There’s no shortage of great romantic comedies available with a Netflix subscription, both in terms of classics and new originals. However, I recently discovered that one of my all-time favorites was back on the streamer, and I had to watch it again. Upon revisiting Obvious Child, I quickly remembered why I fell in love with this Jenny Slate comedy back in 2014: it’s funny, it’s clever, and it’s unafraid to tackle some heavy topics.

Revisiting one of my favorite comedies also reminded me that this movie might be too dark for some people. It’s not like there’s a distressing tone or any terrifying moments, but the way it handles the topic of abortion and weighing the decision to get one or not could be too much for some people. That said, here’s why you should give this one another watch (or check it out for the first time).

Obvious Child Is A Hilarious Rom-Com With A Serious Topic At Its Center

As we pointed out in our list of the best rom-coms of the 2010s, Obvious Child isn’t a movie for everyone, considering it’s about romance and abortion. Gilliam Robespierre’s unconventional rom-com about a stand-up comedian named Donna (Jenny Slate) having a one-night stand following a bitter breakup, getting pregnant, and then making the decision to have an abortion before informing the father of the child has a lot going on, both in terms of comedy and meaningful social topics.

Yes, the abortion aspect of the movie is front and center and brings up a much-needed conversation about women’s reproductive rights, but it’s also a wickedly funny comedy that showcases Slate’s talents better than anything that came before. It has that perfect balance of heart and humor (a lot of self-deprecating humor here) while also handling serious topics ever-so-delicately.

This Could Be Too Much For Some, But Obvious Child Feels Even More Relevant Today

You may think this movie isn’t for you if you’re someone who doesn’t want to think about abortions or heavy topics when you’re trying to relax with a funny rom-com, but give Obvious Child a shot. While it’s true that it was relevant upon release back in 2014, oddly enough, it feels even more relevant today, especially with the Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision back in June 2022.

There’s a scene in the movie where Donna’s mom (played by Polly Draper) tells her about having to go to “some stranger’s apartment” and having an abortion on the person’s kitchen table when she was in college. The scene, like many others, is handled with care, consideration, and touches on the importance of having safe and secure ways of having these types of procedures. It’s not preachy, but it drives home the point of this thoughtful comedy.

It’s Also A Rather Unconventional Valentine’s Day Watch

There were several 2025 romance movies worth watching this Valentine’s Day, but any marathon should also include Obvious Child.

Not only is this a great rom-com featuring two actors with insane chemistry (seriously, Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy just mesh so well here), but it also features what I think is one of the best Valentine’s Day scenes. I won’t give anything away for those who haven’t watched this yet, but just know that it’s up there with Sleepless in Seattle, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

I don’t know how long Obvious Child is going to be streaming on Netflix, so you’ll want to get it too sooner rather than later.

The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni persists over a year after Blake Lively initially filed a legal complaint against her It Ends with Us director/co-star and his production company. Lively eventually filed suit against Baldoni, and the case is set to go to court in a matter of months. Ahead of the trial, legal documents have been unsealed with alleged evidence being divulged in the process. It now seems that one of IEWU’s other stars, Jenny Slate, shared some less-than-flattering thoughts about Baldoni in leaked texts.

Jenny Slate, who played the role of Allysa in It Ends with Us, was apparently so displeased with Justin Baldoni that she sought to distance herself from him while doing press for the film. People obtained correspondences between Slate and her team which were allegedly sent via text. The messages appear to show Slate was adamant about not having to be included in any joint publicity events with Baldoni. At the same time, the actress also called out Jamey Heath, the CEO of Baldoni’s Wayfarer Studios:

When talking about the vibe on set, Slate – who previously shared support for Blake Lively after she made her legal complaint – claimed it had “been a really gross and disturbing shoot, and I'm one of many who feel [this] way.” The Marcel the Shell with Shoes On star also claimed that both she and Blake Lively “complained directly” about the alleged conditions. Slate went on to blast Baldoni with even more thoughts:

Lively originally accused Baldoni of sexual harassment, as she alleged that he acted inappropriately on set. She also claimed he used a PR firm to launch a smear campaign against her. Baldoni denied the allegations and sued The New York Times (which reported on Lively’s filing) for defamation. And, after Lively filed suit against him, Baldoni countersued the actress, her husband (Ryan Reynolds) and others for $400 million on the grounds of alleged defamation, extortion and more. In June 2025, Baldoni’s suit was dismissed, in what marked a major victory for Lively’s team, and his NYT suit was dropped as well.

As additional documents are unsealed in the lead-up to the Baldoni/Lively trial, new information is coming to light. A report released in November 2025, for instance, alleged that Baldoni was confronted by Ryan Reynolds over alleged body-shaming comments he made about Lively. Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman were allegedly also present at that meeting, where Baldoni allegedly cried.

The latest unsealed docs include more information on top of Jenny Slate’s purported texts. According to TMZ, the documents reveal that Lively was also displeased with the way in which her birthing scene from IEWU was orchestrated. The actress reportedly found it “violative and humiliating” to have her legs stretched with “barely covered genitalia” for the scene. It’s also alleged that Baldoni and Jamey Heath argued that Lively should be nude for the scene, which was an idea she strongly disagreed with.

Blake Lively’s case against Justin Baldoni is set to go to court on May 18, 2026. More immediately, though, the next hearing will happen on January 22. All the while, it remains to be seen what other information might be shared should further legal documentation be unsealed.

Minor spoilers for FX’s Dying for Sex are ahead. If you want to watch the show in full, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.

The title Dying for Sex says it all. The series that just premiered on the 2025 TV schedule follows a woman named Molly after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides to go on a journey of sexual discovery. As you likely deduced, the comedy is a sexually explicit Hulu project, and I asked Michelle Williams, who plays Molly, about filming the show's intimate and explicit scenes. In response, she told me why she was ready to “leap and then look” into this sex positive series.

During my interview with Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate (who plays Molly’s best friend and caretaker Nikki) about this new streaming show, I asked which sex scene was most intimidating to film. In response, The Fabelmans actress didn’t name a specific moment, but rather explained how she dove into the show and all these intimate scenes:

Along with being excited to work with these remarkable women, Williams also told me she was incredibly moved by the real Molly’s story. Dying for Sex was inspired by a podcast of the same name by Molly Kochan (who Williams plays) and her best friend Nikki Boyer.

The actress and EP told me she was “so drawn” to the source material, and knew she needed to be involved in its adaptation, saying:

Now, the number of sex scenes in this show could be seen as intimidating. From masturbating all day to going to a sex potluck to getting into the details of learning about dominating to spending a night with a man who likes to dress like a dog, Dying for Sex doesn’t shy away from anything.

Williams acknowledged that during our interview, noting that intimate and explicit moments “would show up” all the time:

However, due to the way the FX comedy approached these sequences, she was ready and willing to be part of them.

Along with complimenting how Dying for Sex used an intimacy coordinator in an earlier interview, Williams praised how sex is depicted on this series, telling me:

As someone who has seen the show in full, I completely agree with Williams' explanation. There is a “total absence of judgement” in Dying for Sex, and it celebrates all kinds of pleasure as well as sexual discovery.

Molly is at the center of that journey, which means the actress who plays her is in all of these scenes, and she performs them with care and heart. It was moving to hear her speak so openly and lovingly about a topic that can be seen as taboo, and it highlighted just how sex positive and thoughtful Dying for Sex is.

The best Saturday Night Live stars made an impact on the classic sketch comedy series, not just because of their ability to be funny but, more importantly, their ability to act. These comedy icons would go on to prove their versatility by challenging themselves in more serious roles on both the big and small screen, going on to earn widespread praise for their craft. Here, we show our appreciation for these dramatic performances by very funny people, including some that earned these SNL stars Oscar nominations.

Kristen Wiig (The Skeleton Twins)

This one technically counts as a twofer because the eponymous siblings in the 2014 twin movie, The Skeleton Twins, are played by SNL veterans Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Wiig has never given a more absorbing performance than in this movie that gets honest about mental illness as Maggie Dean, who is forced to put her own mental health struggles at bay to care for her gay, suicidal brother, Milo.

Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

Robert Downey Jr. is already better known for his dramatic roles (and playing Iron Man in the Marvel movies) than his brief SNL stint. However, many agree that his career best so far is his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Best Picture Oscar winner, 2023's Oppenheimer, which was his third Academy Award-nominated performance and the first to earn him the gold.

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Laurie Metcalf is one of the better examples of an actor with a largely forgotten SNL stint, considering she only made a couple of appearances on the show during Season 6. She is far better known for playing Jackie on Roseanne and The Conners and for her heartbreaking, Oscar-nominated performance in Greta Gerwig's acclaimed 2017 dramedy, Lady Bird, as the mother of the angsty titular role.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

Director Marc Forster’s 2006 film, Stranger Than Fiction, is still, essentially, a comedy but an undeniably dark one, as it follows an IRS agent named Harold Crick, who can hear the author of his life story foretelling his impending death. The role was one of the first to prove that a goofy actor like Will Ferrell had dramatic chops and his tender performance, one of the strongest of his career, would earn him a Golden Globe nomination.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

Perhaps the best thing outside of SNL to star Will Forte (in addition to the MacGruber movie and his prematurely canceled TV show The Last Man on Earth) is director Alexander Payne's Nebraska. The comedian shows a new rare side of himself in the Oscar-nominated 2013 as a David Grant, who agrees to travel cross-country with his estranged father, Woody (Bruce Dern), to claim a potentially non-existent prize of $1 million.

Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)

While Eddie Murphy scored a radio hit in 1985 with "Party All the Time," the moment that truly convinced the world that he was a musically talented SNL star was his performance in Dreamgirls. He received an Academy Award nomination for playing troubled R&B singer, James “Thunder” Early in the acclaimed 2006 musical.

Abby Elliott (The Bear)

Creator Christopher Storer's acclaimed FX original, The Bear, is often billed as a comedy, especially around awards season. However, real fans of the culinary series know that it is truly one of the most emotionally grasping shows of its time and Abby Elliott (daughter of fellow SNL vet Chris Elliott) has contributed to some of its strongest moments as Natalie "Sugar" Berzatto.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

While he is still beloved for comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, both critics and audiences agree that one of Adam Sandler's best movies is the intense 2019 thriller Uncut Gems. Many believed he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in the acclaimed A24 movie from Josh and Benny Safdie as self-destructive Manhattan jeweler Howard Rattner.

Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back)

It was not until years after her one-season stint on SNL that Sarah Silverman became one of the biggest names in comedy with her sharp stand-up and roles in popular funny movies. However, she had never received wider and stronger critical acclaim before playing vastly against type in the 2015 drama I Smile Back as a troubled woman struggling to hide her depression and self-destructive tendencies from her husband and young children.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Many would call Bill Murray (who was part of SNL's Not Ready for Primetime Players) losing Best Actor for one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, at the 2004 Academy Awards one of the biggest Oscar blunders in history. His performance in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort as a lonely veteran actor striking up an unlikely bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo is a masterclass in raw honesty and charm.

Chris Rock (Fargo)

No one was more surprised to see Noah Hawley offer Chris Rock one of the lead roles in the fourth season of his hit anthology TV show, Fargo, than the former SNL star himself. Rock – who went on to play a cop in a Saw movie called Spiral and starred in the Oscar-nominated biopic, Rustin – really turned heads with his commanding performance as Loy Cannon, who leads his 1950s-ear, Kansas City crime family with an iron fist.

Bill Hader (Barry)

When he created Barry with Alec Berg, Bill Hader knew people would think the idea of him playing a contract killer who falls in love with acting is pretty funny. That must have motivated the former SNL favorite to prove that he could bring himself to some disturbingly bleak places with his two-time Emmy-winning performance in the title role of the hit HBO series.

Kate McKinnon (Bombshell)

We genuinely believe that one of the most essential reasons why Bombshell is one of Kate McKinnon's best movies is the dynamic SNL star's performance. Her role as Fox News employee Jess Carr – a composite character based on real people involved with the real-life events that inspired the 2019 docudrama – could be written off as comic relief but she does show some real gravitas in its more somber moments.

Dan Aykroyd (Driving Miss Daisy)

Some of Dan Aykroyd's most notable cinematic efforts are actually movies based on SNL characters, namely The Blues Brothers and Coneheads. However, he would earn praise and an Academy Award nomination for his moving turn as Boolie Werthan in 1989’s beloved period drama, Driving Miss Daisy.

Andy Samberg (Lee)

When appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg acknowledged that a movie like Lee – the 2024 biopic about World War II photographer Lee Miller, played by Kate Winslet – is unlike anything the Lonely Island member has done before. However, not only is the SNL vet a dead ringer for Miller's colleague, David Scherman, but he excels in his emotionally heavy portrayal of the man.

Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Director Sam Mendes' Away We Go is a sweet, tender-hearted dramedy about a couple (played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) traveling the country in search of a worthy home for their soon-to-be-born child. Carrying most of the emotional weight in the film is Rudolph, resulting in one of her most wonderfully down-to-earth performances from one of SNL's goofiest female performers.

Molly Shannon (A Good Person)

Writer and director Zach Braff's A Good Person – following a young woman (played by Florence Pugh) and her post-accident road to recovery with help from her would-be father-in-law (played by Morgan Freeman) – is led to by heavy-hitting Oscar darlings. Yet, some say the heart and soul of the 2023 dramedy is Molly Shannon's performance as the mother of Pugh's character, for which she gives her most acclaimed, heartfelt dramatic performance yet.

Jay Pharoah (Unsane)

Jay Pharoah only departed from SNL a couple of years breaking into dramatic acting with director Steven Soderbergh's Unsane. The comedian and talented impressionist is electrifying in the mind-bending psychological thriller as a mental hospital patient who befriends Sawyer (Claire Foy), who claims she has been admitted against her will.

Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)

Arguably the most memorable moment from Jenny Slate's one-season SNL stint is when she accidentally dropped the F-bomb during her first show (which she confirmed had nothing to do with her exit, by the way). Years after her time at Studio 8H, the comedian amazed critics with her beautiful and heartbreaking performance in the 2014 romantic dramedy Obvious Child, in which she plays a stand-up comic dealing with an unplanned pregnancy.

Casey Wilson (Gone Girl)

Some might say that a sign of a great actor is the ability to convey all that an audience needs to know just in one's silent expressions. For proof, see Casey Wilson's performance as Amy Dunne's "friend" Noelle Hawthorne in David Fincher's Gone Girl, in which you rarely, if ever, hear her speak but are thoroughly captivated by her body language.

Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone)

In 1984, the same year that Anthony Michael Hall became a teen idol with roles in hilarious, high school movies The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, he became the youngest SNL cast member, coming on at just 17 years old. Years later, he fully reinvented himself as a serious actor as the star of USA's series adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone, in which he plays a man who wakes from a coma with the ability to see the future.

Christopher Guest (The Long Riders)

Christopher Guest joined the SNL cast in 1984, around the same time his career as the most trusted mockumentarian began as one of the writers and stars of This is Spinal Tap. He had shown Hollywood his more serious side years earlier by starring in The Long Riders – a fact-based Western noted for casting real-life siblings as real-life outlaw siblings, such as Guest and his brother, Nicholas, as Charley and Robert Ford.

Jane Curtin (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

After SNL, Jane Curtin went on to play many great comedic roles – such as her two-time Emmy-winning role on Kate & Allie and an acclaimed stint on 3rd Rock from the Sun – but did not have quite many opportunities to show her more serious side. That would change in 2018 when the one-time "Weekend Update" anchor starred in the biopic Can You Ever Forgive Me? as Marjorie, who works as the agent for author Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy).

Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)

Interestingly, Michael McKean was already an established comedy actor and had even hosted SNL before he joined as a cast member in the early 1990s. However, his reputation as a dramatic actor was never fully realized before his Emmy-nominated turn on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul as Chuck, the delusional older brother of Jimmy McGill (former SNL writer Bob Odenkirk).

Joan Cusack (Arlington Road)

Joan Cusack became the first SNL star to earn two Academy Award nominations but both were for comedic roles, namely from 1988's Working Girl and In & Out from 1997. One might argue she deserved similar recognition for her work in 1999's Arlington Road as Cheryl Lang, who, along with her husband (played by Tim Robbins), is suspected of domestic terrorism by their neighbor, a professor (played by Jeff Bridges).

Billy Crystal (Before)

With the exception of, perhaps, the tearjerker ending of When Harry Met Sally..., it is hard to imagine Billy Crystal in a role that doesn't require him to be his signature goofy self. Thus, the comedic genius shocked audiences when he served as the star and showrunner of Apple TV+'s dark thriller Before, in which he plays a widowed child psychiatrist whose newest patient exhibits signs of psychopathy.

Janeane Garofalo (Cop Land)

Janeane Garofalo's time at SNL is largely forgotten but, luckily, did not affect her reputation as one of the smartest and most dynamic comedic actors in the 1990s. She further proved her versatility in 1997 as Deputy Sheriff Cindy Betts in James Mangold's acclaimed crime thriller, Cop Land.

Chevy Chase (Law & Order)

Chevy Chase's bread and butter on and off SNL was playing smarmy jerks. However, he really upped the ante in 2006 for his guest star appearance on Law & Order as an anti-Semitic murder suspect.

Tina Fey (A Haunting In Venice)

In addition to being the Agatha Christie surrogate in Kenneth Branagh's third Agatha Christie adaptation, you could call Tina Fey's clever writer Ariadne Oliver the comic relief of A Haunting in Venice. However, the former SNL star and one-time head writer plays the role in the 2023 mystery thriller with an earnestness that is perfectly suitable for its story and tone.

Jim Belushi (The Principal)

Jim Belushi's stint at SNL was unavoidably a constant source of comparison to his older brother, John Belushi. Luckily, he went on to have a relatively successful run with more dramatic roles, such as a man who takes a job at an anarchic high school in 1987's The Principal.

Rob Riggle (12 Strong)

Rob Riggle's brief time at SNL led to a stint on The Daily Show and scene-stealing turns in comedies like Stepbrothers and 21 Jump Street but his best role might be from 2018's 12 Strong. As he told Stephen Colbert on Late Show, he was uniquely qualified to star in the fact-based military drama, not only because he is a former U.S. Marine but because the person he is portraying, Lt. Colonel Bowers, is his actual former boss.

Randy Quaid (The Last Detail)

One of the few people to become an Academy Award nominee before becoming an SNL cast member is Randy Quaid. He earned the honor from his performance in 1973's The Last Detail as a dishonorable discharged Naval officer who is shown one last good time by his superiors (played by Jack Nicholson and Otis Young) before facing jail time.

If you’ve seen Parks and Recreation, you’ve been acquainted with one of the most annoying characters in sitcom history, Jean-Ralphio. While not quite “the w-o-o-rst” that his sister Mona-Lisa Saperstein is, he comes pretty close, but actually kind of the best when it comes to laugh out loud moments. Sure, Ben Schwartz has known that he’s been a meme for a long time, but he’s just spoken about the time he found out one bit from the show became popular on TikTok, and he’s so un-Jean Ralphio about it.

If you spend time on TikTok or Reels, you’ve probably heard the little tune “don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious” next to a cute cat video or some comedic bit from a user or friend. One of Parks and Recreation’s best guest stars, Ben Schwartz, found out the bit had found a new life on social media when a friend of his was telling him how audio sampling works on TikTok. In his words:

Wild, isn’t it? During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ben Schwartz said he had no idea he’d gone “ultra viral” on the platform, and it sounds like it happened in such a casual way. I love the response because Schwartz was interested in the concept of audio sampling on TikTok because of how collaborative it was, but little did he know that an improvised bit he did with Jenny Slate back in 2015 is a source of inspiration for tons and tons of internet videos. If you’ve yet to experience one of these videos, take a look:

The sound is from an extended version of Parks and Recreation's series finale, “One Last Ride,” where Schwartz’s Jean-Ralphio and Jenny Slate’s Mona-Lisa plot to fake his death and use the insurance money to open a casino in Tajikistan. While the funeral is taking place, they break out into the song that makes their presence pretty obvious. It’s a hilarious moment in the show, and it’s fun to see how people use it to make other people laugh. Here’s another one:

While Ben Schwartz has spoken before about not wanting to play another Jean-Ralphio type, it’s a role he’ll probably never be able to get away from. As he continued in the interview:

The quotability of that show is incredible. You can stream one of the all-time great sitcoms, Parks and Recreation now with a Peacock subscription and look out for Ben Schwartz’s voice in Sonic The Hedgehog 3. It’s among 2024 movies to come, as it’s set to hit theaters on December 20.

When you take on a book-to-screen adaptation, fans of the source material always have expectations, and that can be intimidating. While the film It Ends With Us made a handful of changes from the novel, overall, it’s a faithful adaptation. Now, two of its stars, Blake Lively and Jenny Slate, have opened up to CinemaBlend about details from the book they wanted in their take on it and how they approached playing these beloved fictional characters.

Jenny Slate Reveals The It Ends With Us Scene She Wanted To Make Sure She ‘Delivered’ 

When I asked Jenny Slate about which book detail she wanted to include, she talked about playing Allysa – Lily’s best friend and Ryle’s sister – and the scene she wanted to make sure they got right. Memorably, her character’s introduction features her bursting into Lily’s flower shop and asking for a job. For Slate, it was important to get the moment right, as she said during my interviews for CinemaBelnd about It Ends With Us:

Slate went on to explain that “there’s something between” Lily and Allysa “that starts the second that they meet.” It was important to her to bring the same energy to that scene that’s in the book, which you can see in the clip below:

As someone who has read the novel, I totally agree with Slate that this scene was important, because it sets the tone for Lily and Allysa’s friendship. The actress continued to tell me how getting this scene right helped push the characters' relationship forward, and it set the stage for the vital role Allysa plays in Lily’s deep, and at times dark, story:

She did that too. When Ryle turns violent and abuses Lily, Allysa is always there for her, and it’s partially because of the solid ground their friendship is built on. To that point, Blake Lively continued to talk about working to fully flesh out the characters from Colleen Hoover’s book.

Blake Lively Explains How She Went About Playing A Beloved Book Character  

When I asked Blake Lively about which details from the book It Ends With Us she wanted to incorporate into the film, she opened up about the “fan favorite” lines as well as making sure she authentically portrayed her character Lily. While breaking down how she played Lily in the project that recently premiered on the 2024 movie schedule, she told me:

She’s right, the movie does have some of the “greatest hits,” including when Lily says “It ends with us.” She also makes a good point in noting that she wanted to play out Lily’s story in an “authentic,” “real,” “raw” and “honest” way. She continued:

I think they accomplished that, and they were able to do it while re-creating the majority of the scenes from the book.

Overall, It Ends With Us is a sold adaptation of its source material, and I think it’s because its team took such a thoughtful approach to including important details from the book while also putting their own spin on them.

To see the film for yourself, you can catch It Ends With Us in theaters now.

Earlier this summer, the internet was obsessed with actors who they thought looked like “sexy rats,” and for ages, there’s been a lot of chatter about people falling for celebrities who aren't necessarily considered "conventional" crushes. Now, a thread on Reddit has gone viral about the topic of unconventional crushes, and their choices and reasoning for them are A+.

