The list of shows canceled in 2025 grew a bit longer this week, as CBS execs continued to make vital decisions with several of its on-the-bubble shows. Following the cancellations of dramas FBI: International and FBI: Most Wanted, to name just a couple, the broadcast network shook up its Monday night schedule by cancelling the family sitcom Poppa’s House.

The news sparked star and co-creator Damon Wayans to share an extremely grateful message with his fans who stuck it out as the season continued airing as part of the 2025 TV schedule. Though not all of the responses were so cheery.

Damon Wayans Share All The Love Despite The Bad News

For all that it's disappointing to lose a job as an actor, it's even more painful when the actor is also a key part of the creative team behind the scenes. Yet despite any and all negativity that could have served as his reaction, Wayans chose instead to take the high road and only look back through rose-colored glasses.

Wayans also shared kind words for everyone working on the show behind the scenes, calling the entire crew the "heartbeat" of the show. He also gave a special shout out to his son and co-star Damon Wayans Jr., as well as all the other members of the famed family who popped up across the show's single season, such as Marlon Wayans and Amara Wayans.

And of course, he shared the love for everyone who tuned in on a weekly basis, saying:

Despite this being a heap of bad news to deal with even before Poppa's House officially wrapped airing its 18 episodes — the now-series finale is set to air on April 28 — it sounds like the experience of bringing it to life in the first place was worth it for the superstar. But not everyone was so positive with their reactions.

Poppa's House Fan Takes Aim At CBS In Brutal Comment

It would appear that at least one Poppa's House fan was upset enough about the cancellation news that they invoked the name of one of CBS' biggest cash cow characters, saying:

To that commenter's point, The Big Bang Theory lasted for twelve seasons, while Young Sheldon went for seven. Currently, Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage is set to conclude its first year, with another season already ordered up. And then there's also the in-development streaming spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. So that's 20 combined seasons so far for Sheldon and the Coopers, and just one season for the Fultons on Poppa's House.

Thankfully, even the comments with more dour tones like that were still in support of the one-and-done sitcom. To be expected, several of Damon Wayans' co-stars and family members chimed in.

• MARLON WAYANS: You know What It is… everything is God. I hear loud and clear. Let’s go
• WENDY RAQUEL ROBINSON: What an honor to share space, create and laugh with you and the ENTIRE @poppashousecbs team and Wayans family🙏🏾 I am blessed by you ALL❤️
• TETONA JACKSON: Forever grateful ❤
• CHAUNTÉ WAYANS: ❤️
• CARA MIA WAYANS: Such a fun learning growing experience! Loved seeing the fam and the crew everyday❤️
• DEON COLE: Love.
• ANIYA WAYANS: Loved every second ❤️
• TOMMY DAVIDSON: ❤️

So here's hoping that fans get everything they're hoping for out of the first and only season's finale, "Magic Shine Again," when it airs on CBS on Monday, April 28, at 8:30 p.m.ET. Eps can also be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

As each new week and month passes by, more entries are being added to the list of TV shows ending in 2025, and it'll only get more hectic in May once finales start rolling through in full. It may not be quite such a newsworthy period for CBS, however, which has already made big calls by cancelling FBI's International and Most Wanted spinoffs while also announcing S.W.A.T.'s third official cancellation. Now, in a rare move for the network, two first-season shows have been axed.

In recent years, Netflix became something akin to the unofficial king of single-season shows given all of its originals that were canceled way too soon. (The past year's examples: Dead Boy Detectives, Territory, The Brothers Sun, Kaos, Good Times, and Girls5Eva, to name a few, and that's only the U.S. scripted content.) But it's CBS who's worthy of temporarily donning that crown after this week's news.

Poppa's House Canceled After One Season

Both Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. are known TV veterans in their own right, boasting shows like In Living Color, My Wife and Kids, and New Girl among others. So when the former co-created a new sitcom that he eventually starred on with his father, it seemed like no-brainer sitcom math.

For the most part, that math checked out, with both critics and audiences sharing generally positive feelings about the sitcom, which starred the elder Wayans as a divorced radio host living with his high-aiming son and his family. Debuting in October 2024 after strike-related delays, Poppa's House arrived to solid enough numbers for any broadcast sitcom, with 4.2 million viewers, and that number rose to higher than 5 million after a few days of delayed viewing.

Though the numbers dipped and didn't ever rise above 4 million again, CBS was pleased enough early on to order additional episodes, and none of the 17 that have aired so far have dipped below 3.1 million viewers. Which is about as consistent as TV ratings data gets these days.

Unfortunately, the network apparently wasn't too enamored by those numbers, and Variety reported that it canceled the comedy just days ahead of its actual Season 1 finale, which has been described as such:

Fans can catch the show's swan song airing on CBS on Monday, April 28, at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Summit Canceled After One Season

Outside of scripted shows, CBS boasts several hallmarks of the reality TV genre, such as Big Brother, Survivor and The Amazing Race, and it doubled-down in "outlasting others through harsh conditions" sub-genre with the 2024 entry The Summit. Hosted by Arrowverse vet Manu Bennett, the competition series featured the easy to say, hard to accomplish goal of climbing a mountain in just two weeks.

The split financial prize for winners, combined with an array of obstacles and mystery duffel bags along the climb, turned what seemed like only a physical challenge took on mental and social struggles as well. It was an interesting way to handle the format, which originated as an Australian series, with several winners crowned and rewarded in the end.

But despite any and all on-air drama as the contestants fought to reach the top of the mountain, viewers were not so enthused about turning in nightly. The 3.03 million-strong audience that tuned in for the premiere dwindled down to a series-low of 1.82 million viewers just two episodes later, and despite some ebbs and flows over the next seven episodes, none of the eps celebrated any massive spikes in viewership.

Season 1 of The Summit wrapped in early December 2024, so at least viewers don't have to worry about the series ending on a cliffhanger, literally or metaphorically.

Both Poppa's House and The Summit can currently be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

Spoilers for Shrinking Season 2, Episode 4 are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the comedy with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Shrinking’s cast was already stacked. I mean, it’s led by Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams and Christa Miller. However, it got even better when the fourth episode of Season 2 dropped on the 2024 TV schedule, and Damon Wayans Jr. showed up as Derek’s co-worker and Gaby’s new love interest, Derrick #2. So, when I had the chance to chat with Williams about this new character, she gushed about collaborating with the Poppa's House star and shared the hilarious story behind the first scene they shot together.

Conveniently, right after Gaby said “I want a Derek” as a compliment to Liz’s husband, he introduces her to Derrick #2, his old co-worker who is played by Wayans. Then, a few scenes later, Gaby is clearing out her stuff from Jimmy’s house now that their fling is over, and she runs into him again. That flirty little moment outside her friend’s house was not only adorable, but it was the first scene Williams shot with the New Girl actor, as she explained to CinemaBlend:

The Incredible Jessica James actress went on to say that even though they didn’t have much time to prepare, they found their groove quickly. She said that first scene where Derrick holds her box of stuff was how they discovered “each other’s rhythm and sense of humor.”

It’s also what led them to the hilarious as well as “lewd and crude” vibrator jokes, as Williams explained:

After that, the actress told me that moment felt “classic” to her as she and Wayans worked out the hilarious scene together. It truly was wonderful, and it helped immediately establish Gaby and Derrick’s shared sense of humor and their chemistry.

Continuing to tell the story behind this moment, Williams said she wasn’t sure if that joke made it into the final cut of the show. I assured her it did, and she got excited as she explained:

As the episode went on, we got more really cute “stupid and silly” moments – like Derrick hearing Gaby’s trap remix of the Lord of the Rings score – as the two characters sweetly began their relationship, and I can’t wait for more. Seeing new relationships flourish in meaningful ways via funny interactions is one of the reasons why I think Shrinking is one of Apple TV+’s best shows. And it’s clear to me that Williams and Wayans have the perfect chemistry to keep that silly goofy and sweet energy alive.

To see how this lovely relationship evolves past this meet cute that involved a funny vibrator joke, you can stream new episodes of Shrinking every Wednesday on Apple TV+.

Lamorne Morris earned the great honor of being one of the 2024 Emmys winners during last weekend’s telecast. The actor is best known for playing Winston Bishop in New Girl, but after receiving major acclaim for his role in the latest season of Fargo, he earned the award for the first time for “Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.” Now, two of his New Girl costars just reacted to the award, and they are emulating their New Girl roles. Big time.

Max Greenfield and Damon Wayans Jr, who played Schmidt and Coach on New Girl alongside Lamorne Morris, spoke to ET about the Winston actor's big win in between hosting CBS Presents: You’re Laughing at CBS: A Night of ‘Sit-Down’ Comedy this week. Check out their responses:

The moment Lamorne Morris was mentioned, it felt like the two actors went right into New Girl mode. As they shared, they had both been in contact with Morris recently about the honor. Greenfield even FaceTimed him alongside Jake Johnson (aka Nick Miller) only to find he was spending the next day at the DMV for some reason. (Now, doesn’t that feel like a Winston plotline?)

Wayans Jr. also shared that he had texted Morris that he thought he might win (which is quite Coach of him).

After fans watched the TikTok, many of them took to the comments section to gush over how much Greenfield and Wayans Jr. were giving big Schmidt and Coach energy while talking about their costar. Check out what people had to say:

• "the congratulations felt very Schmidt" - @spideyhyde
• "the head on the shoulder is so schmidt coded 😭😂😂😂" @barbieee..f
• "this is just Schmidt and Coach, did they even act on the show?" -@c0ach_finstock
• "They are all their characters in real life" -@imetgabrielle
• "This is just an episode of new girl they ARE their characters" - @spiderpuff_

When you star in New Girl for seven seasons like these two did, chances are you either seep into your character, your character seeps into you, or a little bit of both. It also helps that their sitcom is one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever, so audiences just feel like they know them.

Anyways, Lamorne Morris got to win an Emmy after his first time being nominated for the award. Check out his fun acceptance speech where he poked fun at his daughter:

It’s a pretty amazing achievement for the actor, especially since he was nominated alongside Robert Downey Jr., Jonathan Bailey, Tom Goodman-Hill, John Hawkes, Lewis Pullman and Treat Williams. His New Girl castmates seem super proud, and it’s sweet to know they are still very much in contact.

You can watch episodes of New Girl along with Morris’ Emmy-winning role in Fargo right now with a Hulu subscription. Congrats to Lamorne Morris!

It looks like CBS is going to be hot with fire shows, because, on top of Fire Country, it's developing another new series about firefighters. As the 2024 TV schedule really kicks into high gear, and CBS gets ready to launch its third season of Fire Country, they also announced that a new fire drama from Damon Wayans Jr. is in the works. While that’s all very exciting, it does have me wondering how it will impact the spinoffs being created around Max Thieriot’s hit drama.

CBS Is Developing A New Fire Drama Called Ten House

Over at CBS, they’re developing a new firefighter drama called Ten House with Damon Wayans Jr. and his production company Two Shakes Entertainment, TV Line reported. The series is set in the New York City Fire Department's Ten House, which is right across the street from the World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan.

According to the show’s synopsis, it will follow “two rookies” who are children of 9/11 first responders. The series is about them as they “grapple with their legacies” and navigate “burgeoning feelings toward one another.” It also noted that the supporting characters will be the “formidable veterans” who make up Ten House, and it will follow the crew as they respond to high-stakes emergencies in New York City.

So, while it’s another fire drama for CBS, it is notably very different from Fire Country. That’s because while Ten House is a metropolitan show, the other fire series takes place in a rural town and is about the fire department and inmate camp who work together to deal with everything from wildfires to electrical disasters in Edgewater.

However, I do have questions about how Ten House will impact Fire Country’s expansion plans.

How Will This Impact Fire Country’s Spinoffs?

At the moment, Fire Country has one confirmed spinoff, Sheriff Country, and it’s set to premiere on the 2025 TV schedule. On top of that, news came out last month that Jared Padalecki would be joining FC for three episodes, and there’s potential for that to turn into a spinoff.

Adding Ten House into CBS’s programming makes for an overwhelming amount of content that could be centered around fire. Already, the network’s slate is pretty full – at the moment Fire Country is scheduled between S.W.A.T. and Blue Bloods – and I’m not sure how three potential shows (all of which deal with similar-ish issues) could fit into one schedule. Obviously, a lot can be canceled and added in a given year. However, at the moment I’m not sure how the world of Edgewater can expand when shows within its wheelhouse are also in the works.

Of course, there’s always the chance Fire Country’s off-shoots or Ten House could go to Paramount+ instead. It’s by no means unheard of. For example, while NCIS and the majority of its spinoffs air on CBS, its upcoming series NCIS: Tony and Ziva will only be available with a Parmount+ subscription. Also, over in the NBC world, while you can watch Law and Order: SVU on the network, its sister series Organized Crime became a Peacock exclusive during Season 5.

So, I guess what I’m saying is it’s possible to have all these fire shows, I mean they have proven to be popular. However, there’s no doubt that it feels like a saturated market, and I’m curious to see how CBS handles it.

Will they all air on live TV? Will Fire Country expand with Paramount+ exclusives? Will Ten House overtake one of the spinoffs or vice versa for a timeslot? It’s hard to tell, but as we learn more about all these shows, we’ll keep you posted!

As fans await the arrival of the meatiest sequel of 2023 — I’m obviously talking about Good Burger 2 — star Kel Mitchell experienced a medical situation that sounded anything but good. Thankfully, the actor was able to pull through the initial scare, and shared an update with fans indicating that he was back on the path to full health, which sparked some positive responses from his longtime buddy and occasional co-star Kenan Thompson, as well as other celebs from the worlds of comedy and television. 

Kel Mitchell's Hospital Update

As it was first reported by TMZ, Kel Mitchell was taken to a hospital in the Los Angeles area on the night of Tuesday, November 7, appearing to be conscious and alert as he was brought in through the emergency room. He seemingly remained in the hospital throughout some of the day on November 8, but was back in the comfort of his own home when he shared an update with his fans, friends and followers on Instagram, saying:

It’s still not entirely clear what the root of the problem was that sent Mitchell to the hospital in the first place, but it sounds like it was indeed fairly serious. Hopefully not so serious that his road to recovery is a hard and winding one, however. With the SAG-AFTRA strike now over, he’ll no doubt be eager to finally start promoting Good Burger 2 with fervor, but presumably not until he’s healthy enough to travel and make public appearances. I mean, given how well his last SNL cameo went during Keke Palmer’s ep, he just has to make another one in the next week or two, right?

Kenan Thompson And More Share Support For Kel Mitchell

Understandably, the All That vet’s post was quickly flooded with positive responses, not just from fans hopeful for his recovery, but also quite a few famous faces, some of which Mitchell has shared the screen with over the years. The most notable of the bunch is arguably SNL’s longest running cast member, Kenan Thompson, but check out some of the other stars who spread the love.

• Kenan Thompson: 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
• Damon Wayans Jr: Glad you’re feeling better my brother ♥️💪🏾
• Yvette Nicole Brown: Glad you’re on the mend, friend!❤️
• Nakia Burrise: Praying for healing my friend
• Finesse Mitchell: 💪🏾🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽. Prayers answered

Not that those were the only celebs who shared optimism and support on Kel Mitchell’s update. He also earned some good vibes and prayer hands from 90 Day Fiancé franchise host Shaun Robinson, gospel singer Yolanda Adams, Mayor of Kingstown star Michael Beach, A Black Lady Sketch Show’s Gabrielle Dennis, stand-up comedian Affion Crockett, Power Rangers franchise vet Karan Ashley and more. 

