This article contains spoilers from Voicemails for Isabelle. If you haven't checked it out, you can stream it with a Netflix subscription. See what the critics have said about it, and come back once you've had a watch! 🛑

I'd already heard good things about Voicemails for Isabelle, the new rom-com that arrived on the Netflix movie schedule this past weekend, so my hopes were high. And yet, I wasn't entirely prepared for how emotional this movie would make me. Talk about highs and lows! Leah McKendrick's new movie is as much a sis-com (a genre I've just decided I need more of) as it is a rom-com, and it's as funny as it is moving. Voicemails for Isabelle is also, in my opinion, the exact right direction for romantic comedies today, in the way it defines its main character and what she's going through amidst also falling in love.

A Romantic-Comedy And A Sister-Comedy All Rolled Into One

At this point, it seems almost impossible to work one or more of our favorite rom-com tropes into a new movie without it feeling like we're retreading the same territory we've experienced for decades. In fact, Voicemails for Isabelle even seems to know it's dabbling in You've Got Mail territory with its plot about a man and a woman hitting it off, while she's unaware that he's been listening to the voicemails she's been leaving for her deceased sister, after he inherited Isabelle's old cell phone number. That's really where the comparisons to Nora Ephron's movie begin and end, though.

Voicemails for Isabelle is actually more about Jill's (Zoey Deutch) grief over losing her sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo), than it is about Wes (Nick Robinson) trying to win Jill's heart after falling for her. I have sisters, and I don't know why I'd be without those relationships in my life, so it was extremely easy for me to connect with Jill on an emotional level. I'm fortunate enough not to be able to relate directly to Jill's loss here, but this part of her story wrecked me nonetheless.

Isabelle's death wasn't the beginning and end of my tears for this movie. The scene where Taylor Swift's "Marjorie" -- a song that encapsulates what it feels like to grieve a lost family member -- starts playing is one of the points where I lost it. And I was a happy-tears mess at the end of the movie when, while she's leaving her final voicemail to her sister (a sign of closure for Jill as she moves forward with her life, her relationship with Wes, and her successful food truck business), Isabelle's favorite song begins to play. This seeming sign that all is well is exactly the kind of thing I'd be looking for from my sisters (or they'd be looking for from me). It was beautiful and lovely and just the perfect way to close out the movie.

This Movie Is FUNNY

I did say I was a laughing, crying mess, though, right? Man, this movie was a roller coaster. One minute I'm crying over what Jill is going through, and the next, I'm laughing at some of the hilarious things the characters are saying, or cringe-laughing at the nightmare dating scenarios Jill is dealing with. Deutch and Robinson's humor and chemistry go a long way to lighten the tone when things feel heavy. Nick Offerman as the egotistical Chef Bastien and Jill's coworker Arthur (Lukas Gage) also provide some excellent comic relief in being their own versions of the absolute worst, as well as providing demonstrations of the garbage Jill is dealing with in her professional life as an aspiring chef.

Voicemails for Isabelle channels some of the things I love from some of the best romantic comedies ever made, while also feeling modern and fresh, particularly in the way it depicts Deutch's character. I think what I loved most about it is how much of a celebration it is for love between sisters, and Jill's growth emotionally and professionally, as it was about her budding romance with Wes.

In the end, a kiss isn't going to heal Jill's grief, and Wes is never going to replace what she had with her sister, but he seems to understand that relationship better than most, and that's valuable in its own way. He's also aware that, as he put it, she doesn't need him, but he sure as hell needs her, and I love that he included that line when professing his love.

I laughed a lot, I cried a lot, I even swooned a bit. What about you? Did you love Voicemails for Isabelle as much as I did?

Nicole Kidman and David E. Kelley have proven that they can bring the drama through streaming series like Big Little Lies and The Undoing, and now they’ve teamed up again for Margo’s Got Money Troubles. The book-to-screen adaptation stars Elle Fanning as the titular Margo, and with the series hitting the 2026 TV schedule on April 15, critics have shared their reviews for the Apple TV series.

Margo is the daughter of a Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and former professional wrestler (Nick Offerman) who turns to OnlyFans for money after an unexpected pregnancy. Richard Roeper of RogerEbert says Elle Fanning carries the series with grace and humor, and the ensemble helps to create a “wickedly funny, sex-forward” series that’s one of the most engaging so far this year. He gives Margo’s Got Money Troubles 3.5 out of 4 stars, writing:

Taylor Gates of Collider is similarly impressed by the upcoming A24 series, rating it a 9 out of 10. As someone who claims to be a “the book is better” kind of person, this critic says the screen adaptation is just as good. Some small tweaks to the source material work to its advantage, and it still manages to capture the book’s spunky spirit. Gates writes:

Allison Picurro of TV Guide calls Margo’s Got Money Troubles a “technicolor charmer” that sets itself apart in the oversaturated world of streaming limited series by being “totally, completely, honestly itself.” Picurro rates the series 8.5 out of 10 and says:

Branyan Towe of Loud and Clear joins the other critics in giving the upcoming Apple TV series a near-perfect review — 4.5 stars out of 5. David E. Kelley finds the perfect balance of comedy and drama, Towe writes, and Elle Fanning will “stir your soul.” This one will definitely “surprise audiences,” the critic says:

Angie Han of THR says Margo’s family at first seems like the aggressively quirky but not-quite-real characters we’ve seen time and again on our screens. However, look closer and you’ll find a really interesting story about relationships that are very much grounded in the real world. Han’s review of Margo’s Got Money Troubles calls it “warn, welcoming and well-acted,” as she continues:

Suffice it to say the critics are overwhelmingly pleased with the latest collab between David E. Kelley and Nicole Kidman, but if the above reviews aren’t enough to convince you, the series has earned a Certified Fresh 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. The first three episodes of Margo’s Got Money Troubles can be streamed now, as of April 15, with an Apple TV subscription. Episodes will drop weekly starting Wednesday, April 22.

This week’s list of streaming highlights includes a bit of everything. Whether you subscribe to your favorite platforms for the best streaming movies, the best original series, or to get access to a library of Hollywood films and catch up on the ones you missed in theaters, this week has whatever you want.

Balls Up - April 15 (Prime Video)

Mark Wahlberg has made some insane comedies in his career, but Balls Up certainly has the most insane premise of them all. Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser star as marketing executives who find themselves at the World Cup as part of a condom sponsorship deal. However, the two get a bit more involved in the game than planned, leading to a country full of irate soccer fans out for blood.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles - April 15 (Apple TV)

Without question, the most star-studded addition to the streaming calendar this week is the new series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, available with an Apple TV subscription. The movie stars Elle Fanning as the daughter of a Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and a professional wrestler (Nick Offerman) who finds herself a single mother trying to make ends meet. It looks to be a movie that is both heartwarming and hilarious. Nicole Kidman also appears and is producing the new series from David E. Kelley.

Beef, Season 2 - April 16 (Netflix)

The first season of Beef was a runaway hit on Netflix. Now the second season has the unenviable task of matching that success. The show will tell an entirely new story with an entirely new cast of characters. Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan lead the new story as a couple who get into a massive public fight, leading to a chain reaction of wild events.

Roommates - April 17 (Netflix)

Adam Sandler has had incredible success on Netflix, and now your Netflix subscription gives you access to even more members of the Sandler family. Roommates stars Sadie Sandler, daughter of the Happy Gilmore actor, has a woman who goes away to college to find that she might have the roommate from hell... or she may have just made a new best friend.

Dust Bunny - April 17 (HBO Max)

There’s a decent chance that you missed Dust Bunny when it was in theaters, but this fantastical film reunites writer/director Bryan Fuller with his Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen as a hitman hired to kill the monster under a girl’s bed, who she believes ate her family. It’s Fuller's feature film debut in a movie full of his trademark twisted whimsy. It’s the best reason this week to have an HBO Max subscription.

American Gladiators - April 17 (Prime Video)

A staple of syndicated TV in the early 1990s, American Gladiators combined the style and flash of professional wrestling with real athletic competition and a bit of reality TV. The show was already rebooted once with Hulk Hogan as the host, and now the show launches again with a Prime Video subscription, with another WWE star, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, hosting the show.

WrestleMania 42 - April 18 & 19 (ESPN App)

WWE programming has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple of years, so if you want to watch WrestleMania 42, you’ll need either the ESPN app or a Disney+ subscription with ESPN access.

April has been a great month for streaming content, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon, so after you’ve watched all this, come back next Monday for a new list of what’s not to miss.

Nick Offerman’s newest movie, Sovereign, which you can watch with a Hulu subscription, wasn’t even on my radar this year. After watching it, it’s become one of my favorite movies of the year (and I’m not alone in that). The movie is loosely based on the true story of Jerry Kane (master wood-worker Offerman) and his son Joseph, played by Jacob Tremblay. It’s dramatic and tense, and I can’t recommend it enough. However, there is also something that drove me crazy: the whole idea of “sovereign citizens.” Let me explain (and there are spoilers ahead, so here’s your warning).

Jerry Kane Was A So-Called ‘Sovereign Citizen’

If you don’t know what a sovereign citizen is, there are a million YouTube videos you can watch of these types getting pulled over and refusing to show a driver’s license, or court videos of them making absurd legal arguments that have no real basis in the law. Jerry Kane was one of these people. He was even trying to make a living as a professional sovereign citizen at the time of his death, traveling from state to state, trying to convince people that they didn’t have to pay their bills or follow basic laws, based on these dubious interpretations of United States laws.

There are two prominent examples of these arguments that appear in the movie (among others). One, when Jerry is pulled over by the police (which happens twice), he argues that he is "traveling in a non-commercial capacity," therefore, he isn't required to have a driver's license. This kind of thing drives me bonkers. The law doesn't work on silly semantics like that.

The second, and more pernicious argument, is that because names on birth certificates are written in all capital letters, that means that people's names are the equivalent of corporate names, meaning that a person, and a person's name are seperate entities and as long as a person's "corporate name" is used in court cases, or on utility bills, etc... then the "flesh and blood person" isn't responsible for the crime, or the bills, or anything else.

If that all gives you a headache, welcome to my world.

Jerry and his son were also murderers. As seen in the movie, Jerry and Joseph murdered two police officers in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 2010. After making his BS sovereign citizen arguments to the officer who pulled them over, Joseph opened fire on the two officers with an assault weapon, killing them both. Joseph and Jerry tried to make their escape, but were caught in a parking lot, and after a shootout with more Arkansas police officers, the Kanes were also killed.

Sovereign Citizens Are Tedious And Annoying

As I said, the movie is incredible, but like the dozens of YouTube videos I’ve tried to watch of sovereign citizens in traffic stops and in court, I found myself incredibly annoyed with the esoteric and ridiculous legal arguments that these folks make. To be clear, I don’t think they are all as extreme as Kane was, nor do I think they are violent and murderous like the Kanes were, but the arguments Jerry makes in the movie are the same ones you see over and over in these videos.

Many people find these videos funny, apparently. The arguments are insane, of course, but they are also incredibly boring. The same arguments, made over and over, based on no legitimate legal standing or theory, are shown in these videos. They never work. Judges are never swayed. The traffic stops almost always end in arrest. One would think that eventually these types would learn, but no, they keep trying, over and over.

I started squirming during Sovereign as well, when Offerman’s character, maybe his best character ever, would start making these same tedious arguments. I don’t know if everyone has that reaction, but there is nothing amusing about them, and, as the movie shows, there is at least a chance that things can go very wrong when someone like Kane gets shut down over and over by real lawyers and real judges. It works effectively in the movie, one of the best on the 2025 movie schedule, but I still found myself almost yelling at the TV.

At the time of this writing, I have watched 119 movies from the 2025 release schedule. A lot of those are good, more are bad, and some are great. Well, I had one of the biggest surprises of the year a few days ago when I stumbled upon Sovereign with my Hulu subscription. The movie stars Nick Offerman as Jerry Kane, a real-life sovereign citizen who made news in 2010 for a bloody and deadly shootout with West Memphis police.

When I saw the trailer earlier in the year (and when I saw a clip of a heated courtroom scene on Twitter), I thought this was going to be a run-of-the-mill drama based on a true story that painted its characters with broad strokes and would treat them as caricatures. I was wrong, and this honestly ended up being one of the best films I’ve seen all year.

First Off, The Sovereign Poster And Slightly Inaccurate Synopsis Do The Movie No Favors

Though the Sovereign international poster displaying Nick Offerman firing an assault rifle next to a beat-up minivan is something fierce, the one we got here in the United States is totally misleading and makes this emotional and thoughtful drama look like a bad, bargain-bin action flick. The short synopsis on the movie’s page on Hulu doesn’t do it any favors either:

This short description gives the false impression that everything that happens revolves around some kind of heated history shared by Nick Offerman’s Jerry Kane and Dennis Quaid’s Chief John Bouchart. While the stories of these two men do play out over the course of the film, their paths don’t cross until the final minutes.

Little did I know when I pressed play that I was about to be exposed to one of the most grueling and emotional character studies I’ve seen all year.

This Is A Gruelling And Emotional Pair Of Stories About Fathers And Sons

At the core of Sovereign are two stories about fathers and sons. On one hand, you have the story of Jerry and his son Joe, played by Jacob Tremblay, as they travel the country giving seminars on evading foreclosure and the principles of the sovereign citizen movement. On the other, there is the journey story about John Bouchart and his son, Adam, played by Thomas Mass, as the young Bouchart goes through police training to serve alongside his old man.

Both of these stories do an outstanding job of exploring the tense relationships shared by fathers and sons who don’t always see eye-to-eye. There’s also a great lesson about the sins of the father being paid by the child, which leads to two of the movie’s most heartbreaking and unforgettable scenes.

Sovereign currently has a 96% critic score (76% audience rating) on Rotten Tomatoes, and after watching it for myself, I totally agree with everything reviewers are saying about it. Now we just need to get more people to watch this tense, tight, and jarring drama.

Warning: SPOILERS for Death by Lightning are ahead!

If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that a miniseries about President James A. Garfield and Charles Guiteau, the man who assassinated him, would become one of my favorite programs on the 2025 TV schedule, I… well, I probably would have believed you. As much as I like my science fiction, superhero and other genre shows, I also like delving into a historical story every now and then. Clearly, I’m not the only Netflix subscription holder who’s enjoyed Death by Lightning, as it’s consistently ranked as one of the streamer’s Top 10 shows since premiering on November 6.

What I wasn’t expecting was that Nick Offerman’s performance as Chester A. Arthur would be my favorite aspect of the miniseries. Just to be clear, I’m not here to delve into how historically accurate Death by Lightning is in depicting Garfield’s vice president and the eventual 21st president of the United States. I just need to talk about how fantastically Offerman portrays Arthur, and Parks and Recreation fans in particular are in for a treat.

Nick Offerman Gets To Really Stretch His Acting Muscles In Death By Lightning

Let me just say it now: Chester A. Arthur is my favorite Nick Offerman role since he played Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. That’s not to say any of his roles between then and now have been bad, but on Death by Lightning, he’s able to run the full performance gambit. One moment his Chester A. Arthur is drunkenly sticking up for Charles Guiteau in the middle of a women’s boxing novelty act at a sleazy bar, the next he’s politely, but firmly shutting down his longtime friend, Shea Whigham’s Roscoe Conkling.

It’s never a dull moment when Nick Offerman is playing Arthur on Death by Lightning. Although Michael Shannon’s portrayal of James Garfield exudes quiet respectability, Offerman playing the not-nearly-as-dignified Arthur is far more entertaining to watch. It reminded me of how when Ron wasn’t being his deadpan, government-hating outdoorsman self, there were moments on Parks and Recreation when Offerman got to shine in other ways, like when he got blackout drunk and married Tammy 2 again, or when he would get excited about solving riddles.

Nick Offerman’s Chester A. Arthur Has A Great Redemption Arc

Again, I’m not accounting for historical accuracy on Death by Lightning here, as I’m sure the miniseries took some creative liberties with its depiction of Chester A. Arthur. As far as Nick Offerman’s version goes, I was impressed by the redemptive journey he took over the course of four episodes. This was the kind of guy who makes a joke to Roscoe Conkling about beating people up with brass knuckles who don’t vote the way they want. He was steeped in corruption, was only chosen to be Garfield’s vice president as a strategic move, and worked against Garfield’s wishes during the early weeks of his presidency.

But Chester A. Arthur was also someone who once fought for the little guy when he was a lawyer, and James Garfield was convinced that he could push him to become that man again by keeping him around as vice president. Nick Offerman does a great job acting out Arthur’s frustration over what he perceives as Garfield’s misplaced faith in him, and then later his extreme reluctance to assume the presidency after Garfield is shot. But by the end of the miniseries, Offerman’s Arthur has risen to the occasion and cuts ties with Roscoe Conkling for good.

Chester A. Arthur only served out the rest of James Garfield’s term and is one of the United States’ least memorable presidents. But thanks to Death by Lightning, I have a new Nick Offerman role to appreciate and would welcome more opportunities for him to play more figures from U.S. political history.

There is a new historical drama coming this week about President James A. Garfield and his assassin, Charles J. Guiteau, called Death by Lightning. You’ll be able to watch it with your Netflix subscription starting tomorrow (November 6). If the prospect of watching a 4-part series about the short presidency and violent death of a man that not many people know much about sounds uninteresting to you, I ask you please to reconsider. President Garfield is one of the great “what ifs” in American history, and I’m hoping the Netflix series brings more attention to him and what his legacy could have been.

James A. Garfield Never Wanted To Be President

Garfield, who is being played by Michael Shannon in Death by Lightning, came to power in the 1880 presidential election after winning the Republican spot on the ticket at their convention earlier in the year. He did not seek to run, but after the convention failed to come to a consensus on the three leading candidates (former president Ulysses S. Grant, Maine senator James G. Blaine, and Secretary of the Treasury John Sherman) Garfield was chosen by the delegates as a compromise candidate.

In fact, he was only at the convention to make the nominating speech in favor of his fellow Ohioan, John Sherman. Garfield was the senator-elect from Ohio at the time and had long served in the House of Representatives from his home state. His speech focused on what kind of man makes a good president, and by many accounts, it was then that delegates began to see him as a viable candidate. Still, it would take dozens of ballots before Garfield would receive his vote. That came on the 33rd ballot of the convention, as no candidate had received a majority.

Garfield objected to the votes, but his objections were ignored. After the 35th ballot, both Blaine and Sherman recognized Garfield as the most obvious choice to find consensus, and they threw their support behind their good friend. He was finally selected as the nominee on the 38th ballot. Still, he was reluctant to run, and his campaign for president, in great contrast to modern times, was almost entirely held at his home in Ohio, which he rarely left.

Dubbed the “front porch campaign,” instead of Garfield traversing the country asking for votes, people came to his house, and he gave speeches and met with supporters without leaving his hometown of Mentor, Ohio. The politician was elected in an exceedingly close election over his Democratic rival, Winfield Scott Hancock. The margin in the popular vote was about 2000 votes, out of 9 million cast.

Garfield Never Had A Chance To Prove Himself

Garfield was, by all accounts, an extremely intelligent man and had a reputation for being honest and forthright. He despised the so-called “spoils system” that rewarded political cronies with jobs in the government, which was the standard operating procedure at the time. Rather than political patronage, he sought to fill bureaucratic positions with qualified people. This was at the heart of his campaign, and ultimately what led directly to his assassination by Guiteau. His killer was a pretty disturbed person with mental health issues who believed he was directly responsible for the election of Garfield and thus was “owed” a job in the administration.

Guiteau, who is portrayed by Deadpool & Wolverine cast member Matthew Macfadyen, did campaign for Garfield, but he didn’t work for the campaign, and the president didn’t know him. Still, for months after Garfield’s inauguration in March 1881, Guiteau hung around Washington, DC, begging members of Garfield’s administration for a diplomatic posting in Paris. He was continually rejected.

After one final rebuke from James Blaine (Bradley Whitford in the series), Guiteau snapped and became convinced that Garfield’s intent to tear down the spoils system would be the downfall of the Republican Party. He began keeping tabs on his schedule and movements. Remember, these were in the days before the establishment of the Secret Service, and presidents usually had very little, or no, security.

Garfield's Death Left So Many Questions About What Could Have Been

On July 2, 1881, not even four months after being sworn in, Garfield was met at a train station in D.C., by Guiteau, who shot the president twice, once in the shoulder and once in the back. Garfield collapsed and was carried back to the White House. He lived for another two and a half months before succumbing to his injuries and dying on September 19.

He'd only been president for six months, and for more than a third of that, he was on what would become his deathbed. A term that started with so much promise had barely begun before his life was snuffed out. Chester A. Arthur (Nick Offerman in Death by Lightning) would carry on some of Garfield’s ideals, most notably supporting the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which was the beginning of the end of the spoils system.

We’ll never know just how much Garfield could have done, given his skills as a politician, his intelligence, and his beliefs, including his support of civil rights for African-Americans. It truly is one of the great “what ifs” of all time.

Death By Lightning Is The First Time The Story Will Be Told In A Series

There have been four presidents assassinated in United States history, and Garfield's is the least well-known, despite being hugely consequential in its time. I’m very excited to see this era come to life and to see this story finally being told in what is sure to be an excellent production. There have been many portrayals of presidents on screen, but never one of this president at this time in his life.

The cast is stacked; in addition to the aforementioned Shannon, Whitford, Offerman, and Macfadyen, it includes Betty Gilpin as Garfield’s wife, Lucretia, Shea Whigham, Downton Abbey star Tuppence Middleton, Željko Ivanek, and more. With such an interesting story to tell, I think Death by Lightning will be among the most interesting shows on the 2025 TV schedule, and I personally can’t wait to binge-watch the Netflix show this week.

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.

Despite the past week being a celebratory one for King of the Hill’s revival, with Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ upcoming reboot releasing the updated opening titles, tragedy also struck the fanbase regarding the death of voice actor Jonathan Joss, who was shot to death by an alleged neighbor after a weekend altercation. But Parks and Recreation fans no doubt remember the actor best as Pawnee’s Chief Ken Hotate, and former co-star Nick Offerman says the cast has also been in contact while mourning the loss.

Having played the mustachioed P&R director for all seven seasons of the NBC mockumentary, Nick Offerman became a household name for his hilarious performances as Ron Swanson. But there’s not much laughter happening in the aftermath of Joss’ tragic death, and the Umbrella Academy vet shared an update with People that confirmed he and other Parks and Rec stars were aware of, and were reacting to, the shocking news. In his words:

Jonathan Joss' work on Parks and Rec speaks to how memorable even the smallest role can be with the right actor involved, as he remains a beloved side character within Pawnee's cultural fabric despite appearing in only five of the show's 126 episodes. He first appeared in Season 3's "Harvest Festival," as the leader of the local Wamapoke tribe who, because this is TV, also runs a casino. Though he initially threatened to put a curse on the festival, cooler heads prevailed, and it was clear that Chief Ken was as much of a joker as other characters.

Here's a lineup of the episodes that Jonathan Joss can be seen in, and all are available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

• Season 3' "Harvest Festival"
• Season 5's "Two Parties" and "Are You Better Off?"
• Season 7's "2017" and "The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show"

It's unclear exactly which Parks and Rec cast members Nick Offerman was talking about, and it doesn't appear as if any other stars have publicly spoken out about Jonathan Joss' death. But it's possible that others will share tributes as the details surrounding his death are figured out.

Police were called to a residence on the south side of San Antonio, Texas on Sunday night after a shooting occurred, with initial reports stating that Joss got into an argument with a neighbor who allegedly brandished a gun and shot the actor multiple times before fleeting the scene in a vehicle. Before long, authorities had tracked the suspect down and identified him as Sigfredo Alvarez Cejam before booking him for murder and assigning him a $200,000 bond.

The investigation is ongoing, but Jonathan Joss' husband Tristan Kem de Gonzales shared a lengthy series of claims on the actor's Facebook page alleging that the couple was "harassed regularly" by those in their neighborhood who seemingly did not agree with the men's relationship. Gonzales claims that he and Joss were at a property to pick up their mail and saw one of their dogs' skulls on display, which sparked an emotional response.

He claims that as he and Joss were crying out over their pet, a man approached them while "yelling violent homophotic slurs" before raising a gun and firing it. Gonzales says that Joss pushed him out of the way of danger and "saved my life." He continued:

A GoFundMe campaign was started up in January to help balance the loss of a house fire that wiped out his family home and killed serveral pets. At this time, donations continue to come in, and the campaign did indeed surpass its initial goal of $15,000.

There are some spoilers for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning that can be found throughout this story. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

Tom Cruise has been teasing plane stunts for his latest theatrical endeavor in recent months, and doubtless by the time the (confirmed as) “last” Mission: Impossible movie ends it’s theatrical run, CinemaBlend will have dissected some of the Mission: Impossible movie's best scenes ad nauseam. Regardless, I’ll leave the M:I The Final Reckoning reviews to my peers in favor of writing about a quieter scene that I was surprised I enjoyed so much. Apparently, it was fun to film too, at least according to Nick Offerman.

In fact, one might argue the Parks & Rec actor took that sentiment a bit further, as he recently revealed to his wife Megan Mullally he’d fallen “in love” with Tom Cruise while filming. Here's what happened.

One Of The Final Reckoning’s Best Scenes Is All Talk

Tom Cruise may never have won an Academy Award, but there’s no doubt he’s an actor of a fine caliber, and I’m not just talking when he’s running across bridges and attaching himself to moving planes. During an early scene in The Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt is in a high stakes environment and has to convince a roomful of U.S. officials, including generals and Ms. President herself, that he needs to borrow an entire aircraft carrier in order to embark on a mission surrounding a mysterious key.

Nick Offerman plays a notable role as a general in the movie, and he was there for the entirety of filming the scene with none other than Mr. Tom Cruise. In fact, he told Jimmy Kimmel on Live! that he had to lead into the actor delivering a multi-page speech that would have flubbed up many actors, but the unflappable Cruise just owned the room.

I really get this. I found the scene in question to be among the most charming in the latest (and probably) last M:I film when I saw it in theaters during an early screening. The actor is at his most charming and Ethan Hunt is deadly serious about needing an aircraft character while other members of the President’s cabinet are pretty incredulous about it. It’s a scene with a lot of levity amidst a sea of seriousness, and I’m glad Offerman was a part of it, particularly given where his arc ultimately goes.

Nick Offerman Could Not Get Enough Of Tom Cruise’s Work During The Scene

Apparently, they shot this scene quite a few times, and it never got old. By the end of filming it, the comedic actor had become a disciple of the Cruise acting game, and it sounds like he’d love to do it again, given the right project. But why was it so energizing watching the actor? He elaborated:

If you've watched the scene, it's straight up just a bunch dialogue and wild exposition to set Ethan Hunt on a path forward to find the Sevastopol submarine. It shouldn't be a great scene in the movie, but I rather enjoy the sincerity of Hunt's speech and the incredulity of the President's most trusted advisors. It's a scene that really works for me, and helps to set up the action later on.

Cruise’s charisma has been spoken about a bunch in the past, but I still think it is interesting how Offerman could feel it in the room during filming. Those who have worked with the legendary actor typically have a good story (or five) about him, but in this case, his co-star's is also a good behind-the-scenes look at how intensely even M:I dialogue scenes are filmed.

Jimmy Kimmel went on to tell Offerman he knew exactly what he was talking about, because he’s met Tom Cruise and knows he’s “relentlessly friendly.” In fact, his dad allegedly “cornered” the a-lister once for more than an hour and later told the late night host he “didn’t mind.” Class act, that.

