanging on every word of our very patient hospice nurse. So it was funny to me, in a way, to see the women doing the same thing, asking the same questions and prying for information, only to then question the nurse's expertise or try to dispel what was said. Katie continuously thought their advocate was speaking in code, telling Christina at one point:

Every family has that cynic, right? I recall being upset by that person in my family, but that was their filter on the situation, just like that was Katie’s very specific view. Again, I was just struck by the thought that something that felt so unique to me could actually have been more universal than I realized.

The Ending Threw Me For A Loop — But Only For A Minute

I won’t go too far into the specifics of a certain twist so as to avoid spoiler territory, but there was a scene toward the end that caught me off guard because it lacked the realism that I’d felt from the rest of the movie. I was pretty quick to figure out what was going on, and everything was revealed fairly quickly. I've been back and forth about what I think about it, and I've landed on being glad it happened like it did. It gave a sense of closure to the audience, even if the same can't be said for Rachel, Katie and Christina.

I can only speak for my own experience with end-of-life care, and I’m certain that not everybody will have the same takeaway from this film, but I found His Three Daughters to be incredibly relatable. It’s remained with me to the point that even weeks after watching it, there’s a part of me that is remembering little moments I’d forgotten about. A little time and distance (from both my family’s experiences and the 2024 movie’s release) have also allowed me to see some of those moments from a different perspective.

The idea of having roommates has never been more fun thanks to FOX’s comedy series, New Girl. Even though it’s been over and done with for years, it remains one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever. Aside from hitting play on the hilarious sitcom for all the great bits in the loft, it’s also a blast for all the major actors who guest-starred over the years. While there are way too many for this list to hold, we’ve compiled some of the biggest names that appeared on the show.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis guest starred as the mother of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day in the Season 2 episode, “Parents.” Curtis was a great pick to match the quirky spirit of the sitcom’s leading character, and she returned to the series five more times after her initial debut on the series in Season 2.

Taylor Swift

When one thinks of Taylor Swift, sure, “actor” isn’t the first title that comes to mind, but over the years the phenomenon of a singer/songwriter has racked up numerous acting credits in projects like The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam along. Oh, and what about all those epic Taylor Swift music videos? Anyways, Swift made an appearance in the Season 2 finale of New Girl when Cece is getting married to Shivrang. At the altar, the groom calls off the wedding to say that he wants to marry Swift’s character of Elaine instead.

Prince

One of the most memorable moments in New Girl has to be when the cast is invited to go to a party at Prince’s house… and they actually meet Prince. The Season 3 episode came about thanks to the iconic artist expressing interest in appearing in the show as a fan of the comedy. There’s nothing like that scene when Nick and Jess have a freakout when he appears.

Tiffany Haddish

Girls Trip actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish had a small role in the Season 3 episode “Exes” as a date of Damen Wayans Jr’s Coach. She is part of the plotline of Schmidt deciding to get his own apartment and encouraging Winston and Coach to use the place whenever they like for their hookups. In the scene, all three of them have used it at once and it freaks out Haddish’s character of Leslie.

Rob Reiner

All In The Family’s Rob Reiner returned to the sitcom fold as Jess Day’s dad, Bob, in multiple episodes of New Girl. The beloved actor (and director of classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me) was in eleven total episodes of the series, appearing in almost every season of the show.

Lisa Bonet

The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Teachers” as an education guru named Brenda Brown. Jess and Coach meet the character while attending together. She calls Coach out for his attitude during the presentation that causes him to stop being Jess’s “buffer” while she tries to ignore her feelings for a British teacher she’s crushing on at her school.

Kaitlin Olson

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson (who is back for Season 17 of the comedy) guest starred in New Girl for two episodes in Season 4. She plays Bob Day’s much younger fiancée, who happened to be the high school rival of Jess and Cece back in the day.

Josh Gad

The Book of Mormon and Frozen’s beloved snowman voice actor Josh Gad guest starred in three separate episodes of New Girl (in Season 2, 3 and 4) as a delivery man named Bearclaw who falls head over heels with Jess. He first appears in the episode “Katie” as a blind date gone wrong before also being in “Birthday” and “Walk of Shame.”

Dermot Mulroney

My Best Friend’s Wedding actor Dermot Mulroney is “Fancyman” in New Girl. The actor appeared as a guest star in eight episodes of the show throughout its run after becoming a favorite in Season 1. In the two part episode “Fancyman,” he is introduced as the wealthy father of one of Jess’s students who she strikes up a romance with.

Olivia Rodrigo

Yes, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress turned massive pop star Olivia Rodrigo was on New Girl, but it was before reaching mega-stardom. In the Season 6 episode “Young Adult,” Rodrigo plays one of the students in Jess’s school who becomes a huge fan of Nick Miller’s novel The Pepperwood Chronicles. In an effort for her students (including Rodrigo’s character of Terrinea) to like her better, Jess sets up a meeting between a few of the students and Nick.

Megan Fox

In Season 5 of New Girl, Zooey Deschanel was pregnant in real life and since that was not in the cards yet for Jess Day, the decision was made to have her character leave for a while on Jury Duty while Deschanel went on maternity leave. The creators decided to bring in Megan Fox’s Reagan to take Jess’s place and she ended up being part of 15 episodes of the series. Fox is of course also known for being in the Transformers movies, Jennifer’s Body and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Alan Ritchson

Before Alan Ritchson starred in one of the best Amazon Prime shows, Reacher, the actor had a memorable guest spot on New Girl in the episode “Micro”. In the Season 4 episode, Ritchson used his comedic chops as a guy Jess is seeing who she struggles with getting past the fact that Ritchson’s Matt has a micro penis.

Henry Winkler

Happy Days and Barry actor Henry Winkler appeared in New Girl (alongside the incredible Julie Hagerty and Taran Killam) in the Season 5 episode “What About Fred.” In the episode, Jess is dating a guy named Fred (Killam), who she finds very boring, but falls for spending time with his charismatic parents Winkler and Hagerty’s Flip and Nancy.

Parker Posey

Parker Posey, aka the “Queen of the Indies,” especially during the best movies of the 1990s, had a great guest appearance in New Girl during the Season 2 episode “Re-Launch.” Schmidt is having a re-branding party for himself and Posey plays a dishevelled shot girl who was not as advertised.

John Cho

Star Trek’s John Cho appeared on New Girl for the Season 5 episode “Jury Duty.” Jess tries to get out of getting on a case for a chance to be acting principal. She asks her friends to help, but fails miserably in front of Cho’s character, who ends up being the man questioning her for the case after they initially have a flirty meet-cute.

Adam Brody

The OC and Nobody Wants This’s Adam Brody was one of Jess’s ex-boyfriend’s, Berkley, in the Season 3 episode, “Exes.” In the episode, Jess tries to prove to Nick that exes can still be friends by introducing him to Berkley, but she’s proved wrong when she finds out his true intentions.

Quinta Brunson

Before Quinta Brunson was the Emmy-winning creator and star of the hit ABC comedy, Abbott Elementary, she had a brief role in New Girl, in the Season 7 episode “Mario.” When Nick is trying to propose to Jess, she unexpectedly adopts a dog, throwing off his plans. Brunson plays a restaurant host that Nick speaks to on the phone as the plans shift.

Stephen Amell

Arrow star Stephen Amell, who played the Green Arrow for eight seasons on The CW, was on New Girl for a couple of episodes in Season 1. He played Cece’s jerk boyfriend Kyle in “The 23rd” and “Valentine’s Day.” Cece ends things with Kyle in the latter episode after realizing she has feelings for Schmidt.

Jessica Biel

7th Heaven and The Sinner actress Jessica Biel stopped by New Girl for the Season 4 premiere “The Last Wedding.” When the gang goes to yet another wedding, Biel plays a single woman who ends up competing with Jess to earn the affection of its best man (played by Reid Scott).

Justin Long

Justin Long had a memorable guest star arc on the first season of New Girl. He plays Paul Genzlinger, a music teacher co-worker of Jess’s whom she starts dating in time for the show’s first Thanksgiving episode. Paul is often thought of as a male version of Jess. After the couple date for about a month and breakup, Long made a re-appearance in Season 4’s “Walk Of Shame.”

Linda Cardellini

New Girl fans got to meet Jess’s sister, Abby Day, in Season 3 through Linda Cardellini’s three-episode arc. The Dead To Me actress plays Jess’s troublemaker older sibling, who is just about completely opposite to the sitcom’s leading actress. Jess is constantly embarrassed by Abby’s behavior when she comes to stay in the loft after Jess saves her from prison.

Alexandra Daddario

Baywatch and The White Lotus’ Alexandra Daddario played one of the neighbors to the New Girl gang in two episodes of the series. Daddario’s Michelle is deemed as one of the “hot” new neighbors that Schmidt, Winston, Coach scramble to impress after their first meeting left something to be desired. Daddario appears in Season 3’s “Mars Landing” and Season 4’s “Goldmine.”

Andy Samberg

For quite a few years, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were both big comedies airing on FOX at the same time. So in Season 6, the networks decided to crossover the comedies with a special New York episode for New Girl. While the friends are in the Big Apple, Jess gets some help from Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta and the other cast. (The cast of New Girl was also on an episode of B99 called “The Night Shift” that aired the same week in 2016).

Peter Gallagher

The OC’s Peter Gallagher was in multiple episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s father, Gavin. The vineyard owner first appears in the Season 5 episode “D-Day” when Jess is assisting Schmidt with wedding preparations. Gallagher, who has also been in famous movies like American Beauty and While You Were Sleeping, was a great fit to play Schmidt’s absentee dad.

Randall Park

Before Randall Park became the star of Fresh Off The Boat, Always Be My Maybe and WandaVision, he was briefly in a Season 1 episode of New Girl as an employee at a phone company (with frosted tips), who makes fun of Nick for his crazy low credit score.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne is a famous TV actress for her roles in Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll and Poker Face. Prior to those roles, she had a small role in New Girl’s third episode ever, “Wedding.” She played Gretchen Nelson, an acquaintance of Schmidt, who he ends up sleeping with at every wedding they both attend even though he claims he cannot stand her.

Dylan O'Brien

Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien plays the guy Jess Day lost her virginity to on the night of her prom back when she was in high school. In the episode “Virgins” from Season 2, Jess runs into him many years after their first meeting, but what could have been a sexual fantasy turns into an embarrassing moment for the two of them.

Brenda Song

The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody actress Brenda Song was in a few episodes in Season 2 (and one in Season 3) as Daisy, a love interest for Winston. It’s a short-lived romance for Winston, but Song is a guest star in what we consider to be No. 1 of the best New Girl episodes, “Cooler.”

Joey King

Before Joey King was the star of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth movies or the numerous 2024 movies she’s been in like A Family Affair, Uglies and Despicable Me 4, she was a popular child actor who was in Ramona & Beezus with Selena Gomez or the Taylor Swift music video “Mean.” She was also in a Season 1 episode of New Girl called “Bully” as one of Jess’s students.

Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino, known for the Spy Kids movies and being in multiple Mike Flanagan horror projects was in three 2012 episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s new boss, Emma. In the first episode Gugino stars in “Menzies,” Schmidt gets into a sexual contract with her that doesn’t go as planned.

Nick Kroll

The very funny Nick Kroll is known for starring in The League, along with creating the Kroll Show and Netflix’s Big Mouth. In Season 2’s “Chicago,” where the gang goes to Nick’s hometown for his father’s funeral, Kroll plays one of Nick Miller’s brothers, alongside Bill Burr! You can tell Kroll and Burr had tons of fun with the Chicago accent bringing some levity to a rather emotional New Girl episode.

Fred Armisen

Saturday Night Live favorite (who was behind some of SNL's funniest recurring characters) and Portlandia lead Fred Armisen had a brief role in New Girl for the season five episode “No Girl.” While Jess is at jury duty, the gang rent out her room to random people, and Armisen plays a guy named Brandon. His short time there made a huge impression because of how funny he is with the guys. Remember when he read Schmidt his romance writing or dressed up like Jess at one point?

Even the greatest actors have ups and downs in their careers. For some, it's more dramatic than others. John Travolta was virtually forgotten about before Quentin Tarantino cast him in Pulp Fiction, for example. Then there was "The McConaissance," when Matthew McConaughey roared back to prominence. Those two are hardly alone in finding roles that brought them back. Here is our list of 32 roles that saved actors' careers. 

Pulp Fiction - John Travolta

This was a big one. In the late '70s, there wasn't a bigger star than John Travolta. On the strength of a hit TV show (Welcome Back, Kotter), and two huge hits at the box office with Saturday Night Fever and Grease, Travolta was on top of the world. Then, almost all of a sudden, poof, he was gone. In the 16 years between Grease in 1978 and 1994, he appeared in only 11 movies, and three of those were Look Who's Talking movies and most of them bombed. Then Tarantino came along and cast him as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and once again, Travolta was on top of the business and he's never looked back. 

Dallas Buyers Club - Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey exploded onto the scene in the early '90s in Dazed And Confused, where he delivered some of the most iconic quotes. In the mid-90s he started playing more dramatic roles in movies like A Time To Kill, Contact, and Amistad. By the early 2000s, he established himself as a popular lead in rom-coms. Then, after a few of his movies struggled to make an impact in the late 2000s, his star faded a little. That all changed in 2013 when he starred in, and won a Best Actor Oscar, for Dallas Buyers Club and The McConaissance was born. 

Stranger Things - Winona Ryder

With movies like Beetlejuice, Heathers,  The Age of Innocence, and Little Women, Winona Ryder was a superstar in the late '80s and early '90s. But in the early '00s, after some bad press for her shoplifting conviction, Ryder's star had fallen quite a bit and she even took a short break from acting. Though she never fell off the map completely, it wasn't until she starred in Stranger Things starting in 2016, that Ryder returned to the top. 

Judy - Renée Zellweger

Between Jerry McGuire in 1996 and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2005, Renée Zellweger was one of the most popular and successful actors in Hollywood. With a slew of hits and awards,  Zellweger could do no wrong. Then, after a few less-than-successful movies, the industry showed how fickle it could be and she fell off the A-list. That all changed in 2019 with Judy, followed up with the TV series The Thing About Pam.

The Whale - Brendan Fraser

the 1990s were Brendan Fraser's decade. He had some massive hits, most notably The Mummy in 1999, but soon after, it's like everything dried up. He worked still, but barely and it left the world asking what had become of the heartthrob. He answered every one with his amazing performance in The Whale, winning the Best Actor Oscar and roaring back to the top. 

Birdman - Michael Keaton

In the 1980s, Michael Keaton delivered some of the funniest lines in some of the funniest movies. In the mid-90s and early 00s, his career slowed a bit. He was still working but wasn't the big star he'd been when he got the role in Tim Burton's Batman. That is, of course, until he starred as an actor much like himself in Birdman and brought the great actor back to the top of the A-list. 

House Of Cards - Robin Wright

When she burst onto the scene in The Princess Bride, the sky was the limit for Robin Wright. She reached new heights with her role as Jenny in Forrest Gump but found herself a tabloid regular with her marriage to Sean Penn. Ultimately, she found perhaps her greatest fame when she landed the role of Claire Underwood in Netflix's House Of Cards. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once - Ke Huy Quan

Has there ever been a feel-good story in Hollywood like Ke Huy Quan's return to fame after winning an Oscar for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once? After decades of virtually not working in the industry, having found fame as a kid, Quan was once again the toast of the town. 

Halloween (2018) - Jamie Lee Curtis

She's been called the original slasher film "final girl" for her role in the original Halloween, and Jamie Lee Curtis rode that fame to the top of Hollywood. You might not remember, but in 2006 she actually announced her retirement from acting. Though she didn't give it up completely, she was very selective about roles, mostly playing supporting characters. That changed with 2018 Halloween when she roared back into the business head first. 

Sin City - Mickey Rourke

People forget just how huge Mickey Rourke was in the 80s. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him, as they say. Then, he decided he'd put acting on the back burner and become a boxer. After a somewhat successful run, he returned to acting, and with Sin City and The Wrestler, Rouke was back on top in Hollywood

Scream - Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore became a huge star as a kid in the 1980s with movies like E.T. and Firestarter. In her teens, some personal problems derailed things a little, but when she starred in Scream, it brought her completely back and she's never looked back. 

Wild - Reese Witherspoon

When Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for her performance in 2005's Walk The Line, she was on top of the world. Just a few years later though, after a string of poorly performing romance movies Witherspoon dubbed her "love triangle period," her career hit a valley. Then came Wild which marked not only her resurgence as an actor but her transition to big-time producer as well. 

Iron Man - Robert Downey, Jr

There probably isn't a more famous comeback story than Robert Downey, Jr. After years of personal problems and addiction, his career looked like it was going to be completely wasted. Then Downey sobered up and landed the role of a lifetime as Tony Stark/Iron Man and the rest is history. 

Arrested Development - Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman has had quite a few ups and downs in his career. In the '80s, he was a teen star on the verge of big things, but then his career hit a serious lull. It really wasn't until the cult success of Arrested Development that Bateman once again commanded must-see TV. 

Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

With big roles in 90s TV shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Two Guys And A Girl, Ryan Reynolds was poised for huge success. At first, that's what he found, but it started to fizzle out with a string of forgettable movies in the late '00s and early teens, including the disaster that was The Green Lantern. Then came another superhero movie in 2015 called Deadpool and now he will be doing that until he's 90. 

Yellowjackets - Christina Ricci

By no fault of her own, Christina Ricci's career hit a string of bad luck with projects that she shined in, but for one reason or another didn't capture the attention of audiences. That changed, obviously, with Yellowjackets starting in 2021. 

The Godfather - Marlon Brando

People forget that when Francis Ford Coppola cast Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Brando was on the outs in Hollywood. It's well-known lore at this point that Coppola had to fight to get the legend in the movie, but we're all grateful he did. 

24 - Kiefer Sutherland

With roles in Stand By Me, The Lost Boys,  and the two Young Guns movies, the late '80s and early '90s were big for Kiefer Sutherland. The mid and late '90s saw a bit of a lull with some box office disappointments. In 2001, Sutherland took on the role of Jack Bauer in 24, which quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV and Sutherland rode it to a new level of fame. 

 Orange Is The New Black - Natasha Lyonne

Legal and personal problems almost completely derailed Natasha Lyonne's promising career in the '00s. Thankfully, she got the help she needed and cleaned up, she scored a role on the Netflix hit Orange Is The New Black and she's continued to crush in a number of roles since. 

This Is Us - Mandy Moore

Around the turn of the century, Mandy Moore was unstoppable, starring in hit movies and charting on the Top 40. It was in 2016, however, when she was cast as the matriarch in This Is Us that her fame shot to an entirely new level. 

The Town - Ben Affleck

After a big decade in the '90s, Ben Affleck's fame in the '00s was more about the tabloids than it was about his filmography. It took a few years, but eventually, he proved to everyone how great a filmmaker he was with The Town in 2010, and ever since, he's been crushing it. 

Monster-in-Law - Jane Fonda

There weren't many bigger stars in Hollywood than Jane Fonda in the '70s and '80s. Then, in 1991, she announced she was retiring from acting, coinciding with her marriage to Ted Turner. She returned, to everyone's delight, in 2005's Monster-In-Law alongside Jennifer Lopez and has scoring hits ever since. 

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle - Neil Patrick Harris

Like his character on Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris was a prodigy. However after the hit show ended, he struggled to move into more adult roles. Surprisingly, it was playing a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle that landed him back on audiences' radar screens, and then he landed his most famous gig on How I Met Your Mother

Bohemian Rhapsody - Mike Myers

Mike Myers was everywhere in the 1990s. From SNL to Wayne's World (one of the best movies based on an SNL character) to Shrek to Austin Powers, he was on top of the world. In 2010, after a string of box office misses, he retreated from the scene, only to emerge with a glorious role in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. 

John Wick - Keanu Reeves

After proving to be box office gold for a couple of decades, Keanu Reeves had a string of misses in the late '00s, but when he teamed up with director Chad Stahelski for John Wick in 2014, he helped launch a whole new franchise that continues to pump out hits. 

Unfaithful - Diane Lane

Diane Lane has always been selective about her roles, going back to her early days in Hollywood in the '80s. This has led to multiple career "revivals" but the most notable has to be her turn in the hit Unfaithful in 2002 which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars in 2003. 

