Hacks Season 2 Adds Ming-Na Wen, Laurie Metcalf, & More To Recurring Cast
HBO Max's "Hacks" already boasts one of the funniest casts on TV, but the series is upping the ante in season two with the announcement of four new actors. Variety reports that Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, and Ming-Na Wen will be joining the show as recurring guest stars, with Margaret Cho also guest starring. Wayne Newton will also reportedly be appearing in season two.
Metcalf ("Lady Bird", Kelly ("Euphoria"), Wen ("The Book of Boba Fett"), and Cho ("Over The Moon") are all fantastic additions to a show that's all about valuing the stories of funny women who have put in years of work in an unforgiving industry. Most of the talented actresses and comedians all have decades of experience under their belts, and though it's unclear which, if any of them will be playing Deborah's contemporaries in the comedy world, each is sure to bring something interesting to her role.
Wide open comedic spaces
"Hacks" is one of the best shows on TV thanks in large part to a dynamic cast of characters, and its first season perfectly utilized its guest stars. Jean Smart has already won several awards for playing fiery aging comedian Deborah Vance, while Hannah Einbinder perfectly embodies her comedic other half, disgraced young comedy writer Ava.
The show ended its first season by teeing up some intriguing plots: Deborah is set to tour with Ava at her side, practicing new, more honest material for the first time in years. Ava, meanwhile, recently shared some potentially slanderous gossip about her boss with TV producers hoping to make a show inspired by her.
In an interview with Variety, series showrunners hinted at what we might expect from the new season. Lucia Aniello said the show is following through with its comedy tour set-up, and that season two will feature "a lot of Americana and a lot of the country that gets covered." This means these new supporting guest stars could play anyone from fellow comedians to audience members to random strangers Ava and Deborah encounter on the road. Still, I can't help but picture Metcalf as an equally neurotic sister to Ava's now-grieving mother, Nina (Jane Adams).
Though "Hacks" will likely be back sooner rather than later, the second season is reportedly still in production. All the major players from the season one cast will be returning, including Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, and more.