I know we'll be talking about the submarine sequence and the wild stuff that happened in the planes in the final M:I film, but for me this scene added levity to the movie. It also allowed some big names to act together, and I'm glad it was as cool to film for them as it was for me to watch as a viewer.

The 2025 Oscars made history in its usual fashion, as the coronation of this year’s winners has added another chapter to the history books. It also saw the show being hosted by first time emcee and late night comedy legend Conan O’Brien, which was a pretty brilliant hire.

"How good was he?" you may be asking. Well, this golden comedy idol actually got me to decide to accidentally let the rest of the 97th Annual Academy Awards play while I was working. After rewatching the show, which is something I rarely ever do with The Oscars, I think that Mr. O’Brien should be allowed to host the show for as long as humanly possible.

No, this isn't Stockholm Syndrome. Also, for the sake of readability and the man of the hour’s sanity, I’ll scale that back to asking that Conan O’Brien host the 2026 Oscars. To make my case, I have a bunch of perfect moments as proof of why it’s the best choice.

The Oscars 2025 Monologue Was A Golden Start

I promise I won’t waste too much time on this point, but opening the Oscars is always key to setting the tone of the evening ahead. With a simple pre-taped joke involving The Substance, and a monologue that felt like classic Conan O’Brien magic, the night got off to an amazing start. Bonus points are also awarded for John Lithgow and Adam Sandler’s scene-stealing participation in gags that only got funnier upon revisiting them.

The Sandworm From Dune’s Special Guest Appearances

Who knew that Dune: Part Two’s sandworm was such a musical genius? Not only can the massive beast from Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster adaptation play the piano, it can also play the harp. If Hans Zimmer doesn’t tap the sandworm to help out with Dune: Messiah’s score, it’s a wasted opportunity.

Conan’s Multilinqual Greetings

The Academy Awards are a live TV staple that bring the world together for a moment. For Conan O’Brien, that meant the perfect opportunity to bust out some fun language skills, which resulted in him begging for film work in China. It’s another example of the former NBC/TBS host deploying a joke that felt like it came from the early days of his career, which I mean as only the highest form of compliment.

Nick Offerman’s Narrator Shenanigans

Being a good host is knowing when to shine and when to let others outshine you. John Lithgow helped prove that point twice during the 2025 Oscars, but Nick Offerman’s show-stopping shenanigans were just as golden of an opportunity to learn this valuable lesson. Questioning whether or not he was pressured by the night’s responsibilities, the physical voice of America gave us all a moment of laughter that only made its oaken tenor all the sweeter.

A Very Timely Kendrick Lamar/Drake Joke

Former Conan writer Skyler Higley’s Kendrick/Drake joke was the subject of a bet as to whether or not it would make it to air. Thankfully for him, and the rest of the world, that short and sweet punchline stayed - especially since Disney’s exec VP of unscripted and alternative entertainment Rob Mills told Variety he knew the joke “was going to kill” during rehearsal.

CinemaStreams: A Joke So Good, Martin Scorsese Was Part Of It

Showing off not only his late night background but also a love of cinema, another pre-taped Conan O’Brien sketch involved a very targeted skewering of streaming services. As you can watch in the clip provided below, the idea ‘of “CinemaStreams” is something that might sound so familiar you’ll bust a gut yourself:

Rob MIlls from Walt Disney TV also commented on this joke, stating that the Killers of the Flower Moon director was more than happy to be a part of this satirical joke. One only needs two guesses why Martin Scorsese would participate in a joke about going back to the cinema, and one of them doesn’t count.

The Oscar Tributes To The LA Wildfires Were Just Right

Addressing the very real tragedy of the L.A. wildfires was always going to be a sensitive subject. Too much reverence would have looked maudlin, and too little would have seemed callous - especially with repeated calls to cancel the 2025 Oscars. Between a somber, but respectful acknowledgement at the top of the show, and a segment where Los Angeles firefighters got to deliver jokes on stage, the heart of this year’s ceremony was absolutely in the right place.

A Quick Signature Conan Exit

Another reason I found myself revisiting the show was the fact that Hulu’s accidental disconnection of The Oscars led to a lot of us missing out on Best Actress and Best Picture’s announcements. In going back to see the moment myself, I was amazed how simply Conan O’Brien ended the evening.

In totality, here’s what he had to say once Anora won the night:

Throwing in his trademark salute and jump on stage to close out the night, it was a prime example of knowing your exit.

Honorary Mention: Those Adorable Snack Boxes

In my opinion, there’s two final honorary mentions that really seal the deal for Conan O’Brien’s return for the 2026 Oscars. Since they’re not TV moments, we’ll have to turn to other reports about things such as Conan’s sweet Oscar snack boxes. Complete with a note that joked about trying to include an edible, the man’s talents weren’t limited to merely a television broadcast.

Honorary Mention 2: Conan’s Backstage Medical Checkup

Now those of you who know Conan O’Brien absolutely understand that he loves to rope his writers into gags. Case in point: there is no Amazon-MGM executive named Steve Belsky, that was a role played by friend/writer Dan Cronin, as confirmed on his Instagram. However, that’s not the gag I’m highlighting as the grand finale.

Rather, it’s the return of Conan’s fake physician Dr. Arroyo that I feel really kept the fun going in a place where our Oscars 2025 live blog didn’t touch: social media. You know him from Mr. O’Brien’s memorable appearance on Hot Ones (played by actual comedian José Arroyo), but here’s the good doctor attending to our host at his moment of need:

It’s rare that a host’s energy is felt as extensively as Conan O’Brien’s was during the 2025 Oscars. Delivering a show that only he and his collaborators could, Variety’s report of a small ratings boost is part of the proof that Jeff Mills’ unofficial offer to welcome him back should absolutely be cashed in.

Of course, I’m a bit biased as a long-time fan that spans back to the Late Night with Conan O’Brien era. But can 19.7 million viewers really be that wrong? In this case, no, they cannot.

The 2025 Oscar nominees are becoming living history, as the 97th Academy Awards are currently underway. In a similar manner, Conan O’Brien’s first hosting gig during this golden spectacle is making quite the mark through his unique brand of comedy. However, while the late night vet may be the master of ceremonies, fellow NBC graduates Nick Offerman and John Lithgow have owned their own pieces of the night with their deadpan wit.

John Lithgow Balanced Classic Comedic Timing With Gen Z Slang

As highlighted earlier tonight in our Oscars 2025 live blog, Mr. Lithgow was on hand to present the award for Best Costume Design. A well deserved win for Tazewell on behalf of Wicked’s flashy threads, the gag that showed off the category came with star Bowen Yang showing up in his own duds from Shiz University.

Taken aback, Yang's comedic ire was mostly focused on the Harry Potter series' newly cast Dumbledore, saying that their recent “bestie” status was off the table. However, as John Lithgow was also the star of the offbeat sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun, his comedy chops are like a skeleton key for both subtle and over the top laughs.

Playing towards the former field, Lithgow’s reinforcement of the “cringe” in the moment was expertly delivered for all Hulu subscription holders and broadcast viewers to enjoy. And his talents were also aimed at costume designer Lisy Christl, whose work on Conclave was, according to the actor himself, "so roomy and forgiving, going for seconds was never a problem."

Not to mention, Conan's threat of John Lithgow's "not angry, but slightly disappointed" face cutting off long speeches was another moment of joy. Even without saying a word, the award winning talent was able to give the show a huge boost in such an early inning. Speaking of "words," it's time to give it up for tonight's narrator!

Nick Offerman’s Narration Shenanigans Have Kept The Night Moving

If Oscar host Conan O’Brien was to name an official co-conspirator for the evening’s shenanigans, it wouldn’t be the usual suspect Andy Richter. It would be, without question, the man I consider the physical voice of the United States - Nick Offerman.

Not too long after John Lithgow’s moment in the spotlight, the Last of Us heartbreaker/Emmy nominee engaged in a joke that poked fun at the very real subject of Oscar night pressure. Seeing as the butt of the joke was O’Brien himself, the authority of Parks and Rec’s resident problem child made an obvious joke something truly awesome.

A thread has presented itself throughout the 97th Academy Awards’ moments of comedy, and that’s upstaging the host. We also saw this during Conan O’Brien’s Oscars opening, in which SNL vet and friend Adam Sandler got to steal the spotlight. If this was a typical Oscar night, that’d sound like a slight.

However, knowing O’Brien’s schtick, and his own SNL background, that sounds like everything is going as planned. So keeping an eye and ear out for that sort of sanctioned buffoonery is going to be a true treat, as I can’t wait to see what happens next, and who gets to be part of the hilarity.

For most present-day comedy fans, do you even have to say more than “Nick Offerman”, or “Kumail Nanjiani” in the same sentence to pique interest? The answer is no (for most of us, anyway). The two recently shared a great moment on one of Nanjiani’s most recent posts involving the well-reviewed 2013 movie The Kings of Summer. The exchange is all over a quart of potentially oversized wontons from Gary (Nanjiani) and his family’s restaurant. Yes, really.

Although the movie is over a decade old, the coming-of-age story directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts is full of heart and humor, as reflected by its excellent cast. Amongst the newcomers and seasoned veterans are our two funny men.

With Nick Offerman in the back half of his incredible run in one of his best roles as Ron Swanson on Parks and Rec and Kumail Nanjiani making his way toward Silicon Valley as Dinesh, their timing was kismet on this set. The post recounted this small but deliciously funny moment between the two and Alison Brie (Community, The Little Hours) that still has them joking.

The video is simply captioned as “@NickOfferman somebody’s hangry,” with commenters asking where the exchange is from and begging for the blooper reel. Amongst the comments, the duo also reminisce on the scene’s improvised lines and are sweetly complimentary of each other, with Offerman writing:

Nanjiani even shares that making Nick Offerman break is a career highlight.

If you’re anything like the rest of us, we would love to see that blooper reel, and maybe even the recipe for the infamous dumpling. Since The Kings of Summer, both men have had great career success in various genres in film and television while continuing to make waves in the comedy world.

Currently, Kumail is on the megahit Only Murders in the Building and has been an incredibly festive addition in lighting up the star-studded fourth season cast, which you can watch with a Hulu subscription. Along with it, he was in the summer blockbuster, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as Nadeem.

Although brief, Offerman was also in a summer big hitter, Civil War, as the president. He’s currently a part of The Umbrella Academy as Dr. Gene Thibodeau as well as the most current season of the animated series The Great North as Beef Tobin on Fox.

As for the future of either man—it’s bright and probably full of laughter. Perhaps this Instagram exchange can forge a future collaboration between the two, along with a killer cast. All of us can hope so. In the meantime, you can catch either of them on the current 2024 TV schedule or rent The Kings of Summer on YouTube, Prime, and Apple TV to judge those wontons for yourself.

When it comes to the smartest TV detectives we’ve ever seen, Adrian Monk definitely can count himself among them – right next to Columbo, Sherlock Holmes, and Luther (to name a few). For eight seasons of the USA Network series, Adrian Monk’s tendency to see all the details, often tied with his OCD, matched with his personal motivation to get “the guy” following the death of his wife, Trudy, was exciting to tune into week-to-week. All the while, major actors would often guest star. Some of which were big names before Monk, and others that have since skyrocketed into fame. 

Jeffrey Dean Morgan 

Over a decade before Jeffrey Dean Morgan became The Walking Dead’s Negan, the famed TV actor was in the Season 3 premiere of Monk, “Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan.” In the episode, Monk travels with the SFPD team to New York City to do some work in association with the murder of Trudy, but in the meantime, Monk gets embroiled in the case of a recently deceased Latvian ambassador. Morgan’s character catches the detective’s eye in connection to the ambassador’s death. 

Malcolm McDowell

The lead of Stanley Kubrick’s masterful A Clockwork Orange, Malcolm McDowell, made his way into Monk during Season 4 in a particularly great episode of the series that takes the detective into the world of fashion. In “Mr. Monk Goes To A Fashion Show,” he decides to pay a visit to the inspector of his favorite collared shirts when he notices recent inconsistencies. It leads him and Natalie to meet a British fashion designer named Julian Hodge, played by McDowell. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Did you know that Silver Linings Playbook Oscar winner, Jennifer Lawrence, was in Monk? Back in 2006, when the actress was a teenager and had not yet starred in any movies, she had a very small role as a high school mascot in the Season 5 episode “Mr. Monk and the Big Game.” Her head is covered for most of her scene, but she does take off the helmet for a moment in the episode. 

Jason Alexander 

Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander guest starred in Monk for the Season 4 premiere “Mr. Monk and the Other Detective” as another P.I. in town named Marty Eels. During Monk’s latest case, the detective begins to be overshadowed by Alexander’s character, which hilariously has Monk calling him a cheater. As Eels becomes a big competitor for Monk, it’s a blast to see Shalhoub and Alexander act together. 

John Turturro 

Monk perfectly cast the detective’s brother in 2004 by bringing in John Turturro in a fabulous guest role, that he would play in three episodes. Turturro, who is famous for being in movies with the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee and Adam Sandler played Ambrose, who suffers from severe agoraphobia and deepened Monk’s backstory. He was so memorable in the series that he earned an Emmy for “Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series” for the episode in which he debuted the character, in Season 2’s “Mr. Monk and the Three Pies”. 

Stanley Tucci

One of the strongest Monk episodes of the series is definitely Season 5’s “Mr. Monk and the Actor.” In the 2006 episode, an actor named David Ruskin is set to play Adrian Monk in a movie based on his life and comes to shadow Adrian on his cases. Stanley Tucci plays Ruskin as the actor goes a bit too method with the role of Adrian and debunks some demons regarding what it’s like to be Monk. Tucci won an Emmy for the guest role, and was actually a finalist to play Adrian Monk prior to his guest role. 

Rainn Wilson 

Just a couple years before Rainn Wilson would become Dwight Schrute on one of the best sitcoms of all time, The Office, the actor made a small guest appearance on Monk in Season 2. He played a massive baseball fan and collector as Adrian Monk looked into a case involving a star baseball player. 

James Brolin 

Longtime TV and movie actor James Brolin (who is also the father of Josh Brolin and husband to Barbara Streisand), made his way into Monk for 2005’s Vegas episode. Brolin plays a millionaire casino owner who becomes a suspect following the death of his wife, and Stottlemeyer brings in Monk to solve the case. 

Sean Astin 

In Season 5, Lord of the Rings and The Goonies actor, Sean Astin crossed paths with Tony Shalhoub’s Monk in an episode called “Mr. Monk Is At Your Service.” Astin plays a young billionaire, Paul Buchanan, whom Monk and Natalie come across amidst a visit to Natalie’s parents' wealthy neighborhood. Monk ends up going undercover as Paul’s butler to learn more about him. 

Sarah Silverman 

Famed standup comedian, Sarah Silverman, guest starred in three episodes of Monk over the years as a character named Marci Maven. She first became part of the procedural in 2004 for “Mr. Monk and the TV Star,”  where she played an obsessed fan of the star of a hit show made up for the series called Crime Lab S.F. 

Danny Trejo 

In “Mr. Monk Goes To Jail” in Season 2, Danny Trejo, of Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn and Desperado (among many of his movies), also got to work alongside Tony Shalhoub’s Monk. During the episode, Monk goes undercover as the cellmate of Trejo’s character, who is a convicted quadruple murderer. As you may suspect, comedy ensues. 

Snoop Dogg 

Snoop Dogg was also in Monk for the Season’s “Mr. Monk and the Rapper,” where he played a fictional hip hop star, Murderuss. In the episode, Murderuss approaches the detective to hire him to clear his name after becoming the primary suspect in the death of another rapper. The best part? Snoop Dogg actually raps Monk’s famous “here’s what happened” segment at the end. 

Alfred Molina

Beloved character actor, Alfred Molina, has also been part of Monk for a Season 6 episode. What’s interesting about Molina, is he was actually one of the finalists to play the lead role of Adrian Monk before Shalhoub was cast. In his guest role, he played a billionaire software mogul whose beach house has a view of a nudist beach. 

Jon Favreau 

MCU actor and famed director Jon Favreau was in “Mr. Monk Goes To The Dentist,” which aired during the series’ fourth season in 2006. Favreau plays a dentist who Lieutenant Disher goes to and swears murdered someone while he was under anesthesia for a procedure. 

Carmen Electra

All-star actor, model and singer Carmen Electra can be found in the Monk episode “Mr. Monk and the Panic Room” which came out in 2004. The episode has the detective investigating a crime scene where it seems like a chimpanzee has killed his owner. The victim is a record producer and Electra plays his pop star wife. 

Craig T. Nelson 

Poltergeist and Parenthood actor Craig T. Nelson earned a very important role in Monk for its two-part finale, “Mr. Monk and the End.” He plays Judge Ethan Rickover, who was on the California Court of Appeals and has a history with Monk’s late wife, Trudy. 

Tim Curry 

In Season 1, an enemy of Monk’s was introduced as financier Dale “The Whale” Biederbeck. After the character was originated by Adam Arkin, none other than The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Tim Curry embodied the role for a brief time in “Mr. Monk Goes To Jail.” 

Niecy Nash

Reno 911’s Niecy Nash made a guest spot in Monk in the early days for “Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf.” The episode follows Adrian’s first assistant Sharona as she starts to believe she’s losing her sanity when she keeps seeing a man with a screwdriver sticking out of his ear (that no one else can see). Neicy Nash plays Sharona’s friend and fellow nurse, Varla should step in to assist Monk. 

Jeffrey Donovan 

The star of Burn Notice, which also was on USA Network like Monk, turned up in the detective series in the episode “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut.” In the Season 4 episode, Jeffrey Donovan plays an astronaut who Monk is sure killed someone, but his alibi is airtight… considering he was in space when the murder occurred. 

Laurie Metcalf 

Roseanne actress Laurie Metcalf had some fun on Monk when she guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Mr. Monk Bumps His Head.” When Adrian wakes up in a small town with amnesia, Metcalf’s unhinged character uses the opportunity to convince the detective he is her husband. 

Nick Offerman 

Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman made an appearance in 2005’s “Mr. Monk and the Election” before he became famous for playing the very quotable Ron Swanson. Look out for the actor in his clean-shaven days during the Season 3 episode that has Natalie Teager running for the school board. 

Jane Lynch 

Before actress Jane Lynch rocked sweatsuits on Glee, she did guest for “Mr. Monk Gets Married.” In the episode, Randy Disher is concerned about his mother getting suddenly married to a man who is 30 years younger (played by Lost’s Nestor Carbonell) than him and asks Monk to look into it. This leads Monk and Sharona to pretend to be a married couple for a retreat that Lynch’s psychologist character is in charge of. 

Amy Sedaris 

The very funny Amy Sedaris was on two episodes of Monk to play Sharona’s younger sister, Gail. She first appeared in 2002’s “Mr. Monk and the Earthquake” before also being part of 2003’s “Mr. Monk Goes To The Theater.” Since she’s an actress in the series, her part in a local play that turns into a crime scene makes the second episode a particularly juicy appearance for Sedaris. 

Rachel Dratch

Saturday Night Live’s Rachel Dratch found her way into Monk for “Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny.” In the 2004 episode, Dratch’s character is stressed about the kidnapping of her grandmother and offers to help reinstate Monk to the police force if he can help find her alive. 

Howie Mandel

The Gremlins actor and game and competition show host played the role of Ralph Roberts in two episodes of Monk in 2008. Howie Mandel played the head of a religious cult called Siblings of the Sun in the Season 7 episodes. Mandel is a germaphobe in real life like Monk is.

Holland Taylor

Two and a Half Men actress Holland Taylor played Natalie Teager’s mother Peggy in two episodes of Monk. In the series, Peggy is a well-off woman who married into the Davenport Toothpaste business. She is part of 2005’s “Mr. Monk Goes To A Wedding” and 2007’s “Mr. Monk Is At Your Service.” 

Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands is an Academy Award nominee who starred in movies like Woman Under The Influence and Gloria in her youth before famously playing the older version of Allie in The Notebook. In Season 7’s “Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door,” Monk becomes friendly with Rowlands’ Marge Johnson, but suspicions about her true intentions begin to grow. 

Ariel Winter

Before Ariel Winter became part of Modern Family’s Dunphy family, the actress was in Monk as an eight-year-old for “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut.” She has a small but pivotal role as the neighbor of the victim, whose place in the story leads Monk to track down the killer. 

Julie Bowen

In Season 7’s “Mr. Monk and the Bully,” Julie Bowen plays a character that Adrian Monk investigates after his childhood bully comes out of the woodwork asking for help from the detective. The Truman Show’s Noah Emmerich plays her husband and Monk’s former bully. Julie Bowen is a two-time Emmy winner for her leading role in ABC’s Modern Family. 

Eric Stonestreet

Modern Family’s Cameron Tucker was on Monk the same year the hit ABC comedy first arrived on network television. In “Mr. Monk and the UFO,” Eric Stonestreet plays a small role as a local mechanic named Boom-Boom whom Monk offends and ends up raising his estimate. 

Sung Kang 

Sung Kang, who famously played Han in the Fast and the Furious movies, also guest starred in Monk as two separate characters. First in “Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra” he plays an employee of a martial arts school they visit while investigating the death of a fictional kung fu star, Sonny Chow. Four years later, Kang stars in “Mr. Monk on Wheels” as the cousin of a criminal named John Kuramoto.

Angela Kinsey 

The Office actress Angela Kinsey had a guest role in Monk as Arlene Boras for two episodes of the series. She plays an X-ray technician who was in Alfred Molina’s episode, “Mr. Monk and the Naked Man.” She reprised her role for the 100th episode of Monk as well. 

From the moment it debuted with a two-hour pilot episode in September of 1994 until it left the air in 2009, ER was a ratings monster. It regularly topped the ratings for the year during its 331-episode run and launched careers left and right. George Clooney for goodness sake! Not only did it have big stars in its regular cast like Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, and Eriq LaSalle, but it also had a huge amount of guest stars and up-and-coming actors roll through the show. Here is our list of some of the biggest. 

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman is most well known for playing the great Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation where he regularly delivered some of the funniest lines on the show. He didn't have anything funny to say in his one role on ER where he played a bandmate of a bass player in distress in the emergency room.  

Taraji P. Henson

The accolades for Taraji P. Henson's acting have come fast and fierce in recent years, but she's been showcasing her talent on screen since the late '90s. One of her earliest roles was in a Season 4 episode of ER, and then in Season 5, she returned in a different role. She kept landing guest roles for years on shows like CSI and Boston Legal before landing her starring turn in Empire and the rest is history. 

Bradley Whitford

A few years before the role of Josh Lyman on The West Wing would make him a star, Bradley Whitford appeared in two episodes of ER in 1995. He'd been working regularly for almost a decade at that point and would find small roles here and there for another few years before The West Wing. He's been an in-demand actor ever since. 

Kristin Davis

Before she was a regular on Melrose Place, and before she was one of Jerry's many girlfriends on Seinfeld, Kristin Davis played a woman who was very into George Clooney's character very briefly in one episode of the first season of ER. While she only showed up once on the show, it clearly opened some big doors - and big martini glasses - in the future. 

Zac Efron

Before becoming a star in High School Musical, Zac Efron was almost type-cast as a troubled teen. On ER he played a teenager who turned up in the emergency room after being shot. He was also a troublemaker in an early role on NCIS. These days he's one of the biggest stars to grace the screen, but he used to just be in trouble on screen! 

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is something different to different generations. For some, he'll always be Renton in Trainspotting. Of course, for many, he'll always be a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. For even others, he's known as the guy who drove his motorcycle around the world in Long Way Round. You can't help but wonder if that name was inspired by his guest spot on ER in a Season 3 episode called "The Long Way Around" in 1997. 

Julie Bowen

While Julie Bowen is best known these days for playing Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, her career stretches way further back. Her first TV role came in the early '90s and her breakout role came in the 1993 Adam Sandler smash hit Happy Gilmore. In the late '90s, she had a nine-episode run on ER as the reoccurring character named Roxanne Please, who was John Carter's (Noah Wyle) girlfriend. 

Ving Rhames

1994 was a big year for Ving Rhames. Not only did he star in Pulp Fiction, but he also landed a reoccurring role as Walt Robbins, father-in-law to Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle). In total, he appeared in eight episodes over three seasons, but by then he'd also starred in Mission: Impossible and the rest is history. 

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu is no stranger to hit television shows. She was a star of Ally McBeal in the '90s and '00s, and in Elementary in the teens. Early on, she also appeared in cameos and supporting roles on big shows like NYPD Blue and The X-Files. She also made it onto three episodes of ER, in 1995. 

Chris Pine

Believe it or not, there was a time when Chris Pine wasn't one of the "Chrises" and wasn't one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He was, in his early days, just like so many other actors, just looking to snag any role they could. Luckily for Pine, it was on a show like ER. In fact, the show he appeared in during Season 9 of the show was his first credited acting performance. 

Don Cheadle

When Don Cheadle appeared as a doctor in a 4-episode arc in 2002 on ER, he was already well-established as an actor. In fact, it came not long after he was established enough to take his name off the credits of Ocean's Eleven, despite delivering some of the best one-liners in the movie. 

J.K. Simmons

Any fan of Law & Order knows just how ingrained J.K. Simmons was in prime-time television around the turn of the century. He was a regular on that show, and he turned up in a bunch of others as well, including an episode of ER in 2004. you can always count on a great J.K. Simmons performance, no matter what he is in. 

Christina Hendricks

While she had been cast in a number of shows before Mad Men, Christina Hendricks had never really broken through as a star. That changed with the AMC show, but before that, she was just a regular hard-working actress in Hollywood. One of her earliest gigs was on ER in 2002. 

Adam Scott

Adam Scott is not the only Parks And Recreation star to appear in ER early in his career, but he did have a pretty intense role as an injured man clinging to life in the emergency room way back in 1995. It's hard to imagine it took 15 more years to get the big-time attention he deserves when he landed his role on Park & Rec. 

Glen Howerton

In 2005 Always Sunny In Philadelphia took the world by storm and went on to become one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time. Glen Howerton played a huge part in that, as one of the stars and co-creators. A couple of years earlier, he was playing a very different role as a doctor in six Episodes of ER during its 10th Season. 

Keiko Agena

Gilmore Girls regular and co-star of Prodigal Son, Keiko Agena is one of the few actors who played two different characters on ER. She first appeared on the show very early in her career, in 1998, then later appeared in the final season in 2009. 

Jessica Chastain

With three Oscar nominations and one win, Jessica Chastain has proven she's among the best Hollywood has to offer. She proved her acting years ago though, in shows like ER. In only her second credited role, she appeared on ER in 2004 in an episode called "Forgive and Forget."

Aaron Paul

For most people, Aaron Paul is best known for his legendary role in Breaking Bad but years before that show would become a hit, he played a pretty similar character on ER in an episode called "A Saint in the City," way back in 2003. 

Octavia Spencer

In 1998 when Octavia Spencer appeared on ER, it was the latest in a string of supporting roles she landed early in her career. That string would continue for a little while longer before she emerged as one of the most beloved stars of the teens and '20s after her star-making role in The Help.

Mena Suvari

As it was for a lot of cast members, American Pie was huge for Mena Suvari. She had been working for a few years in Hollywood before that, picking up roles here and there in shows like Boy Meets World and movies like The Slums of Beverly Hills. Another early role came in a 1998 episode of ER where she played a high school cheerleader who didn't want to listen to her doctors. 

