The TV talk show landscape has been in flux for a while, with The Late Show canceled and set to end in May, leaving just ABC and NBC with late night fare (for now). Daytime television is also facing something of an exodus, as this week cemented endgame plans for The Kelly Clarkson Show, which is officially done after seven seasons, following nearly a year’s worth of rumors about behind-the-scenes issues. To be expected, the host’s announcement was met with a wave of support and love from her celebs and other followers.

Despite all the rumored writing on the wall, the reports were being treated as just that up until just recently, as an insider claimed a week prior that NBC would be making the call about the show’s future, following a new set of rumors that pointed to the show’s budget being unsustainable for the long haul. Clarkson’s message itself doesn’t address any of that, and instead points to her being able to spend more time with her children, which obviously makes sense given how her ex Brandon Blackstock’s death lead to postponed shows in 2025.

Given how much Clarkson’s been through in the past year, the comment section of her post is filled with sympathy, love and acceptance. Sure, there’s more than a little disappointment in general, since she IS one of the most positive-minded and welcoming hosts on TV. But the comments mostly look like these:

• KERRY WASHINGTON (Wake Up Dead Man): You’re amazing Kelly! Sending you so much love and gratitude.
• JULIA MICHAELS (Singer/Songwriter): Love youuuuuuuuu will miss hearing your voice pop up on my feed all the time ❤️❤️
• ANGELA KINSEY (Office Ladies): ❤️
• CARNIE WILSON (Musician): We love you ... I'm hoping for one more appearance with you sweetie... I'm so lucky to have baked with you, sing with you, talk with you!!! You're the best!!!! ❤️
• FORTUNE FEIMSTER (Stand-Up Comedian): You have been an amazing host. I was honored to have gotten to be on the show. Ten times. But who’s counting. Here’s to your next chapter!

As seen above, Clarkson's post got love from a variety of different entertainers. Movie stars. love Kelly. TV stars love Kelly. Singers love Kelly. Comedians and chefs love Kelly. If only this kind of love was enough to ward away all of life's stresses, I'd find a way to bottle Instagram comments.

Oh, did I mention chefs without actually dropping comments from anyone? Well how about ones from Top Chef, The Chew and Worst Cooks vet Carla Hall and James Beard Award-winning TikTok forager Alexis Nicole? Or maybe Snooki?

• YVETTE NICOLE BROWN (Zootopia 2): I hope I get to visit with you before your show ends! I loved watching you as a host! 🩷 I know I'll love seeing whatever you choose to do next! You've never missed!
• ALEXIS NICOLE (TikTok Chef: Kelly, you’ve been such a joy to watch! You’ve gifted us countless amazing kellyoke covers! Being on your show is one of the coolest things I’ve been lucky enough to do 🥹 can’t wait to tune in for one more epic season!!
• CARLA HALL (Celeb Chef): You will be missed, but I'm also excited to see what's next. We'll all be watching!!! 😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️
• RANDY RAINBOW (Comedian, Singer): ❤️❤️❤️❤️
• SNOOKI (Jersey Shore): Queen

Judging by all the comments, one can possibly assume that the back half of The Kelly Clarkson Show's final season will feature roughly 100,000 celebs, since everyone wants to take part before it's all said and done. Well, maybe not everyone, but enough. I'd throw my hat in that ring, too. Get me on the show, Kelly!

But viewers will probably see any of the following talents on there instead of yours truly, for better or worse. (Definitely not worse.)

• JENNA DEWAN (The Rookie): You are amazing ❤️❤️❤️
• NICO SANTOS (The Z-Suite): You’re an incredible host and we will miss your presence! Thanks for having me on the show! You and your crew were so welcoming and warm. Looking forward to your next chapter ❤️❤️❤️
• JESS HILARIOUS (Stand-Up Comedian): Nooooooo I was waiting my turn 😢I love your show KC ❤️
• D-NICE (DJ, Producer): It was an honor to be on your show. Thank you for the memories. Forever grateful.
• OLIVIA MUNN (Your Friends and Neighbors): ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

For all the sour feelings, it's not like The Kelly Clarkson Show is actually done yet. The currently in-production seventh season will be the last one, but episodes are expected to continue filming and airing into Fall 2026, so at least another seven or eight months, barring any additional setbacks.

Will another superstar celeb take her place, or will that time slot inevitably get filled by cheaper local fare? Will Clarkson return to The Voice's next open slot? Will she relese a box set of Kellyoke covers? Hopefully "yes" to three of those, and not to much to the cheap local content.

Nearly a year after Matthew Perry’s shocking death, and several months after investigations into the ketamine-related incident resulted in multiple arrests, it’s still a difficult tragedy to fully comprehend for both fans and the actor’s many friends and former co-stars. And while much attention is obviously directed at his decade of stellar work on Friends, Yvette Nicole Brown spent three lucky seasons alongside him for CBS’ The Odd Couple reboot, and said she couldn’t contain her massive fandom when the series started.

Appearing on the podcast Behind the Velvet Rope to talk up the long-awaited Community movie and her recent Masked Singer appearance as Showbird, which even fooled former co-star Ken Jeong, Brown shared that she was a “big fan” of Friends, which debuted the same year that she moved to Los Angeles after college. So like many of us, she was just as tuned in and obsessed about the sextet’s lives and felt connected to them as a viewer.

Which made things all the more awkward when she landed the Odd Couple role opposite Matthew Perry and Reno 911 vet Thomas Lennon, saying she was initially unable to act normal until the point when she confessed to being a huge fangirl. Here’s how she put it:

One can only imagine how many times Perry might have needed to have that conversation (or something similar) with the casts and crews he worked with after Friends became a permanent zeitgeist fixture. And then I can only hope that each of those interactions was similarly warm and friendly to how he handled Yvette Nicole Brown's hyper-fandom.

The way the actress put it, she was definitely put to the test in those earliest Odd Couple episodes, as she so often had to share the screen with Perry as his character's assistant Dani Duncan. In her words:

For all of her nervousness in those earliest weeks of filming The Odd Couple, which also boasted Wendell Pierce as a co-star, she was able to move beyond it all, and the series went on to last for three seasons before CBS canceled it in 2017. Despite it perhaps not having the pop culture longevity of Friends or Community, Brown doesn't take her experiences on the sitcom for granted, and shared how "grateful" she is to have worked with and learned from Perry for that stretch:

As fans wait to see what her Community character Shirley has been up to, Brown can be seen or heard in a variety of current projects and upcoming TV shows, from Inside Out 2 to the Among Us animated series to the action comedy Code 3 with Rainn Wilson to the crime crama The Family Business New Orleans. Anyone who wants to catch back up on The Odd Couple will need Fandango at Home so stream it.

As Dan Harmon continues to develop the Community movie for Peacock, fans of the beloved series have a lot of questions about where things stand with all the characters. Arguably the biggest mystery concerns Donald Glover's Troy Barnes, who was last seen departing for a trip around the world with LeVar Burton, but Yvette Nicole Brown's Shirley Bennett had arguably an even weirder send-off: in the Season 6 premiere, it's revealed that she has moved to the bayou to work as a personal chef for a depressed private detective (played by Steven Weber).

So how has Shirley been affected by that very specific experience going into the Community movie? CinemaBlend's Mick Joest asked Yvette Nicole Brown about it last week amid her revelation as Showbird on the Fox competition series The Masked Singer (which also features Community co-star Ken Jeong as one of its panelists). She spoke carefully, not wanting to give anything away about what's being cooked up for the feature, but she did confirm that the character's status at the start of Season 6 remains canon. Said Brown,

Having Shirley Bennett go off to the bayou with a private detective was included as part of a running Community joke about spinoffs (the show was never one to ignore an opportunity for a meta gag), but now, it's fascinating to think about how that strange Season 6 premiere coda – which, it should be noted, includes a splash of the supernatural – will impact the long-developing movie. Will the devout Christian woman with business ambitions be the same person we got to know during the show's six season run, or will she be changed by the experience?

And if she has been back in Greendale for a while before the start of the story in the movie, that opens up a bunch of other questions. What brought her back to Colorado? And is she back together with Andre?

It certainly must be a creative challenge for Dan Harmon, who is penning the script for the Community feature with Season 1/2 writer Andrew Guest. In addition to Yvette Nicole Brown, the movie is going to include returning stars Joel McHale, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Allison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong and Jim Rash. The project has taken a long time to come together due to behind-the-scenes logistics, though Harmon has begged fans to stop haranguing Glover, saying that the superstar actor/musician's schedule isn't the reason for delays.

Community fans are very much used to big ups and downs, but all signs point to the prophecy of Six Seasons And A Movie being fulfilled. We don't yet know when the feature will go into production let alone be made available to stream for Peacock subscribers, but hopes are high that cameras will start to roll in 2025. Meanwhile, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news and details about the exciting project.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 12 episode "Footloose Night." Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription and read at your own risk!

The Masked Singer "cut loose" in its latest episode and said goodbye to another promising contestant. The Fox series honored one of the best Kevin Bacon movies, Footloose, and despite tearing up the stage, Showbird had to go home. The mask came off, and it was actress Yvette Nicole Brown, who told CinemaBlend she felt Ken Jeong would figure out who she was immediately, even though he's almost always wrong.

Ken is the heart and soul of The Masked Singer, but outside of that wild streak he had in Season 10, he's historically bad at guessing celebrities. That said, a broken clock is always right twice a day, and the same applies to Ken when he used to work with someone on a show. Seeing as they both were on Community, she would've been more surprised if he didn't:

All those years together paid off, and I have to say I loved seeing these two back together before the upcoming Community movie. I should also note this would be Yvette Nicole Brown's second time on The Masked Singer, as she was a guest panelist on Season 3. Brown told CinemaBlend that while she enjoyed being a contestant and bringing her singing skills back to the stage, she preferred being the panelist and guessing contestants' identities.

Yvette Nicole Brown's reveal wasn't among the most shocking we've seen on The Masked Singer, and I'd agree with her assessment that adding Joel McHale to the mix was a giveaway. While I think McHale makes for a great guest panelist on the Fox series, the Community alarm bell is always going to go off in my head if he's involved in a clue since Ken Jeong is also on the show.

I have to give Ken props, as well as CinemaBlend's Heidi Venable for clocking Showbird's identity early. I'm curious to see how the rest of her Group A predictions for The Masked Singer will pan out almost as much as I am curious to see who will emerge as the winner of this group.

Ship feels like a strong choice at the moment who can go far in the competition, but one can never be too sure this early in the season. Group A is scheduled to wrap up in the next episode, so it won't be long before we're through this group and moving on to the next batch of hopefuls.

The Masked Singer airs on Fox on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend this season as we continue to talk to unmasked contestants, and make guesses on who each person appearing might be.

While the list of A-listers who have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe is long and diverse, another list that’s worth looking into is the wild group of actors, performers and others who have said yes to doing cameos. So, in celebration of those folks, here are the 32 best cameos in the MCU. 

Harry Styles As Eros In The Eternals 

Big names pop up in the MCU all the time, however, they’re almost always well-known actors. While Harry Styles has had a few acting roles, it’s not his primary profession, so yes, it was shocking when the singer showed up as Eros, Thanos’ brother, in the post-credits scene of The Eternals. However, since the film’s release in 2021, Styles’ future in the MCU has remained unknown, leaving his role as simply a cameo and nothing more.  

Blake Lively As Lady Deadpool In Deadpool & Wolverine 

Leading into Deadpool & Wolverine’s release, the speculation about who would play Lady Deadpool was running rampant. However, it wasn’t all too shocking when it was revealed that Ryan Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively was playing the female variant of her partner’s merc with the mouth.  

Sam Neill As Odin’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

While the Thor: Ragnarok cast is stacked with legends like Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Goldblum and more, Taika Waititi also assembled quite the ensemble of cameos to play a troupe of actors in Asgard who put on a play about Thor and his family. This included Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill, who portrayed Anthony Hopkins’ King of Asgard, Odin.  

Stan Lee As Various Characters 

While future MCU projects sadly won’t have any in-person Stan Lee cameos, we can always re-watch the Marvel movies in order to see the legendary comic writer. Before his death in 2018, Stan Lee made cameos in just about every Marvel project, whether it was from Marvel Studios, Fox or Sony. 

Some fan-favorite cameos from him included his role as a security guard in Captain America: The Winter Solider, a New York resident being interviewed on the news in The Avengers and an astronaut telling a story to the Watchers in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, among many, many, many others. 

Matt Damon As Loki’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

In the play Loki orchestrated in Thor: Ragnarok that tells the (not so true) story of him and his family, Matt Damon was cast to play the role of Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief. Which honestly, is inspired casting. Damon also popped in the non-MCU Deadpool 2. 

Kevin Bacon As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Bringing a joke from Guardians of the Galaxy full circle almost eight years later, Peter’s hero Kevin Bacon finally appears. However, it’s kind of against his will, because Drax and Mantis decide to go to Earth and steal the Footloose actor to give to Chris Pratt’s character as a gift of holiday cheer.  

Miley Cyrus As Mainframe In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see a group of Ravagers approach The Guardians. One of them is a robot head named Mainframe, and it's voiced by Miley Cyrus.

Trevor Noah As Griot In Black Panther

Much like how Paul Bettany voiced J.A.R.V.I.S., Trevor Noah voiced Griot, Shuri’s artificial intelligence she uses at her lab in Wakanda in Black Panther. 

Melissa McCarthy As Hela’s Actress In Thor: Love and Thunder 

Adding to the mix of A-listers playing actors who are playing Thor characters (try saying that five times fast), Melissa McCarthy took on the role of Cate Blanchett’s Hela – the goddess of death – in Thor: Love and Thunder. She joined the theatrical company that already featured Sam Neill, Matt Damon and Luke Hemsworth to reenact the events of Thor: Ragnarok in Taika Waititi’s second movie about the God of Thunder.

Kenneth Branagh As Asgardian Distress Call In Avengers: Infinity War

You probably know that Kenneth Branagh directed the first Thor movie. However, what you might not know is he provided a meaningful Easter egg for Avengers: Infinity War. He voiced the Asgardian Distress Call that was played after Thanos attacked their ship. 

Luke Hemsworth As Thor’s Actor In Thor: Ragnarok 

Who else could play Chris Hemsworth’s Thor in an Asgardian play about the adventures of the God of Thunder and his family? Truly, picking Luke Hemsworth to play his real-life brother’s character was fantastic! The added bonus that makes all this even better is their other brother, Liam Hemsworth also auditioned to play the god back in the day. 

Bruce Campbell As Pizza Poppa In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw director Sam Raimi’s return to the superhero genre. With him came his The Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, who played Pizza Poppa in the Doctor Strange movie. 

Bill Maher As Himself In Iron Man 3

During a montage of news clips in Iron Man 3, Bill Maher pops up as they’re talking about War Machine’s rebrand into The Iron Patriot. 

Charlie Cox As Daredevil In Spider-Man: No Way Home

If you saw Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on opening night, you likely heard applause when Charlie Cox made his big-screen MCU debut as Matt Murdock. While he played Daredevil for three seasons on his Netflix show, and he has returned as the character since this cameo where he was giving Peter Parker legal advice, this was the first time we’d seen Cox back in action in years. 

Tom Morello As Gaurd In Iron Man

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello made one of the first cameos in the MCU when he popped up for a quick second in Iron Man. In the movie, he played a guard in the Ten Rings camp that Tony Stark was being held at. 

Joan Rivers As Herself In Iron Man 3

Along with Bill Maher and a bunch of other TV personalities, Joan Rivers popped up to rib on War Machine’s rebranding in Iron Man 3. 

Harry Dean Stanton As Security Guard In The Avengers

In The Avengers, there’s a security guard who finds Bruce Banner after he crashes into the Earth as Hulk. That guard is played by Harry Dean Stanton, who is best known for his roles in classic films like Alien, The Green Mile, Paris Texas and Repo Man. 

Justin Theroux As Police Officer In Iron Man 2

Not only did Justin Theroux write Iron Man 2, but he also had the smallest blink-and-you-’ll-miss-it cameo, per CBR. He played one of the police officers who arrested Justin Hammer and escorted Pepper Potts off the premises toward the end of the film. 

Rob Zombie As Ravager Navigator In Guardians of the Galaxy

In many of James Gunn’s movies, Rob Zombie makes a cameo. After doing that for Slither and Super, he lent his voice to his friend's first Marvel movie by voicing a Ravager Navigator in Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Megan Thee Stallion As Herself In She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

We can thank Jameela Jamil for Megan Thee Stallion’s incredible cameo in She-Hulk. The rapper appeared in an episode of the Disney+ show during a courtroom scene, and then she popped up one more time to twerk with the titular attorney. 

David Hasselhoff As Himself In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

When Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill was a kid he’d pretend that David Hasselhoff was his dad. So, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Hasselhoff was part of one of the songs on the soundtrack – “Guardians Inferno” –  and it plays during the end credits. And at the very end of those credits, you can see his face pop up as he says the final words of the song. Talk about an epic cameo.

Brett Goldstein As Hercules In Thor: Love and Thunder

In the post-credit scene for Thor: Love and Thunder, Brett Goldstein appeared as Hercules. In his brief scene, he was shown speaking with Russell Crowe’s Zeus. It was thrilling to see the Ted Lasso star show up as the son of Zeus, however, it’s been years since that happened, and he hasn’t shown up again. 

Ken Jeong As Security Guard In Avengers: Endgame

Before the Russo Brothers were making big fancy Marvel movies, they worked on Community. So, it’s always fun to see actors from that show pop up in the MCU. For example in Avengers: Endgame, Ken Jeong appeared for a quick cameo as a security guard who is watching over the storage unit that Ant-Man’s van is in. 

Nathan Fillion As Monstrous Inmate In Guardians of the Galaxy And Headpool In Deadpool And Wolverine

You can see Nathan Fillion (looking like himself) as a major member of the supporting cast in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as he plays Master Karja. However, before that, he had a cameo in James Gunn’s first Guardians movie, because he voiced “Monstrous Inmate.” After that, he voiced Headpool during the Deadpool variant fight in Deadpool and Wolverine. 

Brad Pitt As The Vanisher In Deadpool 2

Now, I fully realize Deadpool 2 wasn’t technically in the MCU, but Deadpool and Wolverine is, so this counts. One of the most fun cameos maybe ever came when Brad Pitt appeared for a split second in the Ryan Reynolds-led sequel to play The Vanisher right as he gets electrocuted. 

Joe Russo As Grieving Man In Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo are best known as the guys behind the camera who led some of the best Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and, of course, Avengers: Endgame. So, in this big finale for the MCU’s Infinity Saga, Joe Russo made a cameo as part of Steve Rogers' support group. 

Yvette Nicole Brown As S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent In Avengers: Endgame

The Russo Brothers didn’t forget their roots, and included multiple members of the Community cast in their Marvel movies. This included Yvette Nicole Brown, who played a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers run into when they go back in time to steal Pym Particles. 

David Bradley As Tower Keeper In Captain America: The First Avenger

David Bradley is a legendary British character actor, and you’ll likely recognize him for his role as Filch in the Harry Potter cast or as The Doctor in various episodes of Doctor Who. He also notably played a small role as the Tower Keeper protecting the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger.

Danny Pudi As Com Tech #1 In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo Brothers adore their Community cast, so in their first Marvel movie, they gave Danny Pudi, Abed himself, a little cameo. For a brief minute, you can see him as Com Tech #1 during the beloved Captain America sequel. 

Garrett Morris As Car Driver In Ant-Man

While Ant-Man himself is played by a comedy legend, that actor being Paul Rudd, there’s another hilarious icon in this cast. Yep, original Saturday Night Live cast member Garrett Morris (who actually dressed up as the superhero on the sketch comedy show back in the day) appeared in this movie as a man driving a car that Ant-Man fell onto, and it’s fantastic!

Matthew McConaughey As Cowboypool In Deadpool and Wolverine

When all the variants of Deadpool appeared to fight Deadpool and Wolverine, one of them was Cowboypool. Fittingly, the Western Merc with the Mouth was voiced by Matthew McConaughey.

Henry Cavill As Cavillrine In Deadpool and Wolverine

When Wade Wilson was looking for a Wolverine to bring back to his universe, he came across one version of Logan who was played by Henry Cavill. After seeing fanart of the former Superman as the X-Man, it was clear he was a good fit for the part, and it was incredible to see Deadpool and Wolverine act on the fans’ wishes. 

As you can see the range of these cameos is wide, and frankly legendary. And we’re sure that as Marvel continues to release movies and TV shows, the iconic cameos will keep coming. 

The Frasier revival is officially coming back for Season 2, and those who haven't checked out the series with a Paramount+ subscription are missing out. The comedy thrived in its inaugural season as one of the better television revivals made in recent memory, and it looks poised to prove that again in Season 2 with a returning cast and some fresh faces.

Does anyone else hear that? I believe the blues are calling, and now I'm really craving some tossed salad and scrambled eggs. For those that are confused, I'll quit trying to work the rest of the outro song into the intro and talk about who all we can expect to return and debut in Fraiser Season 2.

Which Stars Are Returning From Past Seasons?

Kelsey Grammer

It's probably no surprise here that after a successful return to television, Kelsey Grammer will continue to play the role of Dr. Frasier Crane in Season 2 of the revival. Another season with him in Boston means more chances for the Cheers cast to make an appearance, though we haven't received any definitive word of that happening just yet.

Jack Cutmore-Scott

Jack Cutmore-Scott will continue his role as Freddy Crane in Frasier and likely will still try to play the good son and friend between Frasier and Eve, which wasn't too easy in the first season. Of course, Crane men rarely back down from a challenge, so I would imagine he'll try just as hard to appease both as we roll into the new season.

Jess Salgueiro

Jess Salgueiro's Eve is back for Frasier, and I would love to see her continue to play matchmaker for Frasier and Freddy in the upcoming episodes. I believe that the original series was at its best when Frasier was embroiled in some romantic drama, and even more so when it didn't work out. Of course, there are other things that Eve brings to the table, and seeing her continue to grow as a character alongside John would be great.