Considering House of the Dragon just wrapped up its second season on the 2024 TV schedule, let’s start this round-up from this Reddit thread with @mismorningstaarr’s pick. They went for Matt Smith, and when we’re thinking about him specifically as Daemon Targaryen, I can see why they wrote this:

Like Matt Smith, Willem Dafoe’s filmography is filled with quirky characters – I’m thinking about Poor Things, The Lighthouse, and even Spider-Man – and bold choices, which is why @AudreySimmons85 wrote:

I think they’re so right! I adore Willem Dafoe!

The choices continued as @Accomplished_Egg6239’s pick was one of Parks and Recreation’s best guest stars. Best known for her supporting roles and voicing Marcel the Shell, Jenny Slate is a star, and I totally agree with this person:

There was a lot of passion behind this next pick, which tracks considering he’s a beloved actor who won four Emmys for playing Tyrion Lannister in the Game of Thrones cast and has gone on to prove his range and charisma through quite the catalog of roles. @xiahabi wrote:

Staying on the Game of Thrones train, @Level_99_Healer gave some love to Brienne of Tarth, writing:

There was a lot of appreciation for Jack Black after @GGATHELMIL named him. @raccoonlovechild gave their reasoning for this choice in the comments, writing:

From really leaning into the hilarious “Peaches” discourse when the Super Mario Bros. Movie came out, to dancing and singing on the red carpet of the Kung Fu Panda 4 premiere, Black has proven this point in dividends over the last year alone. However, his whole career is a giant highlight reel of this…I mean we all saw The Holiday, it was impossible not to fall for him.

This list was full of incredible comedians, and it showcased that there’s something so attractive about a good sense of humor. @SamsaraBug showed some love for a beloved SNL alum, writing:

Along the same lines, @Take-to-the-highways posted about their favorite actors (especially those who are naturally funny), noting the lead actor of Better Call Saul is their top choice:

Shifting gears, there was also many who posted about crushes they have on actors who have played darker and more sinister roles. For example, @koalasarecute22 chose a legendary actor from the Harry Potter cast as their crush, writing:

We’ll end on an incredibly timely pick considering the hit that is Fallout. Many of us fell in love with The Ghoul on the Amazon Prime show, and in return, Walton Goggins found a whole new group of admirers. While I don’t know if @maverick1ba fell in love with the actor because of one of Prime Video’s best shows, I do agree with their sentiment now that I’ve seen the video game adaptation:

Overall, all these picks are incredible, and in a lot of cases, the reasoning for them is hilarious and relatable.

Attractiveness is more than just looks, and don’t get me wrong, all these people are good-looking, but there’s so much more to them! While they may be considered unconventional choices at first, all these people deserve all the love in the world.

There are some former Saturday Night Live cast members who, after making a huge impact in a short amount of time, you could tell were destined to make a name for themselves at Studio 8H, leading to a celebrated and influential career in comedy. Then, there are also performers who are now regarded as comedy legends or, at least, respected names in the craft who, for some reason or another, did not find the star-making moment they were searching for during their short stint on the show. Why don’t we give the stars you may have forgotten were on SNL the recognition they deserve because, as far as we are concerned, their unremarkable legacy from the show was not their fault.

Jenny Slate

The one best-known thing from Jenny Slate’s SNL stint is her accidental F-bomb (on her first episode), which she assured InStyle had nothing to do with her firing at the end of the season. Luckily, her stardom only increased with a scene-stealing recurring role on Parks and Rec as Mona-Lisa Saperstein, creating and voicing Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and making a memorable appearance in the 2023 Best Picture Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Harry Shearer

As the voice of multiple memorable Simpsons characters — including Ned Flanders and Mr. Burns — and one of the members of Spinal Tap, Harry Shearer is nothing short of a legend in the comedy scene. Unfortunately, his time as an SNL cast member — first from 1979 to 1980 and again in 1984 — was an unpleasant and creatively stifling one, as he revealed to IGN.

Casey Wilson

We would certainly consider SNL a career highlight for Casey Wilson, but not necessarily among the top tier. For instance, playing Penny Hartz on ABC’s short-lived, but much-loved sitcom, Happy Endings, her pivotal role in David Fincher’s Gone Girl, or hosting multiple podcasts have contributed more to her stardom.

Tim Robinson

You could argue that Tim Robinson was actually one of the saving graces for his sole season on SNL, but the show was not quite fitting for the comedian's style. His penchant for the surreal and the cringeworthy was clearly better suited for his Netflix show (and another great sketch comedy series), I Think You Should Leave, anyway.

Janeane Garofalo

Did you forget that Janeane Garofalo was on SNL? You are not the only one. The comedian's best work in the realm of sketch comedy can instead be found on the criminally short-lived '90s show, The Ben Stiller Show.

Joan Cusack

Highlights of Joan Cusack's acclaimed career include two Academy Award-nominated performances (for Working Girl and In & Out). However, very rarely is her short time at SNL from 1985 to 1986 acknowledged because, quite frankly, there was not much worth acknowledging.

Ben Stiller

It’s not that SNL never really knew the best way to use Ben Stiller but, more accurately, he realized the show was not the best use for his talents at the time. He showed his strengths by making short films for The Ben Stiller Show, but would later come back to host SNL a few times and even landed a recurring stint as Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Sarah Silverman

With a successful stand-up career, two Emmy wins, and a main role in a beloved animated Disney movie franchise (Vanellope from Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet), Sarah Silverman is undeniably one of comedy’s biggest names. However, she would not get to that point until years after she was fired from SNL after one forgettable season — an experience for which she is still grateful for preparing her for the industry.

Robert Downey Jr.

It might be a bewildering surprise for some to learn that Iron Man himself was, not only on SNL in the mid-1980s, but is regarded as one of the weakest cast members in the show’s history. These days, however, Robert Downey Jr.’s sense of humor is considered a signature key element of his subsequent success and he has since become the only former SNL actor to win an Oscar (for Oppenheimer).

Noël Wells

Highlights of Noël Wells’ sole season on SNL include brief celebrity impersonations and… well, that’s really about it. She was already at her funniest, however, as part of College Humor and the Upright Citizens Brigade and would also go on to have a major role on Master of None and join the Star Trek: Lower Decks voice cast, to name a few achievements.

Damon Wayans 

Damon Wayans is actually a special case, in the sense that SNL had every chance to let him fully utilize his talents, but never took the initiative. This led the actor to take matters into his own hands and go off script, which got him fired, but paved the way for him to make a name for himself in the In Living Color cast.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Although she never really became an SNL all-star during her three seasons, Julia Louis-Dreyfus certainly did make an impact on then-SNL writer Larry David, who later gave her a career-defining, Emmy-winning role in the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes. Following that revolutionary sitcom, she won more Emmys for leading The New Adventures of Old Christine and HBO’s Veep cast, earned the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2018, and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.

Rob Riggle

With some funny moments as a Daily Show correspondent, hilarious appearances in hit comedies like The Hangover and Stepbrothers, etc., Rob Riggle is one of modern comedy’s greatest scene-stealers. Yet, nothing from his 2004-2005 SNL stint — also his first real showbiz breakthrough after 15 years in the Marines — lent to that reputation, which might have had something to do with the pressures of being “the new guy,” as he revealed to The Daily Beast.

Laurie Metcalf 

Laurie Metcalf is less a case of SNL not figuring out how to use an actor and more a case of the show depriving her of the chance, with her only contributions to the show being a “Weekend Update” bit and a pre-taped short. Of course, she would go on to become a star after playing Jackie on Roseanne (and later The Conners) and earned an Academy Award nomination for 2017’s Lady Bird.

Christopher Guest

Christopher Guest did have a few memorable SNL moments — such as he and Billy Crystal’s recurring appearances as Willie and Frankie or when, just a few months after 1984’s This is Spinal Tap released, he and the rest of the fictional rock group showed up in character in a pre-taped segment. Speaking of, further mockumentaries like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind would prove to be his true bread and butter.

Christine Ebersole

You may recognize Christine Ebersole from Academy Award-nominated dramedies like Tootsie and Licorice Pizza, her Tony Award-winning performances in Broadway musicals 42nd Street and Grey Gardens, or starring on the CBS sitcom, Bob Hearts Abishola, as Dottie. You may not recognize her so quickly from her one season on SNL in the early 1980s, during which she served as Brian Doyle-Murray’s co-anchor on “Weekend Update” (when it was called “SNL News Break”), most notably.

John Milhiser

John Milhiser is best known for being the second openly gay male SNL member, but not much else from his time at Studio 8H. The Upright Citizens Brigade veteran has since proved his skills with a recurring role on TBS’ The Guest Book, appearing opposite fellow SNL alumni Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in 2016’s Ghostbusters, and plenty more.

Michaela Watkins

Perhaps you and some people you know may have quoted Michaela Watkins as blogger Angie Tempura before the actor was fired from SNL in 2009. Yet, we have a feeling you recognize the comedian and former Groundlings member even better from TV shows like Casual on Hulu and CBS’ The Unicorn or movies like Wanderlust, Good Boys, and Paint, for instance.

Gilbert Gottfried

The legendary, late comedian Gilbert Gottfried — known for countless movie and TV show roles, including Iago in 1992’s Aladdin — told Joe Rogan that the intense pressure of being part of the first cast to follow the Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players made his only year on SNL “terrible.” Well, in that regard, we suppose he would be thankful that his stint has gone largely forgotten ever since.

Danitra Vance

According to Advocate, Danitra Vance — famous for being SNL’s first Black female repertory player and first gay female regular, despite not being out at the time — is also known for, almost exclusively, playing stereotypical characters on the show. After leaving on her own accord during Season 11, she went on to put her sharp satirical talents to better use before tragically succumbing to breast cancer in 1994.

Brooks Wheelan

The funniest moment from Brooks Wheelan's SNL stint sees him acknowledge just how little screen time he actually got for that one season. He bounced back from his exit pretty well, thought, with an acclaimed stand-up career, roles on movies and TV shows like Big Hero 6: The Series, and his podcast, Entry Level.

David Koechner

Arguably, the best thing to come out of David Koechner’s single season on SNL is his friendship with Will Ferrell, who debuted on the show at the same time in 1995. Koechner later worked with Ferrell again in the Anchorman movies as his most iconic character, Champ Kind, which opened doors for plenty more hilarious small-screen and big-screen appearances.

Chris Elliott

When Abby Elliott joined SNL in 2008, few realized at the time that she was the daughter of Chris Elliott and even fewer realized that made her a second generation cast member. Elliott’s talents shone brighter anyway before his 1994-1995 Studio 8H stint with appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and since as one of the funniest Schitt’s Creek characters, Roland Schitt, to name a few examples. 

Michael McKean

As the star of movies like This is Spinal Tap and Clue and a main player on Laverne & Shirley, Michael McKean was already a certified comic genius (and even hosted SNL) years before he joined the cast from 1994 to 1995. Yet, very little evidence of what made the future Better Call Saul cast member such a refreshing comedic force could be found on the Studio 8H stage.

Aristotle Athari

Aristotle Athari did have one decidedly memorable role on SNL as an improvisational lounge singer named Angelo. However, his funniest roles are still outside of Studio 8H, including his recurring role as Gabe on Silicon Valley and one-half of the titular duo from the sci-fi rom-com, Molli and Max in the Future.

Nancy Carell 

She is best known today as Steve Carell's wife, but is also his frequent collaborator, appearing alongside each other in several films and TV shows and co-creating the hilarious cop show spoof, Angie Tribeca. However, Nancy Carell's one-season stint on SNL (during which she impersonated the likes of Diane Sawyer, Sharon Stone, and Martha Stewart) is largely forgotten.

Mike O'Brien

When it came to performing in sketches, Mike O’Brien never made much of an impression — save a couple of short, faux biopics in which he played Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps O’Brien’s original Studio 8H gig as a writer was where his true talented lied, which became especially evident when he created the acclaimed, yet short-lived, NBC sitcom, AP Bio.

Dean Edwards

Dean Edwards is yet another example of an SNL cast member never really given a chance to shine beyond his ability to impersonate celebrities while appearing in the cast from 2001 to 2003. Come to think of it, that has essentially been the comedian’s claim to fame outside of the show, too, having filled in as Donkey in a few Shrek spin-offs, for instance. 

Laura Kightlinger

Laura Kightlinger was among the youngest SNL cast members, having been hired at 25 years old in 1994, which is, decidedly, the most noteworthy detail about her stint. Her later career, which involved producing and making guest appearances on sitcoms such as 2 Broke Girls on CBS and NBC’s Will & Grace, is what she is better known for.

Morwenna Banks

Holding the record for shortest SNL tenure is Morwenna Banks, who was added to the cast for the final four episodes of the 20th season and was not being asked to come back. Luckily, the British comedian and actor was doing just fine before coming to New York — she found success on the U.K. sketch show Absolutely — and has been since — writing, producing, and starring in various titles and voicing Mummy Pig on Peppa Pig.

Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid was another established Hollywood talent before he joined SNL for one season in 1985, having previously earned an Academy Award nomination for 1974’s The Last Detail and originated Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise. He never quite brought the same energy to those iconic roles, or subsequent notable performances, that he did to the show.

Lauren Holt

In late 2020, Forbes put Lauren Holt on its “30 Under 30” list for that year, which has us convinced they saw her work before she joined the SNL cast that season. Her talents are much more evident from her days in the Upright Citizens Brigade or as a found member of musical improv troupe, The Pickup.

SNL may know how to pick ‘em, but it does not always know how or when to give its cast members their moment to show the world what they are capable

The Parks and Rec cast by itself is legendary. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and more served as regulars on the series for years, and to this day their characters are beloved. However, what made this show even more special was its constant stream of guest stars played by living legends. Everyone from Bill Murray to Michelle Obama to Ben Schwartz appeared on the NBC classic, and today, we’re here to talk about them. 

Paul Rudd

Now, I know we love Paul Rudd for his movies, but we also need to appreciate his brilliant work as Bobby Newport on Parks and Rec. During Season 4, the actor joined the cast to play the man running against Leslie Knope for a city council position. Overall, Bobby is childish, not smart and spoiled, and Rudd plays this silly idiot brilliantly. 

Bill Murray

Obviously, Bill Murray’s funniest roles include iconic characters like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day and Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. However, his guest spot on Parks and Rec was unexpected and incredibly memorable. I write this because, for one episode in Season 7, the Saturday Night Live legend played Walter Gunderson, the dead mayor of Pawnee. 

Kathryn Hahn

Playing the cutthroat campaign manager Jen Barkley, Kathryn Hahn made a glorious (and a smidge evil) impact on Parks and Rec. She played a cutthroat manager who worked for Bobby Newport at first, and across ten episodes she popped in from time to time to both help and harm Leslie’s political career. 

Ben Schwartz 

Arguably, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is one of the best recurring guest stars in Parks and Rec history. The rich boy who is friends with Tom is ridiculous, scammy and he’s constantly trying to flirt with everyone and sing whenever he can. While he’s 100% the worst, he’s also totally not “the WORRRRRRSSSSSTTTT,” if you know what I mean.  

Jenny Slate

In a stroke of perfect casting, Jenny Slate popped into Parks and Rec to play Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona Lisa Saperstein. The siblings truly are the most chaotic duo, however, they’re also the two of the funniest extra side characters the sitcom has to offer. Just don’t fall for it when they ask for “money please!”

Henry Winkler

After getting to know Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa, we meet their father, Lu Saperstein in Season 6. Played brilliantly by Henry Winkler, the patriarch of the Saperstein family is a successful doctor who is willing to go to any financial length to help his kids. 

Sam Elliott

In the later seasons of the show, we met the Eagleton Parks Department. Ironically, each member of that crew matched up with a member of the Parks and Rec cast, and when it came to picking someone to play Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson’s counterpart, they cast Sam Elliott as Ron Dunn. While they both have legendary mustaches and an appreciation for the outdoors, that’s where the similarities stop, and seeing Ron and Anti-Ron go head-to-head was hilarious. 

Joe Biden

Leslie loves her politicians and had a massive crush on then-Vice President Joe Biden. As an engagement gift, Ben decided to give her the perfect present and prove that he’s the ideal man, by coordinating a meet and greet between Leslie and Joe Biden.

Patton Oswalt

When Leslie tries to change Pawnee’s charter to get rid of some silly laws – like throwing a Ted into a lake – Garth Blundin makes his disapproval clear. Patton Oswalt plays the historian, and he challenges Amy Poehler’s character to a filibuster and a day of living like a colonial person. Ultimately, he and Leslie find common ground, and he joins forces with her to help preserve the laws…he also volunteers to get thrown in the lake.

Michelle Obama

As Leslie tries to figure out if she should take a job at the National Parks Department and leave Pawnee, Michelle Obama comes in to tell her about why she should take it. Let’s just say if I met the First Lady, I think I’d be just as star-struck as Leslie Knope. How could you not stumble over your words if you casually bumped into the First Lady of the United States?

Bo Burnham

Some of the funniest stand-up on Netflix comes from Bo Burnham, and in his special Make Happy, he sings a “Country Song” that pokes fun at the cliches in the genre and how some artists are masters at pandering to their audiences. On Parks and Rec, he worked with that idea as well by playing country singer Chipp McCapp who Leslie and Andy tried to hire for a performance at the Unity Concert. His songs like “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” were truly hilarious, and they complimented the stand-up comedian's sense of humor very well. 

John McCain

Parks and Rec knows how to do a political cameo, and one of the best ones came when Leslie didn’t even realize she’d just met John McCain in a coat closet. She was so distraught over interacting with #4 and #26 on Leslie’s list of amazing women, that she didn’t even notice she was speaking with the senator. 

Megan Mullally

You know chaos mode has been activated when Ron’s second ex-wife Tammy II enters the chat. She’s constantly trying to simultaneously take Ron down and get back together with her, and his efforts to avoid it are truly hilarious. However, what really makes this dynamic duo so hysterical and one of the best recurring inside jokes on Parks and Rec is the fact that Tammy II is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally. 

Will Forte

Amy Poehler and Will Forte were both in some of SNL’s best casts, and it was such a treat to see them reunite on Parks and Rec. In his episode, Forte played Kelly, a man who really wants to get the Twilight books put in Pawnee’s town time capsule. When Leslie refuses and then agrees, it starts an outcry over what can and can’t go in the capsule via a chaotic town meeting. 

Jon Hamm

According to Leslie, Jon Hamm’s Ed is the “most incompetent person I’ve ever worked with.” He worked for our leading lady when she was at the National Parks Department, and he was swiftly fired by her not long after we met him. 

John Cena

In an epic episode of Andy’s show, the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, Burt Macklin, FBI, arrested John Cena – who was wearing so much of his own WWE merch – and took him to the dunk tank. Talk about a dream come true for Andy and viewers.

Keegan-Michael Key

There’s no question that all our hearts grew a few sizes when Donna married Keegan-Michael Key’s Joe. The comedian played the “Treat yo’ self’ queen’s boyfriend-turned-husband in Seasons 6 and 7, and it’s safe to say that we all adored this music teacher. 

Bradley Whitford

Considering Parks and Rec is a show about government and Rob Lowe is one of its stars, it made perfect sense for a West Wing cast member to pop into the sitcom. It was done perfectly too, because the team brought in Josh himself, as Bradley Whitford played Councilman Pillner, the man Leslie replaces on City Council and a model boat enthusiast. 

J.K. Simmons

Remember Ice Town? Well, Ben’s hometown of Partridge and J.K. Simmons’ Mayor Stice sure do. And that became clear as day when an episode of Parks went back to Adam Scott’s character’s hometown so he could get a key to the city, which ended up just being melted water in a box…because Ice Town. 

Patricia Clarkson

While Megan Mullally’s Tammy II is truly unhinged and chaotic, Tammy I is cold, calculated, and manipulative. She’s played by Patricia Clarkson, and she really adds to the hilarious chaos that is Ron Swanson’s love life. 

Andy Samberg

Back when Andy Samberg was still on Saturday Night Live and before he led his own sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he guest starred on Parks and Rec as the incredibly loud Park Ranger Carl. During Season 2, Leslie worked with Carl on a few issues of Parks security, and let's just say that she “might not be so confident, when [she has to] walk a mile in [Carl’s]  size sevens.” 

Rachel Dratch

In the final season of Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live co-star Rachel Dratch appeared as Roz Pinwheel, the nanny of Leslie and Ben’s triplets. While a small role, it was such a nice (and funny) nod to the two comedians' time together on the legendary sketch comedy show.

Nick Kroll

If you were looking to get humiliated on the radio look no further than "The Douche." This hilarious and terrible radio host was played by the mastermind behind one of the best animated shows, Big Mouth, Nick Kroll, and anytime he showed up to host a radio spot on the series, you knew something wild was about to go down.

Chelsea Peretti

While Leslie ran for City Council, April filled in for her one time, and during one of her seminars Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti showed up as one of the attendees, Zelda. Fun fact: before Peretti was part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she actually wrote two episodes of Parks and Rec, which helps explain her lil cameo in the series. 

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell was quite literally the perfect person to play Leslie Knope’s Eagleton councilwoman counterpart, Ingrid de Forest. It turns out, Bell was born to thrive on a comedy like this, because after Parks and Rec, she went on to lead the cast of The Good Place, which was Michael Schur’s next show after Parks.  

Dax Shepard

When Tom decides to become Andy’s manager as he works on Johnny Karate, they have a run-in with Hank Muntak, a TV executive in Pawnee who is played by Dax Shepard. Before this guest spot, the actor had spent a lot of time on NBC as one of the stars of Parenthood, these days you can find him hosting his podcast Armchair Expert. 

Will Arnett

Before Leslie meets and falls in love with Ben, she goes on some wildly terrible dates, including one with MRI technician Chris. At the time, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were actually married (they’re divorced now), making this blind date even funnier because they were a real-life couple too. 

Sean Hayes

Bobby Wood was Indianapolis’ best talk show host, and he was played by Sean Hayes. As television appearances tend to go for Leslie and co. her interview with him didn’t exactly go well, and both comedic actors were so funny in the moment. 

Fred Armisen

You can always count on Fred Armisen to play the wildest goofy guys, and he did exactly that on Parks and Recreation. In the episode “Sister City,” the SNL vet appeared as Raul Alejandro Bastilla Pedro de Veloso de Maldonado, the Venezuelan officer who came to represent his city on a trip to Pawnee. 

Tatiana Maslany

Tom Haverford’s love life was always a funny point of interest on Parks and Rec, especially because it was only brought up occasionally. For instance, in Season 6, he had a short-lived relationship with Tatiana Maslany’s Nadia Stasky, a doctor who eventually left Pawnee and moved to Rwanda.  

Parker Posey

Indie darling Parker Posey came on to Parks and Rec to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay. The character was Leslie’s counterpart from Eagleton, meaning she was the Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee’s fancy rival town. The twist here was that Lindsay was actually Leslie’s friend and went behind her back a long time ago to take the job in Eagleton. 