Kirsten Dunst

As a child actor, Kirsten Dunst's career started when she was just six years old. It would be a few years before she landed a brief reoccurring role as a troubled teen in six episodes of ER in the show's third season. 

Dakota Fanning

Quite a few child actors who went on to greater fame came through the doors of the emergency room at Cook County General Hospital, including a young Dakota Fanning. Fanning played a young girl named Delia who came in after a car accident and viewers find out she's a cancer survivor. 

James Cromwell

One of the ultimate "that guys" in Hollywood, James Cromwell has been acting for decades. His career really started in earnest in the mid-'70s and he's been playing supporting and starring roles ever since. On ER, he played a drug-seeking priest in four episodes in Season 7. 

Josh Peck

Josh Peck was a breakout Nickelodeon star as half of Drake & Josh. That wasn't his first role though. After a few small roles and a reoccurring spot in The Amanda Show (which led to Drake & Josh), he landed a small role in an episode of ER in 2002 as a kid with heart problems. 

Eva Mendes

Before Eva Mendes semi-retired to raise her family with Ryan Gosling, she was one of the biggest stars on the planet. You can trace her career all the way back to her very first role which came in 1998 on an episode of ER. It's wild to look back and watch her doing her first on-screen performances with George Clooney and not think about what lay ahead for both of them. 

Shia LaBeouf

Without a doubt, Shia LaBeouf has had one of the wildest careers of the 21st Century. There have been times when he was on top of the world, and others when he... definitely wasn't. One high point early in his career was of a kid in the emergency room of Cook County General in 2000, during Season 6. 

Milana Vayntrub

Milana Vayntrub eventually became one of the most recognizable actors in commercials as the AT&T pitchwoman. Long before that though, she was like a lot of child actors who got their start on ER. She appeared in three episodes, her first three credited roles, as a Russian girl, way back in Season 1. 

John Mahoney

Before scoring the role of a lifetime as Martin Crane on Fraiser, John Mahoney had been a steadily working actor going back to the '70s. After Frasier, he could pretty much write his own ticket. One role he chose to take was that of a self-professed "drag queen" whose long-time boyfriend was in rough shape in the hospital on ER in 2006, making a strong statement about gay marriage before many were brave enough to join him. 

Janel Moloney

One of the many great actresses who found early work in their career on ER was Janel Moloney. Moloney scored only a handful of roles between that and The West Wing, but boy was the West Wing lucky to have her - as was ER in its first season when she appeared in one episode. 

Amy Ryan

One of the most underrated characters in The Wire has to be Beadie Russell, played by Amy Ryan. About a decade before she joined The Wire in Season 2, she starred in a single episode of ER in the show's first season. She's been in many TV shows and movies since, including a beloved recurring role on The Office and in the underrated Netflix original Worth.

Rosemary Clooney

George Clooney isn't the only famous person in his family. His aunt is, of course, the inimitably Rosemary Clooney, who was one of the most beloved singers of her generation. She only had about a dozen acting credits on her impressive resume, but one was ER during the show's first season. What a great experience for her and her nephew. Her son, actor Miguel Ferrer, also appeared in an uncredited role in the series premiere of the show. 

Dan Hedaya

If you grew up in the '90s, Dan Hedaya was seemingly everywhere, but he's probably best remember by that generation as Cher Horowitz's angry but loving father in Clueless. On ER, he plays a lawyer with... questionable ethics, but a heart of gold. He appeared in four episodes over the length of the whole show. remembered

Ron Swanson from Parks and Recreation is a simple man. Or at least, that's what he would have you believe. While the show had amazing cast members and even more amazing guests, the head of the parks department, played by Nick Offerman, has some of the funniest and most ridiculous lines. From words of advice to cutting insults, his quotes are some of the best from the show, so here are 32 of our favorite Ron Swanson quotes from Parks and Rec. 

Well I’ve never been one for meeting new people, or doing new things, or eating new types of food, or traveling outside of southern Indiana. I’ve had the same haircut since 1978 and I’ve driven the same car since 1991. I’ve used the same wooden comb for three decades. I have one bowl. I still get my milk delivered by horse.

If there is any quote that perfectly sums up Ron Swanson, it's this one. He's a man of principle and a man stuck in his ways. He's also a man stuck in the 1800s, apparently. There's a lot to criticize Ron over, but you can't call him inconsistent.

Please talk more about how you hate Europe and Bicycles.

When Ron is forced to find a new barber for the first time in decades, Donna, played by Retta, takes him to her hairdresser, Typhoon. At first, Ron thinks he'll have little in common with the new-age stylist, but they soon bond over their shared hatred for Europeans and bicycles. How nice for them. 

Crying: Acceptable at funerals and the Grand Canyon.

The Ron Swanson Pyramid of Success is full of hilarious, if questionable, life advice. Apparently, to be "a man" or "a Swanson" you can only cry in two places. Ron does live up to this standard, mostly. He does occasionally cry when he's happy too, though. Besides at the Grand Canyon, that is. 

Capitalism is the only way… It makes America great, England OK and France terrible.

If there is one thing that is pretty distasteful about Ron's set core of beliefs, it's his jingoism. It's not pretty. It's on full display when he heads to England, but that's not the only we see it. Do better, Ron. 

Any dog under 50 pounds is a cat, and cats are useless.

At the risk of offending small dog owners (and I am one myself), Ron is 100% correct here. Dogs should be big and dopey, not small and yappy. The smaller the dog, the more cat-like they are. Like Ron, I'm not a cat person. I still love my tiny dog though. 

I’m impressed with Andy, pulling himself up by his bootstraps. Reminds me of a young me. I got my first job when I was nine working at a sheet metal factory. In two weeks I was running the floor. Child Labor Laws are ruining this country.

Andy (Chris Pratt) doesn't seem like the kind of person Ron would tolerate, yet he does, for some reason. Andy is a hard worker and dedicated to his job, (and a breakout role for Pratt) unlike Ron, but he also moonlights as a musician, playing in his band Mouse Rat, just like Ron moonlights as jazz musician Duke Silver. 

I like Tom. He doesn’t do a lot of work around here. He shows zero initiative. He’s not a team player. He’s never wanted to go that extra mile. Tom is exactly what I’m looking for in a government employee.

Tom (Aziz Ansari) is someone whom Ron Swanson barely tolerates. Everything Tom does seems to drive Ron nuts, except what Tom doesn't do. By being generally terrible at his job and worrying more about this personal life, Tom is Ron's perfect employee. 

There’s only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk. Which is water that’s lying about being milk.

Ron Swanson hates lying. He talked about it more than once. He also doesn't like what he sees as health trends. Or anything healthy to eat, for that matter. Skim milk holds a special place of disdain in the heart of Ron. 

The less I know about other people’s affairs, the happier I am. I’m not interested in caring about people. I once worked with a guy for three years and never learned his name. Best friend I ever had. We still never talk sometimes.

Something else Ron Swanson is consistent about it is his narcissism. While he probably wouldn't call it that, we just call 'em like we see 'em. Of course, he does care about people, a little. 

Fishing is for sport only. Fish meat is practically a vegetable.

Another bit of "advice" from the Ron Swanson pyramid of greatness. While Ron doesn't seem to like fish, he sure does love shrimp, especially if it's wrapped in bacon. Bacon makes everything better. 

The whole point of this country is if you want to eat garbage, balloon up to 600 pounds and die of a heart attack at 43, you can! You are free to do so. To me, that’s beautiful.

Again, Ron really isn't into being healthy. He's also not interested in other people. That's why this quote is so perfect, it combines both of the things he seems most interested in. 

Fishing relaxes me. It’s like yoga, except I still get to kill something.

It's safe to say that anything Chris does is going to upset Ron in some way, but Ron holds a deep mistrust of yoga. He mentions it on a number of occasions, but it's the most ridiculous when he compares it to fishing. Though, he's not wrong, both activities are relaxing. 

Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait … I worry what you heard was, ‘Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.’ What I said was, give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Do you understand?

After being served what he thought was an underwhelming steak, Ron switches gears in one of the funniest scenes in the whole show. You can't help but be horrified and impressed by Ron's dedication to breakfast foods.  

You had me at ‘Meat Tornado'

While Ron doesn't really "go for ethnic food" he is stopped in his tracks when Andy tells him about the burrito called a "Meat Tornado." Maybe there is hope for Ron yet. 

It's a hamburger made out of meat on a bun with nothing. Add ketchup if you want. I couldn't care less.

At one point, Chris Trager (Rob Lowe) and Ron decide to have a competition over who can make a more delicious burger. Chris' burger is a beacon of healthy options, with all kinds of buzzy food options, like a brioche bun. Ron's is a burger. On a bun. Turkey can never beat cow, Chris. 

You’ve accidentally given me the food that my food eats.

Ron doesn't really go for salad and when he's served one, he makes it clear that it is not enough to satisfy him. He's also incredibly consistent when it comes to how much he hates vegetables. In that way, he's like a little kid who has to choke them down after being scolded by an adult. 

Normally, if given the choice between doing something and nothing, I’d choose to do nothing. But I will do something if it helps someone else do nothing. I’d work all night, if it meant nothing got done.

On some level, you can't help but admire Ron Swanson's dedication to his principles. He believes in small government. Strike that, Ron believes in no government. Anything he can do to stop government from doing anything at all, he'll work hard to achieve that.  

There are three acceptable haircuts: high and tight, crew cut, buzz cut

Even though it doesn't appear that Ron Swanson actually served in the military, he does appreciate a good, precise haircut, clearly. 

Birthdays were invented by Hallmark to sell cards.

Ron doesn't like making a fuss about anything and when the rest of the office is determined to celebrate his birthday, he makes it clear where he stands on the issue. 

Give 100 percent. One-hundred-and-ten percent is impossible. Only idiots recommend that.

One thing Ron Swanson cannot abide is fools. Of course, anyone who doesn't fit into the narrow parameters of his life views is a fool. Like people who exaggerate things, which is literally the one thing Chris Trager does best.  

When people get too chummy with me, I like to call them by the wrong name to let them know I don’t really care about them.

He doesn't care about other people's problems, that's for certain. He also doesn't want to be friends and this is how he goes about it. He even teaches April, played brilliantly by Aubrey Plaza the same trick and she takes to it like a fish to water. 

America: The only country that matters. If you want to experience other ‘cultures,’ use an atlas or a ham radio.

Not all of Ron's beliefs are healthy, or advisable. His jingoism, which he thinks is patriotic, is actually idiotic. Still, ham radios and atlas are fun, so that but of advice is pretty decent. 

It’s always a good idea to demonstrate to your coworkers that you are capable of withstanding a tremendous amount of pain.

You might think that when Ron takes pliers and pulls his own tooth out, a tooth the dentist had already extracted, it was meant as a practical joke. Ron Swanson never jokes though, and he was really just doing it to shock his coworkers and it works. 

I would rather bleed out than sit here and talk about my feelings for 10 minutes.

Let's be upfront, Ron Swanson doesn't care about your problems, and he doesn't want to talk about his either. It may not be healthy to bottle everything up, but you know he's not budging on this one. 

I think that all government is a waster of taxpayer money. My dream is to have the park system privatized and run entirely by for-profit corporations, like Chuck E. Cheese. They have an impeccable business model.

The biggest source of conflict between Ron, the head of the parks department, and his deputy Leslie (Amy Poehler) is that Leslie believes that government can do good for people. Ron thinks it should be run by a pizza restaurant.

I hate metaphors. That’s why my favorite book is Moby Dick. No frufu symbolism, just a good simple tale about a man who hates an animal.

On some level, I'd like to believe that Ron is smarter than this. In a great bit of comedic irony, Ron talks about why he loves Herman Melville's Moby Dick, but the reason is... questionable. The book is full of metaphors, and is, indeed basically one big one. A big white whale of one. 

I love Food and Stuff. It’s where I buy all my food… and most of my stuff.

Ron Swanson is a simple man, with simple needs. Mostly meat, but a little stuff too. Luckily, his favorite store has both. He rarely "treats himself" like some of the other office workers. 

There is only one bad word: taxes.

A libertarian in the most extreme version, Ron really hates government. What he hates the most, it seems, is the taxes that the government collects. They may pay his salary, but that doesn't mean he appreciates them. 

History began July 4, 1776. Everything before that was a mistake.

Here we go again with the extreme patriotism. Ron Swanson just doesn't care about anything other than the United States, even the history that led to its creation. It's still not a good look and never will be. 

The key to burning an ex-wife effigy is to dip it in paraffin wax and then toss the flaming bottle of isopropyl alcohol from a safe distance. Do not stand too close when you light an ex-wife effigy.

If there is anything in the world that Ron hates as much as government and taxes, it's both of his ex-wives, Tammy 1 and Tammy 2. He holds nothing back when it comes to slandering them, without any respect whatsoever. Yet, he still believes in love. Good, I guess?

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Don’t teach a man to fish…and feed yourself. He’s a grown man. And fishing’s not that hard.

Fishing is important to Ron. Making friends and helping people is not. Case in point? This quote. Lighten up, Ron! 

The Human Resources department requires that I be available once a month to discuss workplace disputes with my employees. The rules do not specify whether or not I am allowed to listen to Willie Nelson on my headphones.

This is yet another example of Ron not caring about anyone other than himself. Willie Nelson is great, but try to set a better example, Ron! 

Another word for 'jokes' is 'lies'. I do not lie. Therefore, I do not joke.

Oh, but you do joke, Ron. Some of the very best jokes on Parks and Rec come from the mind of Ron Swanson, whether he appreciates them or not. Like all 32 of the jokes here. They are all gold, though you probably don't want to take his advice very often. 

Hopefully everyone out there is ready to head back to Lanford, Illinois, because The Conners is finally returning to ABC for its long-awaited sixth season. And while details about the new episodes have been largely absent so far in 2024 — Emma Kenney even censored her on-set pics — now we know a bit more about what TV’s most dysfunctionally adoring family will be up to when the new episodes arrive. 

Showrunner Bruce Helford and fellow executive producer Dave Caplan, along with the rest of the cast and crew, had to hold off on putting new stories together throughout the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but now everything is back in line for a shortened but no less exciting Season 6. Speaking with TVLine, the duo dropped some somewhat revealing details about who and what we can expect to see in the near future, and I’m possibly pumped about two of those reveals more than others.

Sounds Like Louise Has Big Ambitions

One of the best/worst things about The Conners is that the cast is too stacked and talented to put all the focus on Katey Sagal’s Louise every episode, so her storylines aren’t quite as numerous as most of the others. But things may be changing a little in Season 6 as she grows more restless as both a married woman and a former touring musician. As it usually goes, money will be a guiding force for her decisions, with Bruce Helford saying:

Not that there’s anything wrong with Louise earning wages at the Lunchbox, especially when it means viewers get to see Sagal and Laurie Metcalf mixing it up. But she doesn’t seem to be all that happy about trading her creative ideals for service industry duties. So I’m very excited to see what new ventures are introduced for her. Maybe she can give singing lessons, allowing for Sagal and John Goodman to duet together at some point. 

Dave Caplan also talked about what’s next for Louise and Dan, and at least it sounds like he’ll be joining her in support, as opposed to fighting against her wishes. According to the EP:

She might need to branch out from just the area around Lanford to find conquerable mountains, but if anyone would do it, it’s Louise. 

Possible Good News For Bev

Season 6 will also feature the return of a very familiar face: Estelle Parsons, whose Bev Harris is already lined up for a pair of installments early on. Jackie and Roseanne's mother made quite the appearance in Season 5, and while it wasn't quite as depressing or fatal as I expected, Bev was shown to be suffering from dementia, which led to a twisty reveal about the family's past. 

While it wouldn't be anti-intuitive to think her next appearance would be another step closer to doom, Bruce Helford teased the opposite, saying:

Estelle Parsons will be back for both Episodes 2 and 3, so hopefully we won't have to wait long to see what the surprise will be. I'd like to think it's Bev blackmailing Dan into letting her live with him and Louise, but that probably wouldn't be ideal for anyone involved. 

• And Let's Not Forget About Nick Offerman's Guest Spot

Now a full-on Emmy winner for his work on HBO's The Last of Us, Nick Offerman was the second guest star to get an early confirmation for The Conners' new season, on the heels of Seth Astin coming back as Becky's latest (and greatest?) beau Tyler. While details were previously light about what fans could expect, we now know that the Parks and Rec vet, who first worked with Bruce Helford quite a few years ago on the sitcom The George Lopez show, will be playing a TV host. 

Specifically, Offerman's character heads up a restaurant rescue series, and is contacted by Becky as a means of trying to pull The Lunch Box out of a rut caused in part by Jackie being far less dependable on the job front. Becky and Louise aren't pleased with the way things are going, and you know it's an extreme feeling if they attempt to bring a whole TV production into it. 

Check out the first Season 6 trailer below!

With more fun coming for Ben and Darlene, Becky and Tyler and more, The Conners will debut Season 6 on ABC on Wednesday, February 7, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Head to our 2024 TV premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen in the near future.

2024 has already been a big year for Nick Offerman, and we're still only in the first month! The Parks and Recreation favorite took a very dramatic turn for HBO's The Last of Us and earned an Emmy for his efforts; now, he's returning to the realm of sitcoms for a role in ABC's The Conners, and a first look at his arrival in the 2024 TV schedule shows an awkward encounter with John Goodman's Dan that already has me ready for more of the comedy greats together.

Nick Offerman's Emmy Win

While The Last of Us lost out to Succession in the Drama categories during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, the post-apocalyptic series based on the video game of the same name fared better at the Creative Arts Emmys. Nick Offerman took the trophy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the episode that centered on the love story between Bill (Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) in a hopeless time. Bartlett was in the running for Outstanding Guest Actor as well. 

Offerman's win is especially notable due to the fact that he wasn't actually the first choice to play Bill, and changes were made from Bill and Frank's story in the video game to the TV show. Steven Spielberg himself was moved by the episode, and Offerman jokingly pitched a way for Bill and Frank to return despite their tear-jerking deaths in Season 1. 

Nick Offerman Is Coming To The Conners

If you, like me, found yourself tearing up at Offerman's performance as Bill on The Last of Us, you probably don't have to worry about tragedy in his next role. The actor, who is largely known for his comedy work on NBC's Parks and Rec, is coming to The Conners in the Season 6 premiere as a guest star. While there are currently no details available about his character or what brings him into the mix, a preview for the premiere indicates that he and John Goodman could be hilarious together. Take a look:

Nick Offerman has a grand total of one line in the preview – "Are you family?" – but the ABC video is certainly hyping his arrival. Plus, Dan adopting a Cockney accent to deny that he's related to other members of the Conner family suggests that this could be a great scene when the sitcom finally returns after the long hiatus.

Given that Offerman is only billed as a guest star, we shouldn't count on seeing too much of him in Season 6. Then again, who could have guessed how large of a role Katey Sagal would have by the sixth season after she was booked for one episode back in 2018?  

The Conners is well known for bringing in big names as guest stars by this point, including (but definitely not limited to) Dan Aykroyd, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and Whoopi Goldberg. Plus, Sean Astin will be back in the Season 6 premiere as Becky's boyfriend, after debuting as the character in Season 5.

Tune in to ABC on Wednesday, February 7 at 8 p.m. ET for the Season 6 premiere of The Conners, featuring Nick Offerman opposite John Goodman. If you want to revisit how the fifth season wrapped back in the spring of 2023, you can find the last four episodes streaming with a Hulu subscription now.

Awards season is officially upon us, which means many of the top TV shows and movies of the past year are being honored for their achievements. One particular production from the former field is already making quite a splash, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. HBO’s The Last of Us earned critical acclaim when it debuted in 2023 and, as a result, many (including myself) assumed that it would be a firm contender during this season. Well, the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation is coming in hot, as it’s already racking up Emmys. Series guest star Nick Offerman managed to win one of those golden statues and, after doing so, he joked about how the characters of Bill and Frank could return.

How Has The Last Of Us Made Out At The 2024 Emmys Thus Far?

The Naughty Dog-produced series (which is available to stream with a Max subscription) received a strong 24 Emmy nominations months ago. Impressively enough, it managed to snag a total of 8 awards during the 75th Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, January 6. In addition to Nick Offerman winning for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Storm Reid earned the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Among the other honors the show earned were Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup and Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie. You can check out all of the awards TLoU won in the list below: 

• Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
• Outstanding Picture Editing For A Drama Series
• Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
• Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
• Outstanding Main Title Design
• Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie
• Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup

This is incredibly impressive for the first-season show, and it speaks to the talents of the many people who worked on it. Having watched the series myself, I can say without a doubt that each and every one of the honors it now has was completely well-deserved. These trophies not only add to HBO’s massive list of achievements but also further add credibility to the notion that video game adaptations can be crafted masterfully. 

What particularly makes me smile is the fact that Nick Offerman managed to win for his portrayal as the initially cold and reclusive survivalist Bill. We don’t talk enough about Offerman’s more dramatic roles and his skills in that vein, to be honest. That aside, I had a feeling that he’d win in the category, which also included fellow TLoU alums like Murray Bartlett and Keivonn Woodard. And, of course, leave it to Offerman (who wasn’t even the first choice for Bill) to share some A+ comments after winning.

Nick Offerman Has A Fun Idea For A Prequel Installment Involving Bill And Frank

The third episode of The Last of Us’ first season, “Long Long Time,” told the love story of Bill and Frank and did so in tremendous fashion. Many still consider it to be the best entry in the entire season, and it’s hard to disagree with that assertion. The decades-spanning story ultimately ends with the two dying together – and on their own terms. However, there are still those who’d like to see more of them somehow. 

As of this writing, it’s unclear as to whether the couple might return in some form or another in The Last of Us Season 2, which we know a bit about. Nick Offerman was asked about the possibility during a press conference attended by Deadline and more after he accepted his award. He admitted that he’s not sure what the future might hold for the characters but said that an idea has been pitched, and fans will surely be surprised by the concept:

That’d be interesting to see, to say the least. The chances of an actual musical episode of this series happening seem slim, though. Nevertheless, it would be cool to see Bill and Frank return somehow. If anything, Nick Offerman said he’d be willing to reprise the role, joking that he was “lucky this time” because “they needed a guy who could use a shovel.” I’d say he certainly deserves more credit than that, though.

All in all, it’s just great that he and his collaborators are being honored for their work, and I’m eager to see who else ends up winning. Lead stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are among those who are currently nominated for Primetime Emmys, and the show itself is in the running for Outstanding Drama Series. We’ll have to wait and see how everything pans out when the awards ceremony airs live on Fox on Monday, January 15 at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, check The Last of Us Season 1 in its entirety on Max.

Warning: spoilers for The Last Of Us Episode 3, “Long Long Time,” are in play.

Steven Spielberg is an icon of cinema, known for his many memorable films that have inspired the masses like Jaws, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park. Even after achieving legend status, he's always generous with his praise, congratulating young filmmakers on their innovative work and sharing his adoration for other creative media. He recently reached out to The Last of Us showrunner about the Bill and Frank episode, which shattered the hearts of audiences, and I love that he was as moved as I was.

In a recent interview with THR, co-creator of the dystopian HBO series, Craig Mazin, shared that Spielberg was one of the many fans of The Last of Us who loved the self-contained episode “Long, Long Time.” Mazin said that the E.T. director emailed him after the episode aired, and expressed his love for the show and the heart-wrenching stand-out installment. He revealed: 

This is incredibly sweet, and I can imagine that it meant a lot to the showrunner. Spielberg himself has explored dystopian worlds in films like Minority Report and Ready Player One, so he may have been drawn to The Last of Us because of the premise. Like much of Spielberg’s work, the show starts with a grandiose genre plot, but really focuses on the touching relationships between the characters rather than the violence of the source material. No one captures love and family like Spielberg, and for him to be complimentary of The Last of Us is high praise.

The episode Spielberg singled out surrounds a couple, Bill and Frank, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. They meet during the deadly fungal outbreak, and fall in love over the course of years throughout the episode. The "Long Long Time" ends in tragedy, as one of the characters becomes sick, and the other decides to die with him. 

The episode, while situated within the story arc of the show, feels like a departure from the central plot, and explores characters who do not appear in later episodes. It's incredibly sad, and definitely resulted in many tears on my end. I love that Spielberg was affected as well, and I’m not alone in my grief for this beautiful and tragic love story. 

Spielberg’s praise is definitely warranted, as the episode became a fan-favorite fast, despite it making changes to the Bill and Frank story from the video game. The rest of the season is also fantastic, and it earned Mazin and other members of the cast and crew Emmy nominations for their work -- including Offerman and Bartlett. Hopefully Season 2 of The Last of Us will be just as incredible, and will live up to the tremendous heights of the debut season. Now that they know Spielberg is watching, the pressure is on.

You can watch the episode, “Long Long Time,” as well as the rest of Season 1 of The Last of Us, now a Max subscription. Fans of Steven Spielberg should also check out our feature on where to stream some of the Saving Private Ryan filmmaker's most quintessential films, including his own dystopian classics. 

There are many reasons why critics and audiences are raving about HBO’s series adaptation of the popular video game, The Last of Us — one of them being the gripping love story at the center of its third episode, “Long, Long Time.” Some viewers may have been especially surprised to see former Parks and Recreation cast member, Nick Offerman, turn in such a moving serious performance in the episode, but this was actually far from the comedian’s first rodeo. See for yourself with this reflection on the more dramatic portrayals from Offerman’s filmography so far, starting with this most recent instant classic.

Bill - The Last Of Us (2023)

By diverting a bit from the source material, the third episode of The Last of Us redefined the characters of Bill (Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) for the better by making them the focus of an epic, thought-provoking, and, by the end, devastating romance. The story could not have been as captivating without Offerman and his impassioned performance, which starts off feeling like how Ron Swanson might spend the end of days, and concludes with a wonderful and inspiring message of making the most out of life with what you have.

Forest - Devs (2020)

If there is any similarity between Ron Swanson and Offerman’s character from this haunting and ferociously complex Hulu exclusive sci-fi miniseries, it is a profound ability to intimidate. The actor makes a shockingly unnerving antagonist on creator Alex Garland’s Devs as Forest — the owner of a mysterious tech company that computer engineer Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) believes is linked to her boyfriend’s recent disappearance.

Dick McDonald - The Founder (2016)

Years before playing a shady businessman on Devs (to put it lightly), Offerman played the victim of one named Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) in The Founder — director John Lee Hancock’s drama based on the infamous origins of the fast food empire, McDonald’s. His performance as Dick McDonald also ranks among his most heartbreaking as you watch the charming optimism slowly fade away as he and his brother, Mac’s (John Carroll Lynch) own creation is slowly and maliciously stolen right from underneath them.  

Felix O'Kelly - Bad Times At The El Royale (2018)

Also robbed of a happy ending is Felix O’Kelly, who opens writer and director Drew Goddard’s star-studded noir, Bad Times at the El Royale, with a bang in his first and only scene. While lasting mere minutes, the sequence is a testament to Offerman’s ability to make an impact with very little at his disposal as he spend much of the four minutes grunting, mumbling, and taking his hotel room floorboards apart to hide money, which I am sure his real-life experience with carpentry leant itself to wonderfully.

Henry - Nostalgia (2018)

Also in 2018, Offerman starred in another ensemble drama comprised of interwoven stories about human connection by way of our own emotional relationship with material objects. As Henry in Nostalgia — directed by Mark Pellington, who also co-wrote the film with Alex Ross Perry — the actor holds his own wonderfully opposite Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn as his mother, Helen, whom he welcomes into his home after her house burns down.