While waiting on more updates about Kel Mitchell's recovery, check him out in fine form in the Good Burger 2 trailer below.

Good Burger 2 will be available to stream on November 17 with a Paramount+ subscription, but you can check out Kel Mitchell's A+ cameos in A Black Lady Sketch Show with a Max subscription.

I have always appreciated when people follow in the footsteps of their famous parents. In fact, I think it is fun to see actors collaborate with their own children on-screen, of which there are more than enough examples. The following are 30 of our favorite movies and TV shows that proved to be a family affair for the stars involved.

Adam, Jackie, Sadie, And Sunny Sandler (You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah)

Not only did producer Adam Sandler star as the father of two girls played by his real daughters, Sadie and Sunny, in the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah cast in 2023. The Netflix original coming-of-age dramedy also stars the comedian’s wife, Jackie, while Idina Menzel handled the role of Adam’s onscreen spouse.

Andie MacDowell And Margaret Qualley (MAID)

According to MAID developer Molly Smith Metzler, it was actually star Margaret Qualley who brought up the idea of casting her own mother, Andie MacDowell, as her character’s mother. The Golden Globe-nominated Four Weddings and Funeral star plays Paula (a woman with severe bipolar disorder) opposite the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast member in the Netflix original miniseries based on Stephanie Land’s memoir.

Angelina Jolie And Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (Maleficent)

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt gave her debut (and, so far, sole) onscreen acting performance opposite her mother, Angelina Jolie, in 2014’s Maleficent — a live-action reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective. According to Vanity Fair, the then-5-year-old got the part of a younger version of Elle Fanning’s character, Aurora, because other children were too afraid of the Academy Award winner in full makeup and costume in the title role.

Ben And Jerry Stiller And Anne Meara (Various)

Ben Stiller shared the screen with both of his late parents, legendary comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, multiple times — the first being the 1989 mockumentary, That’s Adequate, followed by 1991 horror-comedy, Highway to Hell. Ben later played a sadistic fitness guru who purchases a youth weight loss camp from his parents’ characters in Disney’s 1995 summer comedy movie, Heavyweights, before casting them 2001’s Zoolander, with Jerry as Maury Ballstein and Meara cameoing as an egg-throwing protester.

Billy Ray, Miley, And Noah Cyrus (Doc, Hannah Montana)

Both Miley Cyrus and her sister, Noah, made their acting debuts on the medical drama, Doc, which was led by their musician father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Years later, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took a supporting role on Miley’s smash hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, which Noah would also appear on in various unnamed roles.

Brendan, Domhnall, And Brian Gleeson (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1, Frank Of Ireland)

Brendan Gleeson reprised Mad-Eye Moody in the penultimate installment of the Harry Potter movies, which also starred his son, Domhnall, as Ron Weasley’s older brother, Bill, in 2010. More than a decade later, the Academy Award nominee starred opposite the Star Wars movies actor and his younger son, Brian, in an episode of their Amazon Prime comedy series, Frank of Ireland, as a new boyfriend of the title character’s mother.

Blythe Danner And Gwyneth Paltrow (Sylvia)

In 2003, Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow played the title role of a biopic about Sylvia Plath. To play the renowned writer and poet’s mother, Aurelia, Paltrow’s real-life mother, Tony and Emmy Award winner Blythe Danner was cast.

Chris, Tristan, And India Hemsworth (Thor: Love And Thunder)

After his older brother, Luke, portrayed his comic book character in a play in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth made 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder a real family affair. Not only would Luke return, but Chris’s son, Tristan, appeared as the title character’s younger self in a flashback and his daughter, India, played Gorr the God Butcher’s daughter, Love.

Clint And Scott Eastwood (Gran Torino, Trouble With The Curve)

The first time Clint Eastwood acted alongside his son, Scott, was in 2007’s Gran Torino for a scene in which — as the Suicide Squad star claimed to Conan O’Brien — his father threw a few unscripted insults toward his character. Five years later, Scott starred in the baseball movie Trouble with the Curve as a minor leaguer discovered by his father’s character.

Damon Wayans And Damon Wayans Jr. (Blankman, My Wife And Kids, Happy Together)

Daman Wayans Jr. debuted as the younger version of his father’s character — aspiring superhero, Kevin — in the funny ‘90s movie Blankman, before landing a recurring role on his sitcom, My Wife and Kids, and later inviting him to play his dad on his own sitcom, Happy Together. In early 2023, Deadline reported that the Wayans are developing a new sitcom that will pair them up as an on-screen father-son duo once again.

Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, And Rumer Willis (Various)

Rumer Willis’ first two acting gigs were alongside her mother, Demi Moore, as Angela Albertson in the underrated ‘90s movie, Now and Then, and as the daughter of Moore’s character in the classic stripper movie, Striptease. The actor and singer’s next two roles would be alongside her father, Bruce Willis, with an uncredited cameo in the 2000 comedy, The Whole Nine Yards, and as the daughter of Willis’ character in the 2005 thriller, Hostage.  

Donald And Kiefer Sutherland (A Time To Kill, Forsaken)

The first time Donald and Kiefer Sutherland appeared in a movie together — namely 1996’s A Time to Kill — Donald played a civil rights lawyer and Kiefer played a vicious white supremacist. Nearly two decades later, the father and son played a father and son in a western called Forsaken.

Eugene, Dan, And Sarah Levy (Schitt's Creek)

The Schitt’s Creek cast has more than two related actors in it. Eugene Levy and his son, Dan (who also created the hit sitcom together), play Johnny Rose and his son, David, and Dan’s sister, Sarah, also stars as Café Tropical owner, Twyla Sands.

George And Mayan Lopez (Lopez Vs. Lopez)

Comedian George Lopez teamed up with his daughter, Mayan, and Debby Wolfe to create the NBC sitcom, Lopez vs. Lopez. The series — which  was renewed for a second season, according to Variety — also stars George and Mayan as a father and daughter forced to reconnect after year when they have no choice but to move in together.

Henry And Jane Fonda (On Golden Pond)

The 1981 film adaptation of the acclaimed play On Golden Pond was a very special moment in Henry Fonda’s career. In addition to being his final performance, which earned him a Best Actor Oscar, it saw him share the screen with his real-life daughter, Jane, who played his estranged daughter.

Johnny And Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk, Yoga Hosers)

A nearly unrecognizable Johnny Depp plays Guy LaPointe in Kevin Smith’s bizarre A24 horror movie, 2014’s Tusk, which also stars his daughter, Lily-Rose, as a convenience store employee. When Smith made a spin-off in 2016 focusing on Lily-Rose and Harley Quinn Smith’s characters called Yoga Hosers, Depp reprised the French-Canadian P.I. as well.

Judy Garland And Liza Minnelli (In The Good Old Summertime, The Judy Garland Show)

As The Guardian recalls, the multi-talented Liza Minnelli was just three years old  when she made her acting debut with a brief cameo at the end of 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime, alongside her mother — the iconic Judy Garland. The Wizard of Oz star later invited her daughter to perform with her on her variety program, The Judy Garland Show, in the early 1960s.

Kirk, Diana, Michael, And Cameron Douglas (It Runs In The Family)

It Runs in the Family, marks a rare instance of a movie starring three generations of an actor family. It stars Kirk Douglas and his former wife, Diana, as the father and mother of a man played by their real son, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, whose own actual son, Cameron, also stars as his eldest son in the 2003 dramedy.

Leslie Mann And Iris and Maude Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40)

Leslie Mann’s character in 2007’s Knocked Up and its 2012 quasi-sequel, This is 40, is married to writer/director Judd Apatow in real life. Their children, Iris and Maude — the latter of which went on to star in the Euphoria cast as Lex Howard -- appear in both This is 40 and Knocked Up with Leslie Mann.

Martin And Charlie Sheen And Emilio Estevez (Various)

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez are celebrity siblings who have acted together multiple times, including once with their father, Martin Sheen, with small roles in Badlands. However, every other time the actors appeared alongside Martin was individually — with Charlie in Wall Street, Cadence, and Hot Shots, most notably, and with Estevez in In the Custody of Strangers and The Way.

Meryl Streep And Mamie Gummer (Heartburn, Evening, Ricki And The Flash)

When speaking to Jimmy Fallon, Mamie Gummer looked back on her acting debut as a toddler in the 1986 dramedy Heartburn, which was led by her mother, Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. More than twenty years later, Gummer played her mother’s younger self in the 2007 romantic drama, Evening, before playing her estranged daughter in 2015’s Ricki and the Flash.

Ralph And Julia Macchio (Cobra Kai)

Ralph Macchio’s daughter, Julia, has made a name for herself as an actor in movies like Girl Most Likely and shows like Showtime’s City on a Hill. She would share the screen with her father on a couple episodes of Netflix’s Karate Kid sequel series, Cobra Kai, as Daniel LaRusso’s cousin, Vanessa — a young, but highly skilled, child psychology grad student.

Ryan And Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon)

According to Collider, the record for youngest Oscar winner is still held by Tatum O’Neal for her performance in 1973’s Paper Moon. Her character in the crime dramedy directed by the late Peter Bogdanovich is a precocious, Depression-era orphan who teams up with a con artist who could be her father, played the actor’s actual father, Ryan O’Neal.

Robin And Zelda Williams (In Search Of Dr. Seuss, Nine Months, House Of D)

Zelda Williams had her first taste of show business with her father -- Academy Award winner Robin Williams -- right beside her in the 1994 TV movie In Search of Dr. Seuss and the following year with her small role in the Hugh Grant-led rom-com, Nine Months. Her first starring role in a theatrically released film was in 2004’s House of D, which also marked the third and final time she acted alongside her late father.

Sean And Dylan Penn (Flag Day)

Sean Penn and Robin Wright’s daughter, Dylan Penn, got her start as a model before she took up acting. Her biggest role to date was as the unwitting daughter of a criminal played by Sean in 2021’s Flag Day, which the two-time Academy Award winner also directed.

Sylvester And Sage Stallone (Rocky V, Daylight)

In the Rocky movies’ fifth installment, Rocky Jr. was the debut role of star and director Sylvester Stallone’s real-life son, Sage, who would later appear with his dad in the ‘90s action movie,  Daylight. Sage went on to become the founder of Grindhouse Releasing — which prevented him from reprising his Rocky V role in Rocky Balboa — and, according to CNN, sadly passed away at 36 in 2012.

Thandiwe Newton And Nico Parker (Reminiscence)

Nico Parker — known for Disney’s live-action Dumbo remake and HBO’s The Last of Us cast — is the youngest daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker. However, in the 2021 futuristic noir, Reminiscence, she appeared alongside the Westworld star as a grandmother and granddaughter. 

Tom, Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, And Truman Hanks (Various)

Tom Hanks has shared the screen with all four of his children. He cast Colin Hanks in a small role in That Thing You Do! before appearing alongside him again in 2008’s The Great Buck Howard. Elizabeth Hanks was also in That Thing You Do!, but debuted in Forrest Gump. Chet Hanks has been in Larry Crowne and Greyhound and Truman Hanks normally does technical film work, but has appeared in three of his dad’s movies — News of the World, A Man Called Otto, and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.

Will, Jaden, And Willow Smith (The Pursuit Of Happyness, After Earth, I Am Legend)

Jaden Smith has played his father's onscreen son in two of Will Smith's movies — the first being his debut role in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness and the second in the M. Night Shyamalan movie, After Earth. Willow Smith also made her acting debut as her father’s daughter in a heartbreaking flashback sequence from 2007’s I Am Legend.

If you're familiar with some or all of these films, you may agree that much of these parent-child pairings demonstrate the magic that can come from family members working together on screen. 

The Harder They Fall, Jeymes Samuel’s new school western starring Jonathan Majors as the outlaw Nat Love as he seeks revenge against those responsible for his parents’ murder is finally streaming on Netflix following a limited theatrical engagement. After watching the movie that also features Idris Elba and Regina King, you might be wondering why so many people on The Harder They Fall cast look so familiar. Well, fret not, for we have put together a quick yet comprehensive guide of all the major players and cut-throat bandits seen throughout the movie. Let’s break down all those familiar and not-so-friendly faces…

Jonathan Majors (Nat Love)

Taking on the role of the vengeful slave-turned-cowboy Nat Love in The Harder They Fall is Jonathan Majors, who is currently in one of the most impressive runs in show business in recent memory. A relatively unknown actor only a few years ago, Majors has skyrocketed into stardom ever since he appeared in the 2019 drama The Last Black Man in San Francisco. But Majors’ career really took off in the 2020 when he landed the lead role of Atticus Freeman on the HBO supernatural horror series Lovecraft Country.

In the summer of 2021, Jonathan Majors reached yet another level of his career (one that has potential to turn him into an everyday name) when he took on the role of He Who Remains on the Disney+ streaming series Loki. Majors will reprise that role (though as a different variation of the character) when he portrays Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is slated for a 2023 release.

Idris Elba (Rufus Buck)

Idris Elba shows up in The Harder They Fall as Rufus Buck, the recently escaped convict who finds himself in Nat Love’s crosshairs after killing the outlaw's parents. The Netflix western caps off an impressive year for the former star of The Wire, a year that also included Concrete Cowboy and The Suicide Squad. But Elba was already a massive star before the start of 2021, with memorable roles on Luther, The Office, and the aforementioned HBO crime drama.

Over the years, Idris Elba has appeared in the Fast and Furious franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and various other movies including dramas like American Gangster and sci-fi thrillers like Prometheus, to name only a few.

Zazie Beetz (Stagecoach Mary)

Zazie Beetz brings to life the historical figure known as Stagecoach Mary, a legend of the Old West, in The Harder They Fall. Ever since breaking out as Vanessa “Van” Keefer on Atlanta  and Noelle on Easy in 2016, Beetz built up an impressive career for herself, with appearances in massive box office hits like Deadpool 2 and Joker. 

Other notable movies and shows to feature Zazie Beetz include Lucy in the Sky, Seberg, The Twilight Zone, and Invincible. Beetz looks to keep the momentum going in 2022 with the star-studded Brad Pitt action thriller Bullet Train and DreamWorks Animation feature film The Bad Guys.

Regina King (Trudy Smith)

Portraying the “Treacherous” Trudy Smith, Rufus Buck’s most loyal right-hand-woman, is Academy Award winner Regina King. Throughout her career, King has appeared in some of the most consequential and successful films including Boyz in the Hood, Friday, Ray, and If Beale Street Could Talk (for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress). King also received a Golden Globe nomination for her feature film directorial debut One Night in Miami.

Regina King has been just as successful on TV since breaking out on the medium with a starring role on the long-running comedy series 227 in 1985. Since then, King has appeared on The Boondocks, 24, Southland, American Crime, Seven Seconds, and Watchmen, taking home Primetime Emmy Awards for those last three.

Edi Gathegi (Bill Pickett)

Portraying Bill Pickett in The Harder They Fall is Edi Gathegi, who has appeared in a little bit of everything since making his professional acting debut in the 2006 action flick Crank. Since then, Gathegi has appeared in Gone Baby Gone, X-Men: First Class, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part I, and The Last Thing He Wanted.