Airplane! - Leslie Nielsen

For a generation of audiences, Leslie Nielson will forever be known for his roles in some of the best parody movies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun. But before Nielson was delivering hilarious lines in those movies, he was known for his dramatic acting., though his career had slowed before he reinvented himself in the first Airplane!  

Striptease - Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds was one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the '70s, but a few poorly received movies in the '80s knocked him off that lofty perch. While many might point to his role in Boogie Nights in 1997 as reviving his career, it was really his hilarious performance in Striptease from a year earlier that put him back on the map.

No Country For Old Men - Josh Brolin

After finding success as a young star in the 1980s in movies like The Goonies, Josh Brolin hit a career drought that lasted more than a decade and left him wondering if he'd ever regain his earlier success. He did so and more after his amazing turn in No Country For Old Men in 2007 and has been one of Hollywood's best ever since. 

Trading Places - Don Ameche

With an amazing career that had started in the 1930s, Don Ameche's bookings dried up in the 1970s. Luckily for all of his, he landed a role as one of the Duke Brothers in Trading Places and he once again was a huge star, this time with a whole new, younger, generation of fans. 

Sea of Love - Al Pacino

It is easy to forget that even the greatest sometimes find themselves in slumps. Such was the case with Al Pacino in the mid 1980s. After all the incredible success of the '70s, he learned how fickle Hollywood can be and it wasn't until 1989's Sea Of Love that Pacino regained his rightful spot among the elite. 

Rocky Balboa - Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone is responsible for some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, but even the great ones stumble. Stallone had a pretty rough run of bad movies in the late '90s and early '00s, but when he returned to his roots in 2006's Rocky Balboa, he once again found his footing and not only starring in Rambo, reviving his other monster franchise, but he launched a new one with The Expendables.

The streaming wars are showing no signs of slowing down, with the various services offering a variety of new and exciting content. One new film that might end up being one of the best Netflix movies out there is Azazel Jacobs' His Three Daughters, which is streaming now for those with a Netflix subscription. I recently streamed the flick, and have to talk about the family dynamics, especially as we slowly get closer to The Holidays.

His Three Daughters focuses on (you guessed it) three sisters, adult women who are forced to cohabitate as their father is in hospice care. Director Azazel Jacobs put tributes to hospice nurses in the film, but other than that its largely about the three women's relationships with each other. And I loved how realistic it felt, especially in the way that family occasions tend to bring out honesty among relatives... for better or worse. 

I personally tuned into His Three Daughters largely because of its trio of leading actresses, including The Gilded Age icon Carrie Coon and Wanda Maximoff herself, MCU fan favorite Elizabeth Olsen. From the start of the movie, it's clear just how three different each of the characters are. Olsen's Christina is overly positive but missing her young daughter, Coon's Katie is trying to take control while admonishing Lyonne's Rachel, who is struggling with the invasion of her home. 

While the subject matter is obviously quite emotional since they're comparing for their father's death, in some ways it feels like it could set during any family event or holiday. The three sisters are brought together, and once cohabitating tensions naturally rise.

The titular characters of His Three Daughters are so specific and vastly different from each other, so it makes sense that they might have a unique set of issues with each other. Add in the stress of their father's end of life care, and all of the walls come down for a moving look at this particular family's dynamic. 

The sisters didn't have soap opera-like drama with each other, but instead they're just very different people who can sometimes struggle to be around each other. This is no doubt relatable for plenty of siblings out there. But just because they can get on each other's nerves doesn't mean they don't love each other.

Aside from all the sibling dynamics, the story about a family coping through end of life care is also something that is sure to touch Netflix subscribers who have dealt with this in the real world. Azazel Jacobs' direction and writing doesn't try to lean on melodrama here, but instead offers a realistic and touching portrayal. With a fascinating use of color and perfect pacing, His Three Daughters builds to an emotional crescendo that's sure to elicit strong feelings. 

His Three Daughters is streaming now on Netflix. Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan what you're watching next year. 

Among the latest of the 2024 movies is His Three Daughters, which brings together a trio of talents with Elizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne and Carrie Coon playing sisters. Just ahead of the movie’s premiere at Toronto International Film Festival and its current place in select theaters, CinemaBlend spoke to the three actresses about their prior experiences as theater actors.

I seriously could have seriously listened to these ladies swap stories for hours! A clip of our conversation is above. I loved what each of them had to say about how their time in theater has changed the way they have approached their movie and TV careers over the years. Let’s start with Elizabeth Olsen’s answer:

Elizabeth Olsen is undoubtedly most known for playing Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the MCU, which she has recently talked bluntly about. Before all that, she had one of her earliest roles in a New York production, as she spoke to in our interview. At the time, she recalls being very nervous and stressed out about performing live, but once she broke down what she needed to do, everything clicked in. Natasha Lyonne, who Olsen recently said “needs no advice” in her upcoming MCU debut, also shared her own memorable theater experience, saying this:

Natasha Lyonne recalled doing the off-Broadway production back in 2010 that helped her unlock a new aspect of what it’s like to really be an actor that she had never understood prior. It’s pretty wild when you think about the story considering Lyonne’s credits go back to the ‘80s when she was a child actor. As she spoke to, being on stage with Ethan Hawke made for a core memory for her that she takes with her today. As she continued:

Then there’s Carrie Coon, who recently was part of the cast of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, who has done a ton of theater over the years. Here’s what she had to add to the conversation:

It’s so lovely to see these three women talk about the shared moments that made them think about acting in a new way and how it happened on stage for each of them. It’s a perfect conversation for them to have for His Three Daughters, because the drama really feels like a play in a lot of ways as their characters navigate taking care of their father, who is in hospice.

His Three Daughters is in theaters now and you can watch these three in the film with your Netflix subscription starting September 20.

Following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival a year ago, the Azalea Jacobs-directed His Three Daughters will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription later this month. This 2024 movie release stars Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne, all of whom are also among the Marvel Cinematic Universe talents. In Lyonne’s case, we won’t see her in the franchise until The Fantastic Four: First Steps is released in summer 2025, but Olsen is confident that the Russian Doll actress will be able to navigate this superhero franchise with ease.

While Olsen and Coon, who have respectively played Scarlet Witch and Proxima Midnight in the MCU, were chatting with GamesRadar+ about His Three Daughters, the former was asked if she had any guidance for Lyonne following her casting in the newest Fantastic Four reboot. She responded:

Carrie Coon added that Natasha Lyonne is “one of the smartest people I've ever met,” so she’s also confident that her co-star on this upcoming Netflix movie won’t have any trouble with being part of the MCU. Lyonne was reported to be part of The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast back in may, though who she’s playing remains a mystery. This will be her second superhero movie, having previously voiced Merton in DC League of Super Pets.

Natasha Lyonne’s costars in First Steps include Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Ralph Ineson as Galactus and Julia Garner as a female version of The Silver Surfer. Like Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser and John Malkovich have also been cast in undisclosed roles. Additionally, it’s rumored that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will cameo in First Steps before taking center stage as the lead antagonist for the upcoming Marvel movies Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Specific plot details for The Fantastic Four: First Steps remain under wraps aside from the fact that the movie will take place on a different Earth in the Marvel multiverse rather than the main MCU reality and that Galactus will, of course, want to devour said Earth. Whatever goes down in this movie, the core quartet of protagonists will be back for Doomsday and Secret Wars, no doubt to help the other MCU heroes battle Victor von Doom. First Steps is directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shankman, and Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, Josh Friedman, Cameron Squires, Eric Pearson, and Peter Cameron all worked on the script.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025, but hopefully we’ll learn who Natasha Lyonne is playing in it long beforehand. Break out your Disney+ subscription if you now have a hankering to go through the Marvel movies in order or any of the MCU’s TV shows.

The Fantastic Four have had a rocky time of it on the film front. A movie starring Marvel’s First Family made in 1994 never even got released, the movies from the 2000s earned mixed critical reception and never made much of a splash at the box office, and the 2015 reboot was a dud all around. But it’s like the old saying goes, the fifth time’s the charm, right? Maybe not, but we do know that The Fantastic Four: First Steps will finally give audiences a version of this team that are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

Plot-wise, little has been revealed about this upcoming Marvel movie, though it's been confirmed it will be set in another universe rather than the main MCU reality. What has been an open book is learning which actors are starring in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which includes Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby playing two of its heroes. So let’s discuss them and the others who have been announced or reported so far.

Pedro Pascal

Although Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw John Krasinski cameoing as Earth-838’s Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, he’s not reprising the role for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Instead, it’ll be Pedro Pascal bringing the stretchy superhero to life following Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller. In addition to having prior superhero movie experience from playing Maxwell Lord in Wonder Woman 1984, Pascal goes deep with genre projects overall, with that list including Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian and The Last of Us.

Vanessa Kirby

Unlike Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby doesn’t already have superhero movie experience, but she does know her way around the action genre thanks to Hobbs & Shaw and two of the Mission: Impossible movies, with a third one on the way. She’s also well known for playing Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon on The Crown as a series regular in the first two seasons, and a guest role in Season 5. She’ll succeed Jessica Alba and Kate Mara in playing Sue Storm, a.k.a. The Invisible Woman, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Ebon Moss-Bachrach has already spent some time in the MCU playing David Lieberman, a.k.a. Micro, in The Punisher Season 1, but needless to say Benjamin Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, is a much bigger role, one previously played by Michael Chiklis and Jamie Bell. The actor’s other genre experience includes NOS4A2 and Andor, but these days, he’s most famous for playing Richie Jerimovich in The Bear, which netted him an Emmy win and Golden Globe nomination, among other accolades.

Joseph Quinn

Joseph Quinn has been professionally acting for over a decade, but in 2022, he gained worldwide fame for playing Eddie Munson in Stranger Things Season 4. That paved the way for him to be cast in A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2, but The Fantastic Four: First Steps is arguably his biggest project yet. Like Chris Evans and Michael B. Jordan before him, he’s been cast as Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch.

Julia Garner

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, then there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Julia Garner from Ozark and/or Inventing Anna. Film-wise, her body of work includes The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For and The Royal Hotel, but it’s safe to say that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is her biggest cinematic project yet. Garner has reportedly been cast as Shalla-Bal, who is the love interest of Norris Radd, a.k.a. The Silver Surfer, in the comics. However, apparently for this movie, Garner’s version of Shalla-Bal will be Silver Surfer instead, which begs the question of where thing with Norrin stand, assuming we even see him.

Paul Walter Hauser

From I, Tonya and Richard Jewell to Cruella and Da 5 Bloods, Paul Walter Hauser has acted in some major movies over the years, and he’s also been present throughout Cobra Kai as Stingray. As far the Fantastic Four reboot goes, his role is officially being kept a mystery for now, but we shouldn’t necessarily assume he’ll be on camera. Taking into account his voice acting work in Orion and the Dark and Inside Out 2, I suspect he may be the voice of H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot, who’s in the first official piece of concept art with Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny.

John Malkovich

Arguably the most famous actor on this list, John Malkovich is jumping back into the superhero movie genre for the first time since he played Quentin Turnbull in 2010’s Jonah Hex, although he did also play Marvin Boggs in the RED movies, which were loosely inspired by the same-named DC Comics limited series. In any case, as with Hauser, Malkovich’s role in The Fantastic Four: First Steps hasn’t been disclosed yet, but our own Eric Eisenberg is hoping he’ll play The Vulture, as the actor was going to bring that villain to life in the scrapped Spider-Man 4. It's more likely, though, that he's been cast as someone like Franklin Storm, Sue and Johnny's father.

Ralph Ineson

Remember when Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer depicted Galactus as a cosmic hurricane cloud? Well, that won’t be happen with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as Ralph Ineson has been cast in the role. Ineson, known from movies like The Witch and The Green Knight, confirmed this news on social media, though it remains to be seen if his version of Galactus will resemble his traditional appearance from the comics or be depicted differently. I also worry that Galactus’ inclusion in this movie could mean that the Fantastic Four’s Earth will be consumed by him, assuming this reboot does take place in another corner of the Marvel multiverse.

Natasha Lyonne

Whether you’ve been a fan of Natasha Lyonne stretching back to the days of American Pie and Scary Movie 2, or you became enamored with her from shows like Russian Doll and Poker Face, there’s no denying Natasha Lyonne’s talent. Now, per Deadline, she’ll enter the superhero genre by taking part in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Her role is being kept under wraps for now, though it would be interesting to see her paired with Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm as Alicia Masters, his blind, sculptor girlfriend.

Directed by Matt Shakman, and Josh Friedman having written the most recent draft of the script, The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025. Check back here for more casting additions, and remember that the majority of the Marvel movies in order and all of the MCU’s tie-in TV shows can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.

Fame is a tricky thing, and sometimes the biggest stars in the world can lose it all. Personal problems, changing times, and other factors can lead to a once-promising career disappearing almost over night. These stars, however, reversed their trajectories and came out on top after enduring rough times, in this list of actors who made remarkable career comebacks. 

Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert Downey, Jr was one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood in the 1980s, starring in films like Less Than Zero, Chaplin, and Natural Born Killers. In the mid-90s his life went infamously went off the rails with substance abuse problems. When it looked like he'd thrown it all away, he cleaned up and his fame exploded as he became one of the highest-paid actors in the MCU.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda has had a few ups and downs in her career. After breaking out as a star in the '60s, she was later shunned by many for her notorious trip to North Vietnam during the war. She rebounded and starred in hits like 9 to 5 and On Golden Pond. In 1991, Fonda married Ted Turner and completely stepped back from acting. She didn't appear in anything at all until after their divorce in 2001, but roared back to prominence in the 21st Century. 

Rob Lowe

As a member of the "Brat Pack" in the 1980s, Rob Lowe was on top of the world. That all came crashing down when a videotape of Lowe in a compromising situation was leaked. His hard partying had caught up to him, and though he got sober in 1992, he would spend much of the decade playing smaller roles or in direct-to-video movies. In 1999 he landed the role of Sam Seaborn in The West Wing and was once again on top, where he's stayed ever since. 

John Travolta

In the late '70s, there was no bigger star than John Travolta. From Welcome Back, Kotter to Grease and Saturday Night Fever, Travolta was in some of the biggest pop culture touchstones of all time. Then the '80s came and his career hit a serious lull. While he was in the hit Look Who's Talking and its sequels, it was 1994's Pulp Fiction that vaulted Travolta back to the top. 

Natasha Lyonne

In the late '90s, Natasha Lyonne was one of a group of budding stars in American Pie and other movies like Slums Of Beverly Hills before health and addiction problems derailed her career. Thankfully for all of us she came out of those those stronger and has since starred in fantastic shows like Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll. 

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser winning the Oscar for 2022 The Whale capped off one of the greatest comeback stories in Hollywood history. His work had all but completely dried up in the late '00s and 2010s, but his career has had the most incredible resurgence in the 2020s. 

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder defined "movie star" for late Gen Xers in the '90s, but after her infamous arrest for shoplifting in 2001, her career nosedived and she didn't appear in a movie for about three years after. For the next decade or so, she worked steadily but didn't regain her star power from early in her career. That changed when she starred in Stranger Things, starting in 2016, and she once again became a huge star. 

Dave Chappelle

In 2003 Dave Chappelle debuted Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central and it became a massive hit. Despite the network throwing tens of millions of dollars at the comedian to keep the show going, he turned it down and walked away. Chappelle stayed away for most of the next decade before reviving his standup career, and while Chappelle continues to garner controversy, it's safe to say he's as big as ever. 

Betty White

When Betty White died in 2021 she was mourned by millions. The beloved actress had been a television star since the 1940s, but not all of those years were in the spotlight. After early success in the '50s in Life with Elizabeth and other sitcoms, White's career hit a lull for more than a decade. She returned to the big time with her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the '70s, The Golden Girls in the '80s, and then later with Hot in Cleveland in the 2010s.

Ke Huy Quan

There is no more heartwarming story than that of Ke Huy Quan's resurgence. the actor, who first found fame as a child in The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, completely disappeared from Hollywood. For twenty years, he appeared in not one TV show or movie, before returning in 2021 with a role in Finding ʻOhana, and then winning an Oscar for his performance in 2022's Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton was a controversial choice when he was cast as Batman in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989, but it shows just how famous he was at that time. After Batman Returns, Keaton's star faded and he starred in a run of films to mixed reviews. In 2014 Keaton starred in the very meta Birdman, as a former superhero star looking to regain his fame. It worked, at least for Keaton. 

Katharine Hepburn

Anyone with a career as long as Katharine Hepburn's is bound to have some slow periods. The most amazing fact of the legendary actress' career was the 34-year span between Best Actress Oscars. She won in 1934 for Morning Glory and then again in 1968 and 1969 for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and The Lion in Winter, respectively. She would win her fourth 13 years later in 1982 for On Golden Pond. 

Mickey Rourke

In the 1980s Mickey Rourke starred in a string of hits. Eventually, though, his reputation as being difficult to work with overshadowed his performances and he was left in the Hollywood wilderness until triumphantly returning to his past glory in 2008 with The Wrestler.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier was one of the biggest stars of the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Then came the '80s, when he stepped away from acting and concentrated on directing, to mixed reviews. In 1988 he turned back to acting and had a wonderful late career resurgence with films like Shoot To Kill and Sneakers. 

Jason Bateman

In the 1980s it looked like Jason Bateman was a surefire bet to be a huge star. Then the '90s came and his career pretty much dried up. He had some guest spots on TV shows, but little else. He was all but forgotten. In 2003, Fox debut a show you may have heard of, Arrested Development, with Bateman as the star, and he's been huge ever since. 

Keanu Reeves

It's hard to remember a time when Keanu Reeves wasn't one of the biggest stars in the world, but after his success in the '90s and early '00s with The Matrix and Speed and more, he starred in a slew of commercial and critical failures. Thankfully for Reeves fans everywhere, John Wick came along and Reeves was back on top of the mountain, where he still is. 

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore almost became a Hollywood child star casualty after her string of hits as a kid in the 1980s. She had a rough childhood that led to substance abuse problems as a teenager. Against the odds, she got through it all and became an even bigger star on the other end. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris first got famous as a child prodigy playing a prodigy on Doogie Howser, MD. After the sitcom ended in 1993, he struggled to regain that popularity. That is, until he played a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle in 2004. Soon after he landed the role he's best known for, Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. 

Matthew McConaughey

Most of Matthew McConaughey's early career was made up of starring roles in rom-coms. In 2009 the Lincoln Lawyer star took a two-year acting hiatus to re-evaluate his career. He emerged in 2011 by taking on more serious roles and leaving his rom-com leading man reputation behind. Since the so-called "McConaissance," McConaughey's become on of the most acclaimed actors of the 21st century. 

Nicolas Cage

By 2009 Cage was one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood, and one of the highest-paid actors in the business, but it seems he couldn't curb his spending and ended up in debt to the IRS and other creditors. As a result, Cage seemingly took every job offered to him, and he put out an immense catalog of straight-to-video movies that few people have ever watched. Finally, in 2022, Cage revealed he was finally debt-free and started being more selective with his roles. this led to acclaimed roles in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and 2023's Dream Scenario.

Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore's career started like a comet as a singer in the late '90s which she parlayed into an acting career. That career slowed way down in the early 2010s, only to be revived in a massive way with her starring role on the NBC hit This Is Us. 

Christian Slater

With starring roles in Heathers, Pump Up The Volume, and Gleaming The Cube, Christian Slater became a Gen X icon. He scored a number of high-profile roles in big-budget movies in the '90s, before work started drying up in the early 2000s. He returned to Hollywood prominence with his award-winning role in Mr. Robot and has maintained it ever since. 

Luke Perry

Luke Perry was one of the biggest television stars of the 1990s as part of the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210. After the show ended though, his star faded some. That is, until he was cast in the CW's Riverdale and he was discovered by a whole new generation of fans. Tragically, Perry died in 2019 at age 52. 

Christina Ricci

Childhood success for Christina Ricci didn't immediately translate to success as an adult. She's always worked steadily, but her fame never quite reached the heights of her early career in The Addams Family. That changed in 2021 with Showtime's Yellowjackets. 

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh first found international fame with her roles in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouch Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She maintained a level of success, but she exploded to new heights with her Oscar-winning turn in 2022's Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. 

Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell was huge in the '90s with her starring role in the show Party Of Five and movies like The Craft and Wild Things. In the early 2000s, she starred in the Scream franchise, but hit a lull after that. Recently, she's been back on top with roles in The Lincoln Lawyer and Twisted Metal. 