Frank Fisher - Hearts Beat Loud (2018)

Also in 2018, Offerman took on the parental role this time in co-writer and director Brett Haley’s feel-good, under-the-radar indie dramedy, Hearts Beat Loud. He is irresistibly charming and emits real raw emotion with his performance as Frank Fisher — a widowed record store owner who starts a band with his daughter, Sam (Clemons), in an attempt to bond with her before she leaves for college.

Rick Kaepernick - Colin In Black & White (2021)

Offerman also played the father of one of the most prolific — and also controversial — figures in modern sports, Colin Kaepernick, in Netflix’s biographical limited series, Colin in Black & White, from co-creator Ava DuVernay. While sometimes serving as a, sort of, comic relief with a certain “goofy dad” approach to the role, he is equally effective in the show’s more serious scenes which highlight the most formative moments of the future athlete’s teen years.

Karl Weathers - Fargo, Season 2 (2015)

Offerman is also quite hilarious in the otherwise bleak and bizarre second season of FX’s Coen Brothers-inspired anthology series as drunken attorney Karl Weathers, who is brought in to defend Jesse Plemons’ character, Ed Blumquist, essentially, because he is the only lawyer in town. He really steals the show from the Fargo Season 2 cast, channeling his roots as a theatre actor to deliver dialogue apropos of a Shakespeare play, despite the season’s 1970s Minnesota setting.

Jeremy Frost - The Hero (2017)

Offerman would reunite with recurring Parks and Rec guest star Sam Elliott — who played a character also named “Ron” — in his first collaboration with Hearts Beat Loud director Brett Haley, The Hero. Also one of Elliott’s best movies, the film is a showcase of the Academy Award nominee’s wonderful chemistry with Offerman, who plays a friend and marijuana dealer to Elliott’s character, Lee Hayden.

Burt Shlubb - Sin City (2005)

Out of all of Offerman’s more dramatic roles, the one I was most surprised to find comes from Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s visually glorious adaptation of Miller’s graphic novel series, Sin City, from 2005. I completely forgot that he was in this highly inventive, film noir movie-inspired favorite because he is almost completely unrecognizable as low-rent criminal Burt Shlubb, who — like Felix in Bad Times at the El Royale — does not say much, but has a memorably imposing presence on screen, nonetheless.

So, as you can see — even though was not the first choice to play Bill on The Last of Us — Nick Offerman was always the right choice for the role, having had more than enough dramatic acting under his belt to prepare.

My first thought while watching Episode 3 of The Last of Us, was ‘Oh my goodness, the casting is perfect, Nick Offerman was born to play Bill.’ So, it came as a legitimate shock to me, and I’d assume many others, when we found out the actor known for his role as Ron Swanson wasn’t the co-creator Craig Mazin's first choice for one of The Last of Us’ groundbreaking queer characters. And while the actor they originally had in mind would have been amazing, the showrunner discussed why Offerman was an amazing choice, and how motivated the cast and creatives were to tell an authentic love story with Bill and Frank. 

While talking about Episode 3, one of the biggest changes they made from the video game, and how they cast Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, Craig Mazin noted that the Parks and Recreation cast member was not who they originally had in mind for Bill, saying on The Last of Us Podcast:

It totally makes sense that Mazin had O’Neill in mind first, considering they had worked closely together on his last show Chernobyl. However, due to schedule conflicts because the actor was busy playing Blackbeard's righthand man Israel on Our Flag Means Death he wasn’t able to do it. 

While I’m sure O’Neill would have been amazing as Bill, I think Nick Offerman was the perfect person to help bring this beautiful love story to life. However, hiring the comedic actor did come with a lot of careful consideration, because he is a straight man who would be playing a gay man. Mazin spoke about the importance of representation on the show, and how that played into casting their Bill, saying:

Mazin went on to explain there were many gay middle-aged men working on this production, including Murray Bartlett, who played Frank. He also explained that having all these men on set to help guide the story, was extremely helpful in helping the show tell an authentic love story. 

Clearly, the work they did with Episode 3 was done well, because it has received tons of acclaim, and many, many viewers were left balling their eyes out and completely floored by Frank and Bill’s story, which is actually different from the game. 

Overall, it feels like every decision made for Episode 3, from Offerman and Murrays’ casting to changing Bill and Frank’s story culminated in a wonderful, beautiful and moving episode of television, that I think audiences will keep thinking about as the 2023 TV schedule continues. 

To watch The Last of Us' third episode and Offerman and Murrays’ beautiful performances you can do so with an HBO Max subscription. You can also catch new episodes of the video game adaptation every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. 

Warning: light spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 3, “Long Long Time,” are in play. If you haven’t seen this episode just yet, you’ve been warned. 

A perfect song can fit in any moment, given the proper context. Anyone with an HBO Max subscription likely found that out in heartbreaking fashion thanks to The Last of Us' third episode, which utilized Linda Ronstadt’s classic track “Long Long Time” as an important emotional touchstone. (And its title.) While EP Craig Mazin had to go on a bit of a hunt to find this appropriate needle drop for this latest chapter, his efforts were just as rewarding as the alterations to Bill and Frank’s story. It also gave Ms. Ronstadt one hell of a streaming hit, as almost immediately the song found a new lease on life, just as it had in the installment's poignant ending.

The Last Of Us’ Insane Streaming Boost For Linda Ronstadt’s Long Long Time

According to Spotify News, The Last of Us bump is now something all musical artists should consider looking into, as this particular tune from 1970 increased its profile on the service by 4900%. Wildly enough, that figure came from between the hours of 11 PM and 12 AM ET on Sunday night into Monday morning.

This means that this huge boost occurred in the timeframe where the nearly feature-length love story featuring Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett was wrapping for those watching in real time. So it stands to reason that fans of the Naughty Dog/Sony co-production were eager to cry things out after watching. 

The news certainly wasn’t lost on Linda Ronstadt herself, as she made this most recent post honoring the song on social media: 

A pivotal moment in The Last Of Us's romantic epic, the song's introduction sees Murray Bartlett's Frank rooting around the house of Nick Offerman's Bill. Particularly taken by the piano, the guest-turned-partner finds a Linda Ronstadt songbook, and selects "Long Long Time" as his choice. Through Frank's butchery and Bill's heartfelt crooning of the same song, the lovers find each other on the road to decades of ups and downs.

Much like Stranger Things put Kate Bush on the charts with its usage of “Running Up That Hill,” another television hit maker has brought a classic back into the limelight. Which is a moment that wouldn’t have happened, if it wasn’t for The Last of Us executive producer Craig Mazin consulting a trusted friend.

Why Long Long Time Was The Right Choice For Bill And Frank, According To Craig Mazin

Believe it or not, "Long Long Time" wasn't a baked in song choice that was always meant to be. Mazin admitted as much during an interview with IndieWire. which started with the purpose of why including this special musical cue was so important, and some of the criteria he had in mind during selection:

It's going to be hard not to think of this episode when its namesake plays randomly, or by request, in the near future. Doubling as a send off to Bill and Frank's memory after their deaths, as well as as signpost in the developing partnership of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), the emotions ran pretty high at the end of the new corner they've turned.

Should you want to thank anyone in particular for giving Craig Mazin this Last of Us moment, it's none other than Sirius XM host/Broadway maven Seth Rudetsky. The explanation for how the pair of friends hammered this story home through song was told by Mazin thusly:

If we're going by the radio code established in The Last of Us' critically acclaimed premiere, then it would appear that this episode had "new stock" for fans. Which isn't false, as the bittersweet romance of Bill and Frank replenished everyone's hearts while also draining their tear ducts. It's a story that's going to be hard to top, as both a Linda Ronstadt classic and a new queer love story for the ages have both been born out of this decision process. 

Keeping up with The Last of Us isn't too hard, no matter if you're into horror or not, as the first three episodes are ready to stream on HBO Max. New adventures with Joel and Ellie will continue to premiere on HBO where you can watch The Last of Us Sundays at 9 PM ET, right up until the season finale on March 12th. As always, you should keep your eyes on the 2023 TV schedule, whenever you're not on the look out for Clickers in your area.

Major spoilers below for the third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

With The Last of Us’ first two episodes, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann displayed their willingness and eagerness to shake up the video game’s storyline for the jump to live-action, and in doing so have delivered an adaptation that will likely stand out from any other upcoming video game projects. But the third episode really proved how masterfully such alterations could be implemented, as it delivered a fully fleshed-out exploration for the character Bill and his “partner” Frank, with Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett anchoring the surprising and emotionally poignant installment.

Related: 12 Jordan Peele Movies And TV Shows And Where To Watch Them

Mazin and Druckmann talked with CinemaBlend and other press outlets ahead of The Last of Us’ premiere, where they were asked about the decision to change up and expand Bill’s story for the HBO series, as well as giving audiences a living and breathing version of Frank. Druckmann started the answer, explaining how the video game brings Bill into the story after Joel gets caught in one of the former’s traps, leading to a hectic fight for survival. The game’s director and co-writer continued, saying: 

HBO’s The Last of Us added loads of character depth to Bill that the video game couldn’t get into very much, with a hard confirmation about Bill and Frank’s relationship as lovers that was only hinted at in the video game. Not to mention the fact that Frank never uttered a word in the source material, with his only personal input coming through a very final piece of written correspondence. But the show gave the two characters a far bigger and more meaningful story that, as Druckmann put it, can serve as a beacon of hope (albeit a macabre kind of hope) for Joel and Ellie, while also showing that not everyone’s experiences in the post-apocalypse were as wild and unwieldy as others.

Druckmann believes going a more personal and introspective route with Bill’s story was the smart move, as opposed to leaning into the violence, though he doesn’t think that would be the go-to approach for others attempting to adapt such a tale. In his words:

At least everyone bringing the Tetris movie to streaming isn't trying to make a movie about falling blocks. For now, anyway. 

The 'Simple' Bill Detail That Inspired Craig Mazin The Most 

Craig Mazin was the spearheader when it came to building up Bill and Frank's story for HBO's The Last of Us, and explained that it was a rather simple idea that kicked off the train of thought that amounted to Episode 103. Here's how he put it:

Though some of the ire and irritation that was present in the game's Bill and Frank was brought into the TV show, it was obviously far more nuanced and tied into their specific characteristics, and was merely a note within their shared symphony, as opposed to being the main factor. And really, considering Bill is presumably one of the rare prepared survivors who was able to live comfortable after cordyceps destroyed the world, it makes sense that Nick Offerman's iteration wouldn't be that grumpy. He might not be the most personable Casanova, but he can bring it out when necessary.

Craig Mazin also explained that spending a longer stretch on Bill and Frank's story allowed the series to give viewers a temorary respite following the heartbreaking deaths in the earlier eps, from the murder of Joel's daughter Sarah in the premiere to the altered, but still fatal, sacrifice made by Tess in Episode 102. He continued:

While the changes made from The Last of Us' critically acclaimed video game likely won't please everyone who watched, the creative team felt like it was the right move to make, and I'm in agreement with them. Sure, there may have been other ways to expand Bill and Frank's history through the A+ acting talents of Offerman and Bartlett, but those ideas didn't make it past the finish line. 

To that end, Neil Druckmann capped off that point by speaking quite highly about how he felt about Mazin's ideas for these characters, saying:

If this was a more traditional "zombie" show, there'd be a joke to make about everything being a no-brainer in this world. But that's not the case, so let's all pretend I didn't bring it up to begin with. Just like I'm pretending that last shot of the episode wasn't proof of Bill's death, and that he was just fine, watching from the window out of the shot. 

With more differences and deviations to come throughout the rest of its first season, as well as the recently renewed second season. The Last of Us drops new episodes on HBO every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. ET, with streaming available at the same time for those with HBO Max subscriptions. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen for the rest of the year, assuming we can avoid any and all grain-based outbreaks.

The Last of Us series is my favorite video game franchise of all time. 

That’s right, it wins over classics like Uncharted, Legend of Zelda, and even Mario, because I absolutely adore the story, the characters, the graphics, everything. So you better believe that when I heard this fantastic game was going to be developed into a show on HBO,  me and a few others were psyched. 

While there are plenty of other video games that should be adapted into TV shows, The Last of Us is a great start to that with its beautiful settings, enthralling character arcs and scary-ass zombies. But, even so, one might be wondering what exactly this show is going to be about if you haven’t played the game, or who will star. 

Look no further, as these are six quick things we know about HBO's upcoming The Last of Us TV show. 

The Last Of Us TV Show Will Air On January 15th, 2023

I know, we were all hoping it would come out this year, but we’ll have to wait a little longer for The Last of Us to hit our TV screens. However, we won’t need to wait too long, as we can confirm from Deadline that The Last of Us TV show is set to come out on January 15, 2023. 

Unfortunately, it won’t be on any 2022 TV premiere schedule,  but at this time, we can look forward to next year, because the 2023 TV schedule is going to be packed with awesome stuff this early in the year. 

Watch The Official Trailer For The Last Of Us

When it comes to video game adaptations, sometimes the trailer can let me down, but judging from this official trailer of The Last of Us, I have a feeling it is going to be out of this world. From the shots we see that are nearly identical to the game to the bonding that is already being shown between Joel and Ellie, this trailer has me excited to see this show. 

The First Season Will Contain Nine Episodes  

While we’d all like these shows to last as long as possible, The Last of Us is only going to have nine episodes. At first, Craig Mazen, who was one of the main writers for another popular HBO series, Chernobyl, confirmed the episode count would be ten on the podcast, Scriptnotes, but via the Deadline article above, it was announced that the show would only have nine episodes. 

Neil Druckmann, The Creator Of The Game, Is Serving As An Executive Producer 

Neil Druckmann is actually the main man behind The Last of Us, originally. He co-created and wrote the story that won several awards. With that in mind, it’s great to see that Druckmann's working very closely with this adaptation, serving as an executive producer for the show. 

Druckmann has also directed at least one episode, according to Comicbook.com. It’s unclear as to what episode he helmed, but it’s awesome to see him return to form and guide the story that I’ve held so dear to my heart for so long. 

Alongside Druckmann are several directors, according to Collider. These include Jeremy Webb, Liza Johnson, Peter Hoar, Jasmila Zbanic, Kantemir Balagov, and more. 

Season 1 Is Going To Adapt The First Game - With Deviations 

If you don’t know, there are two games in The Last of Us series, at least so far. The first game follows Joel and Ellie’s journey as they travel across the United States to deliver her to the Fireflies, an organization that is working on a supposed cure to the virus. The second game takes place several years later, this time mainly following Ellie on a mission of revenge.

The first season of the HBO series, as confirmed by Neil Druckmann to IGN, will follow the first game - with some deviations, however, due to there being so much more availability to tell a full story now. 

As someone who was a huge fan of the story that Druckmann produced for both games, I trust his and Mazin’s process to come up with a truly incredible tale for television. 

Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, And More Will Star 

In 2021, The Hollywood Reporter originally confirmed that Bella Ramsey was tapped to play the role of Ellie, the fourteen-year-old girl whom Joel is transporting. 

Ramsey, known mainly for her breakout role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, is a great choice for the character, as Ellie is a feisty young woman who knows her way around a weapon - much like Lyanna. 

However, you can’t have Ellie without Joel, and he will be played by Pedro Pascal, according to another THR story. If that name sounds familiar, Pascal is mostly known for playing the role of Din Djarin, the lead character in the fantastic Disney+ show, The Mandalorian, but he was also a part of the Game of Thrones cast during Season 4.

Several other lead characters have been announced as well. According to Variety, playing Billy, an old acquaintance of Joel's who appears around the beginning of The Last of Us, is Nick Offerman, better known for his role as Ron Swanson from the Parks and Recreation cast. 

In addition to this, according to Entertainment Weekly, Anna Torv will take on the role of Tess, another pivotal role from the beginning of the game. Nico Parker will play Joel’s Daughter, Sarah, according to Deadline. In even better news, THR notes that the actress who portrayed Marlene in the original game, Merle Dandridge, is set to reprise the role in the live-action series.

Also something to look forward to, according to the Deadline article regarding the premiere date, is that the original voice actors behind Ellie and Joel from the game, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, will also appear in the show. According to Entertainment Weekly, Johnson is set to play Anna, a pregnant woman who has to give birth (and for game fans, people will know Anna is actually Ellie’s mother). Baker is set to play James, a member of a group of settlers that Ellie and Joel run into. 

There have been several other stars that have been announced and confirmed by HBO that we have covered in our cast list for The Last of Us, so if you want to get a full look at everyone who’s going to be in it, be sure to check it out.  

The Composer For The Game Is Returning To Score The Show

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to the soundtrack from The Last of Us. There’s just something about the heavy use of guitars or the chilling ambiance that every single song sends to my ears each time I listen. And, thankfully, The Last of Us series won’t be deviating far from that. 

Druckmann confirmed on Twitter that the composer for the games, Gustavo Santaolalla, will be providing the score for the series:

The moment this series drops, I’m downloading that score in an instant. Just watch me. If you’re curious, be sure to check out The Last of Us soundtrack on Spotify.

With so many amazing names signed on and a team that’s clearly passionate about the game, I’m sure that The Last of Us series is going to be stupendously awesome from start to finish, and I, for one, can’t wait to see it.

There is a very exciting future ahead for the Mission: Impossible franchise. While fans are used to seeing a new installment from the blockbuster series every few years, writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has been cooking up an extreme treat for the next two chapters and has been filming them back-to-back. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 is set to blow our minds in the year 2023, and the direct sequel, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2, will be coming out about 12 months later. Obviously there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the big sequel that is Mission: Impossible 8, and one of them is the fantastic ensemble cast that has been put together.

Featuring a mix of actors who both are and aren’t in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 has brought together a terrific group of stars, and we’ve assembled the list of confirmed names below for your perusal.

Tom Cruise

What, did you expect that Ethan Hunt would die in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1? While we don’t know the details of the plot of Mission: Impossible 7, we do know that the lead character will survive and be back for the sequel. Tom Cruise is one of only two actors who have appeared in every installment of this film franchise, the other being…

Ving Rhames

While Ving Rhames’ Luther Stickell only showed up for a cameo at the end of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, his prominent role in the franchise has been stable ever since – with key roles to play in Rogue Nation and Fallout. We don’t know what he’ll be getting up to in Dead Reckoning – Part 1, but we do know that Luther will be by Ethan Hunt’s side in the aftermath that is depicted in Part 2.

Henry Czerny

Mission: Impossible fans haven’t seen Eugene Kittridge since Brian De Palma’s franchise starter back in 1996, but he’s back in a big way now, set to play a key role in both halves of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Henry Czerny is back in the role decades after his original appearance. Since the first film in the Tom Cruise-led series, Czerny has been a part of some notable and popular movies, with two standouts being a part of the horror genre: Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready Or Not. He is also part of the cast of Scream 6.

Simon Pegg

Having not been in the first two Mission: Impossible movies, Simon Pegg’s history with the franchise doesn’t go back quite as far as Tom Cruise’s and Ving Rhames’, but he has left a major impact on the films and has made Benji Dunn a fan favorite character. The mask loving tech wiz has been a part of Ethan Hunt’s adventures since Mission: Impossible III, and he will be back by the super spy’s side for both halves of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Rebecca Ferguson

It used to be the case that the Mission: Impossible movies would rotate out its female leads – with Emmanuelle Béart, Thandiwe Newton, Maggie Q, and Paula Patton each only appearing in one movie, despite their characters surviving the blockbuster action. Rebecca Ferguson finally ended that streak following her debut in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Following her stellar introduction, MI6 operative Ilsa Faust returned in Fallout, and there is every expectation that she will be a prominent figure in everything that plays out across both halves of the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning duology.

Vanessa Kirby

Alanna Mitsopolis a.k.a. The White Widow was introduced as a mysterious gray-area character in Mission: Impossible – Fallout – with the extra twist added that she is the daughter of Max, the arms dealer played by Vanessa Redgrave in the first movie. Vanessa Kirby, whose notable credits also include The Crown, Hobbs & Shaw, and Pieces Of A Woman, confirmed to Glamour in February 2020 that she was reprising her character in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, and the expectation is that she will be in Part 2 as well.

Hayley Atwell

Of course, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2’s cast isn’t wholly filled with returning stars, as there are plenty of fresh faces getting involved as well. Hayley Atwell is best known for her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – having played Peggy Carter in the Captain America movies and starred in her own show, Agent Carter – and soon fans will get to see her as part of another big action-centric franchise. Her role in Part 2 has been confirmed by Deadline, and a post on the actor’s personal Instagram page suggests that she will be playing a character named Grace.

Esai Morales

Esai Morales is best known for his work on the small screen, with small screen credits including NYPD Blue, Criminal Minds, Ozark, and Chicago P.D., NCIS: Los Angeles, and Titans, but he’s getting some blockbuster experience on his resume as a part of both Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning movies. The role he is playing in the blockbusters originally belonged to Nicholas Hoult, but scheduling conflicts forced the Mad Max: Fury Road star to drop out of the project in May 2020, leading to Morales nabbing the role.

Shea Whigham

Shea Whigham has spent years establishing himself as one of the best characters actors in the business, and doing so has led him to be a part of some major franchises. He’s been a part of Fast & Furious, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, and the MonsterVerse, and now he is a member of the Mission: Impossible family. The actor confirmed to Digital Spy in May 2022 that he is in both halves of Dead Reckoning, and that his character is “trying to track” Ethan Hunt.

Holt McCallany

While all of the actors mentioned above are going to in both parts of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Holt McCallany’s situation is a bit different due to the fact that he is exclusively in the second movie. His casting was reported in July 2022, and it’s been said that the Mindhunter star will be playing a part in a high government position. Specifically he will be playing the United States’ Secretary of Defense (a man named Bernstein).

Nick Offerman

Audiences primarily know Nick Offerman for his work in comedy – particularly for playing Ron Swanson on the hit NBC series Parks & Recreation – but he will be making a switch over to drama for the action/adventure that is featured in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2. The actor’s part in the blockbuster was confirmed by Christopher McQuarrie on an episode of the Light The Fuse podcast in August.

Pom Klementieff

Based on what we’ve seen from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1, Pom Klementieff is going to be playing a forced to be reckoned with in the film, and apparently the threat that she represents isn’t going to be limited to the action that transpires in that single movie. While the actor is also a part of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (in which she is reprising her MCU role as Mantis), it has additionally been confirmed that she will be in the ensembles of both halves of Dead Reckoning.

Mark Gatiss

Mark Gatiss is another actor who is set to appear in both parts of Mission: Impossible’s developing epic. Gatiss’ role in Dead Reckoning Part 1 was announced at the same time that Rob Delaney, Charles Parnell, Indira Varma, and Cary Elwes joined the cast, but he is one of only two names in that group who is also going to be in Part 2. He said as much in an interview with Radio Times in September 2022, saying that shooting the blockbusters back-to-back is an “extraordinary experience.”

Charles Parnell

Charles Parnell is the other actor from the aforementioned group that will be in both Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2. The character actor recently worked alongside Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, and it’s not hard to believe that the experience led to Parnell being cast in the upcoming Mission: Impossible movies. In a now-deleted Tweet, Christopher McQuarrie shared an image of Parnell’s character in Part 2 alongside Mark Gatiss and…

Janet McTeer

Janet McTeer’s casting in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 at the same time as Nick Offerman’s, though it is unknown at this time what kind of role she will have in the blockbuster sequel. Like some of her co-stars, McTeer is best known for her work on the small screen, with credits on shows including Damages, Jessica Jones, and Ozark.

With all of these talented stars aboard, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2 will arrive in theaters a little less than a year after its predecessor – specifically on June 28, 2024. That’s a long time from now, but there is plenty of entertainment on the way between now and then and you can learn about everything that’s coming out with our 2022 Move Release Calendar and our guide to the upcoming movies in 2023.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t watched the entirety of Peacock’s The Resort, so be warned! 

As the home of Jurassic World Dominion, two future Kaley Cuoco projects (including her Flight Attendant follow-up series), and all WWE pay-per-view events — among many other projects — Peacock is clearly in the streaming wars for a reason. But one of its best original projects yet is one that has no doubt floated beneath the radar of many potential viewers: the darkly comedic, relationship-driven mystery The Resort. And thankfully, creator Andy Siara & Co. delivered a fantastic Season 1 finale that strengthens the show’s impact, even if it may have seemed a little confusing while watching. 

Which is why we’re here now: to figure out exactly what The Resort’s trippy ending meant, and how it all played out for Cristin Milioti’s Emma, William Jackson Harper’s Noah, Luis Gerardo Méndez’s Baltasar and the rest. Not to mention digging into what that elusive final scene meant. So without further ado, let’s hit the jungle paths running. 

What Is Pasaje?

As The Resort’s episodes went by, taking both viewers and characters deeper into the central mystery, the seemingly mythical location of Pasaje took center stage, as Emma, Noah and Baltasar realized that it was indeed the final destination of the young lovers Sam (Skyler Gisondo) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden), who’d disappeared without a trace in 2007. (That discovery came in large part thanks to Luis Guzmán’s novelist Illan Iberra and to Ben Sinclair’s time-jaunting resort owner Alex.) It truly seemed as if The Resort was setting viewers up for a huge bummer of a depressing ending, in which Nick Offerman’s long-stressed father Murray would bear witness to finding his daughter and Sam’s drowned bodies after 15 years. 

However, it was stunningly revealed in the finale “The Disillusionment of Time” that the magical legacy preceding Pasaje was in fact authentic. Sam and Violet hadn’t drowned after all, but were floating perfectly preserved within a small whirlpool deep within a cave system that was completely flooded out in the 2007 hurricane. They’d found exactly what they were looking for, but it came at quite a cost, especially for Sam, whose journey to Pasaje was fueled by his attraction to Violet as opposed to the deep losses suffered by others who made the trip. 

To attempt to define it:

• Pasaje is essentially a physical manifestation of nostalgia and its dangers, a place set outside of time that allows those who wander into its waters the chance to go back and mentally relive moments, but with the underlying threat that one can get completely lost in those memories without someone around who’s locked in the present.

Though Illan Iberra expressed foreboding warnings about how the location ruined his life, Violet and Emma both became entranced by the out-there possibility of seeing their dead loved ones, with Violet still mourning her Pasaje-minded mother, as Emma still hadn’t come to terms with the death of a newborn from years past. In the end, Violet claims to have indeed reconnected with her mom while within the whirlpool, while viewers witnessed Emma’s highly emotional response to assumedly seeing her late daughter.

But Emma figured out the lesson that Violet and Sam (and presumably others) did not: losing oneself in the nostalgia of Pasaje necessarily means one misses out on everything happening in the present. For the young couple, it meant putting their loving parents through years and years of emotional turmoil without closure, and then giving them an even bigger mental bodyslam by returning in the same teenage form they disappeared in. So while Pasaje is in part a gift, it’s in the same curio cabinet as the monkey’s paw and other doom-laden creations. 

Interestingly enough, creator Andy Siara’s initial iteration of The Resort took its theme of “the disappointment of time” a bit too far, as he revealed to Deadline that Emma originally didn’t find anything but a dead end inside the cave. However, he and others found that conclusion might have been too much of a letdown, and thus evolved the whirlpool concept that inspired the sporadic cloudy ink-blot imagery used throughout the season. 