Edi Gathegi’s TV career is probably where most will recognize his face though, as he has had roles on House, Justified, The Blacklist (and The Blacklist: Redemption), StartUp, and Briarpatch. He is also set to have a main role on the Apple TV+ streaming series For All Mankind when the show returns for a third season.

RJ Cyler (Jim Beckwourth)

Taking on the role “Bloody Arm” Jim Beckwourth in The Harder They Fall is RJ Cyler. Ever since breaking out with his portrayal of Earl Jackson in the 2015 coming-of-age dramedy Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Cyler has gone on to play the Blue Ranger, aka Billy Cranston in the 2017 Power Rangers movie, show up in White Boy Rick, and share the screen with Brad Pitt, Ben Kingsley, and several other notable stars in War Machine.

RJ Cyler’s TV work is just as impressive with major roles on I’m Dying Up Here, Black Lightning, Scream, and Swamp Thing, as well as a few episodes of the HBO comedy series Vice Principals.

Lakeith Stanfield (Cherokee Bill)

Stepping in to take on the role of Cherokee Bill in The Harder They Fall is Lakeith Stanfield, who is perhaps one of the most recognizable faces in the large ensemble cast. Over the years, Stanfield has had major roles in everything from Short Term 12 to Selma and The Purge: Anarchy to Straight Outta Compton. In 2017, Stanfield had a small yet key role in Jordan Peele’s horror film Get Out before starring in the truly bizarre Sorry to Bother You the following year. Here more recently, Stanfield has played major parts in Uncut Gems, Knives Out, and Judas and the Black Messiah.

Lakeith Stanfield is also one of the main stars of the FX series Atlanta, which is expected to return for a third season at some point in the first half of 2022.

Delroy Lindo (Bass Reeves)

Veteran of film, TV, and the stage, Delroy Lindo portrays Bass Reeves in The Harder They Fall. Throughout his film career, which goes back to the mid-1970s, Lindo has appeared in a total of four Spike Lee Joints — Malcolm X, Crookylyn, Clockers, and Da 5 Bloods —as well as action thrillers like Congo and Romeo Must Die to dramas like The Cider House Rules and The Devil’s Advocate.

Delroy Lindo has also appeared on shows like The Good Fight, This Is Us, Kidnapped, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Perhaps the most impressive portion of Lindo’s career is his work on various stages around the world. With memorable performances in multiple Shakespeare productions and 20th Century classics like Of Mice and Men and A Raisin in the Sun, Lindo’s talent is undeniable.

Danielle Deadwyler (Cuffee)

Danielle Deadwyler shows up in The Harder They Fall as Cuffee. Prior to landing a role in the new Netflix western, Deadwyler spent the majority of her career taking part in various TV projects that just so happen to be some of the most notable of the past decade or more. This includes Atlanta, Watchmen, The Haves and the Have Nots, FBI: Most Wanted, and several others of note. Deadwyler has also appeared in movies like The Youth, Gifted, and It’s Time during that same stretch of time.

Deon Cole (Wiley Escoe)

Deon Cole portrays the character Wiley Escoe in the Netflix western drama The Harder They Fall. Over the years, Cole has been a fixture of the Barbershop franchise as well as other comedies featuring large ensemble casts like Friendsgiving and Holiday Rush. 

However, most will probably recognize Deon Cole from his TV work, which includes playing Charlie Telphy on black-ish and its spinoff series grown-ish. Outside of that critically acclaimed beloved property, Cole has appeared on Angie Tribeca, The League, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. Cole is also an accomplished comedian, having made appearances on shows like Def Comedy Jam, and Wild ’n Out. He has also been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing work on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan.

Damon Wayans Jr. (Monroe Grimes)

Damon Wayans Jr. shows up in The Harder They Fall as Monroe Grimes. Wayans, the son of legendary comedian Damon Wayans, has spent much of his life working on various film and TV projects. Starting with his work on the silver screen, Wayans has appeared in movies like Blankman (as a young Kevin Walker), The Other Guys, Let’s Be Cops, Big Hero 6, and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, with multiple movies scattered between those.

Like his father before him, Damon Wayans Jr. has carved out a nice place for himself on the small screen throughout her career. This includes everything from Happy Endings to New Girl and Happy Together to Bob’s Burgers. At some point in the near future, Wayans will also serve as the host of the Frogger game show.

Well, that about does it for The Harder They Fall cast, but with so many great 2021 Netflix movies coming out before the end of the year, be on the lookout for more lists just like this one.

Who’s that girl? Who’s that giiiiirl? It’s Jess! It’s kind of crazy to believe that New Girl ended back in 2018 since it’s been in constant rotation on my wife’s Netflix account ever since. The show, which would early on advertise its lead, Zooey Deschanel as “adorkable”, would later drop the whole idea and instead focus on the rest of the New Girl cast since it was always more of an ensemble piece anyway. To wit, it was actually the other New Girl characters, like Schmidt, Coach, and Cece who played off of Jess’s character, making her so much funnier in the long run.

But, with such a great cast of characters, who was the funniest on the show? That’s actually really tough, and I asked some of my friends online who they thought was the funniest, but I got completely different answers across the board. I’m crossing my fingers that New Girl will have a reunion of sorts, a la Friends, but until that day, here are the funniest characters on New Girl, ranked by hilarity.

6. Jess (Zooey Deschanel)

The “New Girl” the show is actually based around, Jess really is “adorkable.” From her job as a teacher—of both children and adults—to her many weird boyfriends, Jess is an interesting character with many quirks, some good, and some bad. In that way, I like Jess. I don’t know if I would want her to be my roommate, but she’s fun to watch. Especially when she’s playing “True American” with the gang.

So, why is she at the bottom of this list? Well, because her character is only really funny around other characters. What I mean is, she’s a great springboard for jokes, and everybody else is funnier because she’s there, but I don’t really think that she’s funny on her own. She’s awkward, which is the point, but it’s only funny because it bleeds into all the other characters around her. Case in point, “The Hike” episode. When Cece’s former boyfriend, Robby (played by Nelson Franklin) tries to date Jess, everything goes downhill fast when they learn that they’re actually third cousins. Her shocked reaction to it is great, but it only really works since Robby doesn’t seem to really care all that much. That contrast is great, but it doesn’t always work in Jess’s favor.

5. Cece (Hannah Simone)

Jess’s best friend and former model, Cece is fiercely loyal to anybody she cares about. At first, she goes from boyfriend to boyfriend, but then eventually falls in love with Schmidt, which changed the whole dynamic of her character as a lot of her humor was exchanged for the cuteness of their relationship.

Now, I know how I just said that Jess is at her best around others, and the same can be said about Cece. But I just prefer Cece’s, You-guys-are-all-losers-but-I-love-you-anyway, attitude. She’s especially great with Winston (played by Lamorne Morris) as his often silly, prankish comedy bounces off of her more laid back approach. So, when she actually is excited, like when she was trying on wedding dresses, her humor and happiness is infectious, making her that much funnier. Who doesn’t love Cece?

4. Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.)

Coach was one of the original roommates who moved out when he got into a serious relationship (and by serious relationship, I mean the actor, Damon Wayans Jr. was still contractually on the show, Happy Endings). He’s a former athlete and a physical trainer who pretends to be tough, but he’s not fooling anybody. He’s a complete softy on the inside.

Now, here’s where I met some contention. My wife said Coach is the funniest character on the show, but most others put him closer to the bottom. I think it’s because he left for a while, and when he came back, his replacement, Winston, just completely took over in his absence. But when he came back, he had some great moments, like when he was searching for a boy named “Duquan Feldman” that he made up to help Winston out, and ended up coming home with a grown man instead. Coach is a great character, but I wouldn’t put him in the top three. He wasn’t on the show enough to earn it. He’s like Brock Lesner only showing up to PPV events. And if you get that wrestling reference, you’re awesome.

3. Schmidt (Max Greenfield)

Schmidt, who works at a very successful marketing firm (run almost entirely by women) considers himself the alpha male in pretty much any situation, even though everybody around him can tell that he’s trying way too hard to pull it off. He’s a bit of a douchebag (which is why he constantly needs to fill the douchebag jar), but he’s also a really good friend and boyfriend who has a genuinely good heart. He’s not the guy you love to hate. He’s actually quite the opposite, the guy you hate to love!

If Schmidt’s character was on any other show, he’d be the funniest character by far. He’s kind of like the Kramer of New Girl, as his wild, somewhat manic personality definitely makes him stand out from the rest of the cast. But like that Seinfeld reference, Schmidt is not on another show. He’s on New Girl, which means that pretty much every character is funny. Even the guests. In that way, his controlling personality is definitely funny, like when he specifies to Cece that he “designs” rather than “decorates” the apartment. But it’s the kind of humor that I can only take in small dosages, which is also kind of like Cosmo Kramer.

2. Winston (Lamorne Morris)

Winston, who just came back from playing basketball in Latvia, is a weird guy who loves cats and playing pranks on people. What more could you possibly want in a roommate? He’s the kind of guy who will go to a wedding and order the fruitiest drink on the menu, and also the kind of guy you would never think would become a cop, but becomes one anyway. If you don’t love Winston, I’m pretty sure you’re dead inside.

Winston is a grown ass man who’s afraid of the dark. He calls himself “Pranks Sinatra” and earns that title, like when he said he pulled off “my greatest prank” (Or, “Engram Pattersky”) and made everybody in the loft think they were getting kicked out. If I were to rewatch New Girl in its entirety, I’m pretty sure Winston would get the most laughs since he definitely has the best lines. Or maybe it’s just that he delivers his lines the best. I really wanted to put Winston at number 1, but…

1. Nick (Jake Johnson)

Bartender turned author of The Pepperwood Chronicles, Nick, played by Spider-Man himself, Jake Johnson, looks tired all the time, both physically, and emotionally. He’s a cheap ass who doesn’t apply himself—until he does—and when he does try, it almost always goes wrong. I genuinely feel like I knew people just like Nick in college, which makes him feel like the most authentic character on the show. And also the funniest.

Winston may have the best lines, and Schmidt the best outbursts, but I can just look at Nick and I'll start laughing. He can just be standing off in the corner with his eyes glazed over, and his mouth slightly ajar and I’ll just start cracking up. I can’t really think of one specific moment from the show that Nick stole, but that’s because he stole all of them. He’s sarcastic to a fault and believes that you can use somebody else’s bath towel after you take a shower since you’re already clean. Nick is the only character who I think could have his own show, and it would still be really funny even without the other characters. And for that reason, Nick is the funniest character on the show.

But what do you think? Did I put Zooey Deschanel way too low on the list? If so, then sound off in the poll below! I’d love to hear your thoughts.

This poll is no longer available.

While our movies and television shows were once saturated with comedians such as Adam Sandler, or the legendary Robin Williams, newer talents have been taking the stage for some time now, one of those being Damon Wayans Jr.

The actor/comedian has appared in several movies and shows, showing off not only his comedic skills but his dramatic chops as well. And, his time on Happy Endings and some of his funniest moments as Coach in New Girl aren't the only things Damon Wayans Jr. has done in Hollywood. Here’s where you can watch some of the best Damon Wayans Jr. movies and TV shows.

Happy Endings (Hulu, Netflix)

When I think of the typical sitcom, some of my thoughts are always directly related to three characteristics – love, comedy, and dysfunction of the characters. Luckily, Happy Endings has all three. In this popular sitcom, we get to follow the adventures of six best friends living in Chicago, all of which have their own quirks and adventures that take you for a ride.

While Damon Wayans Jr. had done some television and films prior to his role in Happy Endings, this is arguably what made him famous for how slick the comedy was, and how fun the story became. It’s almost like the Chicago version of Friends to me, but with some even crazier stories. If you’re looking for a fun time, Happy Endings is the way to go for you.

Stream Happy Endings on Hulu.

Stream Happy Endings on Netflix.

Rent Happy Endings on Amazon.

How To Be Single (HBO Max)

For a funny romantic comedy, we take a look at How To Be Single. In this film, we see four women who are friends, all with very different ideas on what love should be, while they navigate their single lives in New York City and have struggles of their own as they make new friends along the way.

If you’re looking for a star cast list besides Damon Wayans Jr., this whole entire film is stacked with stars, from Pitch Perfect cast member Rebel Wilson to Community cast memberAlison Brie. Alongside that, the chemistry between all the stars is enjoyable and really sets the tone for the film, creating a great romantic comedy that anyone could enjoy, whether you’re living life in a relationship or single. Damon Wayans Jr. rocks it in his role and shows off his great comedy chops in a romantic setting.

Stream How To Be Single on HBO Max.

Rent How To Be Single on Amazon.

Someone Marry Barry (Hulu)

I always feel like this is the one film that a lot of people don’t know about when it comes to Damon Wayans Jr., and honestly, that is a crime. In Someone Marry Barry, a group of childhood friends band together to try and get their socially inappropriate friend a wife – but, when he ends up finding his female equal, it only causes more and more problems for them.

As one of Damon Wayans Jr.’s first films, it doesn’t pull any punches in the comedy department. Some of the jokes will have you laughing so hard that you’ll be holding your side. What makes it even better is how much the lives of the group of friends do change when they meet this girl – showing that even when you want to try and help, sometimes it only ends in disaster. It’s a shame the film didn’t get more publicity than it did, which means you should go and watch it right now.

Stream Someone Marry Barry on Hulu.

Big Hero 6 (Disney+)

As someone who grew up loving Disney, this was actually where I first heard of Damon Wayans Jr., in a voice role that fits him perfectly. In Big Hero 6, we get to learn the story of a young boy, named Hiro Hamada, who utilizes Baymax, his late brother’s work, and healthcare robot, to form a superhero team to combat a villain who is responsible for the death of his brother.

So, why is this the perfect role for Damon Wayans Jr.? There’s just something about Wasabi in Big Hero 6, how every single one of his jokes keep hitting, including his preciseness about where he keeps his tools. He’s just a great time overall – and honestly, so is the film. Animation tells some awesome stories, and you shouldn’t miss out on this one. The movie became so popular, it even got a TV series.

Stream Big Hero 6 on Disney+.

Rent Big Hero 6 on Amazon.

Love, Guaranteed (Netflix)

In one of his most recent films, Damon Wayans Jr. tackled the classic romantic comedy once more. In the Netflix original film Love, Guaranteed, a small-town lawyer must try and save her law firm, so she teams up with Nick, a new client who wants to sue a dating site that supposedly “guarantees love.” However, as the case begins to grow, so do the feelings between the two of them.

While How To Be Single offered a different take on the rom-com, I feel like Love, Guaranteed is the perfect film for someone who just wants the easiest romantic comedy storyline there could be – and there’s literally nothing wrong with that, because I’m like that, too. The chemistry between Rachael Leigh Cook and Damon Wayans Jr. is great, and really drives the film, while also delivering that typical comedic romance you would expect from a film like this. It’s definitely a great pick among some of the rest.

Stream Love, Guaranteed on Netflix.

New Girl (Netflix)

After Happy Endings, Damon Wayans Jr. went on to another big role in TV – well, one that started out big and then turned into an even bigger one later on. In New Girl, we get to see the story of Jess, a teacher who was just cheated on by her boyfriend and decides to move into an apartment with three strangers named Coach, Schmidt, and Nick. And, from there, they go on to have some absolutely wild times together.