Anders Keith

With Niles and Daphne out of the Frasier revival, the responsibility for carrying on the legacy of the characters rests squarely on the shoulders of actor Anders Keith. Fortunately, playing their son David Crane seemed simple enough for the actor, who will return again in the new season to display the best characteristics of his mother and father in Season 2.

Nicholas Lyndhurst

Frasier's old college classmate will return in Season 2 of the Paramount+ series, and I love it. I thought from the first I heard about Alan Cornwall in the series that he was a great sidekick to the character, particularly in a world where David Hyde Pierce will never return to play Niles. He killed it in the role, and I definitely think there's justification for the show using him more in the upcoming season.

Toks Olagundoye

Toks Olagundoye will return in Season 2, of course reprising her role as Olivia, the head of the psychology department at Harvard. Season 2 will see Olivia's sister Monica finally appear after hearing so much about her. I would expect to see that storyline play out and maybe even see her have more fun at trivia nights.

Peri Gilpin

Classic Frasier star Peri Gilpin shined as Roz on the original series, so it was great to see her appearance in the revival's Season 1 finale. It's been announced that she'll be back in a greater capacity in Season 2, though we don't know for sure how many episodes that means. We do know, however, that her daughter will be appearing in this season, so I would expect to see her in at least a couple of episodes.

Jimmy Dunn

Jimmy Dunn, who played Moose in Season 1 of the Frasier revival, will return as one of Freddy's firehouse buddies in Season 2. What's interesting about his return is that there seemed to be a budding romance between him and Olivia at the end of Season 1, so I'm eager to see if that develops further in the upcoming episodes.

Renee Pezzotta

Renee Pezzotta is back in Frasier, and while she didn't have a huge role in Season 1, she was always great for some laughs during the scenes with Freddy's firehouse buddies. Her working-class charm and jabs will spice up the new season and get a few chuckles from the audience as well.

Kevin Daniels

Kevin Daniels shined with his hilariously ironic nickname "Tiny," and he will continue to do so in Season 2 of Frasier. Having all the firehouse buddies is a must for the series, as they all portray the heart of Boston culture in a way that the title character tends to ignore. I can't wait to see what they all get into in this coming season.

Which Stars Are New For Season 2?

Patricia Heaton

Patricia Heaton can't stay away from sitcoms, and the former star of Everybody Loves Raymond will come into Season 2 of Frasier as Holly. Deadline reported that Holly is a bartender who loves to rib intellectuals, so of course, Frasier is going to be absolutely smitten by her. Whether the love interest will return his affections is another story, and once we'll likely see play out in Season 2. Heaton and Grammer previously worked together in the short-lived sitcom Back to You.

Yvette Nicole Brown

I smell another iconic Yvette Nicole Brown performance on the horizon, and can't wait to see her when she joins the Season 2 cast of Frasier. While it's just a guest-starring role, it sounds like it will be meaningful, as Variety reported that she's playing Monica, Olivia's older sister. Monica was referenced a lot in Season 1, but this will be our first time seeing her. Given Brown's comedic chops, I'm sure she won't disappoint.

Amy Sedaris

Amy Sedaris is showing up in Frasier Season 2 in the role of Dr. Doc Stathos. Variety said the doctor is a therapist who works with the fire department, and she's also a massive fan of Frasier. She was an avid watcher of his television show, so I would expect them to have a run-in where she's a super-fan and possibly become a thorn in the side of the title character. Then again, Frasier strikes me as the type of person who might indulge a super fan until he's in over his head without an exit. I guess we will see!

Greer Grammer

New to the Frasier revival in Season 2 is Kelsey Grammer's real-life daughter, Greer. While her father might've had a hand in her coming aboard the show, it's worth noting that Grammer has a pretty solid list of television and film appearances since 2010. In this series, she'll play Roz's daughter Alice, which could point to the fact that we'll be seeing more of Roz this season than the previous one. It also seems like she might play a love interest for Freddy, which will no doubt complicate things for him.

Season 2 of the Frasier revival is on the way, which means now is a good time to check out Season 1 over on Paramount+. CinemaBlend will continue to track updates on the series as it gets closer to releasing, and hopefully figure out what do to with the tossed salad and scrambled eggs in the interim.

Ohio is a proud state that has produced some of the most famous stars in America. Actors, comedians, musicians, and more, Ohio has it all. Here is our list of some of the most popular stars born in the great state of Ohio. 

Halle Berry

Halle Berry is pure Ohio. Not only was John Wick: Chapter 3 star born in Cleveland but she's even named after a local department store, Halle's. Berry grew up in the suburb of Oakwood, just outside the Cleveland city limits, and even attended Cuyahoga Community College while she was first starting her career toward fame. Before starring in some of Hollywood's biggest movies, Berry represented her home state in the Miss USA contest, after being named Miss Ohio USA in 1986. 

Luke Perry

Luke Perry found fame playing a high school student at the posh West Beverly High, but his beginnings were much more humble. The son of a steelworker, Perry was born in the Ohio town of Mansfield and raised in a tiny burg called Fredericktown, where he attended high school at Fredericktown High School. He moved to Los Angeles after graduating and while it took a few years, he landed his big break in Beverly Hills, 90210. Perry died tragically from a stroke in 2019.

Drew Carey

No one on this list is more proud to be from Ohio than Price Is Right host Drew Carey. It's clear that his Cleveland roots mean a lot to him, given that his show, The Drew Carey Show, was set in Cleveland, with a theme song called "Cleveland Rocks." Not only did the comedian grow up in Cleveland, he also attended Kent State in Ohio and even served in the Marine Corps reserves in the state before moving west to find fame. 

Katie Holmes

Katie Holmes was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1978 and has always remained a proud Ohioan. She attended Catholic school as a kid and began modeling in Toledo while still in high school. That led to opportunities in New York City, which led to her landing her first film role at 19 in Ang Lee's The Ice Storm (1997). Soon after, she joined the cast of Dawson's Creek and the rest is history. 

John Legend

The Voice judge John Legend was born in the central Ohio town of Springfield. Legend was a true prodigy during his upbringing. He was dabbling in music at a young age, before leaving Ohio to attend the University of Pennsylvania. 

Yvette Nicole Brown

Yvette Nicole Brown took the hard road to fame. Before she landed her starring role on Community, she found her way to success with bit parts and one-offs on TV shows. It all paid off in the end, but before she made it in Hollywood, she was born and raised in the Cleveland, OH area. After high school, she attended the University of Akron and moved to LA after she graduated. 

Clark Gable

There is no bigger star from the Golden Age of Hollywood than Clark Gable. Like many of his fellow Ohioans, he had humble beginnings. Born in 1901 in Cadiz, OH, Gable moved around the state quite a bit before his father and stepmother settled near Akron. Gable struck out on his own, first working in a tire factory in Akron, before bouncing around until he finally ended up in Hollywood in the 1920s. 

Beverly D'Angelo

When you are the granddaughter of the architect who designed the famous Ohio Stadium at The Ohio State University, you know you are pure Ohio. Such is the case for Vacation star Beverly D'Angelo. Unsurprisingly, D'Angelo was born in Columbus and raised in the suburb of Upper Arlington, before setting out on an entertainment career that took her all over North America, before she found success in Hollywood. 

Steve Harvey

Okay, so we're fudging here a little, as beloved talk show host and TV judge Steve Harvey was actually born in West Virginia, but he was raised in Cleveland. After graduating from high school, he briefly attended Kent State, before dropping out and starting his standup career in comedy clubs in and around Cleveland. 

Paul Newman

When you think of the words "movie star," there's a good chance you might picture Paul Newman. From the mid-'50s until his death in 2008, the Shaker Heights, OH native was box office gold. He graduated from Shaker Heights High in 1943 and joined the Navy during World War II. He finally headed to LA in the '50s and over the next six decades starred in some of the biggest movies of all time. 

Arsenio Hall

Born in Cleveland in 1956, actor and talk show host Arsenio Hall grew up in nearby Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and attended college at both Ohio University and Kent State. He left Ohio, first for Chicago and later LA, and his career took off with some fantastic roles from there. 

Phyllis Diller

Phyllis Diller's remarkable life began in Lima, Ohio in 1917. Her roundabout way to comedy legend status started when she was still a full-time mother and homemaker with her military husband in Alameda, CA. She was discovered after she made some appearances on Bay Area radio and TV stations and from there became a star. 

Rachael Harris

Lucifer star Rachael Harris was born in Worthington, OH, and grew up in the Columbus area before attending college at Otterbein University in nearby Westerville, OH. She moved to LA and was a member of the legendary improv group The Groundlings before she started landing TV roles in the 1990s. Today she's best known for Goosebumps (2023) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010), in addition to Lucifer. 

Steven Spielberg

In The Fablemans, Ohio native Steven Spielberg tells a fictionalized version of his own life, but one major change was made. In the movie, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) and his family move from New Jersey to Arizona. In real life, the Spielbergs moved to Phoenix from Cincinnati, Ohio. Though he only lived in Cincinnati for the first ten years or so of his life, there is no doubt that one of the all-time great directors has his roots in Ohio. 

Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra was born just outside of Cincinnati and grew up in the Queen City. She first started dancing and acting at Princeton High School in the Cincinnati school district and her love of doing both led directly to Hollywood where she's been doing both for decades now. 

Doris Day

Though she retired from acting in 1968, Doris Day is still remembered as a legend of old Hollywood. She also recorded almost three dozen albums over her nearly 100-year life. It all started in Cincinnati in 1922 when Day was born Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff. Her career started as a singer on a local radio station in Cincinnati, WLW. Her music led her to Hollywood, and a star was born. 

Philip Michael Thomas

Philip Michael Thomas is most famous for starring as Rico Tubbs on the '80s hit Miami Vice. He's also famous for inventing the term "EGOT", claiming in the '80s that he would win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, though he has yet to win any of the prestigious awards. Thomas was born in Cincinnati, but raised in California, where his career began. 

Teri Garr

Though she was raised mostly in Los Angeles, Teri Garr was born near Cleveland, OH, in the suburb of Lakewood. Her parents were entertainers, so it makes sense they would eventually land in Southern California, so while Garr didn't spend much time in Ohio, the state can certainly claim her as one of their own. 

Randy "Macho Man" Savage

Oh yeah! One of the greatest wrestlers of all time came from Columbus, OH. Born Randy Poffo in 1952, the Macho Man and his wrestling brother "Leaping" Lanny Poffo lived in Zanesville, Ohio, until the family moved to the Chicagoland area when Savage was in high school. Though he tried to become a pro baseball player, Savage found fame with the WWE and was a superstar in the sport until he died in 2012. 

Anne Heche

Before her tragic death in 2022, Anne Heche put together an impressive career in Hollywood and broke a lot of barriers when she very publicly dated Ellen DeGeneres. It was a long way from her strict Christian upbringing in Ohio. Heche was born in the Akron suburb of Aurora, Ohio, and also lived near Cleveland for a time before her father moved the family to New Jersey in 1977 when Heche was eight. 

Rob Lowe

Okay, okay, so Rob Lowe was actually born in Virginia, but he moved to Dayton, OH at a very young age and was raised in the Buckeye State. His first gigs as a professional actor came when he was still living in Dayton and as soon as he could, he headed out to Hollywood where he became one of the famous "Brat Pack" in the 1980s. His career had a few bumps in the road, but today he's one of the most beloved stars on the silver screen. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker's most famed role is of a dyed-in-the-wool Manhattanite, but the actress was born in a quaint little town near Columbus named Nelsonville, Ohio, with a population of about 5000. Her career as a child actor took her whole family to New York in the 1970s and Parker has never looked back. 

Lili Reinhart

Riverdale star Lili Reinhart was born and raised in the Cleveland area, where she lived until she was 18. After graduating high school, she moved to LA and though she struggled like most young actors, eventually she started landing parts in a few movies, before scoring a starring role on the CW's Riverdale, playing the iconic Betty Cooper. 

Jamie Farr

Jamie Farr's most famous character, Corporal Klinger on one of the highest-rated shows of all time, M*A*S*H, was from Toledo, Ohio, which would have been easy for the actor to remember, as that is where Farr is from too. For decades, Farr's name was associated with the LPGA golf tournament, The Jamie Farr Classic (with various sponsor names over the years). 

Martin Sheen

Born Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez in Dayton, OH, The West Wing star Martin Sheen always knew he wanted to be an actor, even growing up in Dayton. Orphaned at eleven, he lived in Dayton until he graduated high school and headed off for New York to make it big, and it's safe to say he has. 

Fred Willard

Comedy legend Fred Willard is responsible for some of the funniest lines in the Christopher Guest family of films, a sense of humor he developed as a kid in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, OH. Born in Cleveland in 1933, Willard moved to New York in the '50s, and though it took a couple of decades to find fame, he eventually did. The world lost a great one when he died in 2020. 

Allison Janney

Though she is technically from Boston, where she was born in 1959, Allison Janney was raised in Dayton. Even her legendary character from The West Wing, CJ Craig, was  from Dayton and went back home in one episode for her high school reunion. 

Katt Williams

Katt Williams, the unpredictable, and hilarious, comedian was born and raised in Cincinnati, but left town and moved to Florida after being emancipated from his parents at age 13. For years he worked the comedy clubs before launching to fame in the late '90s. 

Nancy Cartwright

She might not be the most famous face on this list, but her voice is one of the most famous in the world. Nancy Cartwright has been doing the voice of Bart Simpson (and other Simpsons characters) for more than 30 years, but long before scoring that gig, she grew up in Kettering, Ohio after being born in Dayton.

Patricia Heaton

Patricia Heaton, star of Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, was born in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village, OH and she got her bachelor's degree at The Ohio State University. So while she lives in LA and in the UK these days, she's an Ohioan through and through. 

Catherine Bach

It's hard to believe that The Dukes of Hazzard was consistently one of the highest-rated shows during its run in the late '70s and early '80s. It's not hard to believe that Cleveland native Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke in her short shorts was a big reason why it was so popular. 

Rocky Carroll

NCIS star Rocky Carroll is a proud son of Cincinnati, where he attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts for high school like many other stars from the area. After attending college in St. Louis, MO, he moved to New York City to start his career and he's never looked back. 

While it may not jump out as an entertainment hotbed, when you scratch the surface, you'll soon realize just how many celebrities have been born in Ohio, and it's a lot. 

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

Kel Mitchell's Hospital Update

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

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

Kenan Thompson And More Share Support For Kel Mitchell

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

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

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

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

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

Friends fans everywhere are reeling after hearing the shocking news that Matthew Perry died in an apparent drowning at age 54. The actor was found October 28 in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, where a medical team responded to call of a possible cardiac arrest. Perry’s cohorts in Hollywood are also in shock over the loss, and celebrities including Friends guest stars Selma Blair and Paget Brewster took to social media to pay tribute. Saturday Night Live even addressed it on its broadcast, just hours after his passing was reported.

Matthew Perry — who was best known for portraying Chandler Bing on Friends — was open about his struggles with addiction over the years, even writing about near-death experiences in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing that was released in 2022. It was reported that first responders found no drugs at the scene, and no foul play was suspected. Selma Blair, who guest starred in a Season 9 episode of Friends, said she was “broken” over the news, as she posted a sweet photo of the two of them together:  

As news of Matthew Perry’s passing spread Saturday night, SNL also memorialized the actor. Perry served as guest host on NBC’s live sketch show one time, on October 4, 1997, and a tribute card was shown toward the end of the October 28 episode: 

Yvette Nicole Brown noted the loss of her former co-star, as the two appeared together on the reboot of The Odd Couple, which aired on CBS from 2015 to 2017. Alongside a photo of the cast, she wrote: 

Calling the Friends star “one of the funniest people I knew,” actor Chad Lowe also expressed how difficult it was to see Matthew Perry struggle with addiction. He commended him for how he aimed to help people by speaking out about it in what would be the last year of his life. Lowe posted on X: 

Legendary TV director James Burrows — who famously took the Friends cast to Las Vegas before their popularity skyrocketed — posted a throwback photo of him and Matthew Perry with a short caption to memorialize the comedic actor: 

Paget Brewster, whose character Kathy briefly dated Chandler (and Joey) on Season 4 of Friends, implored people to read Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing to honor Matthew Perry’s legacy and allow him to continue helping those in need. She wrote: 

Adele was also a longtime fan of his, as she paused the Saturday night show of her Las Vegas residency to address Matthew Perry’s death. Per the L.A. Times, she called Perry “incredibly, incredibly brave” for being open about his struggles with sobriety and spoke about having a friend when they were 12 years old who would do “the best” Chandler Bing impression. As she introduced her song “When We Were Young,” Adele told her Vegas audience: 

I’m sure there are many people who agree with that assessment. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the loss of the actor. For those who want to pay tribute to Matthew Perry by watching his career-defining role, all 10 seasons of Friends can be streamed with a Max subscription. 

Community’s first four seasons saw Chevy Chase starring as Pierce Hawthorne, the Greendale Community College central study group’s out-of-touch, often antagonistic senior member. However, Chase left the show as a main cast member following Season 4 due to behind-the-scenes drama, and after cameoing in the Season 5 premiere as a hologram, Pierce died offscreen. Nearly a decade later, Chase opened up about his exit from the comedy series, which included saying he didn’t want to be surrounded by “those people.” That prompted a response from co-star Yvette Nicole Brown, who played Shirley Bennett.

Chase discussed on his Community experience while appearing on WTF with Marc Maron, saying that he felt the show “wasn’t funny enough” and was “a little constrained” playing Pierce, as the material wasn’t “hard-hitting enough” for him. Eventually the SNL alum reached a point where he realized he “felt happier being alone,” then added that he “just didn’t want to be surrounded by that table, every day, with those people. It was too much.” Brown reacted to a headline summarizing Chase’s Community thoughts by saying the following on X (formerly known as Twitter):

If you haven’t done a deep dive on behind-the-scenes Community events, it’s worth looking into the conflict that arose between Chevy Chase and creator Dan Harmon as Season 3’s production was winding down. However, even ignoring that spat, there’d been reports of tension between Chase and other members of the cast and crew beforehand, including one incident where he reportedly dropped an n-bomb on set. Even though Harmon was fired ahead of Season 4 (though he’d reprise his showrunning duties the following season) and Chase stuck around for the majority of Season 4, eventually it was decided that he and the show should go their separate ways, and the Caddyshack actor said around that time that him being part of the sitcom has been a “huge mistake.”

Cutting back to this recent interview, it’s clear that Chase doesn’t care for some, if not all of his Community castmates, and judging by her comment, Yvette Nicole Brown isn’t surprised in the slightest that he said something like this. However, Brown made it clear soon after that she has no intention of sharing what her experience working with Chase was like, because when a fan asked if she’d ever spoken on the subject, she answered:

So it’s unlikely we’ll ever hear Brown’s side of the story of what happened with Chase on the Community set, but it seems pretty clear there’s no love lost between the two actors, which is ironically fitting considering how often Shirley and Pierce butted heads. When another person said to Brown that the headline was “extremely misleading” and recommended she read the article itself, she responded:

Community ran for another two seasons following Chevy Chase’s departure, with Season 6 airing on the now-defunct Yahoo Screen after NBC cancelled the series. After years of fans championing for “six seasons and a movie,” it was announced in September 2022 that a Community movie is moving forward that will be released exclusively to Peacock subscribers. Most of the main cast members are confirmed to be reprising their roles, but this past July, Jeff Winger actor Joel McHale responded with an “I don’t think so” when asked if Chase would also participate. Between Pierce Hawthorne’s death and everything that went down behind-the-scenes all those years ago, this is hardly surprising, although I am curious to see if Pierce is at least mentioned in the movie.

Community can be streamed with either a Netflix subscription or Hulu subscription, and CinemaBlend will pass along updates regarding what’s in store for the movie once they come in. Keep track of the rest of this year’s small screen programming with our 2023 TV schedule.

There are plenty of sitcoms that people love to watch over and over again. Maybe they’re a source of comfort, or they have some of their favorite actors, or there's another reason, really. I’m talking about Friends, or maybe even The Office, when it comes to rewatching. Today, though, we’re going to be talking about the famous CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men. 

Running for twelve seasons and enduring plenty of controversy to go with it, the series starred Charlie Sheen (and later Ashton Kutcher) and Jon Cryer, with the premise being about a man and his son who go to live with his bachelor brother when he gets divorced from his wife. Throughout the course of the series, we had some awesome guest stars – but, there were also actors who appeared in the show that you might not even have recognized. 

We’re talking about people who have truly made it in the movie and TV industry, but before they hit it big. Here are seven actors that you might have forgotten were on the famous show. 

Bellamy Young

First up on this list is Bellamy Young. The actress is primarily known for her role in the famous ABC drama series, Scandal, which ran for seven seasons, as well as her time on the Fox television show, Prodigal Son. She also broke out into the world of movies with films such as The Night Stalker, A Wrinkle in Time, and more. However, there was a time before her breakout where she guest-starred on Two and a Half Men. 

The actress appeared in the episode “The Mooch at the Boo” during Season 6 as Diane. While she had been in many recurring roles prior to her guest role, it wasn’t until four years later that she got her big hit in Scandal. So fun to see her here. 

Ken Jeong

Ken Jeong was honestly one of the actors I was not expecting to see at all in Two and a Half Men, because I feel like I grew up in a time where he was just always famous. However, there was a time before his big breakout roles. 

You might know Jeong primarily from his role in the Community cast, or his part in the The Hangover film series, or maybe even his starring role in the sitcom, Dr. Ken – perhaps even from his judging role on The Masked Singer; he’s been everywhere. But he also guest-starred on Two and a Half Men during the second season.

Jeong had a role in the episode, “Woo-Hoo, a Hernia Exam!” where he played "Male Nurse," with no name for his character. Ironically, however, his parts were what I remembered the most from the episode, considering his comedic timing was on point even back then. Nothing quite like Jeong’s character telling Alan that he’s not a real doctor. 

Kristin Bauer Van Straten

While Kristin Bauer Van Straten had main roles before her small role on this long-running sitcom, her career began to take off years later, thanks to her excellent work in the field of television. These include main roles in the True Blood cast, as well as portraying Maleficent in Once Upon a Time, and several recurring and guest roles. Before all of that, though, she played Laura in two episodes of Two and a Half Men. 

