I Watched John Mulaney's Episode Of Poker Face, And It Made Me Realize Where I Want His Career To Go Next

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Now, I Need John Mulaney To Act More

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

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

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

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

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