While Coach, played by Damon Wayans Jr., only appeared in the pilot of Season 1, his character replaced by Winston, he came back during Season 3, and would continue to make appearances in the show afterward, adding more ridiculous stories and fun times to the group of Californians. What makes Coach even more enjoyable is while he is super cocky and extremely talented at sports, he’s also adorkably awkward sometimes, which makes you want to root for him even if he is a bit of a jerk sometimes.

The New Girl cast in general is so great – you really should watch the show if you haven’t yet.

Stream New Girl on Netflix.

Rent New Girl on Amazon.

Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar (Amazon Rental)

Let me just say that this movie is one of the best comedies to come out in the last couple of years, in my opinion, and it deserves the praise that it’s gotten. This film, starring Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo as leads of the Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar cast, follows two best friends from Nebraska who go on vacation together, heading to Florida, only to end up trapped in some sort of evil plot.

There are so many things to praise this movie for. Not only is Damon Wayans Jr. super funny as Darlie Bunkle, but the rest of the cast has such great chemistry that everything, from comedy to story to wacky moments, flows together perfectly. The movie is bright and colorful, with plenty of great silly moments that make you snort with laughter. Also, the comedic pairing between Wiig and Mumolo is top-notch – you can’t convince me otherwise.

Rent Barn and Star Go To Vista Del Mar on Amazon.

Super Troopers 2 (Amazon Rental)

Super Troopers is a comedy that quickly became a cult favorite, whether that was for good reasons or bad, so it was only a matter of time before it got a sequel. Super Troopers 2 follows the original gang from the first film as they are called upon to set up a Highway Patrol station, when a border dispute suddenly comes up between the United States and Canada, creating a whirlwind of problems.

The sequel is about the same sort of quality for a Super Troopers film, creating interesting shenanigans and quirky moments that will have you laughing. The plot is ridiculously out there and silly, but it’s still funny enough to keep your attention. While Damon Wayans Jr.’s character isn’t featured heavily in this film, he's very funny for the time that he’s in it.

Rent Super Troopers 2 on Amazon.

Let’s Be Cops (Amazon Rental)

Let’s Be Cops is one of my guilty pleasure movies, and I am not afraid to admit it. In this buddy cop action-comedy film, we see Damon Wayans Jr. team up with Jake Johnson, his former co-star on New Girl, and tell the story of two friends who decide to pretend to be police officers in the Los Angeles Police Department.

The first aspect that drives Let’s Be Cops is the chemistry between Wayans Jr. and Johnson. From their time already working together, the two perform exceptionally well in their roles, and play off the other nicely with their comedic timing. It almost feels like I’m watching Coach and Nick from New Girl on their own separate adventure. Other than that, the plot is hysterical and wacky and ridiculous, but to me, that’s what makes it such a guilty pleasure.

Rent Let’s Be Cops on Amazon.

Bonus: Cherry (Apple TV+)

Damon Wayans Jr. also recently had a minor role in the Apple TV+ original film, Cherry, starring Tom Holland, but his role was very brief as Drill Sgt. Masters. However Cherry is still a great film with plenty of stars attached to it, so be sure to check it out if you haven't yet.

Stream Cherry on Apple TV+.

While Damon Wayans Jr. may not be in the best movies on Netflix or the best movies on Amazon Prime, there’s no denying that the man is funny and has plenty of talent. I can’t wait to see what he does next, and the new films he has coming up.

Romantic comedies are a tricky business. Getting the balance of feel-good romance, comedy and somewhat realistic relationships just right is not an easy thing, and many of these movies are less-than-fulfilling for a lot of fans of the genre. One thing that's been especially true over the years, is that these movies tend to be pretty divided along line of race, with us either following BIPOC as they fall in love, or two white characters. Now, though, after his Love, Guaranteed success for Netflix, Damon Wayans Jr. is set to star in a new film for the streamer that's got me even more excited.

According to Deadline, Damon Wayans Jr. is on board to play one of the leads in Players, a new Netflix rom-com which will also star Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez and Lucifer's Tom Ellis. The story, which is by Ozark and Daredevil scribe Whit Anderson, will follow Chicago sportswriter Mack (Rodriguez), when she falls in love after years of coming up with winning hookup "plays" with her best buddy, Adam (Wayans Jr.). But, now that she's found herself falling hard for one of her hookup targets (Ellis), Mack and Adam have to figure out "what it takes to go from simply scoring to playing for keeps."

Aside from the fact that this set up already sounds pretty great for a rom-com, I love that the movie is doing several things differently from what you usually see in this type of film. First of all, I absolutely love that Players focuses mostly on the love life of a BIPOC woman. Obviously, there are several other romantic comedies that do this, but they don't usually get the kind of mainstream love they deserve. Gina Rodriguez herself starred in such a movie for Netflix in 2019, Someone Great, and has more than proven that she's awesome at handling a wide variety of romantic plotlines.

That film, however, was not your standard romantic comedy, mostly because it focused on a woman getting over a difficult breakup. And, though it ended happily, it did not end with Rodriguez's character in a happy relationship, which is something that a lot of rom-com lovers would prefer when we watch these types of films. All you have to do is take note of how successful the many, many dozens of Hallmark made for TV romances are to know that.

While it's 1000% true that Hallmark never fails at bringing audiences a sweet, we're-totally-in-love-forever-now happily ever after for every couple they show, the network has not been good at making sure we get to see a lot of diverse romances over its several years of filling pretty much every month with new romances. While this is starting to change more and more (mostly because of fan outcry), the network's movies are still very much mostly in a "two white folks fall in love" or a "two black folks fall in love" mode, with not many interracial romances or people of color in those romances bringing in a fuller scope of diversity.

But, here's Netflix, giving us two main characters of color in Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayans Jr. for Players. Her Mack may not be falling in love with another BIPOC, but we're probably guaranteed to see Wayans Jr. a lot as Adam, as opposed to him being relegated to a sexless secondary character.

And, not for nothing, but the number of rom-coms which take the story from a woman's point of view and also set her as the one previously only interested in hooking up who then has to figure out falling in love, are very few and far between. I'm glad Players is letting a woman gleefully enjoy her hoe time, OK? Men get to do it on screen all the time, and ladies should be afforded the same opportunity to watch other women enjoy some romantic exploration in movies before figuring out a serious love thing, and without somehow being punished for it. All of this has me very excited for Players, so I can't wait to see the final result!

We don't know right now when Players will hit the streamer, so, in the meantime, you can check out our guide to all of the 2021 Netflix movie release dates and the 2021 new movie release schedule!

In 2021, Tom Holland got in touch with his darker side thanks to his starring role in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo in their follow-up to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, this moody adaptation of Nico Walker's buzzy semi-autobiographical novel centers around an opioid-addicted, PTSD-stricken army veteran who robs banks to support himself. Certainly, this R-rated movie is a stark departure from what we've seen from both this plucky actor and these MCU mainstay directors, trading their flashy superhero gear for something grittier and closer to reality.

Cherry already made its limited theatrical rollout prior to its Apple TV+ debut. Now that it's available on the streaming platform, let's highlight the acting ensemble of this passion project. Filled with familiar faces and up-and-coming stars alike, you'll recognize at least a few actors in this high-profile drama. If you're wondering why, we're here to help! Here's where you've seen the Cherry cast before.

Tom Holland (Cherry)

As our opioid-addicted, bank-robbing army medic title character, Tom Holland gives one of his most acclaimed performances to date in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Away from this new crime drama, Holland previously worked with directors Joe and Anthony Russo on Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame in the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Likewise, Holland played this Marvel web-slinger in starring vehicles like Spider-Man: Homecoming and its sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Outside of his Marvel Cinematic Universe commitments, Tom Holland's other notable film credits include The Impossible, The Lost City of Z, In the Heart of the Sea, How I Live Now, and Netflix's The Devil All The Time. Additionally, as a voice actor, Holland can be heard in Onward, Spies in Disguise, Dolittle, Locke, and The Secret World of Arrietty. Prior to his film performances, the young actor gained notice and acclaim for his title role in West End's Billy Elliot: The Musical. Next, Holland will star in March's Chaos Walking, as well as Uncharted and MCU's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is now filming.

Ciara Bravo (Emily)

In the role of Emily, Cherry's equally drug-addicted partner, Ciara Bravo plays one of her most mature parts to date in Anthony and Joe Russo's Cherry. Most notably, Bravo is recognized for her other starring roles in Nickelodeon's Big Time Rush, YouTube Premium's Wayne, and Fox's Red Band Society and Second Chance, respectively. Also, the former child actress can be seen in a pair of 2013 Nickelodeon movies, Swindle and Jinxed. Her other film credits include Angels & Demons, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, To the Bone, and The Long Dumb Road, as well as voice work in Open Season 3. On TV, Bravo also appeared in NCIS, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Supah Ninjas, The Haunted Hathaways, and Into the Dark. Most recently, the actress had a recurring role in FX's limited series, A Teacher. Next, she's set to be star in Coast and Small Engine Repair.

Michael Rispoli (Tommy)

Playing the part of Tommy, Michael Rispoli took on a prominent supporting character in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Most notably, Rispoli is known for his recurring role in HBO's The Sopranos. His other notable film and television credits include 2009's The Taking of Pelham 123, Law & Order, The Deuce, Kick-Ass, Pain & Gain, Invincible, Rounders, Snake Eyes, Summer of Sam, Leaving Las Vegas, While You Were Sleeping, To Die For, and Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, as well as Death to Smoochy, Mr. 3000, The Weather Man, The Rum Diary, Rob the Mob, The Man in the High Castle, Madoff, Volcano, Bottom of the 9th, Billions, Feed the Beast, and Framing John DeLorean.

Additionally, Michael Rispoli starred in 2014's indie comedy, Friends and Romans, which he also co-wrote. Recently, the actor was seen in Dirty John and FBI: Most Wanted. Next, Rispoli appears in Faraway Eyes. He's also expected to star in Bless Me Father.

Jack Reynor (Pills & Coke)

As Pills & Coke, Jack Reynor has a prominent part in Anthony and Joe Russo's Cherry. Most notably, the Irish actor is known for his starring role in Midsommar, as well as his recognizable supporting turns in Sing Street, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Detroit, Delivery Man, Free Fire, On the Basis of Sex, Macbeth (2015), Kin, Dollhouse, A Royal Night Out, The Man with the Iron Heart, The Secret Scripture, and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. He also played lead roles in What Richard Did and Greenland. Additionally, Reynor was a series regular on CBS All Access' Strange Angel, and he appeared in Amazon Prime's anthology series, Electric Dreams. Outside of acting, Reynor also wrote and directed 2019's short film, Bainne. Next, he's expected to be seen in Borderland.

Forrest Goodluck (James Lightfoot)

In the role of James Lightfoot, rising actor Forrest Goodluck received one of his biggest parts to date in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Most notably, Goodluck is known for his supporting turns in The Revenant and The Miseducation of Cameron Post. His other film credits include Indian Horse, Blood Quantum, and last year's I Used To Go Here. Additionally, Goodluck guest-starred in Designated Survivor and The Liberator. Away from film and television, he worked on the video game, Tell Me Why. Next, Goodluck will play a main role in The CW's The Republic of Sarah later this year. Outside of acting, the actor directed a pair of short films, 2018's Devon's Forrest and 2019's A Walk in Beauty.

Damon Wayans Jr. (Drill Sgt. Masters)

Playing the part of Drill Sgt. Masters, comedic actor Damon Wayans Jr. has an authoritative supporting role in Anthony and Joe Russo's Cherry. Most notably, Wayans Jr. is known for his work in ABC's Happy Endings, Fox's New Girl, and CBS's Happy Together. Also, he appeared in Epix's The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. Additionally, Wayans Jr.'s other notable film credits include starring in Let's Be Cops, Dance Flick, and 2020's Love Guaranteed. Most recently, he appeared in February's Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. He can also be seen in Blankman, The Other Guys, Someone Marry Barry, How to Be Single, and Super Troopers 2, as well as heard in Marmaduke, Big Hero 6, The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave, and Trouble.

Additionally, Damon Wayans Jr. makes appearances in shows like My Wife and Kids, Bob's Burgers, The Twilight Zone, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Sherman's Showcase. Next, the film-TV actor will soon be seen in Supercool and Long Weekend.

Michael Gandolfini (Cousin Joe)

As Cousin Joe, Michael Gandolfini received one of his first major screen roles in Apple TV+'s Cherry. The son of the late James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini made his feature film debut in Ocean's 8. He also appeared in several episodes of HBO's The Deuce. He can also be seen in The Boy, The Dog, and the Clown and the short film, Flower, which he also wrote and produced. Next, Gandolfini will take on his father's most famous role as Tony Soprano in this year's prequel, The Many Saints of Newark. Also, the up-and-coming actor will star in Youngest, from writer/director Nat Wolff.

Kyle Harvey (Roy)

In the role of Roy, musician Kyle Harvey received one of his most high-profile acting gigs to date in Joe and Anthony Russo's Cherry. Also known as Kyle, SuperDuperKyle, and K.i.D., Harvey is best known for his breakout 2016 single, "iSpy" feat. Lil Yachty. The musician's other notable songs include "Keep It Real," "Playinwitime, "King Wavy," and "Doubt." His debut studio album, Light of Mine, came out in 2018 to acclaim, with his follow-up, See You When I Am Famous, released last year. As an actor, Harvey played a lead role in Netflix's The After Party. Additionally, he can be seen in Sugar and Toys.

Pooch Hall (Sgt. Whomever)

Playing the part of Sgt. Whomever, Pooch Hall has a noteworthy supporting character in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Most notably, the actor-rapper-model is known for his work in The CW/BET's The Game and Showtime's Ray Donovan. He can also be seen in Jumping the Broom and Chuck, where he became Muhammad Ali. His other notable film credits include A Dog's Purpose, Blind Dating, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming, Hood of Horror, and Carter High. Furthermore, on TV, Hall appeared in Criminal Minds, Suits, Without a Trace, Warehouse 13, Accidentally on Purpose, and Royal Pains.

Thomas Lennon (Father Whomever/Dr. Whomever)

As Father Whomever and Dr. Whomever, Thomas Lennon plays a pair of supporting roles in Anthony and Joe Russo's Cherry. Most notably, Lennon is known as the star and co-creator of Comedy Central's Reno 911!, which was briefly rebooted by Quibi last year. He was also a cast member of MTV's The State, where he also served as a writer and co-creator, and he starred in CBS's The Odd Couple. Some of Lennon's other notable acting credits include 17 Again, I Love You Man, Hancock, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Memento, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cedar Rapids, The Dark Knight Rises, A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and 2020's Valley Girl.

Outside of acting, Thomas Lennon is an accomplished screenwriter with several prominent films accredited to his name, including Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Herbie: Fully Loaded, The Pacifier, Let's Go to Prison, Taxi, Balls of Fury, and Reno 911!: Miami. He also wrote, co-directed, and starred in Hell Baby.

Kelli Berglund (Madison Kowalski)

In the role of Madison Kowalski, Kelli Berglund is another former child star in Apple TV+'s Cherry. Most notably, Berglund headlined Disney XD's Lab Rats, as well as its spin-off series, Lab Rats: Elite Force. Later, the actress starred in Starz's short-lived Now Apocalypse. Also, Berglund had leading parts in Raising the Bar, Disney Channel's How to Build a Better Boy, and Going for Gold. Additionally, she had recurring roles in Animal Kingdom, Hip Hop Harry, and The Goldbergs.