Jason Schwartzman

Jason Schwartzman’s role in Parks and Rec presented an interesting issue for Pawnee when he decided to turn his video rental store into an adult store. Watching Leslie flounder as she figured out how to help the character played by the Asteroid City star was so funny, and the character of Dennis was perfect for Schwartzman.  

Honestly, the guest stars from Parks and Rec are next level. From comedy geniuses to beloved dramatic actors, so many notable names took a quick trip to Pawnee, Indiana and I love that for them, this wonderful show and us. 

Multiple generations fear Pennywise - whether it’s Tim Curry in the miniseries or Bill Skarsgård in the theatrical franchise. However, before Skarsgård brought the scary and angry clown to the silver screen, Jenny Slate could’ve been in consideration to play the next Pennywise if her agents got their way. Now, years after her ex-agents’ suggestion, the comedian opened up about why she was angry that they thought she should’ve auditioned for the iconic It role.

The Big Mouth actress spoke with THR about her reaction to her former agents’ out-of-the-box suggestion. Slate released her comedy special Seasoned Professional (available through an Amazon Prime Video subscription) where she addressed the ego-shattering moment. The multihyphenate delved into the odd proposition, saying:

It's confusing to think Slate’s former agents thought she would be a good fit for the murdering psychotic clown. Her answer was quite disheartening, yet she did find the humor in this misguided moment. The Marcel the Shell with Shoes On actor elaborated on the email she received in her comedy special. Watch the hilarious recount in the Instagram post below.

At least, she found an optimistic twist to the email. As the comedic actress suggested, her ex-agents could’ve thought the It movie producers wanted to take the homicidal maniac in a different feminist direction. 

Of course, Slate has built up a diverse film career of great performances as a character actor. However, playing the terrifying circus clown wouldn’t exactly fit on her long list of credits. Maybe her representatives thought she would go on the audition without questioning the decision as the I Want You Back star mentioned. Or maybe they envisioned her bringing her acting chops to the iconic horror character. Either way, she parted ways with her agents after the surprise email.

Luckily, Jenny Slate moved past that moment and flourished. Outside of her Prime Video comedy special, she has multiple projects on the 2024 movie schedule, including the It Ends with Us film adaptation. The romantic drama hits theaters on June 21. While Slate passed on playing Pennywise, you can watch Bill Skarsgård's portrayal by streaming It and its sequel, It Chapter Two, through a Netflix subscription. Check back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Jenny Slate.

2022 was a very successful year for actress and comedian Jenny Slate. She was fortunate enough to have roles in two great A24 movies- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Everything Everywhere All At Once. While the SNL alum felt like a star that night wearing a dress she loved, she reveals a wild wardrobe malfunction story where that dress was left “half-cracked” at last year’s Oscars.

Jenny Slate looked classy at the 95th Annual Academy Awards wearing a jet-black top-corseted Thom Browne dress. But as beautiful as Slate appeared in that dress, wearing it was apparently a totally wild story of its own. On Jimmy Kimmel Live, the Marcel the Shell star spoke about being sewn into this black gown “like a living doll” and having to stand around the whole time. Here’s the hilarious story of her and her peers trying to find the Oscars venue while in the elegant gown.

I can imagine how uncomfortable it must have been to have to stand the entire time in fear of ruining the dress. Not to mention, having each butt cheek being held while trying to find The Hollywood Bowl. Jenny Slate continued to say that she and her driver were debating on where the location of the Oscars venue was while having to hold her bladder in her custom-made dress. After all, the only time she went to The Hollywood Bowl was to see a Florence and the Machine concert. The Oscars is, of course, a very different ball game.

Once Jenny Slate found the right location for the Oscars, the story didn’t stop there. Let’s just say she found out the hard way why her black gown wasn’t for sitting.

That truly is an absolute cringe moment. Unfortunately, one of the top movies of 2022, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, didn’t win Best Animated Feature. But it looks like Jenny Slate was happy for that only so she wouldn’t have to be front and center on stage while speeches took place. I’d probably have to request people stand behind me as I walked up there to avoid bearing my behind to the crowd. At least she had her husband there for support during this wardrobe malfunction.

The A24 animated movie may not have won at that Oscars night, but it didn’t mean another movie of Jenny Slate’s didn’t have luck. Everything Everywhere All At Once was among the 2023 Oscar winners in its biggest honor for Best Picture. On the other hand, that would mean the Parks and Recreation actress’s nightmare would come true of having to make an appearance on the Oscars stage in her “half-cracked” dress to represent her movie. Here’s what else happened on that mortifying night:

Slate even said that Jimmy Kimmel, who was hosting that year, didn’t notice her wardrobe malfunction when she said “hi” to him. Clearly, it was a mission accomplished that no one noticed the back of her dress. When looking back at the A24-milestone movie winning Best Picture last year, you can see in the photo below the Zootopia actress’s head behind James Kong to the right. See if you can find her below:

Wardrobe malfunctions are sadly common during big award show nights. Thankfully, no one was able to notice Jenny Slate’s “half-cracked” dress from behind and was able to handle the embarrassing situation like a pro. Her new comedy special Seasoned Professional will be available on your Amazon Prime subscription on February 22nd. You can also look at our 2024 movie schedule so you’re aware of Slate’s future film projects.

It is no secret to anyone who has ever watched the hit sketch comedy series that the Saturday Night Live cast changes every year. In fact, there are some SNL actors who do not last any longer than one season. While some one-season-wonders have since fallen into obscurity, there are plenty of others who may have already been well-known to begin with or went on to become bigger than anyone could have imagined, as you can see from this list below. 

Nancy Carell 

The 1995-1996 season of SNL saw the debut of a Second City improv grad then named Nancy Walls, who — according to Vulture — was best known for impersonating the likes of Diane Sawyer, Sharon Stone, and Martha Stewart. Years after her sole season on SNL, Nancy would return to Studio 8H to appear in the opening monologue for a Season 38 episode hosted by her now husband, Steve Carell.

Chevy Chase

As one of SNL’s most famous former cast members, it’s easily forgotten that Chevy Chase was on for just one year (the series’ first) due to his then-girlfriend’s reluctance to move closer to set, according to the book, Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live. After Bill Murray replaced him, Chase had a successful movie career, became a Five-Timer’s Club member, and starred in the Community cast for several seasons.

Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal was an established name when he joined SNL in 1984 and was even supposed to be the very first show’s final act before his managers pulled him out, feeling the time slot was disrespectful, according to Live From New York. The comedian’s brief run — before going on to star in hit movies like rom-com classic When Harry Met Sally… — was a memorable one, especially for his recurring portrayal of Fernando Lamas.

Joan Cusack

John Cusack is an actor who has never hosted SNL, but his sister, Joan Cusack, was actually a cast member during the disastrous 11th season from 1985-1986, which — as she revealed on Terry Gross’ Fresh Air podcast — was a miserable experience. Luckily, her subsequent career after she and the rest of that year’s cast got fired has gone very well, including two Academy Award nominations (for Working Girl and In & Out), sharing the screen with her siblings on occasion, etc. 

Robert Downey Jr.

Yeah, that’s right: Iron Man was an SNL regular from 1985-1986, during which he realized the “rapid-fire sketch comedy” format was not for him — as he revealed to Sam Jones on Off Camera — and was later ranked dead last on Rolling Stone’s list of the show's best cast members in 2015. Even with the evidence recorded for the world to see, the two-time Academy Award nominee’s current career makes that mostly forgotten part of his career hard to believe.

Chris Elliott

Late 2000s cast member Abby Elliott is actually a second generation SNL star, following her father, Chris Elliott’s, short tenure in the mid-1990s, despite previously having the chance to join in the mid-1980s, as he told The Daily Beast. He was already on his way to being a comedy icon by then thanks to appearances on Late Night with David Letterman and surely is now, thanks to his role as one of the funniest Schitt’s Creek characters, Roland Schitt, to name one example.

Janeane Garofalo

After making her acting debut on short-lived sketch comedy series, The Ben Stiller Show, Janeane Garofalo joined SNL from 1994 to 1995. Today, the stand-up comedian is well known for numerous movie and TV roles, including for her twice Emmy-nominated role on The Larry Sanders Show and from one of Pixar’s best movies, Ratatouille, as Colette.

Gilbert Gottfried

In 2022, we lost comedian Gilbert Gottfried, who is well known for playing Iago in Disney’s Aladdin, but not so much from SNL. Gottfried told Joe Rogan that his one year as a regular was “terrible” because he came on in 1980, right after the original cast had all left, which had viewers especially critical. 

Christopher Guest 

These days, writer, director, producer, and actor Christopher Guest is known as one of the leading “mockumentarians” for hits like Best in Show and This is Spinal Tap. He and the rest of the faux rock band actually appeared on SNL when he was cast member from 1984-1985, during which he was the anchor for “Weekend Update,” when it was being called “Saturday Night News.”

Anthony Michael Hall

Anthony Michael Hall became the youngest SNL cast member in history at just 17, according to The Independent, when he joined in 1985. Of course, by then, he was already one of Hollywood’s top teen stars, having played Chevy Chase’s son in National Lampoon’s Vacation and stole the show in hit coming-of-age ‘80s movie classics like Sixteen Candles and Weird Science (alongside Robert Downey Jr.).

David Koechner

Years before he starred alongside SNL all-star Will Ferrell in the Anchorman movies, David Koechner actually met him when they were on the show together, as he told Larry King Now guest host, Tom Green. The actor and comedian also debuted his character, Gerald “T-Bones” Tibbons, in a few sketches during his 1995-1996 stint.

Laurie Metcalf 

She is best known for her role on Roseanne (and The Conners), her Oscar nomination for Lady Bird, and playing Sheldon’s mom on The Big Bang Theory, but one of Laurie Metcalf’s earliest gigs was SNL. On Late Night with Seth Myers, she reflected on her two contributions to the show: a “Weekend Update” reporter bit and a short film opposite Catherine O’Hara.

John Milhiser

A highlight of John Milhiser’s SNL tenure was his only slightly exaggerated Jon Cryer impersonation in a few segments from Season 39. After Deadline reported that his contract was not being renewed, the comedian later appeared opposite alumni Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in 2016’s Ghostbusters.

Randy Quaid

In addition to stealing the show from Chevy Chase in the National Lampoon’s Vacation, Randy Quaid had also earned an Oscar nomination for 1974’s The Last Detail before joining SNL. His followed the infamous 1985-1986 season by broadening Cousin Eddie’s iconography in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast and starring in classics like Independence Day and Brokeback Mountain.

Rob Riggle

Rob Riggle’s 2004-2005 SNL stint was his first major showbiz gig following 15 years as an active marine, as he recalled to The Daily Beast. He also revealed his time as his season’s only “new guy” caused some dysfunction, but at least it led to a successful career as a Daily Show correspondent, appearing in hit comedies like The Hangover, and hosting Holey Moley.

Tim Robinson

As Primetimer recalls, Tim Robinson joined SNL in 2012 alongside Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong, but was the only one out of that new trio to not make it past one season. He would eventually make up for lost time pretty significantly by co-creating and starring on Netflix’s hit sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave.

Paul Shaffer

Paul Shaffer has an interesting SNL history, having started off as a member of the house band before becoming a cast member in 1979, at which point he became the first to drop the F-bomb during a show, according to EW. Today, we know him best as the band leader for David Letterman’s storied late night career.

Martin Short

A comedy legend of Martin Short’s stature and talent — despite not pleasing everyone, apparently — is someone you’d assume had been on there longer than one season, but, as he discussed with Howard Stern, that turned out to be the case. From 1984-1985, the Only Murders in the Building cast member played many memorable characters, including Ed Grimley, most notably.

Sarah Silverman

Getting fired from SNL in 1994 was a bit disappointing to Sarah Silverman, but — as she told Perri Nemiroff on Collider Ladies Night — that one season was a great experience that made navigating show business a little easier. The two-time Emmy winner is now one of the best-known comedians there is, having even gained an audience too young for her stand-up after voicing Vanellope in Wreck-It Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate clarified to InStyle that her firing from SNL in 2010 had nothing to do with her accidental F-bomb in that season’s premiere episode, but claims she “just didn’t belong there.” Her career since — including playing Mona-Lisa Saperstein on Parks and Rec, creating and voicing the title role of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and appearing in Best Picture Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once — has surely been a great consolation anyway.

Ben Stiller

Not quite a “one-season-wonder,” Ben Stiller explained to Howard Stern that he was on SNL for five weeks before quitting in 1989 because he preferred creating short films over performing in live sketches — much like he did with The Ben Stiller Show. After launching a phenomenal career (that included occasionally sharing the screen with his parents), he has since come back to host twice, make some cameos, and recur as Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Terry Sweeney

SNL’s first openly gay cast member (and first on “network, commercial-based television,” according to Out) was Terry Sweeney, who was a writer before being recruited for the 1985-1986 season. He went on to write for MADtv and co-created a short-lived sketch comedy called Hype and more recently appeared on American Crime Story Season 2 and Netflix’s The Politician.

Danitra Vance

While not out at the time, Danitra Vance is tied with Terry Sweeney as SNL’s first LGBTQ+ cast member, having starred alongside him during Season 11. According to Advocate, she actually resigned from the show herself and continued to write and perform sharply satirical comedy before she passed away from breast cancer in 1994.

Michaela Watkins

Michaela Watkins — best known as blogger Angie Tempura — told EW that Lorne Michaels fired her from SNL in 2009, believing she should have her own show, which eventually happened when she was cast on Hulu’s Casual and, later, The Unicorn on CBS. You may also recognize her from movies like Good Boys or from Hulu’s true crime miniseries, The Dropout, more recently.

Damon Wayans 

In the world of sketch comedy, Damon Wayans is best known for his spot among the In Living Color cast and his iconic characters like Homey D. Clown. However, prior to that, he was a featured SNL performer for 11 episodes before he was fired for — as he discussed in a Weekender interview — going off script. 

Noël Wells

College Humor and Upright Citizens Brigade vet Noël Wells was not brought back for a second season on SNL in 2014, but bounced back pretty quickly. She had a pivotal role on Netflix’s Master of None; wrote, directed, and starred in 2017’s Mr. Roosevelt, and more recently lending her voice to Star Trek: Lower Decks. 

Brooks Wheelan

In a 2014 “Celebrity Family Feud” sketch, Brooks Wheelan (as himself) assures Steve Harvey (Kenan Thompson) that he is on SNL, to which the host responds, “I doubt it." -- a playful dig at his lack of screen time during his freshman season. In July 2014, the comedian announced he would not be returning with a tweet reading, “Had a blast and loved every second of it. I'm totally honored to be able to make this next joke... FIRED FROM NEW YORK IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!

”

Mike O'Brien 

Mike O’Brien was an SNL writer from 2009 to 2015, but also pulled double duty as a cast member from 2013-2014, during which he played Jay-Z and Oprah in a couple of short, faux biopics. Some of his more recent highlights include a Booksmart cameo and creating the short-lived NBC sitcom, AP Bio.

Aristotle Athari

One of SNL’s more recent one-season-wonders is Aristotle Athari, who was actually the show’s first Middle-Eastern male cast member and second Iranian-American cast member, according to The Dallas Morning News. Despite minimal screen time before his Season 47 exit, he did have a recurring character: indecipherable, improvisational lounge singer, Angelo.

Peter Aykroyd

A year after his brother, Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd, left the show, Peter Aykroyd joined as a cast member in 1980 and went on to earn an Emmy Award as a staff writer. The former Second City member, sadly, passed away at 66 in November 2021, USA Today reported. 

Jim Downey

While Jim Downey was only an SNL cast member for one year in 1980, he has been a writer for the show longer than anybody, with more than 30 seasons under his belt. He would show up on camera every so often in the later years, such as for a pair of faux ads for a bank that only gives people change, which he also wrote.

Christine Ebersole

Christine Ebersole’s distinct professionalism can be summed up in a story she shared to Broadway World from her 1981-1982 SNL stint in which she managed to sing a parodic Christmas carol on live TV with a piece of fake snow stuck in her throat. The actor is better known today for Oscar darlings like Tootsie and The Wolf of Wall Street, starring alongside fellow SNL alums Chris Farley and David Spade in Black Sheep, and starring on CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola since 2019.

Not everybody needs to reach Kenan Thompson’s record to really make it in comedy, as many of these one-season SNL actors can support.

It often feels like rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but the truth is that the best romantic comedies are ones built on several things. Fans of the genre enjoy snappy dialogue, inventive and/or realistic complications for the central couple, a swoon-worthy love story, and, of course, main characters portrayed by actors who have more than enough on-screen chemistry to make all of those pieces come together. 

What’s great about romantic comedies is that we’ve gotten more than enough couples like this over the past two plus decades, but some of them have either only partnered one time (which, granted, may be because their pairing is still relatively new), or haven’t been in a film together for many years now. So, let’s take a look at the (mostly) rom-com partners that we really think should make another movie together!

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

This duo probably feels like a no-brainer to you, and, well, it should! Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks have memorably joined forces for two rom-com hits, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, plus the 1990 cult favorite romantic comedy, Joe Versus the Volcano, so there’s no reason for them not to really round things out with a fourth film. I’d be down for a second chance romance where they learn to love again, wouldn’t you?

Diane Keaton And Keanu Reeves 

Yes, yes… Already I’m cheating here, but only a tiny bit. While the magnetic on-screen coupling of Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves wasn’t the main focus of Something’s Gotta Give, I have spent the past 20 years wishing they were. So, let's get these adorably crazy kids back together! They could play any kind of couple (bickering marrieds who are clearly still hot for each other, two folks who shouldn’t get together but can’t help themselves, etc.) and I’d be in the theater on opening night.

Lana Condor And Noah Centineo

Honestly, there might not be a cuter couple on this list. The dreamy teen romance movie pairing of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo was, obviously, gifted to everyone with a Netflix subscription in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and there’s a reason that so many people fell head over heels for them. These two sorta sparkle together on screen, and I’d love to see them reunite in a romance (or any comedy) that’s got more of an adult edge to it.

Alison Brie And Jason Sudeikis

We all adore it when a rom-com gives us something different, and 2015’s Sleeping with Other People does just that with its story of friends who openly acknowledge their sexual tension, but purposely avoid doing anything about it so as to not screw up what they have. Alison Brie and Ted Lasso cast lead Jason Sudeikis are amazing as the friends in question, and I’d love to see them bring their casual, but still sexy, chemistry to another film. 

Jenny Slate And Jake Lacy

A true pleasure of watching Obvious Child was seeing the relationship between Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy’s characters develop as she has trouble revealing that she’s getting an abortion several weeks after their one-night stand. They work great as a duo with a clear attraction that’s impeded by a secret, and we’d really appreciate it if we could watch him warm her butter and make her tea in a movie that sees them as fully coupled characters.

Constance Wu And Henry Golding

I cannot tell a lie; some of the reason for Constance Wu and Henry Golding making the list is simply because we are all dying for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel we’ve been promised for several years now. While we wait, I’m hoping we can at least get those two into another fun rom-com where he can bring his posh, suave energy to meet her adorably spunky, girl-next-door verve.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

What’s not to love about Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, especially when they star opposite each other in a romantic story? They were sweet, sexy, bantery, and slightly goofy together in Crazy, Stupid, Love, then had all of that with more emotional depth in La La Land, and also had the same chemistry in Gangster Squad, but with an added veneer of danger. It’s been a rough few years; the world needs more of their exact thing, OK?

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

I know, I know! Matthew McConaughey doesn’t make rom-coms anymore, but that’s honestly no reason why he can’t re-team with Kate Hudson, 20 years after they first hit the screen together in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. The engaging push-and-pull of their romance in that film can easily be translated to, say, a movie where each is portraying a lawyer on the opposite side of a big murder case. There! Someone make that movie!

Queen Latifah And Common

Just Wright might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to Queen Latifah or romantic comedies, but it’s hard to deny that watching her play off of Common as they slowly go from not-quite-enemies to lovers was a genuine treat. Now all we need is the right vehicle for them so their individual easygoing charm can show us how well-matched they are on screen.

Jennifer Garner And Mark Ruffalo

There’s a reason that 13 Going On 30 is still so popular almost two decades later. That reason is Jennifer Garner’s joyful, weirdo energy as a teen suddenly transplanted to her adult life, sure, but it’s also how Mark Ruffalo calmly reconnects with the childhood friend he’d long ago lost touch with. They're just sweet together, OK? We saw them in The Adam Project. We need more!

Sandra Bullock And Channing Tatum

The luminous and hilarious pairing of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum was definitely not on my rom-com bingo card, but damn, it was a joy to behold once we got it. In The Lost City, they were perfect as a starchy and grieving romance novelist and her incredibly sweet but somewhat dim cover model who get caught in a life-or-death situation in the jungle, and all I can hope for is that we someday have a sequel to enjoy.

Billy Eichner And Luke Macfarlane

If an opposites attract energy is your thing, there’s no way for you not to enjoy the pairing of Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The Bros stars only just met up on screen in 2022, but we’d love to see them reunite in a rom-com that switches Eichner’s intense characterization and Macfarlane’s laid-back vibe around for additional laughs.

Meg Ryan And Hugh Jackman

Kate & Leopold is the rare romance where Meg Ryan’s character is less than sweet for much of the film, but watching her early ‘00s driven career woman begin to soften with the attentions of Hugh Jackman’s fancy man from the 1870s was a delight. Now if we can just get them to play off of one another when both are from the modern day, all will be right in the world.

Anne Hathaway And Chris Pine

We all know that The Princess Diaries 2 is so beloved that fans have wanted to bring the cast back for the now in development third movie for nearly 20 years, and part of that was because of the sweet, (sorta) slow burn love story between Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine’s characters. While everyone would love to see them as a long-married couple in a sequel, we’d also take them as, oh, I don’t know, bickering co-workers who can’t deny their attraction, so let’s stop stalling and get this coupling back on the big screen!

Julia Roberts And Hugh Grant

Look, I know that Hugh Grant is fully in his slimy villain era right now and is hilariously against even attempting rom-coms again. But! I think that makes the potential of this Notting Hill pairing coming back together even more appealing. Let him play a con-man who tricks Julia Roberts into falling in love, only to steal all her money and force her to track him down with a hilarious vengeance. I’d buy a ticket for that, OK?

Jennifer Lopez And George Clooney

Sure, sure. I’m cheating this entry a bit because, technically, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney didn't star in a traditional rom-com together, but who among us can deny that they were HOT in Out of Sight? No one, that’s who! I say we get these two into a proper romantic comedy, but maybe one that’s not another Lopez wedding movie, just to switch things up.

Sanaa Lathan And Omar Epps 

Yes, this is another, more direct, fudging of this article’s concept, because Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps were a romantic drama pairing in Love & Basketball… but they were SO GOOD TOGETHER. Watching them play out a long-term path to eventual happiness was extremely satisfying, but maybe this time we can use that chemistry of theirs for a couple that has more good times than stressful ones.

Cristin Milioti And Andy Samberg

The chances that Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg will strike time loop movie gold again after Palm Springs is incredibly unlikely, and we wouldn’t want them to try. Instead, why not let these two portray criminals on the run for separate crimes who accidentally cross paths and fall in love while they’re on the lam? They can give us that same adorably wacky enthusiasm that we all loved the first time around that way!