Bauer Van Straten was actually the first woman we ever saw Sheen's character get with (in the pilot episode), and she came back for one more episode before we, as usual, never saw her again, as Charlie isn’t a big “commitment” person.

Paget Brewster

Paget Brewster was a surprise to me when I first saw her in Two and a Half Men, because I only saw her as Emily Prentiss in Criminal Minds, a role she began in 2006 and came back for with the Criminal Minds: Evolution reboot. She also had a part on Season 4 of Friends, where she played Kathy, where a lot of fans saw her.

However, Brewster had a role in the Season 2 episode, “A Lungful of Alan,” where she played Jamie Eckleberry, a young woman who was bullied by Charlie as a kid and wanted to get revenge on him as an adult. Honestly, she was hilarious in this role, and I low-key expected her to come back again, but I’ll be satisfied with her one appearance. 

Megan Fox 

Megan Fox is primarily known now for her roles in several films, including the Transformers series, the iconic horror film, Jennifer’s Body, and many other thrillers and action movies, but before she was making films, she started in television. 

She played the part of Prudence in the Season 1 episode, “Camel Filters and Pheromones,” as the young granddaughter of Charlie’s housekeeper, Berta, who causes problems the moment she steps through the door – problems that older men should not be involved in. It surely is a hilarious guest-role, and one that I really liked. 

Noel Fisher 

In the same episode as Megan Fox, Noel Fisher actually had a small guest role as well. Fisher is primarily known now for his role as part of the Shameless cast, where he played Mickey Milkovich for several seasons, as well as parts in shows such as Castle Rock, The Calling, The Conners, and more. 

But, before all that, he played Freddie on Two and a Half Men. It’s a very quick role but one that I spotted all the same. 

Yvette Nicole Brown

Last but not least, we have Yvette Nicole Brown, who is honestly one of my favorites. I’ve followed Brown for many years, as she was a part of one of my favorite childhood television shows, Drake and Josh, but was also a lead in Community, another favorite of mine. Besides that, she’s guest starred on so many shows that I’m sure, somewhere, you have seen her.

Before she started to take over your television, however, Brown started in smaller guest roles, one of which was when she played Mandy in “Just Like Buffalo” (Season 1, Episode 23) as one of Judith’s housewife friends. It’s a small part, but it was so fun to see her have this small role. Even then her personality shined through. 

Who do you remember seeing on Two and a Half Men that even we might have forgotten about? With twelve seasons, I’m sure there are plenty of guest-stars we could bring up. 

The man following Paul Rudd’s tenure as People’s Sexiest Man Alive is none other than America’s Ass himself, Chris Evans. As a firm believer that Chris Evans is the best of the famous Chris-s, and as a long-time fan of the actor, I was thrilled to find out he was awarded the title of Sexiest Man Alive, and so were many celebrities. However, there were others who had hilariously jealous posts as well. No matter what, it's all in good fun, and it's entertaining to see such a range of celebrities (from Taika Waititi to Topher Grace) reacting to the news.

Evans and Dwayne Johnson announced the news last night from the set of their movie Red One. Then Evans took to Instagram to post the cover, noting that he has big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of Paul Rudd, but nonetheless he’ll do his best. You can check out the post here: 

Following the post, the celebs weighed in with angry, thirsty and complimentary comments. We’ll begin with the most aggressive of the responses. Evans’ fellow  Lightyear cast member and MCU actor Taika Waititi responded in a classic way, commenting: 

I’d assume Waititi’s allegiances are with Chris Hemsworth, hence the aggression. It’s honestly on brand for the Thor: Love and Thunder director to troll like this, and it’s hilarious.  

Justin Long commented on the post too, and seemed to be all for a second term for Paul Rudd as the sexiest man alive, writing: 

Listen, I’m with Justin to an extent, I love Paul Rudd too. However, that’s not how the rules of the Sexiest Man Alive work. Sadly Long’s Walk Hard co-star could not stay with the title.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Topher Grace, who starred alongside Evans in the 2014 rom-com Playing it Cool, was hilariously disappointed he was not awarded the title, writing: 

Sticking with the theme of celebrities who are bummed they didn’t get the title, Final Destination and Casper star Devon Sawa tweeted: 

In a much nicer statement, but still in the same vein as Sawa and Grace, Frozen star Josh Gad commented: 

It wasn’t all snark and sass on social media though. Many other celebs posted their support, and thirst for the Captain America actor taking the sexiest man moniker. Evans’ Gifted co-star Octavia Spencer commented: 

Sticking with the theme of compliments, fellow hot person and MCU star Simu Liu complimented the Sexiest Man Alive with many  🥵 emojis. I’d assume this encapsulates how many, myself included, reacted to seeing the news this morning.

Back in the world of Twitter, Evans’ co-star in Avengers: Endgame Yvette Nicole Brown, posted: 

I doubt our “handsome Ransom,” as the official Knives Out account commented, will let the title go to his head. In the announcement video, he seemed quite bashful about his new title, and it was very endearing.

I’m honestly a bit shocked it took People so long to give Evans the title in the first place. I mean if you’ve seen the Marvel movies in order, you know he’s been rockin’ a hot bod as Captain America since 2011, and was dubbed America’s Ass in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Not to mention, he’s an activist, a dog dad to Dodger, plus he's a fashion icon who can rock a sweater, cable-knit or otherwise. So, I’d say all the flattering comments are well deserved.

If you are looking to catch 2022’s Sexiest Man Alive in a new movie, he’s had multiple entries on the 2022 film schedule, with The Gray Man and Lightyear. You can also always go back and watch America’s Ass, and now the World's Sexiest Man Alive in various Marvel movies with a Disney+ subscription. 

Six seasons and a movie! The prophecy has been fulfilled! Well, it's going to be, anyway. 

Community was beloved by many when it premiered on NBC way back in 2009, igniting careers for some of its cast and crew such as Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi and so many others, but since its ending in 2015, fans have been wondering if a side-comment made about The Cape from Season 2 of the show would come true for Community. 

The comedy ended up getting those six seasons, but it’s been long rumored and hoped that a movie might someday happen. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the cast got back together for a virtual table reading of one of the episodes, reigniting those rumors of a possible movie. The Community movie has officially been announced. But when exactly is this film going to come out? Who is going to return to Greendale Community College? This is what we know. 

What Is The Community Movie Release Date?

At the time of updating this in May 2024, there is no set release date for the Community film, but we do have plenty of other updates that give us hope that it’ll at least come out soon. Maybe not as a part of the 2024 movie schedule, but maybe as a part of the one in 2025.  

Also, according to a Deadline report from September 2022, the Community movie is actually going to be premiering on the streaming service, Peacock, NBC’s exclusive streaming platform for some of their shows.

Community has been streaming on Netflix for years at this point, with all six seasons there, and is arguably one of the best shows to binge on Netflix, in my opinion. But, as the Deadline article said, Peacock won the rights to the film in a “competitive situation.” 

It’s not that big of a shocker that the movie would land at Peacock, considering that the series originally aired on NBC, and ever since its cancellation it’s only grown in popularity through streaming platforms like Netflix. 

Several Cast Members From Community Are Set To Return

Confirmed in the Deadline article from September 2022, we know now that several of the original stars of the Community cast are set to return for the sequel film:

Joel McHale as Jeff Winger

Joel McHale is confirmed to return as Jeff Winger in the Community movie. The actor even tweeted out his excitement for the film on Twitter, simply sending “.” while tagging his former cast members’ Twitter handles before the film was officially announced.  

McHale has appeared in films like The Happytime Murders, Becky, Happily, and more since Community ended, and also hosts a show called Crime Scene Kitchen, which was renewed for Season 3. He currently stars in Animal Control. 

Gillian Jacobs as Britta Perry

Gillian Jacobs will return as Britta Perry for the movie. The actress has appeared in movies like Magic Camp, Life of the Party and more, and has held roles in major TV shows such as Invincible and The Bear. 

Alison Brie as Annie Edison

Alison Brie will return as Annie Edison. Her best movies and shows include Mad Men, GLOW, BoJack Horseman, The Post, Promising Young Women and many more. 

Danny Pudi as Abed Nadir

Danny Pudi will return as Abed Nadir for the film. He held a voice role in the reboot of Ducktales, and played a main part on Mythic Quest. He also appeared as part of the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender cast. 

Jim Rash as Craig Pelton

Jim Rash is confirmed to come back as Dean Craig Pelton. He has since appeared in TV shows like Girlboss, black-ish, Harley Quinn, Solar Opposites and more. 

Ken Jeong as Ben Chang

Ken Jeong will be back as Ben Chang for the Community movie. Jeong has hosted a variety of TV shows since then, and even had his own television series called Dr. Ken. 

Donald Glover as Troy Barnes

For a time, it seemed that Donald Glover returning as Troy Barnes would be near impossible, since Glover has had a very busy schedule with new films and his own TV shows like Atlanta and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. However, we can confirm that he will be back as Troy. 

Glover himself confirmed the news in an interview with GQ back 2023, and fans have been eager to see him return to the role after his departure. 

Dan Harmon was quick to say that Glover’s return would probably happen in an interview with Variety in October 2022, so it’s not that surprising that the actor/creator said he would be returning.  

Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett

Also confirmed is Yvette Nicole Brown, who will come back as Shirley Bennett for the film. Jeong confirmed the news in an interview with The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon back in January 2024, so it looks like the gang will be all back together. Brown has appeared in various TV shows, such as Big Shot, Mom, Soul Man and more. She even earned a PrimeTime Emmy nomination for her role in A Black Lady Sketch Show.

Is anyone else as excited as I am to see this?

Chevy Chase Will Not Be Back

As expected, it’s been confirmed Chevy Chase will not be back as Pierce Hawthorne. That’s not surprising, as even the Deadline article from 2022 reported that Chase had problems with Harmon behind-the-scenes. 

Then, in an interview with the New York Post in April 2024, McHale himself confirmed that Chase was most likely “not interested” in returning and that even if he was, he’s “not allowed to:”

The Community Film Will Feature A College Reunion

Thankfully, we have some idea of what the Community film will be about. In an interview that Glover did with The Hollywood Reporter in February 2024 before Mr. and Mrs. Smith, he revealed a few details about the movie, including that it’ll involve a college reunion, and that Dan Harmon told him directly what it would be about:

Other than that, there isn’t that much out there confirmed – but I for one am down for a college reunion and Abed being a huge film director. 

Dan Harmon And Andrew Guest Wrote The Film

As confirmed by the Deadline article in 2022, Dan Harmon, the creator of Community, wrote the film alongside Andrew Guest, who has written on shows such as 30 Rock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and of course, Community, where he wrote six episodes. 

While the screenwriters are set, Harmon is not set to direct the film, and this has not changed as of May 2024. However, he does have people in mind, according to the statement that was in the Variety article: 

I’m sure that as more news begins to come out about the film, we’ll get an update on who is set to direct. But wow, could you imagine the Russo Brothers returning to comedy after directing the likes of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame? I would adore them in the Community world again, but only time will tell. 

Filming Should Begin In 2024

This is probably the news that everyone has been looking forward to for a while. In March 2024, Deadline confirmed that the Community movie is looking to film in the same year, and that Peacock is “working around” Glover’s schedule. McHale says that he has read the script and that it is complete, and that the plan is to film later in the year.

He added that he would be “shocked” if they didn’t begin filming soon. A 2024 filming date makes me excited – and hopefully, that means we might get it next year. 

With this news in mind, I can’t wait to see where this Community movie goes and how our characters are going to return to Greendale after being away from it for so long. Are we going to get Troy and Abed in the morning again? Another Spanish rap? All these questions I need answers to.  

When it comes to animated films, it’s never a big surprise that a ton of stars tend to join those casts, and now, DC’s League of Super Pets has added to that with their list of stars, from action heroes such as Dwayne Johnson to comedians like Kevin Hart. But with so many characters and so many amazing cast members, you might be wondering where you’ve seen - or heard - them before. 

If you’re like me and trying to see exactly where these famous faces were from, check out where you might have seen the DC’s League of Super Pets voice cast before. 

Dwayne Johnson (Krypto The Super-Dog) 

Starting off with the main hero in DC’s League of Super Pets, we have Krypto, a character I’m pretty familiar with from the Krypto the Super-Dog TV show from a long time ago - but now, he’s in a movie and is voiced by the fabulous Dwayne Johnson. If you don’t know that name, surely you have been living under a rock (pun intended). While he started off his career in the WWE, Johnson continues to prove how talented he is as a movie star. 

He played Maui in Moana, and has appeared in films such as the comedy, The Game Plan, the Jumanji series, Central Intelligence, Rampage, the Fast and Furious series, Skyscraper, Jungle Cruise, and more. He also had a pretty big year in 2021 with the release of Red Notice on Netflix.

Johnson has also had some experience with television as well, producing (and appearing) in the NBC series, Young Rock, as well leading the series, Ballers. 

Kevin Hart (Ace The Hound)

Next up on this list, we have everyone’s favorite hilarious comedian, Kevin Hart, who plays Ace in DC’s League of Super Pets. Hart has been in many movies and produced some hilarious comedy specials, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen him before. 

Some of his biggest roles thus far have included Night School, Think Like A Man, Ride Along, The Man From Toronto, About Last Night, and the drama, Fatherhood, alongside many others. This is also the fourth time that Hart and Johnson have collaborated together on a film, with the first being Central Intelligence, and the next two being the Jumanji series. Since these two are always ripping on each other, it’ll be fun to watch the press tour for DC’s League of Super Pets. 

Kate McKinnon (Lulu The Guinea Pig)

Moving on, we now have Kate McKinnon, who voices Lulu the Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because McKinnon was a huge star on NBC’s Saturday Night Live before she left in 2022, but besides her big role on the sketch series, this actress has done plenty. 

Some of her biggest roles this far was being a part of the Bombshell cast, starring in 2016’s Ghostbusters, and the films The Spy Who Dumped Me and Yesteryear, among others. She also had a starring role in the Peacock original series, Joe vs. Carole, playing Carole Baskin. 

John Krasinski (Superman)

Next up on this list we have John Krasinski, who voiced Superman in DC’s League of Super Pets. As someone who has followed Krasinski for a long time, I can’t think of anyone better to voice the superhero in this film. One of his most famous roles was portraying Jim Halpert as part of The Office cast, and becoming the second half to one of the cutest relationships on television, but Krasinski has done plenty of other fun roles. 

Krasinski directed both A Quiet Place movies, while starring in the first one, and has appeared in other films such as Away We Go, It’s Complicated, Big Miracle, and more, and had voice roles in the Pixar film Monsters University, as well as the Hayao Miyazaki film, The Wind Rises. 

The actor has also dived back into television, starring as Jack Ryan in the titular series on Amazon Prime, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. In 2022, he appeared as Reed Richards in Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Vanessa Bayer (PB The Potbelly Pig)

Moving on, we take a look at Vanessa Bayer, who voiced PB the Potbelly Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Bayer is another Saturday Night Live alumni and is funny as all heck, but she has also been in plenty of other movies and TV shows as well. 

Some of her biggest movies have been Trainwreck, Office Christmas Party, Ibiza, Barb and Star Go To Vista del Mar, and more. She also has the lead role in the Showtime comedy, I Love That For You, and has guest starred on many other TV shows as well. 

Natasha Lyonne (Merton The Turtle)

Natasha Lyonne voices Merton the Turtle in DC’s League of Super Pets, and has had quite the career in both movies and TV. For the last couple of years, she’s starred in Russian Doll on Netflix, but prior to that, she was a big part of the Orange is the New Black cast, where she played Nicky. However, Lyonne has done much more in the film and television industry than just her roles on TV. 

Some of her biggest roles have been in the American Pie cast, Ad Astra, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Scary Movie 2, But I’m A Cheerleader, Sleeping With Other People, and many others. 

Diego Luna (Chip The Squirrel)

Moving on, we now take a look at Diego Luna, who voices Chip the Squirrel in DC’s League of Super Pets. Luna has been an even bigger star in Hollywood lately, mainly thanks to his huge role in the popular Star Wars film, Rouge One: A Star Wars Story, where he played Cassian Andor - a role he is set to reprise in the upcoming Disney+ series, Andor, following the character before the film. 

However, Luna has done plenty of other projects you might recognize. He had a big role on the Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico, where he played Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo. He also has appeared in a variety of movie roles, including several Spanish films, Berlin, I Love You, A Rainy Day In New York, Wander Darkly, If Beale Street Could Talk, and more. 

Marc Maron (Lex Luthor)

Marc Maron voices the legendary villain, Lex Luthor, in DC’s League of Super Pets, and he has done plenty in the movie and TV business. Maron is mainly known for his comedy, and has had several guest appearances on late night talk shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, but he’s done plenty on his own. He hosted his own talk show, The Marc Maron Show, and co-hosted both Morning Sedition and Breakroom Live. 

Maron has also acted plenty before, doing movies such as Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Stardust, Joker, Respect, and more. He’s also appeared in many TV shows, including having his own series, Maron, and appearing in shows such as Easy, The Simpsons, and Roadies among others. He also had a co-starring role in the cancelled-too-soon Netflix series, GLOW. 

Keanu Reeves (Batman)

I don’t think I could have pictured a better casting for the role of Batman in DC’s League of Super Pets than Keanu Reeves himself, and it’s so cool to see him voicing this awesome role. Reeves has been in Hollywood for decades, and is one our our most enduring action stars. 

Reeves’ biggest roles have definitely been the Bill & Ted film series, his starring part in The Matrix Series, as well as his titular role in the John Wick movie saga, which is getting a fourth movie in 2023. However, Reeves has plenty of other major films, such as Constantine, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Street Kings, The Lake House, Already Gone, and more. He even had a voice role in Pixar’s Toy Story 4 as Duke Caboom.

Thomas Middleditch (Keith a.k.a. Ice Guinea Pig) 

Moving on, we now take a look at Thomas Middleditch, who voices Keith, known as the Ice Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Middleditch is primarily known for his role on the hit HBO series, Silicon Valley, but has done plenty of other roles that you might recognize him from. 

He has done voice roles in shows such as Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero, and the Hulu original series, Solar Opposites, and had a main role in the TV series, B Positive. He also had a voice role in the movie Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and has done live-action roles in movies such as Someone Marry Barry, The Bronze, Once Upon A Time in Venice, Tag, Zombieland: Double Tap, and more. 

Ben Schwartz  (Mark a.k.a. Fire Guinea Pig) 

Next up, we have Ben Schwartz, who voices Mark, known as the Fire Guinea Pig in DC’s League of Super Pets. Schwartz was primarily known for his role in the Parks and Recreation cast, but has since gone on to do plenty of other fun parts. 

Some of his biggest film roles have included voicing the titular character in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, and appearing in Peep World, This Is Where I Leave You, Flora & Ulysses, Falling Down, The Walk, and more. Schwartz has also had a prominent TV career besides Parks and Recreation, having roles in TV shows like Netflix’s Space Force, the comedy series The Afterparty on Apple TV+, House of Lies, Ducktales, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many more. 

Additional Voices

Lastly, there are plenty of other additional voices in DC’s League of Super Pets that we should take the time to mention. 

These include Olivia Wilde as Lois Lane, Yvette Nicole Brown as Patty, Jameela Jamil as Wonder Woman, Jemaine Clement as Aquaman, Daveed Diggs as Cyborg, Alfred Molina as Jor-El, Lena Headey as Lara, Keith David as Dog-El, Busy Philipps as Foofy Dog, Maya Erskine as Mercy Graves, and Dan Folger in the additional roles of Carl, Pilot, and Radio. 

Goodness, with so many names on here, you might think we were going to an awards show of some kind, but this is just the talent that DC’s League of Super Pets has, and it’ll be a super time wondering where these actors go next after suiting up in their fluffy suits.  

Quicker than you can say Disney live-action remake, in 2007, Amy Adams’ Giselle went from 2D to 3D and in the flesh during Enchanted. The modern musical fairytale served as a fun love letter to the Mouse House's classic princesses and was a charming comedy for the whole family. After a 15-year break and numerous questions regarding the sequel’s future, Disenchanted has finally arrived, bringing with it those beloved characters as well as some new faces to the Disney+ exclusive.  

So, before or after you watch the Adam Shankman-directed musical comedy (with new music from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz), you will probably want to know where you’ve seen and heard the Disenchanted cast before. Well, worry no more, for we have put together a quick yet comprehensive rundown of the actors in the long-awaited sequel.  

Amy Adams (Giselle)

An Enchanted movie just couldn’t happen without Amy Adams, and the actress is indeed returning to the role of Giselle from Disenchanted. The movie will take place 15 years after Giselle’s happily-ever-after with Robert and follow the couple as they move to a new house in a town called Monroeville. When speaking about reprising the role last year, Adams said it was “humbling” to do even more singing and dancing “not in my 20s.”

Since last taking on the leading role in Enchanted, Adams has become one of the most prolific and decorated names in Hollywood, earning two Golden Globes (American Hustle and Big Eyes), multiple Oscar nominations for movies like The Fighter and Vice, and praise for roles in the likes of Arrival, Sharp Objects, and Nocturnal Animals.

Patrick Dempsey (Robert Philip)

Giselle’s true love Robert is also back, with Patrick Dempsey returning to complete Enchanted’s sweet romantic pairing. In the 2007 flick, Giselle and Robert were complete opposites and from completely different worlds, with her being from a literal fairytale and him being a widowed divorce lawyer. But as the events of the film take place, Robert and Giselle fall for one another and form a cute family with Robert’s young daughter, Morgan.

Dempsey, who was in the early days of his run on Grey’s Anatomy when Enchanted was released, has remained just as busy since then, despite leaving the medical drama in 2015 (he did briefly return for the show’s 17th season). Movies like Made of Honor, Bridget Jones’s Baby, and The Art of Racing in the Rain have all featured the versatile actor in the past decade-and-a-half.

James Marsden (Prince Edward)

The jolly singing Prince Edward of Andalasia also returns in Disenchanted. James Marsden plays the role once again after he provided some particularly memorable and hilarious moments in the original. While he and Giselle originally fell in love in the fairytale world, once Giselle met Robert, Edward also found a new partner in Robert’s girlfriend Nancy, and at the end of the film, they got married in Andalasia.