Additionally, Kelli Berglund can be seen in films and shows like Fosse/Verdon, Kickin' It, Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, The Night Shift, Ghost in the Graveyard, 1 Night, and last year's Hubie Halloween. Next, she'll appear in Mark, Mary & Some Other People. Additionally, Berglund is set to star in Starz's drama series, Heels.

Cherry arrived in theaters on February 26th and on Apple TV+ on March 12th.

Nearly 10 years after their Oscar-nominated smash-hit comedy Bridesmaids made its way into theaters worldwide, Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are back for their second screenwriting collaboration with the wacky, surrealistic new comedy, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, which also stars Mumolo and Wiig in the title roles. With a supporting ensemble that includes Jamie Dornan, Damon Wayans Jr., Vanessa Bayer, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Phyllis Smith, and a few surprise celebrity cameos, this is an appropriately star-studded cast. If you're wondering where or how you recognize all the high-profile people involved with this movie, we're here to help.

Here's how you recognize the Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar cast.

Kristen Wiig (Star/Sharon Gordon Fisherman)

In the dual roles of Star, one-half of our vacationing leads, and Sharon Gordon Fisherman, our scheming supervillain dead-set on seeking revenge on the citizens of Vista Del Mar, Kristen Wiig was, fittingly enough, the star of Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. She also co-wrote the movie alongside her screen partner, Annie Mumolo. Most notably, Wiig is known for her multi-Emmy nominated work on Saturday Night Live, where she was a main cast member from 2005 through 2012. The actress also starred in and co-wrote 2011's hit comedy, Bridesmaids, for which she was Oscar-nominated alongside Annie Mumolo for Best Original Screenplay.

Kristen Wiig's other starring roles include The Spoils of Babylon, for which she was Emmy-nominated, MacGruber, The Skeleton Twins, Welcome to Me, Ghostbusters (2016), Girl Most Likely, Hateship Loveship and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. She also played supporting characters in Knocked Up, Whip It, Paul, The Martian, Downsizing, mother!, Masterminds, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Zoolander 2, and Wonder Woman 1984. And Wiig lent her voice to the Despicable Me movies, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Sausage Party, The Looney Tunes Show, Big Mouth, and Fox's Bless the Harts. Her other TV credits include recurring roles in Arrested Development, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, The Spoils Before Dying, and The Last Man on Earth.

Annie Mumolo (Barb Quicksilver)

As Barb Quicksilver, the other half of our vacationing BFFs, Annie Mumolo found her first feature starring role in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, which she also wrote alongside her screen partner, Kristen Wiig. As an actress, Mumolo can also be seen in This is 40, Bad Moms, The Boss, Looks That Kill, Afternoon Delight, and Bewitched. You may also recognize her as the nervous seat-mate to Kristen Wiig's character during the hilarious plane scene in Bridesmaids.

On television, Annie Mumolo was part of the main cast for NBC's About a Boy. She can also be seen in Modern Family, Transparent, Angie Tribeca, and Quibi's Mapleworth Murders. As a voice actress, Mumolo played a prominent role in Curious George, The Looney Tunes Show, American Dad!, and Handy Manny. Next, Mumolo will be seen in Queenpins.

Jamie Dornan (Edgar Paget)

Playing the part of Edgar Paget, a woefully romantic hitman who unwittingly enters a three-way relationship with Barb and Star, Jamie Dornan gave one of his most surprising, inspired, and musical performances in this wacky new comedy. Previously, Dornan starred in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. The former model was also seen in The Fall, Once Upon a Time, Marie Antoinette, Anthropoid, The Siege of Jadotville, and New Worlds. His other notable credits include My Dinner with Herve, Untogether, A Private War, Robin Hood (2018), The 9th Life of Louis Drax, and Death and Nightingales.

Most recently, Jamie Dornan starred in Wild Mountain Thyme, as well as Endings, Beginnings and Synchronic. He can also be heard in last year's Trolls World Tour. Next, he'll be seen in Kenneth Branagh's Belfast.

Damon Wayans Jr. (Darlie Bunkle)

In the role of Darlie Bunkle, a secret spy who doesn't keep his identity much of a secret, Damon Wayans Jr. played a goofy side personality in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Most notably, Wayans Jr. is known for his starring roles in ABC's Happy Endings, Fox's New Girl, CBS's Happy Together, and Epix's The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. His other television credits include My Wife and Kids, Bob's Burgers, The Twilight Zone, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sherman's Showcase, and Hoops.

Additionally, Damon Wayans Jr.'s film credits include starring roles in Let's Be Cops, Dance Flick, and last year's Love Guaranteed. The actor can also be seen in Blankman, The Other Guys, Someone Marry Barry, How to Be Single, and Super Troopers 2. Wayans Jr. can also be heard in Marmaduke, Big Hero 6, The Land Before Time XIV: Journey of the Brave, and Trouble. Next, he'll be seen in Cherry, Supercool, and Long Weekend.

Michael Hitchcock (Gary)

As Gary, the overworked concierge at a very fancy (and overbooked) Vista Del Mar hotel, Michael Hitchcock plays a supporting role in this new comedy. Notably, Hitchcock can also be seen in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Happy Texas, A Mighty Wind, Serenity (2005), For Your Consideration, Wild Hogs and Bridesmaids. On television, Hitchcock served as a writer on MADtv, Glee, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and he appeared in all three shows. Furthermore, the actor also appeared in episodes of Trial & Error, Black Monday, Space Force, The Goldbergs, Veep, The New Normal, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The United States of Tara, Men of a Certain Age, NYPD Blue, and Arrested Development. Next, he'll be seen in The Bystanders and Amazon Prime's A League of Their Own.

Reyn Doi (Yoyo)

Playing the part of Yoyo, Sharon Gordon Fisherman's kidnapped 12-year-old assistant, Reyn Doi is an underutilized supporting player in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Prior to his breakout performance in this ultra-silly comedy, Doi was seen in bit roles in S.W.A.T., Kidding, and Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet. The child actor also appeared in a variety of short films. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is Doi's first feature film.

Vanessa Bayer (Debbie)

In the role of Debbie, the pushy rule-enforcing leader of the Talking Club, Vanessa Bayer played a memorable supporting role in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Most notably, Bayer is known for her Emmy-nominated work in Saturday Night Live, where she served as a cast member between 2010 through 2017. She also starred in Netflix's Ibiza and played supporting roles in Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party, The Polka King, and Wander Darkly. She can also be heard in Despicable Me 2. Additionally, on television, Bayer can be seen in Will & Grace, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Drunk History, Man Seeking Woman, Portlandia, The Mindy Project, and Modern Family. The actress also played a recurring role in Brooklyn Nine-Nine's most recent season. Additionally, Bayer was the star and co-creator of the web series, Sound Advice.

Next, Vanessa Bayer will star in, executive produce, and co-create Showtime's I Love You For This.

Phyllis Smith (Delores)

As Delores, the horse-loving member of the Talking Club, Phyllis Smith plays a mild-mannered supporting character in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Most notably, Smith is known for her work in NBC's The Office. She also voiced Sadness in Inside Out. Smith's other notable TV credits include The OA, where she was a series regular, as well as Arrested Development, Trophy Wife, and The Middle. Additionally, on the big screen, Smith can be seen in Bad Teacher and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Outside of acting, Smith served as a casting associate for The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Spin City, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. She also served as the uncredited narrator of The Princess and the Goblin.

Wendi McLendon-Covey (Mickey Revelet)

Playing the part of Mickey Revelet, a sunny friend who gleefully shares the news about the vast wonders of Vista Del Mar with our downtrodden titular friends, Wendi McLendon-Covey plays a small-but-pivotal character in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Most notably, McLendon-Covey is known for her starring roles in Reno 911! and The Goldbergs, which is still ongoing. Some of her other notable credits include Bridesmaids, Rules of Engagement, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Bewitched, Think Like a Man Too, Hello My Name Is Doris and Blended. Additionally, McLendon-Covey played the lead role in 2019's indie drama, Blush. She also lends her voice to the animated series, Big City Greens.

Most recently, outside of Barb and Star, Wendi McLendon-Covey was seen in Sylvie's Love and Breaking for Whales. She also reprised her role as Deputy Clementine Johnson in Quibi's Reno 911! reboot. She'll soon be seen in Long Weekend and Sick Girl, as well as heard in M.O.D.O.K.

Fortune Feimster (Pinky)

In the role of Pinky, an animated member of the Talking Club, Fortune Feimster is an animated side character in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Most notably, Feimster was seen in The Mindy Project. Her other television credits include Chelsea Lately, where she was a writer and recurring Round Table co-host, Life in Pieces, Champions, Another Period, Chelsea, 2 Broke Girls, Workaholics, and Glee. She was also a contestant on Last Comic Standing. Additionally, Feimster appeared in Office Christmas Party, Chick Fight, Father of the Year, The Happytime Murders, and Friendsgiving. The comic can also be heard in Soul, Summer Camp Island, Bless the Harts, and The Simpsons.

Outside of acting, Feimster hosts Sirius XM's What a Joke with Papa and Fortune. Next. Feimster will be seen in Netflix's Yes Day, Deported, and NBC's Kenan.

Rose Abdoo (Bev)

As Bev, another member of the Talking Club, Rose Abdoo can be seen in several scenes in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. The actress-comedian is best known for her work in Gilmore Girls and That's So Raven. She also had recurring roles in Parenthood, Bunheads, Scandal, and Netflix's Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Additionally, the actress appeared in Veep, Better Things, Mike & Molly, Castle, Shameless, Psych, Malcolm in the Middle, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She was also seen in Peacock's Saved by the Bell.

Rose Abdoo's other film credits include My Best Friend's Wedding, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Bad Teacher, Other People, Good Night and Good Luck, Cake, and Friendsgiving. And she's heard in Legally Blondes and Hotel Transylvania 2.

Mark Jonathan Davis (Richard Cheese)

In what will hopefully be a star-making role for the Vegas favorite, lounge singer parody star Richard Cheese made a hell of a cinematic debut in Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Performed in character by Mark Jonathan Davis, the musician previously did voice work for The LEGO Batman Movie, Batman Beyond, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond: The Movie, American Dad!, and Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. Also, Davis played brief supporting turns in The Comedy Team of Pete & James and Friday Night. Additionally, the singer did voice work for Lands of Lore III, and he's heard on the soundtracks for House of Mouse, Dawn of the Dead (2004), The Leftovers, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. He also frequently performed on Last Call with Carson Daly.

As a musician, Richard Cheese has released several albums with his band, including Lounge Against the Machine, Aperitif for Destruction, The Sunny Side of the Moon, and this year's Big Cheese Energy.

Josh Robert Thompson (Morgan Freemond)

Believe it or not, Morgan Freeman did not lend his famous voice to Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. Rather, the voice of Morgan Freemond, i.e. the sage and remorseful crab nearing the end of his wistful sandy life, was supplemented by voice actor Josh Robert Thompson, best known for playing loyal skeleton robot sidekick Geoff Peterson on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Away from this late-night talk show, Thompson can also be heard in Family Guy, American Dad!, Robot Chicken, Skylanders Academy, The Cleveland Show, Scary Movie V, Man Seeking Woman, The Angry Birds Movie, The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature, and We Bare Bears, among several other projects.

Additionally, last year, Josh Robert Thompson served as the uncredited narrator of Hulu's The Binge. Thompson also played the lead in 2014's indie comedy, Nowhere Girl.

If you haven't watched it already, find out how to stream Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar here.

With two hit sitcoms under her belt from both childhood and adulthood, Mayim Bialik is currently moving forward with her post-Big Bang Theory career, and things are definitely looking up. Not only is she gearing up for audiences to watch her latest TV venture, the Fox sitcom Call Me Kat, but now she's also got a brand new television project in the works that will pair her up with The New Girl vet Damon Wayans Jr.

Interestingly enough, while Mayim Bialik's upcoming Call Me Kat on Fox involves the lead character starting a café for cats, this new project is somewhat related in that it also features a cafê. In fact, it's called Hope Café, and it sounds like it will be telling a really unique and potentially insightful storyline that is inspired by a real life business.

Hope Café will focus on both the workers and the customers invested in the titular coffee shop, and will delve into their lives, their friendships, their romances and more. According to Deadline, what makes Hope Café stand out is that its baristas are all trained as mental health counselors, which should make everyone's conversations all the more enlightening. It sounds like the show will put a spin on the old stereotype of bartenders being the gratis psychologists of the social world, but with legitimate real-world inspirations. I can't imagine what kind of analysis those baristas would give to Mayim Bialik's Amy Farrah Fowler or Damon Wayans Jr.'s Coach.

Hope Café, which is being set up as a multicamera comedy, takes its cues from the Chicago coffee shop Sip of Hope, as founded by the nonprofit organization Hope for the Day, which focuses on suicide prevention and other forms of mental health education. One of the establishment's claims to fame is that 100% of its profits are donated to mental health education services.

Mayim Bialik will be executive producing Hope Café through her company Sad Clown Productions, with parent company Warner Bros. Television also taking on a producing title. Damon Wayans Jr. will serve as an EP as well via his own company Two Shakes Entertainment. It doesn't appear as if either of the TV comedy stars will be enjoying on-screen roles for Hope Café, but that could very well change as the details get worked out behind the scenes. Here's the shared statement from Bialik's and Wayans' production outfits, which touches upon the awesome Sip of Hope motto.

Hope Café is the creation of Linda Videtti Figueiredo, who is the co-creator of the Disney Channel series Stuck in the Middle. Figueiredo has more than enough experience on shows outside the Disney umbrella to make this work, too, from Fuller House to Last Man Standing to Yes, Dear. This will be her first big project since the Tanner family had to call it quits at Netflix, so it makes sense that she would team up with two more TV comedy vets for a new show.

While waiting to see what will come from this new project, Mayim Bialik fans can check out her extended work as Amy on The Big Bang Theory, which is currently streaming on HBO Max. Meanwhile, her new comedy Call Me Kat will be available on Fox on Sunday, January 3, with its standard time slot premiere happening that Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET. You can catch Damon Wayans Jr. in Netflix's Love, Guaranteed, too.

To see what other new and returning shows are popping up soon, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV guide.

This weekend, while Tenet headed to theaters and Mulan headed to Disney+, Netflix also added a totally different flick: the rom-com Love, Guaranteed starring Damon Wayans Jr and Rachael Leigh Cook. In real life, both romantic onscreen leads have had their own meet cutes of sorts, though to hear Wayans Jr. tell it, meeting his wife was more of a comedy bit than something straight out of a romantic movie.

Some minor spoilers can be found in this paragraph! In Love, Guaranteed, Susan and Nick meet over a cup of coffee as he ardently feels the need to inform her that pumpkins spice does not, in fact, feature real pumpkin. They continue an awkward walk to an office building where it becomes clear Nick is actually there to meet Susan, his lawyer, as he has plans to sue a dating website that “guarantees love.” Needless to say, that’s not remotely similar to the story of how Damon Wayans Jr met his wife. In a recent interview he detailed:

Speaking to the OtherScottM’s Scott Menzel, Damon Wayans Jr. spoke out about how he met his wife whilst being setup with another woman and how she totally threw him off with her sense of humor. It’s a story he apparently tells fairly often, as Rachael Leigh Cook also mentioned she was familiar with the tale, though she was so amused her eyes got a little teary. I guess that means it holds up upon second listening.