Channing Tatum

Fans might not think that Channing Tatum has never had a career lull, but he has actually had a couple. He's always had to fight the idea that he's all looks and little substance (which is far from accurate), and that has affected his career at different points. He's always rebounded with strong performances like the one in Foxcatcher, however. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence's career hasn't really had a financial downturn, her lull was completely her choice. After a couple of poorly reviewed films and becoming the most famous victim of the iPhone hacking scandal, Lawrence stepped away from acting for two years in 2019. She triumphantly returned in the great movie Don't Look Up in 2021. 

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey was first famous for starring in teen comedies like Loverboy and Can't Buy Me Love. He bounced around for a few years after that, working steadily but hardly a star. That changed in a big way when he landed the role of Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in 2005 on Grey's Anatomy. 

Marlon Brando

The 1960s weren't kind to Marlon Brando. After establishing himself as a bonafide star and one of the finest actors of the 20th century in the '50s, his mercurial nature earned him a reputation as difficult to work with. A string of box office failures didn't help. Famously, he pushed hard to get the role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather, and wow, was that the right move! He won an Academy Award and reminded everyone how great an actor he was. 

David Carradine

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to help revive a star's career like he did with John Travolta. David Carradine was huge in the 1970s as the star of Kung Fu, and while he always found work, it took until Kill Bill in 2003 that he found that same level of fame again. 

Kiefer Sutherland

After becoming one of the biggest teen idols of the '80s, Kiefer Sutherland spent most of the '90s in smaller, supporting roles. In 2001, however, he landed the role of Jack Bauer in 24 and it became the part he's most known for, becoming a television icon over the run of the show. 

Fame, as they say, is fleeting, and these actors prove there can always be a second act in Hollywood. 

SPOILER WARNING! The following article contains major spoilers for the Peacock original series Poker Face. If you have not yet watched the show, continue at your own risk!

There is arguably no bigger name in the mystery genre right now than Rian Johnson. In 2019, the filmmaker dazzled audiences with the release of the critically acclaimed Knives Out, and a few years later he stunned with the hit Netflix follow-up, Glass Onion – but that’s far from all. Collaborating with star/producer/writer Natasha Lyonne, Johnson has also now made one of the best currently-running detective shows on television. The original series Poker Face – a Peacock original – is utterly brilliant, with each chapter centering on a wonderful protagonist in bullshit detector Charlie Cale and featuring stellar acting talent. Now that Season 1 is complete, it can be said that every episode is a scream.

But which is the best of all? That’s not at all an easy question to answer… but we’ve decided that we would take a crack at it anyway. Keeping in mind that there has yet to be a bad episode of Poker Face, we’ve taken on the challenge of ranking all of the individual mysteries we’ve seen thus far on the show. Kicking things off, we’ll start with a great how-done-it tale that just happens to not be as strong as what’s featured in the rest of the series thus far:

10. Episode 3: "The Stall"

By the end, the construction of “The Stall” doesn’t totally click (specifically, Charlie Cale stalling her conversation with Lil Rel Howery’s Taffy doesn’t really have the narrative kick/stakes that it is meant to have), but there is still a lot to love about the episode. It’s full of quirky ideas that quickly helped establish Poker Face’s voice in the first batch of episodes that became available streaming – including the fascist dog and a BBQ chef turned into a vegetarian by Bong Joon-ho’s Okja – but it simply isn't quite as good as the stuff that came before it and after it.

9. Episode 2: "The Night Shift"

Like “The Stall,” “The Night Shift” came out as part of the four-episode launch of Poker Face on Peacock, and it’s certainly an essential part of the show in that it’s the chapter that establishes the series as being episodic narratively and introduces the idea of having high-profile guest stars (namely Oscar-nominee Hong Chau and Cheers legend John Ratzenberger). The middle-of-nowhere setting is wonderful, and while the central crime isn’t as fascinating as what follows on the show, the solve based on the sequential numbering of lottery tickets is smart.

8. Episode 10: "The Hook"

It’s always a tricky thing for any episodic series to execute a more serial-focused story, and that’s the challenge in Poker Face’s Season 1 finale, “The Hook.” Because the episode is tasked with wrapping up the narrative that launched in the pilot (more on that in a bit), the solve of Ron Perlman’s Sterling Frost, Sr. isn’t as clever as what’s featured in the preceding pocket mysteries, but the twist with Benjamin Bratt’s Cliff Legrand is certainly well-earned, and an exciting future is teased with the introduction of Rhea Perlman's Beatrix Hasp (I weirdly hope all of the primary antagonists on the show going forward have the last name “Perlman.”)

7. Episode 4: "Rest In Metal"

“Rest In Metal” is where Poker Face really hits its stride in Season 1, and it comes from the episode featuring both killers with fantastic motives and Charlie Cale demonstrating some impressive skills sniffing them out. The idea of a desperate band being terrified of being screwed over again is a tremendous setup, and the magpie solve is wonderful. Let’s also be real and recognize that while it may be based on the Benson theme song, “Sucker Punch” rocks and is an effective earworm.

6. Episode 7: "The Future Of The Sport"

The genius of Poker Face is that you think you’re getting the full story in the Charlie-less first half of each episode, and then find yourself pleasurably slapped in the face by details that were subtly kept hidden. “The Future Of The Sport” does this incredibly well, starting with the big reveal of the victim’s identity. The mystery does a great job playing with your expectations when introduced to Tim Blake Nelson’s Kyle Owens and Charles Melton’s subtly psychotic Davis McDowell, and I also appreciate that Jasmine Aiyana Garvin’s Katy Owens doesn’t actually die, as a death-less episode is a nice change of pace for the protagonist’s 10-episode journey.

5. Episode 6: "Exit Stage Death"

“Exit Stage Death” finds itself with the middle spot on this list primarily because it features one of the best first halves in Poker Face Season 1, as it delightfully plays with your presumptions regarding who the victim and who the murderer are going to be. The murderous plot by Tim Meadows’ Michael Graves and Ellen Barkin’s Kathleen Townsend to take out Jameela Jamil’s Ava is terrifically wicked, and the twist with Audrey Corsa's surprisingly sociopathic Rebecca is a great cherry on top.

4. Episode 1: "Dead Man's Hand"

History is full of terrific shows that rebounded from mediocre pilots, but Poker Face is not one of those shows. There’s a lot of heavy lifting that’s done – from setting up the basic narrative structure of the series to introducing Charlie Cale’s whole deal – but it’s an effortless and engaging ride that instantly draws you in. The handling of the big exposition is wonderful, as we’re immediately made fascinated by the bullshit detector hero, and it’s law enforcement-less conclusion demonstrates that it doesn’t operate by the same rules as a lot of mystery shows, leaving imaginations running wild about all of the twists and turns to come.

3. Episode 8: "The Orpheus Syndrome"

If I need a laugh at any time during the day, I can now just conjure the image of Charlie Cale’s eye twitching in "The Orpheus Syndrome" as she hears Cherry Jones’ Laura blatantly lie declaring that the deaths of her husband (Tim Russ) and former business partner (Nick Nolte) were not a result of her actions. Natasha Lyonne makes some big stylistic swings in the episode that she both directed and co-wrote (along with Alice Ju), but it’s among the funniest and most thrilling episodes in Poker Face Season 1 and a remarkable tribute to the filmmaking genius of Industrial Light and Magic legend Phil Tippett.

2. Episode 9: "Escape From Shit Mountain"

Given that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Rian Johnson’s lucky charm, having worked with the writer/director on all of his projects since Brick, fans knew it was only a matter of time before the actor made an appearance on Poker Face, and he happens to do so in what is the second best episode. While there are a lot of laughs on the Peacock show, “Escape From Shit Mountain” is one of the scariest and most thrilling as Charlie finds herself as a victim trying to solve her own hit and run while stranded in the Rocky Mountains. The backstory with the missing snowboarder and the dark history between Gordon-Levitt’s Trey Mendez and David Castañeda's Jimmy is layered in perfectly, Stephanie Hsu’s “Mortimer Bernstein” is among the best supporting characters introduced on the series thus far.

1. Episode 5: "Time Of The Monkey"

“Is Charlie going to discover the murder but question whether or not she should reveal it?” That was the first bit of plot prognostication that went through my head watching “Time Of The Monkey” unfold, but it was definitely not the last, as the episode features some of the best and most insane twists in all of Poker Face Season 1. Epatha Merkerson’s Joyce Harris and Judith Light’s Irene Smothers seem like groovy and fun rebels at first glance (even Charlie is fooled), but the revelation that they are some of the scariest characters on the show is spectacular, and their murder plan is one of the best executed in the series thus far. The fact that the conclusion features Charlie battling the senior citizens before ultimately tasing herself to alert help secures the top spot in this ranking.

Poker Face Season 1 is now available to be streamed in its entirety with a Peacock subscription, and there’s never a bad time to rewatch as fans await the release of Season 2, which was confirmed to be in the works in February 2023. If you’re looking for similar shows to watch, check out our Poker Face-based recommendations streaming guide.

Charlie Cale has taken Peacock subscribers by storm in the new “case of the week” murder mystery series Poker Face from Glass Onion writer/director Rian Johnson. Natasha Lyonne gives every bit the hilarious and eccentric performance you’d hope for from a “human lie detector,” and the guest stars who pop up in each episode are icing on the cake for the smart twist on the “howcatchem” formula. Social media users continue to heap praise on all involved, as the series reached the halfway point in the season that fans are hoping will be the first of many.

Natasha Lyonne is the “Columbo” of Poker Face, playing Charlie Cale, a woman with a gift for sniffing out bullshit who can’t help but use her powers for good — even when her best intentions result in more tragedy. The amateur detective is also on the run, having made some very powerful enemies in the series premiere that set up Charlie’s nomadic lifestyle. 

The Peacock series opened to rave reviews — even eliciting praise from Stephen King — and five episodes in, the fanfare hasn’t really died down. Comedian Patrick Monahan thinks there should be a united front in Hollywood to ensure a lengthy run for Poker Face, tweeting: 

Film executive Franklin Leonard seconded that request in his own tweet, positing that maybe a few hundred episodes of the Natasha Lyonne-driven mystery series should suffice: 

It’s a treat to see which famous faces will grace our screens in each week’s new mystery, but one viewer pointed out possibly the only drawback to its serialized format: Every performance is so good that we are left desperate for more! In her words: 

Several Twitter users expressed disbelief that the episodes seem to be at least living up to — if not surpassing — Charlie Cale’s escapades from previous weeks. Episode 5, in particular, “Time of the Monkey,” took fans for a ride, thanks to the spectacular work of guest stars Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson.  

The feisty retirement home besties won over the viewers and Charlie alike. If we’re talking about guest stars who we need to see more of, this fan seems to have a recommendation: 

Even though Natasha Lyonne has some amazing support from the actors around her, anybody who’s a fan of her work in Russian Doll, Orange Is the New Black and more knows just how much she is capable of, and that was enough to attract many to what has become one of the best shows on Peacock. Take it from this fan: 

There are five episodes remaining in the first season of Poker Face, so if you haven’t jumped on the Charlie Cale bandwagon yet, you still have plenty of time to catch up with our new favorite case-of-the-week sleuth. Be sure to also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon. 

Stephen King may be best known for his contributions to the horror genre, but he's pretty damn talented when it comes to spinning a mystery. His Bill Hodges Trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End Of Watch) is terrific serialized detective fiction, and other excellent contributions to the craft include books like 2001's Black House and 2013's Joyland. The man clearly has an appreciation for whodunits and howdunits, which is why it's no surprise that he is now hooked on Peacock's critically-acclaimed Poker Face, and his praise has not gone unnoticed by the show's creator and star.

This weekend, in the wake of Poker Face's fifth episode becoming available to stream, Stephen King let the world know that he is a fan with a message posted to his personal Twitter page. In addition to calling the series "pure entertainment gold," he comments that Natasha Lyonne "shines" in the lead role – and Rian Johnson responded by turning the word use into a reference to one of King's most beloved books: The Shining. Check out his post below:

The complement didn't escape Natasha Lyonne's attention either. Instead of going to Quote Retweet route, she simply replied to Stephen King's post, and based on her GIF choice, it seems like the author complementing her work has effectively blown her mind:

If you've just been waiting for just one more reason to start watching Poker Face, let it be this enthusiastic thumbs up from one of the greatest fiction writers of all time and the reciprocated love sent back to him on social media.

On Poker Face, Natasha Lyonne stars as Charlie Cale, an unusual woman with a brilliant gift: she instantly knows when somebody is lying to her. In the aftermath of the amazing pilot episode, she finds herself on the run and moving all around the country, and she proves to have an unfortunate knack for getting in the middle of murder schemes during her travels. With her special talent, she unravels what's really going on, and finds her own way to propagate justice.

While there is a serial arc playing in the background, Poker Face is primarily episodic in its storytelling structure, and a number of amazing actors have already made appearances, including Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt, Hong Chau, John Ratzenberger, Lil Rel Howery, Chloë Sevigny, Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson.

If you're a fan of Knives Out and Glass Onion, it's definitely a must-watch, as Rian Johnson's mystery sensibilities are deep in the DNA of both (like those movies, Poker Face is able to both provide big thrills and big laughs). All you need to get onboard is to sign up for a Peacock subscription.

At present, Poker Face is right square in the middle of its first season, as five episodes are available to watch, and five more are set to be released in the weeks ahead. You can check out new ones on Thursdays, and when you're not watching/rewatching, you can scope out other awesome Peacock exclusive shows.

Warning: some SPOILERS for Poker Face are in play. If you haven’t seen the show yet, you’ve been warned. 

A couple of years ago, the internet latched onto a notion that sounded good on paper: Natasha Lyonne as the star of a Columbo reboot. I make the caveat of this idea being preferable “on paper” solely because Lyonne and Glass Onion writer/director Rian Johnson eventually took that idea and one-upped it. Through an original character, crossed with a trusty detective show formula, the Peacock streaming series Poker Face has given the world Charlie Cale, one of the most refreshing detectives on the 2023 TV schedule, and perhaps for all time. 

The Howcatchem Formula Needed A Comeback

Let’s flip back to the subject of the classic series Columbo. A fixture on the NBC network between 1968 and 1978, followed by a stint over at ABC with periodic appearances between 1989 and 2003, Peter Falk’s titular detective was presented as a quirky character with “just one more question” that helped him solve murders a’plenty. Most impressively was how the series was always (currently also a Peacock offering) presented as a “howcatchem,” which is the reversal of the “whodunnit” formula. 

As the audience would already know who was murdered, who did it and how it happened at the beginning of the episode, the mysteries of Columbo never really mattered. That’s the same formula that Poker Face uses to show us the many mysteries of reformed gambler/human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne). It’s a novel formula, especially when whodunnits are on the rise yet again. 

But what’s even more exciting is we never know how Charlie is going to get roped into her next case until after we’ve seen the crime committed. It brings another level of guesswork, as we’re not trying to figure out who the culprit is, but rather how Ms. Cale is going to bring the guilty party to justice. It also allows the personality of your detective to shine through, and Ms. Lyonne is certainly no slouch in that department. 

A Detective On The Run Makes For A Fun Obstacle To Cracking Cases

Another reason why Charlie Cale’s presence is such a refreshing change of pace is that we never know where Poker Face’s amateur sleuth is going to pop up next. This is thanks to her first case solved, which saw Charlie outing her boss Sterling Frost Jr. (Adrien Brody) as the man who ordered the murder of her friend Natalie (Dascha Polanco). With Sterling Jr. driven to suicide after being caught red handed, his father (Ron Perlman) is now on a quest to hunt Charlie down in revenge. 

So not only is Poker Face a weekly showcase for Natasha Lyonne’s wisecracks and powers of deduction, it’s also one big chase story. One false move is all it takes to put her in a ticking clock scenario, as it only takes four hours for Frost family enforcer Cliff LeGrand (Benjamin Bratt) to catch up with the latest clues to her whereabouts.

In some cases, the wire is razor thin, with Charlie Cale solving murders just as Cliff arrives at her most recent location. Amping up the already high stakes of delivering justice before the killers become suspicious, there's always the potential for the next Poker Face murder to be Charlie herself. 

Charlie Cale Actually Cares About The Cases She Solves

While Charlie Cale does get a joy out of being able to be the smartest person in the room, it’s not why she solves the cases she encounters. In a case of ethics that almost matches the mission statement of Quantum Leap, Charlie strives to put right what’s gone fatally wrong because she actually cares. Several scenarios even see her accidentally putting victims and suspects into the crosshairs of these murderous crimes, which can be both hysterical and heartbreaking.

Take the case featured in Episode 3, “The Stall,” which sees Charlie temporarily working at a barbeque joint in Texas. All it takes is lending restaurant owner George (Larry Brown) a copy of Netflix’s Okja on DVD, bittersweet ending and all, to send the now-former pork merchant on the path to veganism. 

His resulting murder, plotted by his wife (Danielle MacDonald) and brother/co-owner (Lil’ Rel Howery), becomes Charlie Cale’s case-of-the-week after she becomes personally invested in figuring out who tried to kill a rather nasty dog in connection to said murder. Again, Charlie’s not doing this because she’s trying to be the greatest consulting detective ever, but rather because of the fact that she has empathy for the victims. 

Rotating Guest Stars Keep Things Exciting

New locations with fresh murders and unique solutions are a huge part of Poker Face's formula of success. However, the factor that really kicks the whole thing over into refreshingly impressive territory is the old fashioned gimmick of weekly guest stars. 

Already in the first four episodes, we’ve seen Academy Award winner Adrien Brody, Lil’ Rel Howery, 2023 Academy Award nominee Hong Chau and Rian Johnson favorite Noah Segan all pop up in various roles. Not knowing who’s going to show up next is part of the fun, since it gives Charlie Cale new personalities to square off against. (Though the foreknowledge that another Johnson good luck charm, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, will be appearing is just as anticipated.)

As this week’s episode marks the halfway point of Season 1, plenty of new faces await in the weeks to come. That’s not just when it comes to the murderers either, as suspects, victims and even odd characters who may or not be narcs (John Hodgman) add color to each week’s round of action. No matter who shows up, it’s just more fun and games that Natasha Lyonne gets to partake in, as we wind towards what should be an explosive finale and hopefully several seasons worth of mysteries to come.

Poker Face debuts brand-new episodes every Thursday, with the first four already available to stream. A Peacock subscription is required to get in on the fun, and a special year-long subscription offer is just the ticket to seeing what this platform has to offer.  

Over the course of the past few years, Rian Johnson has given the world two of the best whodunits in recent memory with 2019’s Knives Out, and its 2022 sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Both of those films were beloved by critics and audiences alike, thanks in part to their incredible and incredibly complex stories, off-beat humor, and remarkable characters played by some of the best actors in Hollywood. But before Johnson gets to work on the upcoming third movie in the franchise, he is turning his attention to the small screen with his Peacock original series, Poker Face, which, to the surprise of no one, brings together some top-notch talent.

After watching the first four episodes of the new “mystery of the week” 2023 TV series, there’s a good chance you’re wondering who that was appearing alongside Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale. Well, worry no more, as we are about to break down some of the members of the Poker Face cast and why they look so familiar.

Natasha Lyonne (Charlie Cale)

Leading the Poker Face cast is Natasha Lyonne, who takes on the role of Charlie Cale, a casino worker on the run who has the remarkable ability to figure out if someone is lying or not, which comes in handy when she’s out on the road solving one mystery after another.

Lyonne has done a little bit of everything throughout her career, including everything from appearing in the Dennis the Menace cast to serving as one of the leads in the American Pie franchise, and so much more. The past decade has been an especially busy period for Lyonne, as she has led TV shows like Orange Is the New Black and Russian Doll, with smaller roles on the likes of The Simpsons, Big Mouth, Portlandia, and the 2019 Netflix musical comedy, John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch. 

Adrien Brody (Sterling Frost Jr.)

Adrien Brody shows up on Poker Face as Sterling Frost Jr., Charlie’s boss who happens to be obsessed with her ability to know when someone is lying.

Brody, who previously worked with Rian Johnson for the 2008 crime caper, The Brothers Bloom, has put together one of the most varied filmographies of any actor working today, one that includes family-friendly sports flicks (Angels in the Outfield), horror-bent action films (Predators), and a few of Wes Anderson’s best movies (the most recent being The French Dispatch). This also includes an Oscar-winning performance in The Pianist, a great portrayal of Salvador Dali in Midnight in Paris, and Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong, to name only a few. 

