Meet the Cast and Characters of ‘Poker Face’ Season 2
The guest star line-up is full of Hollywood elite.
If Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale had a nickel for every mob boss/casino owner she’s ticked off on the Peacock hit series Poker Face, then she’d have two nickels. Which, granted, isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice now. At the end of the first season, Rhea Perlman’s Beatrix Hasp gave Charlie an ultimatum: join my ranks or die. So now Charlie is back on the run yet again. And since she can’t seem to stop solving crimes along the way with the help of her handy dandy, lie-detection superpower, it seems safe to say that Poker Face’s second season is gearing up to be just as captivating as the first. But just in case that isn’t enough to entice you to tune in, then the guest star roster might just do the trick, given that it’s chock full of the crème de la crème of Hollywood’s finest.
It's worth noting that specific details (even names) about many of the guest star's characters are scarce — most likely in an attempt to add a layer of mystery to the newcomers so viewers won't know if they're good or bad. But the celebs alone are enough to get pumped for the upcoming season. So without further adieu, here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters of Poker Face’s second season.
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale
Charlie serves as the central character of the series. Most of her time is spent on the road trying to hide away from all the baddies she’s wronged. She has an unusual knack for knowing when someone is lying, which has proven to be both a blessing and a curse — especially given that her gift is known to draw quite a bit of attention for someone trying to stay off the radar.
Many ‘90s kids were first introduced to Lyonne’s talents when she starred in the American Pie franchise. However, she’s also more recently known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black, Russian Doll, and His Three Daughters.
Instagram: @nlyonne
Rhea Perlman as Beatrix Hasp
If you thought Sterling Frost was bad, that’s nothing compared to what Perlman’s Beatrix has in store. Beatrix first appeared at the end of the first season and quickly established herself as the newest big bad casino owner in town. Seriously, the seedy underbelly of casino life is wild and should make for a very interesting season, which is great for us — not so great for Charlie.
Perlman has an extensive career in the business, though she’s most notably known for her starring role as Carla on Cheers. She also played Matilda’s cruel mother in the beloved 1996 film, Matilda and recently made a very notable cameo as Ruth Handler in Barbie.
Instagram: @perlmonster
Simon Helberg as Luca Clark
Helberg’s character popped up intermittently throughout season 1 as an FBI agent and one of the few people Charlie is able to trust (and really, that list is not very long these days). And while we could talk about some of Helberg’s lesser known TV credits on shows like Arrested Development and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, let’s be real: everyone knows Helberg best from The Big Bang Theory where he played Howard Wolowitz.
Instagram: N/A
Cynthia Erivo
At PaleyFest LA this year, it was revealed that Erivo would be appearing in the first episode of season 2 and portraying multiple characters, all of whom are siblings. It’ll be a great way for Erivo to showcase her acting chops — not that she really needs to at this point, given how the world has already been wowed by her talents as Elphaba in Wicked this past year. She also portrayed Harriet Tubman in the 2019 film Harriet, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination. One could say that Erivo’s talents are… unlimited.
Instagram: @cynthiaerivo
Taylor Schilling
Nothing is known about Schilling’s character at this time, however, her appearance will serve as an exciting reunion for Orange Is the New Black fans since both Schilling and Lyonne starred in the popular Netflix series as Piper Chapman and Nicky Nichols, respectively.
Instagram: @piperschilling
B.J. Novak
Like with most of these guest stars, information is scarce about Novak’s actual character on the show, though plenty of viewers will recognize him best as Ryan Howard from The Office. Novak’s other notable credits also include The Mindy Project, Inglourious Basterds, and Saving Mr. Banks.
Instagram: @bjnovak
Awkwafina
Her character may be a mystery, but Awkwafina’s notable mark on the industry certainly isn’t. Her resume includes everything from Crazy Rich Asians, Jumanji: The Next Level, and MTV’s comedy show Girl Code to Kung Fu Panda 4, IF, and The Little Mermaid live-action adaptation.