What Did The Resort’s Final Scene Mean?

After everything is presumably squared away in some shape or form for the majority of the characters, The Resort ends on a somewhat mysterious and likely-not-final conversation between Baltasar and Gabriela Cartol’s Luna. They first offer a summation of how things went down, with Luna pointing out how “fucked up” the situation is for Sam and Violet, even if it all seems pretty on the outset. She remains firm with that stance even when Baltasar perhaps jokingly tempts her with the thought of just taking a 30-second dive into Pasaje. 

But then it becomes more clear that Baltasar is a changed man after having helped to solve the mystery that stunted his emotional growth for the past 15 years, and that he doesn’t seem to actually want to go to Pasaje himself. That notion is best reflected in his immaculately crafted jacket, upon which is a tailor-made (literally) version of his favorite memory: a night of getting stoned and watching fireworks with Luna and Alex. He certainly wouldn’t put that much effort into creating a physical depiction of that night just to have it go to waste. 

So when he gives that newspaper to Luna without detailing what it says, and speaks to the idea of going to an ocean far away — that something has “found” him — some viewers might come away with the idea that he’s once again talking about Pasaje. But Andy Siara seems to confirm that’s not the case in talking with Deadline about what Baltasar may be referring to. In his words: 

Siara also talked about how this season is basically a Batman Begins scenario for Baltasar’s burgeoning crime-solving work, noting that the Batman reference in Episode 3 pointed to that idea. So it would appear that the resort detective has found a new mystery to crack, and that he’s inviting Luna along for that ride. 

It’s not clear at this point if Peacock will be renewing The Resort for Season 2, as it almost definitely comes down to popularity outweighing financial costs. But it seems like Siara has at least a couple of ideas for where things could go if the story is allowed to continue, and I can’t wait to see if and how things play out. 

The Resort can be streamed in full with a Peacock subscription, and while it technically wasn’t a full-blown true crime show, there are plenty of those on the streaming service as well. Our 2022 TV premiere schedule should also help find more new and returning shows hitting primetime and beyond soon. 

Back in March 2020, I was stunned at seeing the news that HBO was developing a series based on The Last of Us, one of my all-time favorite video games. At first, I was happy but couldn't believe it. Now here we are, and Season 1 has come to an end and received amazing reviews and is already on track for The Last of Us Season 2. 

With Season 1 all done, the cast has truly impressed and shown off in more ways than one. After the legendary first season, and in anticipation of Season 2, let’s break down the cast of The Last of Us, including those who appeared in Season 1, and whether or not we expect to see them in Season 2, as well as the new cast additions to the series. 

Also – minor spoiler warning for those who aren’t caught up with The Last of Us Season 1!

Pedro Pascal (Joel, Season 1-)

First up is Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel in The Last of Us, the rough and tough survivor of the apocalypse who is assigned to get Ellie across the country to a facility because of her immunity to the virus that's decimated the population. Since Pedro Pascal is the star of the show, he is very much going to be in Season 2.

Pascal is known for plenty of big shows and movies, but some of his biggest have been the Disney+ original show, The Mandalorian, and in 2022 , co-starring in the hilarious comedy, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, alongside Nicolas Cage. He was also a part of the Game of Thrones cast for a bit during Season 4, where he played Prince Oberyn Martell. 

Bella Ramsey (Ellie, Season 1-)

You can’t have Joel without Ellie in The Last of Us, and playing the spunky fourteen-year-old is Bella Ramsey, who really made the role her own in Season 1 of the series. Ramsey will be back for Season 2 of the series, as even the creators of the series have put to rest the idea of her getting re-casted since Season 2 is most likely going to feature a time-jump that was used in the games.

The young actress has already appeared on HBO before as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, as well as in His Dark Materials, and is continuing to show just how brilliant she is as an actress going forward in her young life. 

Gabriel Luna (Tommy, Season 1-)

Playing Joel’s brother and a former soldier, Tommy, in The Last of Us is Gabriel Luna. Tommy wasn’t featured that much in the first season of the show, but he most certainly played a major part in Joel’s story. And since Joel and Ellie were heading back to Tommy’s base in Jackson at the end of Season 1, it would make sense to expect Luna to return for Season 2. 

The actor has been in many TV shows before, with one of his biggest roles being in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where he played Ghost Rider/Robbie Reyes. Luna was also in the films Matador, and Terminator: Dark Fate.  

Rutina Wesley (Maria, Season 1-)

Playing Maria in The Last of Us Season 1 is Rutina Wesley, the wife of Tommy and one of the leaders of the Jackson Safe Zone, where Ellie and Joel are heading to in the finale of Season 1.  Since Maria was pregnant when Joel and Ellie left Jackson the first time, it wouldn’t be that surprising to see her there with a child alongside Tommy when Joel and Ellie return. So I’d say it’s a safe bet to expect her to return in Season 2. 

Wesley has been in a variety of television shows before, including the main cast of True Blood, The Cleveland Show, Arrow, Queen Sugar and Hannibal. Wesley also appeared in movies such as How She Move, 13 Sings, Last Weekend, The Perfect Guy and Outsiders.  

Kaitlyn Dever (Abby, Season 2-)

Variety confirmed in January 2024 that Kaitlyn Dever was cast as Abby, another playable character in The Last of Us: Part 2. Many fans have wondered for years about who would play the iconic character. Dever has a lot of people watching her when it comes to the role of Abby, but I have hope she’ll rock it. 

The actress has appeared in shows such as Last Man, Dopesick, Unbelievable and more, as well as appeared in films like Detroit, Dear Evan Hansen, Booksmart and many more. 

Isabela Merced (Dina, Season 2-)

According to Variety, in early January 2024, it was announced that Isabela Merced was cast as Dina, the love interest of Ellie’s in The Last of Us: Part 2. This is another great LGBTQ+ relationship that the show will get into as Season 2 goes on.

Merced in 2024 was a part of the Madame Web cast, but she's also appeared in films such as Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Sweet Girl, Instant Family and more. She’s also set to star in the upcoming John Greene adaptation, Turtles All The Way Down. 

Young Mazino (Jesse, Season 2-)

It was also announced in early January, according to Variety, that Young Mazino was cast as Jesse, another main character of The Last of Us: Part 2. Jesse is a friend of Ellie’s and ex-boyfriend of Dina’s in the game. 

Mazino gained fame in 2023 for his role in the Netflix series, Beef, but he has also appeared in shows such as Blue Bloods, New Amsterdam and more. 

Catherine O’Hara (Season 2-)

In February 2024, it was confirmed by Variety that Cathrine O’Hara was cast in The Last of Us Season 2 by Variety. We still don’t know what her role will be, but we can theorize on who until it's officially announced. 

O’Hara has been in the industry for years, appearing in the original Home Alone films, Beetlejuice, For Your Consideration, After Hours and many more. Most modern-day lovers of the actress probably recognize her from her time as one of the stars of the Schitt’s Creek cast. Truly an icon – and a great addition to this list. 

Danny Ramirez (Manny, Season 2-)

In March 2024, Variety reported several other stars that had joined The Last of Us Season 2. The first was Danny Ramirez, who will play Manny, a friend of Abby’s, in the second season.

Ramirez has appeared in shows like On My Block and The Gifted, and even held a main role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast. He also appeared in the Top Gun: Maverick cast in 2022. 

Ariela Barer (Mel, Season 2-)

Ariela Barer was also reported by Variety, and she’ll play Mel in Season 2 of The Last of Us. Mel is another friend of Abby’s in the game, and is said to be a doctor in the upcoming installment. 

Barer is primarily known for her role as Gert on Runaways, but she has appeared in various other television shows including Rebel, One Day at a Time, Atypical, Saved by the Bell and many more. 

Tati Gabrielle (Nora, Season 2-)

Tati Gabrielle was the third actress Variety reported on, and she will play Nora in Season 2 of The Last of Us. Nora is a military medic in the show, and has her own issues from her past that she is dealing with. 

Gabrielle has appeared in various TV shows, most notably You Season 4, where she played Marienne, and in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast. She also held a role in the great CW show, The 100, and appeared in Kaleidoscope. 

Spencer Lord (Owen, Season 2-)

Last but not least from that Variety article, we know that Spencer Lord will play Owen, a warrior who has a “gentle soul.” Lord has appeared in shows such as Family Law, The Good Doctor, Heartland and more. 

Nico Parker (Sarah, Season 1)

Sarah is Joel’s young daughter in The Last of Us, and she was played by Nico Parker, however, Sarah is not expected in Season 2. The young actress has appeared in movies like Dumbo and Reminiscence, and also had the part of Ellie in the TV series, The Third Day. 

Nick Offerman (Bill, Season 1)

One half of a survival duo living in a small, isolated town is Bill, a hardened survivor who really knows how to stay alive in this world by setting traps. Nick Offerman plays Bill in The Last of Us, and really made Bill’s story that much better alongside his partner, Frank. Bill is not expected to be in Season 2. 

Offerman is primarily known for his role as Ron Swanson in the Parks and Recreation cast, but he’s done plenty of other great work, including having a major role in the Pam & Tommy cast, working on the sci-fi series, Devs, and more. 

Merle Dandridge (Marlene, Season 1)

Next up, we have Merle Dandridge, who plays Marlene, the Firefly resistance leader in The Last of Us. Merle Dandridge actually did the voice and motion-capture work for Marlene in the original The Last of Us video game, so it’s sick to see her return to the role in the TV adaptation. However, Dandridge is not expected to be in Season 2.

But, besides her video game work, Dandridge has appeared in many TV shows like Station 19, the fantastic HBO Max original, The Flight Attendant, Sons of Anarchy, and more.  

Anna Torv (Tess, Season 1)

Tess is another survivor and a smuggler alongside Joel in The Last of Us, and she's played by Anna Torv in the TV series. Tess is not expected to be in Season 2.

Torv is primarily known for her role as Olivia Dunham on the popular sci-fi series, Fringe, and also had a main role as Wendy Carr on the amazing Netflix series you should definitely binge, Mindhunter. She also had a main role as Harriet Dunkley in Secret City. 

Murray Bartlett (Frank, Season 1)

Frank is the other half of the survival duo in The Last of Us with Bill who lives in that isolated town, and he is played by Murray Bartlett. Frank is not expected to be in Season 2.

Bartlett is among the cast of The White Lotus Season 1, and in the revival on Netflix of Tales of the City. Bartlett also played Vinnie Green in the Apple TV+ series, Physical. 

Storm Reid (Riley, Season 1)

Next up on the list for The Last of Us cast is Storm Reid, a young actress who is really making her name in Hollywood recently. In Season 1, Reid played Riley, Ellie’s best friend from before she was bit. Riley is not expected to be in Season 2. We could see her in another possible flashback but I doubt that will happen. 

Reid is mainly known for her part in the Euphoria cast as Rue’s younger sister, Gia, but she’s done plenty of other work, too. Some of her biggest roles so far have been in Don’t Let Go, The Invisible Man, and she had a major part in When They See Us on Netflix, as well as a smaller role in The Suicide Squad. She was also the star of the movie, A Wrinkle in Time.  

Melanie Lynskey (Kathleen, Season 1)

Melanie Lynskey plays Kathleen in Season 1 of The Last of Us, the brutal leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City and someone who was on the hunt for Henry and Sam. Her character, Kathleen, is not expected to be in Season 2.

Lynskey is known for many roles prior to this show, including her big part in the hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, as Rose, as well as her starring role in the Showtime series, Yellowjackets, but it was even cooler to see her in this show as well. Lynksey also had roles in movies such as Sweet Home Alabama, But I’m A Cheerleader, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Don’t Look Up, The Intervention and more. 

Jeffrey Pierce (Perry, Season 1)

Next up, we have Perry, Kathleen’s right-hand man, in The Last of Us, who is played by Jeffrey Pierce. Originally, Pierce actually portrayed Tommy in the original game, but in Season 1 of The Last of Us, he had the recurring role of Perry for a couple of episodes. Perry is not expected to be in Season 2 of The Last of Us. 

Pierce has done plenty in Hollywood besides his voice-acting skills, appearing in many shows such as Drop Dead Diva, Castle, Castle Rock, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and more. 

Lamar Johnson (Henry, Season 1)

Moving on, we have Lamar Johnson, who plays Henry in Season 1 of The Last of Us, a survivor that Joel and Ellie meet out on the road when he and his brother, Sam, are hiding from a revolutionary movement in Kansas City. Henry is not expected to be in Season 2.

Johnson has appeared in a few films that you might recognize him from, such as Dark Phoenix, All the Bright Places, and Brother. He also had a main role in The Next Step as West, and appeared in the great Showtime series, Your Honor. Henry is not expected to be in Season 2.

Keivonn Woodard (Sam, Season 1)

Next up, we have the little brother of Henry, named Sam, in The Last Of Us. The character is not expected to appear in Season 2.

Keivonn Woodard is relatively new to Hollywood, and has only had one appearance prior to his role in The Last of Us, in the film Seeds of Hope: The Andrew Foster Story. But, hopefully, after The Last Of Us, we’ll get to see even more of him. 

Ashley Johnson (Anna)

For those who have never played the original game, Ashley Johnson is actually the voice and motion-capture of Ellie in both games, and has become a huge fan-favorite – so I was quite happy she appeared in  The Last of Us TV show as Anna, otherwise known as Ellie’s mother in the games.However, the character is not expect to appear in Season 2.

Johnson has appeared in several movies as well, including The Help, What Women Want and Much Ado About Nothing, but has also appeared in many television shows such as Growing Pains, Critical Role, Blindspot and more. She’s also a voice actress and has done work for shows like Teen Titans and Recess. 

Scott Shepherd (David, Season 1)

Next up, we have Scott Shepherd, who played David  in The Last of Us. David was quite a memorable face in both the movies and television show, and Scott Shepherd killed it in the role. David is not expected to be in Season 2.

Scott Shepherd has appeared in movies such as And So It Goes, the X-Men film, Dark Phoenix, First Cow, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Radium Girls, and more. He’s also had roles in television shows such as The Young Pope, True Detective, Wormwood and Bluff City Law, among others. 

Troy Baker (James, Season 1)

Troy Baker is another familiar face for fans of the franchise. He was the voice and motion-capture behind Joel in the video game. While Pedro Pascal plays Joel in the series, Baker appears in The Last of Us TV show in the role of James, one of David’s men out in the woods. He is not expected to appear in Season 2.

Baker is known a lot for his voice roles and being able to portray so many different characters, from Samuel Drake in the Uncharted franchise, to Delsin Rowe in Infamous Sons, all the way to Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding and voicing even superheroes like Batman and Hawkeye. He’s even done voice-dubs for popular anime like Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist. You’ll most likely recognize his brilliant voice-acting before anything else since that’s what he’s predominantly known for. 

Season 2 is on the way, and with these new cast members, I’m even more excited. I don’t want to have to wait for too long or I just might lose my mind and become a clicker. 

Amazon Prime original shows have been fantastic for the last few years, whether that be The Boys (which just wrapped up it’s third season) or The Summer I Turned Pretty, but a new show has arrived and watching it is going to be like a perfect game, because the sports comedy A League of Their Own has finally arrived on the streaming platform. 

Based on the 1992 film of the same name, the original starred big-time names such as Tom Hanks (in one of his best movies), Madonna, Geena Davis, and so many more, and became a big hit. Now, we have a new show that’s based on the same concept, featuring basically a whole cast full of familiar faces.

This sports comedy-drama stars plenty of faces that you might recognize, from major TV shows and movies to smaller projects in both mediums. If you’re like me and you’re wondering just where you might have seen the A League of Their Own cast before, check it out right here. 

Abbi Jacobson (Carson Shaw)

First up on this list, we have Abbi Jacobson, who is playing Carson Shaw in A League of Their Own. Jacobson has made her name in Hollywood by starring in big-time comedy shows such as this one, with her biggest appearance being as the co-lead of the Comedy Central series, Broad City. 

However, Jacobson has also appeared in shows such as Inside Amy Schumer, Pickle and Peanut, Portlandia, Crank Yankers, and more. She’s also the main star of the Netflix adult animated show, Disenchantment, where she voices Princess Bean. Jacobson has also appeared in a variety of films, such as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The Master, 6 Balloons, and the well-received 2021 film, The Mitchells vs The Machines, which ended up receiving an Academy Award nomination. 

D’Arcy Carden (Greta)

Next on this list is D’Arcy Carden, who portrays Greta in A League of Their Own. Carden is primarily known for her big role as Janet in the hit NBC show, The Good Place, alongside co-star Kristen Bell, but she has been making her name in several other TV shows and movies. Another big role of hers is starring as Natalie Greer in the HBO show, Barry. 

Carden also had a recurring role on Broad City as Gemma, appeared on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and has had several voice roles in many shows, such as Poorly Drawn Lines and DreamWorks Dragon: The Nine Realms. 

Carden has also appeared in movies such as Bombshell, Let It Snow, Other People, Ride the Eagle, and many more. 

Chanté Adams (Max)

Next up on the list is Chanté Adams, who portrays Max, otherwise known as Maxine, in A League of Their Own. In terms of movies, Adams has been in plenty that you might recognize her from, such as Roxanne Roxanne, Bad Hair, The Photograph, and A Journal for Jordan. However, A League of Her Own is her first big television appearance, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. 

Gbemisola Ikumelo (Clance)

Moving on, we now take a look at Gbemisola Ikumelo, who plays Clance in A League of Their Own. Ikumelo has appeared in a variety of shows, such as Broadchurch, Sunny D, Famalam, Roadkill, and more, among guest appearances. 

Ikumelo has also appeared in movies like The Power, The Last Tree, and Cocktail. 

Kelly McCormack (Jess)

Playing Jess in A League of Their Own is Kelly McCormack, who has been in several TV shows that you might recognize her from. Some of these include, but aren’t limited to, the Syfy series, Killjoys, Letterkenny, That’s My DJ, The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island and more. 

McCormack also appeared in films like Barn Wedding, Play the Film, and A Simple Favour. Most recently, in 2021, she starred as Charlotte in the TV series, Departure, and had a recurring guest role in the Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia.

Roberta Colindrez (Mita)

Next up on the list is Roberta Colindrez, who plays Mita in A League of Their Own. Colindrez hasn’t yet done as much in the film industry as some of her co-stars, appearing in a variety of small roles, but that’s mainly because she has kept her talent to television, where she’s appeared in many shows. 

Some of her biggest roles have been playing Tako in Girls, Devon in I Love Dick, Nico Silva in Vida, Irene in The Deuce, and many others. She also had a guest role in the amazing TV series, Mrs. America, as well as voicing Tonya Acosta in the Rhea Seehorn-led show, The Harper House, on Paramount Plus. 

Priscilla Delgado (Esti)

Moving on, we now have Priscilla Delgado, who portrays Este in A League of Their Own. Delgado has starred in a variety of films and television shows that are in the Spanish language. Some of her biggest roles so far have included roles in TV shows such as The Protected, Fragiles, and Just Before Christ. 

Delgado has also appeared in many movies as well, including films such as Julieta, Abracadabra, Los muertos no se toucan, nene, Amador, and more. It’ll be exciting, though, to see her cross over into something like A League of Their Own and star in the type of series that she hasn’t normally done. 

Nick Offerman (Casey Porter)

Arguably one of the most known names on this list is Nick Offerman, who has done plenty in Hollywood since he first popped up on the scene many years ago, but now, we know him as Casey Porter, otherwise called Dove in A League of Their Own.

Most of us probably know him for his famous role as Ron Swanson in the iconic sitcom, Parks and Recreation, where he gave us some of the funniest inside jokes and some hilarious moments that truly made fans laugh. As part of the Parks and Recreation cast, Offerman received critical acclaim and ended up making Ron a character fans will never forget. But, his list of accomplishments doesn’t stop there. 

Offerman has had quite the career in television, appearing in many series that have shown off his acting talent to the world. Some of his biggest roles have included his work in the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu, alongside other stars like Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogen, and many more, as well as his starring role in the miniseries, Devs, which was also a Hulu original. 

Some of his other big television roles include, but aren’t limited to, The Resort, Colin in Black & White, The Great North, Good Omens, Comrade Detective, and so many others. He also co-hosts the hilarious reality competition, Making It, along with his former Parks and Recreation co-star, Amy Poehler, a job that garnered him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality Competition Program.

Offerman has also had a variety of fantastic movie roles as well. Some of his biggest parts have included work in both the Sing and Sing 2 cast, the Hotel Transylvania series, The Founder, The House of Tomorrow, Hearts Beat Loud, Bad Times at the El Royale, Lucy in the Sky, and more. Offerman is also going to be appearing soon in the upcoming The Last of Us TV series on HBO, where he'll play a character named Bill. 

Melanie Field (Jo)

Next up on the list, we have Melanie Field, who plays Jo in A League of Their Own. Field has done a lot in television during her time as an actress, and adding onto her resume with A League of Their Own is a wonderful thing. 

Some of her biggest roles have been a recurring guest part in Shrill, she was part of the main cast of Florida Girls, had a recurring part in the TV series, You, on Netflix during Season 2, and was a part of the main cast of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness. 

Field has also had a variety of guest appearances on TV shows such as Henry Danger, and Code Black. 

Molly Ephraim (Maybelle)

Last, but most certainly not least, is Molly Ephraim, who portrays Maybelle in A League of Their Own. Prior to her part in the sports comedy, Ephraim appeared in many movies and TV shows that you might recognize her from. 

Her roles in movies have included playing Wendy Greenhut in College Road Trip, Ali Rey in both Paranormal Activity 2 and Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, Cricket in Gravy, and Irene Kelly in The Frontrunner. 

Ephraim has also had a prominent career in television. When you hear her name and think of TV, the first thought that probably comes to mind is her role on the popular sitcom, Last Man Standing, where she played Mandy Baxter, co-starring with Tim Allen. 

However, Ephraim has done plenty of other series. She’s had parts in shows such as Law & Order, Brockmire, Halt and Catch Fire, Casual, and more. Most recently she had a role in the HBO series, Perry Mason, and played Wendy Wallach in the Peacock original series, Angelyne, which starred Emmy Rossum. 

Honestly, there are so many amazing actors and actresses who are gracing the small screen in A League of Their Own, and I, for one, can't wait to see what they do next after this show.  

Stream A League of Their Own on Amazon.

As we continue to anticipate the delights promised on the 2023 movie schedule, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning is poised to thrill Tom Cruise fans two years in a row. As the first half of this two-part story drops next year, the second half we like to call Mission: Impossible 8 is currently in production. Prepare for the anticipation to rise even more, as cast member Nick Offerman has told a pretty awesome story of working with Cruise and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie on the next sequel.

As a preview for its 200th episode, the Mission: Impossible focused podcast Light The Fuse released a snippet of what to expect from what’s shaping up to be a huge episode. Part of that came from remarks made by both Christopher McQuarrie, as well as Nick Offerman himself; addressing the film’s production in the context of McQuarrie’s metaphor of “drinking from the firehose.” The Parks and Recreation vet detailed his “fascinating” experience with the following description, firehose included: 

You honestly need to listen to Nick Offerman talking about his role in Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part Two. Reading those words is one thing, but Offerman’s always been an actor with an impressively rich speaking voice. Even in his choice of words, the affection that the actor had for the experience with “lead guy” Tom Cruise is seriously brilliant. 

As Nick Offerman is an accomplished author and woodworker, that artistic analogy itself paints a picture of a set full of people hard at work, making the impossible happen. Although, Offerman's words aren't all  we’ve got to go by when it comes to his Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part Two experience. 

In addition to Christopher McQuarrie offering his own thoughts on the currently in-production film, McQ himself provided some potent visual aids. Namely, our first look at Offerman in full uniform, flanked by fellow franchise newcomer Holt McCallany, and returning legacy cast member/potential big bad Henry Czerny. 

Should the theory that Eugene Kittridge’s return is on the side of evil, that means one of two things. Either Nick Offerman’s military officer, with the last name of Sydney, is being manipulated by Kittridge’s big scheme, or he’s in on the fix from frame one. If a guess was to be made, the latter scenario seems more plausible, otherwise why isn’t Sydney in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One? 

IMF agents, you’re going to have to wait before you can be truly debriefed on the answers to such questions surrounding Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning. The first half will be released into theaters on July 14, 2023; with Part Two wrapping up the story, and possibly Ethan Hunt’s time in the field, on June 28, 2024. 

Which means your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to revisit almost all of the Mission: Impossible films in their current streaming home. (Mission: Impossible III is the only duck missing from the row at the time of this writing.) Make sure your Paramount+ subscription is up to date, and this message will self-destruct in five seconds. 

Possibly one of the more awkward necessary evils of being an actor (or romantically involved with one) is the love scenes. It’s really just part of the job description, but when you’re asking people to tap into their emotions for their audience, it’s not exactly surprising that the actors’ real-life partners might have some jealousy creep in. Apparently this is even true for old pros like Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, who have been married since 2003, as the actor recalled his own unexpected feelings about seeing his wife with Rob Lowe.

Nick Offerman and Parks and Recollection podcast host Rob Lowe co-starred on the fabulous NBC comedy Parks and Recreation, but years before Ron Swanson and Chris Traeger shared the screen with their polar opposite demeanors, Lowe appeared in a 1986 movie called About Last Night, which also featured Megan Mullally. Offerman explained on the podcast Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend that even as a teenager, he’d learned that if he was confident in his own fidelity, he had no reason to be jealous, and that was the attitude he carried into his relationship with Mullally as the two actors exchanged what Offerman called their “butcher’s bills”:

Nick Offerman certainly has a mature take on the subject, but I’d really expect nothing less from two veteran actors regarding roles they’d previously played, especially for the jobs that came before they even met. Unfortunately, Offerman’s stance was good only in theory, because when Conan O’Brien questioned whether he’d had a “moment of jealousy,” Offerman admitted he wasn’t quite so confident when he came face-to-face with the About Last Night scene in question. Offerman continued:

Now, Rob Lowe is pretty easy on the eyes. For one, he never ages, and he’s got a confident smolder and gorgeous smile to boot. I bet there are few men out there who wouldn’t be intimidated seeing the 9-1-1: Lone Star actor with their woman. From Megan Mullally’s perspective, I can only imagine that Lowe was a pretty memorable “acting partner,” especially since she divulged the makeout sesh to Nick Offerman more than a decade after it happened. 

The Party Down actress made quite a few guest appearances as Ron Swanson’s ex-wife Tammy 2 on Parks and Recreation, so that must have been literally the most awkward situation for Nick Offerman. Not that Megan Mullally and Rob Lowe shared the screen all that often — most of the time Tammy 2 was either torturing Ron or seducing him (often both at the same time).

Either way, it was a pretty funny admission from the Making It star, and proof that even the most fascinating and manliest of men can be taken down a notch by Rob Lowe. You can relive all of the Parks and Recreation hilarity on streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. Also be sure to check out our 2022 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are premiering soon!

Starting off his career in comedy and moving over into more serious roles, Nick Offerman has proved time and time again how great of an actor he truly is, whether that be dropping a joke or performing the scene of a lifetime. 

If you’re looking for some of the best Nick Offerman movies and TV shows to stream right now, be sure to check out our picks down below, from classics like Parks & Recreation, to some newer picks that will surely attract your attention instantly. 

Parks And Recreation (2009-2015)

If you’re looking for one of the best comedies to watch, be sure to check out Parks and Recreation. This iconic series follows the people who work for the Parks and recreation department in a small town in Indiana, trying to constantly make their city a better place, usually following Leslie Knope and her daily, hectic life. 