Benjamin Bratt (Cliff Legrand)

Next up is Benjamin Bratt, who shows up as Cliff Legrand, a mysterious and dangerous figure never too far behind Charlie after she goes on the run.

No stranger to the “mystery of the week” format used by the new show, Bratt appeared as Detective Rey Curtis in nearly 100 episodes of Law & Order, as well as the 1998 TV-Movie, Exiled: A Law & Order Movie, and a few crossover episodes with Homicide: Life on the Street. Bratt has landed roles on shows like Private Practice, The Cleaner, and, most recently, the HBO Max limited series, DMZ. Bratt has also worked on movies like Demolition Man, Traffic, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Doctor Strange. 

Chloë Sevigny (Ruby Ruin)

Then there is Chloë Sevigny, who appears on the show as Ruby Ruin, the lead singer of a heavy metal band encountered by Charlie on the Peacock series.

Arguably one of the best actresses living today, Sevigny has made a career out of providing unique and commanding performances across the board, including in shocking cult classic indie films like Kids, Gummo, American Psycho, and The Brown Bunny, as well as critically acclaimed movies like Boys Don’t Cry, which earned her an Oscar nomination. Throughout her career, Sevigny has also given outstanding performances in the likes of Zodiac, The Dead Don’t Die, Queen & Slim, and most recently, Bones and All. In addition to her film roles, Sevigny has also appeared on shows like Big Love, Russian Doll, Bloodline, and The Girl from Plainville. 

Lil Rel Howery (Taffy)

Another talented actor with a long list of credits to appear on Poker Face is Lil Rel Howery, who takes on the role of BBQ pitmaster Taffy.

Howery has been a busy figure in the entertainment industry for nearly a decade now, thanks to roles on shows like Friends of the People, The Carmichael Show, and even his own comedy series Rel, plus various voice-acting gigs. And, since making his film debut as Rod Williams in Jordan Peele’s psychological horror film, Get Out, in 2017, Howery has been all over the palace in tinseltown. This includes roles in movies like Bird Box, Judas and the Black Messiah, Fatherhood, Vacation Friends, Free Guy, and Deep Water. 

Dascha Polanco (Natalie)

Next up is Dascha Polanco, who shows up as Charlie’s friend, Natalie.

Fans of the Orange Is the New Black cast will instantly recognize Polanco from her portrayal of Dayanara “Daya” Diaz on all but a few episodes of the all-time great Netflix series. Her other TV appearances include Russian Doll, When They See Us, Evil, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Over the years, she has also appeared in several movies, including The Irishman, In the Heights, and Samaritan alongside Sylvester Stallone. 

John Ratzenberger (Abe)

John Ratzenberger appears in an episode of Poker Face, taking on the role of Abe, his latest in a long line of credits going back decades.

To some, Ratzenberger is best remembered for his portrayal of Cliff on the iconic ‘80s sitcom, Cheers, while others will recognize his voice from his multiple Pixar appearances including Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Cars, Wall-E, Up, and countless others. But, he has also appeared in dozens of other great movies and TV shows over the years, including The Empire Strikes Back, Superman II, The Simpsons, and many more. 

Danielle MacDonald (Mandy)

And then there is Danielle MacDonald, who portrays Mandy.

MacDonald has been in a little bit of everything over the course of the past decade-plus, including Netflix original movies like Bird Box and Dumplin’, as well as other films like Lady Bird, Skin, I Am Woman, and French Exit. She has also popped up on a list of TV shows that includes Pretty Little Liars, The Middle, American Horror Story: Roanoke, Easy, and The Tourist. 

These are just some of the actors set to appear on the first four episodes of Poker Face, which are currently available to stream for anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription. The remaining six episodes will be released each Thursday, and will feature the following actors, and many others: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rhea Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, Tim Meadows, Stephanie Hsu, and Clea DuVall.

Stream Poker Face on Peacock.

Critics have seen Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne's Poker Face, and they are absolutely loving the latest mystery-comedy offering. It sounds like those interested might want to go "all-in" on a Peacock Premium subscription, because it doesn't seem like these reviews are bluffing about how good the new show is. 

One common theme in Poker Face reviews is the mention of its clear nods to classic television mysteries. Many reviewers, like Variety's Daniel D'Addario, noted the series plays out in the same format as the classic detective series Columbo. D'Addario noted that while this format removes the "Whodunit" element of the mystery series, Poker Face makes up for it in two other key ways: 

The mystery may be spoiled for the viewer before the episode really gets rolling, but there are plenty of other bright spots to the show. Many of the reviews pointed to a number of memorable guest stars who appear, such as actors Adrien Brody and Tim Meadows. 

Linda Holmes of NPR had positive praise for Natasha Lyonne's performance as Charlie, while noting it's not a wide departure from her previous acting roles. Holmes pointed to the similarity to Lyonne's other performances in her review, while adding that there are some key differences that set her Charlie apart: 

Natasha Lyonne's Charlie is a former poker player on the lam with the intuition to figure out when people are lying to her. While Charlie is not a detective, her ability to determine the truthfulness of others ultimately serves her as she works her way through various murder mysteries in her travels across America. 

The Verge's Charles Pulliam-Moore was another who pointed out that unlike Rian Johnson's hit films Knives Out and Glass Onion, which do tie-in to the series in one fun way, the audience won't be in the dark on what's going on. Audiences will know who committed the crime before Charlie, but there is an advantage to Poker Face being unlike Johnson's other murder mystery offerings: 

Immersion is often key in a quality series, so that sounds like high praise for Poker Face. It may not blow viewers minds in the same way a horrifically stupid crime might, but it has a world that feels "lived-in" and another nod to an impressive lineup of guest stars. 

If there is any gripe about Poker Face online, it might be the one from TVLine. While Dave Nemetz was overall a fan of the Peacock original, he did caution viewers that their patience in episodes may wane due to the amount of setup that takes place every episode: 

That criticism aside, critics are largely big fans of Poker Face. Some, like The Mary Sue's Rachel Leishman, are already ready for more episodes, as she wrote in her positive review for the show: 

Does anyone else want to binge a bunch of Natasha Lyonne shows and Rian Johnson projects after reading about how great they are? Luckily, we'll get the best of both worlds in Poker Face, which seems like it could be be a major hit for Peacock if it finds an audience. 

Poker Face premieres on Peacock on Thursday, January 26th. Critics are mostly positive about the new series, but it remains to be seen if the audience scores will also be just as positive for the mystery show. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery are ahead!

While the first Knives Out movie was unquestionably a star-studded affair, with Daniel Craig being joined by folks like Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collete, Chris Evans and Christopher Plummer, it didn’t have much in the way of major cameos. The closest was Joseph Gordon-Levitt, writer/director Rian Johnson’s frequent collaborator, voicing a TV detective, as well as Frank Oz stopping by as the legal counsel to the late Harlan Thrombey. Here’s a quick spoiler right out the gate: Gordon-Levitt once again lends to his talents to the follow-up movie as the voice of an alarm clock.

But even ignoring that, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a different beast because many of the suspects Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is investigating this time around are famous and/or wealthy. As such, this crtically-acclaimed standalone sequel sees some of these individuals, as well as Blanc himself, interacting with various celebrities, and there are even a few Hollywood heavyweights who stops by as fictional characters rather than themselves. Now that Glass Onion is available to watch with a Netflix subscription following its short theatrical run at the end of November, now’s the perfect time to go over the movie’s cameos, as well as discuss some notable name-drops.

Jake Tapper

Every now and then, real-life TV journalists will cameo as themselves in major movies, like Pat Kiernan appearing in various MCU projects, Anderson Cooper reporting on Doomsday’s rampage in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Wolf Blitzer even playing a key role in the opening of Mission: Impossible - Fallout (though to be fair, we soon learned this was actually Simon Pegg’s Benji Dunn in disguise). In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, CNN’s Jake Tapper briefly appears early on interviewing Kathryn Hahn’s Claire Debella, the governor of Connecticut who’s running for the Senate. Claire chats with Tapper from her home in the midst of lockdown, quickly letting audiences know that Glass Onion takes place during the height of the COVID pandemic.

Yo-Yo Ma

Kate Hudson’s Birdie Jay is technically in lockdown at the start of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery; the problem is that she invited a lot of people to party with her at an apartment. It’s hard to imagine at least one person not walking away from that event with COVID, but the silver lining is that cellist Yo-Yo Ma was nearby when Birdie and her assistant, Jessica Henwick's Peg, were solving Miles Bron’s puzzle box over speakerphone with Claire, Leslie Odom Jr’s Miles Toussaint and Dave Bautista’s Duke Cody. Thanks to Ma’s welcome assistance figuring a musical aspect of the box, simply because he was bored, Birdie and the gang move one step closer to discovering what’s at the center of the box.

Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Natasha Lyonne

When we first meet back up with Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, he’s chatting with Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Natasha Lyonne over Zoom from his bathtub, playing the deduction game Among Us, with this movie marking Sondheim and Lansbury’s final film appearances. Benoit finds the game an inferior substitute to the actual cases he thrives on solving, but hasn’t been getting because of COVID, and the quartet do their best to cheer him up before Benoit is informed there's something at the door for him.

Lest you think Rian Johnson chose these four celebrities at random, think again, as they all have different ties to the mystery genre. Johnson previously referenced Stephen Sondheim in Knives Out when Benoit Blanc was singing “Losing My Mind” from Follies, and the filmmaker also compared Glass Onion’s story to the late composer and lyricist’s production Merrily We Roll Along while speaking with EW. Angela Lansbury, of course, played Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote over 12 seasons of TV and four TV movies. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has contributed to the world of Sherlock Holmes by co-writing the books Mycroft Holmes, Mycroft and Sherlock and Mycroft and Sherlock: The Empty Birdcage with Anna Waterhouse. As for Natasha Lyonne, she’s starring in Johnson’s upcoming series Poker Face, which Peacock subscribers will be able to watch.

Ethan Hawke

Although Ethan Hawke was never officially announced as being part of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’s cast, we learned of his involvement through leaked set photos. As it turned out, Hawke didn’t have a ton to do in the movie. He simply appeared as Miles Bron’s assistant (credited as “Efficient Man”), who oversaw the billionaire’s guests being given a spray that prevented them from contracting COVID before being taken to the island. In the aforementioned EW interview, Rian Johnson shared that Hawke wasn’t originally supposed to appear in Glass Onion, but because he was in Budapest doing Moon Knight when the movie was shooting in Greece, he was able to visit for a day to shoot his cameo.

Hugh Grant

Ahead of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’s release, it was confirmed that Benoit Blanc is queer, although Rian Johnson didn’t want to get too bogged with the character’s backstory, and Daniel Craig didn’t want to make a big deal about Benoit’s sexuality. Nevertheless, at roughly the halfway point of Glass Onion, we meet the detective's domestic partner Phillip, played by rom-com heartthrob Hugh Grant. We see that it was Phillip who informed Benoit earlier in the movie about the arrival at the front door: Helen Brand, who's come to hire Benoit to investigate her twin sister Andi's death. Whether or not Phillip will return in Knives Out 3 remains to be seen.

Serena Williams

There’s a moment in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery when Benoit Blanc and Janelle Monáe's Helen Brand meet up in Miles Bron’s gym to discuss the case, and on the wall is what looks like a prerecorded home workout video on a fitness mirror featuring tennis superstar Serena Williams. But in the middle of Benoit and Helen’s conversation, Williams suddenly asks them if they want to do a "session" since she's on the clock, letting the audience know that Miles hired her as his personal trainer. The two characters decline, and Williams simply comments that it’s their money and hangs out silently for the rest of the scene. Williams has previously cameoed as herself in movies like Pixels and Ocean's 8.

Jared Leto

For these last two entries, we have people who didn’t actually appear in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, but are heavily featured indirectly. First up is Requiem for a Dream and Morbius actor Jared Leto, who in the Knives Out universe has his own brand of alcoholic kombucha. The beverage is notable because while Helen Brand doesn’t usually drink, she wasn’t aware the kombucha she was drinking had alcohol in it. Fortunately, this particular hard stuff gives her some liquid courage to say and do some things she wouldn’t have done if she was sober.

Jeremy Renner

Then we have Hawkeye and Mayor of Kingstown’s Jeremy Renner, who has his own brand of hot sauce in the Knives Out universe. This particular item actually plays a big role during Glass Onion’s third act. While it initially looks like Helen Brand has been fatally shot right outside Miles Bron’s home (who pulled the trigger is one spoiler I won’t reveal here just to be safe), we later learn that the diary of Helen’s late sister And blocked the bullet. After Benoit learns Helen is still alive, he realizes the value in faking her death for a little bit in order to glean more information from the other suspects. As such, Benoit uses some of Jeremy Renner’s hot sauce as fake blood to sell the picture of Helen looking dead from afar. There’s a brief moment where it looks like the ruse will be ruined when a droplet of the hot sauce starts leaking towards Helen’s nose, but she holds in any sort of reaction like a champ until everyone has left the area.

Now that we’ve gone over Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’s cameos and especially notable name-drops, be sure to read our review of the Knives Out sequel and breakdown of its ending. Per the deal Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman agreed to with Netflix, Knives Out 3 is also on its way to Netflix, and once concrete details about the threequel come in, we’ll pass them along.

Fans of whodunnits and murder-mysteries are eagerly awaiting the return of Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in the upcoming Netflix-and-theatrical feature Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. But let’s not forget director Rian Johnson is also helping introduce audiences to another quirky investigator in the form of Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale, the central character and connective hook for the new streaming series Poker Face, which will be available with a Peacock subscription before the year’s end. Thankfully, we finally have our first look at the new show in the form of a star-studded teaser trailer. 

Check out the first footage from Poker Face below, and try to count all the famous faces that pop up during its 52-second runtime: 

To quickly lay things out, Poker Face’s debut season consists of ten episodes that adhere to a mystery-of-the-week format, all centering on Lyonne’s Charlie, whose claim to low-key fame is that she’s unbelievably canny at knowing when others are lying. The show follows Charlie and her iconic ‘69 Plymouth Barracuda as she embarks on a road trip full of oddball crimes, murders clues, and a seemingly endless supply of guest stars to populate the weekly quandires and conundrums. 

The teaser kicks off with the Oscar-winning Adrien Brody, and just keeps on delivering from there. Check out a relatively comprehensive rundown of all the show’s stars below:

• Adrien Brody, Benjamin Bratt, Chloë Sevigny, Sascha Polanco, Ron Perlman, Lil Rel Howery, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tim Meadows, Simon Helberg, S. Epatha Merkerson, Nick Nolte, Stephanie Hsu, David Castañeda, Audrey Corsa, Danielle Macdonald, Judith Light, Tim Blake Nelson, Niall Cunningham, Nicholas Cirillo, Jameela Jamil, Ellen Barkin, Luis Guzmán, Brandon Michael Hall, Megan Suri, Clea DuVall, Jasmine Aiyana Garvin, Rowan Blanchard, Rhea Perlman, and Charles Melton

As you no doubt noticed, less than half of the stars noted in that mega-list actually popped up in the teaser, and most of the ones who did were only seen for a brief second. But it’s still excellent to know we’re getting a reunion between Johnson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the star of Brick and Looper who has appeared in each of the director’s projects in some capacity. (Expect to see him in Glass Onion as well.) So audiences still have so much more to see from this show and its talented ensemble. 

Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne shared a fun statement with fans alongside the teaser’s release, giving everyone a slightly more clear idea of what to expect from Poker Face. In their words:

Rian Johnson is noted as the creator of Poker Face, which he executive produced along with Lyonne, and also directed. Lilla and Nora Zuckerman, former writers on shows such as Suits and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., are the showrunners. 

Poker Face will attempt to pull the wool over viewers’ eyes when it debuts on the streaming service starting Thursday, January 26, with the first four episodes going live all at once ahead of weekly releases for the remaining six episodes. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows will be anteing up soon as we wait for the critic-pleasing Knives Out sequel to arrive.

When it comes to animated films, it’s never a big surprise that a ton of stars tend to join those casts, and now, DC’s League of Super Pets has added to that with their list of stars, from action heroes such as Dwayne Johnson to comedians like Kevin Hart. But with so many characters and so many amazing cast members, you might be wondering where you’ve seen - or heard - them before. 

If you’re like me and trying to see exactly where these famous faces were from, check out where you might have seen the DC’s League of Super Pets voice cast before. 

Dwayne Johnson (Krypto The Super-Dog) 

Starting off with the main hero in DC’s League of Super Pets, we have Krypto, a character I’m pretty familiar with from the Krypto the Super-Dog TV show from a long time ago - but now, he’s in a movie and is voiced by the fabulous Dwayne Johnson. If you don’t know that name, surely you have been living under a rock (pun intended). While he started off his career in the WWE, Johnson continues to prove how talented he is as a movie star. 

He played Maui in Moana, and has appeared in films such as the comedy, The Game Plan, the Jumanji series, Central Intelligence, Rampage, the Fast and Furious series, Skyscraper, Jungle Cruise, and more. He also had a pretty big year in 2021 with the release of Red Notice on Netflix.

Johnson has also had some experience with television as well, producing (and appearing) in the NBC series, Young Rock, as well leading the series, Ballers. 

Kevin Hart (Ace The Hound)

Next up on this list, we have everyone’s favorite hilarious comedian, Kevin Hart, who plays Ace in DC’s League of Super Pets. Hart has been in many movies and produced some hilarious comedy specials, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen him before. 

Some of his biggest roles thus far have included Night School, Think Like A Man, Ride Along, The Man From Toronto, About Last Night, and the drama, Fatherhood, alongside many others. This is also the fourth time that Hart and Johnson have collaborated together on a film, with the first being Central Intelligence, and the next two being the Jumanji series. Since these two are always ripping on each other, it’ll be fun to watch the press tour for DC’s League of Super Pets. 

Kate McKinnon (Lulu The Guinea Pig)

Moving on, we now have Kate McKinnon, who voices Lulu the Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because McKinnon was a huge star on NBC’s Saturday Night Live before she left in 2022, but besides her big role on the sketch series, this actress has done plenty. 

Some of her biggest roles this far was being a part of the Bombshell cast, starring in 2016’s Ghostbusters, and the films The Spy Who Dumped Me and Yesteryear, among others. She also had a starring role in the Peacock original series, Joe vs. Carole, playing Carole Baskin. 

John Krasinski (Superman)

Next up on this list we have John Krasinski, who voiced Superman in DC’s League of Super Pets. As someone who has followed Krasinski for a long time, I can’t think of anyone better to voice the superhero in this film. One of his most famous roles was portraying Jim Halpert as part of The Office cast, and becoming the second half to one of the cutest relationships on television, but Krasinski has done plenty of other fun roles. 

Krasinski directed both A Quiet Place movies, while starring in the first one, and has appeared in other films such as Away We Go, It’s Complicated, Big Miracle, and more, and had voice roles in the Pixar film Monsters University, as well as the Hayao Miyazaki film, The Wind Rises. 

The actor has also dived back into television, starring as Jack Ryan in the titular series on Amazon Prime, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. In 2022, he appeared as Reed Richards in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Vanessa Bayer (PB The Potbelly Pig)

Moving on, we take a look at Vanessa Bayer, who voiced PB the Potbelly Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Bayer is another Saturday Night Live alumni and is funny as all heck, but she has also been in plenty of other movies and TV shows as well. 

Some of her biggest movies have been Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party, Ibiza, Barb and Star Go To Vista del Mar, and more. She also has the lead role in the Showtime comedy, I Love That For You, and has guest starred on many other TV shows as well. 

Natasha Lyonne (Merton The Turtle)

Natasha Lyonne voices Merton the Turtle in DC’s League of Super Pets, and has had quite the career in both movies and TV. For the last couple of years, she’s starred in Russian Doll on Netflix, but prior to that, she was a big part of the Orange is the New Black cast, where she played Nicky. However, Lyonne has done much more in the film and television industry than just her roles on TV. 

Some of her biggest roles have been in the American Pie cast, Ad Astra, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Scary Movie 2, But I’m A Cheerleader, Sleeping With Other People, and many others. 

Diego Luna (Chip The Squirrel)

Moving on, we now take a look at Diego Luna, who voices Chip the Squirrel in DC’s League of Super Pets. Luna has been an even bigger star in Hollywood lately, mainly thanks to his huge role in the popular Star Wars film, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, where he played Cassian Andor - a role he is set to reprise in the upcoming Disney+ series, Andor, following the character before the film. 