Instagram: @awkwafina
Lili Taylor
If you’re a horror buff then odds are you’ve stumbled upon Taylor’s talents in some form or another in films like The Conjuring, Leatherface, or The Haunting. She also starred alongside Julia Roberts in the 1988 film Mystic Pizza.
Instagram: @lilittaylor
Lauren Tom
Sure, we could talk about Tom’s impressive vocal work on animated shows like Futurama, King of the Hill, and Teen Titans, but any Friends fan worth their salt will recognize Tom for playing Ross’s ex-girlfriend, Julie, during the show’s second season. Isn’t that just kick-you-in-the-crotch-spit-on-your-neck fantastic?!
Instagram: @laurentom9000
Natasha Leggero
Leggero is most likely best known for her time serving as host of the MTV reality series The 70s House, but she’s also appeared in Hacks, He’s Just Not That Into You, Arrested Development, Superstore, and A Million Little Things.
Instagram: @natashaleggero
Richard Kind
If you’ve seen it, odds are Richard Kind has been in it. OK, maybe that’s overexaggerating a bit, but the guy has seriously been in a ton of recognizable stuff. The list is super long, but some of his most prominent credits include Spin City, Inside Out, A Bug’s Life, Mad About You, Toy Story 3, Gotham, Only Murders in the Building, The Watcher, and Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney.
Instagram: @realrichardkind
Alia Shawkat
Most will recognize Shawkat instantly for her turn as Maeby in Arrested Development. However, she’s also popped up in other shows like Search Party and even the second season of Severance. But who she will end up playing in Poker Face, still remains to be seen.
Instagram: @__mutantalia__
David Alan Grier
Grier has made a name for himself, particularly in comedy circles, having starred in the popular sketch comedy series In Living Color for several years in the early ‘90s. He then went on to play Reverend Leon Lonnie Love in the Fox series Martin and is currently starring in St. Denis Medical. Meanwhile, his film credits include Jumanji, Bewitched, and The Color Purple.
Instagram: @davidalangrier
Geraldine Viswanathan
Viswanathan may not be as much of a household name as some of these other guest stars, but many viewers are sure to recognize her face, having appeared in projects such as Blockers, Miracle Workers, Bad Education, You’re Cordially Invited, and the newly released Marvel movie Thunderbolts*.
Instagram: @yoyogeraldine
Adrienne C. Moore
Moore is yet another Orange Is the New Black alum to join the ranks, having played the role of Cindy Hayes throughout the course of the series. You may also recognize her from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Search Party, 30 Rock, and Juror #2.
Instagram: @acmoore9
Ben Marshall
Saturday Night Live fans are sure to recognize Marshall from his recurring appearances in the Please Don’t Destroy skits on the sketch comedy series, which he’s featured in alongside Martin Herlihy and John Higgins. But Marshall will be flying solo on this project, though who will he play along the way? You’ll just have to watch Poker Face season 2 and find out.
Instagram: @benmarshallstyle
Carol Kane
Older movie buffs might know Kane from her roles in Annie Hall and Hester Street. However, later on she won over younger crowds as well for her portrayals of Oswald Cobblepot’s mother in Gotham and the kooky-yet-lovable Lillian Kaushtupper in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Instagram: N/A
Cliff Smith aka Method Man
Smith is a well known American rapper who goes by the name Method Man and is a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Smith has also dabbled in the acting world as well, nabbing credits on shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Wire, Oz, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Instagram: @methodmanofficial
Corey Hawkins
Fans of The Walking Dead will recognize Hawkins for his portrayal of Heath in the AMC series before he was taken by the Scavengers, never to be seen again. Let’s hope his fate on Poker Face is a little less unsettling. At the very least, there should be less zombies. (Probably?) Hawkins also starred in 24: Legacy and the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton.
Instagram: @coreyhawkins
David Krumholtz
Buddy the Elf may get all of the attention these days, but he isn’t the only one of Santa’s helpers who’s been able to capture our collective hearts. That’s thanks to Krumholtz’s portrayal of the sarcastic yet somehow super charming Bernard in The Santa Clause. Some of his other credits include roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Numb3rs, Addams Family Values, and Oppenheimer.
Instagram: @davidkrumholtz
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