One of the best things about mystery-of-the-week type shows is the guest stars. Whether its Aubrey Plaza popping up in Criminal Minds or Adam Driver in Law and Order: SVU, seeing a famous (or about to be famous) face appear in your favorite detective show is a pleasant surprise. That’s exactly the feeling that Rian Johnson’s Poker Face wants to recreate for its viewers. After the initial batch of four episodes, Poker Face sticks to a classic weekly release schedule, which means its audience can only guess who will appear one week at a time (and if they committed the crime being investigated).
Starring Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face follows Charlie Cale, a woman on the run with the unique ability to tell if people are lying. Within the first four episodes alone, the show’s featured guests have included Adrien Brody, Lil Rel Howery, Hong Chau, Dascha Polanco, and many others. Not all of them are murderers, but they all play memorable roles as friends or foes of Charlie.
Episode 5, “Time of the Monkey,” is no exception when it comes to celebrity guest stars. Without giving too much away, we see Charlie end up working in a nursing home for the elderly, where she meets a number of eccentric characters and of course, finds herself inexplicably involved in someone’s death. It’s one of the best episodes of the series (so far), especially because of the incredible cast.
In case you can’t place where you’ve seen the actors from before, here’s who starred in Episode 5 of Poker Face.
Who Starred in Episode 5 of Poker Face?
S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light in Poker Face Episode 5.
Judith Light
Judith Light plays Irene Smothers in Episode 5 of Poker Face. Light is known for her various television appearances, including One Life to Live, Transparent, Law and Order: SVU, and many, many other roles. Recently Light has appeared in tick, tick… BOOM!, The Menu, and American Crime Story.
S. Epatha Merkerson
Merkerson is best known for her longtime role as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on Law and Order. She’s currently a regular on the cable drama Chicago Med. In Poker Face, she stars alongside Judith Light as Joyce Harris, an elderly woman with a suspicious past.
K. Callan
In Poker Face, K. Callan plays the nervous and observant Betty, a crucial ally to Charlie Cale. Outside of the show, K. Callan has appeared in 1980’s American Gigolo, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Veep, and more. Fans of other Rian Johnson productions likely remembered her more recently in Knives Out, where she played Great nana Wanetta.
Reed Birney
Birney plays Ben/Gabriel in Poker Face, a cult leader who turns his subjects into the FBI and goes into witness protection for years. Birney also appeared in The Menu, and has character actor roles in many other films. He’s also known as a television mainstay, having appeared in an impressive amount of shows over the years including Gossip Girl, The Blacklist, Succession, Titans, and House of Cards.
Simon Helberg
Simon Helberg plays Agent Luca in Poker Face, an FBI agent who works in witness protection. It’s possible we’ll see him in future episodes, since Charlie herself is probably eligible for witness protection. Outside of Poker Face, Helberg has appeared in movies like Annette, Florence Foster Jenkins, and Joel and Ethan Coen’s A Serious Man, but to most is best known for his longtime role on The Big Bang Theory.
Milan Polk is an Editorial Assistant for Men’s Health who specializes in entertainment and lifestyle reporting, and has worked for New York Magazine’s Vulture and Chicago Tribune.
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