Rian Johnson‘s Poker Face is one of the most exciting shows streaming right now. Fresh off the success of Netflix’s second Knives Out movie, Glass Onion, Johnson has made willed another hit into existence, this time in another medium and with a weekly format. It’s hard to beat Natasha Lyonne traveling across the country solving crime while simultaneously being on the run after witnessing another violent crime. She smokes, calls people out on their lies, and gets along with just about everyone she meets. The show can’t get much better. Especially when each week features an equally talented guest star (or more) who either helps her solve the crime or are implicated themselves. The stars run the gamut from Law and Order regulars (like S. Epatha Merkerson) to 2023 Oscar nominees (like Hong Chau and Stephanie Hsu). Suffice to say, you’ll definitely recognize someone on Poker Face.
Episode 5′s “Time of the Monkey” starred Judith Light, S. Epatha Merkerson, Simon Helberg, and others as Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Caletook on a retiree mystery in a nursing home. After solving that case, Charlie ends up working for a dinner theater right as a deadly show is about to take place. Much like “Time of the Monkey,” Episode 6’s “Exit Stage Death” features two impressive lead actors who’ve had illustrious television careers. Not only are you getting a good murder of the week story, but the starring actors give unforgettable performances.
Here’s who appeared in Episode 6 of Poker Face.
Who starred in Episode 6 of Poker Face?
Ellen Barkin
Most recently known for her longtime lead role in Animal Kingdom as the matriarch of a crime family, Ellen Barkin is a Tony and Emmy-award winning actress who’s starred in various films and television shows such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Switch, and Before Women Had Wings. In “Exit Stage Death,” she plays Kathleen Townsend, a former sitcom star who begs her old co-star to appear in a one-night only production for a chance to return to stardom.
Ellen Barkin in “Exit Stage Death”.
After her appearance on the show, Barkin said she’d do it again without question in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I just want to come back every year and play different people. You think anyone will want me to play like, a nice old lady? Who is sweet and understanding? I was going to try to make Kathleen a nice old lady because I was like, “Not again!” But, she has to be a mean old lady.”
Tim Meadows
The former Saturday Night Live cast member (one of the show’s longest-running members, in fact) is a well-known comedic actor who’s appeared on various sitcoms and starred in films ever since his debut on SNL. Meadows has appeared in The Office, Everybody Hates Chris, The Goldbergs, Wayne’s World 2, Mean Girls, and much much more. In “Exit Stage Death,” Meadows plays Michael Graves, Kathleen’s co-star, who reluctantly returns to the stage to help her reclaim her lost stardom.
Jameela Jamil
Best known for her lead role in The Good Place, Jamil has appeared as a host on HBO Max’s reality competition show Legendary and as an antagonist in Marvel’s She-Hulk. In “Exit Stage Death,” Jamil plays a rich businesswoman married to Michael Graves, who convinces her husband to return to acting.
Audrey Corsa
Corsa is a relative newcomer but is having a moment on the small screen. After landing a key role in CBS’ All Rise (she appeared in 25 episodes aired between 2019 and 2021), Corsa is now taking a lead role in Apple TV+’s Dear Edward, from Friday Night Lights showrunner Jason Katims. In Poker Face, she plays Rebecca—Kathleen and Michael’s dinner theater co-star who’s a bit more perceptive than she lets on.
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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