However, Luna has done plenty of other projects you might recognize. He had a big role on the Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico, where he played Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. He also has appeared in a variety of movie roles, including several Spanish films, Berlin, I Love You, A Rainy Day In New York, Wander Darkly, If Beale Street Could Talk, and more. 

Marc Maron (Lex Luthor)

Marc Maron voices the legendary villain, Lex Luthor, in DC’s League of Super Pets, and he has done plenty in the movie and TV business. Maron is mainly known for his comedy, and has had several guest appearances on late night talk shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, but he’s done plenty on his own. He hosted his own talk show, The Marc Maron Show, and co-hosted both Morning Sedition and Breakroom Live. 

Maron has also acted plenty before, doing movies such as Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Stardust, Joker, Respect, and more. He’s also appeared in many TV shows, including having his own series, Maron, and appearing in shows such as Easy, The Simpsons, and Roadies among others. He also had a co-starring role in the cancelled-too-soon Netflix series, GLOW. 

Keanu Reeves (Batman)

I don’t think I could have pictured a better casting for the role of Batman in DC’s League of Super Pets than Keanu Reeves himself, and it’s so cool to see him voicing this awesome role. Reeves has been in Hollywood for decades, and is one our our most enduring action stars. 

Reeves’ biggest roles have definitely been the Bill & Ted film series, his starring part in The Matrix Series, as well as his titular role in the John Wick movie saga, which is getting a fourth movie in 2023. However, Reeves has plenty of other major films, such as Constantine, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Street Kings, The Lake House, Already Gone, and more. He even had a voice role in Pixar’s Toy Story 4 as Duke Caboom.

Thomas Middleditch (Keith a.k.a. Ice Guinea Pig) 

Moving on, we now take a look at Thomas Middleditch, who voices Keith, known as the Ice Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Middleditch is primarily known for his role on the hit HBO series, Silicon Valley, but has done plenty of other roles that you might recognize him from. 

He has done voice roles in shows such as Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, and the Hulu original series, Solar Opposites, and had a main role in the TV series, B Positive. He also had a voice role in the movie Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and has done live-action roles in movies such as Someone Marry Barry, The Bronze, Once Upon A Time in Venice, Tag, Zombieland: Double Tap, and more. 

Ben Schwartz  (Mark a.k.a. Fire Guinea Pig) 

Next up, we have Ben Schwartz, who voices Mark, known as the Fire Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Schwartz was primarily known for his role in the Parks and Recreation cast, but has since gone on to do plenty of other fun parts. 

Some of his biggest film roles have included voicing the titular character in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, and appearing in Peep World, This Is Where I Leave You, Flora & Ulysses, Falling Down, The Walk, and more. Schwartz has also had a prominent TV career besides Parks and Recreation, having roles in TV shows like Netflix’s Space Force, the comedy series The Afterparty on Apple TV+, House of Lies, Ducktales, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more. 

Additional Voices

Lastly, there are plenty of other additional voices in DC’s League of Super Pets that we should take the time to mention. 

These include Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, Jameela Jamil as Wonder Woman, Jemaine Clement as Aquaman, Daveed Diggs as Cyborg, Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Lena Headey as Lara, Keith David as Dog-El, Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog, Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, and Dan Folger in the additional roles of Carl, Pilot, and Radio. 

Goodness, with so many names on here, you might think we were going to an awards show of some kind, but this is just the talent that DC’s League of Super Pets has, and it’ll be a super time wondering where these actors go next after suiting up in their fluffy suits.  

In the three years since The Big Bang Theory wrapped up its monster-ratings run in 2020, just about all of its core cast members went on to various other TV gigs. From Mayim Bialik starring in Fox’s Call Me Kat and intermittently hosting Jeopardy! (for now) to Kaley Cuoco voicing Harley Quinn on HBO Max and anchoring that platform’s now-defunct comedic thriller The Flight Attendant, among other success stories. That hasn’t been the case for TBBT star Simon Helberg, who focused more on expanding his feature work in the years that followed his work as Howard Wolowitz. But that’s changed now, with the actor joining a new streaming series that already has a slew of magnifique TV stars locked down. 

Simon Helberg is the latest cast member to sign on for the upcoming series Poker Face, which is still being somewhat cloaked in mystery by co-creators Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) and Rian Johnson (Knives Out). At this point, all we really know is a general plotline for the Peacock exclusive, and it sadly doesn’t feature any details about who (or what) Simon Helberg might be playing, according to Variety.

Poker Face will take on a procedural format, with leading badass Natasha Lyonne reportedly playing a character who attempts to solve different murders from episode to episode. It’s not clear if there will be a proper recurring cast keeping things connected, or if each episode will swap new stars in and out as the storyline calls for it. 

Speaking of those stars, Simon Helberg will be joining the aforementioned Natasha Lyonne, as well as Super Pumped’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Good Place’s Jameela Jamil, The Goldbergs’ Tim Meadows, Chapelwaite’s Adrien Brody, and Animal Kingdom’s Ellen Barkin. If that wasn’t already enough, there’s also DMZ’s Benjamin Bratt, Free Guy’s Lil Rel Howery, Transparent’s Judith Light, and David Castañeda, who has been a fixture on millions of TVs lately thanks to The Umbrella Academy crushing it on Netflix since Season 3 debuted.

Simon Helberg will certainly need to try hard to stick out in that talent-oozing squad, though he’s obviously used to it, having come from one of TV’s most successful sitcom ensembles. While Helberg did reprise the role of Howard for Young Sheldon, at least in a vocal capacity, his only other TV work in recent years has been voicing a squirrel in Disney+’s adorable Dug Days shorts.

On the big screen, Helberg followed up on his Golden Globe-nominated performance in Florence Foster Jenkins with a role in last year’s musical romance Annette, opposite Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, and reteamed with Mayim Bialik for her directorial debut As They Made Us. He’ll also be popping up in Kyra Sedgwick’s own first directorial effort, the comedic romance Space Oddity.

Poker Face doesn’t have a production timeline that’s publicly known at this point, though one can assume filming will begin in earnest after Rian Johnson is finished promoting the upcoming sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which will be making its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). There’s already a third film in the running, of course, but it’s presumed that Johnson will fit that project in later on. 

After making a name for herself in the 1990s as one of the strongest talents of her generation with movies like But I’m a Cheerleader or her role in the American Pie cast as Jessica, Natasha Lyonne seemed to fall into obscurity around the early 2000s. However, she would later reclaim her spot in Hollywood in a big way with her Emmy-nominated role in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black cast as Nicky Nichols, and as the star and co-creator of another acclaimed Netflix series, Russian Doll. It is a comeback I would consider to be on par with someone like Robert Downey Jr., which begs the question: when is she going to land a role in any new Marvel movies?

Now, to be perfectly honest, the New York City native is actually no stranger to the comic book movie genre and of Marvel Comics adaptations in particular (more on that later). However, I think that Kevin Feige and co. would be proud if a unique and widely celebrated actor such as herself was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, especially when you consider the fact that Chris Evans was already a veteran of both Marvel and DC movies before he was cast as Steve Rogers. That being said, if Natasha Lyonne’s next big Marvel moment is upon us, I have a few Marvel characters in mind for her to play, starting with one whom her most famous characters would likely be envious of.

Quickfire

On Russian Doll, which debuted its second season on Netflix in April 2022, Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia Vulvokuv - a woman who, on the night of her 36th birthday, finds herself trapped in a time loop that she becomes increasingly desperate to escape. It sounds like what she needs is the power of a chronokinetic - someone who has the ability to slow down the flow of time, speed things up, or bring everything to a complete stop - much like Barbara McDevitt. 

Better known as Quickfire, this one-time secret agent (who was later transformed into a strange, infectious monster by her employers at the Beyond Corporation) is also an Inhuman, which is also a property that could use a second chance in the MCU after the indecent response to Marvel Studios’ series adaptation in 2017.

Dead Girl

What makes Russian Doll such an intriguingly and humorously dark treat is how Nadia Vulvokuv’s time loop is reset each time she experiences a grisly death, almost as if it was a superpower of hers that became unlocked at the end of her life. Someone who can certainly relate to this is Moonbeam, who discovered her previously dormant mutant abilities - such as communicating with spirits, regrowing lost body parts, and phasing through solid objects - after she was murdered, hence the name Dead Girl. 

Outside of the pretty slight similarities to the character on her Netflix series, a more crucial reason I would love to see Natasha Lyonne in the role is because she is also a member of the X-Force, which would lead to a wonderful opportunity for her to reunite with Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool to share the screen and engage in what I imagine would be some epic and hilarious word sparring.

Shocket Raccoon

On that note, another Marvel character whose signature spunk and devilish sense of humor is on-par with that of Natasha Lyonne and the roles she tends to play is Rocket Raccoon, who was first brought to life in the MCU with Sean Gunn’s motion capture performance and Bradley Cooper’s hilarious, mock Brooklynite accent in 2014’ Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Because of her comedic sensibilities and being a native New Yorker, I think that Lyonne would be a perfect choice to provide the voice of Shocket Raccoon - originally depicted in the comics as a female clone of Rocket created by The Collector, whom Benicio del Toro played in Guardians. I think that, instead of a clone, I would cast her as a love interest for the furry, gun-toting outlaw in their own spin-off, following the release of the recently wrapped Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2023.

Jean DeWolff

Natasha Lyonne’s New York origins might even make her a better candidate to be the first actor to give a live-action, cinematic portrayal of Jean DeWolff. Essentially the James Gordon to Peter Parker’s Bruce Wayne, she was a tough, devoted Manhattan detective who became a close, trusted confidante to Spider-Man, until her tragic death at the hands of the evil Sin Eater. Given what happens at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it looks like Tom Holland’s webslinger could use someone to call an ally in any upcoming Spider-Man movies and I think he and DeWolff would make for the MCU’s next great duo.

Salia Petrie

Another relatively lesser-known character from the Marvel Comics Universe whom I think could make for an interesting addition to the MCU is Salia Petrie - an ace pilot and astronaut from NASA who trained under Carol Danvers, with whom she became friends. The woman who eventually came to be known as Captain Marvel (but was still referred to as Ms. Marvel at the time) would later have to fight her friend after she became brainwashed by a cosmic creature called the Faceless One. 

It might take a few creative liberties, but I would like to see Natasha Lyonne be the one who would bring Petrie to the big (or small) screen opposite Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, mainly to make up for her very brief amount of screentime in the 2019 space travel epic, Ad Astra.

Sommerfield

However, out of all the great characters she would be perfect to play, I think it might be the most interesting and especially fun to see Natasha Lyonne reprise her role from 2003’s Blade: Trinity. In the third installment of the action-horror franchise led by Wesley Snipes, she played Sommerfield - a cell researcher on Hannibal King’s (Ryan Reynolds) vampire hunting team, the Nightsalkers, who develops a virus capable of killing bloodsuckers. While the character did not end up surviving the film, that does not mean she cannot come back when Marvel reboots the half-man, half-vampire for their own interpretation, as played by Mahershala Ali.

This would not be the first time an actor has revived their Marvel movie character in the MCU, such as Evan Peters on WandaVision as Quicksilver (sort of) or, Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness more recently. I am curious to see what other pre-MCU cinematic roles we could bring back and I think Natasha Lyonne’s Sommerfield is one that would be cool to try. If not, the possibilities for her are still pretty endless.

There are lots of reasons relationships don’t last. Whether it’s infidelity, financial problems, or just two people growing apart, relationships come with obstacles, and sometimes they can’t be overcome. One circumstance you don’t hear too often, though, is couples who break up over a swimming pool. That’s the reason Natasha Lyonne gave, however, when she revealed in an interview that she and The Bubble actor Fred Armisen had broken up. 

Natasha Lyonne — the star of Russian Doll, whose second season is among a number of exciting Netflix premieres coming in April — and Portlandia creator Fred Armisen started dating in 2014. They were introduced by his former Saturday Night Live co-star Maya Rudolph and reportedly split time between her place in Manhattan and his house in Los Angeles. Lyonne is a native of New York (you’ve heard her accent), but during an interview with THR, she was asked if she was now based in L.A. Her response yielded an unexpected update about her relationship status:

Okay, maybe to such a quintessential New Yorker, the real scandal would be purchasing a home in L.A., but what’s this about breaking up over a swimming pool? It seems like a strange reason to end an eight-year relationship, but hey, I’m not judging. Everybody has things they’re not willing to bend on. Fred Armisen didn’t want a pool, and Natasha Lyonne needed to get her laps in. 

It sounds like there’s no real bad blood between the former couple, with the Orange Is the New Black actress saying they still love each other and talk frequently. It’s a shame they couldn’t just buy a second house with a pool — since that’s what the actress did anyway — but it’s possible (and likely) the lack of a pool wasn’t the only reason for the split. It’s so rarely just one thing, right?

Back in 2013, before he was connected to Natasha Lyonne, Fred Armisen reflected on his past marriages to singer Sally Timms and actress Elisabeth Moss, reportedly telling Howard Stern that he was a “terrible husband” and he felt bad for everyone he’s ever gone out with.

We’re happy to hear that Natasha Lyonne got her swimming pool, and we wish both parties the best whether separate or together. If you’re a fan of Lyonne’s projects, you can watch the latest season of Russian Doll with a Netflix subscription when Season 2 premieres Wednesday, April 20. After a critically acclaimed first season, the critics had some good things to say about the sophomore effort. If you need a refresher on how Season 1 ended, here’s what you need to remember before Season 2 premieres. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are premiering soon.

If Season 1 of the hit Netflix series Russian Doll taught us anything, it’s that time is an illusion not to be trusted. However, possibly more frustrating than being caught in a time loop that’s determined to see you die on your birthday is the fact that it’s been over three years since the hilarious and trippy Natasha Lyonne drama premiered on the streaming service. Season 2 is (finally) returning to the Netflix schedule, and critics have had the opportunity to screen the new episodes ahead of their April 20 release. With Season 1 becoming one of Netflix’s best-reviewed shows, could the sophomore effort possibly live up to the hype? 

Natasha Lyonne returns to Russian Doll as one of the best characters on TV, Nadia Vulvokov, along with Charlie Barnett as Alan. Elizabeth Ashley, Rebecca Henderson and Greta Lee are also amongst the returning cast (would it even be Russian Doll without Maxine yelling, “Sweet birthday baby!”?), with Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy amongst the additions. In Season 2 Nadia and Alan will dive deeper into their pasts through an unexpected time portal, discovering a fate even worse than endless death, according to the official description. OK then! Let’s get to the reviews!

Marya E. Gates of The Playlist says the second season is equally as twisting as the first, but so much plot is forced into the seven half-hour episodes that the side characters get short-changed. The season needed more episodes, or longer episodes, to allow the series to breathe:

Saloni Gajjar of  AV Club grades Russian Doll’s sophomore season an A- for the way it uses Nadia and Alan’s complex ancestry and generational trauma to further develop the protagonists. The series suffers a little in how little the leading actors’ interact, but the cast as a whole shines — most of all Natasha Lyonne:

Caroline Framke of Variety questions why creators Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland would even dare to go back into a series that ended so perfectly after Season 1, but she says that proves to be the whole point of the second season:

Meghan O’Keefe of Decider says Natasha Lyonne brings more of the character we loved the first time around, maybe to a fault. While Season 2 is still chaotic and unpredictable, it nods at its success by revisiting all of our favorite things about the first season, but sometimes to its own detriment:

Alex Maidy of JoBlo says this go-round is not quite as well-rounded as the first season but it’s still impressive in the way that it flips its Season 1 concept completely on its head: 

The critics seem a little mixed on how well Season 2 stacked up to the impeccable first season, especially its highly-acclaimed finale. However, even if they don’t think it quite lives up to the original, they all seem to agree it’s worth watching with a Netflix subscription. That sentiment is backed up by its Rotten Tomatoes score, which, ahead of its release, has compiled a 100% Fresh rating from 16 critics. 

Season 2 will premiere Wednesday, April 20.

Over the years, Saturday Night Live hosts like Tom Hanks or Melissa McCarthy and musical guests like Paul Simon or Lady Gaga have taken the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H to create some of the most iconic moments in live television. The sketch comedy series’ 47th season saw its fair share of memorable moments, courtesy of hosts like Jason Sudeikis and musicians like Billie Eilish, who also made her hosting debut this year. 

There are plenty more memories to relive from Saturday Night Live Season 47 through streaming on Peacock. The following is a list of who joined the cast for a night of laughs and tunes during the 2021-2022 season. 

October 2, 2021 - Owen Wilson With Musical Guest Kacey Musgraves

The latest season of Saturday Night Live kicked off with an episode hosted by Loki and The French Dispatch star Owen Wilson, who finally led the show for the first time in his career. And, even though he has admitted in the past that his nervousness has stopped him from doing something like this in the past, Wilson did a tremendous job with his hosting duties, especially the sketch that saw him reprise his Cars character, Lightning McQueen. The SNL Season 47 premiere also featured Kacey Musgraves making history with her instant-classic performance.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 9, 2021 - Kim Kardashian West With Musical Guest Halsey

On October 9, Kim Kardashian West hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, and proved that she actually had great comedic timing. The episode, which was watched by millions of viewers, saw the reality TV star poke fun at her ex-husband Kanye West, multiple members of her family, and even O.J. Simpson to make her mark. The second episode of the season also featured musical guest Halsey, who performed on the very popular show for the fourth time throughout her career.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 16, 2021 - Rami Malek With Musical Guest Young Thug

On October 16, Rami Malek, hot off the long-awaited release of No Time to Die, hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time in his career. One of the highlights of the episode was the sketch that saw Malek share the screen with his 007 co-star Daniel Craig, and SNL mainstay Kenan Thompson, in an audition for a Prince biopic. The third episode of the season also featured musical guest Young Thug, who made his SNL debut with a pair of electric performances.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 23, 2021 - Jason Sudeikis With Musical Guest Brandi Carlile

On October 23, Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis returned to his old stomping grounds to host the long running series for the first time since departing the cast in 2013, although he has made multiple cameos during the years since then. The Ted Lasso star was featured in the majority of the sketches, including the cold open that saw three different versions of Joe Biden conversing in the Oval Office. Sudeikis also gave an impassioned opening monologue about the show’s history and what it means to him. Musical guest Brandi Carlile made her SNL debut in spectacular fashion.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 6, 2021 - Kieran Culkin With Musical Guest Ed Sheeran

On November 6, Kieran Culkin hosted Saturday Night Live for the very first time and became the second Culkin brother to take the stage (Macaulay Culkin had the honor of hosting during the 1991 season). In the years since making his acting debut as the soda-loving Fuller McCallister in Home Alone, Culkin has appeared in movies ranging from Father of the Bride to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He has also been one of the major players on the HBO drama series Succession, for which he has received both Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of Roman Roy.

Filling the role of musical guest on SNL on November 6 was Ed Sheeran, who took the stage for the third time in his career. Sheeran previously appeared on SNL in April 2014 and February 2017.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 13, 2021 - Jonathan Majors With Musical Guest Taylor Swift

On November 13, Jonathan Majors hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time in his young, yet highly-successful career, delivering an impressive opening monologue and showing off his comedy chops in many of the night's best sketches. This probably won’t be the last SNL appearance by Majors, whose career reached new heights following his portrayal of He Who Remains on Loki in Summer 2021, especially with his continued involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stepping in as the musical guest on November 13 was Miss Americana herself, Taylor Swift, who broke from tradition and gave a single ten-minute performance of "All Too Well." This marked the fifth time Swift has taken to the SNL stage since she made her first appearance on the show in November 2009. Now, we just need to get T. Swift back on hosting duties.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 20, 2021 - Simu Liu With Musical Guest Saweetie

On November 20, Simu Liu added Saturday Night Live host to his list of 2021 achievements when he appeared on the long-running sketch comedy program. Liu made waves earlier in the year when he portrayed the titular hero in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, making him the third Marvel star (so far) to host SNL this season. Liu is also no stranger when it comes to comedy, as he was a fixture of the sitcom Kim’s Convenience and also made guest appearances on Fresh Off the Boat and Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.

Rap sensation Saweetie served as the Saturday Night Live musical guest for the first time in her career on November 20. In addition to her successful music career, the MTV Video Music Award-winning performer has also been featured on Grown-ish, Wild ’n Out, and Cooking with Paris.