Nick Offerman, who played Ron Swanson for all seven seasons of the show, blew up after his role for his talented comedic timing and his great acting. It’s no wonder that after he grew more famous from this show and he began appearing in far more projects, and for good reason - he’s truly outstanding as Ron Swanson, and has been a huge part of some of the best episodes. 

Stream Parks and Recreation on Peacock.

The Founder (2016)

You ever wanted to know the history behind one of the biggest global food franchises ever? The Founder is the answer to that, telling the story of Ray Kroc, one of the main men behind the creation of McDonald’s, and how he, alongside the McDonald brothers, created a global empire of fast food. 

Offerman portrays Richard McDonald and I personally love his role in this movie. It’s times like this where you realize how good Offerman is in dramas, because he really shines - or maybe it’s just the fact that it’s one of the few times I see him without a mustache. Either way, he’s great. 

Stream The Founder on Amazon Prime. 
Rent The Founder on Apple TV.

Making It (2018 - Present)

The reunion we’ve been waiting for - no, it’s not the Parks and Recreation official reunion, but we do get to see Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler come together once more as the hosts of Making It, a competition show that puts the ultimate crafters up against each other to compete for a grand prize of $100,000. 

Watching this show, I genuinely can’t think of anyone better to host it other than these two. Not only are Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler great hosts, their chemistry bounces so well off of each other that they make this competition even more enjoyable to watch. It’s no wonder it’s been going on for a couple of years now. 

Stream Making It on Peacock.

We’re The Millers (2013)

Now this is a hilarious comedy film. We’re the Millers stars a talented ensemble cast following the story of the “Miller” clan, a fake family made up by a pot-dealer in order for him to be able to smuggle drugs into the United States, causing plenty of hilarities to ensue. 

Offerman plays Don Fitzgerald, a DEA agent who ends up becoming friends with the Millers, so you can only imagine how great that must have gone considering the Millers are trying to avoid getting captured by DEA people. However, Offerman is just too nice in his role and creates some hysterical moments that you just can’t miss. While he’s great in drama, comedy is really where he shines. 

Rent We’re the Millers on Amazon.

The Lego Movie Series (2014-2019)

In The Lego Movie and its sequel, we mainly follow Emmet, a normal LEGO man who goes on wild adventures in order to save all of LEGO humanity. 

For both of the official Lego movies, Offerman voices MetalBeard, a Master Builder who has now set his heart on revenge and wants to take on Master Builder in order to get his body back to normal. Watching this film makes me want to see Offerman in more voice roles. I know that he’s done plenty so far, but he’s so great and shows so much emotion just through his voice. Definitely check out The Lego Movie as well as its sequels/spinoffs. 

Rent the first Lego Movie on Amazon.
Rent the second Lego Movie on Amazon. 

The House Of Tomorrow (2017)

The House of Tomorrow is a bit of a lesser known, independent gem on this list, but that’s even more of a reason to watch it. This drama tells the story of a young man who wishes to change his life and become something different, but everything changes when he meets a punk rocker that introduces him to the beauty of the genre, changing his life forever. 

Offerman stars as Alan Whitcomb, the main fatherly figure in The House of Tomorrow, and personally, I’ve always really enjoyed his performance here. Offerman is really good in his role and I honestly loved his moments with his on-screen son, Alex Wolff, creating great chemistry. The House of Tomorrow follows a coming-of-age plotline, but it's interesting enough that it’ll captivate you right from the start. 

Stream The House of Tomorrow on Peacock.
Rent The House of Tomorrow on Amazon.

Pam & Tommy (2022)

A newer entry on this list, this Hulu miniseries has certainly sparked a lot of conversation. Pam & Tommy is a biographical miniseries that chronicles the crazy love affair of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, and how a private sex tape they filmed on their honeymoon created turmoil when it was sold everywhere. 

The Pam & Tommy cast is so incredibly talented, but oh my God, Offerman has stolen the show for me. We can talk about how great Lily James is as Pamela or Sebastian Stan is as Tommy Lee, but are we going to talk about Nick Offerman as Uncle Miltie? Dude is creepy as heck, conniving, and gross in all the right ways and Offerman did a fantastic job. After this, I for sure want to see him in more serious roles because he rocked this show. 

Stream Pam & Tommy on Hulu.

Fargo (Season 2 - 2015)

If you’re looking for a great anthology black comedy series, Fargo is the way to go. Following new cases and new people each season, this amazing FX drama constantly looks at new stories of mysterious disappearances, murders, and much more. 

Nick Offerman actually had a decently big role in the second season of Fargo, which focused on a combination of a cover-up and an investigation of a triple-homicide. Offerman played the only lawyer in the small town, and because of that, he was one of the go-to sources for legal advice - even though the character was often drunk. Offerman played the role perfectly, even for the small amount of time he was on the show. Definitely give it a shot if you haven’t seen it. 

Stream Fargo on Hulu.

Devs (2020)

Ready for another miniseries? Devs is a murder mystery/science-fiction show for the ages, when a young woman decides to investigate into her boyfriend’s death, and how the tech company that they both worked for could be the reason behind it. 

Nick Offerman plays Forest in Devs, the main man who runs the shady tech company, and he received a lot of praise for his performance, including an award nomination for the Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy series for the Critics Choice Awards. If you want a show that you’ll be invested in from the very beginning, check out Devs. 

Stream Devs on Hulu.

Hearts Beat Loud (2018)

Hearts Beat Loud is a great coming-of-age movie that you should definitely check out. A father, who was a musician, and his daughter, who wants to be a doctor, end up creating a song that becomes a viral success overnight, but even with their success, it might end in them falling apart. 

This film was such an under-the-radar summer movie in 2018, and it still is now, and I don’t know why. This is one of the few roles here where Offerman is one of the leading people and I freaking love him in this movie. He really captures that spirit of someone who just wants to find a way to connect with his daughter, hoping that the one thing they have in common can be the one thing to save them, despite outside forces pulling them apart. Him and Kiersey Clemons shine in this film and their chemistry is truly outstanding. 

Rent Hearts Beat Loud on Apple TV.

Have A Good Trip: Adventures In Psychedelics (2020)

In this documentary film from Netflix, Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics combines both comedy and education as Nick Offerman takes us on a journey into the effects of drugs, and how they have impacted the very celebrities that we watch now. 

Is this documentary film a little silly? Of course it is, but really only someone like Nick Offerman could so effortlessly host this film and somehow still make it both funny and intriguing. What makes this movie even more entertaining is all the different appearances from celebrities who tell their own stories of psychedelics, showing that it’s a lot more common than some might believe it to be. 

Stream Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics on Netflix.

The Kings Of Summer (2013)

Last but not least, we have The Kings of Summer. This independent coming-of-age movie follows a young man who is sick of the way in which his single father controls him, so he sets off into the woods to find his own path in life, changing the course of everything. 

Nick Offerman stars as Frank in The Kings of Summer, the father of the main character, Joe, played by Nick Robinson, and I think it’s one of Offerman's underrated performances. Frank is just so deadpan and the way in which Offerman delivers his scenes are just hilarious. The wonton scene makes me snicker every time, but that doesn’t excuse that he’s also great in his dramatic moments as well, mainly with his scenes with Robinson. 

Stream The Kings of Summer on Showtime. 
Rent The Kings of Summer on Amazon.

With his appearance set for some new TV shows in the future such as A League of Their Own and The Last Of Us HBO adaptation, I’m sure it won’t be long before we’re adding to this list. But until then, these are some of Offerman’s best projects so far, and no matter what you pick to watch, you’ll have a great time guaranteed.  

I will admit, when I saw the first image of Lily James and Sebastian Stan in full costume for Pam & Tommy, I honestly had no idea it was them. They physically embodied the roles of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee so authentically that I was convinced I was looking at a real vintage photo of the since divorced celebrity couple.

James and Stan are not the only familiar faces in the Pam & Tommy cast who made themselves look a little less familiar to portray the most notable people involved with the titular lovers’ sex tape scandal for Hulu’s biographical miniseries. Allow us to help you spot who is playing whom (and what other movies or TV show you may recognize them from) in the following breakdown.

Lily James (Pamela Anderson)

As model and actress Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy is a completely unrecognizable Lily James, who joined the Downton Abbey cast in 2012 before giving a captivating lead performance in Disney’s live-action Cinderella remake in 2015. In 2017, she captured Ansel Elgort’s heart in Baby Driver after proving her worth as an action star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the year before.

Speaking of, period dramas are the British actress’ bread and butter, from the Oscar-winning Darkest Hour to Netflix’s Rebecca adaptation from 2020. She also starred in two flicks inspired by pop-music back-to-back - namely 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again as a young Meryl Streep, and Yesterday in 2019.

Sebastian Stan (Tommy Lee)

Former Motley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee is the second real-life person involved in an infamous ‘90s scandal to be played by Sebastian Stan, after Jeff Gilooly in 2017’s I, Tonya (also helmed by Pam & Tommy director Craig Gillespie). The actor was also stealing scenes in movies like Hot Tub Time Machine and TV shows like Gossip Girl, before playing Bucky Barnes in the Marvel movies made him a household name.

Outside of superhero movies (and TV shows), Stan went to space in The Martian in 2015, drove for NASCAR in 2018’s Logan Lucky, and had a fling with Denise Gough in Monday in 2020. He would cross paths with fellow MCU stars in Netflix’s The Devil All The Time cast (namely Tom Holland) and in spy thriller, The 355 (Lupita Nyong’o).

Seth Rogen (Rand Gauthier)

Rocking a mullet as Rand Gauthier, who profited from stealing the titular couple’s personal footage, we have Seth Rogen, who also has a producing credit on Pam & Tommy. He has certainly come a long way from his debut in the Freaks and Geeks cast (which led to several more collaborations with series co-creator Judd Apatow), having become one of the busiest and most surprisingly versatile talents of his time.

For instance, Rogen has leant his voice to family friendly projects like Disney’s new The Lion King cast, but also to something as raunchy as Sausage Party. He has made fun of real people (himself included) as the star and co-director of This is the End and The Interview, but has also been known to honor real people - namely with his great performance as Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs in 2015. The guy can do it all, which I’m sure no one expected to say about the dude on the Knocked Up poster.

Nick Offerman (Milton Ingley)

Another comedic actor who has greatly exceeded expectations is Nick Offerman, who plays porn producer "Uncle Miltie” on Pam & Tommy. He previously played a person from then past on Season 2 of Fargo, played a real person (the true co-founder of McDonalds) in The Founder in 2017, and donned one equally (or, perhaps, even more) wild hairdo on FX’s sci-fi miniseries Devs in 2020.

Offerman has made it look easy to naturally flip back and forth between comedy and drama or even combining the two, like he does in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl or Hearts Beat Loud. Of course, his most iconic claim to fame is, and may remain, his endlessly quotable role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Ron Swanson. 

Taylor Schilling (Erica Gauthier)

As Rand Gauthier’s wife, Erica, we have Taylor Schilling, whose most iconic claim to fame to date is her Emmy-nominated role in the Orange is the New Black cast as Piper Chapman. Before joining the Netflix series, the actress played Zac Efron’s love interest in The Lucky One in 2013 and Ben Affleck’s estranged wife in the Oscar-winning, fact-based thriller, Argo, in the previous year.

Since OITNB had its final curtain call, Schilling played the mother of a possession victim in 2019’s The Prodigy, and the subject of a strange case of magical resurrection in Hulu’s original horror anthology series, Monsterland, in 2020. In 2021, she starred on a Covid-19-inspired zombie miniseries called The Bite.

Andrew Dice Clay (Butchie)

As an ill-tempered loan shark with mob connections named Butchie, we have Andrew Dice Clay, who rose to fame as one of the most unapologetically off-putting comedians of his day. His notable early film roles include a bouncer in Pretty in Pink and the title character of the cult action comedy, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, in 1990.

After his acting career slowed down a bit in the early 2000s, he began to make a comeback by playing himself on Entourage in 2011 (just like he did five years later on his own semi-autobiographical Showtime series, Dice), which led to roles in acclaimed films like 2013’s Blue Jasmine, and TV shows like The Blacklist and Hap and Leonard. The performance that really showed Dice’s worth as a serious actor was in A Star is Born as Lady Gaga’s loving onscreen father, Lorenzo.

Pepi Sonuga (Melanie)

Playing Pamela’s best friend, Melanie, is former teen model Pepi Sonuga, who debuted in the Cuba Gooding Jr.-led drama Life of King, followed by a recurring role on General Hospital in 2013. However, her breakthrough came in 2016 with notable roles in both Freeform’s The Fosters and the Ash vs. Evil Dead cast - the latter of which set off her modest Scream Queen reputation.

Freeform made her a series regular on Famous in Love in 2017 and, the following year, she appeared opposite Andrew Garfield in Under the Silver Lake. Most recently, she played pop star Lil Muffin on the ABC dramedy, Queens.

Spenser Granese (Steve Fasanella)

As Rand and Miltie’s associate, Steve Fasanella, we have Spenser Granese, who made his major motion picture debut in the 2017 dramedy, Landline, after starring mostly in shorts. Several increasingly noteworthy TV guest appearances would follow, including an episode of Jessica Jones (which, supposedly, makes him MCU canon like his Pam & Tommy co-star, Sebastian Stan). 

In 2020, Granese did two episodes of the Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, but the following year, he die a trio of huge spin-offs. He had a recurring role on Mayans M.C., a small walk-on role in The Many Saints of Newark, and a two-episode stint on Fear the Walking Dead.

Mozhan Marnò (Gail Chwatsky)

Playing Pamela Anderson’s publicist, Gail Chwatsky, is Mozhan Marnò, who made her major motion picture debut opposite a trio of Oscar-winning legends (Tom Hanks, Julia Robert, and Philip Seymour Hoffman) in 2007’s Charlie Wilson’s War. What followed was more notable TV guest spots, but 2014 saw her make a real breakthrough with three major gigs.

She starred in the acclaimed vampire thriller A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, joined Netflix’s House of Cards cast, and became a series regular on NBC’s The Blacklist. She also leant her voice to a DC animated movie (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) in 2019 and has small parts on acclaimed TV series Madame Secretary, The Affair, and Ramy under her belt.

I am not sure if there has ever been a truer sign of how nostalgic the ‘90s have become than the extreme lengths the Pam & Tommy cast have taken to represent the decade with their physical transformations. See just what I mean by streaming the biographical miniseries, which is now available on Hulu.

There are plenty of things to be excited about when it comes to HBO’s The Last of Us. The post-apocalyptic atmosphere, potentially gory action and sharp scares are just a few, and they’re sure to delight hardcore fans of the video game franchise. On top of this, the show has also recruited a list of talented actors, led by The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal and Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey. It was recently revealed that Nick Offerman, of Parks and Recreation fame, had also joined the highly anticipated project, though his exact role was not revealed. It appears, though, that this role has subsequently been confirmed, and it couldn’t be more perfect. 

To most people, the fan-favorite actor is known for his deadpan role as the iconic Ron Swanson but, through The Last of Us, they’ll soon know him as Bill, a survivalist fending off the Infected. Con O’Neill was originally tapped to play the part but, according to Variety, the actor was forced to bow out due to a scheduling conflict. While O’Neill surely could’ve been a nice fit for the Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann-created show, Offerman is a strong pick for the role of Bill. 

The actor’s casting was first revealed by fellow series star Murray Bartlett, who mentioned in a recent interview that many of his scenes were with the Bad Times at the El Royale alum. Bartlett is playing the role of Frank, a fellow survivor and Bill’s romantic partner. Fans of the game are surely aware of the couple’s story and how it ultimately plays out. And I’d bet that it’s going to be just as emotional in the live-action series. 

In the original 2013 game, the grizzled Bill comes into play when Joel, an old comrade, and Ellie (the main protagonists) arrive in his town in order to search for a working car. While Bill doesn’t have one on hand, he assists the two in retrieving the parts needed to get one going. As the three venture through Infected territory, gamers learn that Frank died prior to the events of the game. But in a twist that’s even more tragic, the trio come upon Frank’s body, and it’s revealed that he hanged himself after learning that he was infected. He also leaves behind a suicide note in which he says that he hates Bill’s guts.

Given that an actor has actually been cast to play the role of Frank, it’s evident that we’re going to get to spend way more time with him on the HBO series. Seeing as the actors playing them are billed as guest stars, there’s a chance their story will be highlighted in a single episode. I can also see this playing out with the help of intermittent flashbacks throughout such an installment. Because they weren’t seen together in the game, it’ll be a nice way to get a better glimpse at their relationship. And since the games’ co-writer (Neil Druckmann) is involved, any additional backstory viewers learn about was probably concocted by him and co-writer Bruce Straley years ago. 

The Last of Us seems to be following its source material very closely, though there will be some changes made here and there. Neil Druckmann has spoken on how similar the show is to the original games but also acknowledged that it will deviate in some ways in order to adapt to the television medium. This could be one of the reasons that Frank seems to have an expanded role. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Nick Offerman is an awesome pick-up for this project. His sarcastic, serious and sincere demeanor is just what’s needed for Bill, and I’m eager to see how he approaches the role. We’ll see how his performance plays out when HBO’s The Last of Us drops its first season in 2022.

Things appear to be moving right along for HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last of Us. Fans have been chomping at the bit for more info on this new take on Naughty Dog’s acclaimed video game franchise and, so far, they’ve been treating to a few  behind-the-scenes treats. There have also been a number of casting reports over the past year, which indicate that the show has amassed a talented group of stars. Well, it would appear that you can now add another to that list, as Parks and Recreation alum Nick Offerman has seemingly been revealed as a cast member, thanks to one of the show’s stars.

The surprising news comes from Murray Bartlett, who is set to play the role of Frank on the upcoming series. The actor was recently interviewed by The Guardian, during which he teased his work on the HBO drama series. And it sounds like he got to spend a significant amount of time with the comedic actor on the set:

Considering how many Last of Us cast members have already been reported or officially confirmed, it’s intriguing that fans would learn of the Ron Swanson actor’s casting in this way. The actor is certainly a fan-favorite, and one would think that the network would want to tout him as one of the stars involved. Though there could be specific reasons as to why his apparent role has been kept under wraps. 

First off, it’s very possible that he may not have a substantial role in the post-apocalyptic proceedings. Previously announced cast members fell into either the starring or recurring categories. So seeing as how the Parks and Rec star wasn’t announced, he could simply be a guest star in a single episode. Of course, this is only an assumption at this point but, if it does turn out to be true, it would be somewhat bittersweet. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Nick Offerman fending off hordes of infected individuals over the course of multiple episodes?

There’s also the possibility that the actor is playing an original character created exclusively for the show. It’s already been revealed that LoU video game alum Jeffrey Pierce is playing a fresh face, so the same could certainly be true here. What’s interesting is that Nick Offerman will be spending time with Murray Bartlett’s Frank, the partner of Con O'Neill’s Bill. This could mean that Offerman’s character has ties to the two. And if Frank and Bill’s story plays out like it did in the original game, there should be plenty of drama here.

The Hearts Beat Loud star joins a cast that features The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal in the lead role of Joel alongside Game of Thrones’ Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum Gabriel Luna plays the former’s younger brother, Tommy, while Merle Dandridge and Anna Torv play Marlene and Tess, respectively. Nico Parker will also play the role of Sarah, Joel’s daughter. 

HBO is definitely sparing no expense when it comes to The Last of Us and, hopefully, the cast and crew can effectively honor the source material, while updating things accordingly. Nick Offerman is a serious gain for the project, and it’ll be interesting to see who he ends up playing. Fans can look forward to seeing the first season premiere in 2022.

Personally, it's hard to believe that we’re approaching the 10-year reunion for 21 Jump Street, 2012’s surprisingly fresh, funny big-screen reimagining of the once-famous ‘80s show of the same name. Starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, who also co-wrote the film, and continuing the steady rise of directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, this R-rated comedy was a raunchy riot, and its sequel, 22 Jump Street, also proved to be an entertaining revamping. Now that we’re nine years removed from the hit movie, the 21 Jump Street cast keeps proving their talents in a multitude of projects. Let’s take a look and see what they’re doing right now. 

Jonah Hill (Morton Schmidt) 

As Morton Schmidt, a smart-headed but socially awkward police officer who must pose as a high school student in order to track the rising spread of a synthetic drug, Jonah Hill co-wrote and starred in 21 Jump Street. He later reprised this role in 22 Jump Street. Most notably, Hill received two Oscar nominations for his supporting turns in Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street. His other notable film credits include Superbad, Knocked Up, War Dogs, This is the End, Hail Caesar!, Cyrus, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Django Unchained, Get Him to the Greek, and The Beach Bum. Also, the actor is heard in the How to Train Your Dragon films, The Lego Movie, Horton Hears a Who!, Sausage Party, and Megamind. Additionally, on the small screen, Hill starred in Netflix's Maniac. Most recently, he guest-starred on an episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

As a screenwriter, Jonah Hill co-wrote Why Him? He also wrote, produced, and directed mid90s. Additionally, Hill produced Richard Jewell and Apple TV+’s Beastie Boys Story. The actor was also seen in Adidas Originals: Superstar - Change Is a Team Sport. Next, Hill will co-write, produce, and star in Kenya Barris’ untitled Netflix comedy, which will premiere sometime next year. 

Channing Tatum (Greg Jenko)

In the role of Greg Jenko, a popular jock-turned-down-on-his-luck police officer who infiltrates a local high school through a revamped program, Channing Tatum proved his unsuspecting comedy skills in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 21 and 22 Jump Street. Following his breakthrough performance in Step Up, the actor was quick to impress with star turns in Magic Mike, Magic Mike XXL, Foxcatcher, Logan Lucky, and Side Effects. Tatum’s other film credits include The Vow, Dear John, the G.I. Joe movies, Haywire, White House Down, Jupiter Ascending, The Hateful Eight, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and Hail, Caesar! Furthermore, he's heard in Smallfoot, The Book of Life, and The LEGO Movies.

Most recently, Channing Tatum was seen in Free Guy and heard in Netflix’s America: The Motion Picture. Next, the actor will make his directorial debut with 2022's Dog, which he’ll also produce and star in. Additionally, Tatum will be seen in The Lost City of D and Pussy Island. He’ll also produce and star in Wingmen. 

Brie Larson (Molly Tracey)

Playing the part of Molly Tracey, a sociable high school student who befriends our undercover cops, Brie Larson was the female lead in 21 Jump Street. Most notably, the actress won an Oscar for her star-making performance in Room. Larson was also acclaimed for Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, Just Mercy, and The Spectacular Now. Additionally, she plays Carol Danvers, i.e. Captain Marvel, in several MCU movies, including Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Larson’s other notable film credits include Trainwreck, Don Jon, Kong: Skull Island, The Gambler, Rampart, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 13 Going on 30, Hoot, and Greenberg. Furthermore, Larson directed, produced, and starred in Netflix’s Unicorn Store. 

Recently, Brie Larson won an Emmy for The Messy Truth VR Experience. She also played Kate Gregson on Showtime’s United States of Tara. Additionally, Larson’s other TV credits include Community, Raising Dad, and Kroll Show. Currently, the actress is filming The Marvels. Furthermore, Larson is expected to star in and executive produce Apple TV+’s Lessons in Chemistry and Netflix’s Lady Business. 

Dave Franco (Eric Molson)

As Eric Molson, a popular drug dealer at Sagan High School, Dave Franco plays a secondary antagonist in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 21 Jump Street. He later reprised his role in 22 Jump Street. Following this performance, Franco’s profile continued to rise with his work in the Neighbors movies, the Now You See Me films, The Disaster Artist, If Beale Street Could Talk, Nerve, Unfinished Business, Warm Bodies, 6 Underground, and The Little Hours. Additionally, the actor can be seen in Superbad, Charlie St. Cloud, Fright Night, Milk, and Greenberg and he can be heard in The LEGO Movie and its 2017 spin-off, The LEGO Ninjago Movie. 

Furthermore, on television, Dave Franco starred in the final season of ABC’s Scrubs. He can also be seen in Greek, Privileged, and Do Not Disturb. Last year, Franco made his directorial debut with The Rental, which he also produced and co-wrote. He also produced Zola. Currently, Franco is directing Somebody I Used to Know, which he also co-wrote and will produce. As an actor, he’ll be seen in Apple TV+’s The Afterparty and Netflix’s Day Shift. 

Rob Riggle (Mr. Walters)

In the role of Mr. Walters, Sagan High School’s odd gym teacher with nefarious dealings, Rob Riggle proved to be the true antagonist in 21 Jump Street. He also provided a cameo in 22 Jump Street. Best known for his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Riggle has forged a fine career as a reliable funnyman, especially in Modern Family, SNL, NTSF:SD:SUV::., Human Giant, Gary Unmarried, Wilfred, New Girl, Funny or Die Presents, and Angie Tribeca, to name only a few shows. He can also be heard in American Dad!, Golan the Insatiable, and The Cleveland Show. Currently, Riggle hosts ABC’s Holey Moley. Next, he'll lend his voice to Netflix's My Dad the Bounty Hunter. 

Additionally, Rob Riggle’s other film credits include Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, The Hangover, Furry Vengeance, Larry Crowne, Dumb and Dumber To, Night School, Step Brothers, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, The Other Guys, The Internship, and Absolutely Anything. Most recently, he was seen in The War with Grandpa. Next, Riggle will be heard in The Ark and the Aardvark.

Ice Cube (Captain Dickson)

Playing the part of Captain Dickson, the intensely aggressive leader of the police force, Ice Cube often stole the show in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 21 and 22 Jump Street. Best known for his involvement in N.W.A., which resulted in the legendary album, Straight Outta Compton, the musician-turned-actor began his movie career with a supporting turn in Boyz n the Hood. From there, Cube appeared in Anaconda, Three Kings, Higher Learning, Ghosts of Mars, Torque, and Rampart. He also wrote and starred in the Friday movies. Additionally, Cube starred in xXx: State of the Union and Barbershop, later producing and starring in the latter's sequels. The actor also starred in and produced Are We There Yet?, Are We Done Yet?, the Ride Along movies, The Longshots, and First Sunday.

Additionally, Ice Cube wrote, produced, and starred in All About the Benjamins and he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in The Players Club. His other starring credits include Fist Fight and last year's The High Note. Next, Ice Cube will star in War of the Worlds. He's also trying to make Last Friday. Most recently, it was announced that Cube would team up Jack Black for next year's Oh Hell No.

Ellie Kemper (Ms. Griggs)

As Ms. Griggs, a teacher who harbors a not-very-subtle crush on Jenko, Ellie Kemper played a smitten character in 21 Jump Street. Most notably, the actress received two Emmy nominations for her titular role in Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Additionally, Kemper is well-known for playing Erin Hannon in NBC’s The Office. Furthermore, she can be seen in The Mindy Project. As a voice actress, moreover, Kemper can be heard in We Bare Bears and Sofia the First.

Away from TV, Ellie Kemper is best known for playing Becca in Bridesmaids. She can also be seen in Sex Tape, Laggies, They Came Together, Somewhere, Identity Thief, Get Him to the Greek, and Mystery Team. Additionally, as a voice actress, Kemper can be heard in The Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2, Smurfs: The Lost Village, The LEGO Batman Movie, and We Bare Bears: The Movie. Most recently, she was seen in The Stand-In. Next, Kemper will star in Disney+’s Home Sweet Home Alone. Currently, the movie actress is filming Netflix’s Happiness for Beginners. 