Already a massive star prior to his appearance in Enchanted thanks in part to the X-Men movies, Marsden has continued to be a major force in Hollywood. Roles in movies like Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 sequel, as well as appearances on the shows like 30 Rock, Westworld, Dead to Me, and The Stand have all kept Marsden in the spotlight the past decade-plus. 

Idina Menzel (Nancy Tremaine)

Nancy Tremaine is also back for Disenchanted, once again being played by the talented Idina Menzel, who has since become a Disney princess herself as the voice of Elsa in Frozen. Funny enough, in the first movie, Menzel did not get to sing a single song, despite her incredible voice. This time around, it looks like the actress will get a music number or two. Which makes sense, because as you can imagine, spending time in Andalasia inspires the song in people. 

In addition to portraying Elsa in the incredibly successful Frozen franchise, Menzel has also appeared in the 2021 Prime Video adaptation of Cinderella as well as the A24 movie Uncut Gems alongside Adam Sandler in 2019.

Gabriella Baldacchino (Morgan Philip)

Robert’s daughter Morgan has grown up since Enchanted, and in Disenchanted, she will return. However, the original actress has been replaced with newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino. Morgan was originally played by Rachel Covey, who is not currently working in acting (Covey has gone on to write and score her own musical called, Painting Faye Salvez though). 

Baldacchino is 21, has a musical theatre background and will make her feature film debut with Disenchanted. 

Maya Rudolph (Malvina Monroe)

Disenchanted's villain will be played by Maya Rudolph, as the actress herself shared in 2021. In the 2007 movie, Giselle was haunted by Susan Sarandon’s Queen Narissa, who was Prince Edward’s evil stepmother, a sorceress who felt threatened by Giselle becoming the new queen. Rudolph’s character, Malvina Monroe, oversees the new neighborhood Giselle and Robert move into, leading to some major conflicts.

Rudolph, who is probably best known for her time on Saturday Night Live and role in the 2011 raunchy comedy Bridesmaids, has done a little bit of everything throughout her career. Comedies and dramas, animated movies and live-action adventures, she’s done it all. She currently leads the Apple TV+ original series Loot.

Oscar Nuñez (Edgar)

Also among the new cast joining Disenchanted is Oscar Nuñez, who provides the face and voice of Malvina’s magical mirror, Edgar.

Nuñez is well known for playing Oscar Martinez on The Office alongside Steve Carell, John Krasinski and the rest of its hilarious cast throughout the show’s run The funny actor has also been seen in movies like 2009’s The Proposal and 2017’s Baywatch. He also showed up in the 2022 action romance film The Lost City earlier in 2022.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Rosaleen)

Disenchanted is packed full of great comedy actors. Yvette Nicole Brown is also part of the Disenchanted cast as Rosaleen, one of Malvina’s evil neighborhood minions. 

The actress is best known for playing Shirley in Community, Dani in CBS’ The Odd Couple and as Dina in ABC’s The Mayor. She has also held numerous movie roles in films, including Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Avengers: Endgame, and Repo Men, to name a few. 

Jayma Mays (Ruby)

Also in the cast of Disenchanted is Jayma Mays, who takes on the role of Ruby, another one of Malvina’s neighborhood cronies. 

Mays is most recognizable as Emma Pillsbury in FOX’s musical series Glee. The actress has also previously held roles in 2011’s The Smurfs movie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop and in a recurring role in The Millers. 

Kolton Stewart (Tyson Monroe)

Locke & Key’s Kolton Stewart, appears in Disenchanted as Tyson Monroe, the son of Maya Rudolph’s villain. 

Like much of the cast of the Disenchanted sequel, Stewart has a song and dance background. His previous work includes roles on shows like The Expanse, Timeline, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, to name only a few.

Ann Harada

Another Broadway talent joining the musical is Ann Harada, who shows up in Disenchanted as one of Robert’s fellow commuters 

Harada was notably part of the original cast of award-winning Broadway musical comedy Avenue Q as the character of Christmas Eve, along with taking the stage for Les Misérables, 9 to 5 and Cinderella. Harada recently appeared  in the Schmigadoon! cast on Apple TV+ and guest starred in Blue Bloods.

Michael McCorry Rose 

A newcomer to Hollywood, Michael McCorry Rose is part of the Disenchanted cast as one of the commuters on the train into New York City, as seen in the movie’s magical trailer.. 

The actor has been part of Broadway musicals, including the Tony Award winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder, along with being part of the casts of Wicked and the first National Tour of Anastasia. He has long collaborated with one of the Disenchanted songwriters, Stephen Schwartz, and has also performed with orchestras and symphonies.

James Monroe Iglehart

Broadway’s Genie James Monroe Iglehart appears in Disenchanted as another one of the commuters on Robert’s train into the city. 

The actor won a 2014 Tony for bringing Genie to life in the Aladdin stage musical, but he also took the mantle of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton from 2017 to 2021. He also voiced the role of Lance Strongbow in Disney Channel’s Tangled series among many other TV credits.

That’s quite the exciting group of actors leading the Disenchanted cast, which can currently be watched with a Disney+ subscription. If you want to know what other movies are set to come out in the final weeks of the year, check out all the upcoming 2022 release dates here on CinemaBlend. 

Stream Disenchanted on Disney+.

When it comes to the iconic sitcoms of the late 1990s and early 2000s, one that always pops into my mind is That ‘70s Show, a sitcom featuring a group of teenagers living in the 1970s and learning to grow up in this crazy decade. There's a new spinoff, That ‘90s Show, in production, so it’s only fair that we revisit this great comedy. 

With eight seasons under its belt, there were plenty of random guest stars on That '70s Show, from eventual big-time movie stars to TV legends, none of whom were that big at the time, and you might have forgotten they even appeared on the show. If you’re looking to see who guest starred on the series, here are eight actors that you might have forgotten about. 

Dwyane Johnson - Rocky Johnson

Now, Dwayne Johnson is a household name. He’s popular on social media, is a box-office and streaming magnet, and has a hilarious friendship with Kevin Hart. Everyone probably knows about this wrestler-turned-movie star nowadays, as Johnson's starred in some amazing movies and explored multiple different business ventures, but there was a time where Dwayne Johnson was mostly just known as The Rock in the WWE. 

One of his first roles ever was actually portraying his father, Rocky Johnson, another big-time wrestler, during the That ‘70s Show episode, “That Wrestling Show,” in Season 1. It’s always fun to look back on this episode and think of how far he has come as an actor. 

The Sprouse Twins - Bobby And Billy

Before Dylan and Cole Sprouse became huge from their mega-popular Disney Channel show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, they had a small appearance on That ‘70s Show, in the episode, “Eric’s Depression,” during Season 4, where they are featured in some hilarious scenes alongside Kelso in the Funland amusement park. 

I’m sure at this point, you’ve heard of the Sprouse twins. As popular as the Olsen twins, in my opinion, both Dylan and Cole Sprouse have gone on to do many things in the spotlight. Cole Sprouse became even bigger by joining the Riverdale cast and has played Jughead Jones for six seasons now (and counting). Dylan Sprouse has starred in several movies like After We Collided and The Curse of Turandot. 

As someone who grew up watching both of them on television, I loved watching this episode with them as little kids. It’s so cool to remember how much they’ve done since then. 

Yvette Nicole Brown - Sgt. Davis

You know, I have seen Yvette Nicole Brown everywhere on TV, in so many different shows, from the Nickelodeon series, Drake and Josh, the cast of Community, to her several guest appearances on The Talking Dead as a Walking Dead superfan. However, when she was first starting out on TV, she had a guest role in That ‘70s Show, during the episode, “You’re My Best Friend” in Season 8. 

It’s so funny to re-watch her as Sgt. Davis, as even then you can clearly see her personality shine through on the screen for the small time she’s there. I always love watching her act. 

Jenna Fischer - Stacy Wanamaker 

Before she became one-half of the most famous couple on The Office as Pam Beesley, Jenna Fischer had a guest role on That ‘70s Show, where she played Stacy Wanamaker in the episode, “Don’t Lie to Me,” during Season 7. 

Her character owned a bridal store and was the complete opposite of the sweetheart that Pam Beesley is - a snob who warns Jackie that she should find someone to marry before her ‘expiration date.’ Just shows how great of an actress Jenna Fischer is. 

Amy Adams - Kat Peterson

I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Amy Adams was a huge part of my childhood, starring in films like Enchanted (which is getting a sequel soon) and The Muppet Movie, while later taking on more mature work in films like Arrival and shows such as Sharp Objects. 

But, before her big break, she had a guest role on That ‘70s Show in the Season 2 episode, “Burning Down the House,” portraying Kat Peterson, one of the most popular girls at school, whom Jackie wants to impress. 

Fun fact - this was actually Amy Adams’ first-ever television role. It’s insane to remember how much she has accomplished as an actress since this first appearance. 

Rachel Bilson - Christy

While many probably know Rachel Bilson from her famous role as Summer Roberts as part of The O.C. cast, when she was first beginning that role, she had a guest-spot on That ‘70s Show. She portrayed Christy, a guest at Mitch’s wedding in the Season 6 episode, “5:15.”

It’s always fun to re-watch the episode and see how she was only interested in speaking to Fez (played by Wilmer Valderrama) when he started acting as if he was rich. Gotta love a gold-digger - and Bilson played it perfectly. 

Jim Rash - Fenton 

Before he was the Dean in the Community cast, Jim Rash played Fenton in That ‘70s Show, a character that would pop up every now and again at a jewelry store, beginning in Season 5 and helping Eric (originally) to buy Donna’s engagement ring. However, he soon becomes the landlord for both Fez and Kelso. 

As someone who had no idea who he was when I originally watched That '70s Show, it’s a joy to re-watch this show again as a Community fan and see him as Fenton. His character is so different from the Dean in Community, and that shows off his acting skills. 

Leslie David Baker - Janitor

Last but not least, we have Leslie David Baker, who portrayed a janitor in the That ‘70s Show episode, “Backstage Pass,” during Season 3. While Leslie David Baker is known more for his iconic role as Stanley Hudson as part of The Office cast, it’s always fun to revisit his small guest role in this show before he became known for that part, and his one little scene with Eric always makes me snicker. 

There are plenty of other fun guest stars who appeared on the show, such as Betty White, Alice Cooper, and many others, but these are some of my personal favorites that you might have forgotten about. Be sure to keep an eye out for them on your next re-watch of That '70s Show.

Insecure fans rejoiced when the beloved HBO series finally returned for its fifth and final season this past weekend. While many enjoyed the first episode, some found one character to be somewhat problematic during the premiere. Apparently, some fans with ties to Black Greek life weren’t amused by Tiffany Dubois, who is depicted as an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member (and sports the organizations colors in multiple scenes). Some viewers decided to seek out Tiffany herself Amanda Seales and co-creator Issa Rae to let their feelings be known, and the stars, along with Yvette Nicole Brown, have responded.

The social media backlash began after some members of the Divine Nine questioned if Amanda Seales was part of the Black Greek life. After multiple reached out to her online, Seales took her Instagram Stories to quell the rumors. According to People, the Insecure star responded by revealing she was “not a soror” but stated that her character was. She also reminded her followers that she “didn’t write the character.” This didn’t appear to sit well with some devoted fans, who decided to take the issue to Issa Rae. Upon hearing and seeing the AKA backlash, the entertainer didn't mince words, as she shared a sarcastic response on Twitter:

Following the sharp comeback on social media , an unexpected ally came to her, Amanda Seales and the HBO series’ defense. Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown took to Twitter to throw in her two cents about the backlash. (The actress wasn't a stranger to voicing her opinion.) Speaking as an AKA herself, Brown let it be known she wasn’t offended by the comedy’s portrayal of the historic sorority. Check out the star's blunt yet needed response to the backlash:

Yvette Nicole Brown definitely understands what it's like to be heavily linked to a role. As she mentioned, even though she's a bit removed from her role on NBC's Community, many still believe she's synonymous with the fictional character. So being an AKA herself, the veteran actress spoke from a place of authority and understanding here. Though it should be pointed out that every person has their own opinion and is entitled to their opinions on a certain situation.

Those who are familiar with Black Greek life likely know how precious those colors and letters are to the Divine Nine. The Greek organizations just don’t allow any and every one to wear them without being a part of an actual Black sorority or fraternity. There are certain rules and codes they abide by, and their depictions in film and TV over the years haven't always been the best. In this case, it would seem that Tiffany DuBois’ portrayal was more about the love and sisterhood of the historic sorority tends to value.

At this point, it's unclear how much the organization will factor into the rest of the season. Viewers can look forward to seeing how Insecure Season 5 plays out, as new episodes premiere every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on HBO. And be sure to check out our fall 2021 TV schedule for more on the shows you can look forward to at the end of this year.

Despite having taken part in all kinds of multi-genre adventures over the years, The Muppets never truly embraced the world of horror until this year's Disney+ special Muppets Haunted Mansion, the ingenius combination of Jim Henson's fun-loving creations and one of Disneyland's most iconic attractions. Considering how excellent the special is, one can only hope that the characters aren't too far away from making fright-filled projects. So it seemed only fitting when CinemaBlend spoke to Walking Dead superfan and MHM co-star Yvette Nicole Brown and Gonzo the Great for me to ask about the latter's chances of survival during a zombie apocalypse. 

While The Walking Dead's ever-expanding universe has brought about the brutal ends to untold numbers of characters big and small, Yvette Nicole Brown is of the belief that this would not be a fate to be suffered by Gonzo. As seen in our video above, here's how she put it:

Cue the hypest WWE entrance music you can find, because that's a statement that needs to be followed by a high-five-filled walk through fans. Not that Gonzo has an easy time of walking through crowds, or high-fiving people. But hey, if Yvette Nicole Brown thinks he's is badass enough to live through walker attacks, I'm not about to deny her beliefs. 

In following up on Brown's boast, Gonzo kinda flubbed his words. But I don't think "speaking correctly" has ever been a dependable way to kill off walkers, so this shouldn't reflect negatively on what his chances would be as a zombie-destroying warrior.

For the record, Gonzo is also post-alpacalipstick, post-acropadipstick, Proust-iconoclastic, and Pabst-firstribbonistic. And don't anybody try to say those things aren't true. 

When I offered up the idea that Gonzo could weaponize his rather noteworthy schnoz to defend himself from walkers, the Muppet responded with the perfect amount of hyper-dry wit, saying:

I mean, we are talking about a character who has readily entered himself into cannons with the express purpose of being shot out of them (and not always into safety nets or anything of that nature). So he's quite used to risks and painful situations, even if he's not specifically accustomed to having zombies attempting to gnaw his fuzzy skin. 

If Gonzo the Great happened to show up in Alexandria during Season 11 — and let's just take a second to think about how truly and wonderfully bizarre that would be — it wouldn't even be the first time that the Muppet-verse would crossover with The Walking Dead. Back in 2017, Sesame Street delivered the segment "The Walking Gingerbread," with Cookie Monster in the role of Sheriff Lick Graham (a pun on Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes). Later that same year, the live performance event The Muppets Take the Bowl included a pre-taped segment feature Swedish Chef titled "The Walking Bread," in which he fought off moldy bread. 

Muppets fans definitely need to check out Muppets Haunted House, currently streaming on Disney+, while AMC is currently delivering undead mayhem every Sunday night via Fear the Walking Dead Season 7 and The Walking Dead: World Beyond Season 2.

The idea of the Muppets spending the night in the spookiest of Walt Disney World’s famous attractions is so brilliantly funny on its own that I am surprised it has never been done before. The fact that the the likes of Will Arnett, former Community cast member Yvette Nicole Brown, Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson, and Darren Criss from the Glee cast will be joining them makes me even more excited to see the Disney+ original special. There are plenty of other humans in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast to look forward to seeing interact with Jim Henson’s iconic creations, but we will begin with our spirited guide.

Will Arnett (Ghost Host)

In Disney’s original attraction, the Ghost Host is a disembodied voice, but in Muppets Haunted Mansion, the felted friends are guided by multi-Emmy nominee Will Arnett, who first skyrocketed to fame in the Arrested Development cast as the despicable Gob Bluth. The Canadian actor might have even gotten this part with his voice alone, which is famous from his role as Batman in both of the LEGO Movie installments and his own spin-off, as well as the animated Netflix original, Bojack Horseman, as the title character. Arnett will next lend his voice to the 2022 monster comedy, Rumble, and you can currently see him on The Morning Show Season 2 on Apple TV+.

Taraji P. Henson (Constance Hatchaway)

One of the most famous (and sinister) entities from the Haunted Mansion attraction is Constance Hatchaway (otherwise known as “The Black Widow Bride”), who will be brought to life in Muppets Haunted Mansion by Taraji P. Henson (no relation to Jim) - best known for her Golden Globe-winning role on Empire as Cookie Lyon, whose own spin-off is now in the works. On the big screen, she earned an Oscar nomination for playing Brad Pitt’s adoptive mother in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, earned praise for the Oscar-nominated biopic Hidden Figures, and earned laughs in movies like Date Night, Think Like a Man, and What Men Want (a gender-swapped update of What Women Want). She will also lend her voice, in 2022, to Minions: The Rise of Gru and is playing Miss Hannigan in NBC’s upcoming Annie Live! broadcast.

Darren Criss (The Caretaker) 

Someone with previous experience performing in musicals is Glee alum Darren Criss, who stars as the Caretaker of the Haunted Mansion in the Disney+ special, which is not too far from qualifying for one of his darkest roles to date. The 34-year-old appeared on American Horror Story: Hotel, won an Emmy as Gianni Versace’s killer in American Crime Story Season 2, and has crossed comic book adaptations off his bucket list by voicing Superman in two animated DC movies, Raphael in Batman vs. the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and playing Music Meister in the Arrowverse shows. The star of Netflix’s Hollywood miniseries has also recently lent his voice to two original anime series for the platform (Yasuke and Trese), and to Rick and Morty Season 5, as well.

Yvette Nicole Brown (The Hearse Driver)

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon made a star out of Emmy nominee Yvette Nicole Brown (who drives the horse-drawn hearse in Muppets Haunted Mansion) by casting her as Shirley Bennett on Community, despite already achieving sitcom royalty for younger audiences as Helen on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh. She was also a series regular on CBS’ The Odd Couple reboot, had a recurring role on Mom, and has been involved with both Marvel movies and DC TV shows with an Avengers: Endgame cameo and by voicing a lighter version of Amanda Waller on DC Super Hero Girls (to name just a couple). Her next big Disney project is Disenchanted - the long-awaited Enchanted sequel.

Chrissy Metz (Harriet)

Muppets Haunted Mansion finally confirms that Harriet (whose name appears on a tombstone in the attraction) is a ghostly opera singer seen near its end, who is played in the special by Chrissy Metz. One of her earliest breakthroughs (not meant to be a pun relating to her part in the 2019 faith-based film Breakthrough, initially at least) was playing Ima “Barbara” Wiggles on American Horror Story in its fourth season, but it was her Emmy-nominated role on This Is Us that made her a household name. She will continue to voice Mei Mei on Season 2 on Amazon Prime’s series spin-off from Kung Fu Panda, and her upcoming drama, Stay Awake, is in post-production.

Alfonso Ribeiro (Fred)

Playing Fred, a man who died when a "great big rock fell on his head,” in Muppets Haunted Mansion is Alfonso Ribiero, whom you may recognize best from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Carlton Banks. If you do recognize him by his real name, then you must be a fan of Dancing with the Stars (on which he has appeared as a contestant and guest judge) or of America’s Funniest Home Videos, which he has hosted since 2015. 

Sasheer Zamata (Mary) 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was the inspiration for a few funny sketches on Saturday Night Live, on which Sasheer Zamata was a main cast member from 2013 to 2017 before playing a ghost named Mary in Muppets Haunted Mansion. In addition to other comedies like the Amy Shumer movie I Feel Pretty from 2018, the animated Tuca and Bertie, or Netflix’s The Mitchells vs The Machines, the actress has also starred in darker films, such as Blumhouse’s Sleight in 2017 or the Joe Keery-led found footage thriller, Spree, in 2020. She is currently a series regular on ABC’s Home Economics and will voice a role in Disney Channel’s upcoming series Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.

John Stamos (Himself) 

John Stamos has played many different kinds of characters since he became a star by joining the Full House cast as Jesse Katsopolis (whom he reprised on Netflix’s Fuller House). The actor has been a doctor (on ER, Glee, and You), a suave burglar (on short-lived ABC drama Thieves), a celebrity publicist (on short-lived ABC dramedy Jake in Progress), a playboy restaurateur (on Fox’s Grandfathered), and even a killer (in the 1991 TV movie Captive). However, it seems quite fitting that he is credited as himself in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast.

Danny Trejo (Huet) 

I would not have been surprised if Danny Trejo was also playing himself in Muppets Haunted Mansion, but I love the idea of him playing one of the attraction’s most famous unseen characters, Huet. The 77-year-old Mexican-American actor and former convict’s breakout acting role was in Heat from 1995, the same year as Desperado - his first of many collaborations with Robert Rodriguez, including From Dusk Till Dawn and the Spy Kids movies. The next of his 400-plus credits will see him re-team with Taraji P. Henson in Minions: The Rise of Gru and, hopefully, his most badass character ever will return in Machete Kills… in Space soon.

Ed Asner (Claude) 

Since starting his career in the late 1950s, seven-time Emmy Award winner Ed Asner became a legend of both the big and small screen, from his role as Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, to playing Santa alongside Will Ferrell in Elf in 2003. The role of Claude in Muppets Haunted Mansion marks the final collaboration with Disney for the Up actor, who passed away in August 2021 at the age of 91. However, he is set to appear posthumously in several more titles, including a documentary profiling Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the star-studded animated film, Back Home Again.

Craig Robinson (Singing Bust #2)

One of the five Muppets Haunted Mansion cast members portraying the famous Singing Busts is Craig Robinson, who would evolve into one of the most prominent voices in comedy after his recurring stint in the Office cast as Darryl Philbin became a series regular role. This promotion came following the comedian’s starring roles in hit movies like Zack and Miri Make a Porno from 2007, Pineapple Express in 2008 and 2010’s Hot Tub Time Machine (and its 2015 sequel). The This Is the End star (who also had his own short-lived sitcom on NBC called Mr. Robinson) has also appeared in dramas like 2020’s Songbird and the upcoming thriller, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. 