To clarify, Damon Wayans Jr. also noted his now-wife “did it to be funny,” though Rachael Leigh Cook also noted the “takeaway” should be: “Don’t take any dating advice from Damon.”

That’s a little true of his character in Love, Guaranteed, too as Nick Evans is a man who was unlucky in love – and spoilers again – was left by his fiancé, who had also been cheating on him for months. This is what prompted him to join the dating service in the first place, which ultimately led to him getting burned over and over again. He meets a lot of nice women, but none of them are a good love connection until he starts spending more time with Susan.

Sometimes you meet people in the unlikeliest of places at the unlikeliest of times. That’s what Love, Guaranteed seems to be telling us, and that seems to be Damon Wayans Jr.’s experience as well. Love, Guaranteed is currently on Netflix streaming and at the time of this writing is currently in the subscription streamer’s Top 10. To see what else may have a shot at landing on that coveted list, take a look at what's coming to the streamer this month.

Rachael Leigh Cook is probably still most prominently known for her roles in teen comedies like She’s All That around the turn of the century. However, if you’ve seen her in anything lately, it’s likely been a Hallmark movie. She’s the star of popular Vineyard movies on the cabler and even starred in a Christmas movie on the network last year. Now, it looks like she’ll be taking her romantic comedy skills to Netflix.

Netflix has been big on poaching popular talent in recent years. While there’s no rule that says a Hallmark star must stay with Hallmark over the long haul, in the upcoming Love, Guaranteed, Rachael Leigh Cook will star opposite Happy Endings’ Damon Wayans, Jr in a storyline revolving a lawsuit over a dating website. I know, it does sound a little Hallmark-y. And now, there’s a trailer!

In Love, Guaranteed, Damon Wayans’ Jr.’s character Nick Evans, looks up Rachael Leigh Cook’s Susan, who is a prominent lawyer. The reason? He’s gone on more than 900 dates (yes, you read that right) with a dating site that guarantees love and still hadn’t found it. The two hatch a lawsuit against the website in question, but as part of the research, Susan gets on the dating website herself. Battlestar Galactica’s Candace McClure, frequent Hallmark collaborator and Riverdale actor Alvin Sanders and Heather Graham also appear in the movie.

Love, Guaranteed actually wrapped back in November of last year, which is how we are able to even be getting the content now. Just a few short months later and who knows if Rachael Leigh Cook and co. would have gotten the movie in under the wire for a 2020 release? Productions on a lot of films shut down just a few scant months later.

The good news is that both Netflix and Hallmark were able to deal with quarantine life fairly well and roll out content at a pace that felt organic and gave people new programming to look forward to, despite work halting for a while. Now productions in various places across the globe are getting back to work and we should have plenty more to look forward to, including a slew of rom-coms on the subscription streamer.

Meanwhile, in particular Rachael Leigh Cook has spoken out about her fondness for playing Frankie in the Vineyard movies, telling ET previously that a fourth could be in the cards if the writers could think up an activity for her character and Brendan Penny’s. She noted:

So, Rachael Leigh Cook certainly hasn’t defected from her Hallmark family at this point, and reportedly has a Christmas movie coming again this year. While we wait, be sure to go to the right streaming service when you check out Love, Guaranteed starting on September 3. To see what else Netflix has coming up, check out our full schedule.

Despite having ended in Spring 2018, New Girl is the kind of show that fans will always have right next to their hearts, and the kind of cast that viewers will follow from project to project. Jake Johnson's newest show, Netflix's extremely explicit comedy Hoops, will feature quite a few actors from both New Girl's main cast and some recurring characters throughout its seven-season run, although with many more F-bombs than people might be expecting from the animated comedy.

For Hoops' Comic-Con@Home panel, Jake Johnson and other cast members (and creator Ben Hoffman) spoke at large for the first time about the streaming comedy, which centers on Johnson's foul-mouthed high school basketball coach Ben Hopkins. During the panel, the conversation turned to just how many former New Girl actors would be appearing. In the first place, Max Greenfield served as moderator while rocking a most un-Schmidt-like mustache. At one point, it was revealed that Greenfield himself will appear in Hoops. Here's what the actor had to say about it:

Max Greenfield showing up for two episodes is better than him showing up for no episodes, amirite? Even though his character Lonnie's ethics might be slightly suspect in any scene that Jake Johnson's shameless Ben is at the center of. You can take a look at the two characters they're playing in the pic below, which features the traditional character dynamic of Ben smiling sheepishly while another character glares at him.

What's more, it was also revealed that Max Greenfield's New Girl romantic interest Hannah Simone is also a part of Hoops' first season. That said, no information was disclosed about what role she would be taking, so viewers should take it as a challenge to try and figure out who she's playing whenever the season comes out.

Hoops' Jake Johnson did offer up some details about who New Girl vet Damon Wayans Jr. will be playing, though. While he won't be reprising the Fox comedy's role of "Coach," he will indeed be playing an actual coach. Here's what Johnson said about it:

Which brings us to the main Hoops ensemble, where Rob Riggle is part of the fun as Ben's steakhouse-owning dad, who is sorta played up as being a douche, but actually seems completely normal in retrospect since Ben is clearly the way bigger asshole. In any case, New Girl fans will remember Rob Riggle recurring as the overbearing cousin Big Schmidt. And Hoops' other stars Cleo King and Rob Funches also appeared in a couple of New Girl eps themselves, as noted below.

Jake Johnson and Hoops creator Ben Hoffman also threw out another few Hoops co-stars that viewers can expect to hear, and it shouldn't surprise anyone at this point in the story that a few of those additional names are also comedy actors who popped up on New Girl in the past. That shortlist is below, noting who they played and the eps they appeared in.

So by all means, save for Zooey Deschanel and Lamorne Morris, Hoops is probably the biggest setting for a New Girl reunion that fans could ever hope for, even though none of it is happening in live-action. But that's perfectly fine, though, since Hoops definitely wouldn't work as well as a live-action series.

While you'll also be able to find Jake Johnson in ABC's Stumptown at some point in the future, you can hear him on Hoops when it debuts on Netflix on Friday, August 21. Check out our 2020 Netflix schedule to see what other big shows are debuting soon on the streaming service, and then hit up our 2020 Fall TV schedule to see what the rest of the television spectrum has to offer.

The New Girl was Fox’s series that developed a dedicated fanbase during its run from 2011 to 2018. Zooey Deschanel had already been in hit movies like Elf and 500 Days of Summer prior to landing the role of Jess in New Girl. The show made Deschanel an even bigger star, and endeared the world to her and her co-stars, Jake Johnson, Max Greenfield, Hannah Simone, and Lamorne Morris. It’s been only two short years since the series ended, but the New Girl cast has stayed busy with their careers.

The New Girl cast has taken on many new projects after the show, bringing their names to whole new audiences. If you’re curious to learn what the New Girl crew has done since the show ended, well let us recap some of their recent projects.

Zooey Deschanel (Jessica Day)

Zooey Deschanel played New Girl’s lead Jess, a quirky optimistic school teacher. Following New Girl’s 2018 end, Deschanel returned to the world of Trolls to voice Bridget in Trolls World Tour. The film was a huge Video on Demand hit, and included voice-over work by Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, Anna Kendrick, Kelly Clarkson, and Ozzy Osbourne.

In 2020, she had a special appearance on Apple’s Carpool Karaoke with her sister Emily Deschanel and the Property Brother twins Drew and Jonathan Scott. In 2019, she made an appearance on The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show. With her boyfriend Jonathan Scott, she currently (since May 2020) hosts a virtual game night at least once a month. She is also still making music with her band She and Him.

Jake Johnson (Nick Miller)

Jake Johnson played Nick Miller in all seven seasons of New Girl. He was the cranky hero that we needed but didn’t deserve. Nick was one of Jess’s roommates and her on-again-off-again-on again boyfriend. In 2018, Johnson voiced Peter B. Parker aka Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse. He plays Grey McConnell on Stumptown, an ABC crime show based on the comic book of the same name. The series plans to move to Wednesdays this fall.

He also appeared in an episode of Rob McElhenney’s show Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. Soon Jake Johnson fans can listen to him as he voices the main character on Netflix’s animated series Hoops, which will be released on August 21, 2020. Jake Johnson doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon, because he will also be in the next Jurassic World movie. It is entitled Jurassic World: Dominion, and currently scheduled for a June 11, 2021 release.

Max Greenfield (Schmidt)

Schmidt was the lovable d-bag. As a scene-stealer, Max Greenfield made it hard not to root for Schmidt, despite some of his crazier opinions and comments. Greenfield filmed a few movies after New Girl ended, including the black comedy The Oath that stars Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz, and the Taraji P. Henson led What Women Want remake What Men Want.

In 2020, he appeared along with an all-star cast in Promising Young Woman, a movie about a mysterious woman who has her future disrupted by an unexpected event. This leads to her living a double life. The cast also includes Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Laverne Cox, and Jennifer Coolidge.

Greenfield has been staying just as busy in the TV world. He reunited with Ryan Murphy, after appearing on American Horror Story, to have a recurring role as Ronnie on American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace. He also has one of the lead roles on CBS’ The Neighborhood, starring opposite Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold, and Beth Behrs. His TV credits post-New Girl also include A Series of Unfortunate Events and BoJack Horseman. Max Greenfield also reprised his role as Leo in Veronica Mars for Season 4.

Lamorne Morris (Winston Bishop)

Winston was not part of the original New Girl cast. He came into the project a little after Damon Wayans Jr. left it. He quickly became one of the oddest, lovable hilarious characters. Morris appeared in the critically acclaimed Game Night film that starred Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams. He also appeared in the hugely popular Netflix Christmas movie, The Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russell. Morris has been in other popular films like Yesterday, Bloodshot, and Jumanji: The Next Level.

In 2020, Morris reunited with his former New Girl co-star Nasim Pedrad in Desperados, a Netflix romantic comedy that also starred Robbie Amell, Sarah Burns, and Anna Camp. His TV roles include appearances on SMILF, Hell’s Kitchen, Valley of the Boom, and Squinters.

Hannah Simone (Cece)

Hannah Simone played Cece, Jess’s model best friend who eventually becomes a model agent and Schmidt’s wife. Simone appeared on a few episodes of the now cancelled Single Parents. She played Dr. Monica Dewan on the show. Then Hannah Simone had an appearance on a series called Weird City.

In 2020, Simon joined the cast of Mira, Royal Detective as the voice of Pinky. Mira, Royal Detective is a children’s show that focuses on Indian culture and customs. It airs on Disney Junior in the United States. Simone also recently landed a pilot for a CBS series that co-stars Elizabeth Hurley. Both women co-produced the series. She is also among the guest names set to appear in Jake Johnson’s new animated comedy series Hoops. The guest will also include his former New Girl co-stars Max Greenfield and Damon Wayans Jr.

Damon Wayans Jr. (Coach)

Coach was Jess, Schmidt, and Nick’s original roommate, but he left the show not long after the pilot. He then made guest appearances throughout and became a main cast member in Season 4, but then went back to guest-starring in the following seasons. In addition to his appearances on New Girl, he was a lead in Happy Endings. After that he made appearances on series such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Bob’s Burgers. Damon Wayans Jr. is also set to appear in an upcoming episode of Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone series.

Wayans Jr.’s recent movie credits include Super Troopers 2, Trouble, and upcoming Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo movie Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar.

Nasim Pedrad (Aly Nelson)

Aly was introduced in New Girl Season 4 as Winston’s new cop partner. They become friends after a rough start, and that eventually grew into a romance. They marry by the Season 7 premiere. Nasim Pedrad appeared with an all-star cast in the horror-comedy Corporate Animals. It also starred Ed Helm and Demi Moore. In the same year, she appeared in Disney’s live-adaptation of Aladdin as Dalia, Jasmine’s handmaiden.

In 2020, Pedrad took on the lead role as Wesley in Netflix’s offbeat romantic comedy Desperados. The film reunited her with her former TV husband Lamorne Morris. Her post-New Girl TV roles have included Brooklyn Nine-Nine, No Activity, and Chad.

Megan Fox (Reagan Lucas)

Megan Fox stepped in for Zooey Deschanel when she was on maternity leave. She played Reagan, a pharmaceutical rep who briefly took Jess’ spot in the loft while she was sequestered as a juror. Reagan also briefly became Nick’s love interest. Fox has since seemed to have left the TV world behind, only appearing in one series after New Girl. A show that she hosted called Legends of the Lost with Megan Fox, a four-part docu-series that aired on the Travel Channel.

Fox has appeared in a series of movies from 2019 and on, including a supernatural romance called Above the Shadows. Her other work includes a dramedy directed by James Franco called Zeroville. The cast also included Joey King, Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson. A few of her upcoming projects are Think Like a Dog, Rogue, and Midnight in the Switchgrass.

Nelson Franklin (Robby)

Robby entered the series in season two as Cece’s boyfriend. He was super nice and laid-back, a major departure from Schmidt. Schmidt tries to start a feud with him, but as the show progresses they become friends. Robby is one of the few long-running recurring characters on New Girl-- often popping up when least expected. He even briefly forms a romantic relationship with Jess, until they find out that they’re third cousins.

Nelson Franklin appeared in the films Gemini, Battle of the Sexes, and Captain Marvel. In Captain Marvel, he had a brief role as a medical examiner. His next film project is a movie called Sweet Girl. Jason Momoa and Isabela Merced star. Franklin has had a recurring role as Connor Stevens in Black-ish since 2016. He also was a main character in the short-lived series Abby’s.

David Walton (Sam Sweeney)

Sam was Jess’ love interest in Season 2. Their relationship started off mainly physical, but the character deepens and so does their relationship. He’s another character that pops up throughout the series. David Walton had a brief lead role in NBC’s About A Boy, then he appeared in the series Angie Tribeca, 9JKL, and Brockmire.

Walton has appeared as Mike Mitchell in the Bad Moms movies. Mike is Mila Kunis’ character’s husband turned ex-husband. In 2018, Walton appeared in the romantic comedy Happy Anniversary. The movie stars Noel Wells and Ben Schwartz. David Walton had the role of Sam on NBC’s now cancelled Council of Dads.

With upcoming Hoops and Desperados, Netflix is providing plenty of New Girl reunions to keep fans happy. Desperados is currently available to stream and Hoops is available on August 21, 2020. The entire New Girl series is also available to stream on Netflix if you wish those lovable weirdos.

CBS has announced it is headed in "one direction" by giving the green-light to a new comedy starring New Girl's Damon Wayans Jr. The multi-camera sitcom has gotten a direct-to-series order for the network's upcoming broadcast season. So where does Harry Styles fit in? The pop singer will executive produce the project and there is a very good reason why. The show is sort of based on his life.

The as-yet-to-be-titled sitcom will be loosely based on the time Harry Styles spent living with Ben Winston, an executive producer on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Winston will executive produce the CBS sitcom along with Styles. According to the synopsis shared by Deadline, the show will explore what happens when stardom crosses paths with suburbia. Such an event is rare in reality but could definitely make for great TV. Here is what we know.

The show will center on Peter (Damon Wayans Jr.) and Claire (Greek's Amber Stevens West), a couple who have grown tired of their by-the-numbers life in suburbia. That's when a breath of unexpected air breezes in via the form of a pop star, a.k.a. the character inspired by Harry Styles. The lad is intrigued by their life and decides to move in. In the process, he helps the couple reconnect with younger (and in their minds, "cooler") versions of themselves. The show will not be based on specific real-life experiences or draw on real-life people.