Chris Parnell (Mr. Gordon)

In the role of Mr. Gordon, Sagan High School’s drama teacher, Chris Parnell had a supporting part in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 21 Jump Street. Most notably, he's known for his time on NBC’s SNL. Additionally, Parnell is recognized for his recurring role in NBC’s 30 Rock. As a voice actor, he was heard in FXX’s Archer as Cyril Figgis and Adult Swim’s Rick & Morty as Jerry Smith. Parnell can also be heard in American Dad, Family Guy, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, and WordGirl. Recently, he appeared in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend. Next, Parnell is expected to be heard in Netflix’s Dogs in Space.

Away from TV, Chris Parnell’s other film credits include Hot Rod, the Anchorman movies Sisters, The Five-Year Engagement, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Down with Love, The Ladies Man, Battle of the Sexes, and The Ridiculous Six. He can also be heard in the Hotel Transylvania movies. Next, Parnell will be seen in Senior Year and Disney+’s Home Sweet Home Alone.

Dax Flame (Zack)

Playing the part of Zack, Jenko’s friend, Dax Flame provided an explosive part in 21 and 22 Jump Street. Prior to this performance, he first came into prominence through his popular YouTube channel. Later, Flame appeared in Project X, The Watch, and Another Evil. Following that last title, the internet personality stepped away from acting in order to pursue other projects. Most recently, Flame co-directed, produced, and edited 2019’s documentary, Indoor Garden. He was also the subject of the documentary, Ice Cream Man. Last year, Flame hosted his talk show, Smoothie Madness. The actor keeps an active presence on his channel. 

DeRay Davis (Domingo)

As Domingo, the leader of the One Percenters, DeRay Davis played a major antagonist in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 21 Jump Street. Currently, the actor plays a recurring role as Peaches in FX’s Snowfall. Also, Davis played a recurring role as R.J. in ABC’s My Wife and Kids. His other TV credits include Reno 911! and Empire. Additionally, Davis can be heard in The Boondocks and Black Dynamite.

Furthermore, away from television, DeRay Davis played Ray in the Barbershop movies. His other film credits include Meet the Blacks, Jumping the Broom, Life As We Know It, Old Dogs, Imagine That, Semi-Pro, Scary Movie 4, Johnson Family Vacation, The Fog, School for Scoundrels, Code Name: The Cleaner, License to Wed, Get Him to the Greek, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Drumline: A New Beat, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars, and How High 2. Most recently, Davis starred in Gully. 

Nick Offerman (Deputy Chief Hardy)

In the role of Deputy Chief Hardy, the tough nut police captain who re-assigns Jenko and Schmidt to our retro title-bearing street, Nick Offerman had a notable supporting part in 21 and 22 Jump Street. Most notably, the TV actor played Ron Swanson in NBC’s Parks and Recreation. He also received praise for his work as Karl Weathers in FX’s Fargo Season 2. Additionally, Offerman can be seen in Children’s Hospital, Gilmore Girls, American Body Shop, George Lopez, 24, and NYPD Blue. As a voice actor, furthermore, he can be heard in 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Comrade Detective, Gravity Falls, The Simpsons, and Axe Cop. Currently, Offerman co-hosts NBC’s Making It, for which the star was Emmy-nominated. 

Outside of television, Nick Offerman can be seen in The Founder, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Hearts Beat Loud, The Little Hours, and Bad Times at the El Royale, to name only a few of his credits. Most recently, Offerman was heard in Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans. Next, he’ll be heard in Sing 2 and he’ll be seen in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy and Amazon Prime’s A League of Their Own. Moreover, as an author, Offerman recently published Where the Deer and the Antelope Play.

21 Jump Street is available to stream on Peacock. 

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In the summer of 1992, Penny Marshall introduced the world to Dottie Hinson, her kid sister Kit, and the rest of the Rockford Peaches in instant classic, A League of Their Own. Well, fans of one of the great sports movies of our time will soon to get to relive the magic of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League when the A League of Their Own TV show on Amazon makes its debut at some point in the not-so-distant future.

Is this the first you are hearing of the upcoming Amazon series based on a movie that itself was a fictionalized account of the real-life story of the AAGPBL and its impact on America’s pastime during World War II? Fret not, because we have all kinds of info on the all-star cast, who’s running things, and just what we can expect to see from Amazon’s version of A League of Their Own.

Abbi Jacobson, Nick Offerman And D’Arcy Carden Lead The A League Of Their Own Cast

When A League of Their Own debuts on Amazon, we will be seeing the Rockford Peaches, but don’t expect to see Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, or Rosie O’Donnell take the field, or see Tom Hanks sleeping in the dugout, because there is a new cast of actors bringing new characters to the plate. Starting off, The Mitchells vs. the Machines and Broad City star Abbi Jacobson will be taking on the role of Carson Shaw, a small, farm-town catcher headed to Chicago to chase her dreams. D’Arcy Carden, of The Good Place, will be playing Greta, a first basewoman whose flash on the field is only matched by her off-the-field activities.

The legendary Nick Offerman, of Parks & Recreation and the list of best mustaches of all time, will be portraying Casey “Dove” Porter, a former pitcher whose nickname came about after he killed a dove with his signature forkball and now coaches the Rockford Peaches. Chanté Adams (Bad Hair), Gbemisola Ikumelo (Sex Eduction), Kelly McCormack (Letterkenny), Roberta Colindrez (Mrs. America), Priscilla Delgado (Julieta), and Melanie Field (You) also make up the cast of Amazon’s A League of Their Own.

Amazon’s A League Of Their Own Is More A Reimagining Than A Remake Of Penny Marshall’s Beloved Classic

The upcoming Amazon original series and the movie on which it is based have a lot in common, but the TV show will be more of a reimagining than a traditional remake. When Amazon Studios first announced the project was given the greenlight to enter production back in August 2020, it was revealed that the series will evoke the spirit of Penny Marshall’s beloved classic, but instead of focusing on just one team, A League of Their Own will tell the story of an entire generation of female professional baseball players and will focus on race, sexuality, and other issues affecting the players both on and off the field.

A League Of Their Own Was Co-Created By Abbi Jacobson And Will Graham

In addition to having one of the lead roles in A League of Their Own, Abbi Jacobson also co-created the upcoming Amazon series alongside Will Graham, who previously served as a writer on Amazon originals Mozart in the Jungle and Alpha House. The pair first approached Sony Pictures Television in 2017 with the idea of telling a new set of stories set within the world of Penny Marshall’s movie, and touched on that in a statement (via Deadline) when the show was formally greenlit in 2020:

The pair will co-write the series and serve as executive producers alongside Hailey Wierengo of Amazon’s Field Trip Productions and Jamie Babbit.

A League Of Their Own Will Have One-Hour Episodes But A Total Count Has Not Yet Been Revealed

When Amazon announced the series, it was revealed that A League of Their Own will have one-hour episodes, though an exact episode count has yet to be revealed (and most likely won’t be revealed until after production wraps). And, while we don’t yet know how many episodes will make up A League of Their Own, we can use other Amazon series as way to speculate. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has seasons ranging from eight to 10 episodes, and Mozart in the Jungle had 10 episodes in each of its four seasons, which means we’ll probably see something similar when the Rockford Peaches take to the baseball diamond.

The Pilot Episode Of A League Of Their Own Was Directed By Jamie Babbit

The pilot episode of A League of Their Own, which was filmed at some point within the past couple of years, was helmed by Jamie Babbit, who has directed episodes of some of the best television shows in recent memory. Over the years, Babbit has sat it the director’s chair for 18 episodes of Gilmore Girls, four episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, three episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, two episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and a chunk of Russian Doll, to name only a few.

The directors of all remaining episodes of A League of Their Own have not yet been revealed by Amazon.

Production On A League Of Their Own Is Scheduled To Wrap In October 2021

Production on A League of Their Own, which was set to officially get underway in and around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metropolitan area in mid-July 2021, will wrap at some point in October 2021. According to Pittsburgh Magazine, portions of the Steel City were transformed to make them look like something out the 1940s (including discounted grocery prices). We should know more about A League of Their Own’s release date and episode count, when cameras stop rolling later, in fall 2021.

While we wait to find out more about A League of Their Own, there are quite a few new and returning Amazon originals on the 2021 fall TV schedule to hold you over in the meantime. And, don’t forget to check out our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Tom Hanks’ Jimmy Dugan was a big part of making A League of Their Own a sports classic with his quotable one-liners and temperamental attitude. Naturally, the TV series reboot wouldn’t be complete if the character's gruff yet sensitive presence was absent. Obviously Tom Hanks isn't coming back as Dugan, so a new star has been tapped to lead the show's rag-tag team of female baseball players. As the Amazon reboot continues to shape up, Parks and Recreation fave Nick Offerman has joined the cast to fill the Hanks-sized void.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Parks and Rec’s Nick Offerman will play new Rockford Peaches coach Casey “Dove” Porter, who takes over in place of Tom Hanks’ Jimmy Dugan. Where Hanks’ Dugan was a traditional coach in every sense of the word, Offerman’s Porter has a background in the sport as a player. The character is a former Chicago Cubs pitcher who got his nickname after killing a dove with his signature forkball. He is described as an inspiring and charismatic athlete whose promising career was cut short by an untimely arm injury. Coaching the Peaches will serve as Dove's way to get back to the game he loves, not that it'll be a walk in the (ball) park.

Nick Offerman’s casting sets up an already amazing cast for Amazon’s A League of Their Own. Offerman joins Broad City's Abbi Jacobson (also the show's co-creator), Bad Hair's Chanté Adams, The Good Place's D’Arcy Carden, Famalam's Gbemisola Ikumelo, Letterkenny's Kelly McCormack, Vida's Roberta Colindrez and Unbelievable's Dale Dickey, among others. Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant and Melanie Field will serve as recurring stars. So, this Amazon series is already shaping up to be a solid counterpart to the similarly star-studded film, as co-led by Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell.

According to his character’s breakdown, Nick Offerman’s Dove Porter will be the opposite of Jimmy Dugan for the Rockford Peaches, at least in terms of mentorship and knowledge, so he might come off as a breath of fresh air for A League of Their Own viewers, since it won't just feel like a retread of Tom Hanks' performance. That doesn’t automatically mean Hanks’ character won’t overshadow Offerman’s when the series premieres, of course, it’s a good sign that Dove won't be in direct competition with Jimmy for Gruffiest Person Who Hates Crying In Baseball.

Outside of this new take, the Parks and Rec alum has a personal connection with his new character, too, as Nick Offerman is widely known to be a huge Chicago Cubs fan. Being an Illinois native, Offerman has spoken several times about his love for the Cubs. So, Dove Porter’s background fits right into the actor’s wheelhouse. Here's hoping we get to see some flashbacks of Offerman in uniform.

While Nick Offerman gets to fulfill his Cubs fantasy, I'll be hoping for some Ron Swanson connections to pop up. Tom Hanks’ Jimmy Dugan and Swanson share the same grimly masculine demeanor, with stereotypically gruff exteriors hiding lovable teddy bears with soft spots for strong women. This new character is just the latest pivot Nick Offerman has taken since Parks and Rec ended in 2015 (apart from last year’s much-needed reunion, that is), and while we probably won't see Dove talking about ham and bacon on a regular basis, Offerman will likely make him just as memorable as his most iconic character .

First announced in 2018, Amazon's A League of Their Own is currently in production in Pittsburgh, without any future release date plans set just yet.

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

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

Jennifer Lawrence (Mascot)

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

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

Nick Offerman (Jack Whitman)

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

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

Jane Lynch (Dr. Julie Waterford)

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

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

Danny Trejo (Spyder Rudner)

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

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

Sarah Silverman (Marci Maven)

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

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

Jon Favreau (Dr. Oliver Bloom)

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

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

Stanley Tucci (David Ruskin)

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

Howie Mandel (Ralph “Father” Roberts)

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

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

Snoop Dogg (Murderuss)

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

Ken Marino (Lester Highsmith)

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

Monk is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Peacock.

The West Wing boasted a star-studded cast that has stood the test of time, with series regulars including Martin Sheen, Allison Janney and Robe Lowe. But many of the young actors who guest starred on the political drama, which aired for seven seasons from 1999-2005, went on to have phenomenal careers of their own, such as Elisabeth Moss, who played the youngest of President Jed Bartlet’s three daughters, and Amy Adams, who helped the White House staffers after they were stranded at a farm in Indiana. With more than 150 episodes, The West Wing’s sets were graced by hundreds of actors, so it’s to be expected you might have forgotten that these future stars were among them.

Evan Rachel Wood - Hogan Cregg

Long before True Blood and Westworld, and even before she was a troubled teen in Thirteen, a 14-year-old Evan Rachel Wood played press secretary C.J. Cregg’s niece Hogan Cregg in Season 3’s “The Black Vera Wang.” C.J. (Allison Janney) and Hogan, accompanied by a Secret Service agent (Mark Harmon) went shopping for a dress for Hogan’s junior prom. Evan Rachel Wood oozed star power on screen with acting heavyweights Allison Janney and Mark Harmon. You likely didn’t recognize her back in 2002, but this performance is hard to forget.

John Gallagher Jr. - Tyler

You might know John Gallagher Jr. from the 2020 horror Come Play, or as Liam Dempsey, who had a relationship with Evan Rachel Wood’s Dolores in Westworld’s third season. But back in The West Wing Season 4’s “20 Hours in America: Parts 1 and 2,” a 17-year-old John Gallagher Jr. played Tyler, who tried to help Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford), Toby Ziegler (Richard Schiff) and Donna Moss (Janel Moloney) get out of Indiana after they missed the motorcade on a campaign stop. John Gallagher Jr. gave an understatedly comedic performance, as the group was flummoxed by Tyler’s ex-girlfriend, a time zone snafu and a train headed the wrong way down the track. Though John Gallagher Jr. went on to star as Jim Harper on the The Newsroom, another Aaron Sorkin creation, the actor said on “The West Wing Weekly” podcast that Sorkin didn’t remember Gallagher’s decade-old stint on The West Wing until they were filming the last episode of The Newsroom, Season 1.

Amy Adams - Cathy

Amy Adams has been nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Actress for American Hustle, and won two Golden Globes. She’s been in everything from kids movies like The Muppets and Enchanted, to the dark thriller Sharp Objects to the 2020 drama Hillbilly Elegy and even three episodes of The Office. But before all that, Amy Adams was Cathy, a farmer’s daughter in Season 4’s “20 Hours in America: Part 1.” Cathy’s family hosted an event for President Bartlet’s re-election campaign at their farm in Indiana. When Josh, Toby and Donna were left behind, Cathy tried to help them get back to the motorcade, all while engaging the staffers in a political dialogue about the struggle farmers face. Is there anything this woman can’t do?

Elisabeth Moss - Zoey Bartlet

A Hollywood A-lister today, Elisabeth Moss was 17 years old when she began playing President Bartlet’s youngest daughter Zoey (her older sisters were played by Nina Siemaszko and Annabeth Gish, who are no schlubs themselves). Zoey was featured in 25 episodes of The West Wing, as she had an on-again-off-again relationship with Dulé Hill’s Charlie Young, and she even had a major story line, getting kidnapped at the end of Season 4. So while she’s not exactly forgettable in the role, Zoey Bartlet seems a lifetime away from Mad Men’s Peggy Olson, The Handmaid’s Tale’s June Osborne and scores of other acting credits and accolades.

Ashley Benson - Suffragette

In Season 4, Episode 6, “Game On,” 12-year-old Ashley Benson got one of her first acting credits, playing one of three children helping to campaign for a candidate in California’s 47th Congressional District who passed away. Will Bailey (Joshua Malina), who managed the campaign, called the trio “Sally and the Suffragettes,” and they recited the poster they made to encourage voters: “It doesn’t matter who you vote for. Make sure you vote.” Just two years later, Ashley Benson landed a recurring role as Abby Deveraux on Days of Our Lives and is today most best known for playing Hanna Marin on Pretty Little Liars.

Danny Pudi - Santos Aide #2

In his first credited role, Danny Pudi played an aide to presidential candidate Matt Santos, specifically “Santos Aide #2” in the Season 7 episode “Two Weeks Out.” It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance, but it goes to show that even the smallest roles on The West Wing were filled with now-familiar faces. Danny Pudi is best known for playing Abed Nadir on Community, but he also does a lot of voice work, including the voice of Huey Duck on the DuckTales series that premiered in 2017.

Bellamy Young - MaryLou Meriwether

Many came to know Bellamy Young as Mellie Grant, first lady in the Shonda Rhimes political drama Scandal. But that wasn’t her first time in the White House. Back in 2014 a blonde Bellamy Young played North Carolina lawyer MaryLou Meriwether in The West Wing Season 5 episode, "The Stormy Present,” as she met with Josh Lyman about a copy of the Bill of Rights that was stolen from her state at the end of the Civil War. Bellamy Young went on to have roles in series including CSI: Miami, Dirty Sexy Money, Scrubs, Criminal Minds and Prodigal Son. In addition to Scandal, Shonda Rhimes’ other creations Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and How To Get Away With Murder featured a bevy of actors who first appeared on The West Wing, including James Pickens Jr., Joshua Malina, Taye Diggs and Michael O’Neill.

Liza Weil - Karen Larsen

Speaking of Shonda Rhimes actors, Liza Weil of Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder fame had a role early in her career as Karen Larsen, a governmental aide who leaked Chief of Staff Leo McGarry’s medical records to expose his history of drug and alcohol abuse in Season 1’s “Take Out the Trash Day.” Karen (a fitting character name, though it didn’t hold any significant meaning back in 2000), is fired and then un-fired by Leo McGarry (John Spencer) after the two have a conversation about how addiction has affected their lives. Just months after this episode aired, the world would meet Liza Weil in perhaps her most recognizable role, Paris Geller on Gilmore Girls.

Jane Lynch - Lucy The Reporter

When you’ve got stars in the press pool, your casting directors are doing something right. Jane Lynch wasn’t a household name back in early aughts when she played reporter Lucy in two of The West Wing’s best episodes, “In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part I” and “Two Cathedrals.” Jane Lynch is widely known for her role as Sue Sylvester on Glee, and has most recently been seen as the host of the rebooted game show Weakest Link. With more than 200 acting credits to her name, Jane Lynch has come a long way from The West Wing press room. What’s next?

Nick Offerman - Jerry

Before Nick Offerman became a pop culture sensation as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, he got his start with a guest role as Jerry in The West Wing Season 1’s "The Crackpots and These Women.” Jerry was part of a three-person team who met with C.J. Cregg to pitch an 1,800-mile wolves-only road — a cost to taxpayers of only $900 million. The trio played it completely straight as C.J. practically laughed them out of the room. It was a great early look at how talented Nick Offerman is at dry humor.

Omar Benson Miller - Orlando Kettles

Before starring on Ballers with The West Wing regulars Richard Schiff and Dulé Hill, Omar Benson Miller was hilarious as Orlando Kettles in the Season 4 episode “Election Night.” Orlando found himself in legal trouble — and unable to play in his final high school football game — after getting pulled over with an open can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Omar Benson Miller shined opposite Charlie Young (Hill), as Charlie accompanied Orlando to cast his vote in the presidential election. Since The West Wing, Omar Benson Miller has also appeared on CSI: Miami (with another West Wing alum, Emily Procter) and The Unicorn.

Ty Burrell - Tom Starks

Eight years before we met our favorite real estate agent Phil Dunphy on Modern Family, Ty Burrell guest starred as Tom Starks in the Season 3 episode “The Women of Qumar” to talk about seatbelt laws with Rob Lowe’s Sam Seaborn. In an otherwise-dry scene, Ty Burrell brought the deadpan humor, as he defended the honor of Rotarians like his father and himself to Sam, whose father was an Elk. “You won’t catch a Rotarian not wearing his seat belt,” Tom told Sam. “An Elk, maybe.”

Eric Stonestreet - White House Counsel Staffer

Speaking of Modern Family, before playing the hilarious Cameron/Fizbo the Clown on Modern Family, but after working security at a Garth Brooks concert, Eric Stonestreet played a staffer in the White House counsel’s office on Season 2’s “Bad Moon Rising.” Eric Stonestreet was a competent assistant to White House counsel Oliver Babish (Oliver Platt), and even got to use the series’ secret code about “an old friend from home,” which alerted White House staff of an emergency without panicking those around them.

David Burtka - Bruce The Intern

David Burtka made his TV debut on The West Wing in the Season 3 episode, “The Black Vera Wang,” as Bruce, a White House intern who found himself in trouble after putting some re-gifted moose meat up for auction on eBay. Bruce was confronted by Donna Moss, who had received the meat from Josh Lyman after a trip to Helsinki. Bruce came out on top of that situation, though, as he got to keep his job and the $210 Donna paid to get the moose meat off eBay. David Burtka is known for his work on the stage and screen, a common thread amongst West Wing actors. He was also on seven episodes of How I Met Your Mother with now-husband Neil Patrick Harris,

The West Wing is currently streaming on HBO Max, including A West Wing Special To Benefit When We All Vote, a stage production of the Season 3 episode “Hartsfield’s Landing” performed by the original cast ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Check back regularly to CinemaBlend to stay up to date on all the latest streaming news.

Considering how long medical dramas like ER tend to last, how often cast members rotate, and how frequently it require new actors to play the patient(s) of the week, the cast list is unsurprisingly, but still impressively, large. The aforementioned NBC series lasted 15 seasons (from 1994-2009) and made A-listers out of George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Julianna Margulies to name just a few, but did you know Chadwick Boseman was a guest star before he became a household name?

The late, Marvel movie alum is far from the only beloved celebrity to make an early appearance on ER. In fact, we found an overwhelming amount of notable names to choose from, but settled on a still sizable 20 to include below, starting with one of the busiest and most respected actresses of her generation.

Jessica Chastain (Dahlia Taslitz)

In her acting debut, two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain played a 19-year-old who appears to have done a faulty job taking care of her brain damaged father on ER’s tenth season. Coincidentally, the It: Chapter Two star will soon appear in The Good Nurse - the true crime story of an MD (Eddie Redmayne) whose “faulty” performance causes hundreds of patient deaths.

Chadwick Boseman (Derek Taylor)

In the final season of ER, a then-31-year-old Chadwick Boseman appeared as a boxer alongside screen legend (and future The Mandalorian star) Carl Weathers as his father. After playing the lead of Black Panther just a decade later, the actor would become a screen legend himself and will be remembered as such long after his untimely death in August 2020, following a private cancer battle, at the age of 43.

J.K. Simmons (Gus Loomer)

Speaking of legendary Marvel movie performances, Palms Springs star J.K. Simmons reprised J. Jonah Jameson for the MCU in Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. Back in 2004, on ER, the future Oscar winner played a man more concerned with the state of his Hummer than his own health after suffering a crash that he survived, but two others did not.

Danny Pudi (Mahir Kardatay)

Community’s Abed Nadir actor Danny Pudi had a more low-key Marvel movie appearance as a S.H.I.E.L.D. communications technician in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. His second acting gig was a prominent guest role on Season 12 of ER as a man who gets in a violent brawl with his sister’s boyfriend while she is treated at County General for stab wounds in the neck.

Chris Pine (Levine)

Danny Pudi would later appear in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond opposite Chris Pine, playing Capt. James T. Kirk a third time before starring in two Wonder Woman movies as Steve Trevor. This impressive career all started with an appearance on Season 9 of ER lasting mere seconds as a patient still drunk from a Valentine’s Day party… from five days earlier.

Anton Yelchin (Robbie Edelstein)

Chris Pine’s Star Trek co-star Anton Yelchin also made his debut on ER as a 10-year-old survivor of a car crash that killed his parents. Sadly, the talented actor passed away in 2016, at the age of 27, when his own Jeep rolled backward, struck him, and pinned him against the his home’s security fence.

Dakota Fanning (Delia Chadsey)

Another one of Anton Yelchin’s earlier roles was in the Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi miniseries Taken opposite an 8-year-old Dakota Fanning. The now 26-year-old Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood actress also made her debut on ER as a 6-year-old recovering leukemia patient whose need for further chemo treatment is discovered after suffering a car accident.

Kathy Griffin (Dolores Minky)

Speaking of Quentin Tarantino movies, he actually directed a Season 1 episode of ER starring Kathy Griffin, who had previously worked with the director on Pulp Fiction. The comedian and former Bravo reality show star plays the troop leader for eight young Ranger Scouts who are all sent to County General with diarrhea.

Shia LaBeouf (Darnel Smith)

After ER, Kathy Griffin would a land a starring role on the sitcom Suddenly Susan, on which a young Shia LaBeouf once guest starred on. The former Disney Channel and Transformers star, who later made a name for himself with bizarre performance art (among other things), also appeared on the medical drama's sixth season as a patient with muscular dystrophy.

Josh Gad (Sgt. Bruce Larabee)

Also famous for his work with Disney, following his Tony-nominated performance in The Book of Mormon, is Josh Gad - the voice of Olaf in the Frozen movies. His first gig as part of the Screen Actors Guild was a 2005 episode ER as a combat medic stationed in Iraq with Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins).

Katee Sackhoff (Jason’s Girlfriend)

Josh Gad also lent his his voice to the animated Star Wars: Rebels series, which also stars Katee Sackhoff as Bo-Katan Kryze - whom she recently brought to live action on The Mandalorian. Before Battlestar Galactica sparked her career as sci-fi royalty, she starred on a Halloween episode of ER from 2002 which, coincidentally, is the year she appeared in the infamous Halloween: Resurrection. Bonus fact: this was the first of four episodes starring MCU's future War Machine actor Don Cheadle.

Ewan McGregor (Duncan Stewart)

Speaking of Star Wars actors, playing a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequel trilogy skyrocketed Ewan McGregor to the A-list. The Golden Globe-winning Scotsman actor had already received acclaim for his lead role in Trainspotting a year before playing a desperate man holding Dr. Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and others hostage at a convenience store on ER's third season.

Nick Offerman (Rog)

Ewan McGregor won his Golden Globe for FX's Fargo, which, in its previous season, had starred Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson and Megan Mullally's husband) in a recurring role. The actor made his TV debut as aspiring rock star whose bass player band mate is rushed into County General on ER's mockumentary style Season 4 premiere that was filmed and broadcasted live.

Adam Scott (David Kerstetter)

Nick Offerman's Parks and Recreation co-star Adam Scott (who has made more dramatic turns recently in Black Mass or the HBO series Big Little Lies) can also boast ER as one of his earliest acting gigs. In the medical drama's first season, the then 22-year-old played a man bleeding out of his chest after being hit by a car.

Lin Shaye (Margaret)

Adam Scott also a few horror movies under his belt, as recently as Krampus or as early as Hellraiser: Bloodline, but Lin Shaye of Insidious and A Nightmare on Elm Street fame, a living legend of the genre. The 77-year-old actress, and sister of New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye, also had the honor appearing on the final episode of ER.

Octavia Spencer (Maria Jones)

Another star I regard as an underrated Scream Queen (for Drag Me to Hell, the title role of Ma, and the grandmother in Robert Zemeckis' The Witches remake) is Octavia Spencer. Yet, years before she became the Academy Award-winning star of The Help, the actress appeared on Season 5 of ER as a pregnant woman thinking of having her third abortion.