Justina Machado (Singing Bust #4)

Sitcoms, dramas, and reality TV competition shows, as well, have defined Justina Machado’s career, which include recurring roles on shows like Six Feet Under and Jane the Virgin, her acclaimed lead role on the Netflix’s One Day at a Time, and her success on Dancing with the Stars as a contestant. She once worked with Steven Spielberg on A.I.: Artificial Intelligence and is a bit of a Scream Queen, appearing in horror movies Final Destination 2 and The Purge: Anarchy. After playing one of Muppets Haunted Mansion’s Singing Busts, Machado will star in Covid-19-themed anthology film With/in: Volume 1, and has landed the title role in Amazon Prime’s The Horror of Delores Roach.

Skai Jackson (Singing Bust #4) 

So far, playing a Singing Bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion is the closest Skai Jackson has come to starring in a horror movie, but her relationship with Disney goes back a long way, starting with her role on Disney Channel’s Jessie as Zuri Ross, whom she reprised on the spin-off, Bunk’d, after playing Dwayne Johnson’s daughter in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. She has lent her voice to a few animated Marvel TV shows, Dragons: Rescue Riders (Netflix’s series spin-off of How to Train Your Dragon), and an upcoming modern twist on J.M. Barrie’s classic novel called Peter Pan, Land of Forever.

Geoff Keighley (Uncle Theodore) 

The leader of the Singing Busts, Uncle Theodore (voiced by Thurl Ravencroft in the original attraction), is played in Muppets Haunted Mansion by Geoff Keighley, in what is technically his acting debut. His claim to fame is being one of the most high-profile journalists to specialize in video game reporting. In fact, one of his only other real acting credits is voicing an asylum patient in the PlayStation 3 release of Twisted Metal from 2012. 

Pat Sajak (Singing Bust #1) 

While Pat Sajak’s role as a Singing Bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion is not his acting debut, it is one of the few times he is not playing himself on screen, which he first did in Airplane II: The Sequel in 1982, before doing it again on TV shows like The A-Team and even Rugrats. Of course, his best-known “performance” is hosting Wheel of Fortune since 1983.

Seeing the likes of Pat Sajak and Geoff Keighley in the Muppets Haunted Mansion cast is quite a surprise, making one wonder what other surprises (and even scares) are also in store. Find out by watching the special on Disney+ on Friday, October 8, 2021.

While The Muppets have been known to hang out in Manhattan, Nanny's nursery, TV studios, outer space, and in Disney theme parks, the iconic characters have somehow never convened for a swine-killing...ahem...spine-chilling Halloween adventure. (Sorry, Miss Piggy.) Thankfully, everyone's October will be filled with felt-covered tricks and treats in the form of Disney+'s new special Muppets Haunted Mansion, which is a delightfully macabre combo that delivers everything a fan of The Muppets and Halloween could hope for. And even things we didn't know we were missing, such as Yvette Nicole Brown! And a statuesque Pat Sajak!

Ahead of the special's October 8 debut on Disney+, I had the life-affirming pleasure of speaking with Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and the lowercase great Yvette Nicole Brown, as seen in the video above. And like me and presumably millions of other fans out there, everyone involved was pumped about finally bringing the Muppets into the horror-lite genre for Muppets Haunted Mansion. When I asked Miss Piggy for her thoughts on the connection, she laid out exactly what a fan would want to hear. 

Miss Piggy immediately referenced what I've long considred to be one of pop culture's white whales: basically any of the previous attempts to give The Muppets a Halloween special. The holiday mash-up was originally pitched in the early 1970s and predated The Muppet Show, while a Muppets Haunted House concept was in various stage of early development throughout the 1990s, with the Playstation game Muppet Monster Adventure being the end result, as it were.

To Miss Piggy's point, Muppets Haunted Mansion is definitely a one-of-a-kind project that likely would have been handled completely differently had it been approached at an earlier time. While Disney has never been a stranger to marketing tie-ins, the complete immersion of Muppets-dom within the legendary Disneyland attraction feels like it could have only come after the MCU's interconnectedness (and even The Simpsons' crossover shorts) led the charge. To boot, it truly matches the all-ages enjoyment that The Haunted Mansion has delivered for over 50 years.

While Miss Piggy was in positive-minded promotional mode, Gonzo looked at things from a different and more personally literal perspective, which is what one would expect from the beloved weirdo. In his words:

Gonzo is a hard act to follow in any capacity, even when there aren't any cannons involved, but it helps to be as cool, collected and classy as Yvette Nicole Brown. The well-documented horror fan likely isn't the only one out there who was surprised to realize this was The Muppets' first foray into frights. Here's why she thinks Jim Henson's cherished creations are a solid match for Halloween:

Gather your kids, your parents, your siblings, your friends, your pets and all the ghosts from the old shed, so that everyone can find a seat in the Omnimover for the debut of Muppets Haunted Mansion on Disney+ on Friday, October 8. When you're done catching up with all the other Muppets fare the streaming service has to offer, check out everything else hitting the 2021 Fall TV schedule soon!

If there was ever just one piece of information about a Hollywood actor that I didn’t know I needed, it would be how Matthew McConaughey smells. Apparently the star doesn’t feel the need to wear deodorant, but his Tropic Thunder costar Yvette Nicole Brown says the questionable hygiene choice suits him, and that he smells like “Good Living.” That's exactly how I would imagine the down-to-Earth man would smell.

Apparently Yvette Nicole Brown made a point to get to know Matthew McConaughey’s scent when they were working together on Tropic Thunder because she had heard he claims to have no odor despite the fact that he never wears deodorant. As Brown said in her interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, McConaughey has the sweet scent of “Granola and Good Living.” Here it is in the actresses’ own words:

Yvette Nicole Brown says she’s a huge Matthew McConaughey fan (you and me both, Yvette), and I honestly can’t think of anything that screams crazy fan behavior more than being cast on a big production opposite someone like McConaughey and making the conscious decision to sniff him. No shade, though, because I would have done the same thing, and I’m elevated to now know just how the face of Wild Turkey smells.

Unlike Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey wasn’t knee deep in mud in Tropic Thunder for the majority of the movie. He played a big name Hollywood agent in a clean suit in his scenes with Yvette Nicole Brown, and I would wager that he smelled a little different in films like Mud and Dallas Buyers Club.

There’s a lot of controversy going around concerning celebrities and their bathing habits and level of hygiene. While it sounds like Matthew McConaughey is a little more liberal with his habits, it doesn’t sound like he (or anyone within smelling proximity) is any worse off for it.

Matthew McConaughey is an on-brand guy, and it would seem that even his scent is on board with how he brands himself as someone who is one with nature and at peace with the cosmos. While he doesn’t make movies super frequently these days, you can get your dose of McConaughey through his new YouTube channel - it’s just a shame technology hasn’t mastered the art of transferring smells through the screen yet!

After what seems like an eternity, Big Shot, the long-awaited sports dramedy series starring John Stamos as a temperamental college basketball coach looking for redemption (and a new job) has finally landed on Disney+. With the arrival of the show’s premiere episode on the popular streaming service, you may be wondering who are all those people on the stacked Big Shot cast alongside the longtime TV star.

With so many familiar faces (as well as up-and-coming talent) taking up on space on the screen, it’s easy to lose track of all the stars and stars in the making who shoot hoops and pull the strings at the prestigious Westbrook School for Girls at the center of Big Shot. No need to lose yourself to a cast list rabbit-hole as we’ve put together a handy guide breaking down the cast of the latest Disney+ sports series…

John Stamos - Marvyn Korn

Leading Big Shot is John Stamos’ Marvyn Korn, a one-time successful NCAA basketball coach who finds himself out of a job and in need of redemption after one of his on-court temper tantrums gets him attention for all the wrong reasons. Prior to taking on the role of coach taking on a new challenge at a prestigious girls school, Stamos had been around television for just as long as about anyone still acting on the small screen with his most famous series being Full House and its Netflix revival Fuller House. Outside of playing Jesse Katsopolis of Jesse and the Rippers, Stamos has appeared on everything from soap operas like General Hospital to medical dramas like ER with dozens of other performances scattered throughout his nearly 40-year career.

Jessalyn Gilsig - Holly Barrett

There to balance out Marvyn Kork’s rough-around-the-edges personality is Westbrook assistant coach Holly Barrett, who is played by Jessalyn Gilsig on the Disney+ streaming series. A longtime collaborator of Big Shot developer David E. Kelley, Gilsig has appeared on several of the television producer’s previous series including Boston Public and The Practice. Outside of the Kelley-verse, Gilsig has played Terri Schuester on Glee, Gina Russo on Nip/Tuck, and Siggy on the first three seasons of Vikings. Gilsig is also remembered for replacing Joelle Carter on Scandal Season 6.

Yvette Nicole Brown - Sherilyn Thomas

Portraying Westbrook School for Girls dean Sherilyn Thomas, the no nonsense administrator who reluctantly gives Marvyn Korn a job in Big Shot, is Community alum Yvette Nicole Brown. In addition to playing Shirley Bennett on the NBC cult comedy series, Brown has had notable roles on shows like Drake & Josh and The Odd Couple reboot. Brown also has a substantial list of performances on the big screen as well, including Avengers: Endgame, in which she played Phyllis Jenkins, the S.H.I.E.L.D.employee who had a bad feeling about Tony Stark and Steve Rogers’ demeanors when the pair went back to 1970 to obtain the Space Stone and more Pym particles.

Richard Robichaux - George Pappas

Taking on the role of Westbrook school counselor George Pappas on Big Shot is Richard Robichaux. Prior to landing his role on the Disney+ sports dramedy, Robichaux showed up on a number of television shows and only needs to appear on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit to complete the Law and Order hat-trick. In addition to his television appearances, which also include an 80-episode run on All My Children, Robichaux has also shown in movies like Ocean’s Eight and multiple Richard Linklater films including Bernie, Boyhood, Last Flag Flying, and Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

Sophia Mitri Schloss - Emma Korn

Sophia Mitri Schloss plays Emma Korn, the teenage daughter of John Stamos’s character on Big Shot. Prior to landing one of the big supporting roles on the new Disney+ series, Schloss had a major role on the Amazon original series The Kicks where she played Emma Gelbaum. Since then, Schloss has appeared on an episode of Portlandia and the 2018 drama Sadie, to name just a few of her performances. Before all of that, Schloss had a small role in a 2015 episode of The Librarians and even appeared in the pilot episode of Grimm back in 2011.

Nell Verlaque - Louise Gruzinsky

Despite the way she handles herself as Westbrook star player Louise Gruzinsky on Big Shot, actress Nell Verlaque has only been acting professionally for a few years now with only a handful of film and television appearances to her name. Prior to landing her biggest role to date, Verlaque portrayed Becky Harlow in the 2020 drama The Marijuana Conspiracy, Sarah Porter in the 2019 made-for-TV movie Secrets in a Small Town, and a character by the name of Emily Connor in a 2017 episode of the CBS courtroom drama Bull.

Tiana Le - Destiny Winters

Appearing on Big Shot as Westbrook basketball player Destiny Winters is Tiana Le. In the years leading up to her performance as one of the key players on the basketball team of the elite all girls school in the Disney+ original drama series, Le appeared in quite a few television shows in a very short amount of time. It all started off in 2016 with a multi-episode run Issa Rae's HBO comedy Insecure, which she then followed up with the series Just Add Magic. Follow that up with a short stint on General Hospital in the 2017-2018 season and throw in 11 episodes on No Good Nick, and you’re all caught up with Tiana Le.

Monique Green - Olive Cooper

Monique Green plays Olive Cooper, the Westbrook basketball player who’s not all that impressed with John Stamos’ character on Big Shot. This, however, isn’t the first time Green and Stamos have appeared on the same television show as the young actress had a small role on an episode of Fuller House back in 2017. If you don’t recognize her from the Netflix family comedy series, there’s a chance you could have spotted Green on This Is Us, black-ish, or Fresh off the Boat. And if you want to go way back, Green also appeared in episodes of The Closer and Criminal Minds in the early days of her career.

Tisha Custodio - Carolyn “Mouse” Smith

Taking on the role of Carolyn “Mouse” Smith in Big Shot is Tisha Custodio. This is the first big break for Custodio, who serves as one of the few members of the Westbrook basketball team to give Marvyn Korn an honest chance in the beginning of the coach’s tenure at the elite private school. Going back to 2016, Custodio has appeared in three short films, the most recent of which, About Last Summer was written and directed by the young star in the making.

Cricket Wampler - Samantha “Giggles” Finkman

Cricket Wampler is seen in Big Shot as a member of the Westbrook basketball team named Samantha Finkman but goes by the nickname Giggles. This is the first major role for Wampler who previously appeared in smaller, one-off situations in a few shows dating back to 2013. Wampler’s career got going in 2013 when she showed up in an episode of the Disney Channel series Crash & Bernstein, which she then followed up with About a Boy in 2014 and Mr. Robinson in 2015, appearing in two episodes of the former and the pilot of the latter.

Keala Settle - Christina Winters

Keala Settle shows up in a recurring capacity as Christina Winters, the mother of Westbrook basketball player Destiny Winters. One of the most recognizable faces on the Big Shot cast, Settle is best known for her stunning performance and her inspiring song, "This Is Me" as Lettie Lutz, aka the “Bearded Woman” in 2017’s The Greatest Showman, but her career doesn’t start there. Prior to making a huge impression on audiences in the Hugh Jackman-led musical, Settle made a name for herself in the world of theatre, appearing in touring productions of Hairspray and South Pacific before making her Broadway debut in the 2011-2012 run of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. She has gone on the show up in Les Misérables, Waitress, and Jesus Christ Superstar since then.

Emery Kelly - Dylan

Rounding out the Big Shot cast is Emery Kelly, who appears as a recurring character known as Dylan. Prior to landing the role in the new Disney+ series, Kelly appeared in 39 episodes of the Netflix original series Alexa and Katie, playing Lucas Mendoza. During the middle of his tenure on the children’s comedy series, Kelly shows up in Max Winslow and the House of Secrets in 2019. Kelly’s other credits including television series like Dog with a Blog, Best Friends Whenever, and Lab Rats: Bionic Island.

The Big Shot cast is one that consists of both established stars like series lead John Stamos and a team of young and talented actors looking for their big break. You can see them all in action when Big Shot airs every Friday on Disney+. If you want to know what else is coming to your favorite television channel and streaming service, check out CinemaBlend’s Spring 2021 TV schedule.

One of my favorite things about House is that, unlike some other popular medical dramas, it seemed to have a clear stopping point in mind. Yet, the Fox series, starring Hugh Laurie in the Golden Globe-winning title role of a cynical, Sherlock Holmesian diagnostics expert, boasts a hefty amount of guest stars after eight seasons. Not to mention the fact that many of these up-and-comers of the time, such as the talented Elle Fanning or Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, are some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood today.

As it tends to be the case when searching for A-listers whose early appearance on a TV show may have slipped your mind, there were many to choose from among those who can say they had the “pleasure” of having their case investigated by Dr. Gregory House and his team. Of course, to save us all some time, we have narrowed down the list to just 17 of our favorite pre-fame House actors, starting with one of the most charismatic and versatile talents of our generation.

Michael B. Jordan (Will Westwood)

While he had already found a steady career with roles on The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and in the film Chronicle, Michael B. Jordan would not become a household name until Ryan Coogler cast him in 2013’s Fruitvale Station, followed by the title role in Creed, and in Black Panther as Erik Killmonger. Right in between that star-making transition was a guest spot on the final season of House as a blind man who experiences a strangely high sensitivity to sound right as he is about to propose to his girlfriend (The Big Bang Theory’s Margo Harshman).

Jeremy Renner (Jimmy Quidd)

Fellow MCU alum Jeremy Renner was once an underrated Avenger, but fans are already bittersweet over his imminent exit once Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop takes over in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye. Prior to his role in The Hurt Locker (his first of two Oscar-nominated performances), the actor and musician appeared on House’s fourth season as a punk rocker whose bouts of coughing up blood may be the least of his problems.

Judy Greer (Morgan West)

If you do not recognize Judy Greer as Scott Lang’s ex-wife, Maggie, in Ant-Man or Bryce Dallas Howard’s sister in Jurassic World, you may recognize her as the voice of Cheryl Tunt on Archer. However, you might not have initially recognized the star of 2018’s Halloween as a House patient convinced that the appearance of a strange cat has sealed her death (something even the skeptical doctor almost begins to believe), on the drama’s fifth season.

Randall Park (Brad)

Judy Greer’s Ant-Man and the Wasp co-star Randall Park has a much bigger role on the Disney+ series WandaVision, in which he reprises his MCU character, FBI agent Jimmy Woo. One of the earliest appearances of the comedian (otherwise known from ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, as a marine biologist in Aquaman, and as Asian Jim on The Office) was on Season 2 of House, as a man who attempted his own circumcision.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Ellen Stambler)

Speaking of House characters making big mistakes, Yvette Nicole Brown starred in another Season 2 episode as an organ procurement agency employee who unwittingly becomes the bearer of bad news for a man previously unaware of his wife’s death. At this time, the actress was already well-known to younger viewers as Helen on Drake & Josh before becoming one of many Community regulars to make an MCU cameo later on.

Evan Peters (Oliver)

Another Marvel movie scene-stealer (but not in the MCU) is Evan Peters, whose first action sequence as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past is cited as one of the most dazzling in the entire franchise. Before breaking out on American Horror Story, the then 21-year-old played a teenager taken hostage by a man desperate to receive House’s diagnosis in Season 5.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Juan “Alvie” Alvarez)

Composing and starring in the Tony winner In the Heights already made Lin-Manuel Miranda a Broadway star, when he brought his rap skills to the two-hour Season 6 premiere of House as the disgraced doctor’s bipolar roommate at Mayfield Psychiatric hospital. Today, the multi-talented actor / writer is internationally known for creating the blockbuster musical Hamilton, and his recent starring role on HBO’s series adaptation of the His Dark Materials book series.

Skylar Astin (Derrick)

Another actor who started out on Broadway is Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Skylar Astin, who broke out into the mainstream in 2012’s Pitch Perfect as Anna Kendrick’s pop culture-obsessed love interest. That same year, he appeared on Season 8 of House as a college cheerleader initially brought into Princeton–Plainsboro for nosebleeds and dizziness, but his case becomes more serious when he claims to hear voices that are not there.

Breckin Meyer (Brandon)

Before playing an artist somehow seeing the world as a Picasso painting on Season 5 of House, Breckin Meyer was best known as Travis in Clueless, a college student desperate to retrieve his own mistakenly sent sex tape in Road Trip, and Garfield's owner, Jon, in the critically reviled live action film with Bill Murray as the lazy cat. Since, the Emmy-nominated Robert Chicken producer starred as one half of the titular attorney duo from Franklin & Bash and more recently appeared in Unpregnant, an HBO Max exclusive dramedy feature.

Jurnee Smollett (Tracy)

Speaking of HBO, working on the network's series adaptation of Lovecraft Country and playing Black Canary in DC flick Birds of Prey brought Jurnee Smollet further into the mainstream than her breakout childhood role on Full House did. In a minuscule coincidence, House, on which she played a married assault victim with massive breathing problems, is the third of five medical dramas she has guest starred on, including (unsurprisingly) ER.

Elle Fanning (Stella Dalton)

ER actually marked the acting debut of Dakota Fanning, but instead of following in her sister's footsteps, the equally talented Elle Fanning landed a spot on a different medical drama, House. The then 8-year-old actress appeared on the series' second season as the daughter of a businesswoman (Julie Warner) suffering from uncontrollable muscle spasms.

Mike Moh (Waiter)

Elle Fanning's sister would also grow up to appear in Quentin Tarantino's dark, Oscar-winning love letter to cinema's Golden Age, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which also features Mike Moh, in a memorable performance as Bruce Lee during his years on The Green Hornet. One of the former stuntman's first legitimate acting gigs was as an unnamed restaurant server on Season 7 of House.

Taraji P. Henson (Moira)

Mike Moh would later score a recurring role on Fox's music industry drama Empire, which stars the incomparable Taraji P. Henson in the Golden Globe-winning role of Cookie. The actress also earned an Oscar nomination in 2008 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but three years earlier, she appeared on Season 2 of House as the ambitious agent of a star cyclist, in a plot loosely inspired by early allegations of Lance Armstrong's doping scandal.

Jimmi Simpson (Daniel Bresson)

Another notable David Fincher movie veteran is Jimmi Simpson, who appeared as a grown-up survivor of Zodiac in the director’s 2007 film about the search for the elusive serial killer. Hidden within the Westworld star's many memorable TV guest appearances (such as Black Mirror's "U.S.S. Callister" episode) is a spot on House's fifth season as a priest whose admission to Princeton-Plainsboro after claiming to see Jesus eventually leads to suspicions of sexual abuse.

Felicia Day (Apple)

Also famous for a career full of notable guest spots and recurring roles is Felicia Day, who is best known as Penny in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the villainous Kinga Forrester on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot, and from Supernatural as Charlie Bradbury (and her evil doppelgänger). The Geek Goddess paid reality a painful visit on Season 5 of House as a woman who becomes the latest (and sole surviving member) of many who fell ill years after receiving an organ donation from the same man.

Blake Anderson (Ethan)

Netflix has been the home of many recent projects involving Blake Anderson, who is best known today as the co-creator and co-star of Workaholics, which ran for seven seasons on Comedy Central. Right around the time that gross-out sitcom was taking off, the comedian made an appearance on House as a patient who suspects his grayed fingertips are frostbitten, until Dr. House rightfully assumes this to be proof the young man has been stealing from the cash register from work.

Noah Segan (Sir William)

Speaking of criminal activity, Noah Segan has played his fair share of bad guys in nearly everything Rian Johnson has directed (save Trooper Wagner in Knives Out and his X-wing pilot role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi). Among his notable TV guest spots (including a cameo as a firefighter in the Johnson-directed Breaking Bad episode "Ozymandias") is a Season 6 appearance on House as a Renaissance Fair performer admitted after suffering a painful defeat in a jousting competition.