Stream it on Peacock.

December 11, 2021 - Billie Eilish

On December 11, Billie Eilish followed in the footsteps of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and a few dozen other famous singers who have pulled double-duty as Saturday Night Live host and musical guest. Hot off the July 2021 release of her sophomore effort Happier Than Ever and the long-awaited release of No Time to Die (which features the Grammy-winning title track), Eilish showed off her comedy chops in multiple skits and the impressive opening monologue.

Billie Eilish also took care of the musical duties with renditions of "Happier Than Ever" and "Male Fantasy" alongside her brother and musical partner Finneas.

Stream it on Peacock.

December 18, 2021 - Paul Rudd With Musical Guest Charli XCX

Paul Rudd officially became a member of the prestigious 5-Timers Club when he hosted Saturday Night Live on December 18, but not in the way in which everyone hoped. Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in New York City, Saturday Night Live's Christmas episode became a collection of pre-shot segments filmed throughout the week and classic skits from holidays past. Rudd was joined by fellow 5-Timers Tom Hanks and Tina Fey in studio, as well as Steve Martin and Martin Sheen via video. Fey even stuck around to appear alongside Michael Che in the Weekend Update segment.

Charli XCX was originally scheduled to be the episode's musical guest, but her performance was cancelled due to the decision by Saturday Night Live producers to have a limited cast and crew and no live audience due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to a Tweet the singer made.

Stream it on Peacock.

January 15, 2022 - Ariana DeBose With Musical Guest Bleachers

On January 15, Golden Globe winner Ariana DeBose made her Saturday Night Live debut when she hosted the first episode of 2022. DeBose became the second member of the Hamilton cast to serve as SNL host, and first since the Broadway hit’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda hosted back in October 2016. To star things off, the West Side Story star was joined by SNL mainstay Kate McKinnon to perform a medley of numbers from Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical.

Several days before Saturday Night Live was set to air, Roddy Ricch was replaced by Bleachers as that week's musical guest. The Jack Antonoff-led group performed the hit songs "How Dare You Want More" and "Chinatown."

Stream it on Peacock.

January 22, 2022 - Will Forte With Musical Guest Måneskin

On January 22, Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte returned to 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H, and became the latest in a long line of SNL greats to host the show for the first time (even if he was the last of the core 2000s group to do so). Forte was joined by Kristen Wiig and the two went to town with some of their most iconic characters and tons of laughs throughout the night.

Italian rock outfit Måneskin served as the Saturday Night Live musical guest, performing their hits “Beggin” and “I Wanna Be Your Slave.”

Stream it on Peacock.

January 29, 2022 - Willem Dafoe With Musical Guest Katy Perry

Willem Dafoe took to Studio 8H for the first time in his legendary career when he hosted Saturday Night Live on January 29. During his hilarious and endearing monologue, the Spider-Man: No Way Home star touched on everything from his over-the-top facial expressions to comparisons with the Joker.

Serving as musical guest was Katy Perry, who performed “When I’m Gone” and “Never Really Over during her fourth appearance on the long-running sketch comedy program.

Stream it on Peacock. 

February 26, 2022 - John Mulaney With Musical Guest LCD Soundsystem

Former Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney joined the “Five-Timers Club” in a sketch during his February 26 hosting gig with cameos by Steve Martin, Candace Bergen, Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, and, most surprisingly, fellow former writer Conan O’Brien. Following a moving, choral tribute to Ukraine, the comedian gave a very personal, but thoroughly hilarious monologue and, later, kept tradition with a new musical sketch that pokes fun at New York’s subway system.

Also appearing in said sketch was musical guest LCD Soundsystem, the Grammy Award-winning rock outfit led by singer James Murphy. For their first appearance on Saturday Night Live since May 2017, the band performed two songs off of their self-titled, 2005 debut album - namely “Thrills” and “Yr City’s a Sucker.”

Stream it on Peacock.

March 5, 2022 - Oscar Isaac With Musical Guest Charli XCX

Just in time for the Disney+ premiere of his Marvel TV show, Moon Knight, later in the month, Oscar Isaac made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on March 5. During his opening monologue, the actor mentioned his MCU induction as a segue into showing clips from his childhood home movie - coincidentally called The Avenger - and capping it off with some encouragement for kids to be “weirdos” on the chance that they might host SNL one day.

Performing some tunes from her latest album, Crash, in between the humor was  Grammy winner Charli XCX.  This was the British singer’s second time on SNL, which was supposed to happen the night Paul Rudd hosted on December 18 before her appearance was canceled in response to the Omicron variant in New York.

Stream it on Peacock.

March 12, 2022 - Zoë Kravitz With Musical Guest Rosalía

Making her SNL debut on March 12 was Zoë Kravitz, whose role as Catwoman in The Batman became a point of conversation that night. Her monologue saw the return of past Catwomen (Kate McKinnon as Batman Returns’ Michelle Pfieffer and Ego Nwodim as Eartha Kitt from the 1960s TV Series) as well as Aidy Bryant as a “Cat Lady” and Chris Redd as comedian Katt Williams. The actress also starred in a Please Don’t Destroy video (featuring a cameo by Riddler actor Paul Dano) in which the titular trio attempt to give their host a cat.

That night’s musical guest was Rosalía, who became the first in the show’s history to sing entirely in Spanish for both performances. This was also the first Saturday Night Live appearance ever for the singer-songwriter whose sophomore album El Mal Querer won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2019.

Stream it on Peacock.

April 2, 2022 - Jerrod Carmichael With Musical Guest Gunna

It was actually surprising to learn that Neighbors cast member Jerrod Carmichael had never hosted SNL before he hit the stage when the show returned on April 2, 2022. In his monologue, the actor, writer, comedian, and filmmaker commented on recently coming out as gay on his new HBO Max stand-up special, Rothaniel, and his unwillingness to talk about a certain Oscars ceremony incident before later starring in a sketch about it.

The audience was also treated to a pair of performances by Gunna, who released his third and most recent studio album, DS4Ever, in January. The Georgia-based rapper also starred in a music video with Pete Davidson about some people’s preferences for watching “short-ass movies” depending on the time of day.

Stream it on Peacock.

April 9, 2022 - Jake Gyllenhaal With Musical Guest Camila Cabello

The last time Jake Gyllenhaal hosted Saturday Night Live was 15 years earlier, followed by a few memorable cameos - most recently in February 2020 as a “guy who travels in pajamas” at LaGuardia Airport. The Academy Award nominee and Ambulance star actually mentioned his Dreamgirls song performance in drag at that first 2007 gig when he re-entered the Studio 8H spotlight, front-and-center, on April 9.

Also celebrating her sophomore SNL gig was Camila Cabello, who previously appeared as the show’s musical guest during Season 45 in 2019. The Cuban-American Grammy nominee, who made her acting debut with Amazon Prime’s Cinderella cast in 2021, was also joined by Willow Smith for the first live performance of their new song, “Psychofreak.”

Stream it on Peacock.

April 16, 2022 - Lizzo

After making her Saturday Night Live debut as a musical guest on the night Eddie Murphy returned in Season 45, Lizzo made her hosting debut on April 16, 2022, with an opening monologue that she promised would break the record for the most times “bitch” has been said on live TV, and she just might have achieved it. The Grammy-winning artist had previously admitted to being nervous about breaking out in laughter, which did happen often, but actually leant to the appeal of the show and solidified Lizzo as one of this season’s most charming and enthusiastic hosts yet.

The Hustlers cast member also served as musical guest, performing two songs from her new album, About Damn Time (first introduced by herself and secondly by her mother). She also collaborated on a funny track with Please Don’t Destroy and demonstrated her masterful skills with a flute in a sketch that also utilized her twerking talent.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 7, 2022 -  Benedict Cumberbatch With Musical Guest Arcade Fire

For the second time, Benedict Cumberbatch hosted Saturday Night Live while promoting his lead performance in a Marvel movie - namely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this time. This being Season 47’s Mother’s Day show, the Oscar nominee paid tribute to his mother and his wife in his hilarious monologue and later shared the screen with his MCU co-star, Elizabeth Olsen, for a funny moment from a later sketch.

Joining the Five-Timers Club on May 7, 2022 (if the membership rules also apply to musicians) was the episode’s musical guest, Arcade Fire, who also once performed on the show as special guests with then-host Mick Jagger in 2012.  The Grammy-winning, Canadian indie rock group played the two-part song “The Lightning” and “Unconditional (Lookout Kid)” off of their latest album, We.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 14, 2022 -  Selena Gomez With Musical Guest Post Malone

Former Disney Channel star Selena Gomez, who previously performed on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest in Season 41, made her debut as a host  on May 14, 2022. In her monologue, the Only Murders in the Building cast member made fun of her co-star, Steve Martin (before also appearing in a sketch with him), and paid homage to her days on the children’s program, Barney.

While Gomez did not perform any music that night in Studio 8H, as that gig was secured by Post Malone. This was the first SNL appearance for the Grammy-nominated rapper and Wrath of Man cast member, who was also joined on stage by Roddy Rich and Fleet Foxes.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 21, 2022 - Natasha Lyonne With Musical Guest Japanese Breakfast

Closing out Season 47 of Saturday Night Live on May 21, 2022 was Natasha Lyonne - the former Orange is the New Black cast member and star and co-creator of Russian Doll on Netflix. The actor made her hosting debut on what would also be the last episode for cast members Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney.

Also making their SNL debut as musical guest was Japanese Breakfast. The Grammy-nominated indie rock group, headed by Korean-American singer Michelle Zauner, performed two tracks from their third studio album, Jubilee, called “Be Sweet” and “Paprika.”

Stream it on Peacock.

As someone who thought that Season 47 was, overall, a success, I am excited to see what they have in store with Saturday Night Live Season 48.

When it comes to some of the biggest shows on Netflix, several pop up in my mind. Stranger Things is one, and The Witcher is another, but one that you might not think of as quite so often is Russian Doll, the Natasha Lyonne-led comedy that came out in 2019. 

The series, which was actually one of Netflix’s best-reviewed shows in that year, captured the hearts of viewers thanks to an entertaining storyline and great acting from both Lyonne and the rest of the cast. But, for some time, we’ve been waiting for an update on Russian Doll Season 2. If you’ve been looking around to see what's happening with the next season of this awesome show, check out these quick things that we know.

Natasha Lyonne Is Expected To Return 

While there hasn’t been an official update yet on whether Lyonne is going to officially return as Nadia for the second season, it’s expected that she'll be back, given her involvement with the show. Lyonne is a co-creator and executive producer for Russian Doll, and was the star of Season 1, so it would be pretty surprising if she didn’t come back for Season 2.

But, keep in mind that we don’t have an official cast list for Season 2 - just various casting announcements for people who have signed on for it (as will be talked about in a second). No one can deny that Russian Doll is definitely one of Lyonne’s best performances so far of her career, so I hope we get to see her as Nadia once again real soon.  

Russian Doll Season 2 Will Have Plenty Of New Faces, Including Annie Murphy, Carolyn Michelle Smith, And More 

After the finale of the first season of Russian Doll, it’s hard to figure out exactly where the story is going to go from there, but thankfully, even if we have no idea what is going to happen to Nadia next, we have an idea of the people she'll meet, thanks to some pretty awesome casting news. 

As we previously reported by CinemaBlend when Netflix announced the news on Twitter, it was revealed that Annie Murphy has joined the cast of Russian Doll Season 2. 

Murphy has been making headlines lately for her breakout role as part of the Schitt’s Creek cast, as well as her own starring series on AMC, called Kevin Can F**k Himself. So, it’s exciting to see her join the cast of another awesome Netflix series. She spoke to Parade about it in an interview in September of 2021, and Murphy admitted she had the time of her life shooting the show:

Some more casting news from Deadline reported that Caroyln Michelle Smith, known for her roles in House of Cards, Luke Cage, and many other series, was cast in a recurring role for Russian Doll Season 2. Another report from Deadline noted that Sharlto Copley, known for roles in District 9 and Powers, signed on for the second season of Russian Doll, as well. 

With this fun casting news, I can only wonder what this cast is going to be up to on the show. 

Natasha Lyonne Posted About Filming On Her Instagram  

While we did say we’re not 100% sure if Lyonne is going to be back to star as Nadia for Russian Doll Season 2, she is deeply involved in the second season.

Back in June of 2021, Lyonne posted to her Instagram account a picture of her and some of her co-workers for Russian Doll, with the caption, “Operation code name Black Gumball, complete. Closer everyday now. To the edit! #RD2 @russiandollnetflix ♥️♥️”

The picture also featured Charlie Barnett, one of her co-stars from the first season, as well two members from her crew, and was followed by several other pictures of her and others on set. Whether this means she was acting on Russian Doll or just worked behind the scenes is unconfirmed, but it’s great to see her working alongside everyone and excited for the show to (hopefully) come out soon.

Russian Doll Season 2 Will Have Eight Episodes  

Some shows tend to cut episode counts in half in later seasons, but thankfully, Russian Doll Season 2 is aiming to have the same amount of episodes as the first, according to Variety, which will be eight. 

According To Charlie Barnett, Russian Doll Season 2 Will Be “Very Different”  

One of the main stars (besides Nataha Lyonne) in Russian Doll Season 1 was Charlie Barnett, who played Alan Zaveri, a man who was also stuck in the infuriating time loop that Nadia was stuck in. 

Thankfully, Barnett has a bit of a scoop on Russian Doll Season 2, and in an interview with TV Insider in November of 2021, he revealed that the upcoming season of the Netflix show is going to be quite different from Season 1. 

Barnett teased that the differences in Season 2 appear within “the principals that have followed up last season.” What exactly that means, I have no idea, but I can’t lie and say it doesn’t peak my interest. 

Russian Doll Season 2’s Release Date Is Not Set Yet 

Russian Doll Season 1 came out in 2019, and as of this writing, it’s January 2022. That’s a long time in-between seasons. However, with COVID-19 pushbacks and everything else that’s happened, it’s understandable as to why we would be waiting so long for Season 2. 

However, even with Instagram posts confirming filming and cast announcements and all that jazz, we still don’t have a confirmed release date for Russian Doll Season 2. While it would be great if it popped up on the 2022 TV schedule, or 2022 Netflix TV schedule, we don’t have a set date just yet. Hopefully, we'll get some updates soon, so just be patient.

I’m hoping that once the release date is dropped, we won’t have to wait too long for additional updates on this fun series. For now, I think I might just go and re-watch Russian Doll Season 1 on Netflix...Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.   

When it comes to some of the best coming of age films, one of the first ones that always comes to mind is American Pie. While it’s not as emotional as other movies in the same genre, such as the Hailee Steinfeld-led The Edge of Seventeen or The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film series has cemented itself as one of the funniest coming of age movies out there - and that’s only continued with its subsequent sequels. 

With such a large ensemble, one might wonder where the American Pie cast is now after more than twenty years since its 1999 premiere. From Jason Biggs to Natasha Lyonne, this is what they’ve been up to - and what they’ve starred in.  

Jason Biggs (Jim)

Hands down one of the most known cast members of American Pie is the main man himself, Jason Biggs, who played Jim - you know, that character that goes hand-in-hand with apple pies everywhere. Biggs himself since his big role in American Pie has been quite active in both movies and TV. 

In regards to movies, he’s starred in several hilarious comedies, such as Saving Silverman, Boys and Girls, Over Her Dead Body, My Best Friend’s Girl and more, while also simultaneously appearing in other American Pie sequels. 

Television has been where Biggs has really shined. For a couple of seasons, Biggs was a part of the Orange is the New Black cast on Netflix, playing Larry Bloom. He’s also a part of the comedy, Outmatched, as part of the main cast, and has guest-starred on several shows, such as The Good Fight, Deadbeat and more. I’m sure it’ll only be a matter of time before he pops up on TV once again. 

Alyson Hannigan (Michelle)

Remember that one time at band camp? Michelle sure does in American Pie, played by Alyson Hannigan. Since her role in the teen comedy, Hannigan has made a name for herself in Hollywood. 

With movies, she reprised her role in several of the American Pie sequels, but other than that, she appeared in the Disney+ original movie, Flora & Ulysses, the comedies, Love, Wedding, Marriage and Date Movie, and more. 

Like Biggs, TV is where Hannigan has stood out the most. After American Pie, she went on to have two major main roles in very popular shows - continuing playing Willow Rosenberg as part of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast, and playing Lily Aldrin in How I Met Your Mother. Recently, she’s taken on roles such as the host of Penn & Teller: Fool Us, a main voice role in Fancy Nancy, and several guest appearances on TV shows. 

Seann William Scott (Steve Stifler)

Playing Steve Stifler in American Pie was Seann William Scott, and just like his co-stars, Scott has done a lot in both movies and TV. With movies, he’s appeared in several hilarious comedies such as Dude, Where’s My Car?, Mr. Woodcock, Road Trip and more, as well as stepping into other genres, such as the horror film, Final Destination, or the sports comedy, Goon and its sequel. 

Scott has also proven himself to be a talented voice actor as well, voicing Crash from the Ice Age film series for several of its movies. Scott also had the main role of Wesley Cole in the TV series, Lethal Weapon, and will play Father Joe in the Fox TV series, Welcome to Flatch.

Eugene Levy (Jim's Father)

While Levy's fame has only grown in recent years, it wasn’t long ago that one of his most hilarious roles was playing Mr. Levenstein in American Pie, otherwise known as Jim’s father. 

Since his appearance in the film, Levy has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows. While he reprised his role for several American Pie sequels, he appeared in movies such as New York Minute, Curious George, Taking Woodstock, Goon, Finding Dory and more. He's also well known for his work (appearing in and co-writing) on numerous Christopher Guest movies (Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman, etc.). 

Arguably, Eugene Levy’s biggest work since his time in the American Pie series was co-creating the hit comedy, Schitt’s Creek, alongside his son, Dan Levy, and being a part of the Schitt’s Creek cast. However, Levy has also appeared in other shows as well as a guest or a recurring character, like Package Deal, Greg the Bunny and others. 

Tara Reid (Vicky)

Another famous face from American Pie is Tara Reid, who played Vicky in the series. After her role in the original movie, Tara Reid reprised her role for a couple of the American Pie sequels, and went on to star in a lot of comedies and independent films. 

Some of these include Josie and the Pussycats, Van Wilder, My Boss’s Daughter and more. Reid had a main role as April Wexler in the TV film series, Sharknado, from 2013 to 2018. Reid has also guest-starred in many shows whether as herself or a character, such as the Amazon original series, The Boys, Hell’s Kitchen and more. 

Chris Klein (Oz)

Moving on, now we have Oz from American Pie, played by Chris Klein. Since his appearance in the first film, Klein has popped up in many roles in both movies and television. With film, he reprised the role of Oz in several of the American Pie sequels, as well as appeared in movies such as The United States of Leland, Just Friends, Caught in the Crossfire, Game of Aces, Ron’s Gone Wrong and more. 

Klein has also made a career for himself in television as well. His most recent role is playing Bill Townsend in the Netflix original series, Sweet Magnolias, but he’s appeared in many other shows. For example, he played Cicada in the CW original show, The Flash, for Season 5, voiced Dash in TRON: Uprising, appeared in The Good Guys, had a recurring role in Wilfred and many other parts. 

Natasha Lyonne (Jessica)

Natasha Lyonne as Jessica in American Pie will always be one of my favorite roles in a teen comedy, because she just knocked it out of the park. Since her appearance in the movie, Lyonne has made a name for herself, both in movies and TV. 

Lyonne, in terms of movies, has made a living appearing in comedies and independent films, such as Sleeping with Other People, Hello, My Name Is Doris, the body horror movie, Antibirth, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and more. 

Television, however, is Lyonne’s bread and butter in my opinion, as she has appeared in several amazing shows. Like Biggs, Lyonne was a part of the Orange is the New Black cast as Nicky, and then went on to have her own show on Netflix, titled Russian Doll, which was nominated for Primetime Emmy awards. In addition to that, she’s also appeared as a guest star or recurring character on many other TV shows, like Girls and Portlandia. 

Mena Suvari (Heather)

Heather has always been one of my favorite characters from American Pie just because I really liked her relationship with Oz, and she was played by Mena Suvari. Since her appearance in the role, Suvari has reprised the character for a couple of the sequels, as well as made a name for herself in movies and TV. 