Kristen Stewart And Aubrey Plaza

If you saw Happiest Season, then you saw the undeniable spark between Kristen Stewart and Aubrey Plaza as their characters (Who weren’t even dating!) dealt with a lot of toxicity during Christmastime. They managed to genuinely bond (and look great doing it) over their similar relationship trauma, so I say we go ahead and give these two an even bubblier romantic comedy where they can actually freakin’ end up as a couple! 

Gemma Chan And Harry Shum Jr. 

Obviously, we didn’t get a real romance between the characters played by Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr. in Crazy Rich Asians, but the movie sure did set up the promise of fulfilling the epic love story that was a part of Kevin Kwan’s novel trilogy. Fans got a very brief scene of them looking all cute and dreamy with each other and dancing during the mid-credits scene, so hear me now: WE NEED THAT ASTRID AND CHARLIE SPINOFF, ASAP!

Issa Rae And Kumail Nanjiani

It may be hard to cast two people who have perfect romantic chemistry, but it could be even harder to find a duo who can portray the first glorious blush of falling in love, that same couple once they’ve begun to fall apart, and then play them as they start to get closer… because they’re on the run after being accused of murder. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are those people, and we’ve been wanting them back on screen since The Lovebirds to do something just as crazy and rom-commy again.

Reese Witherspoon And Josh Lucas

If you’re looking for a bickering duo who are hot together no matter what, that’s Sweet Home Alabama’s Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas, for sure. I’m sure they’d be great doing anything on screen, but also doubt anyone would mind if they paired for a story that would let them fight (and fight through) their attraction until they finally admit their feelings for each other.

Rachel McAdams And Domhnall Gleeson

You know what’s coming, right? After being apart for a decade, it’s About Time that Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson join forces again to bring fans another lovey dovey couple, and we don’t even care what the set up is!

Sarah Hyland And Tyler James Williams

Never has it been more enjoyable to watch a woman who’s not sure about the whole marriage thing date a man who’s very much ready for a long-term commitment than in The Wedding Year, and that was because of the well-matched chemistry/comedic energy of Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams. I think these two would be fantastic in an action/adventure rom-com like The Lost City!

Kristen Bell And Dustin Milligan 

Though Kristen Bell and Dustin Milligan starred in The People We Hate at the Wedding, which was more of a straight ahead comedy, they had a definite romantic comedy storyline and played off of each other beautifully. I’m imagining a cinematic rematch for them that involves both of their characters being messy and a bit angry this time, and I think they’ll be a delight to watch once again.

Vivian Oparah And David Jonsson

Even though Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson are a very new rom-com pairing, as their starring vehicle, Rye Lane, debuted in early 2023, there’s no doubting the fizzy joy one gets from watching their characters meet cute and end up slowly becoming attracted to each other over the course of one eventful day. These two can do anything together next, but I don’t think anyone would mind a sequel where we get to see this romance progress!

If nothing else, while we wait to see if these rom-com partners get back together on the big screen, we can all at least go back and enjoy the amazing films they’ve already given us!

Between the Extraction franchise and budding universe for The Gray Man, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have their hands full with plenty of Netflix productions. And their work with the entertainment company is far from done. The sibling filmmaking duo has already lined up another movie with the streamer in the form of upcoming movie The Electric State. This is primed to be a high-profile motion picture and, unsurprisingly, an all-star cast that includes Hollywood heavy-hitters like Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt has been assembled.

The Electric State was announced by the Russo Brothers back in 2017 and is based on Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel of the same name. The book was adapted for the screen by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who worked with the directors on Marvel films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.

The movie is set during the 1990s of an alternate United States, in which a civil war has broken out between humans and robots. It tells the story of a young woman who receives a robot from her brother and, ultimately, the heroine and her machine embark on a journey to find her sibling. An eclectic assortment of actors are helping to bring this story to life and, for your convenience, we’ve listed them here.

Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown is set to play the lead character, Michelle, who’ll face dangers in an attempt to find her brother. Though she's not quite 21 yet, the fan-favorite star has been acting for nearly a decade now. However, she truly broke through in 2016 through her Emmy-nominated role as Eleven in Netflix’s highly popular sci-fi series Stranger Things. She’s since parlayed that notoriety into a budding film career and has already starred in the MonsterVerse movies Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. Brown also serves as the stars in and produces the Enola Holmes film franchise, in which she plays the titular fourth wall-breaking sleuth. She's also in the fantasy flick Damsel. One would expect the star to bring her signature wit and charm to this latest role.

Chris Pratt

Playing the role of Keats is Chris Pratt. The character is described as a smuggler that Michelle meets during her travels. Many fans likely still recognize Pratt for his role as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, and others may even remember him for his role on Everwood. He’s come a long way since then, though. In the early days of his film career, the star took on supporting roles in films like Wanted, Zero Dark Thirty and Her. It was in 2013, however, that he emerged as a leading man, thanks to his role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. From there, he’s starred in the Jurassic World franchise, The Lego Movie and its sequel, The Magnificent Seven and The Tomorrow War, just to name a few. He also voiced Nintendo's beloved, mustachioed plumber in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and voices the lead role in The Garfield Movie.

Giancarlo Esposito

Any film or TV production would be lucky to have Giancarlo Esposito as a member of its cast. It would probably surprise no one to hear that the actor is set to voice a villainous drone known as Marshall. To say that Esposito has played a plethora of characters in his time would be an understatement. The seasoned performer is famous for his roles in classic Spike Lee films like School Daze and Do the Right Thing and also gained recognition for his roles in The Usual Suspects, Waiting to Exhale, Ali and much more. But his most famous character, however, is arguably drug kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring, who he played on Breaking Bad and its spinoff prequel series, Better Call Saul. Right now, Esposito also starred (as villainous characters) on Star Wars series The Mandalorian and superhero show The Boys.

Anthony Mackie

For this cinematic endeavor, Joe and Anthony Russo will be reteaming with Anthony Mackie, who they worked with on the Captain America and Avengers films. The actor has been tapped to voice a sentient robot, who’s described as an ally to Chris Pratt’s character. Mackie has been a Hollywood actor for quite some time, as he made his acting debut as “Papa Doc” in the 2002 drama film 8 Mile. The A-lister has also starred in acclaimed films like Half Nelson, Million Dollar Baby and The Hurt Locker. In 2014, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Sam Wilson/The Falcon, who took on the mantle of Captain America in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Mackie will reprise that role in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. On the small screen, he's also the lead of the Twisted Metal series.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton has collaborated with the Russos before, as he starred in The Gray Man. In that film, he played a veteran CIA agent and, for this upcoming sci-fi production, he’ll voice a key figure in the civil war, who just happens to be a robot. Thornton, like many of his co-stars, has a resume that speaks for itself. His body of work includes Sling Blade (which won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay), One False Move and Armageddon. Of course, who could forget his turns in Friday Night Lights, The Alamo and Monster’s Ball. He’s an elder statesman within this ensemble and can certainly bring a level of gravitas.

Stanley Tucci

Speaking over capable veterans, Stanley Tucci also stars in the movie, and his role has yet to be revealed. The always-delightful actor has an extensive filmography that’s stuffed to the brim with notable big-screen productions. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, the actor appeared in Prizzi’s Honor, A Midsummer’s Night Dream among other films. And by the 2000s, Tucci landed roles in Road to Perdition, The Terminal, The Devil Wears Prada and The Lovely Bones, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The viral sex symbol’s visibility has expanded into blockbuster fare over the past decade, such as Captain America: The First Avenger, the Hunger Games franchise and some Transformers films. Though he hasn’t forgotten his dramatic or comedic roots as evidenced by Easy A, Burlesque and Spotlight. He's also starred on the Russo brother-produced Amazon show Citadel, which called upon him to perform a brutal scene.

Ke Huy Quan

Fresh off his Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ke Huy Quan is joining the Russos for their next cinematic outing. Quan is said to be playing a doctor that Millie Bobby Brown’s character must locate. And interestingly enough, the actor replaced Michelle Yeoh, his co-star from the aforementioned movie, in the role, as she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Quan is widely loved by so many, who remember him for his iconic roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. Though he’d star in a few movies like Breathing Fire and Encino Man in the years that immediately followed, Quan was forced to step away from acting due to a lack of opportunities. After spending years as a successful stunt choreographer, he began to act again a couple of years ago, starting with Finding ʻOhana. As mentioned, he gave a strong turn in Daniels' multidimensional dramedy and played a role in Disney+’s American Born Chinese, and Quan is also starred in Loki Season 2 and has the action film With Love.

Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate makes for another strong addition to this cast. The star will reportedly lend her voice to a CGI character, who I’d wager is a robot of sorts. Slate is a student of comedy, who possesses a strong improv background, and that arguably helped her land a spot in Saturday Night Live’s Season 35 cast. After working on the show for one season, she went on to star in other high-profile shows, from Parks and Recreation and Kroll Show to House of Lies and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’s also been featured in Gifted, Venom, I Want You Back and other movies. Slate has a particularly strong reputation in the realm of voice acting through Bob’s Burgers, Big Mouth, Zootopia, The Lego Batman Movie, and so much more. She absolutely broke viewers’ hearts in 2022 with her performance as the titular character in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and will lend her voice to The Ark and the Aardvark.

Jason Alexander

Another intriguing pick-up for the film is veteran actor and comedian Jason Alexander, who’s been cast in an undisclosed role. A widely beloved star, Alexander began his career as a stage performer before making the jump to TV. It was in that medium that he’d find his signature role, that of the bumbling, but well-meaning, George Costanza on Seinfeld. Alexander has appeared on countless shows in the years since the hit NBC sitcom ended. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Star Trek: Voyager, Two and a Half Men and The Orville are just a few of his credits. In terms of film, he’s held roles in flicks like Pretty Woman, Coneheads and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Woody Norman

Amid the flurry of Hollywood veterans, Electric State will also showcase some up-and-coming talent in the form of Woody Norman. The 13-year-old English actor is set to play the younger brother of Millie Bobby Brown’s character. Though he hasn’t been in the industry as long as his peers, Norman does have some respectable credentials. When it comes to TV, he’s appeared on Starz's The White Princess and the BBC’s Poldark along with a few other programs. He truly broke out in 2021 as a result of his role in the Joaquin Phoenix-led drama C’mon C’mon. He also played a supporting role in the 2023 horror flick The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Norman’s going to need to bring it for the Russos’ sci-fi film, as his character is definitely crucial to the plot.

 Martin Klebba 

Like many of his co-stars, Martin Klebb has certainly been around the block in Hollywood. He’s done stunt work on a myriad of films from Van Helsing and Evan Almighty to Zombieland and Hancock. He even served as a mo-cap performer on 2015’s Jurassic World. However, moviegoers probably know him best for playing Marty in four of the five Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He’s not done with the House of Mouse, either, as he’s also set to appear as Grumpy in the upcoming Snow White film. While his role in the Russos’ sci-fi film is currently unknown, I have no doubt Klebb will put in a solid effort as per usual.

Brian Cox

So why don’t we end this list with one more veteran: Brian Cox. The name by itself is pretty intimidating. Reports point to the celebrated actor, like some of his co-stars, is said to be voicing a CGI character. Where to even begin with Cox’s career? He’s an acclaimed stage veteran, who was praised for his turn in King Lear. His filmography spans various genres and includes movies like The Long Kiss Goodnight, Rushmore, X-Men 2, Zodiac, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Churchill. (Hold up, I need to catch my breath.) More recently, he’s captivated audiences through his Emmy-nominated performance as the cold and calculating Logan Roy on HBO’s Succession. Given his body of work, I could see Cox playing a villain in the Russos’ film, but that may not end up being the case. Whatever the case, let’s hope it’s a role he can sink his teeth into.

The Electric State debuts on March 14 amid the 2025 movie schedule and, if you're aiming to check it out, be sure you have an active Netflix subscription.

Following their time making two Captain America movies and two Avengers movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have hanging the streaming realm. In early 2021, they delivered the Tom Holland-led Apple TV+ movie Cherry to the public, and last month brought the release of their Netflix movie The Gray Man, which starred Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. Now the Russo Brothers are turning their attention to fellow Netflix offering The Electric State, which stars Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and Infinity War and Endgame vet Chris Pratt. With production set to begin on in the coming weeks, more top-notch stars have been added to the sci-fi flick.

Word’s come in that Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci, Jason Alexander, Brian Cox and Jenny Slate are joining Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt in The Electric State’s cast. While none of these actors’ characters were identified in Deadline’s report, the outlet mentioned that Cox and Slate will voice CGI characters in the movie. Just like with the Russo Bros’ four Marvel movies and The Gray Man, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote The Electric State’s screenplay. The Russos will produce the movie through their AGBO production banner with Mike Larocca, and Chris Castaldi and Patrick Newall are also attached as producers.

This is definitely an impressive lineup of talent that’s been brought into The Electric State. Michelle Yeoh has drawn acclaim over the last several months for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and her other sci-fi/genre work thanks to credits like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Star Trek: Discovery. Stanley Tucci also has experience in this line of work from the Hunger Games movies, a couple Transformers movies and Captain America: The First Avenger, while Succession’s Brian Cox is obviously well known from his time as William Stryker in X2: X-Men United. Jenny Slate also appeared with Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once and scored genre cred from Venom, while Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander has recently been heard as Sy Borgman in the Harley Quinn animated series and will soon be taking part in Star Trek: Prodigy as the voice of Doctor Noum.

We could spend all day talking about these five actors’ other credits, but suffice it to say that The Electric State isn’t holding back with drawing in talented performers. Based off the same-named illustrated novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State is set in a retro-futuristic past and follows an orphaned teenager, played by Millie Bobby Brown, traveling across the American West to find her younger brother. Along the way, she’s joined by an an eccentric drifter and a mysterious robot; I imagine Chris Pratt is playing the former role, leaving the latter role to be filled by either Brian Cox or Jenny Slate. While The Electric State was being lined up at Universal Pictures when it was announced in December 2020, the film adaptation was officially set up at Netflix towards the end of June 2022.

It’ll be a while before The Electric State makes its way to the Netflix library, but we’ll continue passing along casting updates and other information about the production. Scan through our 2022 Netflix movie schedule to learn what cinematic entertainment the streaming service is delivering for the rest of the year.

Dean Fleischer-Camp’s Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is a reminder that movies are magic. There is a definite drift away from reality in the storytelling, with the protagonist of the piece being an anthropomorphic kitsch knickknack, but like being charmed by a spell, the fiction of it is never something that your brain reminds you of while you’re watching it. Instead, all you know is fascination with the lifestyle of this little one-inch-tall being, and powerful heartbreak learning the story of how he became separated from most of his family. You have to see it to believe it… because it’s magic.

Even better, the enchantment doesn’t dissipate once you accept how the magic is performed. It’s a touching and hypnotizing cinematic work that has been made with extraordinary craft – seamlessly blending documentary-style cinematography and the delicate and beautiful art of stop-motion animation. It’s a small, intimate, independent movie, but one with spectacular, massive ambition and a gorgeous soul.

Based on a trilogy of short films from the early 2010s, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is a mockumentary that explores the life of the titular shell (Jenny Slate), a figurine who lives in a Los Angeles Airbnb and is discovered by filmmaker Dean Fleischer-Camp (as himself). Living in a house built for humans, Marcel has had to invent many different tricks for survival, such as rolling around in a tennis ball for fast transport, or attaching a string from a stand mixer in the kitchen to branches in a tree in the backyard to shake loose fruit.

Marcel lives with his aging grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini), who has built a wonderful garden that the two of them farm, but he used to have a whole family and community that lived in the house with them. When Dean’s first video about Marcel becomes a viral sensation online, the protagonists wonder about the possibility of using the platform to help find all of the missing friends and loved ones, but sad realities about the modern world not only make them question the possibility of success in their mission, but create real danger.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is sweet but never sappy, and adorable but not cloying.

Cynics may raise an eyebrow at Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, sure that the movie will frequently veer off into twee territory and become a saccharine mess – but the only saccharine mess here are the footprints made of honey on the walls and windows that result when Marcel needs to do some climbing around the house. The eponymous shell is certainly cute in a kind of Disney way, but all of the emotion that the movie is able to generate is conjured earnestly, and no drama is introduced that in any way feels manipulative or unnatural.

A tremendous amount of credit for this goes to Jenny Slate, who is not only the voice of Marcel, but his co-creator along with Dean Fleischer-Camp. She imbues the character with a kind of wide-eyed innocence that not only perfect for a being that has never experienced the world outside his own house, but often sweet to the point of hilariousness. Sometimes it’s Marcel's simple confusion that inspires chuckles (like when he is trying to grasp the full scale of the world when outside looking for his family), and sometimes it’s in naïve bluntness (like in describing the fate of a family member who accidentally got put in the washing machine). Of course, being exceptionally funny also only makes Marcel more endearing.

The astonishing craftsmanship featured in Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is as impressive as its special emotional impact.

The captivating story and characterization of Marcel The Shell With Shoes On hinders one’s ability to apprecaiate it as a technical marvel as you are actually watching it, but it is most certainly something that stuns in reflection. Along with her team, Kirsten Lepore’s work as animation director for the stop-motion animation is brilliant and flawless in a way that adds tremendous and important verisimilitude to the live-action feature. The fluidness of the work never lets the audience see the line between the two mediums, and its enrapturing as a result.

The genius is not only in the movement and characterization, but also the remarkable design. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is relentless in its creativity, both in its depiction of Marcel’s lifestyle and how he gets through life, as well as the subtle details of the small world. Every scene in the movie finds a way to wow.

Between millions across the globe having access to high quality HD cameras and the power of visual effects making the impossible real for $100 million blockbusters, it’s understandable that modern moviegoers might become somewhat jaded to the magic of movies – but that’s why having films like Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is necessary. It’s unassuming in every way, but a phenomenal and uplifting piece of art destined to be remembered as one the best of the year.

2022 is filled with intriguing new movie releases, but few are as unique (or adorable) as A24’s Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. The film’s titular protagonist has not only charmed audiences with his cute exterior but also with his immense sincerity and endearing sense of adventure. Given that the film has already struck a chord with so many, it’s natural to wonder whether a sequel might be on the horizon. Well, Jenny Slate – who voices the character and served as a co-writer and producer on the comedy – has shared some thoughts on a follow-up.

Sequels belonging to any genre can be difficult to produce, especially when the original becomes incredibly popular. In one respect, it’s a blessing for someone to find themselves in such a position but, in another, it can be nerve-wracking to think about having to top your own work. But when it comes to Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Jenny Slate sounds eager to keep things going. The actress spoke with CinemaBlend’s Law Sharma during the film’s press day and confirmed that while nothing is set in stone, she’s hoping to tell additional stories with her diminutive character:

Fans of the miniature hero are sure to be pleased with the Sunlit Night star’s comments. Still, it sounds like she and her longtime collaborator, Dean Fleischer-Camp, don’t have anything set in stone just yet. One would think that given enough time, the creative duo would be able to come up with something, though. Plus, if the movie’s box office performance is as strong as the reviews it’s been getting, then A24 should have no problem greenlighting a sequel. 

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is adapted from the 2010 short film of the same name that was directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp and starred Jenny Slate in the titular role. The recently released movie sees the anthropomorphic protagonist, who lives with his grandmother, embark on a journey to find his family. And in the process of doing so, he receives help from a documentarian, who helps spread the word of the one-inch shell’s exploits. 

One of the biggest reasons the movie works so well is that the voice actress does such fine work. The former Saturday Night Live star, who once penned a Looney Tunes script, absolutely shines in the role of Marcel. Sure, she’s voiced lovable characters in the past, including Big Mouth’s Missy, but there’s just something so special about how she brings the lovable shell to life.

Hopefully, Jenny Slate and co. get to channel their sheer enthusiasm and love for the character into further adventures. The cinematic landscape is certainly full of heroes these days, but Marcel is one that it definitely needs.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is now playing in select theaters. And if you’re a fan, check out some of Jenny Slate’s other great movie performances.

Warning: SPOILERS for I Want You Back are ahead!

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate star in the delightful new romantic comedy I Want You Back, which also features a brief cameo from SNL star Pete Davidson. That’s a lot of comedic talent for one film, so it’s no surprise that many scenes were difficult to get through while the cast members were making one another laugh. For Day, Davidson’s cameo scene was when he had the most trouble keeping a straight face.

In the scene, Pete Davidson's character guides Charlie Day’s Peter through his first time tripping on the drug molly. When asked what made him break the most on set, Day told CinemaBlend this:

You can imagine how the two comedy stars would have a hard time getting through such an absurd set-up, especially given both of their improvisation talents. I Want You Back was directed by Jason Orley, who made his directorial debut with Big Time Adolescence. That film starred Pete Davidson as a burnout and notorious deadbeat, not a far departure from who he played in I Want You Back. Orley later directed Davidson’s standup special Alive From New York, so the two clearly have a relationship that would warrant a surprise appearance in any Orley film. Hopefully this is a fun trend that continues throughout the director’s career. 

It also doesn’t hurt to have Pete Davidson’s name associated with the film, as he’s been making headlines lately after somehow managing to charm Kim Kardashian. Not to mention his highly publicized split with Ariana Grande. However, ee was just a small part of the film’s many humorous moments.

Another one involved Charlie Day’s Peter and Jenny Slate’s Emma watching the film Con Air in a theater. For Slate, this was the scene during which she had the hardest time keeping a straight face, so much so that she wasn’t sure any of the footage would be usable. The actress told us this:

Con Air is kind of a joke in itself. The beloved '90s action flick doesn’t make a lot of sense in a lot of ways, so one can imagine that the two would have a hard time getting through the scene.

Critics seem to be giving a resounding nod of approval to the comedic talents of I Want You Back's two main stars. If you’re curious, you can check out CinemaBlend’s review of the movie, or you can just see I Want You Back yourself on Amazon Prime now. There are plenty of other new movies releases hitting the box office in 2022, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for news about them.

There have been a lot of great romantic comedies released over the years that make the most out of the conventional setup of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl get married and live happily ever after. And although the new Amazon Prime Video original, I Want You Back, starts off on that path most traveled, it quickly diverts from its course and presents audiences with a setup that has the potential to work wonders. 

If you recently went down that path and kept trying to figure out where you’ve seen Charlie Day, the versatile Jenny Slate and the rest of the I Want You Back cast, worry not, because we are about to take a little trip of our own through each of the stars’ respective careers up this point…

Charlie Day (Peter)

The first of the two leads, Peter, is portrayed in the I Want You Back cast by Charlie Day, who has continued to be one of the funniest (and hardest working) actors in show business since making a name for himself as Charlie Kelly on the long-running comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Outside of Paddy’s Pub, you’ve seen Day in various comedy movies like the Horrible Bosses franchise, heard his voice in multiple Lego movies, and even in action thrillers like Hotel Artemis and Pacific Rim. Day will next appear in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie alongside just about everyone else in Hollywood.