What do you think? Did House have a magic touch when it comes to treating potential future A-listers? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on this popular medical drama, as well as even more inside looks into what your favorite celebrities were up to before they were stars, here on CinemaBlend.

It has been exciting to see what the cast of Community has been up to ether since leaving the series or following through to its end. For instance, Joel McHale has branched out into more dramas and started a podcast with Ken Jeong, Alison Brie has two Golden Globe nominations for GLOW, I could write an entire article (and I have) about Donald Glover’s accomplishments, and Yvette Nicole Brown has pretty much been all over the place.

While the 49-year-old Cleveland-native is still best known for playing single mother and Greendale business student Shirley Bennett, Dan Harmon’s cult favorite sitcom is only one of 132 credits currently listed on her IMDb page, not just counting the Community cast’s socially distanced charity table read in May. She continued to be a sitcom queen with recurring roles on CBS' The Odd Couple remake and Mom, still lends her voice to countless animated TV series that range from kid-friendly to not-so-kid-friendly, and has been a guest host on several talk shows, including AMC's Talking Dead as Chris Hardwick's replacement.

Of course, for someone who works as consistently as Yvette Nicole Brown does, some appearances are destined to fall through the cracks, like the following 10 movies and TV shows we have compiled below. I was actually surprised to see her name pop up in some of these notable titles, except for one from a popular teen-centered comedy that, after Shirley Bennett on Community, may be her most iconic character of all.

Drake & Josh (Helen)

Of all the memorable secondary characters from Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, making the biggest impact would have to be Helen - manager of The Premiere movie theater notorious for blindingly admiring her former employee, Drake (Drake Bell), and unreasonably despising current employee, Josh (Josh Peck). After first appearing in Season 2, Yvette Nicole Brown would continue to play the character for the rest of the series (and in the feature-length Christmas special and Victorious crossover episode), except for one 2004 episode when she was recast by Frances Callier due to her commitment to another sitcom at the time.

The Big House (Eartha Cleveland)

That sitcom was The Big House, which starred a young Kevin Hart as, essentially, a reverse of Will Smith in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air who is forced to abandon his pampered life in Miami and live with his lower-class aunt, uncle, and cousins in Philadelphia. Yvette Nicole Brown played Hart’s cousin Eartha Cleveland for all six episodes that aired before ABC’s cancellation in 2004, allowing her to continue playing Helen on Drake & Josh.

House (Ellen Stambler)

In another instance of Yvette Nicole Brown on a series with the word “house” in the title, she made one guest appearance on House, opposite Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie in the Sherlock Holmes-inspired title role. In “Sex Kills,” the Season 2 episode of the long-running medical drama, Brown played organ procurement agency employee Ellen Stambler, whose misinterpretation of a conversation between House and a patient’s husband led to his heartbreaking, premature discovery of his wife’s death.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (Stewardess)

In one of her first-ever gigs, Yvette Nicole Brown had the honor of standing off against Larry David on the Season 4 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm as a flight attendant struggling to get the Seinfeld co-creator to comply with takeoff procedure per Friends star David Schwimmer’s alleged request. In 2019, actress recalled the moment as a “trial by fire” for her improv skills on Larry King Now to guest host Dennis Miller.

That '70s Show (Sgt. Davis)

Most fans of the That '70s Show agree that the eighth and final season of the period comedy is the weakest, especially after the replacement of Topher Grace with Josh Meyers (indeed the brother of Seth, in case you were wondering). At least his character, Randy, is tangentially responsible for Yvette Nicole Brown’s appearance as Sgt. Davis, who puts the gang through her own hilarious cruelty in a jail cell after Hyde’s (Danny Masterson) bachelor party does not go as planned.

Two And A Half Men (Mandy)

Most audiences also agree that every season of Two and a Half Men after Charlie Sheen’s publicly disastrous exit was also a step down (with all due respect to Ashton Kutcher), but Season 1 still has its fans. Among its highlight guest performances, I would cite Yvette Nicole Brown’s small role as Mandy - a member of a women’s support group run by Alan’s (Jon Cryer) wife, Judith (Marin Hinkle), offended by young Jake’s (Angus T. Jones) sexist remarks that he learned from Charlie.

The Office (Paris)

Yvette Nicole Brown also made a brief, singular appearance in Season 3 of The Office as Paris, who becomes Dwight Schrute’s (Rainn Wilson) co-worker after he quits Dunder Mifflin in a previous episode and takes a job at Staples. While interviewed by the camera crew, she makes it clear she that does not "like him, his giant head, or his beady little eyes,” which is to be expected by those who know him best.

Avengers: Endgame (S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent)

The Russo Brothers have been on a not-so-covert mission to sneak as many Community alums into their Marvel movies as possible since day one and they achieved a double-decker in Avengers: Endgame with Ken Jeong shows and Yvette Nicole Brown. In a cameo the actress was actually surprised to discover, she is spotted sharing an elevator at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters circa 1970 with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), whose appearance arouses her suspicions, prompting her to call security and very nearly thwarting their mission to obtain Pym Particles.

Lady And The Tramp (Aunt Sarah)

Yvette Nicole Brown would also cause trouble for the central characters of another 2019 film under the Disney umbrella - the live action remake of Lady and the Tramp released exclusively on Disney+. Brown plays a modernized (and, by comparison, more antagonized) version of Aunt Sarah, whose treatment of Lady and, really, all dogs in general is quite detestable.

DC Super Hero Girls (Various)

In addition to small, nameless role in a Marvel movie, Yvette Nicole Brown has also been involved in the DC universe and as more than one character, too. On the animated DC Super Hero Girls series alone, she has provided the voice of the mother of teen heroine Bumblebee and the ruthless Amanda Waller, whom you might recognize from Viola Davis’ portrayal in Suicide Squad.

What do you think? Does Yvette Nicole Brown deserve a bigger role in a future comic book movie, or are you really just pulling for that long-awaited Community spin-off movie for the time being? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the underrated comedic actress, as well as even more inside looks into the lesser-known screen appearances of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

Between 2009 and 2015, there was arguably no show on the small screen funnier than Dan Harmon’s Community. There’s a reason why it landed in the Top 50 of CinemaBlend’s list of the 100 best sitcoms of all time. The series crafted a balance of dark, caustic wit with goofy, pop culture-obsessed sensibilities, and the series that came from that recipe is as smart as it is hilarious (and it has an impressive number of special inside jokes). With the ability to stream with a Peacock subscription and on Blu-ray, fans can reflect on multiple phenomenal seasons of television… but if you only simply watch/rewatch episodes, you may be ignorant to all of the conflict and drama that played out behind the scenes.

While its stars have gone on to do some excellent work, Community is very much alive in the hearts of fans, as we continue to patiently wait for fulfillment on the promise of “Six Seasons and a Movie.” But while we wait for the long-awaited feature to finally go into production, let’s take a look back at the show’s various casting change-ups, renewal issues, firings, hirings, and more during its network TV/streaming run.

Dan Harmon And Chevy Chase Butt Heads

The first two seasons of Community aired without the show producing any scandalous headlines, but it was toward the end of production on Season 3 that things started to get a bit complicated behind the scenes – and the ground zero of conflict was the relationship between showrunner Dan Harmon and star Chevy Chase. On the final production, Chase reportedly stormed off set without filming one of his scenes, and Harmon ultimately didn’t come up with the best response to that action. During the show’s wrap party for the year, the writer delivered what ended up being called a “Fuck you, Chevy” speech (both Chase’s wife and daughter were attendees at the event and witnessed the slander).

That was bad, but things escalated. An irate Chevy Chase called Dan Harmon after the wrap party and left him a vitriolic voicemail… and Harmon made the unfortunate decision to play said voicemail while hosting his monthly podcast that was recorded with a live audience in Los Angeles. 

Dan Harmon Gets Fired From The Show After Season 3

Despite the fact that Chevy Chase has a nice long history of behind the scenes conflicts, there is no real way to defend the way that Dan Harmon responded to the actor’s behavior behind the scenes of Community – and that’s actually a sentiment that Harmon himself shared as the situation blew up. In April 2012, the showrunner took to his personal online blog and posted a message expressing great regret for his actions. In his piece, he not only apologized, but he assigned himself and both his speech and the podcast recording a litany of negative adjectives (not limited to "horrible," "childish," "self-obsessed," "unaware," "dumb," "unprofessional," "selfish baby" and "rude asshole.") It read as sincere, but it proved to not be enough to remedy the conflict. As a result of his treatment toward Chase, Harmon paid a significant price.

About a month-and-a-half after the feud went public, Community got a textbook case of good news/bad news. The former was that the show had been given the greenlight by NBC and was getting renewed for a fourth season. The latter was that Dan Harmon was not going to be involved, as his contract had been terminated as a result of his fight with Chevy Chase. Moses Port and David Guarascio, best known at the time for their work on the sitcom Just Shoot Me!, were hired by Sony to serve as the new showrunners on the series. The announcement of the news said that Harmon would be credited as a Consulting Producer for future episodes, but the series creator was quick to dissolve that sugar-coating. Posting a new blog post on Tumblr, the writer informed fans that he was not going to have any input into new episodes and was only receiving a credit because of his original contract.

Chevy Chase Leaves The Show After Season 4

The incident with the wrap party and the voicemail was definitely the most public conflict involving Chevy Chase and Community, but it should be noted that the relationships between the actor and the other people involved with the show weren’t exactly sublime prior to all of that (for example, it was reported in October 2012 that he used a horrible racial epithet while on set). Watching the show with this in mind, it’s not hard to pick up on subtext in the storytelling. Pierce Hawthorne is represented as an aging dotard in Season 1, but it’s hard not to notice that he takes a serious antagonist turn in Season 2 and Season 3, and that was motivated by his deteriorating relationship with Dan Harmon and the show’s writers – specifically in that he showed them the kind of character he was best suited to play.

Chevy Chase arguably “won” when Dan Harmon got fired and Pierce Hawthorne lived on for another 11 episodes in Community Season 4. But the actor’s time with the show ended there. In November 2012 (which, mind you, was about four months before Season 4 started airing), it was officially announced that Chase was leaving the show. He didn’t exactly leave with grace, saying in an interview with The Huffington Post around the time that being a part of the sitcom was a “big mistake.” Conversely, the series showed some class. In addition to having Pierce Hawthorne graduate from Greendale Community College in the Season 4 finale “Advanced Introduction to Finality,” the actor also cameos as a hologram in the Season 5 premiere, “Repilot,” and had an entire episode dedicated to his character’s off-screen death (“Cooperative Polygraphy”).

Dan Harmon Gets Rehired For Season 5

After yet another brush with cancellation, Community found itself still breathing in May 2013, NBC committing to another round of episodes from the sitcom, but that wasn’t the only amazing news that month brought for fans. A few weeks after the renewal announcement, buzz started to spread around Hollywood that Sony was considering bringing back Dan Harmon as showrunner – with the buzz seeming very plausible thanks to the fact that Chevy Chase wouldn’t be coming back as a series regular. It was only a few days after those rumor reports that Harmon personally confirmed that he was returning to his old job, and the network made it official a few weeks after that.

Neither NBC nor Sony ever issued any kind of explanatory official statement regarding why they rehired Dan Harmon following his termination, but fans at the time weren’t exactly begging for one; we were simply happy that Season 5 would see the original creator back at the helm of the ship and return it to its former glory. At the very least, we do know that Harmon attributes his comeback to efforts made by star Joel McHale. 

Prior to being reinstated in his original job, the Harmon said that he hadn’t watched Season 4, but that changed by June 2013 (at the very least he needed to see what stories were told, what had been added to the continuity, and how the characters changed). He revealed his thoughts on the content saying he felt that the episodes were an “unflattering impression.” One would be challenged to find many Community fans who would disagree.

Donald Glover Leaves The Show In The Early Episodes Of Season 5

June 2013 was a blissful month for Community fans. For four-plus weeks, we got to live with the knowledge that A) Season 5 was on the way, B) Dan Harmon was coming back, and C) the most toxic element of the cast was gone. It was a nice bubble to live in for a while… but it popped on July 8. That was the day it was announced that Donald Glover would not be appearing in the entirety of the new season and would be making his departure from the show after the first few episodes – allowing his character to get a proper sendoff.

The news was devastating for fans. Troy Barnes was loved as a part of Community because of his remarkable chemistry with Danny Pudi’s Abed Nadir, but he was also arguably the heart of the show and the most consistently hilarious character. The actor made the decision to leave because he wanted to have more time to focus on his music, and in retrospect, it’s damn impossible to blame him given that he has won five Grammy Awards in the time since.

Unfortunately, Donald Glover’s absence from the series created a hole that could never be filled; Dan Harmon admitted years later, after Community  had ended, that the show, for all intents and purposes, “died” when he left.

Community Moves From NBC To Yahoo! Screen

If you are wondering at this point if Community went on to become the first show to wait until its fifth season to become a smash hit, I have some disappointing news to drop on you: it didn’t. The show had already established a pattern of its ratings slipping more and more each year, and Season 5 proved to be a nadir despite the fact that Dan Harmon was back as showrunner. As a result, NBC made the decision to swing the axe and cancel the series. The dream of #SixSeasonsAndAMovie was swiftly killed… or at least that’s how it seemed at first.

The network announced Community’s cancellation in early May 2014, but not only did fans not give up on the show, Sony decided not to throw in the towel either. At first, things looked pretty dire, as both Netflix and Hulu opted to pass on Community Season 6, and Dan Harmon was expressing a bit of indifference. On the last day of June 2014, however, the series pulled off a Frankenstein act by inking a deal with the newly-formed Yahoo! Screen. Thirteen more episodes were ordered, with the door kept open for more pending great success on the young streaming service.

Yvette Nicole Brown Is Unable To Return For Season 6

Getting a sixth season and one step closer to the goal of #SixSeasonsAndAMovie was huge for Community fans, but a few months after the Yahoo! Screen contract was closed, there were reports that yet another member of the Study Group/Save Greendale Committee/OG Greendale 7 would not be able to return. Prior to the start of production, Yvette Nicole Brown requested that she be released from her contract, as her father was sick and she wanted to be able to spend time with him – something she couldn’t do with a five month production schedule made up of 16-hour work days. The actress continued to work during that time, taking a role in the short-lived reboot of The Odd Couple, but that was doable because the experience filming a four-camera sitcom is much more streamlined than a single-camera show like Community.

Yvette Nicole Brown’s last performance as a lead on the show is in the Season 5 finale “Basic Sandwich,” but that isn’t the final appearance of Shirley Bennett. The character appears in the Season 6 premiere, “Ladders,” to establish that she has moved to Atlanta, Georgia to take care of her father and took a job as a private chef for a private investigator named Mr. Butcher (played by Steven Weber). She also has a brief cameo in the series finale – and to borrow a phrase from Shirley, it’s really nice.

After Six Seasons, Community Comes To An End

Looking back, it’s pretty amazing that Community lasted as long as it did. Its ability to continue was almost entirely perpetuated by the general weakness of the NBC lineup (the fact that there weren’t any new shows demonstrating potential kept the network renewing the Dan Harmon-created series because it already had an established fanbase). It had even managed to survive its first cancellation. Sadly, when the second cancellation announcement came down from above, it proved to be the true nail in the coffin for the show.

There never existed a great deal of potential for a Season 7 anyway, but the writing on the wall became much clearer in October 2015 when the biggest advocate for the show left Yahoo! Screen for another studio gig. It was ultimately shown that Yahoo! Screen was a failed effort, and it eventually shut down, but at the very least everyone who loves Community will always have a special place for it in their heart... and it's not the end of the story.

The Community Movie Gets A Green Light From Peacock

As fans will remember, the dream of #SixSeasonsAndAMovie began with the Season 2 episode "Paradigms of Human Memory" – with Abed loudly proclaiming during one of the many flashbacks that the new NBC series The Cape would experience a run of that specific length. As it turns out, The Cape only lasted one season, but Community fans took to seeing that prediction as the ideal totality for Dan Harmon's show. Now, that hope is set to become a reality.

In September 2022, it was officially announced that a deal had been signed for Community: The Movie to be made as an original feature for the streaming series Peacock. Dan Harmon was confirmed to be co-writing the script with Andrew Guest (a Community writer from the first two seasons of the show), and the press release confirmed Joel McHale, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong would all return to play their original roles.

Joel McHale Confirms Donald Glover Will Return As Troy Barnes In Community: The Movie

Looking at the list of cast members announced as part of Community: The Movie in the original press release, it's hard not to notice a couple of names missing. It's not surprising that Chevy Chase won't be back as Pierce Hawthorne (the character is dead, after all), but there was no mention of either Yvette Nicole Brown or Donald Glover. In January 2024, the former confirmed the return of Shirley Bennett during a guest spot on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and in June 2023, Joel McHale confirmed Troy Barnes will be back.

The actor known for playing the role of Jeff Winger confirmed Donald Glover's involvement in Community: The Movie as a guest on Kelly Ripa's podcast. And while we know nothing yet about what we will see from Troy following his trip around the world with LeVar Burton, we are beyond excited to see his reunion with Abed.

The future of Community remains open for now, and we’ll continue to update this feature as the Community movie moves further through development (you can be sure that we’ll add new sections about the start of production and news regarding other actors who will be joining in on the fun beyond the original cast. Be sure to keep tabs on this feature, and be on the lookout here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest big news about this beloved NBC sitcom.

It is currently a great time to be a Community fan. Not only has the show recently arrived on Netflix, allowing even more people to discover its brilliance, but the cast recently reunited with showrunner Dan Harmon for a special table read that will be arriving online later this month. And as if all that weren’t enough, the making of said table read was also followed by the cast staying together for a special episode of the Ken Jeong and Joel McHale-hosted podcast The Darkest Timeline, and in it there are many great never-before-shared stories about the making of the show and the relationships within the group.

We highly recommend checking out the whole episode, as a big part of its greatness is just watching Dan Harmon and the cast banter, but we also wanted to take the time to highlight it by recognizing some of our favorite moments:

Danny Pudi Distinctly Remembers When He Knew Donald Glover Was Eventually Going To Leave The Show

In the years since his time on Community, Donald Glover has become one of the biggest stars in the world, not only earning awards for his FX series Atlanta, but also his music career. His albums have won him great acclaim and five Grammys – and it was actually because of the star’s Childish Gambino persona that Danny Pudi knew that it was only a matter of time before Glover left the show to pursue other endeavors.

The recent table read for the cast unlocked a lot of memories in the mind of the actor who starred as Abed on Community, and including a moment he shared with Donald Glover off-set. The duo was hanging out at the Blue Sky Tank on the Paramount Pictures lot (which is a parking lot when not in use), and Glover gave Pudi the chance to listen to his song “Heartbeat.” His immediate reaction?

Given that “Heartbeat” was released in late 2011, it’s likely that Danny Pudi first heard the song while they were filming Season 3 of Community – and he would prove to be right a few years later, and Donald Glover amicably left the show in the middle of Season 5.

Donald Glover Had An Extremely Weird Character He Played Behind The Scenes

As discussed throughout the reunion, a lot of the magic in Community was found because of the freedom that the cast was given to improvise – and evidently the comedic improvisation and role playing didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling. As revealed in rather blunt terms during the recording, Donald Glover had a character he slipped into during breaks who was a homeless man obsessed with trying to perform fellatio on Joel McHale.

Rather than be anything physical, the game was that Glover’s character would try and trick McHale into putting his penis into his mouth. The two stars provided some examples for context:

Ken Jeong Got Blackout Drunk And Started Ranting At Donald Glover At A Cast Reunion Dinner

The entire Community reunion podcast special is a testament to how much all of these people legitimately enjoy each other’s company, but that sentiment apparently went a touch overboard last fall when the cast and Dan Harmon got together for a dinner. For an unexplained reason, Ken Jeong had been drinking a few beers throughout the day before the event, and so by the time he finished drinking his way through the evening he was blackout drunk.

As described by Jim Rash, who says he has a lot of video from the night, Ken Jeong wound up spending the night screaming in the faces of Danny Pudi and Donald Glover as though they were a mile apart instead of just a few feet, and his rantings to Glover specifically included lauding him for his work on something called Alien Bralien – a project that doesn’t exist.

Ken Jeong Would Not Stop Improvising His Breakdance Exit In One Episode

Continuing the discussion from earlier, improvisation was definitely a major asset on the set of Community given the impressive talent of the cast, but one thing revealed during the reunion was that it was also occasionally a way that the schedule got strained. A first act scene in the second season episode “Accounting For Lawyers” is a prime example, as Ken Jeong spent take after take expanding on a bit even when he was told to simplify what he was doing.

The end of a scene where Chang talks to the study group about the school’s upcoming Pop 'n' Lock-a-thon, Ken Jeong was told to perform breakdance moves while heading out the door, and they kept being more elaborate take after take. Given that the subject came up when Alison Brie talked about it as a scene that was hard to get through because of breaking, Ken Jeong surely felt egged on by his co-stars, and as a result ignored Dan Harmon’s pleas for something faster. Said the showrunner,

Gillian Jacobs Caught Ken Jeong Mid-Rant On The Set Of Dr. Ken, And Started Cracking Up

Following the discussion of his unstoppable improv, Ken Jeong delivered a blanket apology to everyone, and explained that he has a better perspective on it all now because of his time making Dr. Ken – which he co-created, produced, and starred in following the end of Community. Having been in the position that Dan Harmon was in, he now has a better understanding of the stress involved in making a network series… and that revelation led Gillian Jacobs to share a funny anecdote.

Weird as it sounds, Ken Jeong added to Gillian Jacobs story by saying that he was ultimately grateful for her presence:

Community’s Budget Was So Small That The Art Department Decorated The Wrap Party

Community was never a big ratings hit, and thus never a big money-earner for the studio, and a natural extension of that was the series having a thin budget to work with year after year. This wasn’t just in the later seasons either, as the reunion podcast episode reveals serious penny pinching was happening from the beginning. For example, the art department wasn’t able to fully enjoy the Season 1 wrap party because the event was held on set, and they were given the task of both decorating it, and deconstructing it.

Said Dan Harmon,

Rough.