Keegan-Michael Key (Witkowski)

While his best friend and writing parter Jordan Peele has since graduated into scarier and dramatic projects more frequently, Keegan-Michael Key is still trucking with plenty of comedic parts on his resume as of late. However, ironically, the now 49-year-old former MADtv star made his TV debut on ER in the eighth season of the popular and often humorless medical drama

Kal Penn (Narajan)

After hitting it big as one-half of the titular duo from the smash hit stoner comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Kal Penn would soon graduate into more serious projects, such as a position in the Obama Administration and playing a doctor on House from 2007-2012. His first time playing a medical professional, however, was in a brief appearance on ER in a 2001 episode from the series' eighth season.

Jared Padalecki (Paul Harris)

Early 2021 sees Jared Padalecki graduate to a new genre, specifically the western, as the title character of The CW's Walker after chasing ghosts and goblins on Supernatural as Sam Winchester for 15 seasons. Yet, while the 38-year-old Scream King was still a series regular on Gilmore Girls, he played a high school student who gets in a car crash with his father, played by Jim Belushi, after arguing over his future as a hockey player on a Season 7 episode of ER.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Firefighter Larkin)

Starring as Jared Padalecki's father on Supernatural was Jeffrey Dean Morgan, whose best known role in the realm of medical TV dramas is on Grey's Anatomy as Denny Duquette, Izzie Stevens' (Katherine Heigl) patient and love interest. However, it was only a few years earlier when the prolific comic book adaptation actor appeared on the seventh season of ER as a firefighter undergoing a leg amputation.

What do you think? Does seeing these celebrities before their prime make you want to rewatch ER from the beginning to point out even more of the stars your may have missed? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the long-running medical drama, as well as even more inside looks into famous guest stars that may have slipped your mind, here on CinemaBlend.

Most of us know Nicolas Cage for his various performances on the big screen but, lately, the fan-favorite actor has been shifting to the small screen for a few upcoming shows. This includes Netflix’s History of Swear Words, an unscripted docuseries that will see Cage explore the origins and culture impact of famous curse words. Throughout the series, the actor will also be recruiting a number of other stars to help him out, and one of the most recent clips from the show includes none other than Parks and Recreation alum Nick Offerman. And if I’m being completely honest, it may just be the most unexpected TV team-up that me and other fans needed.

The History of Swear Words teaser shows Nicolas Cage trying to explain the historical use of the f-word, which actually seems to have a pretty colorful past. During his explanation, he brings in Nick Offerman and comedian Jim Jeffries. Offerman doesn’t chime in until the very end, but his response is perfect. Check it out below:

I don’t know about any of you, but I’d like to see more of Nic Cage and Nick Offerman together. The two are some of the most unique personalities in Hollywood, and putting them together would make for a nice, Odd Couple-esque pairing.

Nicolas Cage is more of a wild card, who can be relaxed when he wants to be, but he definitely has no problem doing something outrageous, as evidenced by some of the film roles he’s taken on. Nick Offerman is also funny but, unlike Cage, the actor usually tends to play the straight man, which is certainly the case with his most famous character - Ron Swanson. Seeing these two personalities come together on screen would be a real treat for viewers.

Honestly, a Cage/Offerman team-up could work in any medium and within any genre. Whether it be a TV sitcom or a big-budget action film, the two actors could make some true magic on the screen.

Such a project isn’t an impossibility, but the two do currently have other obligations that they’re committed to. In addition to History of Swear Words, Nic Cage is also set to star as Joe Exoctic in a scripted Tiger King series. Meanwhile, Nick Offerman (who recently reunited with his Parks and Rec co-stars) is working on Fox’s The Great North.

It’s not crazy to think that someone has considered pairing Nic Cage and Nick Offerman up for a project of their own. Clearly someone had the good sense to connect them through History of Swear Words. It remains to be seen if another collaboration will happen, but you can bet that fans of the two won’t give up hope. It's like they say, two Nicks are better than one.

History of Swear Words hits Netflix on January 5th.

To the delight of millions of viewers, the Parks and Recreation cast reunited for a lovely special that saw the beloved characters checking in with each other through video calls. Or, as Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope called it: a phone tree. The reunion was staged by Parks and Rec creator Mike Schur as a way to provide entertainment for everyone safe at home, while also raising funds for a good cause. However, there’s one specific idea Nick Offerman thinks should have been in the reunion special.

Only a Parks and Rec reunion special would include a rendition of “5,000 Candles in the Wind,” the strikingly moving tribute to Pawnee’s most famous citizen: Li’l Sebastian. The collective sing-along was staged by Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson, who felt it was important to bring some joy to Leslie and put everyone on the call together to sing the Pawnee classic. However, Ron’s saxophone — which was used to perform with his jazz band under the alias Duke Silver — was nowhere in sight. In an interview with Variety, Offerman agreed that it could’ve made an appearance before explaining why it didn’t. In his words:

That’s a real bummer because the saxophone was definitely a “great idea.” That said, it’s understandable why the instrument wasn’t included in the Parks and Recreation reunion special. The whole thing was put together on short notice and was bound to not include every little thing from the beloved NBC comedy. I’m just happy the cast reunited at all. The fact that they sang “5,000 Candles in the Wind,” and that Ron teared up during the sweet performance, was just an added bonus. Check out the clip of the cast singing the ode to Li’l Sebastian below!

The reunion special updated the characters’ lives in a pretty awesome way and the episode had quite a lot of cameos from several well-known Pawnee residents, including Ben Schwartz’s Jean-Ralphio, Perd Hapley, and Joan Callamezzo. Unfortunately, one of the most memorable characters from the show’s heyday was missing from the episode: Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona-Lisa, who was played by Jenny Slate. I imagine that she’s off somewhere having a ball while quarantining on her own.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our guide to all the big TV finales airing soon, as well as our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule.

While NBC's workplace comedy Parks and Recreation was a bit of an underdog when it started (coming on the heels of the similarly styled hit The Office), after a bit of retooling for the second season it became a critical and audience favorite, lasting seven seasons and helping to launch several careers. Well, five years after fans said a bittersweet goodbye to the wild and wonderful denizens of Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation is coming back with original cast members like Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt and Nick Offerman! But, there is one catch.

Unfortunately, the Parks and Recreation revival isn't going to give us Will & Grace-like amounts of content, but the good news is that it's coming very soon. Parks and Recreation is doing a one-off special, set to air on April 30 at 8:30 p.m., which will benefit Feeding America. All of your favorite funny characters will be back, and we'll be treated to an all new story featuring Poehler, Pratt, Offerman, as well as Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Retta, Aubrey Plaza, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe and Jim O’Heir. I need the end of this semi-trash month to get here NOW!

Take a look at the announcement about the Parks and Recreation special that went up on the show's official Twitter page:

I am so very ready for this! In case you're wondering what, exactly, this Parks and Rec special could be about, well, look no further than the world we currently live in. The show will be all about Leslie Knope (Poehler) trying to stay in touch with all of her friends / de-facto family during a time when self-isolation and social-distancing are the order of the day. I cannot wait for the show to explain why the three main couples (Leslie and Ben, April and Andy, and Ann and Chris) do not appear in the same room with their spouse, but I fully trust executive producer Michael Schur to come up with sweet / goofy explanations.

If you are (shamefully) unaware of the nature of Parks and Recreation, the story focuses on Leslie, the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department of a small, fictional town in Indiana, who's complete dedication to her job and the people of Pawnee leads her to strive for excellence among some very daunting and silly situations. And, many of those situations come about because of her co-workers, friends and the corrupt / ineffective politicians and townspeople around her.

So, what's even better than getting a new episode of Parks and Rec with all of the main stars and which will benefit charity? We've been teased that some of Pawnee's other important citizens will be making appearances, too. I don't know about you, but I'm going to be sad if we don't at least see some Jean-Ralphio (Ben Schwartz), Diane Lewis (Lucy Lawless), Tammy II (Megan Mullally), Craig Middlebrooks (Billy Eichner) and, man, if they could even work in Perd Hapley (Jay Jackson) or Jeremy Jamm (Jon Glaser) somehow I'd be so happy.

You might be wondering why, after a few years worth of hints that the cast and creatives behind Parks and Recreation were game to come back together, they all finally decided that this was the right time. Here's what Michael Schur had to say about the return and becoming the first scripted show on broadcast TV to address our current situation:

I. Love. This. And, now I need to binge Parks and Recreation by Thursday night at 8:30 p.m., so you'll need to excuse me. You can revisit the series on Netflix or Hulu, but if you'd like some other viewing options until the special airs on NBC, check out our 2020 Netflix premiere schedule and see when all of this season's finales will air!

You may be one of the many Parks and Recreation die-hards who have every philosophical anecdote of the Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness memorized, and even could have incorporated much of it into your life. However, what facts do you know about the man behind the carnivorous, libertarian, walking hardware store, Nick Offerman?

The Joliet, Illinois, native became a household name after he was cast in the scene-stealing starring role on the beloved NBC sitcom. Since, he has gained prominence as a best-selling author, comedian, serious actor (such as his recent role on Alex Garland’s sci-fi mini-series Devs), and husband to the equally funny actress Megan Mullally.

More casual fans probably think they know all there is to know about the humorist just from watching him play Ron Swanson, but, believe it or not, they are not actually the same person, excluding a few particular details. The following are a few lesser-known facts about the real Nick Offerman.

Nick Offerman Co-Founded An Award-Winning Theatre Company

Nick Offerman’s pursuit of the art of acting began at the University of Illinois, where he began studying theatre in the late ‘80s. That would lead he and his friend, who shared the same major, to start their own “off-loop” Chicago-based theatre troupe. They called the company Defiant Theatre, which quickly proved to live up to its name.

Since it was founded in 1993, Defiant Theatre was defined by, and acclaimed for, its irreverent variety of productions. Shows they put on ranged from traditional staples like MacBeth to more obscure titles like the satirical Action Movie: The Play or modern day fairy tale The Skriker, for which Nick Offerman and his colleagues won a Joseph Jefferson Award Citation in the Puppetry and Masks category. The last production the company would put on before its official disbandment in 2004 was a stage adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange.

Nick Offerman Can Dance Ballet

Nick Offerman has never been shy to show off his skills in dancing, just as how he most recently demonstrated his breakdancing moves during a 2018 appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. However, there is one style of dancing that he is not as vocal about, save for a 2013 interview with Chicago Magazine in which he admits to taking two semesters of ballet at the University of Illinois, adding:

Coming from a family who took on careers in farming, firefighting, and other responsibilities of the like makes the admission a moment of slight embarrassment for Nick Offerman. Yet, no matter how little of a “manly thing” ballet may seem to the actor, his most famous character certainly makes up for that.

Nick Offerman’s Casting As Ron Swanson Was Based On A Slight Fib

It is impossible to imagine anyone else playing Ron Swanson by Nick Offerman for how he so flawlessly embodies the Pawnee, Indiana’s, most anti-government government official. Yet, according to Parks and Recreation casting director Allison Jones, that could have been the case because the executives at NBC were initially unimpressed with the actor’s portrayal.

Fortunately, as Jones revealed to the New Yorker in 2015, all she had to do convince them otherwise was to coyly remind them about their positive “instincts about Nick Offerman.” Suddenly believing that they had been interested in the actor the entire time, they would soon meet with him again, and the rest is history. Believe it or not, this situation was no rarity for Allison Jones, who added:

Megan Mullally Mistook Future Husband Nick Offerman For An Older Man

Of the many details of his personal life that Ron Swanson prefers not to discuss, easily the most frustrating is his bittersweet romantic life - the story of which includes two ex-wives both named Tammy, the second of which is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life spouse, Megan Mullally. The Will & Grace star referred to her initial meeting of her future husband as “a comedy of errors” in an interview with the Sundance Channel, citing one mistaken assumption on her end as the most embarrassing (and maddening) aspect.

When Megan Mullally met Nick Offerman while starring alongside each other in a stage production of The Berlin Circle in 2000, the then 41-year-old actress was pleased to meet a man she assumed to be in his late 30s (having been fed up with younger men hitting on her), until she was pissed to learn he was only 29. Luckily, love prevailed and the pari wed in 2003, eventually penning a tell-all memoir of their romance in 2018, aptly titled The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.

Nick Offerman Turned Parks And Rec Set Pieces Into Woodworking Projects

While Nick Offerman has his fair share of characteristics that distinguish him from Ron Swanson, one real-life skill of his that was integrated into his Parks and Recreation character is his skills in carpentry. In fact, the actor runs his own Los Angeles woodshop on the side, at which he takes on woodworking commissions himself from time to time, including some projects of his own design.

For instance, after shooting wrapped up for the final season of Parks and Rec, Nick Offerman salvaged some scraps of wood from the set and used them to build commemorative canoe paddles for the cast and crew. I cannot think of a more fitting way the actor could have said his farewells to the series responsible for eventually making his biggest accomplishments possible.

Well, do you feel more acquainted with Nick Offerman now? If not, be sure to check back for more information and news updates on the versatile performer/carpenter here on CinemaBlend.

2014 saw the beginning of a lucrative movie universe at Warner Bros., as The LEGO Movie defied expectations to become a financial and creative hit. But, with the film's ending promising a clash between the Duplo and LEGO worlds, a LEGO Movie sequel was inevitable. Flash forward to today, as the world is anticipating The LEGO Movie Sequel (now officially titled The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part), which sees us returning to the world that started it all. But the road to returning Emmet, Wyldstyle, Batman, Benny, and the countless others involved in the first film's success hasn't been an easy one. Which means, in honor of being less than a week away from everything awesome coming to our eyes and ears once more, it's time to go into what we know so far about The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part! Here, we'll pour out the knowledge of all things LEGO, and make some educated guesses that'll eventually be corrected as time goes on. But for now, this is what to expect.

What Have We Seen From The LEGO Movie 2?

You're in luck! Early June 2018 finally brought us the first full trailer from The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. It gives us a good look at the post-apocalyptic world that's been brought on by the destructive Duplo, and how oddly Emmet has been handling the changes to everyone's daily life. As can be expected, much of the crew from the original film has to go on an adventure, leading to a lot of crazy laughs.

What Is The LEGO Movie 2's Release Date?

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is coming out soon; on February 8, 2019 to be exact. Originally scheduled for May 26, 2017, the film was first bumped to a May 18, 2018 debut, before finally landing on its current window of release. In its current slot, this was supposed to pit the animated sequel in direct competition against Sony's Spider-Man spin-off Silver and Black, as well as the Seth Rogen / Charlize Theron romantic comedy Flarsky. However, with the former hitting some recent snags, and the latter being moved much further along in the year, both potential competitors have been removed from the field. However, that week will also see Taraji P. Henson's What Men Want, horror film The Prodigy and the Liam Neeson starrer Cold Pursuit, so there's a slight possibility that The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part may still see some serious competition at the box office on opening weekend.

What Is The LEGO Movie 2's Rating?

While it was unknown what The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part's rating would be for a long time (because films never get their final rating until right before release) now that the release is upon us, we know that it will be rated PG. The original LEGO Movie, as well as the spin-offs, The LEGO Batman Movie and The LEGO Ninjago Movie, were all handed the PG rating for the action and "rude humor" present in their films, so making a film that broke with the family friendly trend did not seem likely at all, anyway. At the same time, making a G rated film that eschewed the reference based and "rude" humor, as well as any of the action that The LEGO Movie franchise has been known for, seemed just as wrong. So, the PG rating was always a pretty secure bet for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

Who Is The LEGO Movie 2's Director?

Originally, director Chris McKay was going to helm The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, when the film was aiming for its 2017 release date. But, ultimately, this was not meant to be, as McKay was shifted to The LEGO Batman Movie, leaving the spot vacant. Eventually, Rob Schrab, best known as co-writer on Sony's animated film Monster House, and a director on such shows as Community, Parks and Recreation and The Mindy Project, was hired for the duties of bringing this second LEGO Movie to the finish line. It only took two words ("creative differences") to see Schrab leave the project, allowing Trolls director Mike Mitchell to become the current director on record for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.

Who Are The LEGO Movie 2's Writers?

Just as the director's chair saw itself subjected to the winds of change, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part saw several writers move through its writer's room. At first, 2014's early announcement of the film's status, in the wake of The LEGO Movie's surprise success, writers Jared Stern and Michelle Morgan were named as working out the story for the second film. That changed rather quickly, though, as by the end of that same year, Phil Lord and Chris Miller were signed on to write about the future of Bricksburg. Some reports, however, have told us that Bojack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg was brought in for some re-writes before the film went into active production, but if that is the case, he's not currently credited for any work on the movie.

What The LEGO Movie 2 Will Be About

Considering the revolving door of writers and directors in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part's path to production, it's no surprise that no concrete story was made known to the public at large for quite some time. Now, though, we know that the movie will see LEGO Duplo invaders from outer space come along to tear things down faster than they can be rebuilt. And, there are other things that we do know will be present in the film.

These details include the fact that Finn and his sister from The LEGO Movie's live-action segments will be back. Other than that, various notes have talked about Finn's LEGO sets and his sister's Duplo sets, seen about to go to war against each other at the end of The LEGO Movie, will both be represented in the film. There were also previous comments about how The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part will tackle the subject of how boys play versus how girls play, adding a flavor of gender commentary to the film's more human side. Don't be afraid that the film will forget to have fun though, as plenty of space action and musical comedy are bring promised to find their way into this sequel.

When The LEGO Movie 2 Will Take Place

In order to track with the real world time gap between The LEGO Movie and The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, this new film will take place five years after the first film's resolution. This also plays into what the film will be about, as Finn's adolescence has been mentioned since the first phases of the project as a subject of interest to the writers. The time jump would put Finn in his early to mid-teens, with his sister most likely being in the last stages of early childhood, between 1 ½ and 5 years old, the prescribed time frame stated on the Duplo block sets.

Finn And His Sister

With the vague details that are available, and the time gap in play, The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part looks like it could play with more live-action sequences than The LEGO Movie ever did. With Finn and his sister being important characters in the film's story, we'll not only see more of Finn, but actually get to meet his sister. Not being seen, but alluded to, in the first film, her Duplo building set was seen threatening the world of Emmet, Wyldstyle, and the rest of the Bricksburg crew. This intersection will set up not only the story of how Finn and his sibling play with different bricks and mindsets, but it also sets up just what might happen in the stop motion animated world of the LEGO Movie cast. Originally played by Jadon Sand in The LEGO Movie, the young actor is set to reprise the role of Finn in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. A look at the movie's IMDB page tells us that Finn's sister will be named Bianca, and played by Brooklynn Prince.

Duplo

In our world, the Duplo building system is the LEGO system's younger cousin, specified as being made for children between 1 ½ and 5 years old. But in the world of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, these soft spoken creatures have presumably thrown down the gauntlet and threatened the intricate world of Bricksburg. So, if the ending to The LEGO Movie is any indication, there may have been five years of war between the Duplo and LEGO worlds, with bricks and tempers being lost in the midst. Also, due to a Duplo block usually being thicker and bigger than LEGO pieces, that war may be something akin to a monster movie, as the larger scaled aggressors of Finn's sister's design may have found it easy to terrorize the smaller scaled Emmet and company.

Emmet & Wyldstyle

If you wanted to catalog which characters from The LEGO Movie would return for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, you'd probably be here all day. However, if there were two characters that could be deemed absolutely essential to return for The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, it'd have to be Emmet and Wyldstyle - voiced by Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks, respectively. This theory is supported even more, considering the fact that the difference between female and male play mechanics is supposed to factor into The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part's story rather importantly. If we were to guess how Emmet and Wyldstyle would be affected by this, we'd say that Emmet's methods of dealing with the Duplo will be more aggressive and vehicle / weapons based, while Wyldstyle will want to engage in more creative and personal efforts with their would-be invaders. In other words, the newly minted couple of the LEGO world may be headed for rocky shores. Apologies to anyone who spent all this time creating a proper ship name (Emmstyle? Wyldmet?) for these two.

Returning Characters

Emmet and Wyldstyle are clearly our main returning characters in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, and there are quite a few other cast members scheduled to come back for the new film as well. As of this moment, the recurring cast members listed on the film's IMDB page, outside of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks, are Will Arnett, who is coming back to reprise his role as Batman, Channing Tatum, who's bringing Superman back to the LEGO fold, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Alison Brie as Unikitty, Charlie Day as Benny the spaceman, Will Ferrell as Finn and Bianca's dad in the live action sequences and voicing President Business, and Nick Offerman as Metal Beard. It's not impossible for others to return as well, but seeing as how no one else has been confirmed yet, we'll just have to wait and see what the film holds.

New Characters

Anyone who enjoys a sequel knows that if The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is going to do well, it needs to add something new to the playset. This, of course, means that there's going to be a need for new characters in this world, and we do have some specifics on who these players joining the game will be. To start off, Girls Trip star Tiffany Haddish is going to be playing one of them, as she was the first newly minted cast member of The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part's company. Her Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi rules the Systar System and plays a part in the new Duplo invasion. She's also, notably, not a normal LEGO or Duplo figure, as she usually presents as a brightly colored pile of bricks which can change shape radically at a moment's notice. This character is also used to set off the larger musical aspects of the sequel, which should be a lot of fun to watch.

The trailer introduces us to a new character played by Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame, Sweet Mayhem. Mayhem comes to Bricksburg on the hunt for the fiercest leader, and ends up kidnapping the franchise's best known characters...with the exception of Emmet, who's then forced to go on a mission to save them. We're not yet sure what she intends to do with these characters, or the fierce leader she was looking for, either, for that matter, but right now she looks to be the main adversary of the movie. Those of you who enjoy it when SNL alums team up on the big screen should be happy to know that Maya Rudolph has joined the film as Finn and Bianca's mom, which will reunite her with Will Ferrell. The only other new character listed on The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part's IMDB page is someone named Ice Cream Cone, who will be voiced by Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd, The Watch).

Well, this is everything we currently know about The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, and while it's a good start on the nitty gritty details of the movie, it's certainly a good thing that the family comedy is due out soon so we can all finally get the full adventure into our eager eyeballs!

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman first made audiences laugh when they co-starred on Parks and Rec, and judging from this digital short promoting their upcoming NBC craft competition series Making It, they're primed to make people laugh all over again. The two get into a craft-based pun-off in a short and sweet video filmed on a picturesque patio, and things get goofy pretty quick:

Hopefully, no one busted a "stitch" laughing at Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler's jokes, as they must have been "sew" funny to anyone in the crafting community. To the actors' credit, the puns were silly enough that even someone completely out of the loop when it comes to the "maker" world might have had a slight chuckle, especially the bit Offerman had about wanting to lay down and "D.I.Y." Of course, anyone involved in the community and familiar with all these crafts might appreciate the jokes just that much more, which may encourage them to set down their tools for just a bit to check out Making It's premiere Tuesday, July 31.

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman traded some solid jabs back and forth, and it's really hard to say who definitively won the Making It pun-off. While Poehler, unsurprisingly, had some of the more clever lines of the exchange, Offerman's deadpan delivery is the ultimate way to elevate just about any funny thing that comes out of his mouth. That said, Poehler was funny enough to make Offerman break his stone-faced demeanor at least a couple times on camera, so it only feels right to declare her the winner of this short but sweet showdown.

If this Making It feature proved anything, it showed that Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler's dynamic works outside of Parks and Rec, and will make for lots of entertainment when the show kicks off. The comedic value they'll add is immeasurable, although it goes without saying that Offerman's well-known skills as a craftsman will almost certainly be a strength to the series as well. It's certainly not the "Ron and Leslie" based spin-off fans may have envisioned, but there's no denying the two hosting a craft competition show should entice even the people who can't cut in a straight line. Additionally, a show where cool things are created is great for inspiring others to create things less handy people can purchase, so everyone wins.

As mentioned, Making It premieres on NBC Tuesday, July 31 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Those excited for the show's premiere to the point they don't know how they'll pass the time should head over to our summer premiere guide and check out what other shows are coming to the service. For more on Parks and Rec and a potential revival, check out what Nick Offerman had to say not that long ago about the show making a hypothetical return.

Musicals are a fascinating genre. There's a huge emphasis on the songs, and the songwriting. But the music in a musical needs to be performed by talented actors and actresses who, you assume, love the music that they are putting on screen. Wouldn't it suck to watch Mamma Mia! and then learn that the cast hated ABBA? Or to finish La La Land, only to hear that Ryan Gosling hates jazz?

This popped into my mind after speaking with Kiersey Clemons about her winning new crowd-pleaser of a musical drama Hearts Beat Loud, which launched at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and is making its way to theaters. Clemons stars alongside Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec) as a father-daughter duo who write a few original songs, only to find them taking off thanks to Spotify airplay. When Clemons told me that about the challenging aspects about filming Hearts Beat Loud, she brought up the music, and explained:

The songs written by Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons' characters in Brett Haley's Hearts Beat Loud are radio-friendly pop hits with irresistible hooks and empowering lyrical messages. It's easy to see why they find an audience -- even if it happens in an improbable fashion for the benefit of this charming family drama. But Clemons and Offerman are so good at performing the songs in the movie -- especially during their record-store concert, a signature scene in the film -- that I never once thought Clemons didn't personally connect with the genre.

And yet, this should have been clear. Throughout her career, Kiersey Clemons held roles in projects with musical ties. She co-starred in the Disney Channel hits Shake It Up and Austin & Ally. She broke out in the Sundance hit Dope, which had a strong soundtrack of early hip-hop. But as she tells CinemaBlend, when wanting to make her own brand of music, this might not be her first choice, no matter how catchy it sounds:

Hearts Beat Loud started screening in theaters last weekend, and got off to a strong start in limited release, earning roughly $75,000 in four locations. If the movie's playing near you, make sure to grab tickets... and be ready to download the soundtrack once you get home. It's that good.

It's no secret that TV remakes are everywhere. With the trend of nostalgia proving both profitable and popular, it seems like just about any property could return for new episodes. For the world of TV this manifested in revivals of Will & Grace and Roseanne, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. As such, fans have been wondering if beloved comedies like The Office or Parks and Recreation might also return after a few years off the air. The latter starred Nick Offerman as the delightful curmudgeon Ron Swanson, and the actor was recently asked if he'd be down to reprise his role. The answer is yes, given that Amy Poehler and MIke Schur were involved.

It looks like Nick Offerman is more than happy to return to Parks & Rec, if a revival ends up being produced. That said, his comments to The Daily Beast indicate he's not exactly chomping at the bit to join the already massive ranks of recent TV reboots.

With so many revivals and reboots currently on TV or in development, it might not be the best time for a show like Parks and Recreation to return. There are tons of these reunions happening, so it's going to be easy for revivals to stat fading into the background. Additionally, it's entirely possible that TV will become too saturated with these types of shows in the next few years-- only time will tell.

Although it doesn't seem like Parks and Recreation is anywhere near close to returning to the small screen, the show has remained a mainstay of pop culture, despite its finale airing back in February of 2015. The series hasn't stopped playing on syndication, and is one of the most binge-watchable shows on Netflix. There's certainly an audience who would happily return to the raccoon-infested town of Pawnee, Indiana. The question is whether or not the higher powers have any interest in bringing the show back so soon.

Narratively, Parks and Rec would likely have to retcon the flash forwards out of existence, in order for the story to continue. And with cast members like Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza only getting more famous, attempting to balance the cast's schedules sounds like a nightmare.

You can watch Parks and Recreation in its entirety over on Netflix. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch. And our superhero premiere list and Amazon premiere list to ensure you don't miss a single episode.