Jenny Slate (Emma)

Jenny Slate (who has some pretty amazing stories about her career) co-leads I Want You Back as Emma, the latest in a long-line of characters the former Saturday Night Live featured player has portrayed in romantic comedies.

Over the years, Slate has appeared in comedies like Obvious Child, My Blind Brother, and Landline while also diving into the world of drama with the likes of Gifted and The Sunlit Night. And then there are her animated features, including Despicable Me 3, The Secret Life of Pets, and The Lego Batman Movie.

Gina Rodriguez (Anne)

Taking on the role of Anne, Peter’s ex-girlfriend in I Want You Back, is Gina Rodriguez, who won a Golden Globe in 2015 for her star-making performance on Jane the Virgin.

Throughout her career, Rodriguez has given great performances in Annihilation and Miss Bala, as well as animated movies like Ferdinand, Smallfoot, and Scoob!, and animated shows like Big Mouth, Elena of Avalor, and Carmen Sandiego.

Scott Eastwood (Noah)

Stepping in as Noah, Emma’s physical trainer ex-boyfriend in I Want You Back, is Scott Eastwood, who shows off his comedy chops after making a career out of playing serious characters over the years.

The son of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has crossed paths with Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise, worked with Task Force X in Suicide Squad, and appeared in a number of his father’s movies, like Flags of Our Fathers and Gran Torino. He also popped up in Taylor Swift’s 2015 video for “Wildest Dreams,” portraying the singer-songwriter’s on-screen love interest.

Manny Jacinto (Logan)

Taking on the role of Logan, Anne’s new boyfriend in I Want You Back, is Manny Jacinto, one of the former mainstays of The Good Place cast.

Throughout his career, Jacinto has popped up in movies like Bad Times at the El Royale and Belle, and shows like Supernatural, Brand New Cherry Flavor, and Nine Perfect Strangers. Expect to see Jacinto in the long-awaited Tom Cruise summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which is slated for release in May 2022.

Clark Backo (Ginny)

Clark Backo shows up in the I Want You Back cast as Ginny, Noah’s new girlfriend after he breaks things off with Emma.

If you are one of those diehard fans of all things Letterkenny, then Backo will be immediately recognizable due to her portrayal of Rosie on the Canadian cult comedy series. She has also had recurring roles on Designated Survivor, 21 Thunder, and Supernatural, as well as one-off appearances on everything from Station Eleven to The Girlfriend Experience, and The Handmaid’s Tale to Hemlock Grove, to name just a few.

Jami Gertz (Rita)

Taking on the role of Rita, Peter’s boss in I Want You Back, is none other than Jami Gertz, who has been a memorable part of the film and television industry going back over 40 years at this point in her career.

Over the years, Gertz has gone from appearing in classic ‘80s sitcoms like Square Pegs, The Facts of Life, and Family Ties, to shows like Ally McBeal, The Neighbors, and Still Standing in the first two decades of the 21st Century. Her film contributions range from Sixteen Candles to Twister, and The Lost Boys to Less Than Zero, with multiple other projects before and since.

Dylan Gelula (Lisa)

Dylan Gelula shows up in I Want You Back as Lisa, one of Emma’s two college-aged roommates, the latest in a healthy series of appearances in film and television comedy projects.

Starting with the TV side of her career, Gelula has had recurring or major roles on Chasing Life, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Filthy Preppy Teens, Casual, and most recently, Shameless, where she played Megan near the end of beloved comedy’s run on Showtime. Her film credits include Lady in the Water, Under the Eiffel Tower, Her Smell, and Horse Girl

Mason Gooding (Paul)

Taking on the role of Emma’s other roommate, Paul, in I Want You Back, is Mason Gooding, who has been on an absolute tear since breaking out with a three-episode run on the HBO sports comedy series, Ballers, back in 2018.

Since then, the son of Cuba Gooding Jr. has appeared on shows like The Good Doctor, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Star Trek: Picard, and Love, Victor, on which he plays Andrew. Gooding’s film work is just as impressive, if not more, with movies like Booksmart, Let It Snow, and the 2022 continuation of the Scream franchise. He’s next set to appear in the upcoming sci-fi romantic comedy, Moonshot.

Isabel May (Leighton)

Showing up briefly as Leighton, one of partygoers who take Peter and Noah on a ridiculous adventure in I Want You Back, is Isabel May, who has an absurd success rate with the shows on which she has appeared the past few years.

May’s career really took off in 2018 when she earned the role of Katie Cooper on the Netflix comedy series, Alexa & Kate. She followed that up with a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on Young Sheldon. If neither of those ring a bell, then maybe May’s most recent project, the Yellowstone prequel, 1883, might ring a bell. Bell leads the Paramount+ original series as the tough-as-nails Elsa Dutton.

Giselle Torres (Chloe)

Giselle Torres shows up in I Want You Back as Chloe, another one of the partiers who pick up Peter and Noah on their night of adventures.

Prior to joining the cast of the new Amazon original romantic comedy, Torres appeared in a number of short films like Momo, The Descendants, and Island Dreams before landing roles on shows like Speechless, Solve, and The Big Show Show (which I watched all in one sitting), and movies like The Princess Cut 2 (with a sequel on the way), Misfit, and South Beach Love.

Luke David Blumm (Trevor)

Luke David Blumm appears in the I Want You Back cast as Trevor, a troubled youth who gives Emma a new purpose in life after she meets him at Logan’s school. 

Although his career only goes back a few years at this point, Blumm has already put together a surprisingly rich filmography with appearances in some of the biggest shows and well-received movies in recent memory. Starting with this TV contributions, the young actor has appeared on The Walking Dead, The Sinner, and Watchmen. On top of that, Blumm has popped up in The King of Staten Island. He’ll soon appear in Where the Crawdads Sing and Lola James. Expect more in the coming years.

Pete Davidson (Jase)

And, last but certainly not least, is Pete Davidson who portrays Jase, the dealer (he's featured in one of the movie's trailers) who opens Peter’s mind to the world of designer drugs in I Want You Back. You could be blind, deaf, and live under a rock and you would still know about Davidson at this point, even if you actively avoid all the headlines he makes.

A mainstay of Saturday Night Live since 2014, Davidson has been viewed as one of the funniest and most charismatic members of the cast for most of his run on the sketch comedy program. In addition to SNL, Davidson has appeared on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Guest Book, The Real Bros of Simi Valley, and The Freak Brothers, to name only a few. His film credits include Trainwreck, The Dirt, the semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island, and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

Well, this about wraps up the I Want You Back cast and the biggest projects where you've seen the main cast before they showed up in Jason Orley's romantic comedy. If you are looking for something else to watch without changing platforms, take a look at our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes I Want You Back, a romantic comedy featuring two familiar names in the comedy world — Charlie Day and Jenny Slate. In the film, the leading duo both find themselves single and unable to get over their exes, so they pair up to destroy their ex-partners’ new relationships. Critics have seen the movie, which is slated for release on Amazon’s Prime Video on Friday, February 11, so let’s consult the reviews to see if you’d like to make this movie part of your holidayplans.

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate star as Peter and Emma, who are determined to win back their exes, Anne (Gina Rodriguez) and Noah (Scott Eastwood), respectively. To be sure, rom-com hilarity ensues, but let’s take a look at what the critics had to say, starting with our own CinemaBlend review. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying despite Day and Slate’s chemistry, I Want You Back fails to elevate to anything more than your average rom-com:

Kate Erbland of IndieWire agrees that the movie doesn’t quite know what to do with its stars and grades the Jason Orley-directed film a C+. However, she disagrees the leading couple has good chemistry, saying they suffer from lack of screen time together:

Other critics find comfort in I Want You Back's not trying to break new ground and staying so firmly in the rom-com lane. Lovia Gyarkye of THR says the movie’s self awareness and the actors’ performances make for a breezy and charming viewing experience:

Courtney Howard of Variety praises the “stellar” cinematography, editing and score, which help to set the tone for the characters’ stories, but she says the movie hits a lull in the second act — particularly when the lead duo don’t share the screen: 

Lena Wilson of The Wrap says I Want You Back is easy to like, and the skilled crew avoids the more problematic tropes sometimes found in rom-coms. It’s not without its faults, Wilson says, but Charlie Day and Jenny Slate don’t disappoint:

The critics all seem to agree that Charlie Day and Jenny Slate do their part as the romantic leads – and nearly every critic shouts out Slate’s show-stealing performance of “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors – so if you can get past the expected rom-com tropes, it sounds like I Want You Back likely isn’t a bad option for your Valentine’s weekend agenda. 

I Want You Back will be available for streaming Friday, February 11 on Amazon’s Prime Video. If you’re a fan of Jenny Slate, check out some other great movie performances from the actress, as well as some of other movies on Amazon Prime. Also be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is coming soon.

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are two wildly talented and hilarious actors. They both have unique comedic voices and styles, and when they are at their best, they are the kinds of performers who can convince you that you might actually suffocate from laughing so hard. They are always a plus to any production in which they take part, and always delightful when they are on screen.

This continues to hold true in director Jason Orley’s I Want You Back, albeit with a hitch. Both Day and Slate are both equally great in the film, and they continue to prove themselves great comedic leads – but it’s also hard not to notice that the film never takes full advantage of its stars phenomenal skills. It’s funny, but more “chuckle” funny than “can’t catch my breath” funny, and while it never feels trite or manipulative as a romance, it is overloaded with clichés and well-worn plotting that prevents it from ever feeling distinctive or particularly engaging. You want it to be more because of the talent involved, but it falls short of expectations.

A kind of romantic take on the classic Strangers On A Train premise, I Want You Back is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and it begins finding Emma (Jenny Slate) and Peter (Charlie Day) on some of the worst days of their respective lives. While neither of them have much to cling on to in their lives, they do have what they perceive as solid relationships… but then the rug gets pulled out from under them. Noah (Scott Eastwood), a personal trailer, breaks up with Emma because she doesn’t have any goals or direction for her life, and Anne (Gina Rodriguez), a schoolteacher, does the same to Peter because she wants more excitement in her life and believes that he has stalled out.

Emma and Peter don’t actually know each other, but they work in the same building – the former as a receptionist at a dentist’s office, the latter as a suit working at a nursing home conglomerate – and they meet because they discover each other crying in the stairwell. They commiserate over their heartbreak, and are horrified to discover that their partners have moved on… which is what gets their brain gears turning in search for a solution to their pain.

The answer they come up with is to try and sabotage their exes’ new relationships – the idea being that they can try and get their romantic interests to back pedal. For her part, Emma tries to seduce Logan (Manny Jacinto), Anne’s new boyfriend and the drama teacher at the local elementary school. Meanwhile, Peter tries to befriend Noah by joining his gym and works to steer him away from Ginny (Clark Backo), a young woman he’s dating who owns a local bakery.

I Want You Back is a generic romantic comedy that never tries to be anything different.

It’s most definitely not my job as a critic to spoil movies, but I can guarantee that nine out of ten people could guess exactly how I Want You Back plays out beat for beat – that tenth individual presumably being somebody who has never watched a single romantic comedy before. As lies escalate, situations become more heightened, but emotional depths are also uncovered and enhanced, and before long unexpected feelings start to develop that throw a wrench in the whole plot. There isn’t any kind of edge (it might have an R-rating, but it feels PG-13) or any kind of special angle; it all plays out exactly as expected.

The only actual surprises it has are a couple of fun cameos, but even those are along the lines of “Oh, I didn’t know they were in this movie” instead of “Whoa, I didn’t expect them to show up” or “Wow, that’s a really fun character for them to play.” At the same time, they’re appearances that one can appreciate because at least it’s a diversion from the hyper-generic.

Charlie Day and Jenny Slate make a fun pair, but the material doesn’t let them do their best work.

The blandness of I Want You Back puts Charlie Day and Jenny Slate in an awkward position, as while they have great chemistry together and both put in solid performances, there is a backlash that comes with the expectations instilled by their presences in the film. If utilized properly, a pair of exceptionally gifted leads have the capacity to elevate any material, and Day and Slate are actors who have that potential, but it never actually happens in the movie.

There are certainly some funny moments and bright spots – like Slate belting out a surprisingly lovely rendition of “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop Of Horrors during a play rehearsal but mostly it never feels like the leads were given the freedom to add their own comedic flavors to what’s on the page – resulting in eye rolling gags like Peter sneaking around Noah’s room and getting trapped in a hiding spot while Noah and Ginny have sex. You keep wanting the stars to elevate the material by doing what they do best, but everything about the movie just feels safe and simple.

As far as Valentine’s Day viewing options go, couples cuddling up this weekend could easily do a lot worse, but anyone going into the movie with any extra levels of expectation based on the talent involved is heading toward disappointment. It’s a cute diversion in its best moments, and wholly inoffensive, but also aggravating when it settles for the easiest joke or the most basic gag available. You’ll groan when the excessively cheesy ending you imagined in your head in the second act actually becomes a reality right before the credits roll, but its forgettable-ness does a lot to tamper any real frustration.

Netflix's wild coming-of-age comedy Big Mouth became a major hit for the streamer when it debuted back in 2017 for it's relatable representations of what it's like for pre-teens and young teens to go through puberty. The voice performances for the (sometimes very) adult animated show have been a big part of its success, but it was in late June that actress Jenny Slate, who had voiced the character of Missy Foreman-Greenwald for the entire run, decided to step down so that a black actress could voice the biracial character. Now that actor / comedian / writer / producer Ayo Edebiri has been cast to take over, we know what the producers have planned for the switch.

Even though Jenny Slate did a great job of voicing the nerdy biracial girl as she began her (sometimes kinda weird) sexual awakening, it was good to see her and the producers take responsibility for not having a black or biracial actress take on the part. But, according to Variety, when the decision was made for her to step aside, Slate had already recorded all of her part for the upcoming Season 4.

Big Mouth co-creator Andrew Goldberg said they didn't believe there would be time for Ayo Edebiri to re-record all of the dialogue, and noted that they didn't want her saddled with starting "her journey with this part by matching what Jenny did already," because it wouldn't be a good way "for her to make it her own." It was originally thought that Edebiri would begin her time as Missy with Season 5 (Big Mouth got a three season renewal last summer), but co-creator Jennifer Flackett was able to find "a really organic and cool place" in Season 4's penultimate episode which would make the voice change feel organic for the character, new actress, and the audience who's been watching Missy grow for several seasons.

As co-creator Nick Kroll said of the moment, which will lead to Edebiri voicing Missy in the Season 4 finale and in the following seasons:

Ayo Edebiri might be a new name to you, but she's been working her way through Hollywood for a few years now, was a writer on the Kal Penn-starring sitcom Sunnyside last season, and will be seen on Season 2 of Dickinson for Apple TV+, in a role that was created for her after she joined the series as a writer. Edebiri had also already joined the writer's room for Big Mouth Season 5, when the opportunity came for a black actress to begin voicing Missy, so she threw her hat in the ring. Even though Edebiri did still have to go through several auditions to nab the role, it sounds like it's a great fit:

We don't know exactly when Big Mouth Season 4 will hit Netflix, but it's still expected later in 2020. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, check out our guide to fall TV!

In recent years, Jenny Slate has propelled herself into a dependable comedic talent and an indie darling, on screens both big and small. Notably with the release of this month's The Sunlit Night, Slate only continues to demonstrate her expendable and trustworthy star talents while also showcasing her dramatic range. When it comes to her growing film career, Slate is constantly establishing herself and making a name for herself through a variety of likable, enjoyable new film roles. With that said, let's celebrate just a few great Jenny Slate movie performances from the multi-talented actress/comedian.

The Sunlit Night (2020)

The Sunlit Night is a prime example of when a leading performance outshines a movie. Please pardon the pun. Though it's bolstered by nice cinematography and lovely Norwegian landscapes, this Sundance indie falls into too many tropes and cliches, while also suffering from several oddly wavering subplots and diverting attentiveness to side characters who don't add much focus. As a result, it becomes yet another coming-of-age story about a character finding themselves that ironically never finds itself. Yet, Jenny Slate's vulnerable, and, yes, radiant screen presence lifts this movie up and brings some emotional sincerity that isn't found in its paint-by-numbers narrative.

It's such a gently captivating performance that it almost makes the movie work. Slate's clear star power cannot be dismissed; it's a shame that she brings such vibrant engagement to this lacking and noticeably edited-down misfire. But she burns bright.

My Blind Brother (2016)

While it doesn't land on sure footing, My Blind Brother is nicely elevated by its central trio of performances from Nick Kroll, Adam Scott, and Jenny Slate. The easy, enjoyable chemistry shared between the former and the latter, especially, helps the movie work past its tonal inconsistencies and its insecurities regarding its darkly comedic subject matter. 

Centered around an unaccomplished brother (Kroll) who must constantly live in the shadow of his arrogant, demanding, overachieving blind brother (Scott), particularly when they compete for the same woman (Slate), My Blind Brother takes a premise that could've easily landed sideways and finds some nice, winning moments of humanity and surprising laughs — notably through its charming turn from Slate, who brings dynamism to a character who might've been two dimensional from a less talented performer. Particularly when the actress shares the screen with Kroll, this movie sparks.

The Secret Life Of Pets (2016) & The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (2019)

As the lovable personality behind Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, it became apparent early into Jenny Slate's career that, in addition to all her other talents, she's also a great, extremely funny voice actress. She has continued to prove her vocal talents in a number of movies and shows, but The Secret Life of Pets 1 & 2 remains one of her most recognizable roles. 

As the voice of Gidget, the fluffy white Pomeranian with a big heart and a sunny disposition, Slate is a lot of fun in this spunky, outspoken character, providing a sweet, infectiously charming energy to this good-hearted pet. Though the movies themselves don't necessarily reach the top tiers of CG animation, Slate's vocal performance remains a highlight, and her high-pitch voice matches the character well.

Zootopia (2016)

Likewise, Jenny Slate found a great avenue for her versatile voice talents with Disney's acclaimed Zootopia. As the literally sheepish Assistant Mayor Bellwether, Slate was able to play the character's seemingly good-natured sweet side only to later unveil the character's true dark side to great effect. 

In this multi-layered role, Slate allowed audiences to believe both the character's harmless demeanor and her calculating interior without ever making it too jarring, forced, or unbelievable. That's certainly a great credit to this burgeoning voice star, one who only continues to impress inside the voice booth. It helps to sell the Oscar-winning Disney film's thematically dense second half, and this lucrative hit ultimately contains one of Slate's finest vocal performances.

Joshy (2016)

In an ensemble that includes Thomas Middleditch, Adam Pally, Alex Ross Perry, Nick Kroll, Brett Gelman, Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, and more, Jenny Slate is only one piece in the finely-casted 2016's sleeper, Joshy, though she is certainly a highlight. As Jodi, a bachelorette who joins along for an extremely unconventional bachelor party, Slate takes what might've been an unremarkable role in a weaker performer's hands and brings her usual brand of sweet sincerity and gentle warmth, bringing out the likable emotional side of this darkly probing dramedy. 

It's a performance that ultimately helps the movie reach its goal rather than fully stands out on its own, but Slate brings her own individual charms anyway, making for another likable, appealing performance from the dependable comedic/dramatic star. Even in a cast this stacked, Slate is a bright spot.

Landline (2017)

Reuniting with her Obvious Child collaborator Gillian Robespierre, Landline is a sophomore feature that doesn't exactly reach the same heights as its predecessor but it recaptures a lot of its appealing comfortable, and believable sensibilities. Focused on the interconnected lives of a multi-generational family (John Turturro, Edie Falco, Jenny Slate, Abby Quinn) and the two sisters who find themselves connected whenever they suspect that their dad might be having an affair, this familiar-but-easygoing '90s period piece doesn't break too many new grounds when it comes to Sundance dramedies, but the cast helps it shine, particularly with Slate providing another star-worthy turn. 

As the eldest sister, Slate brings her typical brand of emotional searching and mature instability to good effect, providing another winning, enjoyable performance in this emotional, potentially autobiographical tale.

Obvious Child (2014)

Though Jenny Slate found fame through Saturday Night Live and the aforementioned Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, 2014's off-kilter rom-com, Obvious Child, truly became the star's breakout role. Based on the short film of the same name, Gillian Robespierre's first feature was an exceptional star vehicle for Slate, who brings her typical heart and sincerity to this personal and authentic feature. 

Plus, as a film that's made with the intention of removing the stigma surrounding abortion, there is a purposefulness to the movie's punchy presentation that gives it weight and clear focus. But Slate is the key to the introductory movie's success, particularly through her relatable humor and sparkling personality which feels unabashedly true to her voice and character. This is also accomplished by incorporating Slate's actual stand-up, which blends realism and believable fiction to this personable directorial debut.

Do you love Jenny Slate? What's your favorite performance? Please let us know in the comment section below!

I will never forget the time I first saw Jenny Slate on an episode of the underrated and underloved HBO detective comedy series Bored to Death where she appeared as an organic co-op member and short-lived lover of the Jonathan Ames (Jason Schwartzman). It was around the time the comedian first showed up as a featured player on Saturday Night Live, and I just had a feeling that big things were coming her way.

More than a decade later and Jenny Slate is a relatively big name in show business with a Netflix comedy special, a spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list, and appearances in some of the most popular and successful animated film franchises of the 21st Century, the star of films like Obvious Child and most recently The Sunlit Night has had one hell of a career since getting her big break in television all those years ago. But as more and more people begin to hear about Jenny Slate they may not know what she is, what she has done, and what she aspires to be. Let's take care of that…

Jenny Slate Getting Hired On SNL Is A Beautiful Story And Sometimes Even She Forgets It

When people say Jenny Slate and Saturday Night Live in the same sentence, they usually start talking about the "F-Bomb" gaffe that some believe led to her 2010 dismissal, but there is so much more to the comedian's experience on the sketch comedy show than that fateful moment. During a 2014 appearance on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Slate shared a touching story about the day Lorne Michaels offered her spot on the show, stating:

Earlier in the interview, Jenny Slate explained that working on Saturday Night Live was a childhood dream of hers and something she had always wanted to do. Getting the chance of a lifetime was something that she'll never forget, even if things didn't turn out as expected.

The Comedian Doesn't Blame Her "F-Bomb" Gaffe For Getting Fired From SNL

Jenny Slate's dismissal from Saturday Night Live, the one mentioned just above, is often thought to be a result of the former featured player dropping a hard F-bomb on the episode of the 2009-2010 season, but there's much more to the story than that. Slate, who has been hearing about it for well over a decade now explained the situation to InStyle in 2019 where she set the record straight:

Getting fired from Saturday Night Live wasn't the worst thing to happen to Jenny Slate as her career seemed to take off in the years following the F-bomb heard around the world. And during that time she has carved out her own place in the world with her distinct style of humor and those amazing Marcel the Shell with Shoes on children's books. Speaking of which…

The Marcel The Shell With Shoes On Creator Once Wrote A Looney Tunes Script

Between her stint on Saturday Night Live and breakout with the 2014 romantic comedy Obvious Child, Jenny Slate was quite busy working on the Marcel the Shell with Shoes On viral videos and even two books, as well as appearances on shows like House of Lies and Parks and Recreation. If that wasn't enough for one person to handle, she was even brought on to write a script for a Looney Tunes movie for Warner Bros. In a 2014 interview with Yahoo Movies, Slate explained why she thinks the movie will never get made:

And even though the Looney Tunes script didn't work out, Jenny Slate would go on to have roles in a number of different children's shows and movies like Zootopia, The Secret Life of Pets, Despicable Me 3, and Muppet Babies, where she is the voice of Miss Nanny.