In previously announced news, Felix Mallard will portray the character inspired by Harry Styles. The "Sign of the Times" singer will not star as the sitcom's version of him, something that could have taken the show to interesting, albeit surreal, places. Styles is no stranger to acting, having recently taken on his first role in the Christopher Nolan epic Dunkirk. That heavy drama is, of course, a far cry from the light-hearted nature of a sitcom.

The new CBS show sounds promisingly funny thanks to an original premise that should nicely leverage the comedic talents of Damon Wayans Jr. and Amber Stevens West. West was a standout on the cast of the college comedy Greek, so it will be fun to see her playing this scenario out opposite a consummate comic like Wayans Jr. The story has strong legs too. It is slightly reminiscent of the time TV saw aspiring rocker Jesse Katsopolis trade in the stage for suburbia. And that turned out pretty well!

No precise premiere date has been set for Damon Wayans Jr.'s new show. It should premiere this coming fall on CBS. Before a new TV season can begin, the current one has to end. To find out when the season finales of CBS' currently running shows air, check out our guide to this spring's season finales. While you wait for fall to arrive, also check out guide to this year's summer premieres.

Damon Wayans Jr. is turning into one of television's greatest treasures. He's been killing it off and on as Coach on New Girl since 2011, and today it was announced that he's going to appear in yet another television comedy that we're already excited about. Wayans has signed on for a futuristic FX pilot called Singularity that seems to take our tech-obsessed world and really crank it up to ten.

Singularity features Damon Wayans Jr. as Doug. He lives in a world where artificial intelligence has trumped human intelligence, and human life as we know it has changed. While some of the human population doesn't appreciate this, Doug is happy living under the control of his robot overlords. The project is being executive produced by comedy duo Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen and has been compared to their 2013 film This Is The End. THR adds that the project was created and is being written by Silicon Valley writer Sonny Lee, which already raises my bar of expectations for Singularity. I can't imagine any series with these four names attached going wrong!

Damon Wayans Jr. has plenty of experience over the years on television, making his break into the medium back 2001 on his father's show My Wife And Kids. Ironically, Wayans Jr. played the friend of his dad's television son Junior, a.k.a. actor George O. Gore. From there, Wayans Jr. bounced around a couple of other projects and series created by his father before he landed a regular gig on the acclaimed series Happy Endings. Once that show was canceled, Wayans Jr. was able to return to New Girl, which he initially departed due to scheduling conflicts (he has since departed again) with Happy Endings, bringing us back to his newest gig, Singularity.

It's safe to say that Damon Wayans Jr. is definitely a great pick for Singularity due to his extensive work in television as well as his comedy pedigree. In hindsight, it almost seems obvious that the son of Damon Wayans would be as much of a television hit as his father was on shows like My Wife And Kids and In Living Colour, as well as various hit comedy films. While not all children of actors live up to their famous parent's accomplishments, Wayans Jr. appears to be set on a very similar career path to his dad.

Hopefully, Singularity is as much of a hit as it already appears to be on paper. There is currently no date set for when it will shoot its pilot and we can't say just yet who will join Damon Wayans Jr. in the cast, but we'll keep you updated as more information comes out. In the meantime, FX is premiering The Feud as well as a couple other shows before the season is over. Why not head over to our midseason premiere guide and see what else they have on tap over the next month?

Just as the NFL goes through a bunch of coaching changes once the football season is over, FOX’s hit comedy New Girl will also experience its own Coach-related troubles at the end of this season. When New Girl returns for Season 5, it will be without Coach, as Damon Wayans, Jr. will be making yet another exit from the series.

Once more, the decision is one made by Wayans, according to TVLine, which reports he is opting out of any contract renewals that would bring his goofball character back for another year. It’s good that things remained amicable between Wayans and New Girl’s brass, since he’ll almost definitely find his way back into Jess’ life before the show is off the air. He’s due for a recurring role late in Season 7, right?

New Girl executive producer Liz Meriwether reinforces that idea in a way with the following statement she gave to TVLine.

That last part is a joke in reference to the recent news that star Zooey Deschanel is pregnant. Fortunately for everyone who agrees a baby is the last thing New Girl needs, it’s been confirmed the real-life pregnancy won’t be making its way into the fictional storyline at any point in Season 5. So we definitely don’t need to worry about Coach teaching the word “moist” to any kids.

For those unfamiliar with Wayans’ back-and-forth time with the show, he was part of the original cast lineup, as seen in the pilot episode. Alas, he had a prior commitment to the ABC series Happy Endings, so he had to drop out of New Girl altogether. That is, until Happy Endings came to an unhappy ending, and he returned to the Fox comedy in a Season 3 arc. When that went well, he stuck around and became a full-blown regular in Season 4.

Could this be the start of a bigger movie career for the comic actor? Wayans was in two of 2014’s biggest hits, Big Hero 6 and Let’s Be Cops, and now he’s got more time to devote to it. Will you guys miss Coach?

If you watched Tuesday night’s episode of New Girl, you saw that Damon Wayans Jr.’s character Coach made his grand return after exiting the series following the pilot episode. Hopefully, you liked Coach, because he’s here to stay, at least for this season. Though Wayans is technically listed as a guest star, he’ll be appearing in the Fox comedy regularly for the rest of the third season.

Deadline has confirmed that Coach is sticking around New Girl, stating that he’s expected to appear in every remaining episode of the third season, though he’s being billed as a “special guest star,” which leaves him available for pilots. And that’s probably a good thing when we consider how things worked out for Wayans last time he was a regular in a comedy and shopping around for another gig. Wayans was one of the stars of ABC’s Happy Endings when he took the role as Coach in the New Girl pilot. The part was in second position to Happy Endings, however, so when New Girl went to series and Happy Endings secured a renewal, Wayans’ New Girl character was written out of the show, and Lamorne Morris was cast to play the part of Winston, the new roommate, starting Episode 2.

But Happy Endings has ended, leaving a vacancy in Wayans’ dance card, which New Girl has apparently filled, and not just for one or two episodes. The character, who reinserted himself into the lives of his old friends as of last Tuesday night’s fittingly titled “Coach” episode, is here to stay, at least for now. Given how much things have changed in the lives of his old roommates since he left, it’s fun to see how his presence is affecting them now. And there’s always the chance Coach could shake things up among the group. Case in point, here’s a spoiler from the November 19 episode “Werewolf” (don’t scroll down if you don’t want to know!

In “Werewolf,” Coach and Cece go out on a date! How does this go over with Schmidt? I’m going to guess not well. I think there’s a good chance Coach could underestimate his friend’s feelings for Cece, as the Schmidt he knew when he was living there was a ladies man. I’ll be interested to see if these two actually hit it off, or if this is just a one-episode situation that goes nowhere and is another example of Coach trying to reestablish himself among this group of friends that isn’t the same group he left two years ago. The picture makes me think Coach is distracted by his phone, and Cece's not loving that, but that's something that could resolve itself by the episode's end, assuming it's even an issue.

But we’re thinking an episode ahead. Before “Werewolf,” we have “Menus,” in which Coach tries to help get Nick into shape:

New Girl airs Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.

What better way to emphasize just how much things have changed for Jess and her loft-mates than by bringing Coach back? Damon Wayans Jr.’s character Coach was featured in the pilot episode of New Girl, but when ABC decided to renew Happy Endings, Wayans returned to that show, leaving a vacancy in the New Girl loft that was filled by Lamorne Morris’s Winston Bishop. But tomorrow night, Wayans returns as a guest star, and as a bonus, we’ll also see the super-talented Taye Diggs dropping by to charm Jess. Apparently, all it takes to do that is “rubber baby buggy bumper.”

Here’s the episode description for tomorrow night’s “Coach”:

Alas, a description doesn’t quite encapsulate what works so well about any given episode of New Girl, however this featurette hints at some of the humor that’s in store as Coach makes his grand return:

So it looks like part of the focus of the episode will involve Schmidt and Nick trying to inch their way out of a late night of strip-club hopping, while another running joke involves Coach not being able to remember who Jess is. Considering she moved in like five minutes before he moved out, that’s not entirely hard to imagine. In fact, it seems like a joke well worth mining.

As I mentioned earlier, it isn’t just Wayans we have to look forward to. Taye Diggs is also set to guest star in the “Coach” episode. TVline has a video that gives us a better look at how Diggs’ dreamy character fits into the picture. We’ll give you a hint, he’s not there to collect the rent. (Excuse my dated attempt at a Rent joke). Apparently, Diggs’ character Artie is a coffee shop owner who brings a bit of trouble into Jess and Cece’s night. What kind of trouble, you ask? Actor Hannah Simone reveals that Diggs’s character will strip down in the episode, and end up in bed with one of the characters in the series. Of course, he doesn’t say who. That’s for us to find out when we tune in to New Girl tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.

The buddy cop comedy is a tried and true formula where you pair two polar opposites as partners then watch the sparks fly as they save the day and explode at each other. (Riggs!) But the newly greenlit comedy Let's Be Cops offers a new twist on this time-tested narrative, providing two best-bud protagonists who aren't actually policemen. They are just pretending to be cops for kicks. Of course impersonating a cop is a serious crime, but what's worse is when these two dressed-up dummies end up enraging a real mobster.

Deadline reports 20th Century Fox bought the pitch for this project from Luke Greenfield, who will direct and co-wrote the script with Nick Thomas. Filling the film's lead roles are television stars Damon Wayons Jr. (Happy Endings) and Jake Johnson (New Girl). Casting for the rest of the feature's roles is currently underway.

Personally, I have high hopes for this buddy cop comedy. While I'm not much of a New Girl watcher, I found Johnson intriguing in the time-travel rom-com Safety Not Guaranteed, in which he played a smug jerk with a vulnerable/romantic center. And concerning Wayans, it's about damn time he got noteworthy movie role!

First off, if you're not watching Happy Endings, you have my sympathies, but let me fill you in. While Wayans' uncles have been making one dumb spoof after another, DWJ has been delivering hysterical performances as Brad Williams on the sassy sitcom week after week, whether he's warring with his type-A personality wife, palling around with his frumpy gay bff, or indulging in his passion for romantic comedies or deeply tucked shirts. Here's a brief gif of his awesomeness in action:

The only worrisome sign on paper is Greenfield, who has helmed such uninspired and critically scorned offerings as The Animal, The Girl Next Door and Something Borrowed.. However, Greenfield's most recent credits were a couple of truly hilarious episodes of the surprisingly delightful, alien-centered sitcom The Nieghbors. So maybe he's evolving as a comedy crafter.

There's no word yet on when Let's Be Cops might roll into production.

It’s possible Damon Wayans Jr. won’t be the only member of the Wayans family bringing funny to ABC. Word is, Marlon Wayans has a TV project in the works for the network that would put him both behind and in front of the camera.

Like some of the other Wayans brothers, Marlon Wayans has been making people laugh since the early ’90’s. The actor has appeared in In Living Color and The Wayans Bros, as well as White Chicks, Mo Money and The Scary Movie films. He may be headed back to the small screen as Deadline reports that he’s set to write, executive produce and star in a comedy pilot being developed for ABC. The comedy, which is described as a “single/multi-camera” comedy with an “odd couple/ buddy cop” feel, follows two brothers, both of whom are cops. When one of the brothers falls on hard times, he moves in with the other’s family. Wayans will play the married brother.

The Wayans brothers have often worked together in film and television, so it would be unsurprising if whoever is cast as the other brother turns out to be a Wayans. In fact, if things don’t turn out well for Happy Endings, that might actually leave Marlon’s nephew Damon Wayans Jr free for the part, if they were were looking to cast a man in his late twenties. Of course, that would have to mean ABC gave up on Happy Endings, which would certainly be bad news.

With every September comes a bunch of big choices. Well, big television related choices. What shows will you continue to watch, what will you throw by the wayside and, most importantly, what new shows will become regulars on your now revised 2011-12 viewing schedule? There have been various marketing strategies by the different networks, all trying desperately to get you on-board for their debuts but Fox, took it one step further and made the entire pilot for their New Girl available to watch. For free. That's confidence.

I happened to take the opportunity to watch the pilot episode for the new comedy hopeful and it's pretty solid. Pilots, especially when it comes to comedic series, are notoriously hard to pull off. There is just so much introductory work needed to be done that the comedy is often absent. New Girl does an excellent job of balancing character and setting introductions with comedic set pieces, resulting in a pilot that feels more like a mid-season episode. There are some kinks to work out, but overall I was pretty impressed.

However, and this is a large caveat, if you don't like Zooey Deschanel then don't tune in. I find her absolutely adorable, especially when she's playing Jess, the dorky but lovable 'new girl' who, after a messy break-up, moves into an apartment with three bachelors (played by Jake Johnson, Damon Wayans Jr. and Max Greenfield). Why would these three dudes want a chick who's constantly sobbing, watching Dirty Dancing or singing to herself to move in with them? Jess just happens to be best friends with a model (Hannah Simone) and her model friends. A nice solution.

Deschanel shines as the awkward yet lovable mess that is Jess. She reminds me a little of Kristen Wiig, which is certainly not a bad comparison when we're talking comedic performances. The supporting characters are good, if not a little stock. Hannah Simone just has to look hot (she does this well) and the boys are okay and hopefully will be fleshed out in the coming episodes. Wayans plays Coach, a personal trainer who could use a little help motivating his female clients without making them cry. Greenfield plays the douchey (they actually have a 'douche comment' jar for him) Wall Street type Schmidt and finally Johnson plays the sweet, and also kind of a mess, Nick.

Is there a future for Jess and Nick? Hm. I kind of felt that vibe but the show will need to stick around before it can explore these narratives. And I think it will. Check out the promo below and, if it tickles your fancy, hop over to iTunes and watch the full pilot.

New Girl officially premieres on Fox on Tuesday, September 20 at 9 p.m.

When you see The Other Guys in theaters, the scene I watched them film will probably be pretty short and straightforward. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg walk in to a crime scene to investigate, Michael Keaton shows up to fire them, and rival detectives played by Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr. come in to taunt them, reminding Wahlberg's character about how he shot Derek Jeter and earning a punch from Ferrell. The scene ends with Riggle consoling Wayans over the punch, and that's where things got weird on the set. Riggle stroked his beard. He called him by his first name-- something cops would never do, he explained later. By take 10 or so he was instructing his partner to "just lie down" and accept some manly comfort.

Things progressed to the point that even the crew was having a hard time stifling their giggles, and even if the bit gets cut, it showed that there will be a lot to look forward to from Riggle and Wayans Jr. when The Other Guys comes out August 6. Riggle, known for his stint on The Daily Show and bit parts in movies like The Hangover and Talladega Nights, and Wayans Jr.-- son of Damon, obviously, and star of Dance Flick-- came to talk to those of us visiting the set once their bromantically charged scene was over. It was their last day on set, and it was clear they had built a dynamic together in the weeks of filming, finishing each others' sentences and riffing off each other, cracking up everyone in the room in the process. It takes guts to steal a movie from Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, but that may be exactly what these guys are about to do.

So when did the romance start between your characters?

Wayans: This scene!

Riggle: It started way before production. Actually, this scene is when it really comes to light.

Wayans: He really let me know how he felt.