The same year that American Pie came out, Suvari turned heads in the Academy-Award winning movie, American Beauty, showing her talent as an actress. Afterwards, she would appear in several other movies such as Loser, Sugar & Spice, You May Not Kiss the Bride, The Opposite Sex, The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, and many more. She also had a role in Ron’s Gone Wrong, voicing B-Bot. 

Suvari has also appeared in many TV shows. Some of her more prominent roles include playing Edie in the HBO limited series, Six Feet Under, portraying the Black Dahlia in American Horror Story: Murder House (which she reprised in American Horror Story: Apocalypse), appearing as Maria Abascal in South of Hell, and playing Kathleen in American Woman.

Shannon Elizabeth (Nadia)

Next up, we have Nadia, one of Jim’s love interests in American Pie, played by Shannon Elizabeth. Since her appearance in American Pie, Elizabeth has reprised the role of Nadia in a couple of the American Pie sequels, as well as appearing in other movie roles. Some of her most known are the Christmas movie, Love Actually, the parody film, Scary Movie, the action film, The Outsider and more. 

Elizabeth has also had some prominent roles in television, including playing Brooke in That ‘70s Show and Tiffany Sherwood in Cuts. She’s also had guest appearances in shows like Melissa & Joey, What Not to Wear, and more. 

In 2018, she was a houseguest on Celebrity Big Brother. And in 2019, she returned to her role as Justice for Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. 

Eddie Kaye Thomas (Paul Finch)

Next up, we have Paul Finch in American Pie, played by Eddie Kaye Thomas. Since his appearance in the first movie, Thomas has appeared in many movies, including the sequels to American Pie years later. Some of his other great roles have included playing Andy Rosenberg in the Harold & Kumar comedy film series, appearing as Michael Petunia in Petunia, and playing Dave in Alex & the List, among other smaller films. 

In television, Thomas has had numerous roles. He played Russell in Brutally Normal, Mike Platt in Off Centre, Jeff Woodcock in ‘Til Death, David Kaplan in How to Make it in America, and Tobias in Scorpion. Talk about someone who is busy in the TV industry. He’s also had guest appearances in shows like This Is Us, Outmatched, The Prodigal Son and others. 

Thomas Ian Nicholas (Kevin Myers)

Thomas Ian Nicholas played Kevin Myers in American Pie, and has reprised this role in a couple of the American Pie movies. Some of his other roles that he has appeared in were playing Bill Woodlake in Halloween: Resurrection as part of the Halloween franchise, Sherman’s Way, The Chicago 8, Adverse and Zeroville, as well as smaller film appearances. 

Nicholas has also popped up in several TV shows, from guest parts to recurring roles. This includes having a recurring role on Party of Five, a recurring appearance on Red Band Society, a main role on the animated TV series, Gormiti, some guest roles in shows like Medium and Grey’s Anatomy and more. He also had a guest appearance on the reality cooking show, Hell’s Kitchen. I for one can't wait to see what he does next, whether that be in movies or TV.

Jennifer Coolidge (Stifler’s Mother)

Last but certainly not least, we have Jennifer Coolidge, who played Stifler’s mother in American Pie. Coolidge has had quite the film career while also appearing in a couple of the American Pie sequels. 

She was a part of the Legally Blonde cast, and has appeared in many hit comedy movies such as Zoolander, the Cinderella movie, A Cinderella Story, Austenland, and more, as well as popping up in more serious roles such as Promising Young Woman. One of her most recent appearances in a movie was the Netflix original film, Single All the Way. 

Coolidge has also made a career out of television as well. While appearing in many TV shows as a guest, she’s also had main roles in series’ such as Joey, the teen series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Gravity Falls, The Fungies!, and most recently, the HBO anthology series, The White Lotus. Talk about a stacked resume - and I can't wait to see what she does next. 

You know, I think it’s time for another American Pie reunion. Maybe not as part of the 2022 movies but soon. Anyone up for a sequel? As long as these fantastic actors are in it, I think I’ll love the heck out of it. I also think this just makes me want to eat apple pie - you know, without the giant hole.  

When it comes to iconic comedic actresses, one that always comes to mind is Natasha Lyonne. With a career that has spanned both movies and television for several decades now, Lyonne has been on a roll with awesome teen comedies, fantastic Netflix shows, and more. 

From her time on the Emmy-winning Orange is the New Black, to her latest Netflix series, Russian Doll, Lyonne is a master at her craft and deserves all the praise in the world. Which is why here, we will be talking about the best Natasha Lyonne movies and TV shows, and how you can watch them streaming or available to rent, right now. Let’s start off with, what I think, is one of her best. 

Orange Is The New Black (2013 - 2019) 

You can’t have a list like this and not mention this show. Orange is the New Black was one of the first Netflix original series, telling the story of Piper Chapman. She is a seemingly normal woman whose past catches up to her when she is charged and imprisoned for past affiliation with drug trafficking. There, she meets some interesting people, and a person she never thought she would see again. 

I always loved this show, but Natasha Lyonne’s character, Nicky, is one of the best. The whole Orange is the New Black cast is so talented, but Nicky is, hands down, one of the best characters. Her witty jokes and sarcastic nature make for some of the best moments of the show, and I’ve always loved the friendships her character formed during the series. Definitely one of Natasha’s best roles so far. 

Stream Orange is the New Black on Netflix.

American Pie Series (1999 - 2012) 

You gotta love American Pie. This popular teen movie franchise started off in 1999 and followed a group of friends who make a pact before the end of their senior year. What exactly is that pact? Easy - to lose their virginity before they graduate. Seems simple enough, until everything starts to turn upside down. 

I feel like when anyone hears the name ‘Natasha Lyonne,’ this is one of the first movies you think about. Her performance as Jessica is legendary, showing off her comedic skill, even at such a young age, and her chemistry with her castmates in American Pie is brilliant. She appeared in several of the movies afterwards, so if you love her in the first, you’ll love her in the next ones as well.

Stream American Pie on Showtime.
Rent the American Pie series on Amazon.

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999) 

This is one of my favorite films, hands down, for how funny it is. But I’m A Cheerleader, starring Natasha Lyonne, is such a great romantic teen comedy. In this film, the parents of the main character, Megan, don’t approve of her being lesbian. So, they decide to send her to a conversion camp to see if they can “pray the gay away.” 

This film so funny, with a great heartwarming ending despite all the satirical comedy it provides, and Lyonne kills it. I’ve seen her in roles like this before (like Nicky in Orange is the New Black) where she plays an LGBTQ+ character, but there’s something about But I’m A Cheerleader that stands. She just has this star quality that really carries the movie and creates such a fun experience. I mean, the legend himself, RuPaul, is in this film too. How can you not instantly love it? 

Stream But I’m A Cheerleader on Pluto TV.
Rent But I’m A Cheerleader on Amazon.

Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998) 

The cult classic, Slums of Beverly Hills, follows Lyonne’s character, Vivian, and her family. They keep moving to different apartments in Beverly Hills, over and over, to try and make sure their children can attend some of the best schools in the area in the 1970s, making her life hectic and full of the most hilarious people ever.

Slums of Beverly Hills is such a great film. Not only does Natasha Lyonne really sell her lead role as a daughter who is so tired of her father’s antics, the rest of the cast is stunning as well. Marisa Tomei, Carl Reiner...heck, even legendary actress Rita Moreno shows up in this film. That, combined with a really funny, story creates such a wonderful viewing experience. 

Rent Slums of Beverly Hills on Amazon.

Robots (2005) 

Robots follows Rodney Copporbottom, a young robot who wishes to try and find his idol in Robot City so that he can show off his inventions. However, as he does so, he starts to discover dark secrets behind his idol’s famous company, and takes it upon himself to try and stop what's happening, alongside some friends. 

Robots is such an underrated classic. There's a fun ensemble cast with Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, and more, and Natasha Lyonne blends right in and create some hysterical moments. The robot she voices, Loretta, is hilarious, and while she isn’t in the film for long compared to the rest of the cast, I will always adore her scenes with Fender (who was voiced by the incredible Robin Williams). If you haven’t seen this movie, be sure to check it out now. 

Rent Robots on Amazon.

Sleeping With Other People (2015) 

Next up, we have the romantic comedy, Sleeping with Other People. This film tells the story of college students Lainey and Jake, who had a one-night stand years ago while they were still in school. Now, they come across each other again as adults and end up discovering that both of them sorta suck at relationships - and ironically, this only leads to them growing closer. 

The two leads here are amazing, with great roles for Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie, but Natasha Lyonne is awesome in her part as Kara, also. As one of Lainey’s friends, she attempts to talk with her about what’s going on with Jake and is often there to make funny jokes. Lyonne fits right into this underrated romantic comedy that you should really see now. 

Stream Sleeping with Other People on Amazon through AMC+.
Rent Sleeping with Other People on Amazon.

Antibirth (2016)

I’m telling you, Natasha Lyonne can do it all and she proves that with this awesome horror movie. Antibirth follows a woman who is addicted to drugs, living day to day on pills, or drunk out of her mind. However, when one night turns crazy and she takes a drug that she doesn't know, she finds out that she is inexplicably pregnant, creating horrors for her life. 

Yeeeah, this is one of those movies that you probably don’t want to watch with an empty stomach. Antibirth is a brilliant look into what happens when body horror is done well in a scary movie, and there are certain parts in here that definitely made me look away from the screen. However, what always brought me back was Lyonne’s captivating performance. I never saw her as a scream queen, but after this crazy intense movie, I could see her doing so many horror movies. It’s an interesting yet terrifying film. 

Stream Antibirth on Amazon through AMC+.
Rent Antibirth on Amazon.

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) 

This is the most adorable coming of age movie I think I have seen in a long time. Hello, My Name is Doris, starring the lovely Sally Field, follows an older woman who is shy and not really sure of herself. But, after she attends a self-help seminar, she gets the confidence she desperately needs to ask out her coworker - who is significantly younger than her, creating problems she never thought she'd experience.

Natasha Lyonne is Sally, one of the many people Doris interacts with on a daily basis, and blends right into this hilarious ensemble by cracking jokes, making me snicker pretty consistently. However, what really makes Hello, My Name is Doris such a sweet film is the leading actress herself, Field. She is awesome in this role and shows that you’re never too old for love. Plus, Max Greenfield (known for his character, Schmidt, in New Girl) has surprisingly great chemistry with her as the younger man. 

Stream Hello, My Name Is Doris on Hulu.
Rent Hello, My Name Is Doris on Amazon.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) 

The United States vs. Billie Holiday tells the story of how the singer got started in her career, and follows her as she deals with bigger issues, such as being the target of the FDN (Federal Department of Narcotics) after some folks don't agree with how she sings and what she does.

Natasha Lyonne plays Tallulah Bankhead, a real-life stage actress, and her scenes with Bille (Andra Day) are some of the best in the movie, perfectly acted and really wonderfully done. The whole movie itself is super interesting, from the start of Billie’s career to everything she went through as an artist. With a talented ensemble cast, The United States vs. Billie Holiday is a worthy movie to watch any day. 

Stream The United States vs Billie Holiday on Hulu.

Russian Doll (2019 - Present) 

Last but not least, we have Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne’s latest Netflix series. This dramedy follows Nadia, a woman who attends a party in New York City. However, she finds herself caught up in a time loop, as she dies over and over, only to wake up at the party once more. Every time Nadia dies, she tries to come to a solution, which brings perfect comedic timing from Lyonne.

Russian Doll is a fantasy series with some classic mystery show tropes that has amazing performances from both Natasha Lyonne and the whole cast. The story itself is so interesting, as well, with something new being revealed every episode to really keep you watching. With Season 2 on the way, now is the perfect time to try it. You’ll never want to stop clicking “next episode.” 

Stream Russian Doll on Netflix.

It should only be a matter of time before more movies and TV shows are added to this list. Natasha Lyonne has truly done it all, and I can’t wait to see what the actress does next. Now, if Russian Doll Season 2 could arrive, I would be a happy camper. 

Rian Johnson is definitely one of the most skilled creatives in the Hollywood landscape right now. Given his work in multiple genres, it’s sometimes hard to predict what he might do next. The filmmaker’s most recent project was 2019’s Knives Out, a fun muder-mystery akin to the works of Agatha Christie. Well, it looks like Johnson is set to stay within the mystery genre, as he’s been tapped for a new streaming show.

Peacock has acquired Rian Johnson’s Poker Face, a new series being produced by Johnson’s T-Street production banner. According to Deadline, Peacock vied with a number of other streamers to land the series and has given the show a 10-episode order. While plot details are currently being kept under wraps, we do know that the show will star Russian Doll’s Natasha Lyonne, who will also serve as executive producer under her Animal Pictures banner.

Poker Face marks a significant milestone for the Star Wars alum, as it will mark the first time he’s ever served as a writer, director and creator on a show. So far, Rian Johnson has only directed episodes of television shows like Breaking Bad, for which he earned critical acclaim. Based on the statement from Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content for NBC Universal’s Television and Steaming, the streamer is definitely happy to have Johnson in the fold:

It also sounds like Rian Johnson himself is more than ready to get to work. And he’s particularly excited to be working with his star:

It’s true Natasha Lyonne is a creative force, and it’ll be cool to see what she brings to the show, though some may be wondering how this might affect her work on Russian Doll. Well, fear not because the trade reports that her new gig won’t interfere with her work on the acclaimed show.

One can only imagine what the show will be about but, based on Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne’s past work, the series is bound to be a thriller that keeps audiences guessing. And despite any over-the-top moments, the show will probably include the grounded sensibilities both creatives typically like to employ.

It’s early days for Poker Face but, with such strong creative forces behind, it’s sure to be something intriguing. We here at CinemaBlend will provide you with more updates on the show as they arrive.

It has been nearly 30 years since the John Hughes-penned and Nick Castle-directed 1993 big screen adaptation of Dennis the Menace brought the iconic troublesome boy of mischief to theaters around the world and brought in more than $117 million at the global box office despite getting eaten alive by critics at every corner. With an entertaining storyline and gags that played out a lot like another one of John Hughes' franchises, the family comedy also featured a rather unique collection of actors from just about every era of film and television. Speaking of which, what has the Dennis the Menace cast been up to these past few decades? Let's find out, shall we…

Mason Gamble (Dennis Mitchell)

Despite having roles in multiple film and television projects over the course of his acting career, Mason Gamble will always be known for his portrayal of Dennis Mitchell in Dennis the Menace. Following his leading role in the 1993 summer family movie, Gamble took on a series of projects including Spy Hard in 1996, Rushmore in 1998, and Arlington Road in 1999. After a few more years taking on smaller and lesser-known roles, Gamble did what so many other child actors did — he left show business behind and pursued other dreams, which included enrolling in the doctorate program in environmental science and engineering at UCLA in 2011, according to the school's Institute of Environment & Sustainability. Besides that, Gamble has kept a low-profile in more recent years.

Walter Matthau (George Wilson)

Walter Matthau, who played George Wilson, and countless other roles in the years leading up to and following Dennis the Menace passed away in 2000 at the age of 79 years old. The veteran of stage, film, and television was just a Grammy shy of earning his very own EGOT after taking home two Tony Awards, an Oscar, and a Golden Globe for various roles throughout his legendary career. In the years leading up to his death, Matthau teamed up with his Odd Couple co-star Jack Lemmon in comedies like 1993's Grumpy Old Men, its 1995 sequel Grumpier Old Men, and The Odd Couple II, which was released in 1998, 30 years after the original hit theaters.

Joan Plowright (Martha Wilson)

Dame Joan Plowright, who played Martha Wilson, the kinder and more patient neighbor of Dennis Mitchell, is perhaps one of the most decorated and prolific actresses in all of show business, and it's amazing she's not brought up more often. The widow of Laurence Olivier, Plowright, whose legal name is Joan Ann Olivier, Baroness Olivier, DBE, remained busy in the years following the 1993 release of Dennis the Menace up until 2014 when she retired from acting. Having the distinction of being one of the few actors or actresses to win two Golden Globes in the same year (Supporting Actress - Motion Picture and Television), Plowright's most recent appearance is in the 2018 documentary Nothing Like a Dame, which consisted of conversations between Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, and Mrs. Wilson herself.

Christopher Lloyd (Switchblade Sam)

Christopher Lloyd, the two-time Emmy winner best known for his portrayal of Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise, had a completely different look and feel with his depiction of Switchblade Sam in Dennis The Menace. Since being foiled by Dennis Mitchell in 1993, Lloyd has remained as busy as ever with too many film, television, and video game roles to count, but he is next slated to appear alongside Ellen Burstyn and James Caan in Michael Lembeck's upcoming comedy Welcome to Pine Grove! which is set in a retirement community that is a lot like a high school. In 2008, Lloyd lost his house in the Tea Fire that ravaged Montecito, California.

Lea Thompson (Alice Mitchell)

Alice Mitchell was already a major player in Hollywood by the time she was cast as Alice Mitchell in Dennis the Menace, and the Back to the Future star hasn't slowed down to rest on her laurels since. In the years following the movie's release, Thompson got an NBC sitcom of her own, Caroline in the City, popped up on some of the biggest television shows of the 1990s and 2000, and even started directing projects of her own, with shows like Young Sheldon, Katy Keene, and Stargirl under her belt. 

Lea Thompson made the news circuit in August 2020 when she seemed to confirm rumors about the alleged mistreatment of the crew of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. And can we finally get that new Howard the Duck movie already?

Robert Stanton (Henry Mitchell)

Robert Stanton appeared for a cup of coffee in Dennis the Menace, but boy did he master the Henry Mitchell look whenever he was on the screen? Since working on the 1993 film, Stanton has remained busy as ever with appearances on all three major Law & Order franchises, Orange Is the New Black, and the Stephen King-adapted series Mr. Mercedes where he portrayed Anthony "Robi" Frobisher on the show's first season. And when he's not busy acting on stage, on TV, or in motion pictures, Stanton is quite active on Twitter where he is vocal about a number of issues impacting those in the arts.

Amy Sakasitz (Margaret Wise)

Margaret Wise in Dennis the Menace was the second of five acting roles Amy Sakasitz took on before leaving the profession behind in the mid-1990s. In more recent years, the former child actress has remained busy on social media, including Twitter where she posts links to her personal book reviews as well as commentary about ongoing social issues.

Kellen Hathaway (Joey McDonald)

Kellen Hathaway, who played Joey McDonald, Dennis' best friend, followed up his performance in Nick Castle's 1993 comedy with one-off appearances in shows like The Nanny and Mad About You, as well as more prominent roles like in Grace Under Fire and the 1995 big screen adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn titled Tom and Huck. Since disappearing from the public eye at turn of the 21st Century, Hathaway has kept a low-profile.

Natasha Lyonne (Polly)

Natasha Lyonne briefly appeared in Dennis the Menace as Polly, the babysitter who shows up to the Mitchell house with a football helmet. Unlike a lot of names on this list, Lyonne, who is best known for her turn as Jessica in the American Pie franchise, is busier than ever in recent movies like Ad Astra, Honey Boy, and Uncut Gem, and shows like Orange is the New Black and another Netflix hit series, Russian Doll, which she helped create with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler. Now we just need to know when Season 2 will hit the streaming platform.

Devin Ratray (Mickey)

To some, Devin Ratray will always be known as Buzz from the first two Home Alone movies, but he's also in the often forgotten role of Polly's boyfriend in Dennis the Menace. Since then, Ratray has taken on some pretty interesting projects, including the 2008 film Courting Condi in which he played a fictionalized version of himself that was obsessed with then United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and attempted to win her heart. More recently, Ratray has appeared in movies like Nebraska, Blue Ruin, and Hustlers, with his most recent project, Hollywood.Con being in post-production as of 2020.

Paul Winfield (Chief Of Police)

Paul Winfield, who played the chief of police who kicked Switchblade Sam out of the park in the beginning of the movie, had some pretty major film and television projects throughout his lengthy career, including Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 miniseries King, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, and even a guest role on Picket Fences, which earned him an Emmy for a guest role in 1994. Winfield tragically died of a heart attack in 2004.

Ben Stein (Boss)

Yes, Ben Stein is in Dennis the Menace for all of a few seconds (I had to stop and start multiple times to catch him) in the scene where Alice Mitchell is making a pitch during an architectural meeting. Best known for his brief appearance in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the writer and political commentator most recently appeared in The Last Sharknado: It's About Time as Alexander Hamilton. Besides that, Stein continues to provide political and cultural commentary on various news programs and networks.