Jenny Slate Wrote Her Book Little Weirds As A Way Of Getting Back To The Person She Once Was

In November 2019, Jenny Slate released her first book of non-Marcel material titled Little Weirds. Not the traditional memoir, Slates' first go at a collection of essays and small musings included some pretty engaging material about the actress and comedian's hopes, fears, and lessons learned throughout her life up to that point. Shortly after the book was released, Slate sat down with Sam Jones on his Off Camera Show where she explained that she came up with the idea of writing the book after she stopped tweeting so much due to being attacked in random online encounters, stating:

A lot of the topics Jenny Slate discusses in her non-fiction book also appear in her Netflix special Stage Fright, which dropped shortly before the release of Little Weirds in October 2019.

Jenny Slate Initially Felt Hesitant About Producing A Stand-Up Special, But Found A Way To Make It Her Own

Anyone who was watched Jenny Slate's Netflix special Stage Fright knows that it's not a normal stand-up routine. In fact, it's full of improvised bits, small stories, and most of all, fascinating documentary footage of the comedian at home with her parents and grandmothers, who honestly steal the show. Shortly after the special debuted, Slate sat down for an interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to provide some insight into how it all came together:

Slate went on to explain that she wanted to show the world where she came from and the different storytellers that helped raise her and help her grow into the comedian she is today. The special, which admittedly takes a few minutes to get going, is one of the most unique of its kind.

Jenny Slate Left Big Mouth After Four Seasons Because She Thought A Biracial Character Should Be Voiced By A Person Of Color

Jenny Slate has been a major fixture on the Netflix animated series Big Mouth since the show's beginning where she has voiced the character of Missy Foreman-Greenwald. But just a few months before the Season 4 premiere, the actress announced that she would no longer voice the biracial character because she thought that role should go to a person of color. In an Instagram post dated June 24, 2020, Slate stated:

The actress went on to admit that she can't change her past but she can take some accountability for the choices she made throughout her career before pledging to continue to engage in anti-racist action moving forward.

See, Jenny Slate is more than just the comedian who got fired from Saturday Night Live after dropping an F-bomb on live television. I hope that all of this helps you all better understand and appreciate the talented, clever, and unique actress and comedian. You can catch Jenny Slate in The Sunlit Night, which is available to rent or purchase.

Although social media allows fans to interact with their favorite creatives more than ever, there’s still often a barrier between the famous and... well, everyone else. But the writer of the new indie flick The Sunlit Night got lucky when she had a brief exchange with Jenny Slate that later turned into a filmmaking partnership thanks to Twitter. Yeah, I’m surprised too, I don’t say “thanks to Twitter” very often.

When Rebecca Dinerstein Knight was a guest on CinemaBlend’s podcast ReelBlend this week to talk about Sunlit Night ahead of its release on VOD this Friday, she gushed about the moment that changed her life and why she’s not sure it could have happened today. In her words:

Here’s how the story goes: Rebecca Dinerstein Knight and Jenny Slate were both in New York. Knight spotted Slate and proceeded to clap for the former Big Mouth star in Brooklyn Park. The stand-up comedian and actress was on the phone with her mom during the exchange, but she took a moment to blow Knight a kiss as she walked away.

Later on Twitter, Knight took to social media to immortalize the sweet moment and Jenny Slate actually responded. Yes, I actually dug up the actual 2014 exchange. Check it out here:

What’s amazing is Jenny Slate responded to a tweet with three likes in one hour. The novelist was certainly surprised by the happening, and yes, this feels like a one-in-a-million response now that celebrities are @ed at I’d guess thousands of times a day. What's even more amazing is what happened soon after: a second exchange on Twitter! How? Take a look:

Five years later, the Twitter conversation has turned into the realization of Rebecca Dinerstein Knight’s novel coming to life on film. The Sunlit Night is about an aspiring painter who ventures to Norway to become an apprentice of a muralist. It's there where she meets Yasha, a man who is in the middle of burying his father in the land of the Vikings. Other than Slate, the film features Zach Galifinakis and Gillian Anderson. Check out the full episode of this week’s ReelBlend episode with Knight here:

The Sunlit Night premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year before finding a place on VOD this weekend. Check out what other movies are coming out this year with CinemaBlend’s 2020 Release Calendar.

Quentin Tarantino has said he has one more movie planned. Or, at the very least, he’d like to end his film career having directed 10 films. Some fans started debating recently that a third Kill Bill movie should be his next film, with the daughter of Vivica A. Fox going after The Bride (Uma Thurman) for killing her mother in Kill Bill Vol. 1.

This is a perfect topic for ReelBlend, so naturally, Kevin, Sean and Jake dove right in.

The guys, this week, also tackled the difficult topic of whether movies should begin opening internationally if theaters in other countries are ready to host visitors safely, even if the U.S. is far behind the rest of the world. Could a film like Tenet or Mulan start earning money – and stimulate the sagging film industry – by playing to audiences in healthier countries? Or should the entire globe punt on new films until everyone can return to theaters safely? The boys discuss.

Our interview this week is with screenwriter Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, who adapted her own novel The Sunlit Night into a new movie for Jenny Slate. It hits paid VOD this week.

And our BlendGame this week is dedicated to the career of Nicole Kidman. Good luck choosing her best movie, because we sure had a struggle narrowing down the choices, given her amazing output over the years.

Be sure to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube!

Netflix's Big Mouth has already been renewed for three more seasons, but the show will move forward without one of its original voice actors. Jenny Slate, who voiced Missy Foreman-Greenwald for the first three seasons of the adult animated comedy, decided to leave the show. Her character is biracial, while Slate herself is not, and Slate decided that the role should go to another actress.

Jenny Slate was already three seasons into playing Missy on Big Mouth, and she shared her "original reasoning" for taking the biracial role in an Instagram post:

According to Jenny Slate, she justified playing the biracial Missy by focusing on the fact that Missy's mother is Jewish and white, like Slate herself, but she has come to realize that "Black characters on an animated show should be played by black people." Her decision to leave her character behind came on the same day that Kristen Bell made a similar move for her Apple TV+ animated series.

Jenny Slate went on to acknowledge that she can't "change the past," but she will take accountability for her decisions and engage in "meaningful anti-racist action." She capped her statement off by saying that she is "so very sorry," and Black Lives Matter. At the time of writing, her post has gained more than 116,000 'likes' on Instagram.

Good news for Big Mouth fans is that Missy isn't going to be removed from the show due to Jenny Slate's departure, but rather recast. The show creators confirmed the plan to recast and commented on Slate's announcement about leaving in a joint statement, shared by Nick Kroll:

The statement from Big Mouth creators Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett (via Nick Kroll on Twitter) went on to thank Jenny Slate for her decision and her contributions, and they "look forward" to further exploration of Missy's story with "greater authenticity" in the years to come. Considering Netflix handed down a hefty renewal order of three more seasons, there certainly are many more years to come by TV standards.

Big Mouth debuted back in 2017, then aired one new season each year through the third in 2019. Season 4 doesn't have a release date at this point, although it's possible that a delay is in store due to production shutdowns in recent months. The first three season (except for a Valentine's Day special in February 2019) debuted in either late September or early October.

For now, you can catch the first three seasons of Big Mouth (featuring Jenny Slate before the role is recast) streaming on Netflix, along with plenty of other options. Slate also has a stand-up special available on the streamer, called Jenny Slate: Stage Fright.

For some non-streaming series now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule!

After Dave Chappelle underwent an epic career reemergence with a blistering SNL hosting spot, a string of highly acclaimed stand-up comedy specials, and receiving the 2019 Mark Twain Prize for Humor, how is it that he does not have his own TV show again? In fact, he is one of several comedians who have received a boost in popularity from Netflix who, despite working with the streaming giant a number of times, have yet to get a series deal, unlike a few others.

Netflix has been home to animated comedy F is for Family, created by and starring Bill Burr, for four seasons, as well Gabriel Iglesias’ school-set sitcom Mr. Iglesias for two, and more recently debuted The Iliza Shelsinger Sketch Show starring the Last Comic Standing winner as a variety of characters. The variety of the streaming service’s comedy series library could benefit greatly from extending the honor to more of their hardest-hitting players.

Who do we have in mind to beef up the selections by starring in their own shows? The following 12 stand-up juggernauts, in particular, come to mind, starting with one of the leading voices in comedy.

Dave Chappelle

Even those who respect Dave Chappelle’s exit from Chappelle’s Show wish it did not end so soon, yet, following the surprise YouTube release of his latest (and most serious) special, 8:46, in response to the death of George Floyd, it seems the comedian is at his best when providing raw, intimate, and insightful societal commentary. The world could use a voice like Chappelle more than ever, and more frequently. Netflix could serve as the perfect platform for him to deliver whatever message he sees necessary for the time, and through the lens of his incomparable wit, on a more regular basis.

Neal Brennan

Somebody who rarely gets the credit he deserves for Chappelle’s Show is its co-creator, and Dave Chappelle’s longtime writing partner, Neal Brennan, whose talent for sketch comedy is clear from his multiple Emmy nominations. However, his revealing Netflix special 3 Mics proves that his own life story is one of profoundly moving and darkly funny appeal, which could be channeled into a semi-autobiographical dramedy that might make for some truly remarkable TV.

Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate’s Netflix stand-up special/documentary hybrid Stage Fright revealed a lot about herself, which is good because most people just remember her for dropping the F-bomb on her first Saturday Night Live episode, which actually has nothing to do with her firing after one season. It does, however, suggest she excels better in avenues outside of sketch comedy, such as voicing one of the central characters of the Netflix original series Big Mouth, among several other animated projects, which convinces me that she should lead her own cartoon. Maybe a revival of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On?

John Mulaney

One of Jenny Slate’s co-stars on Big Mouth is John Mulaney, who won an Emmy as a Saturday Night Live writer and for his second Netflix stand-up special, Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, but you probably already knew about that. What you might not have known is that, in 2014, he had a self-titled Fox sitcom that was cancelled after 13 episodes, which sounds hard to believe given his astonishing popularity today. That being said, he would have no problem negotiating a second chance at a sitcom deal with Netflix and his relationship with the streaming service thus far should ensure a bit more leniency this time.

Whitney Cummings

Someone with a similar story is Whitney Cummings, whose short-lived, self-titled NBC sitcom proved far less successful than the CBS hit 2 Broke Girls, which she co-created around the same time. For whatever reason that Whitney did not work out, her often cynical observations on pressing social topics haven proven hilarious onstage, such as in her 2019 Netflix special Can I Touch It? Perhaps veering away from the traditional, three-camera structure to present her ideas on a new series might be the way to go.

Marc Maron

Having one of the top-rated podcasts in the world helped veteran comedian Marc Maron greatly boost his popularity and eventually himself his own self-titled, semi-autobiographical sitcom on IFC, a pair of Netflix exclusive stand-up specials, and a starring role on the streaming service's Emmy-winning historical dramedy GLOW. Yet, his WTF podcast has proven his great knack as an interviewer and Netflix would be a great place for the Joker star to bring that into the visual world.

Deon Cole

Other than his starring role on cop show spoof Angie Tribeca, his recurring role on Black-ish, his 2019 Netflix special Cole Hearted, or his stint as a writer for Conan O'Brien, you probably recognize Deon Cole best from the Old Spice ads he has done lately. The comic is also the victim of a short-lived series deal with his 2013 discussion show Deon Cole's Black Box on TBS, but on those six episodes, he provided some very clever and thoughtful culturally introspective commentary that was truly unlike anything else on TV at the time and would be just as impressionable today. Not to mention, Netflix would be a far more appropriate venue for Cole's choices of expression if the service were to incite a revival of Black Box.

Hannah Gadsby

"Impressionable" is also a word many would use to describe the performance style of Hannah Gadsby, in addition to "groundbreaking," "unique," "brave," etc. Those are ways to describe her first Netflix original stand-up special, Nanette, which gained the Australian comic unexpected popularity in America, particularly for her rejection of the idea that it is a comedic performance, but truly a renouncement what comedy tends to be defined by these days. Gadsby's inventive ways expressing raw honesty through laughter is what already earned a second Netflix special in 2020, called Douglas, but her voice and style is one should be applied to more topics and concepts that others are afraid to talk about.

Nish Kumar

Contrary to Hannah Gadsby's success in the United States, Nish Kumar is a comedian from the United Kingdom who has yet to make an impression in America, despite possessing a performance that is both accessible yet uncompromisingly brainy, especially as host of The Mash Report, which is essentially the BBC's answer to The Daily Show. Of course, Netflix already has its own answer to The Daily Show with Hasan Minhaj's Patriot Act, plus Kumar has also gained a reputation as a great improvisational comedy performer in the UK. Save Middleditch & Schwartz, there is not much on Netflix that celebrates that culture and perhaps Kumar could help them lay the groundwork.

Ron White

As part of the original Blue Collar Comedy Tour with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Larry the Cable Guy, Ron White once address on stage that he was not a regular cast member on his tour mates' sketch comedy show Blue Collar TV because of his "work ethic." Well, perhaps the vocally crass, yet presentably classy, comedian might be able to strike up an idea for a series that falls in line with his idea of professionalism on Netflix, who produced his most recent stand-up comedy special If You Quit Listening I'll Shut Up in 2018. Whatever concept he and the streaming service would conjure (be it sketch comedy, a talk show, or a docuseries a la Killer Mike's Trigger Warning), Foxworthy and Larry have clout with Netflix as well, meaning the chance for a Blue Collar Comedy Tour reunion would not out of the question.

Wanda Sykes

Unlike a few other comedians on this list, Emmy-winner Wanda Sykes has actually been relatively successful on TV, from playing herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm to playing Julia Louis-Dreyfus' friend on The New Adventures of Old Christine, but rarely as the lead. Neither her sitcom Wanda At Large nor her risqué discussion program The Wanda Sykes Show lasted any longer than one season. Yet, with her Netflix original comedy special Not Normal proving successful, why not turn her uncompromising riffs sensitive subjects into a weekly event on the streaming service?

Eddie Murphy

Once there was a time when no one more famous in the world of comedy than Eddie Murphy, who is credited as the key to Saturday Night Live's survival in the early 1980s before becoming Hollywood's biggest star. Times have since changed, of course, but a brilliant SNL hosting gig, a Golden Globe-nominated performance in the Netflix-produced biopic Dolemite is My Name, and the announcement of an upcoming stand-up special with the streaming service has been instrumental in seeing the beloved comedy legend received the comeback audiences have been waiting for. If Netflix really wanted to make Murphy fans proud, they would give him a series, maybe another sketch show, on which he can continue to present his best characters and timeless comedic stylings.

What do you think? Do these comedians deserve a more frequent spot in your Netflix queue, or is one stand-up special or guest appearance at a time good enough for you? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more information and updates on the funniest things on the streaming giant here on CinemaBlend.

While we’re going to have to wait a little longer to see the Bob’s Burgers movie head to theaters, as Bob’s Burgers: The Movie has found itself pushed to opening on April 9, 2021. It’s a bummer for sure, but there’s two things we’ll be able to pass the time with until then: show creator Loren Bouchard’s new Apple TV+ series Central Park, and making lists of actors we hope will appear in the new film.

As there’s such a rich tapestry of supporting characters that don’t appear in every episode, and out of that deep bench of Wonder Wharf denizens, there’s a handful we hope show up in time for their cinematic debut. Bob’s Burgers: The Movie may be a little under a year away, but that means there’s hopefully plenty of time to add in one or two of these fine folks into the cast.

Kevin Kline (Mr. Fischoeder)

An important piece of the Bob’s Burgers puzzle, eccentric landlord/millionaire Mr. Fischoeder is never a guaranteed presence. But, Kevin Kline’s insanely entertaining character does show up quite a bit throughout the run of the series, as a recurring “special guest star” of sorts. He’s left an impression throughout the 10 years of the series so far, and to not have Mr. Fischoeder in Bob’s Burgers: The Movie would be the greatest shame that’d befall a film of this sort.

Megan Mullally (Gayle)

Gayle, Linda’s sister and occasional source of headaches for the family at large, is one of those characters you kind of need when it comes to a big film like Bob’s Burgers: The Movie. Whether it’s putting up a fuss with eye drops, or taking an accidental kiss from Bob as an invitation for romantic overtures, if she can throw a comedic wrench into the family’s adventures, she does. Which means that Megan Mullally’s comedic chops would play like gangbusters when expanded into a would-be blockbuster’s story.

Sam Seder (Hugo)

Big screen movies usually come with big screen stakes, and Bob’s Burgers: The Movie feels like it’s got the perfect chance to bring some important fixtures back for some serious payback. And there’s certainly no shortage of Bob’s Burgers antagonists to push things to the edge; much like Sam Seder’s Hugo is likely to do. The disgruntled health inspector who lost Linda’s hand in marriage to Bob, he’s always had it out for the burger shop down the street from Wonder Wharf, and a major motion picture is a great opportunity for Hugo to threaten the restaurant once and for all.

Jenny Slate (Tammy Larsen)

If you look at the list of episodes that Tammy Larsen’s antagonistic presence has popped up throughout, Jenny Slate’s Wagstaff School student with attitude has fast become a pretty integral part to the growth of Tina Belcher herself. She’s also become one of the gang in the Bob’s Burgers universe, so her inclusion in Bob’s Burgers: The Movie feels like a pretty important step that a movie theater adventure should take.

Molly Shannon (Millie Frock)

Much as Tina has a nemesis in Tammy, Louise Belcher has started developing an adversarial relationship of her own with the unhinged Millie Frock. We haven’t seen Molly Shannon’s character since “The Silence of the Louise”, where Millie played the Hannibal to Louise’s Clarice. With an absence of two seasons, Bob’s Burgers: The Movie could be the perfect sequel to reunite these two opposing forces, in the name of the chaos that only a feature length film could provide.

Gary Cole (Sgt. Bosco)

Crime runs semi-rampant in the Wonder Wharf area, and Bob’s Burgers has a watchful protector, and a very awkward knight in Gary Cole’s Sgt. Bosco. Listening to Cole riff with the regular series cast is always a treat, so Bob’s Burgers: The Movie could only pile on the soft serve with criminal villainy potentially running rampant. With Sgt. Bosco being included in the film’s course of events, there’s no telling what could happen. Quite possibly, this adventure could even see the good sergeant turning to a live of vigilantism, costuming himself in the name of the law.

Sharon Horgan (Kathleen)

A recent addition to the Bob’s Burgers family, Kathleen has become a promising character in the realm of recurring returns. With Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan voicing the woman who may or may not be the one for Belcher family friend Teddy, Bob’s Burgers: The Movie would be a perfect time to either cement her relationship with the loyal handyman or break them apart for good. In either case, there’s an opportunity for a beautiful song to be added to the rich catalog of tunes the series already has.

Robert Smigel (Yuli The Security Guard)

In the world of a comedic ensemble like Bob’s Burgers, everyone adds their own unique flavor to the sandbox they all join in. Robert Smigel’s Yuli the Security Guard is a perfect example of someone who, while playing a secondary role in the fabric, always livens up the episode. Bob’s Burgers: The Movie is a prime time for Yuli to step up into the big leagues, with Smigel’s iconic voice bringing even more laughter to the series table than ever before.

Jillian Bell (Nat Kinkle)

While the Belcher family has already done the whole road trip thing recently in the episode “Just The Trip”, that doesn’t mean a journey to somewhere nice and unknown can’t happen in Bob’s Burgers: The Movie. And if it’s anything like that last adventure, the Belchers will definitely want limo driver/all around sweetheart Nat Kinkle along for the ride. Though if Jillian Bell’s character isn’t needed for her driving skills in this film’s storyline, at the very least Nat should be around to provide some sage wisdom, as well as show off her pet Komodo Dragon.

There’s no telling who can or will show up in a Bob’s Burgers movie, which is part of where the fun lies. Even if none of these characters happen to appear, the madcap fun and unpredictable humor of Bob’s Burgers The Movie will surely be welcome in a time where, hopefully, we’ll be back at the movies for a chance to escape into a colorful, musical world of burgers, butts, and everything else this long running series has offered its fanbase.

Bob’s Burgers: The Movie debuts on April 9, 2021, just in time for some lucky restaurant to unveil their Deglazed Opening Burger, topped with a red wine and balsamic vinaigrette reduction, fresh Jersey tomatoes, and crumbled bleu cheese. You can have that one, Fox; just be sure to credit us.

Spoilers ahead for the Parks and Recreation reunion special.

We're obviously living in unprecedented times. People are spend much more time at home in self-isolation, and TV and film sets have been shut down. But there has been some surprising content coming out as a result, like Disney+'s At Home with Olaf shorts. Last night NBC aired a Parks and Recreation reunion special, which the cast filmed from the safety of their own homes. It was 30 minutes of laughs and cameos, but my favorite character unfortunately didn't make the cut. I'm talking about none other than Mona-Lisa Saperstein.

Mona-Lisa Saperstein was played by Jenny Slate during Parks and Recreation, and was a true agent of chaos. Mona-Lisa is Jean-Ralphio's twin sister, but has an extra touch of extra instability aka comedy gold. While I didn't originally expect to see Slate pop up in A Parks and Recreation Reunion Special, the various cameos that occured throughout its runtime changed my expectations. Ultimately I was bummed to see Mona-Lisa excluded from the fun, especially once Jean-Ralphio appeared (and Ben Schwartz basically stole the show).

In the second act of A Parks and Recreation Reunion Special, Ben and Leslie appear on local Pawnee TV programs to try and promote social distancing and safety from its residents. This brought on the appearance of both Perd Hapley and Joan Callamezzo, to delightful results. In a "commercial break" Jean-Ralphio took over and updated the fans on his latest acts of debauchery. This is when I thought Jenny Slate's character would suddenly interject with her own video, but that moment never happened. Cue the tears

It's more than possible that Mona-Lisa's appearance simply wasn't needed to make the Parks and Recreation reunion into a reality, or that Jenny Slate was unable to film an appearance. But I loved her tenure on the show, which extended through the series finale. Altough Jean-Ralphio's appearance did scratch that Saperstein itch for me, and might have been my personal favorite part of the special.

You can check out Ben Schwartz' return to Jean-Ralphio from A Parks and Recreation Reunion Special below, courtesy of his personal Twitter.

Seriously, how much joy does that spark? While I'm bummed that Mona-Lisa didn't make it into A Parks and Recreation Reunion Special, the entire block of television was a joy bomb that I'm super appreciative for. If you watching the tribute that aired prior to the special, you were treated to a full hour of Pawnee and its residents. That's what I call prime comfort TV.