Community’s Line Producer Straight-Up Lied To Dan Harmon About The Show’s Budget

The budget of Community was a popular topic of conversation during the reunion, and through the back and forth a kind of paradox was discovered. While the cast and crew was repeatedly told how little money the show had, there were also some major expenditures – with two examples being Professor Hickey’s desk machine and Shirley Island in the Season 5 episode “Geothermal Escapism.” So how did that happen? The answer was provided by Ken Jeong later in the episode, with the actor/filmmaker revealing a secret that producer Patrick Kienlen shared when the two worked together on Dr. Ken:

Some say that limitations breed creativity, so I guess we should thank him?

There Was A Possum Living In Community’s Prop Room

One of the weird details featured in “Documentary Filmmaking: Redux” is a bit that finds Dean Pelton in possession of a strange new pet: a possum that lives in his office. It’s strange and funny, perfectly matching the tone of Community – but what makes it even better is the fact that it seems like it was inspired by a funny behind-the-scenes incident. Specifically, at one point during the show’s production there was a possum that took up residence in the prop room.

It was a memory that Gillian Jacobs brought into the conversation about Community’s limited budget, and Donald Glover added that it provided him a funny revelation:

During A Scene In “Introduction To Statistics” Gillian Jacobs And Yvette Nicole Brown Were Basically Blind

It would be a struggle to find any actor that really loves to do night shoots, as there’s simply not a lot that’s enjoy able about being up at 3am waiting around while you get to perform the same scene over and over again from multiple angles. In the context of Community, making the Season 1 Halloween episode “Introduction To Statistics” was rough because it required the stars to be on call for some late nights – but it was a particularly difficult experience for Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole-Brown, because there was one scene where they were both basically blind.

Jacobs described the night, saying,

It was only then that Yvette Nicole-Brown revealed to Gillian Jacobs for the first time that she too was dealing with the same contact lenses issue that night, creating a literal circumstance of the blind leading the blind.

These are just some of the highlights from the Darkest Timeline episode, so if you like what you’ve read here, go and give it a listen yourself.

One of the biggest crimes in TV history is that Troy and Abed in the Morning never became an actual morning talk show (though it inspired a great coffee mug). Thankfully, the next best thing is possible, in that each of Community's six seasons are currently available to binge on Netflix. The pop culture-driven ensemble comedy was far more of a critical darling than a ratings monster when it aired on NBC (and then Yahoo Screen), but the tides of popularity are now turning quite quickly for Community.

Similar to how modern classic TV series like Friends, The Office, and Breaking Bad reached previously untapped swarms of binge-happy viewers, Community is once again being quoted by both viewers who have been down with Jeff Winger's law advice for years, and those who are only now becoming familiar with how Britta fares in each of the multiple timelines. Twitter has seen a constant stream of Community-centered love since the show popped up in Netflix's library on April 1, such as the following shower of appreciation.

And Jesus wept! There are definitely episodes from the Dan Harmon-less fourth season that I could go most of my life without seeing again, but the majority of Community's episodes belong in the upper echelon of scripted comedy. As much credit goes to the writing and BTS crew as it does to cast members such as Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Allison Brie, Chevy Chase, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong. (Not to mention the efforts made by short-term stars such as Paget Brewster and Keith David.)

Even though Community's cast became untethered after its first three seasons, everyone who stuck around managed to keep things interesting through all the paintball fights and pillow forts. (Not to mention all the unexpected cameos, such as those from Breaking Bad's Vince Gillian and Lisa Loeb.) That said, even Dan Harmon admitted that the show faced its biggest blow whenever Donald Glover exited. It's unclear how this fan feels about it, but the love for Greendale is more than evident.

New viewers have been pretty celebratory about finally hunkering down and watching Community, too, for one reason or another. Such as finally grasping the meaning behind one of the show's most iconic and bizarre moments...

For many comedy fans whose Netflix appreciation has waxed and waned depending on what licensed shows were available, Community's arrival on the service has been Dean-omite. It's a show that rewards rewatches, thanks to the abundance of movie/TV references, callback jokes and Jim Rash's Dean, obviously. The tweet below definitely wasn't the only one that shared the central claim.

As of this writing, Community is #7 in TV for Netflix's daily Top 10, behind some of the company's more insanely popular original programming such as the WTF docu-series Tiger King and the Jason Bateman-led crime drama Ozark. Pretty great news for a show that is more niche comedically than The Office or something like the current #3 offering, The Big Show Show, fronted by WWE superstar The Big Show. In any case, its Top 10 presence has been visibly available to everyone accessing Netflix's interface, so fans know what that means.

It means the return of the in-universe tag "#SixSeasonsAndAMovie" to call for the long-awaited movie. Netflix already got targeted with that campaign in previous years, given its big budgets, its willingness to resurrect dead shows, and the company's working relationship with various cast members. With his streaming talk show not quite working out, Joel McHale (Santa Clarita Diet) very recently returned to the service for Tiger King's follow-up reunion installment, and Netflix also has solid relationships with Gillian Jacobs (Love, Ibiza), Allison Brie (GLOW, Horse Girl), Danny Pudi (Harvey Girls Forever), and Jim Rash (Beyond Stranger Things, Girlboss). Plus, both Yvette Nicole Brown and Ken Jeong appeared in BoJack Horseman, among other projects.

While most of the Community enthusiasm has been one-sided in favor of Greendale's glory, there are more than a few who are reacting to the uptick in chatter by pointing out that all the new fans have had ample chances in the past to get behind the show. Not just during the struggle-filled original run on NBC and the single season with Yahoo, but also Community's streaming past on Hulu and Amazon. Here's a more insightful and less biting take on that viewpoint.

At the end of the day, we should all be able to agree that the more places there are to currently stream Community, the better.

Personally, I go for Netflix for Community binges and Hulu for episodes to fall asleep to. But while we're agreeing about how great Community is, can we also agree that the following should automatically be included as an alarm in all mobile devices, and also ovens timers and doorbells.

In case it wasn't already beyond obvious, all six seasons of Community are available to stream on Netflix and Hulu.

Avengers: Endgame has one of the biggest ensemble casts in film history. In fact, the sheer number of people at play is so large that even the actors/actresses who filmed scenes weren't sure if they'd make appearances in the film (or, in Gwyneth Paltrow's case, if they'd even filmed scenes with certain characters). One of these people, Community star Yvette Nicole Brown, was stunned to find out that her character ended up in the final cut. Even more bizarre was the fact that she didn't know the Avengers film for which she had filmed a scene.

In October 2017, she'd taken a week off from filming ABC's The Mayor to shoot her Avengers scene. Brown's cameo follows those of Community co-stars Jim Rash and Danny Pudi, who appeared in earlier MCU installments. All three of the aforementioned stars have worked with Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed a few episodes of Community (their paintball episode being a standout).

Yvette Nicole Brown ended up in the 1970s storyline for Avengers: Endgame, playing a government worker who shares an elevator with time-traveling Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). According to CNN, Brown had originally thought she would appear in Avengers: Infinity War, so when she didn't show up on screen, she was disappointed.

Nearly two years after she'd filmed her part, she found herself shocked when Endgame included her scene.

She continued with the following admission:

Yvette Nicole Brown also proudly revealed her character on social media, once the spoiler ban was lifted:

Brown is only in the movie for a minute or so, but attentive viewers who love Drake and Josh and Community undoubtedly recognized her as she eyed Steve Rogers and Tony Stark warily in a government elevator while the two were time traveling. She nails the whole “withering stare” thing and totally stands out as one of the film's more memorable cameo stars. Heck, there are so many cameos in this movie that it's shocking that the Russos were able to identify which ones were most difficult to film.

Avengers: Endgame is now available on Digital, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It's incredible and it ties things together nicely. Oh, and if you haven't checked out our list of upcoming 2019 films, use it to start planning what you're going to see this year. There are some great films heading to theaters in the next few months!

Chris Hardwick is a big name in the Walking Dead fandom due to his role has host of Talking Dead and his annual gig as host of The Walking Dead and later Fear the Walking Dead panels at San Diego Comic-Con. He was no Norman Reedus getting bitten by enthusiastic fans, but he was a very familiar face to fans who watch AMC. Hardwick was dropped by AMC earlier this summer due to some troubling abuse allegations, although no statement was ever released about how his various jobs would be handled in the long run. Now, AMC has made a preliminary decision: Walking Dead superfan Yvette Nicole Brown will host the next episode of Talking Dead as well as The Walking Dead Season 9 Preview Special.

AMC has released a statement revealing that Yvette Nicole Brown of Community fame will serve as interim host of Talking Dead when it returns on August 12 following the Season 4 midseason premiere of Fear the Walking Dead as well as the August 5 preview special for The Walking Dead Season 9. Per Variety, the statement goes on to say that AMC is working to "complete our assessment related to Chris Hardwick," and Yvette Nicole Brown is only on board as interim guest host at this point.

News of Yvette Nicole Brown stepping into Chris Hardwick's role -- even if only temporarily -- comes after it was announced back on July 4 that she was taking over his usual role as host of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead panels at San Diego Comic-Con, which was then less than three weeks away. While her move into the hosting role at SDCC led many to suspect that she was in the running to replace Hardwick on Talking Dead on a full-time basis, Brown herself cleared things up on social media with a tweet stating that she is "filling in for a friend" and "not jockeying for a job," making the point that she has enough jobs of her own.

A question now is whether Yvette Nicole Brown is taking the possibility of hosting Talking Dead full-time more seriously. She's a prime candidate for the job, as she made several appearances on the show to show off her vast knowledge of all things zombie apocalypse and share her analyses. If she has the time in her busy schedule and if AMC is going to replace Chris Hardwick anyway (which still may not happen), could she consider becoming the next Talking Dead host on more than an interim basis?

We'll have to wait and see. AMC isn't giving much away with regard to Chris Hardwick's future or lack thereof on the network, although it didn't waste any time in dropping Hardwick after the abuse allegations broke due to a narrative shared by Hardwick's ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra. She didn't explicitly name Hardwick in her story, but it was quickly deduced that he was the one she was describing. She alleged that he was abusive, controlling, and later blacklisted her in showbiz. Given the speed with which AMC dropped Hardwick and all the negativity surrounding his name nowadays, I would definitely not be shocked if the network decided to cut ties with him and replace him, whether with Yvette Nicole Brown or somebody else. The Walking Dead franchise is after all AMC's big money-maker.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in zombie apocalypse news. You can catch Yvette Nicole Brown hosting first on The Walking Dead Season 9 Preview Special on August 5 and then on the post-Fear the Walking Dead episode of Talking Dead on August 12. For some alternate viewing options, swing by our summer TV guide.

For its largely pretty good Season 6, Community has gone through arguably as many changes as it has in any of its past few seasons, which have seen cast members come and go. But it looks like one of the former cast members will be returning for the Season 6 finale, as actress Yvette Nicole Brown is reportedly set to reprise her role of the optimistically devout Shirley Bennett. Let’s all have a Shirley’s Sandwich in celebration.

News of Brown’s involvement in the finale hasn’t come officially from its current home at Yahoo Screen, but rather a Reddit user who posted the episode’s guest listing, where her name popped up. This isn’t all that surprising, all things considered, as Brown’s exit from the show was an amicable one, unlike that of Chevy Chase, and it was to allow her to deal with family issues. She’d even previously said a recurring role would have worked for her.

Fans know that this won’t even be the first time that Shirley has popped up in Season 6, as she was also in the season premiere “Ladders.” Seen above in svelte-mode, Shirley was playing opposite Steven Weber in a promo for a fake NBC drama called The Butcher and the Baker. And it seems like that same faux-role could possibly come into play for the finale, as the episode description sees Abed asking the other characters “to imagine pitching a TV show about what they would do in Season 7.” Would I watch an entire season of The Butcher and the Baker? You bet your wheelchair I would.

I can’t imagine how ridiculously meta the episode is going to be, and I expect nearly every TV trope imaginable to make an appearance. And for what it’s worth, that episode will also have a guest spot for Seth Green, though I hope that doesn’t mean we’re getting a Dads parody.

With Season 6 coming to a close and little to no talk of a movie on the horizon, the future of Community is entirely up in the air. Maybe it’ll be back on Yahoo! for the Season 7 that the finale is hoping for, or maybe it will head over to Hulu for a while before making its way to Crackle, after a quick Amazon Instant detour. Maybe just give the Dean a spinoff?

A recent binge-watch of The Office brought to light several great appearances by actors who were either lesser known, or at the very least, on the rise to screen success when they first appeared on the NBC series. In fact, we found ten actors whose paths crossed with the Dunder Mifflin staff before they hit bigger fame with other roles.

To be clear, these aren't guest appearances. With more than 200 episodes aired before The Office wrapped up, the series has seen some great guest spots and cameos in its time. However, this list focuses on actors you may not have recognized at the time of their appearance, but are much better known today.

Amy Adams

Appearance: Season 1, Episode 6 (finale) - "Hot Girl" (first appearance. 2 additional appearances in Season 2)

Role: Katy

With three appearances in The Office, including the titular role in the Season 1 finale, not to mention girlfriend status to one Jim Halpert, there's a good chance you did know Amy Adams was in The Office. But considering her steep rise to fame -- including five Oscar nominations, four of which she earned after her Office appearances -- there's no doubt that Adams deserves a spot on this list. The American Hustle star entered The Office as a purse peddling "hot girl" and exited as Jim's discarded flame during "Booze Cruise."

Kevin McHale

Appearance: Season 4, Episode 6 - "Launch Party"

Role: Delivery Kid

Kevin McHale didn't have a ton of roles before taking on the part of Arty in Fox's Glee, but one of his early small screen appearances was The Office, in which he played a smartass pizza delivery guy from Pizza by Alfredo (where pizza is like a "hot circle of garbage," according to Dunder Mifflin's Kevin Malone). With shaggy hair and an attitude that was about one part stoner and two parts sarcastic, bored, obnoxious teenager, McHale's character allowed himself to be kidnapped by Michael while the pizza problem was sorted out (or eventually dropped).

Wendi McLendon-Covey

Appearance: Season 5, Episode 8 - "Business Trip"

Role: Concierge Marie

Ok, technically McLendon Covey had Reno 911! under her belt by the time she made her one memorable Office appearance, but this was pre-Bridesmaids and pre-Goldbergs, both of which have brought her more of the acclaim she deserves. In The Office, she played the Canadian hotel concierge Marie, who helped Michael find some night-life during his business trip, and then showed him a bit of one-on-one night-life... after which she promptly booted him out of her room.

Evan Peters

Appearance: Season 7, Episode 1 - "Nepotism"

Role: Luke Cooper, Michael's nephew

While building his resume with a role in Kick-Ass, and just a year shy of appearing in the first season of American Horror Story, Evan Peters dropped in at The Office to play Michael's bratty nephew Luke, who was hired on as the worst office assistant ever. You may not remember his attitude, or the fact that he brought people the wrong coffee, but you might remember Michael spanking him in front of everyone before Luke eventually took off, never to be seen again. For reference, Luke's favorite movies were Citizen Kane and Boondocks Saints.

Anna Camp

Appearance: Season 6, Episode 4/5 - Niagara

Role: Penny Beesly

Right around the time she was making us laugh and roll our eyes with her performance as the cheerful, vampire-loathing Sarah Newlin in True Blood, Anna Camp dropped in on a very special double-episode of The Office to play Pam's sister and bridesmaid Penny for the big Beesly-Halpert Niagara Falls wedding extravaganza. The Pitch Perfect star's sense of humor was demonstrated best with the dance moves we saw her showing off on her way down the aisle.

Ken Jeong

Appearance: Season 2, Episode 9 - "E-Mail Surveillance"

Role: Bill, an improv guy

Earlier in his career, before making appearances in Knocked Up, Role Models and eventually, The Hangover, Ken Jeong appeared in The Office as Bill, one of the guys in Michael's improv group. Michael often imagined himself as a detective, but during improv, he was more of a villain, as he continuously pulled an invisible gun on his improv partner. Ken Jeong's Bill was one of his victims, and he was also the one who got to deliver the awkward excuse to Michael when the rest of the improv group went out for drinks after and Michael wasn't invited.

Melissa Rauch

Appearance: Season 6, Episode 2

Role: Cathy Duke, Pam's hospital roommate

Melissa Rauch was already playing Bernadette in The Big Bang Theory when she made her brief appearance on The Office in 2010. Introduced as Cathy, Rauch was wheeled into Pam's hospital room to take the second bed while Jim and Pam settled in as new parents. Rauch's character barely speaks in the episode, but may be most memorable for being the mother of the baby Pam accidentally breast fed late at night, when she was half asleep and thought Cathy's infant was hers. Whoops.

Kyle Bornheimer

Appearance: Season 4, Episode 9 - "Local Ad"

Role: Ad company representative.

Prior to starring roles in a few TV comedies -- Perfect Couples, Romantically Challenged, Worst Week and more recently, Family Tools -- Kyle Bornheimer visited Dunder Mifflin as one of two ad company reps who had the misfortune of being tasked with getting Michael to come up with a creative way to close out the branch's local TV ad. Michael insulted his work and tried to make a bigger task out of the ordeal than necessary, which nearly caused Bornheimer's character to walk, but the ad eventually did get made and we never saw the ad guy again.

Yvette Nicole Brown

Appearance: Season 3, Episode 4 - "The Return"

Role: Paris, Staples Employee

Before she was Shirley Bennett in Community, Yvette Nicole Brown appeared in The Office as Paris, Dwight's new co-worker at Staples, where he took up employment temporarily after a minor scandal at Dunder Mifflin. Brown's character attempted to make smalltalk with Dwight in the Staples break room, but after a very brief, very Dwight conversation, she decided that she didn't like him, his giant head, or his beady little eyes. "That's all I got to say on the matter."

David Mazouz

Appearance: Season 8, Episode 5 - "Spooked"

Role: Bert California, son of James Spader's Robert California

If you've been watching Gotham, you know David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne. Mazouz also played Kiefer Sutherland's son in Touch. In The Office, he's the son of James Spader's boss character Robert California. Mazouz's Bert visits Dunder-Mifflin with his dad on Halloween, and spends much of the episode bonding with Dwight, who eventually convinces Bert to fire Toby as revenge for Toby clipping Dwight's (costume) wings. Seeing Mazouz play James Spader's son with Gotham and Avengers: Age of Ultron in mind conjures some weird ideas about a DC/Marvel mashed up universe where Bruce Wayne is Ultron's son... and also a zombie.

Well, this is anything but coolcoolcool. Community may be returning for its anticipated sixth season at Yahoo, but it'll be coming back without one of our favorite Greendale Human Beings. Yvette Nicole Brown, who plays Shirley, will not be returning to Community for Season 6. Brown is exiting the series due to personal reasons.

TVGuide reports that Sony Pictures TV, Dan Harmon and Chris McKenna have honored Yvette Nicole Brown's request to be released from her contract due to personal reasons. Brown explained that she needs to exit the series so that she can care for her ailing father. "The idea of being away 16 hours a day for five months, I couldn't do it." Brown said. "It was a difficult decision for me to make, but I had to choose my dad."

It's unfortunate that she has to leave the show and even more unfortunate when factoring in the circumstances.

Brown isn't the first lead to leave Community. Chevy Chase exited the comedy in 2012, and Donald Glover left partway through Season 5. Each exit left a very specifically-shaped void in the series, and the same will surely (heh) be said about the lack of Shirley in Season 6. Sure, she's occasionally judgmental, but she's proven to be firm in her beliefs and she really is the closest thing the study group has to a mom. Shirley's input provides some much-needed balance and perspective to the group. Also, she's really funny. It's hard to imagine the series without her. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to.

We'll miss Shirley, and Brown's presence on the series. At the same time, our thoughts go out to Brown and her family.

Community was cancelled by NBC after Season 5, but the half-hour comedy was saved in the nick of time by Yahoo, which plans to release the sixth season sometime next year. Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Jim Rash and Ken Jeong are expected to return.

As for Brown, while it seems the heavy schedule for Community presented a conflict for her in her personal life, she does have some other projects lined up, including a recurring role on The Odd Couple. TVGuide says the CBS sitcom offers Brown a more flexible schedule than she would have had at Community. As for her future at Greendale, Shirley's exit will be addressed on the show, and it sounds like Brown is leaving on good terms. So perhaps we'll see her drop in for a guest spot at some point down the line.

While we wait for Season 6 to debut, Yahoo has has given us this great little cheat-sheet to the first five seasons, in the form of "Yahoo Saves Community" video. Check that out after the jump...

Yvette Nicole Brown should be in extremely high spirits. The Community actress survived the cancellation of NBC’s show, only to find out that Community will return for a sixth season via Yahoo. Now, she’s signed on to CBS’ Odd Couple reboot, playing the assistant to one of the two leads on the show.

With a pick-up from CBS and a midseason premiere date in the cards, you would think most of the big roles on The Odd Couple would have already been cast. However, Yvette Nicole Brown is set to play Dani, the assistant to Matthew Perry’s character, Oscar, on the show. In the pilot, the character was played by Go On actress Sarah Baker. However, back in May, we mentioned that two of the show’s female actresses, The New Normal’s Georgia King and Baker, left after the pilot was shot, leaving a couple of slots to be filled. While Brown is taking Baker’s slot, mum’s the word on whether King’s role will also be recast.

It’s hard to appear in regular roles on more than one series in any given season, but TV Line is reporting that Yvette Nicole Brown should be able to shoot both Community and The Odd Couple in the coming months. While it isn’t clear if the actress will appear in every episode of Community, the scheduling should still work out pretty well, since filming on The Odd Couple is expected to begin shortly and Community’s Season 6 production is still some time away.

The Odd Couple is a remake of Neil Simon’s popular 1970s series. CBS’ brand new episodes star Thomas Lennon and Matthew Perry, who play Felix and Oscar, respectively. The two men are unlikely roommates—one neat, the other disorganized. Recent Michael J. Fox Show castoff Wendell Pierce and She’s Out of My League actress Lindsay Sloane round out the cast. A lot of The Odd Couple's cast features actors whose shows recently did not work out. The good news is that Perry, Lennon, Brown, Pierce and more are all pretty damn funny, and really just need the right material to find an audience. Hopefully, The Odd Couple has the magic "it" factor.