Riggle:Riggle: Well you can't make fun of my partner.

Wayans: I know, but there's like defense, and then after they left you were like--

Riggle: Motherly protection?

Wayans: Even mothers don't go that far.

Riggle: You're right. What mother would do that? Not mine.

[Director] Adam [McKay] spoke earlier about how he encourages improv and takes ideas from everybody. Is there a point where you hit the wall? When do you guys get burnt out? How do you keep it fresh?

Riggle: Honestly I could do bits all day long.

Wayans: It's all we do.

Riggle: Honestly, you could beat me, torture me, just don't bore me. That's how we wind up doing bits all day long, just to entertain ourselves.

Wayans: Even when the camera's off, we're trying to make each other laugh all the time.

Do your characters appear a lot in the movie? Do they show up every time these guys mess up?

Wayans: Every time they mess up we show up, or we're the cause of them messing up.

Riggle: We are the rival detectives in the precinct.

Wayans: We want to do anything to demean them. Anything to make it easier for us to succeed.

Riggle: Once the top cops disappear in the movie, then there's a power vacuum. They're trying to get it, and we're trying to get it. So it's a healthy competition.

Did we hear right during the scene? Did you say someone farted up your nose?

Riggle: Yeah, that wasn't in the script. That's why I was staggering out there, going I--uh--I-uh. It hit me like a slap in the face. I did, I walked into a fart cloud.

Who was the perpetrator?

Riggle: I can't say.

Wayans: Someone doing their own ad-libbing.

Riggle: We'll blame it on an extra. That's not fair, and it's not right, but that's what we're going to do.

Is Adam telling you anything between takes about getting back to the story? It seems like you're getting bigger and bigger with each scene.

Riggle: Sometimes for sure. But for a large part of the time he's like, I loved it, do it again.

Wayans: Say whatever you want.

Riggle: Try this, try that.

Wayans: That's his thing.

Do your characters get into any of the action scenes? Car chases or shootouts or anything?

Riggle; We definitely do a driving scene. We show up at some crime scenes after the fact. There's a fight sequence. So there is some stunt, action stuff.

Wayans: Violence. There's violence involved. I kinda like it.

Riggle: Yeah. There's some moments.

So it's more than just taking a punch from Will Ferrell?

Wayans: Yeah, actually yeah. And it's well-deserved too. We're not the nicest guys. Riggle: Mark Wahlberg and I have a fight scene.

Wayans: Instigated by yours truly.

Is it after the scene we're watching?

Wayans: Before.

How would you rate Will's right hook? It looks a little soft.

Wayans: It's soft, yeah. It is. But I kinda just gave him that. It was for the camera. He hits like a bitch.

Has the rest of the movie been kind of like this, where every scene has some improv? Or are there some really serious scenes.

Riggle: No, there's moments that require different levels of gravitas. But they're very few and far between. It's a comedy. It's Adam McKay, it's an Adam McKay movie. There's going to be a lot of improvising.

Wayans: You know usually in action movies, it's just like action with a little bit of comedy, or comedy with no action. He just put both of those worlds together in this movie, perfectly I think. Because it's like nonstop, balls to the wall funny, plus crazy Bourne Identity action. [in macho voice] It's sick!

How do he and Will compare to the style of your massive family of comedians, Damon?

Wayans: Um, I don't know how to compare. It's just a totally different way of doing stuff. Improvving, I'm used to going, say what's on the script. Then I got here and it was like, oh, this is what I do with my friends all the time.

Riggle: He's a natural improviser.

Wayans: They make million-dollar pictures by just riffing. It's great.

You look at something like Dance Flick and you see looseness in it, so you'd think there'd be improvisation.

Wayans: I got to improv. At the end of the day, they pick what they want to pick. A lot of it was still the script.

Riggle: That's the thing, this movie is going to have so many people in it, so many great actors and great comedians. And it's going to have so much funny in it that I don't know how they're going to cut it down. I think it needs an intermission.

Wayans: It does.

Riggle: I think it needs to be a three hour movie with an intermission.

Wayans: I agree.

What's the most trying thing you've had to do on this film? What's the one thing that hasn't been fun?

Riggle: It would probably be stroking his face.

Wayans: Yeah, that didn't really bother me too much.

Riggle: My toughest day was wrestling and fighting Mark Wahlberg all day. He's a very strong man.

Wayans: He likes to show it. He likes to show that he's strong.

Riggle: He beat the tar out of me all day. But actually it was a lot of fun, so I can't complain too much. There hasn't been a bad day. For me, personally, I've had a great time.

Have you heard some of the stuff that Michael Keaton's throwing out there? He's got some amazing stuff.

Riggle: He was an incredibly talented stand-up comedian back in the day, he's an incredibly talented improviser, and we all know his acting credits and skills. We actually laugh more with him off-camera than we do on, just standing in the hallway doing bits.

Wayans: He purposefully tripped over your foot. That was retarded.

Riggle: Yeah, just walking into the scene, he purposefully kicked my foot and did a big trip.

Rockefeller Center in early December is a crazy place, packed with tourists trying just to get a glimpse of the famous Christmas tree and skating rink. It feels pretty funny to weave through the clumps of starstruck people hovering outside The Today Show only to hop in an elevator, enter a nondescript office right inside 30 Rock, and come face to face with Will Ferrell.

With the madness of Christmas at Rockefeller Center 28 stories below them, Ferrell and his collaborators were hard at work shooting a summer comedy. The Other Guys had been taking over sections of New York for months, filming car chase and shootouts all over the city, but the day I visited the set with some online colleagues, things were limited to a regular office scene-- but that didn't mean they were normal. A routine investigation of a businessman's suicide devolved into silliness when detectives played by Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg were assigned to the case, and that's even before their competition, played by Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr., showed up to taunt them and maybe flirt with each other a little.

As you probably already learned in the movie's trailer, The Other Guys stars Ferrell and Wahlberg as a pair of detectives who finally get a chance to step up to the big leagues when the force's star cops-- played by Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson-- are indisposed. No one was telling us whether or not the star cops die or simply get injured early in the film, but given the wild tone of the film, I'd count on a spectacular death sequence. Given the chance to investigate a suicide, the pair of cops jump all over their opportunity to hit the big league, but they're constantly being investigated by both their boss (Michael Keaton) and the rival team of cops played by Riggle and Wayans, who always show up to try and take them down.

We saw all of that in the scene they were filming that day in 30 Rock, where Ferrell and Wahlberg arrive to investigate the scene and start collecting clues, only for Keaton to show up and take them off the case, telling them all the reasons their clues mean nothing. Rubbing salt in the wounds are Riggle and Wayans, who have become so popular for their own work that they were at a bar doing shots with Derek Jeter, while Wahlberg's character has become notorious for, uh, shooting Derek Jeter. In the leg. The fact that Wahlberg is a famous Bostonian and Red Sox fan will probably make this movie a huge hit in Boston, as Wahlberg himself pointed out on the set.

Director Adam McKay took the cast through a lot-- a lot-- of takes of each scene, both to capture the standard different camera angles and to allow the actors room to improvise. They would stick to the script for a few takes to get the lines down, then McKay would encourage them to improvise, with every one of the actors getting in on the fun. Keaton constantly made up different photos to pull out of the envelope that was supposed to contain evidence-- quilting patterns was one-- while Riggle and Wayans, who ended the scene, carried out their final dialogue to the point that, in the last take, the two buddy partners seemed on the verge of making out. Even Wahlberg, who may be the least experienced in improv among all of them, was able to get in on it with McKay encouraging him, using some of his trademark intensity to make it truly hilarious when his character was demoted to the traffic beat.

Though we couldn't see McKay from the monitors we were watching, it was fascinating to watch the way Ferrell works with him from on camera. At one point we could hear McKay telling Ferrell he was "like the coach's son," basically telling him he was in charge among the fellow actors. I couldn't think of a better way to describe the working relationship between an actor and a director doing their fourth movie together; the two clearly get one another in a way that makes any great collaboration possible, and though Ferrell is the star, he also recognizes to help McKay turn the movie into what he wants to make it. As an unabashed fan of everything they've done together so far, I was really encouraged to see this kind of collaboration happening between them on The Other Guys as well.

You can call this overkill, but I swear this is true-- we were joined as visitors on the set by a family from Kentucky who were there because the youngest son was a Make-a-Wish kid, and apparently had the dream of visiting a Hollywood set. During on break Ferrell came over to chat with the entire family, take countless photos and sign T-shirts, and chatted amiably with them about their experience in New York. While we journalists moaned about being stuck inside on a Saturday afternoon, this kid and his family were thrilled to be in the very room. Way to put us in our place.

During breaks between scenes we got a chance to talk with all the principal actors as well as McKay and screenwriter Chris Henchy. Below is the interview with Ferrell and Wahlberg, and we'll be running all the rest of the interviews throughout the day. (Read Rob Riggle and Damon Wayans Jr. here) Included in the interview are three brand-new images from the film that you'll only find at the sites that visited the set-- and given how small that 30 Rock office was, there weren't that many of us. The Other Guys comes out August 6 this year, just in time for you to be totally sick of actual action movies and ready for a summer movie that is actually intentionally making you laugh.

There have been a lot of buddy cop comedies over the years. What made you and Adam decide to do one?

Will Ferrell: We just were big fans of Mark’s, and just thought that no one’s really used him in a comedy this way. If he was up for it we thought it’d be a fun kind of thing to do.

Mark Wahlberg: I’ve been dying to do a comedy, and these guys took me to dinner and bought a bunch of nice wine and said, “Do you want to do a movie?” I said, “Are you kidding me?” If you do the wrong kind of comedy you never get a chance to do it again if you come from my background. Having an opportunity to work with these guys was a real dream come true. Then they actually went through with it and wrote this part that was right up my alley, and I get to work with this guy so it’s a no-brainer for me.

Was it intimidating for you?

Wahlberg: No, because they were very clear that they would take me under their wing and protect me. I always thought comics are completely different from what they appear to be onscreen. You hear stories of how serious they are, how they try to be funny during a take but in-between takes it’s weird and awkward. These guys aren’t like that.

Ferrell: We’re more weird and awkward. (laughs) We just thought it would be a great opportunity to comment on the genre. To do what we do and put the spin on the buddy cop movie.

Who’s good cop and who’s bad cop?

Wahlberg: I try to get him to play good cop/bad cop in the movie. We’re confronting this guy. I say, “I go hard, then you come in.” I tear into this guy, and next thing you know this guy goes twice as bananas as me. [Note: you can see this scene in the trailer]

Ferrell: I mishear him, I think he says “bad cop/bad cop”.

Wahlberg: He goes bananas. To see Steve Coogan’s face when Will went nuts was pretty damn funny.

Mark, what are you learning from Will about comedy improv?

Wahlberg: These guys go non-stop, and not only Will but anybody, whether it’s a bit part or a day-player, everybody that comes in is on fire. You got to be on your toes and they let me riff. Every time they do a scene you get a couple takes that are written, then you go nuts. I’m always trying to learn from every single person I work with. If I was ever the most experienced person on set that’s when I’d be nervous. When you have guys like these around you, you feel like you can do anything you want to do and still come off looking good.

This cast is huge. When you say, “Be in my movie,” does everyone come ‘a running?

Ferrell: This one was so cool because we started making these movies and said, “Wouldn’t it be fantastic to get that person?” and there was no way in hell. With this movie the people we actually wanted were like, “Of course, we’ll do it.” It’s nice to see that our work has been liked to the point where you picture Eva Mendes and she’s like, “Sure, tell me when.” Everyone was really looking forward to being a part of this.

Wahlberg: And she plays his wife! (laughs)

Ferrell: Which is a natural conclusion; I don’t know why you’re all laughing. (laughs)

How is it shooting in New York?

Ferrell: We love it. It’s such an energy to shoot here. Definitely when you’re doing an exterior in a big crowded part of the city there’s some issues with people constantly yelling. “HEY ENTOURAGE! I LOVE ENTOURAGE!” (laughs)

Wahlberg: Or you tell people to wait for a minute and they just walk right through the shot. Even old ladies! They’re like, “I don’t give a fuck.”

Will, I think we heard Adam on the set treating you like the coach’s son. Is that what your working relationship is right now, you’re kind of one and the same?

Ferrell: A little bit. I’m more like a coach’s son who was never good at basketball, not allowed anywhere near the court, I just got to fill the water bottles, wash the towels. We don’t even really think about what it is we do because it’s our fourth movie; we kind of know what the other guy is thinking. It’s pretty open territory. It’s not just me, though, he’s open with everybody. It’s best idea wins. He’s one of the few directors to say, “Frank the sound guy had a good idea, we’re going to do this.” He’ll give credit; he takes no ownership of anything. The biggest thing you want to set up is a feeling that if you fail it’s okay. At least 50% of the stuff we come up with, and probably 80% on some days, is terrible. But the 20% is so good it’s worth it. As long as you have that going in and everyone feels comfortable and it’s a great working environment. Adam sets that up.

How realistic is this? Your movies have gotten pretty wacky in the past.

Ferrell: This might be the most realistic thing we’ve done. We are real detectives, and we want this stark, real, gritty background so when we throw in these jokes they bounce even higher.

Wahlberg: Every time we’re doing something we’re trying to make each other laugh and say something funny, Adam’s always like, “Make sure you say something about the case…”

Ferrell: There aren’t any broad portrayals, or super-over-the-top characters.

Wahlberg: Certainly with me I’m trying to stay as committed as possible no matter how absurd it is, and hopefully that’ll translate as funny as opposed to doing pratfalls and shit.

Mark, can you talk about shooting Derek Jeter? Is that something you wrote into the script?

Wahlberg: That was something they were nice enough to write in for me, and he was dumb enough to do it. No, I took great pleasure in that, especially after them winning the World Series.

Ferrell: (laughs) We had to openly root for the Yankees this year.

Wahlberg: We wanted them to show up in a good mood. The Red Sox were already out of it anyway, so I was okay with that. I got to have my cake and eat it too. We were sitting there talking and laughing and I told him, “Do you know how this movie’s going to play like in Boston when I shoot you in the leg?” Just that is enough to cement me in Boston for the rest of my life.

Funny or Die founder and all around Will Ferrell comedy buddy Adam McKay is plotting to make Will hilarious again. I know, it may seem like awhile since you last laughed at a Will Ferrell movie, but that’s only because you underappreciated Step-Brothers, their 2008 outing together. Or maybe you saw Land of the Lost which, granted, seemed like it went on forever and ever. But McKay and Ferrell are together again and you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll result in laughter-induced vomiting.

The movie is called The Other Guys and both Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg have been on board to star for awhile. Now THR says Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, and Damon Wayans Jr. have been added into the mix. Actually is there anyone in this movie who isn’t in need of a career reboot? Things have gotten so bad for Keaton that THR didn’t even bother to list him in their headline, opting to go with Eva Mendes (hot off one of the biggest superhero flops of all time no less) instead. Michael Keaton was Batman! Things for Mr. Mom have really gotten bad.

The Other Guys is an action comedy in which Ferrell and Wahlberg play cops. If he’s smart, McKay will write a hilarious scene in which Wahlberg mistakes a potted plant for an informant, and only discovers his error after a thorough questioning. Come on Adam, let’s make that scene happen. No word yet on what part the three newcomers will play in the film, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that Michael Keaton plays the plant. Seriously, his career is really in the shit.