The webcam format was used expertly, and made me want to do a re-watch of Lisa Kudrow's Web Therapy. It was particularly fun to see how the team wrote around the fact that married characters weren't in the same room. While Ann Perkins was sequestering herself away from the family since she was working as a nurse, Andy got locked in his shed and April refused to let him out. Typical Parks & Rec.

Parks and Recreation is currently streaming on Netflix. Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Has the Coronavirus got you feeling blue because your favorite comedian had to cancel his gig in your hometown? Are you too afraid to leave your house in fear of becoming the next person to catch the virus that is making its way across the globe at a staggering pace? With the Coronavirus forcing people to avoid fun activities like stand-up comedy shows, we've compiled a list of some of the best comedy specials streaming right now that will make your living room feel like your very own private comedy club.

Comedy specials on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Now are a dime a dozen, which makes it difficult to decide on which one to start up when you're looking for an hour or so of side-splitting laughs. That's where we come in. If you can't go to the club yourself, and you're afraid of falling into the infinite abyss that is Netflix's browsing options, look no further than this list of 10 hilarious stand-up comedy specials to stream if you're missing out on live comedy.

We've gone back and found the best from yesterday and today in hopes of making the most diverse list possible.

Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (Netflix)

Most people will recognize Ali Wong from the hit Netflix original movie Always Be My Maybe, but some might be surprised to discover that the star of the beloved romantic comedy is also a filthy, unapologetic comedian with a few stand-up specials under her belt. All of this, and more, are seen in her latest comedy special.

The writer/actress/comedian burst out on to the scene in the 2016 Netflix comedy special, Ali Wong: Baby Cobra, in which a very pregnant Wong opens up about everything from trying to get pregnant, feminism, and her thoughts on becoming a mother. There's one segment in particular where Wong pokes fun at the low bar that society has set for fathers compared to the unrealistic expectations of mothers. Stream it on Netflix.

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous At Radio City Music Hall (Netflix)

Watch Saturday Night Live enough and you'll start asking yourself - Who is this guy that shows up once a year, performs some insane musical number set in a bodega or airport, and then disappears for 12 months? The man behind those satirical, yet somehow beautiful performances just so happens to be a comedian, and his name is John Mulaney.

Over the course of his career, Mulaney has found himself go from struggling stand-up comedian to a writer on the hottest comedy show (SNL) and then back to the comedy world, where he's become one of the biggest names in the business thanks to his brand of semi-autobiographical, self-deprecating humor. This is best shown in his Emmy Award-winning special, John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous At Radio City, where Mulaney goes from sharing the story of when Mick Jagger told him he wasn't funny to comparing a certain president to a horse in a hospital. Stream it on Netflix.

Dan Soder: Son Of A Gary (HBO)

Better known for his role as Dudley Mafee on the Showtime original series Billions, Dan Soder has quietly become one of the best stand-up comedians in the business following appearances on different late night shows, radio programs, and podcasts. With one of the most distinctive voices in the business, it's only a matter of time before this brutally honest comedian is a household name.

Soder is more than on his way to stardom with his first HBO comedy special, Dan Soder: Son Of A Gary, which was released in late 2019. During this one-hour special, Soder is able to find the humor in his father's early death, share his experience with a Lil Wayne song, and how he doesn't hate crying babies on an airplane. Stream it on HBO.

Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly (HBO)

Since we're on the topic of HBO comedy specials, now would be a perfect time to talk about one of the channel's most beloved and well regarded stand-up specials of all time - Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly. This was more or less the breakout performance from the comedian who would go on to create one of the greatest sketch comedy shows on the past 20 years followed by a string of Netflix specials.

But still, you have to go back to the beginning to see the true potential of a star in the making. Killin' Them Softly gave us some of the most classic moments from Chappelle's career, including talking about being afraid of calling the cops and his entire spiel about the mistreatment of Oscar The Grouch on Sesame Street. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this special first aired 20 years ago. Stream it here.

Doug Stanhope: Beer Hall Putsch (Amazon)

I will be the first to admit that Doug Stanhope isn't for everyone. The raunchy, opinionated, stuck in his ways comedian often shares depressing tales of substance abuse, loss, and the deaths of loved ones. But if you actually give Stanhope a moment to shine, you will be on the floor holding your side in pain from laughing so much.

That's the case for his 2013 special Doug Stanhope: Beer Hall Putsch, where the one-time Man Show co-host goes into great detail about the night his helped his terminally ill mother end her own life. It sounds depressing, and it is, but Stanhope manages to find humor in the story of his mother's own undoing. And for a fleeting moment, Stanhope opens up about grieving someone after a disease ruined their very being right before jumping into another joke. Stream it here.

Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (Netflix)

Jenny Slate, the former SNL cast-member who dropped an F-bomb on her first night on television and was subsequently fired for other reasons, has built herself up to be one of the hardest working actresses, writers, and comedians in the business. In the 10 years following her departure from the sketch comedy show, Slate has starred in a number of well-received films, written her own book, and even released her first stand-up special on Netflix.

Jenny Slate: Stage Fright is one part traditional stand-up comedy special combined with one part introspective documentary, making one of the most original takes on the format in recent memory. And while Slate takes some time to become comfortable on stage, by the end of it the special, she has the crowd eating out of her hands. Throughout the one-hour special, Slate welcomes the audience and viewers at home into her life where she strips off her humorous demeanor for some of the most tender and personal moments. Stream it here.

Hasan Minhaj - Homecoming King (Netflix)

Over the course of the past few years, Hasan Minhaj has gone from Daily Show correspondent to host of the White House Correspondents' Dinner to the host of his very own Netflix talk show, Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, and during that time the Indian-American has become one of the most prolific and controversial voices in the media.

Prior to landing a full-time gig with Netflix, Minhaj and the streaming platform worked together to bring the comedian's one-man show, Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King to a larger audience. Throughout the special, Minhaj focuses on immigrants in the United States by telling stories from his own upbringing as a second-generation Indian-American. There are sad times and there are funny moments, but the special as a whole is something to really take in. Plus, it has one of the greatest set designs I've ever seen. Stream it here.

Iliza Shlesinger - Elder Millennial (Netflix)

There is a lot of buzz surrounding Iliza Shlesinger right now following the release of the new Netflix original movie, Spenser Confidential, in which the actress/comedian co-stars alongside Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke. What better time to shed light on her stellar stand-up comedy career than now.

In addition to starring in a Netflix original movie, Shlesinger has released five stand-up specials with the streaming giant dating back to 2013. The best of the bunch is the comedian's 2018 special, Elder Millennial where we see a recently engaged Shlesinger talk about the pitfalls of dating, the true disgusting nature of women, and a future in which she has to explain a "landline" to young children. Throughout the 72-minute routine, the then 35-year-old Shlesinger remains brutally honest about her past, her present, and whatever the future holds. Stream it here.

Eddie Murphy - Raw (Showtime)

There's no bigger stand-up special than Eddie Murphy: Raw, which brought in over $50 million during its theatrical run in the United States and Canada. Released at the height of Eddie Murphy's career (in between Beverly Hills Cop II and Coming To America), Raw remains something to be seen, even to this day.

Not one to step down in the face of controversy (at least not at this time), Murphy pokes fun at the people who were offended by the jokes in his previous special, Delirious, before jumping into a long rant about Bill Cosby. Admittedly, a lot of the jokes in the first few minutes of Raw have not aged well at all and are far off from the person Murphy would become later in his career. Stream it here.

Bill Hicks - Revelations (Amazon)

Sometimes I like to imagine what the world would be like if Bill Hicks were still alive today. The brash, intelligent, and vocal comedian died at the age of 32 years from pancreatic cancer in February 1994, leaving behind a legacy of some of the most prolific catalogs of material in his wake. Prior to his death, nothing was off limits for Hicks, who joked about politics, religion, and even his own death.

Less than a year before his death, Hicks released what would become his final special, Revelations, which included one of the late comedian's most memorable bits - "It's just a ride." During this short, two-minute segment, Hicks tells the audience that life is going to have its ups and downs and that we shouldn't let life get us down. Sometimes, especially now, we could all use some more Bill Hicks in our lives. Stream it here.

Those are just 10 of the best stand-up comedy specials we could find. Who knows, if this Coronavirus outbreak gets much worse, we might need to make a second list.

When it comes to actress and comedian Jenny Slate’s brief stint on Saturday Night Live, many believed that she was fired because she used the word fuck during a skit. The thought was that SNL’s creator and executive producer, Lorne Michaels, didn’t appreciate cursing on live television and that’s the reason she got the boot. However, Slate is here to set the record straight once and for all.

Jenny Slate had just landed a spot on Saturday Night Live in 2009, but the actress only lasted for one season before Lorne Michaels let her go. During her very first episode, Slate played a biker in a sketch she wrote and starred in opposite Kristen Wiig, and let the offending word fly on live TV. Slate has always stood by the fact that the cursing was an accident, but the damage was done. The line in question was this:

It was one of the only times a curse word had made its way onto Saturday Night Live and the sketch and subsequent firing are still a topic of conversation a decade later. In an interview with InStyle, Jenny Slate cleared the air about the incident.

Although it’s frustrating that the actress continues to be questioned about the incident, Jenny Slate’s cursing on Saturday Night Live was recently trotted back out for public discussion. Many claimed her firing was unfair in light of SNL’s hiring of controversial comedian Shane Gillis. Gillis was quickly fired from SNL after outcry from online fans who believed his stand-up was offensive, but the fact that he was hired in the first place rubbed people the wrong way.

Despite her post-SNL success, Jenny Slate still wonders if things had been different had she been a man.

Despite her firing, Jenny Slate didn’t let that one incident keep her down, though she’ll be the first to admit how hard she is on herself and her work. Since her days on SNL, Slate has appeared in several TV shows (Bob’s Burgers) and movies (Landline). She had a memorable recurring role as Mona-Lisa Saperstein on NBC’s Parks and Recreation and received critical acclaim for her turn as Donna Stern in the indie flick, Obvious Child.

Jenny Slate’s next project is an animated TV series called The Great North, which is about a single dad living in Alaska with his family. The actress will be providing the voice work for one of the characters.

Until we hear more about Jenny Slate's new series, be sure to check out our complete guide to every new and returning show set to premiere through November.

Just as The Secret Life of Pets’ ending posed the question of how that once hidden world would continue to be much of a secret, The Secret Life of Pets 2 has quite a few developments that will have fans wondering where the next installment may take familiar characters like Patton Oswalt’s Max, Kevin Hart’s Snowball, and Jenny Slate’s Gidget.

There are no official talks just yet, especially considering the film’s only opened this past weekend, but the subject came up during CinemaBlend’s attendance at the recent press day for the Universal/Illumination sequel. As luck would have it, the answers we got as to where a potential plot line to The Secret Life of Pets 3 would go were all wildly different. But considering the pseudo-anthology format of the franchise, there’s a chance that all three answers could mesh into one, cohesive film.

Starting with Kevin Hart’s idea, inspired by his character Snowball’s recent venture into superheroism, The Secret Life of Pets 3 would tackle the following subject:

As we saw in The Secret Life of Pets 2, Captain Snowball went from a mere idea/persona for the recently homed bunny into something he feels he could fully pull off. So the next big step for this heroic house-pet would obviously be to draft a super league of avengers for justice.

Whether it be formed with fellow protagonists Max and Gidget, or if Captain Snowball would recruit from the extensive roster of supporting pets that are also in the mix, The Secret Life of Pets 3 sounds like a super opportunity to further poke loving fun at the comic book films that make up so much of the box office market.

Of course, this is just part of the stories that The Secret Life of Pets 2 cast wants to take part in for a potential third entry. And then next possibility in line is that of Jenny Slate, the voice of pampered dog, and now potential queen of the cats, Gidget.

While she was crowned in this most recent film, it’s not a title that Jenny Slate is beholden to. It is a fresh adventure that seems like both she and her character would crave. At least, that’s what her remarks below would have us think, as she pitched this scenario:

It is pretty funny to think of Gidget as the queen of the cats, especially after her antics trying to study and infiltrate them in The Secret Life of Pets 2. But that is a gag that admittedly can only go so far, as a queen is usually sequestered from the world; and much like Jenny Slate, Gidget is a free spirit.

Potentially letting her off the leash, so to speak, and seeing her play around the various parks and landmarks of New York might make for a wonderful Gidget adventure in The Secret Life of Pets 3. Maybe she’ll even meet a new pal that helps quell her unrequited love for Max, which could even start off a love triangle of sorts.

Though should Gidget remain true to her infatuation with Max, it might pay off in the long run. Ever since the first Secret Life of Pets film, Gidget has worn her heart on her sleeve for that particularly neurotic terrier, and that’s a perfect hook for the plotline that Patton Oswalt suggested The Secret Life of Pets 3 hang its hat on, courtesy of this beautiful twist:

Seeing Max toying around with his boundaries was a rich mine of material for The Secret Life of Pets 2, as he learned slowly but surely how to be a dog parent to little human Liam. With new parenting skills comes a new outlook on kids in general, and with time passing pretty fast in the franchise, it does feel like Max and Gidget settling down would be a fantastic proposition.

All three ideas for The Secret Life of Pets 3 suggest that there are so many stories that this hypothetical next film could tell. And in those stories, there’s potential to see Max, Snowball, and Gidget grow and go to places we’ve never seen them approach before.

In the varying dynamics of the three leads, and the various supporting pets in The Secret Life of Pets series, there’s an infinite combination of what sort of story magic can be woven. So as long as writer Brian Lynch continues to keep his head in the space of these mischievous, but lovable, animal characters, and as long as the public continues to applaud their ongoing adventures, the things that these pets do in secret will continue to entertain the movie going public.

The Secret Life of Pets 2 is in theaters now, but if you’ve already seen the film and would like to scope out some further animated action, take a look at our 2019 release schedule. There’s plenty more where this came from!

Ever since Spider-Man 3's release, Sony Pictures has had a Venom movie in some form of development. The project came close to getting off the ground when the Amazing Spider-Man series was planning to expand, but after those plans collapsed, it seemed like Venom was once again on ice. Then 2017 happened, and seemingly out of nowhere, Sony announced that it was fast-tracking a Venom movie after a year of no updates.

Now Venom joins the growing ranks of superhero movies that turn the tables and focus on villains/anti-heroes, like The Punisher, Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Gotham City Sirens and the Doctor Doom movie. It also sounds like Sony is taking extra care to deliver a Venom to audiences this year who is more faithful to the source material, though there will be several key differences between this new live-action iteration and his comic book counterpart. With Venom looking like it will be one of the more intriguing blockbusters of 2018, here are all the important details that have been released about the project so far. Let's start with the most recent, intrigue and violence-filled trailer, shall we?

Whoa! While the first trailer didn't actually show us even a hint of Tom Hardy as Venom, this one not only answers some story questions, but finally gives fans a full look at the supervillain/anti-hero. Now, let's move on to all the info we've been able to gather about the film!

What Is Venom's Release Date?

Venom will be released in theaters on October 5, 2018. This is an odd month to release a superhero film, but as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Logan and others have taught us, a movie in this genre doesn't have to be released in the summer or the November/December season for it to be successful. Plus, since Venom is intended to feel more like a horror movie than a straightforward superhero flick, releasing it outside the usual blockbuster season may help it stand out even more. Currently, Venom only has competition on that opening weekend in the form of the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga remake of A Star Is Born, meaning it should have the market cornered on those who want to watch a dude who's been taken over by an alien eat some bad guys.

What Is Venom's Rating?

As mentioned earlier, Venom will have a horror tilt, which is fitting, since Venom is one of the scarier Marvel comics villains. With extra frights comes extra violence, and when paired together, they usually equal an R rating. And, while director Ruben Fleischer had said he wanted the movie to comfortably rest in that adult territory, the lure of easily getting young butts in seats led the film to be cut in a way that would allow for a PG-13 rating. Tom Hardy, for one, has said that he thinks this was a good move, and that the film was still able to double down on the character's scarier traits and violent tendencies. But, he's also made it known that he'd love the sequel to be able to go way darker, and fully embrace an R rating, much like Deadpool and Logan. Potential Spider-Man cameo be damned.

Venom's Director

Ruben Fleischer is taking the reins on Venom, and he has plenty of experience in both the horror and action realms. Fleischer is best known for directing the horror comedy Zombieland, which came out two years before The Walking Dead TV series hit the scene. In 2011, he reunited with Jesse Eisenberg to direct 30 Minutes or Less, and two years later he helmed Gangster Squad. Venom marks Fleischer's first feature-length directorial project since Gangster Squad, but he's also been keeping himself busy on television by executive producing and directing episodes of Superstore, American Housewife and The Santa Clarita Diet. If Fleischer can pull off the same kind of unique genre melding with Venom that he did with Zombieland, then this will be a movie that can be enjoyed just as much by comic book fans as by horror fans. Fleischer has also said that Venom will be inspired by the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter.

What Is The Story Of Venom?

In January of 2018, Ruben Fleischer revealed that the story for Venom would actually be based on two comic stories that the character starred in. One is Lethal Protector, a six-issue miniseries which ran in 1993. In this series, Eddie Brock moves to San Francisco after telling Spider-Man that he would give up his Venom-filled life of crime. While there, though, his past comes back to haunt him when the father of one of his victims hires mercenaries to kill him. This caused a commotion which drew Spider-Man to the city, and he and Venom eventually had to face off against five of the Venom symbiote's offspring.

The second story is Planet of the Symbiotes, which ran in 1995. Eddie finally realized how much the symbiote was corrupting him, and managed to drive it out. But, this pissed the alien off so much that it called to a nearby spaceship filled with symbiotes to attack the Earth. This story features Carnage, as well as the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector.

Something that's confirmed in the most recent trailer is the fact that at least one symbiote will come from outer space, as we see the symbiote being taken from the wreckage of a crashed ship in the opening moments. The trailer also tells us that we'll follow Eddie Brock as he investigates The Life Foundation, which has obtained the creature and is using the symbiote to experiment on people and try to force human evolution. Obviously, that's going to go badly, and when Eddie is accidentally joined to the Venom symbiote, he's going to be fighting agents of the foundation to stay safe and, possibly, keep others who have joined with symbiotes from causing deadly trouble all over the city.

Eddie Brock/Venom

Tom Hardy will play Eddie Brock/Venom in the Venom movie. Hardy is no stranger to the world of comic book media, having previously played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and being attached to lead the 100 Bullets movie. Hardy was also supposed to play Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, but he had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, and he was replaced by Joel Kinnaman. Hardy is the second actor to play Venom in live action, preceded by Topher Grace in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Well, third if you count Ryan Kwanten's performance in the fan made short film Truth in Journalism.

While several individuals have become Venom in the comics over the decades, including Mac Gargan (better known as the Scorpion) and Flash Thompson (Peter Parker's bully-turned-friend who went by Agent Venom), Eddie is the one who's most associated with the name.

Eddie was introduced in 1986's Web of Spider-Man #18, and in his early appearances, he was a reporter for The Daily Globe. Eddie thought he finally found his journalistic break when he started looking into the serial killer known as The Sin-Eater. During his investigation, Eddie was contacted by a man named Emil Gregg, who claimed to be the Sin-Eater. After speaking with Gregg and finding what he thought was evidence to support Gregg's claim, Eddie wrote up an expose that revealed the killer's identity. However, soon after it was revealed that Gregg wasn't the real Sin-Eater, as Spider-Man had caught the real killer. Eddie was instantly fired from his job, and his already emotionally distant father cut off communication with him entirely.

Eddie blamed Spider-Man for what happened, and one night, he found himself at a church where he wrestled with his hatred for the superhero and whether or not he should kill himself. Coincidentally, this was the same church where Spider-Man was trying to rid himself of the alien symbiote that was trying to take over his body. Peter Parker was able to use the church's bells to free himself from the symbiotes' hold, as intense sounds are one of its weaknesses. But the symbiote didn't go without a new host for long, as it quickly attached itself to the emotionally wrecked Eddie, and when they joined together, Venom was born.

Thanks to the symbiote's time with Peter Parker, Venom has all the same abilities as Spider-Man, from wall-crawling to super strength greater than Spidey's, to even shooting web-like material made from its own body. In addition to the inherited Spider-abilities, the symbiote can also heal its host more quickly, filter out toxic substances, share any memories it obtained from previous hosts and shape shift to camouflage or disguise itself. As if all these powers weren't enough, Venom also can't be detected by Spider-Man's spider sense, although he didn't inherit a spider sense of his own. As for weaknesses, intense sounds and fire are the main things that can bring him down.

Carlton Drake

The villainous head of The Life Foundation will be played by Riz Ahmed in Venom. It was thought that he would be taking on the role of Carnage when he was first added to the film's cast, but that turns out not to be true. Instead, the movie's panel at SDCC 2018 revealed that his Carlton Drake would, indeed, become so intrigued by the experiments he's running that he decides to use himself as a guinea pig, with Drake becoming the evil symbiote known as Riot in the comics. The Venom trailer which was released at the end of July 2018 finally showed off some of the conflict that audiences can expect between Venom and Riot, even though it does take quite a bit of eagle-eyed viewing to see it about two-thirds into the spot. But, it's good to know we can count on Drake doing more than leading The Life Foundation with a wicked grin.

Ann Weying

Eddie Brock's ex-wife, Ann Weying, was a successful lawyer, and during one of Venom's rampages, Ann helped Spider-Man talk Eddie down and convince him to give up. During another story, the Sin-Eater shot Ann, and to save her, Eddie had the Venom symbiote bond with her to heal her wounds. By doing this, Ann became She-Venom, and during her brief time with the symbiote, she killed the two men who tried to attack her and Eddie. After Ann was freed, she tried to blame her actions on the symbiote, but Eddie told her that the symbiote never forces its host to do something they don't want to do. Ann was then arrested, but Eddie sent the Venom symbiote to her so she could escape prison. She-Venom went for another round against some criminals, and when Eddie was injured, she gave up the symbiote to save him. But those experiences were too much for her, and months later she killed herself due to her inability to cope with having been She-Venom and seeing Eddie transform back into Venom.

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) is portraying Ann in Venom, but for the purposes of this story, it sounds like she'll be a district attorney who falls for Eddie while he's still coming to terms with being joined with the symbiote, instead of already being his ex-wife by the time the movie starts. As for if she'll become She-Venom, that's unlikely, given that Eddie is the star of the show, but who knows, maybe to defeat Carnage, Eddie will need to let go of part or all of his symbiote and give it to Ann so she can lend assistance. However, Williams noted in December 2017 that no efforts had been made to digitize her appearance, so it sounds like She-Venom is out for the time being.

Cletus Kasady/Carnage

Venom is, as of this writing, just a week away from opening, but we still have no idea if Carnage will fill any antagonist position in the movie, even though it's been rumored that the character will be around for quite some time. If he is, it will be something to see, because unlike Venom, Carnage doesn't have a moral compass. Cletus Kasady was one of the world's most notorious serial killers, guided by the mindset that only through chaos can one truly be free. Eventually, he was captured and sent to Ryker's Island, where he shared a cell with Eddie Brock. When the Venom symbiote sneaked into the prison to re-bond with Eddie, it left behind an offspring, and because this alien species don't feel any attachment to their children, Eddie's symbiote didn't clue him in on the "baby." After Eddie's escape, this new symbiote bonded with Kasady, turning him into Carnage and passing along the same spider-powers that the Venom symbiote inherited from Spider-Man (including super strength greater than Spidey and Venom's) and natural abilities of a symbiote. Carnage is also able to shoot parts of its symbiote as weapons that disintegrate seconds later; something Venom can't do.

