“The Bear” served up a sizzling Season 2, following the chaos of transforming the sandwich shop into a classy restaurant, with some special guest stars and cameos adding their own special flavor along the way.
Many of the surprise actors and actresses added context to Carmy’s (Jeremy Allen White) past, whether it be his friend pastry chef Luca (Will Poulter) or multiple family members like his mother Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), brother Mike (Jon Bernthal), Uncle Lee (Bob Odenkirk) or Cousin Michelle (Sarah Paulson).
We also see Carmy take a stab at love this season with Molly Gordon’s Claire. Richie’s ex-wife Tiffany shines a lovely light on the stubborn but deep-down-caring brother to Carmy, and John Mulaney brings out a certain side of the Bertazzo family as Michelle’s husband Stevie.
“The Bear” also had a few guest stars in Season 1 — including Molly Ringwald as leader of the AI-Anon group Carmy attends and Joel McHale as the intense chef that pressured Carmy day-in and day-out in his job before taking over “The Beef” — but Season 2 elevated the game.
Read on to meet all the guest stars in “The Bear” and more about their characters in Season 2:
Will Poulter as Chef Luca
Will Poulter’s Chef Luca gives Marcus some lessons in pastry-making. He is old friends with Carmy and is a gentle, yet firm teacher. He leaves Marcus with a gift for opening day that reminds him of his goals in making pastries.
Jon Bernthal as Michael Berzatto
Jon Bernthal plays Mike Berzatto, Carmy’s brother who was an addict and who was in charge of the restaurant before Carmy took over following his death. He appears in a flashback episode that traces all of Mikey’s struggles, including the weight of a family that doesn’t support him all that well.
Molly Gordon as Claire
Claire is Carmy’s love interest. She wins over not just Carmy’s heart, but Sugar’s, Fak’s and Richie’s, however, she also distracts Carmy from the opening of the restaurant. Claire is in residency to become a doctor, but she has known Carmy for a while, with both of them having feelings for each other in the past.
Sarah Paulson as Cousin Michelle
Sarah Paulson plays a Berzatto cousin who owns a New York restaurant. She offers Carmy the opportunity to live with her so he can study cuisine in New York and get away from his family’s dysfunction.
Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna Berzatto
Jamie Lee Curtis plays Carmy’s mother Donna. She sets the tone for Carmy’s intensity by cooking constantly in the kitchen for her family without any help or support, which she declines if it is offered to her.
Bob Odenkirk as Uncle Lee
Bob Odenkirk plays sour Uncle Lee, who goes at it with Mikey (Bernthal) in the flashback episode by pointing out some harsh truths. He adds context to the pressure Mikey was facing before his death.
Gillian Jacobs as Tiffany
Tiffany is Richie’s ex-wife and mother to his daughter. She appears in the flashback episode as well as another episode in which she has moved on with a new love who proposed to her.
John Mulaney as Stevie
Comedian John Mulaney plays Michelle’s husband Stevie, who the family thinks is gay. The nerdy husband defers often not only to Michelle, but Donna as well.
Olivia Colman as Chef Terry
Olivia Colman cameos as Chef Terry in one scene with Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as he finishes up training at a high-end restaurant. She gives him her backstory of how she shifted to her career as a cook and the advice from her father that she lives by to this day.
Alex Moffat as Josh
Alex Moffat plays new cook Josh, who tends to disappear to take drugs in the back alley halfway through his shifts.