Melinda Mullins (Andrea)

Melinda Mullins played Andrea, the catty coworker of Alice Mitchell who gets her comeuppance in the final credits of Dennis the Menace, is more known in the world of Broadway than Hollywood, but the accomplished stage actress from titles like Mastergate, Serious Money, and Sherlock's Last Case, also appeared on shows like MASH and Law and Order over her career. Since the early 2000s, Mullins has lived in France with her husband Joshua Bryant, who told French newspaper Le Popularie du Centre in 2018 that they left the United States due to the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Hank Johnston (Gunther Beckman)

Mostly remembered for playing Gunther Beckman, kid Mr. Wilson described as being "a foot short for his age" and "cross-eyed" in Dennis the Menace, Hank Johnston did what so many child actors did and stopped making movies a few years after appearing in the 1993 family-friendly adventure. Johnston appeared in Miracle on 34th Street as a character named "Boy" and then appeared on the TV series Turks in 1999 before taking on his final role in Madison in 2001. Besides that, he might be running off to see if his dad has that ice cream.

Billie Bird (Edith Butterwell)

Billie Bird, who might be known to some as Dorothy Baker in Sixteen Candles or the woman in the airport in Home Alone, played Edith Butterwell, one of the two members of George Wilson's garden club who introduce him at the "Summer Floraganza." This was one of the longtime actress and comedian's final roles before her death at the age of 94 years old in 2002.

Bill Erwin (Edward Little)

Bill Erwin, who is probably best known for his turn as Sid Fields on Seinfeld, appears in a couple scenes in Dennis the Menace as Edward Little alongside Bille Bird's Edith Butterwell. In addition to having scores of credits on the stage, on television, and in movies, Erwin was also an accomplished cartoonist, having been published in The New Yorker, Playboy, and several other publications. Erwin died at the age of 96 years old in 2010.

Arnold Stang (Photographer)

The acclaimed comic actor Arnold Stang even appeared in Dennis the Menace as the photographer sent to capture George Wilson's rare orchid in all its glory. Throughout his career, Stang was a fixture of radio, television, and film, thanks to projects like It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World, Top Cat, and The Milton Berle Show. The legendary voice actor died at the age of 91 years old in 2009.

Since we're all caught up with the cast of Dennis the Menace, now's the perfect time to go back and watch the sometimes forgotten gem while it's streaming on Netflix.

In the past five decades, Saturday Night Live has seen a stellar rotation of guest hosts – some of which have returned enough times to join the Five-Timers Club. However, some classic SNL hosts still have a while before they can qualify for that honor and even have yet to headline a second time.

Since we are currently in SNL Season 50, I would say it is about time that some of the most successful and hilarious members of the One-Timers Club be considered to return for what would very likely be another slam dunk episode. The following are some celebrities who deserve the chance to prove lightning can strike twice in Studio 8H.

Pedro Pascal

With his Emmy-nominated performance in The Last of Us, his legion of Gen-Z fans, and plenty of other fandoms he is a focus of, Pedro Pascal is the type of actor who appeals to all ages, which is part of why his Season 48 episode became an instant classic. He would return less than a year later to cameo alongside host Bad Bunny and reprise his “Protective Mom” character, whom I know fans would love to see return by the time The Last of Us Season 2 premieres or when he shows up in the upcoming Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Quinta Brunson

Quinta Brunson achieved Emmy-winning success as the creator and star of Abbott Elementary (one of the funniest TV shows on Hulu) before making her hosting debut in Season 48, for which she brought back the same energy she demonstrated on HBO’s acclaimed sketch comedy TV show, A Black Lady Sketch Show. A performer with her charisma and sharp sense of humor was made for a show like SNL and as long as her ABC sitcom is a hit (and even beyond its ongoing tenure), I believe she deserves plenty more chances to rock it at Studio 8H.

Travis Kelce

Many professional athletes have appeared on SNL as hosts and one of the more recent and surprisingly successful of the bunch is Travis Kelce, who was an absolute riot as a far too old American Girl Doll Cafe patron in one funny bit. Having made a cameo not long after his Season 48 episode in a sketch poking fun at the NFL’s attention to his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, it’s clear that SNL likes the Kansas City Chiefs player, who has dabbled in more acting since, which means there could be more reasons to bring him back even if he were to hang up his helmet sometime soon.

Natasha Lyonne

SNL’s Season 47 finale was a bittersweet episode – bitter because it was the last to feature heavy hitters like Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson in the cast and sweet because it was headlined by a supreme talent like Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne. She is one of the most versatile and naturally funny actors of her time and I would say that promoting the upcoming Poker Face Season 2 would be a great reason for her to come back, not that she really needs one as far as I am concerned.

Robert Downey Jr.

SNL’s 11th season is considered the worst year in the show’s history, as well as a career low for then-cast member Robert Downey Jr., who luckily went on to achieve greater things, such as playing Iron Man in the Marvel movies and becoming the first former SNL actor to win an Oscar (for Oppenheimer). Still, the beloved actor has only come back to host the show for one, totally solid, episode, but I cannot help but feel he deserves more time to shine at Studio 8H.

Taylor Swift

Any doubt that the aforementioned Taylor Swift had acting ability was quelled by her November 2009 SNL episode, in which she poked fun at herself with her “Monologue Song” and did a killer Shakira impersonation. That wasn't even her first time appearing in sketches (she played Little Orphan Annie in a bit about Broadway during her first musical gig) and not her last either (she showed up in Please Don’t Destroy’s “Three Sad Virgins” video, for instance). Yet, while T Swift qualifies for the Five-Timers Club for musical guest appearances and has made a few jaw-dropping cameos on SNL, she has only been a host once, but will hopefully get another well-deserved double shift.

Neil Patrick Harris

Taylor Swift's first musical SNL gig was also Neil Patrick Harris' sole hosting appearance, during which he appeared in a hilarious SNL Digital Short that recreated the Doogie Howser, M.D. theme with an eclectic variety of instruments. The former How I Met Your Mother cast member’s impeccable talent, which has since earned him countless other hosting gigs, made it a really fun show. Perhaps the actor and producer is just too busy for SNL these days, which, to me, means they should just try harder to get him.

Kerry Washington

Emmy winner Kerry Washington hosted Saturday Night Live in 2013, at a time when the cast lacked women of color, which the show hilariously self-indicted itself over by having the Django Unchained star play Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyonce in the cold open. That does not even scratch the surface of the comedic prowess she exhibited for her one-time hosting gig, from her Scandal-ous monologue to a gut-busting "What Does the Fox Say?" parody with Jay Pharaoh. Washington has said she has wanted to quit acting on several occasions, only to be pulled back in by something extraordinary, which makes me wonder if a really clever SNL episode could do the trick.

Bryan Cranston

We tend to forget how funny the man who won five Emmys for playing Walter White can be, and if Malcolm in the Middle does not provide a fitting example, perhaps his 2010 bid as Saturday Night Live host will. The episode – featuring a monologue explaining his long career without household name status and a brilliant Billy Ray Cyrus impersonation in the first-ever "The Miley Cyrus Show" sketch – was hilarious, but the actor’s only return so far is a surprise cold open cameo as his Breaking Bad alter ego in 2016. I am still anticipating the day he could reprise the character, and others, on SNL as a host for his second time.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

At the peak of Hamilton's success on Broadway, its creator took the stage of Saturday Night Live as host for a 2016 episode that served as a perfect way to show the vast extent of his talents. In fact, behind-the-scenes footage revealed Lin-Manuel Miranda to be an amazing pre-show host as well, by surprising audience members lined up outside 30 Rock with pizza. The Tony winner cameoed as Alexander Hamilton in a Season 50 cold open (and struggled to keep a straight face next to James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump) but that was the last we saw of him at Studio 8H… for now, hopefully.

Bradley Cooper

Months before The Hangover made him a household name, Bradley Cooper proved his worth as a comedic actor – with a biting impression of his future American Hustle co-star Christian Bale, for instance – on his sole SNL episode in February 2009. He has since returned for a few cameos (including a particularly memorable one opposite Betty White at the 40th Anniversary special) and obtained permission to film scenes in Studio 8H for his directorial debut, A Star is Born. However, it would be really nice to see him headline a show again.

Donald Glover

This multi-talented, award-winning artist both hosted Saturday Night Live and performed as his rapper alter ego, Childish Gambino, in 2018. The episode, which also saw Donald Glover's official debut as Lando Calrissian prior to Solo: A Star Wars Story, featured the Community cast member and Atlanta mastermind showing he "really can do anything," proving himself a natural for sketches and earning the right to a second hosting gig, which has yet to be secured. It makes you wonder how he could have possibly failed to make the cut when auditioning for SNL, even if it might have been for the best.

Awkwafina

In her SNL monologue, Awkwafina shared that her first visit to Rockefeller Center was as a child who just "wanted to be near the building" when Lucy Liu made history as the show's first host of Asian descent in 2000. The second to do so, 18 years later, was the Golden Globe-winning comedian turned rapper and Crazy Rich Asians star, who also displayed her penchant for dancing to classic game show theme songs in, arguably, the funniest sketch of the night. Hopefully, the actor makes her return to SNL soon because we are convinced there is still much more we have yet to learn about her.

Andy Samberg

Why would I like to see more of Andy Samberg on SNL? Other than how he and The Lonely Island basically changed the show forever with classic pre-recorded bits like "Lazy Sunday,” the guy is just really funny and the fact that he has only hosted once, two years after leaving the cast in 2012, is surprising. Based on his stint of cameos as Douglas Emhoff for Season 50, Samberg clearly does not even need to plug something like his dramatic performance in 2024’s Lee to earn another hosting gig, because just another idea for a Justin Timberlake collaboration would suffice.

Anna Kendrick

While she never became a cast member, Anna Kendrick is somebody tailor-made for the world of Saturday Night Live, which she proved in her sole hosting gig in 2014. In just her opening monologue, she was able to show off how well her comedic timing comes through in her astonishing singing voice, before lending it to a song about international "dong" admiration. In fact, I would support the idea of bringing her on as both host and musical guest for her return and just give her anything to sing. Whatever it is, she'll nail it.

Conan O’Brien

At one point, seeing former SNL writer Conan O'Brien host for the first time since 2001 seemed pretty unlikely, considering his strained relationship with NBC after an awkward, premature Tonight Show exit in 2010. However, after making an epic cameo in Season 47, it does not seem like much of a stretch for the beloved former late night talk show host to reclaim his place at Studio 8H. Not to mention, with new superhero movies still popular, there is no better time for him to reprise the overenthusiastic superhero, Moleculo: The Molecular Man.

What do you think? Do these celebrities deserve a second Saturday Night Live hosting gig, or, perhaps, are they better off not trying to repeat themselves?

In the summer of 2019, Orange is the New Black locked the gates for good. The Netflix series was one of the first original dramas from the streaming service, and it lasted a full seven seasons.

A talent-oozing ensemble served as Orange Is the New Black's core cast, and everyone involved did some tremendous work throughout the much-discussed streaming series' run. But OINTB has been over for a few years now, and the cast has already done so much. Today, we’re going to take a look and see what the Orange is the New Black cast has been up to since the series ended.

Taylor Schilling (Piper Chapman)

As Piper Chapman, Taylor Schilling was Orange is the New Black's central protagonist, serving as a fictionalized version of the real-life Chapman, who wrote the book the show is based on. Towards the beginning of the series, Piper was shown as being something of an innocent in this prison-based series, but her darker and more sanctimonious side came out as seasons went by.

The Emmy-nominated Taylor Schilling showed up in a few new movies while the show was still on air – The Prodigy, Family, and Greg Kinnear's Phil. She’s also gotten back into television, with a leading role in Dear Edward on Apple TV+, as well as a main role on the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu. Schilling appeared in a new film called Queen of Bones, and had a very small guest appearance on American Horror Story: Delicate. Coming up, she’ll be in a new TV show called Accused.

Laura Prepon (Alex Vause)

As the snarky and emotionally guarded Alex Vause, who eventually reconnects with her former lover Piper and becomes her "prison wife," Laura Prepon played a key role throughout Orange is the New Black. Originally best known for her long-running role in That '70s Show, Orange is the New Black allowed the actress to avoid being typecast with a role that played to her strengths while also showcasing more of her dramatic range.

Outside of her work on the Netflix dramedy, where she also served as a director for a few episodes, Prepon shares updates about her life on Instagram. However, she reprised her character, Donna, in the spinoff of That ‘70s Show, called That ‘90s Show, a role she has continued to guest-star on. And she’s directed some of the episodes as well!

Kate Mulgrew (Galina "Red" Reznikov)

As Galina Reznikov, better known as "Red," Kate Mulgrew played a prominent role throughout Orange is the New Black's run. Particularly in the first few seasons of the show, Red was an authoritative figure among the inmates, understandably as the leader of Red's Family, though she gained emotional layers in later years.

A veteran actress of the big and small screen, Kate Mulgrew has continued to take on new roles after the end of Orange is the New Black. With television shows, she’s appeared in many different genres, including The First Lady, Infinity Train, and The Man Who Fell To Earth, and she also held a voice role in the Star Trek series, Star Trek: Prodigy. Besides that, she was also a part of the stage production of The Half-Man of Marie Curie in November 2019. Coming up, she’s going to be in a new miniseries called Sinking Spring.

Uzo Aduba (Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren)

As Orange is the New Black's Suzanne Warren, better known as "Crazy Eyes," Uzo Aduba gave consistently phenomenal performances. Suzanne was known for being overly attached to inmates, to the point where other prisoners wouldn't want to interact with her. Piper learned this quite clearly in Season 1 when Suzanne wanted her to be her prison wife.

A veteran of the stage and screen, Uzo Abuba continues to act in a number of high-profile projects. She played the lead role in Miss Virginia in 2019, and she’s also appeared in films such as Really Love, National Champions, and the Pixar film, Lightyear. In terms of television, she’s had roles in Animal, Scientist, and was the lead actress in the fourth season of In Treatment. Aduba appeared in the films The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat and Greedy People in 2024, but she also held a voice role in the series Magicampers, and appeared in a TV show called Painkillers. Coming up, she’ll be in a new show called The Resident.

Danielle Brooks (Tasha "Taystee" Jefferson)

As Tasha Jefferson, more affectionately known as Taystee, Danielle Brooks worked her way up to being what is considered the secondary protagonists on the long-running Orange is the New Black. Her role evolves as much as any in the series, if not more so.

Since the show wrapped up in the summer of 2019, Danielle Brooks has appeared in a variety of movies and television shows. With movies, she had a role in Eat Wheaties!, but has appeared in many other television shows, such as Peacemaker on Max, original show, Karma’s World, and was also the host of Instant Dream Home. In 2023, she starred in The Color Purple, which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

If you want to see what she has coming up, Brooks will appear in A Minecraft Movie, as well as a new Christmas film called Oh. What. Fun. She’ll also appear in Season 2 of Peacemaker.

Dascha Polanco (Dayanara Diaz)

As Dayanara Diaz, Dascha Polanco played a key role throughout Orange is the New Black. In particular, she became one of the more antagonistic characters for Season 7 once everything started going to hell.

Dascha Polanco continues to keep busy with a variety of films and shows since 2019. She appeared in both Netflix's acclaimed series Russian Doll (which we'll talk about again in just a moment) and When They See Us. Since then, she’s appeared in the musical movie adaptation In The Heights, and the films A Little Prayer and Samaritan. Polanco was also a part of the television show Poker Face on Peacock, and had a guest role in the Paramount+ original series, Evil.

Polanco is set to appear in Season 2 of The Walking Dead: Dead City.

Natasha Lyonne (Nicole "Nicky" Nichols)

As Nicole "Nicky" Nichols, Natasha Lyonne was known for her sarcastic humor, as well as her wise and grounded mentality. While she first became known for her roles in Slums of Beverly Hills and American Pie, Orange is the New Black was, for some, a much-welcomed return to the spotlight for Lyonne, though she did take a hiatus away from the Netflix drama.

Thankfully, Natasha Lyonne continues to make a name for herself. Just shortly before Orange is the New Black's final season premiered on the streaming service, she starred in and co-wrote the excellent do-over dramedy Russian Doll, which also streamed on Netflix, and then had a second season in 2022. And in 2023, she starred in her own series on Peacock, titled Poker Face, which garnered critical acclaim. With movies, she played a small part in Brad Pitt's Ad Astra, as well as parts in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Irresistible, and DC League of Super-Pets.

Lyonne is going to have a packed couple of years. In 2024, she appeared in the Netflix original film, His Three Daughters, and coming up, she’s going to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Bad Guys 2, Klara and the Sun, and the new The Smurfs Movie.

Selenis Leyva (Gloria Mendoza)

Orange is the New Black's Gloria Mendoza stayed a main character throughout the show's run, thanks in large part to solid performances from star Selenis Leyva. As an established actress who has proven herself on the big and small screen several times over, Selenis Leyva continues to find work in a number of exciting projects.

More specifically, since the end of Orange is the New Black, Leyva has mainly stuck to television, although she did have a role in Creed III in 2023. She appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2019, and also lent her voice to Disney's DuckTales. She also had a main role on the Disney+ original series, Diary of a Female President, as well as a guest role on the Max original show, Our Flag Means Death. Currently in 2024, she has a main role on Lopez vs. Lopez.

Laverne Cox (Sophia Burset)

As Sophia Burset, Laverne Cox made a name for herself through her work in Orange is the New Black. Ever since her early appearances in Season 1, Laverne Cox has continued to build her career through the exceptional acclaim of her work in the show. The Emmy-nominated actress has become a producer, celebrity spokesperson and more in the following years, both within the transgender community and beyond, and she continues to remain busy in her personal life.

Since Orange is the New Black has come to an end, Laverne Cox appeared in the films Promising Young Women, Bad Hair, and Jolt. With television, she had a main role in the Inventing Anna cast, as well as several guest roles in shows such as The Blacklist, Curb Your Enthusiasm and more. Cox also had a starring role in Uglies on Netflix. The actress will appear in a new film called Outcome and a new series titled Clean Slate.

There were a lot of talented people involved with the popular series. Orange is the New Black was a very well-acclaimed television show, and it is apparent that the people involved in the show's continued success are continuing to branch out and join other great roles in both movies and television. All seven seasons are currently available to stream on Netflix right now.

Stream Orange is the New Black on Netflix.

The following contains minor spoilers for Brad Pitt's new film, Ad Astra**. If you want to look for this cameo yourself, go check out the film, then come back.**

Brad Pitt's Ad Astra is a pretty serious film. It's about a man flying through outer space on a quest, but also about that man's personal demons and the closure he seeks. Pitt's character, Roy McBride, is permanently serious. He never cracks a joke, or even a smile, throughout Ad Astra. But director James Gray says he wanted to inject some small bit of humor into the movie, and that comes from a very brief, but entirely unexpected cameo.

Roy McBride's journey in Ad Astra takes him from the earth, to the moon, and then to the planet Mars. When McBride arrives he goes through processing, as one would when entering a new country on earth. However, this processing is surprisingly low tech. It's handled by a single secretary at an old wooden desk. However, what's even more humorous than the setting, is the secretary herself, as she's played by Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black actress Natasha Lyonne. According to director James Gray...

Natasha Lyonne doesn't have more than a couple of lines in Ad Astra, and the character never reappears after the first time we see her, but for fans who recognize her, it seems that's part of the point. That moment of recognition where you realize you recognize the secretary at the desk gives you something of a mental break from the otherwise "heavy and dark" movie.

The character, whose name is Tanya Pincus, checks in Brad Pitt's Roy McBride from the shuttle that arrived, and tells him where he needs to go. That's pretty much all that happens on screen, but James Gray tells EW that things went a bit deeper on set. The movie wanted to conjure the idea of a cliched secretary character from classic movies, and went the extra mile to make everything feel that way, even in way the audience never sees.

You can't make a movie as serious as Ad Astra without the production itself becoming a fairly serious affair, but James Gray says just having Natasha Lyonne on set made that single day of filming a bit more fun. Apparently Brad Pitt thought Lyonne was quite funny. Even the cinematographer was taken the actress, and apparently tried to make her part larger himself. Gray continues...

For a film with a comparatively small cast, so much of the film is Brad Pitt alone, every other role is important, and Natasha Lyonne's appearance in Ad Astra is a welcome one. The film had a decent opening weekend, opening in second place at the domestic box office.