With his powers and psychopathic mind, Carnage is one of the Marvel universe's most dangerous villains, making him a great opponent for Venom on the big screen. No details about the Venom movie's version of Carnage have been revealed yet, including whether it will remain an offspring of the original symbiote or if it's a completely separate entity, or whether or not we'll actually see Carnage as opposed to just seeing the man who would later become him. Fortunately, Venom hates Carnage almost as much as he hates Spider-Man, so seeing the symbiote-powered characters clash on the big screen should be a treat.

When actor Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was added to the Venom cast in the summer of 2017, rumors swirled that he had been cast as Carnage in the movie. But, those rumors were quickly shot down by reports which noted he was filling another major role in the film. Not much more was said about Carnage until early April 2018, when another set of rumors led many to believe that Woody Harrelson, whose potential casting was reported in December 2017, would actually be the one filling the role of the murderous, chaos-loving symbiote/serial killer. Nothing is concrete just yet, but it's all but been confirmed that there will be a mid-credits scene at the end of Venom, meaning that Carnage (and Harrelson) could surprise us then.

Dora Skirth

Luckily for Eddie Brock, after he decides to take on The Life Foundation he'll have some help in the form of Jenny Slate's Dora Skirth. Dora, who is a character created just for the film, works for the foundation and helps Eddie out by giving him some insider information on the symbiote the organization is experimenting with. Not so luckily, his trip behind the scenes of the foundation with Dora appears to be how he ends up becoming one with Venom.

Spider-Man

Following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's underwhelming performance, Sony decided to scrap its plans for a Spider-Man cinematic universe and teamed up with Marvel to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The result was introducing the third cinematic incarnation of Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming a year later. Spider-Man has a bright future ahead of him in the MCU, but the same can't be said for Sony's spinoff movies. Even though Tom Holland's Spider-Man adventures and Venom exist in the same reality, i.e. the MCU, Spider-Man will not show up during Eddie Brock's standalone story; not even for a cameo, all rumors to the contrary. It's a shame, because many have been hoping see a better brawl between Spidey and Venom after Spider-Man 3 failed to impress on that front. Alas, all we can hope for now is if Sony is willing to reverse this policy and fit Spidey into a Venom sequel if that is greenlit.

Sony's Marvel Universe

Venom isn't the only Spider-Man-centric movie Sony has coming down the pipeline. Silver & Black was also in development for a time, but, after being delayed indefinitely in February 2018, the movie was then scrapped in favor of two separate solo films, meant to focus on Silver Sable and Black Cat. Both characters have been allies and also enemies to Spider-Man over the years, reportedly going up against villains like Tombstone, Tarantula, Scorpion and Chameleon. At this point, neither film is expected to include the presence of Spider-Man, much like Venom. Also in development right now is a film set to focus on Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk. Details on this film are also under wraps, but Silk is a cool comic character who was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, and (while not as strong as him) is faster, has a more powerful sixth sense and can shoot webbing from her actual fingertips. These three projects have joined Spike Lee's Nightwatch movie and Morbius the Living Vampire as potential films from this shared universe, and we'll be sure to keep you updated as these films move forward.

Venom and Spider-Man tend to go hand in hand. It's hard to have one without the other. But later this year, Sony will try to get a Venom movie off the ground and into theaters without the help of Marvel's favorite wall-crawler. Thankfully, Ruben Fleischer's Venom has Tom Hardy on its side, and we get our first look at the lethal protector in the debut trailer for the October release below. Check it out!

This first footage gives us an initial look at Tom Hardy's portrayal of Eddie Brock. And in Venom, he looks like he's going through a tough time. As he says, sometimes we are dealing with hardships in our lives. A break up (and they show his love interest, Michelle Williams). An accident. Something that changes you from what you were, to what you have now become.

The trailer stops short of actually SHOWING us Tom Hardy as Venom... and that's a real head-scratcher. But it goes to some lengths to suggest the origin of the alien symbiote, as I believe the crash is a possible space crash, looking like a large shuttle. Is this how the symbiote that eventually bonds to Eddie Brock reaches our planet? We see shots of lab scientists studying materials. And we even get a glimpse of the symbiote, contained in a vial:

Just... not Venom. How do you not put Venom in the first Venom trailer?

For now, Venom is being viewed as a standalone movie, one that Sony is developing apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- where Tom Holland's Spider-Man exists -- but one that MIGHT run concurrent to the events of the MCU. We don't think that it connects to Sony's planned Black Cat and Silver Sable movie (as there hasn't been much development on that project, from details we've been able to pick up), but we're really hoping that Holland can find his way into this world and trade punches with Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock... either in this movie, or in a future chapter.

Venom will be in theaters on October 5. It stars Tom Hardy, and he'll be joined by Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate and Riz Ahmed. We're going to need another, fuller trailer on this one eventually, because this tease raised more questions than it answered. Is Carnage in this? Why is Eddie Brock getting an MRI? What will Venom actually look like? We have a long way to go until October, but with this, Venom has taken its first steps. What did you think?

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It's been nearly a year since Venom transitioned from languishing in development hell to moving forward as an actual movie, but there's still a lot of secrecy surrounding the project. For instance, of all the actors who've been announced as part of the cast so far, we only officially know who two of them are playing: Tom Hardy will portray the eponymous protagonist and Michelle Williams will portray Eddie Brock's love interest, Ann Weying. Unofficially, however, a new report has come providing the identities of three of Venom's other major players, including Jenny Slate's character, who until now has only been said to be a scientist.

While most characters in a comic book movie are usually taken straight from the printed page, Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate is reportedly playing someone brand new named Dora Skirth, who works for the Life Foundation. Director Ruben Fleischer recently confirmed that Venom is based off the Lethal Protector and Planet of the Symbiotes storylines, and the Life Foundation was featured heavily in the former tale. While it's certainly possible that Slate's Dora Skirth could end up being amalgamation of certain minor characters from the comics, for now it appears that she'll just be working on whatever this organization has cooking behind its walls.

As for the other two actors mentioned in MCU Exchange's report, Scott Haze and Riz Ahmed, unlike Jenny Slate, they apparently are playing characters who do originate from the comics. Haze, recently seen in Only the Brave, will portray Roland Treece, while Ahmed of Rogue One and The Night Of fame will portray Carlton Drake. Both sit on the Life Foundation's Board of Directors, and this report also claimed that other board members like Dr. Collins and Dr. Emerson will appear in Venom. In the comics, the Life Foundation is responsible for creating the symbiotes Scream, Riot, Agony, Lasher and Phage. It remains to be seen what the Life Foundation is plotting in the Venom movie, but if the group is anything like its comic book counterpart, than it's up to no good.

Of course, even if we assume that Jenny Slate, Scott Haze and Riz Ahmed's Venom characters are all part of the Life Foundation, there's still an antagonistic mystery that has yet to be solved: Carnage. Last year it was reported that Carnage, whose primary host in the comics is serial killer Cletus Kasidy, would be Venom's main villain, but we have yet to learn who will play this symbiote-powered menace, though here are still a few actors in the cast who could potentially fill this role, like Reid Scott or perhaps even Woody Harrelson. Assuming that Carnage is actually appearing in Venom, it's a good bet that he, along with Venom and any other symbiote that appears, will have direct ties with the Life Foundation in this universe.

Venom hits theaters on October 5. To find out what other blockbusters are arriving this year, check out our 2018 release schedule.

Although Spider-Man made his triumphant return to the center stage of the silver screen this summer with the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, his mythology is about to open up even more. Specifically, it will continue with the upcoming release of Ruben Fleischer's Venom movie at Sony, which will kick off a wave of Spider-centric villain standalone stories. The Venom film has gradually assembled an incredibly impressive cast, and it just grew by one with the addition of Saturday Night Live alumni Jenny Slate.

Variety reports that Jenny Slate is currently in talks to sign on for the solo Venom movie. Little is currently known about the character that she is gearing up to portray, but it has been said that she will be a scientist. It is also unclear as to whether or not Slate will portray a serious or comedic character. Given her experience on films like Gifted AND her time on Saturday Night Live (among other comedies), she can likely do both.

Jenny Slate is also known for her comedy work on shows like Kroll Show, as well as Big Mouth, and she is the voice of fan-favorite internet meme, Marcel the Shell, who you can watch below. Clearly she has an extensive and impressive resume, but this represents her first foray into the realm of live action superheroes.

The Venom film continues to draw in a fantastic ensemble of performers to round out its cast. With Tom Hardy leading the pack as Eddie Brock, the film has also enlisted Riz Ahmed (for a role many assume to be Carnage), as well Michelle Williams for the movie's lead female role. Even if you are a naysayer on the idea of a standalone Venom movie, it's hard to deny that this is a stacked cast.

Beyond the strength of Venom's newly-bolstered cast, it will also be incredibly exciting to see what happens when a Spider-Man movie gets a Spidey-free adventure. If successful, Venom could open up the door for other side comic book characters to get their own standalone tales in the future. If unsuccessful, it could once again put the kibosh on another potential Spider-Man universe.

CinemaBlend will keep you posted with more information related to Venom as new details become available to us. The symbiote-powered character's solo movie will swing into cinemas on October 5, 2018. If you're looking for more information about all of the films set to debut over the next year, then make sure look at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide.

It used to be that actors did animated films because that was the only work they were typically hired for. All of that changed once Robin Williams let the proverbial genie out of the bottle with his performance in Disney's classic Aladdin, and nowadays animated films are normally stuffed with heavyweight Hollywood names. In the case of The Secret Life Of Pets, Louis CK and Kevin Hart are the anchors, and they've got some interesting back up checking off all of the other boxes.

Courtesy of a report from The Hollywood Reporter, we learned that the recently rescheduled Universal Studios project is not only another one that sees them teaming up with animation studio Illumination Entertainment, it's also attracted the comedic likes of Eric Stonestreet, Ellie Kemper, Bobby Moynihan, and Jenny Slate for starters. As if that wasn't impressive enough, fellow laugh makers Lake Bell and Hannibal Buress have roles in The Secret Life Of Pets as well. But the MVP of the back bench line up happens to be someone with a little bit of experience with animated films, as well as Academy Award nominations: legendary comedian, and star of Finding Nemo, and its sequel, Finding Dory, Albert Brooks.

The Secret Life Of Pets is about, "the lives our pets lead after we leave for work or school each day." In other words, Illumination Entertainment is going back to the old animation well with a movie about objects or organisms that don't normally talk... except when we're not around. Considering the project is being crafted by key members of the same team that made Despicable Me a smash hit back in 2010, there's a good chance this film can overcome the rather overdone plot and become a movie that should stand with its more Minion-heavy compatriots. Considering how original Despicable Me's logline sounded before anyone even caught a glimpse of it, perhaps it's not as easy to judge this one by its concept alone.

Still, animated films are becoming as competitive as blockbuster franchises and tween book phenomenons. Standing shoulder to shoulder with those equally successful genres is no easy feat, and The Secret Life Of Pets will face off against one of the two as it is opening on the same crowded summer day as Star Trek 3. The best chance this film has is the fact that both Louis CK and Kevin Hart are pretty big in the comedy world at this point in time. Hart will draw in the bigger box office crowd at large, while Louis CK stands to reel in the more cynical audience that enjoys his work no matter what the medium. Even with a cast stuffed with funny talent, it won't be a big surprise if we see this project tear a page out of the Dreamworks Animation playbook and shift its release to a date more friendly for potential new properties.

For the moment, The Secret Life Of Pets will be revealed on July 8, 2016. All we're saying is if we were betting people, we'd put a little money on this one changing its plans at least once.

Comedian Amy Schumer is about to become Hollywood’s biggest new female comedy star. Her brand new film Trainwreck - which she also wrote – held a work in progress screening at SXSW this weekend, and the reaction to the movie was overwhelmingly positive, with a wide range of critics, including myself, praising both Schumer’s performance and the new voice she brings to the comedy landscape. But while the actress/stand-up sits on the verge of superstardom, now is as good a time as any to point out that there are many, many gifted women in Hollywood waiting for their moment to shine just as brightly.

But who exactly are these gifted women? That’s truthfully an extremely long list, but we have put together a list of 10 who we would particularly like to see get their own big screen comedies and show what they can really do. Read on to find out our picks!

Kathryn Hahn

Go ahead and try to name a movie with a bad Kathryn Hahn performance. The truth is that you can’t. While the projects she does may not always be of the highest quality, she is always fantastic and has done some amazing character work. Whether she’s acting completely ridiculous like in Step Brothers or playing it more straight like during her time on Parks and Recreation, she has always demonstrated impeccable timing and wit, and deserves the reward of a film to call her own.

Jillian Bell

There was a great deal to love about Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s 22 Jump Street, from its perfectly meta approach to the return of the fantastic Jonah Hill-Channing Tatum chemistry, but it was Jillian Bell as the villainous Mercedes that stole every scene in which she appeared, generating huge laughs with every line. She’s clearly a gifted improviser, and also a double threat, as she also has a background writing for Saturday Night Live.

Aisha Tyler

As much as I love hearing Aisha Tyler voicing the lovely and deadly Lana Kane each week on Archer, her big screen career pretty much baffles me. Despite being hilarious, smart, talented and gorgeous, she hasn’t actually been in a film since 2012’s The Babymakers - and even that was just a limited supporting role. Hollywood should not only be giving Tyler more feature parts, but also really needs to start throwing some leads her way.

Maya Rudolph

It was Melissa McCarthy who wound up getting the most significant big screen career bump of the supporting cast featured in Paul Feig’s Bridesmaids, but like the aforementioned Ellie Kemper, it’s a shame that Maya Rudolph hasn’t gotten more film leads in that movie’s wake. She’s a legit Saturday Night Live veteran with a solid filmography (including a co-lead in Sam Mendes’ Away We Go) and deserves a shot to carry her own comedy.

Ellie Kemper

If there’s one word that can be used to describe Ellie Kemper, it’s "delightful." She spent years charming us on The Office, and while she is currently the lead of her very own television show – the fantastic Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - I’m going to be greedy on her behalf and say that she deserves a leading lady career on the big screen as well. She has a unique brand of charisma that never fails to be charming, and it deserves the biggest stage possible.

Casey Wilson

Casey Wilson got a nice bit of big screen exposure last year playing a well-placed pawn in the plot of David Fincher’s Gone Girl, but she definitely deserves a moment in the spotlight to highlight her comedic gifts. Admittedly her recent effort Ass Backwards - which she co-wrote didn’t go over so well with critics, but her time on Happy Endings shows that she can be fantastic with the right material, and deserves a big time shot.

Niecy Nash

Niecy Nash has been very busy on the small screen lately, preparing to star in the third season of Getting On while also playing a role in the new horror comedy series Scream Queens, but at some point in her schedule it would be great to see Hollywood give her a shot with a leading role. After all, she’s been in this business for 20 years now, has a fanbase thanks to her extensive TV work, and most definitely has the talent.

Jenny Slate

Admittedly, Jenny Slate already has some lead actress experience, as she was the main character in last year’s critically-acclaimed indie Obvious Child, but it’s time for a major studio to bank on her in the same way that Universal Pictures banked on Amy Schumer. Slate has not only proven herself to be ridiculously funny, but has also demonstrated legitimate range that is necessary to carry an entire narrative.

Chelsea Peretti

To go along with her successful career as a stand-up, Chelsea Peretti currently has a great gig on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but amazingly has not yet had a movie role, let alone a leading part in a feature. Like many of the other actresses on this list, in addition to acting she also has an extensive resume as a writer, so all she really may need to do is find the right director with whom she can collaborate.

Kate McKinnon

Kate McKinnon is a full-blown weirdo. Often times, her sensibilities skew toward the bizarre, but in her best moments, she finds the perfect blend of human and eccentric, mining the space between our weird impulses and the bad habits we all have. She’s fearless, brilliant and probably the odds on favorite to steal Ghostbusters out from under her more famous co-stars. She’s one of the most talented cast members SNL has had in years, and someday, American will fall in love.

After just one season on Saturday Night Live, Jenny Slate was cut loose. But it turns out that stepping away from the big fat sketch show was a great career move, whether or not it was by choice. Since then, Slate has been popping up on a slew of comedy shows, from Bored to Death, Hello Ladies and Girls to Parks and Recreation, Bob's Burgers, Married and Kroll Show. But the small screen is not the only place she's thriving. Studios are tapping this sharp comedy mind for screenplays, including the Looney Tunes.

With Jenny Slate's buzzed-about comedy feature Obvious Child coming out on DVD and Blu-ray, she sat down with Yahoo Movies. Amid talk of this daring rom-com and Slate's viral vids "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," they discussed her attempt at penning a Looney Tunes movie for Warner Bros. Mind you, it's a movie Slate believes will never be made, at least not from her script. She explains:

Considering Slate's brand of humor has a healthy dose of wackiness and physical comedy, I can see why Warner Bros. went to her with a Looney Tunes property. While a lot of Slate's comedy has been aimed squarely at adults--including Obvious Child -- her "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," which she voiced and created with her husband Dean Fleischer-Camp, showed a more family-friendly side of her comedy stylings.

Check out the cute and quirky wonder of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On below:

It's thrilling to think that a studio like Warner Bros. took notice of Slate, as they damn well should. And yet, it's a bit of a bummer to hear that her Looney Tunes screenplay has been shelved indefinitely. But Jenny Slate is hopeful that this won't be her last brush with studio big wigs. "I want to write a studio movie," Slate offers, "but probably one that’s for me to be in."

To that end (perhaps), Slate and Fleischer-Camp have big plans for their Marcel the Shell with Shoes character. They are developing a movie about the sneaker-wearing shell, though no firm plans on when that might roll into production are being shared at present. But Slate's "in the future" assurance makes us happy as a clam…shell.

Clearly, comedienne Jenny Slate isn't afraid of controversy. In her new movie Obvious Child, the former Saturday Night Live star dares to take on a topic so taboo that even edgy comedies like Juno and Knocked Up only tiptoed around it. To be frank, Obvious Child centers on a stand up comic who finds herself pregnant from a lame one-night-stand, and promptly decides she needs to get an abortion. Simply put, it's a romantic-comedy unlike any you've seen before. But you probably figured that out from its trailer.

Based on her short film of the same name, Obvious Child is the feature directorial debut of helmer/writer Gillian Robespierre. This dark comedy made its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it drew praise and was quick to be acquired by A24, the exciting new distribution company that has released such sensational indies as Ginger & Rosa, The Spectacular Now, The Bling Ring and Under The Skin.

As it hit other notable fests like SXSW and New Directors/New Films, Obvious Child continued to gain buzz. We're pretty pumped for it to roll into theaters this summer. Buzz is great, but Slate is better. Bolstered by a supporting cast that includes Gaby Hoffman, David Cross, Jake Lacy and Richard Kind, Slate seems poised to shine like the crazy diamond she is.

After being booted from SNL after just one season, Slate's time in the spotlight seemed painfully brief. But then she grabbed the world's attention once more by voicing the charming viral video "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On."

Since then, Slate has become a welcomed recurring television presence, popping up on such popular comedy shows as HBO's Girls, Raising Hope, Parks and Recreation, Hello Ladies, Bob's Burgers and Kroll Show, where she most famously plays Liz ("Pretty Liz") B. from the "PubLIZity" sketches.

We can't get enough of Slate. So we're counting down to when Obvious Child opens on June 6th.

Following her brief stint as a featured player on Saturday Night Live during the 2009-2010 season, Jenny Slate has moved on to do a number of TV appearances, including a recurring role on Bored to Death and appearances in other network and cable TV shows. Now it looks like we'll be seeing her on Parks and Recreation.

If you've been keeping up with NBC's Parks and Rec this season, you know that Tom has been trying to get his "Rent-A-Swag" business up and running. According to EW, this will eventually involve him enlisting the help of Jean-Ralphio's twin sister Mona Lisa, who will be played by Slate. Tom hires Mona Lisa to work as a salesperson, and - unsurprisingly, when taking her brother into account - she turns out not to be the best worker. As I'm eager to see how Tom's business works out for him and whether there really are enough parents looking to rent fancy clothes for their kids for Rent-A-Swag to be successful, this bit of casting news suggests some interesting (and potentially funny) conflict.

As mentioned, Slate's post-SNL credits include Bored to Death, as well as appearances in Raising Hope, the first season of Girls and a voice role in Bob's Burgers. She's also credited for a role in Rebel Wilson's pilot-in-development Super Fun Night, so we may be seeing even more of Slate on television, should things work out for that comedy project. In the meantime, we'll see her in at least one episode of Parks and Recreation, presumably later this season.

Perhaps not the best marketing strategy but certainly an apt title for the series, this week's episode of Girls is called "Leave Me Alone." When the HBO comedy from Lena Dunham debuted, there was a moment when the network might have made this their battling cry, debating the notion that 'all press is good press' because, let's face it, things got unusually ugly there for a while. Well, the hubbub about Girls has settled and everyone seems focused solely on the actual show (which is very good) just in time for the first season to come to a close.

There are only two episodes remaining after last week's "Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too," an episode that reigned in the more free, fun and funny show in "Bushwick" to return Dunham's series to its more familiar awkwardness. I would say that the men in "Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too" played a significant role in returning the cringe to Girls - usually something Hannah can accomplish all on her own - with Adam, well, being Adam and Chris O'Dowd turning in a hilariously desperate guest turn.

This week's teaser for "Leave Me Alone" already showcased a few of the second last episode's plot lines as well as guest stars Kathryn Hahn (returning), Michael Imperioli and Jenny Slate. These two new clips for tonight's show ignore the former's return and the implications that creates for Jessa (will she return to work with the 'girls' despite the awkwardness with the father?) but the latter two figure prominently in "Hannah Thing To Do." The clip has Hannah at some kind of school function where she encounters the 'successful but bad' writer and former classmate Slate as well as Imperioli's former professor who not only always championed Hannah's work but was also one of her college girl crushes.

In "Bushwick," we saw Ray getting his groin massaged by Shoshanna but unfortunately neither of them (two of my favorite characters) made an appearance in last Sunday's episode. Thanks to this week's preview we know that Shoshanna is also back for "Leave Me Alone" (and doing some online dating?) but this second clip, "A Slim Leg," is focused on Ray and a semi-enigmatic conversation he's having with Hannah. I'm not quite sure what he's doing in that basement bunker of sorts but I think he's training Hannah for work at the Cafe? Something like that? Either way, a white dress won't do for whatever he has in store for our leading lady. A trip to American Apparel wouldn't hurt. He's a dick, but I like him.

Girls airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO. It stars Lena Dunham, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet and Allison Williams. From executive producer Judd Apatow, Girls was created by Lena Dunham.