There is still quite some time before Brown and the rest of The Odd Couple cast pop up on our televisions. CBS has a pretty stacked lineup this fall, and even though a few comedies, including How I Met Your Mother, are no longer on the schedule, there’s not a lot of room in the schedule to cater to new comedies. Luckily, while CBS is usually a ratings juggernaut, there are always a couple of shows that perform dismally each season, which means The Odd Couple will get its day to shine on network TV, eventually.

Give me your hands!

Show me the door!

I cannot stand!

To wait anymore!

Somebody said

Be what you be

We could be old and cold and dead on the sea.

But I love you more than words can say

I can't count the reasons I should stay.

It's the community San Diego Comic Con 2012 panel live blog. Season 4! There's no Dan Harmon and the cast has been shoved off to Fridays under the all seeing eyes of new showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port, and we're here in Ballroom 20 mostly to see what they have to say about how one of our favorite shows and how they're going to keep it awesome.

9:58: I got a sneak peek at the cast before I got here and they all look so awake and pretty and cheery that I feel bad for not being 100% awake at the time. I'm awake now! Let's panel!

10:00 A "we're moving to Friday night" auto tuned supercut of footage from the prevous 3 seasons starts the panel. It's auto tuned and hopping and involves and nice "When I say Greendale, you say sucks" pre-chorus

10:02Video ended with Troy and Abed: "You tried to kill us, but you only made us more awesome." Did we? Let's find out. Mike Snyder leads a "When I say 6 seasons you say..." call and response, audience loves it.

10:03 Here comes everyone's intros. People cheer, you know how it goes.

10:05 We all cheered a little for Moses Port. That was nice of us. Megan Ganz is here wearing a "Save The Cape" t-shirt.

10:07 First question: "Is it going to be okay?" Answer from Port: "A couple months ago, we were huge fans...suddenly now we're here helping to keep it going...only thing we care about is that it's this weird gem and that's not going ot change."

10:10 Joel says: "we got a Season 4 because of you...so if we get cancelled in 13 episodes, that's your fault too"

10:10 Yvette says her and Joel's relationship is a lot like Shirly and Jeff's relationship in that she beats him at foosball all the time. They name drop Nick Kroll from the Foosball episode and reveal that the fooseball obsessed Germans will "be back"

10:12 Joel says we will meet Jeff's father this season, then he jokes that dad will be played by Eddie Murphy. The first part was news, the second was funny.

10:13 Dani Pudi had fun exploring darker Abed, but it broke his heart to not return Troy's special handshake. He says, yes, the tiny Dreamatorium lives, but he'd rather do more Troy and Abed in the Morning.

10:14 Allison Brie really enjoyed the the new "loosy goosy" Annie. Gillian, Dani and Allison all loosy-goosy for about 20 seconds, the crowd is mildly aroused. Allison tries to add "And Annie" to the "Troy and Abed in the Morning" song, Dani asks: "What are you doing?"

10:15 Gillian's reflections on Season 3: There were a lot of hugs.

10:17 A run down of all the characters that have died on the show makes Joel realize that more people die on Community than most comedies. A whole glee club, Pierce's father, etc.

10:18 Yvette Nicole Brown says: "We've seen you on Twitter" thanks everyone for being here, is also looking forward to Nathan Fillion later today. She says Shirley always have her purse because she's from inner city Cleveland and you never leave your purse behind.

10:20 Who is Jeff texting all the time? Joel says he's composing texts, maybe not sending them at all. Megan Ganz reminds him Jeff has a twitter account.

10:22 The blanket fort was a big disappointment to production in Season 2. They wanted a pillow fort, only had time for a blanket fort, and that was what lead to the Troy and Abed war.

10:23 Clip time! Highlights from Season 3.

10:25 Hashtag unveiled: #POPPOPComicCon

10:26 Megan Ganz used to schedule her college classes around Law and Order re-run blocks, obviously knows her L&O. She had tons of fun writing he episode. She'd love to do another one. Yvette says: "SVU" Joel says: "Yes, sexual crimes."

10:28 We're going to let David and Moses talk now: David says that they understand the show deeply, love it and just want it to keep being what it is. Like no other show, he says, the fans influence Community. When they are in the writers room they are thinking about us. Moses says they're not going to come in and change everything, they don't want to. They have a great cast, he promises they will "not screw it up."

10:30 David on Season 4: "For a lot of the characters, it's senior year, a time of emotional change." It gives them time to explore some serious relationships like Jeff and the Dean. We'll get to see Pierce's Mansion. We get to go to an INSPECTOR SPACE TIME CONVENTION! Crowd goes wild! Megan Ganz says: "We'll go twice if we keep getting that reaction." David tells us all to cheer again so executives can hear.

10:33 On graduating, David says: "These characters will be in each others lives regardless of school....did I dodge that ok?"

10:34Season 3 DVD comes out August 14th, two days after Yvette's birthday. There will be commentaries on every episode, two featurettes, on on X-mas show, one on blanket fort episode, over 20 minutes of outtakes, deleted scenes

10:36 Quick peek at some of the gag reel from Season 3. One of them is Allison rapping. Her longest Freestyle ever. She claims that is her repping Childish Gambino.

10:37 Dani: "Joel and I can do the Christmas rap!" And then they do. It involves Joel saying: "MotherF*cker."

10:39Gillian says: "You are the reason we are coming back for a fourth season and I hope that you know how much we appreciate you." She loved the 6 Seasons and A Movie art show, us. "We may not get Emmys or even get nominated for them, but we win every online poll that we're up for." She thanks us for giving her a 4th season. And she has a video bout the fandom for us!

10:43 Fandom video has people with evil Abed goatees, flashmobs, interviews with fans, the Six Seasons and A Movie Art Show, clips of the cast on other shows talking about how it isn't a "cult following" it's a cult.

10:45 End of clip has Joel McHale saying he'd kiss every fan. Dani says line starts with him.

10:46 Gillian on Britta/Troy: "You know, I don't know anything about writing a television show, I think it's a delicate line between having a lot of sparks and farts without becomng a relationship show." David jumps in: "The sparks might become a fire." That's the first Gillian has heard about it.

10:48 Time for fan questions. First: "Did any of you actually go to a community college?" Joel: "Gillian went to a community college...oh wait, that was Julliard."

10:49 Guy confesses crush for Gillian Jacobs, Gillian, Allison and Dani sing "Daybreak" to him. Doo-doo-doot-oot-doo-doo.

10:52 Woman dressed as Inspector Spacetime says she's actually the 5th Inspector. Ugh,

10:53 "Is there going to be an Inspector Spacetime TV show?" Answer: We don't need to make the show to get the fandom from the show. Megan Ganz says there was an Inspector Spacetime fan video where they kept saying "Blogons" which is why they added the joke that "Blogon" means thank you in Blorgon.

10:58 Last question: There was a great payoff over 3 seasons with the Beetlejuice thing, is there going to be something that pays off in Season 4? Megan Ganz says the layering will always be part of the show because the writers, cast and crew actually love the show so they're all adding layers. Panel ends, everyone cheers!

Casting continues to chug along on the second Percy Jackson & The Olympians picture, which, as we reported a few weeks back, will be subtitled The Sea of Monsters. Original stars Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario will return for the follow up, as will supporting players Brandon T. Jackson, Jake Abel and Melina Kanakaredes. But three actress – two with Oscar cred – are lending their talents to the proceedings, according to Variety.

Mary Birdsong (The Descendants), Missi Pyle (The Artist) and Community star Yvette Nicole Brown have been added to the Percy Jackson ensemble. They will play the three Fates, sisters from classic mythology who share one eye. In this modern version, they will be portrayed as taxi-driving siblings, and they’ll help Jackson along on his latest quest.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid helmer Thor Fredenthal will direct the sequel, taking over the reigns from original director Chris Columbus (who’ll produce). Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski penned the screenplay, which also makes room for Cyclops (Douglas Smith, Big Love), Percy’s half-brother who helps the main character try to find the Golden Fleece in the titular sea of monsters.

The original Percy Jackson was a decent-sized hit, earning $226.5M worldwide. The sequel is targeting a March 27, 2013 release date, and so far is shaping up with an impressive cast. What do you think? Will you check it out when it opens? And how do you think the new cast members will fit into the fantasy world? Share your thoughts in our comments section below.

This is a tough one. And not only because I have to try and follow Eric who did us all a solid by covering "Documentary Filmmaking Redux," one of the best episodes of Community to date. But that episode's brilliance was rendered bittersweet thanks to NBC's announcement a few days prior that the show would be going on hiatus in the spring. Then two cold and bleak weeks went by, everyone stuck in the darkest timeline and wearing their felt goatees until finally, tonight, Community returned with more evidence as to why NBC would be crazy to cancel the show - otherwise called "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism."

"I can't exactly buy him a cat monocle, can I? It's pretentious."

The episode opens in the cafeteria and, although it takes time to set up both of the two main threads--Jeff and Shirley's bonding (?) over foosball as well as Annie, Troy and Abed's superheroic spin on a classic sitcom situation--it is also wise enough to give Britta and Pierce as much time and lines as possible since they are all but absent from the rest of the episode. This is hinted at when everyone is asked their plans for the weekend, implying right away that this is an off-campus, extra-curricular affair. So, what are everyone's plans for the weekend? Pierce rephrases it to 'who' is he doing this weekend (which, if you don't speak sexist, means nobody) and Britta is volunteering at an animal hospital to pay off some kitty laser eye surgery. I would have gone with the monocle. After dispensing with the two extraneous group members of the week (sorry Pierce and Britta) it only leaves the main storylines remaining.

First, TroBed--and by roommate extension Annie--just received their long awaited copy of the Limited Edition $299.00 The Dark Knight DVD (signed by Christian Bale - "Abed is Batman now") meaning their Saturday night is set. And of course, with Bale officially handing the cowl over to Abed, I'm sure they won't get into any kind of reflexive, pop-cultural influenced shenanigans As for Jeff and Shirley, well, before they can get to their surely separate plans, Jeff just can't take the loud foosball playing fools any longer. Nick Kroll guest stars as one of the three German foosballers --even though it only takes two to play--and delivers a pretty funny, hammed up performance (with just the right amount of over accenting). Jeff is obviously too cool for both them and the game but when challenged, well, it's Jeff. Too bad he fails to score the much needed goal and leaves the German Kroll searching for a word to express his shameful joy. It's on. And do I sense some more daddy issues? Perhaps.

What a strong and funny cold open. Perfectly structured to introduce our dual narratives without sparing a laugh and giving screen time to beloved characters who won't factor into the rest of the episode. Let's start with the less emotional, more zany AnnTroBed narrative and how...

"You moving in here was supposed to tone us down!"

Having been passive aggressively warned about what to clean and not to clean, Annie tiptoes around her new place on some unsure feet and soon enough, steps on the precious special edition DVD. Sorry, limited edition. The scene is perfectly bookended by Troy's humming, first happily as he emerges from his blanket-fort before ending the scene with a sad, cry humming exit. Both hilarious. Troy also knows that since this scenario is a sitcom staple there will be no fooling Abed. The best thing to do is to come clean and, in a great choice, Annie Aderall instead begins to dig a deeper and deeper hole of lies. She starts by staging a fake break-in (which The Simpsons did one Christmas episode) forgetting that, after the police prove to be ineffectual, Abed as the recently anointed new Batman must take things into his own hands. And thus, the return of Abed in his full Batman costume complete with the voice and amazing one-liners. "The night beckons. It's black fingers curl and uncurl, going like, hey come here." The re-emergence of Abed as Batman not only scared Annie into a confession but also pretty much solidified that this week's episode was going to be, if nothing else, hilarious. We also got to hear Annie's best Christian Bale Batman earlier and she's not too bad either (let's face it, the whole cast is amazing).

It's odd, but when Troy yelled "who are you" at Annie during her downward spiral of deceptions it for some reason reminded me of the end of Unbreakable, like Annie and Abed were going to be nemeses. I hope so. In fact, as much as I loved the TroBed bromance, I might love this new threesome even more. Annie adds an interesting dynamic to the good-hearted yet childish duo with her anal retentiveness, innocence and most importantly, ability to fly off the handle and become a total loonball --yes, I have used both loonball and zany in one recap. Every week Donald Glover kills and is easily the show's most likable character--probably because he and Abed are the show's moral compass mixed with an ability to get caught up in the moment (like yelling "get him" at Abed as Batman when he's in the landlord's place). Yes, Annie might have confessed but Abed was too far gone and now sure that the landlord was behind the robbery. We get some great physical comedy from Danny Pudi--so you can add slapstick to his amazing resume--breaking into the apartment and finding the closet full of women's shoes even though the landlord has no wife or women's feet. All's well that ends well as Batman got his man (sort of) and Abed got his apology from Annie. Wait, Batman got an apology from Annie. Abed returns shortly after, prompting Troy to ask "where have you been?"

"I'm gonna put you back on the express train to tinkle town!"

While Jeff, Shirley and the foos storyline had its laughs, it was also a really emotional and well told narrative with a terrific reveal. And for a show that as inventive and referential as it is, I'm surprised we've never seen flashbacks used to this extent before. However, before we get ahead of ourselves by going too far back, let's begin with Jeff stuck in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable place of feeling inadequate. This is not usual for our smugly defensive leading man (although it has reared its ugly head before in a pottery class - I miss Dr. Rich) so he takes to the tables after hours in order to bone up and be prepared for the next encounter with ze Germans. Enter Shirley, and despite Jeff's assurances that "it's a guy thing, not a fresh baked pie thing," she can play some serious foos and the two get down to business and bonding. Like most fun things, Shirley sees foosball as an evil game that can only bring out the bad in people and in this case, well, she's pretty much right but when Jeff opens up about his past, and a humiliation that forced him out of the table sport forever, well, she has to agree to help. She's a good Christian you know, "kill or be killed, you turkey!" Oh, not only is the training intensity escalating, they are soon presenting the Germans with a standard sitcom 'never play at this table again' bet. The German's reply is one of the funniest physical gags I've seen on the show, it literally made me spit take (no joke)--yes, the human foos. Despite what Jeff says, that was hilarious and definitely worth the $25 prop ball.

However, in the midst of Shirley and Jeff's training and bonding, war stories are swapped and it turns out that Shirley's childhood mean streak aka 'Big Cheddar' cross paths with a young and rat-tailed Jeff aka 'Tinkle-Town.' The flashback is great. It's wonderfully filmed in black and white, and is oddly both fresh and captures a certain cliched flashback aesthetic. On top of the rare visual flair from the sitcom, it also packs an emotional punch. Community has been building up Jeff's father issues for sometime and when Big Cheddar Shirley drops the "I know your daddy ain't around or you wouldn't act like a bitch" it's quite a rare emotional punch. The emotional and character stakes have definitely never been higher (thanks Leonard) and I was totally engaged by it all. Especially when the next supposedly apologetic meet-up turned into another level of feud that could only be resolved by resorting to Anime (uh, brilliant!). And even better is when the Anime turns its signature high-energy battling on its head, ending in a very calm conversational "you're a perfectly fine person." They show the Germans that they don't need foosball anymore, now that they have each other and in one of the sweetest endings I can recall, they walk off hand in hand as kids. Call me a sucker, but it worked for me.

"Some crusts are worth eating."

The tag was short and sweet. Most of my enjoyment came not from Leonard himself but from reading the titles of the other videos on the YouTube channel aptly titled LeonardLikesPizza. And if you needed to know, Eugenio's Four Cheese Pizza has good cheese, good sauce, it's a buy! Also, there are some helpful videos on when it's okay to fold your pizza or the consistency of sauces. But enough about Leonard. Community didn’t just return to the airwaves but it also signaled a complete return to form and formula - snappy one liners, self-referential asides, endless pop cultural references and a nice touch of sentiment to wrap it all up nicely. As I said in the opening paragraph, last week was certainly one of the best episodes of a somewhat inconsistent (if mostly good) third season and yet, the last three or four, including tonight's, have me even more worried that we won't reach #sixseasonsandamovie. Oh, and did anyone else notice the weird dub when Jeff said "Luftballons?" Huh.

Community airs on NBC, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole-Brown, Donald Glover, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong and Chevy Chase. It was created by Dan Harmon.

Community opened the third season with two pretty strong episodes. They did a great job wrapping up loose-ends, setting this year's tone and even creating (or hinting at) a few new roles and relationships for some of our characters. Oh, plus we've already had some great guest work from Michael K. Williams, John Goodman and especially Martin Starr in last week's episode. This weeks episode, "Competitive Geology," is heavy on the Chang, but Michael K Williams is back as Professor Kane, so there's always that...

"You woke with a guard this morning but tonight, you're going to bed with a detective." or "Who are these people?

This week's opening act sets up our two narratives and, shockingly - at least to me - one of them does not involve the group. At all. It's just Chang. Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself (but really? just Chang). He wakes in his squatter's paradise at the college, living with a lovely lady mannequin leg named Veronica and dreaming big dreams about becoming a full on detective. Meanwhile, the group just seem to be getting along so well. Awe. Like, really well. Awe. NO! Too well. And enter Professor Kane's new assignment, a terrarium, which is kind of like a ecological diorama. Ugh. It's clear Professor Kane has a hard time understanding life on the outside sometimes, like his students sometimes or even the recent developments in Lego. Regardless, terrariums a due the next day and everyone's lab partner is seated across from them. Uh yeah, who are these people?

"You've only been here a month. You haven't done much of anything and there's no such thing as security guard detective."

Let's open with the Chang storyline since you can tell that's the one I'm most excited about. As I stated above, Ken Jeong's Chang can be hilarious - when used wisely and sparingly, as he was during his 'Senior Chang' days in the first season. However, the more we get, the less I enjoy and I was really looking forward to the first full on film noir spoof and Harmon gave it to him. Objectively? It wasn't too bad but it definitely doesn't rank up there with a solid half of any of the better episodes.

It opens with Chang and his superior not seeing eye to eye, mostly because his superior isn't a crazy person and the fact that "they don't investigate crimes because they can barely prevent them." Of course, this does little to stop his insane mind from inviting us in for a full on film noir voice-over and the beginning of Chang's first case. Sure, it has some good lines ("he kind of arms that have elbows" or "I needed answers like a fish needs a bicycle"), I laughed at the jump cut to the stapler and I even liked the fact that he lit the fire to start his own case BUT was it consistently funny or smart enough for this show? I did also like that he and the Dean had a 'crazy off' that results in no consequences for anyone but the man of reason. Say hello to Head Security Guard Chang.

"We really prefer to partner up amongst ourselves."

After the opening few minutes left the oh, so happy group a little shocked with their lab partner assignment, they decided to take a trip to see Professor Kane and see about remedying this 'new people' situation. Even though Kane finds the whole thing bizarre he grants them their wish and off they go and split... shocker Pierce is odd man out and still left with Todd. Poor, poor Todd. He's given so much offense and yet so little is taken. All's not well in paradise though when the group soon realizes that they don't pair up so well. Annie doesn't want to do the work and watch Jeff complain about his twitter casualties or send texts to no one. Reminiscing over Kickpuncher Abed and Troy realize they already spend too much time together. And, well, why would anyone ever assume that Britta and Shirley would make a good team. That was doomed before the moment Shirley started talking [read: blathering on and on] about her kids or Britta mentioned sugar conspiracies.

Enter the new scapegoat, Todd. To solve the 'Todd Problem' it's back the the study room to get better partners... I mean find out who gets stuck with Todd. Troy's plan is a complicated way of saying he wants Britta. Abed want's to pair the old and the young, which Shirley is more okay with since Jeff is in the old group (he's not okay). Britta wants the high-IQ's with the lows for obvious reasons. They eventually they settle on a ranking system (popularity contest) with Abed, the computer, calculating the results. Everyone is happy. The end. "Are you questioning my algorithm?" "No." "Is you're algorithm above questioning?" No." Of course, this only leads to more squabbling and Britta torching the rankings and throwing them in the garbage... with the turtle. Oh yeah, Todd found a turtle! He's a pretty nice and patient guy, I'm sorry for not mentioning him but I don't think he'd take offense. However, one can only be pushed so far, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" A lot is wrong with these people but what they do learn is that, they are better together. As a whole. And mostly being unkind to others, like Todd.

"Maybe I need to take one... A test, not a penis."

This week's tag was once again very abrupt and not just a Troy/Glover and Abed/Pudi segment (which always makes me sad) but it's okay because it involved the entire group. Troy dropped another classic line, "they're boobs... and I don't know" but we learned that Britta is perhaps a little phallically obsessed. She's Rorschach-ing and Freudian Slipping penises all over the place while trying to do research for her Psych Class. Penis, penis, penis, penis. penis. Overall I thought it was a pretty lackluster episode but, like usual, still found places to cram in some laughs, The actors are too good to not get you going a few times, including Ken Jeong even if a little Chang goes a long way (or, uh, a big Chang goes a short way). It's nice that Pierce's continued his recent trend being the senile, out of touch racist we like (he was funny, again!) instead of the mean one we don't. And it was nice to see his take his position as perennial seventh-wheel in stride. Well, funny and not mean-spirited stride.

I don't think I'd fail this one but I'd meet after class and tell them that they can do better. Unless, of course, you love Chang and lots of him, meaning this probably an awesome episode. Hurray!

Bonus Questions:

The Dean-Low.

"I'm married to the job. And to a mannequin leg I Found in the boardroom." ..."Homewrecker!"

Legos were simple...

Paintball. Paintball 2.

"What is happening at this school? I have so many conversations I don't understand."

"Maybe I was crazy. Or maybe, just maybe, I was a Detective."

Clue-y.

"I had to think fast."

"It has feelings."

"You're just a good grade in a tight sweater."

"Well, you're just a bad grade in a tight sweater."

Do worms have tiny little faces?

"Offense taken. Offense taken..."

Another ego-shattering blow delivered by Professor Kane this week, "Pop Pop."

The 'mean clique' in prison.

Iris-in on Todd's single tear.

Community airs on NBC, Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It stars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole-Brown, Donald Glover, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong and Chevy Chase. It was created by Dan Harmon.