The Bearis an FX TV show, streaming on Hulu, that centers around a young chef, Carmen, who takes over the family restaurant when his brother dies. Prior to this, he had been a successful chefat a Michelin-starred restaurantin New York City. Returning to Chicago to run the Original Beef of Chicagoland creates a stark contrast between his past and present. Despite his obvious talent as a chef, star Jeremy Allen White – speaking toW Magazine– says that Carmen is “a fish out of water” in this more casual restaurant. This is made worse by kitchen staff who are reluctant to work and family drama that threatens to boil over at any second.
The Bearcast is made up of talented actors, with many who have been on other successful shows. However, they are largely not huge-name stars, so placing these actors in a grimy kitchen setting might make them harder to recognize. The names Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Lionel Boyce might ring a bell, but it’s hard to put a face to the name and figure out where you’ve seen them before. But never fear, we’ve done the digging for you and have all of their other notable acting roles in this list.
Jeremy Allen White
The star of the show, literally, isJeremy Allen Whitein the role of Carmen or “Carmy.” Carmy is the prodigal son returning to his home of Chicago when his brother leaves him his restaurant in his will. Outside ofThe Bear, White’s most recognizable role is Lip Gallagher onShameless.Speaking to GQ, White acknowledged the similarities between the characters, recognizing that he was “going from playing a gifted kid in a dysfunctional working class Chicago family to … a gifted kid in a dysfunctional working class Chicago family.”
Related:The Bear: How the Cast Trained to Look Like Professional Chefs
White started very young in the business. At 15, he played the younger version of Clive inBeautiful Ohio. White also had a few guest appearances inLaw & Order. He also had small bits in movies such asThe Speed of Life,Afterschool,Twelve, andMovie 43. He also had a role in Dave Franco’s directorial debut,The Rental, and as the co-lead inViena and the Fantomes.
Ayo Edebiri
Ayo Edebiriis a writer and actor, although onThe Bearshe is just acting as Sydney. She is a professionally trained chef that Carmy brings into the restaurant to try and improve the standard of food they produce. Ayo Edebiri may seem like the youngest member of the cast, but she’s been in the show biz for a while; she started her career doing stand-up comedy for Comedy’s Central Up Next.
Since 2017, Edebiri has been a writer for Netflix’s animated comedy showBig Mouth, and in 2020, she took over as the voice actor for Missy afterJenny Slate’s exit. Another TV show she wrote for and acted in isDickinson, Apple TV’s creative interpretation of Emily Dickinson’s life, where she played Hattie. She’s also the voice actor for Ham in the interactive specialWe Lost Our Humanfor Netflix. Coming up, she’s the new April O’Neil in the animated filmTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Carmy’s volatile cousin Richie is played byEbon Moss-Bachrach. Having a brief appearance inLaw & Ordermight seem like a rite of passage for new talent in Hollywood. Ebon Moss-Bachrach played three different roles in three spin-offs of the show: a college student inCriminal Intent, Danny Wallace inTrial by Jury, and a guy named Justin inSpecial Victim Unit.
He’s also had minor roles inThe Royal Tenenbaums, Mona Lisa Smile, andLola Versus. He also had a notable role in Lena Dunham’sGirls, in which he played the sensitive but manipulative Desi Harperin. Another recognizable role for Moss-Bachrach is David Lieberman in Marvel’sThe Punisher, where Jon Bernthal plays a vigilante. Other places that you might recognize him from are Hulu’sThe Dropout, in the role of John Carreyrou, orStar Wars:Andor, as Arvel Skeen.
Liza Colón-Zayas
Liza Colón-Zayas' role inThe Bearis Tina, a stubborn but ultimately caring member of the kitchen staff. In her other work, she is known for a role on the showIn Treatment, about a psychotherapist who begins seeing his old therapist because he starts doubting his abilities — Colón-Zayas played Rita Ortiz. She also took part inthe coming-of-age dramaDavid Makes Man, playing Principal Fallow. It’s also possible you may recognize her fromThe Purge: Election Yearwhere she played Dawn.
Lionel Boyce
Marcus, played byLionel Boyce, is a sweet member of the kitchen who deals with the desserts and has lovely chemistry with Edebiri’s Sydney. Boyce has a long-standing relationship with Tyler the Creator, and the two have partnered on several projects. The music videos for Tyler the Creator’s songsShe,Oldie, and more feature Boyce in some way. The two have also worked together on an animated Adult Swim show calledThe Jellies!It’s about a human boy who is adopted by jellyfish. Boyce voices various characters across the show’s two-season run. Another show he has featured in isHap and Leonard, as Leon, set in the ’80s. The show is a comedy crime drama.
Related:The Bear: Best Characters in the Series, Ranked
Abby Elliott
A rare member ofThe Bearcast who is not a chef of some sort,Abby Elliottplays Natalie, or “Sugar,” Carmy’s sister. She is the responsible counterpart to his recklessness and emotional thinking, trying to get Carmy to sell the restaurant instead of watching it continue to lose money. Elliott was a cast member onSNLfrom 2008 to 2012. During her time on the show, she portrayed Chloë Sevigny, Angelina Jolie, and Joan Cusack, to name a few.
Some movies that she starred in includeNo Strings Attached, as Joy, andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as Taylor. She recently played Tricia in the remake ofCheaper by the Dozenand has done numerous voiceover work in shows such asUgly Americans,Stars vs. The Forces of Evil, andHome: Adventures with Tip and Oh. She also had a small stintinHow I Met Your Mother, playing Jeanette Peterson for five episodes.
Matty Matheson
The role thatMatty Mathesonplays is small, but he was also a producer onThe Bear. Matheson is an internet personality and chef, lending his experience in the kitchen to provide realistic color to the show. Viewers are most likely to recognize the chef from one of the several online video series he has taken part in. He appeared regularly on the food segment of Vice’s website,Munchies.Matheson also hosted shows for Vice TV namedIt’s Suppertime!andDead Set on Life.
Joel McHale
It’s a brief role, so much so that he’s never given a name, but noteworthy enough that viewers may have been left wondering where they recognized Carmy’s boss in New York from. He is played by comedian and actorJoel McHale. His best-known performance is Jeff Winger on the cult comedy showCommunity, about a group of unlikely friends at a community college.
McHale also hosted the television news seriesThe Soupfrom 2004 to 2015. Interestingly, in Netflix’s movie retelling of the story of the National Lampoon, McHale played ex-Communityco-star Chevy Chase. Viewers may also recognize him from his character Tad O’Malley in the rebootofThe X Files, or for playing Chris onThe Santa Clarita Diet.
