Hulu’s ‘The Bear‘ is a comedy-drama series that follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a celebrated Chef who returns to his hometown of Chicago to take over his brother’s failing restaurant, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, after his brother’s death. Created by Christopher Storer, the series features powerful performances from its lead cast, including some popular names among the guest stars. The second season has an added boost of star power with more cameos that help expand the show’s world. Hence, viewers must be looking for details of all the guest stars and their characters in ‘The Bear’ season 2. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Since ‘The Bear’ season 2 explores Chicago’s culinary and fine-dining scene in great depth, it is no surprise that the season is full of sporadic appearances from real chefs. These cameos include Rob Levitt, an acclaimed butchery chef at Publican Quality Meats, and Dylan Patel, the Chef de Cuisine (CDC) at Avec, a restaurant in River North. Chef David Posey, the co-owner of Elske, also makes a small cameo in episode 5, while Donnie Madia, one of the most popular restaurateurs in Chicago, appears in episodes 5 and 10.

The first major guest appearance of the season comes in the fourth episode when Marcus travels to Copenhagen, Denmark, to study desserts under Chef Luca. Actor Will Poulter who rose to prominence with his performance in the comedy film ‘We’re the Millers,’ essays the role of Luca. It is one of the more fleshed-out guest roles of the season, with viewers learning about Luca’s history with Carmy and their shared time together at Ever Restaurant. Poulter is also known for playing Adam Warlock in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’

The seventh episode, which sees Richard “Richie” Jerimovich training at the Ever Restaurant, features another bunch of guest appearances. Actor Adam Shapiro, best known for playing Mr. Shapiro in the teen series ‘Never Have I Ever,’ plays the restaurant’s stern CDC. ‘Winning Time’ and ‘Parenthood’-fame actress Sarah Ramos cameos as server Jessica. However, the best cameo of the episode comes last as English actress Olivia Colman plays the Zen-like Chef Terry. Colman is best known for playing Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix period-drama series ‘The Crown.’

The sixth episode of season 2, which is a literal feast of dramatic moments centered around a Christmas dinner, is arguably the show’s best episode to date. It features power-packed performances from several guest stars. Actress Sarah Paulson, renowned for playing several characters in the horror anthology series ‘American Horror Story‘ and actor-comedian John Mulaney of ‘Dickinson,’ deliver the more subtle performances of the episode. Paulson plays Michelle Berzatto, Carmy’s cousin, while Mulaney plays Michelle’s boyfriend, Steven.

Two actors who feature more prominently in season 2 despite being guest stars are Robert Townsend and Gillian Jacobs. Townsend delivers a calming performance as Sydney’s father, Emmanuel Adamu. He is known for acting in several hit films during the ’80s and ’90s and has turned into a successful director, contributing to shows such as ‘The Wonder Years‘ and ‘Kaleidoscope.’ Jacobs plays Richie’s former wife, Tiffany Jerimovich. She is best known for her role as Britta Perry in the sitcom ‘Community.’

‘Community’ star Joel McHale delivers one of the most intriguing and powerful guest starring roles in the first season of ‘The Bear’ appearing as Carmy’s abusive Executive Chef from New York. In season 2, McHale makes a brief, blink-and-you-‘ll-miss-it cameo in the finale when Carmy’s anxiety forces him to imagine his former boss at his new restaurant’s opening. McHale is also known for playing Starman on the superhero show ‘Stargirl‘ aside from starring in the Fox comedy ‘Animal Control.’

One of the most surprising cameos of season 2 also comes in the aforementioned sixth episode. It features actor Bob Odenkirk as Carmy’s Uncle Lee, who is at odds with the rest of the Berzatto family. Odenkirk is a household name thanks to his performance as Saul Goodman on the critically acclaimed crime drama ‘Breaking Bad,’ a role he reprises in the spin-off series ‘Better Call Saul.’ He also gained recognition for his performance as former assassin Hutch Mansell in the 2021 action film ‘Nobody.’

The most refreshing sight of the show’s first season is seeing actor Jon Bernthal appearing as Carmy’s older brother, Michael “Mikey” Berzatto. Bernthal reprises his role in a guest starring capacity once again in the second season during the sixth episode. He features in some intense scenes with Odenkirk’s Uncle Lee, allowing the ‘We Own This City‘ actor to show another side of Mikey we don’t see in season 1.  Bernthal is also a household name due to his role as Shane Walsh in ‘The Walking Dead’ and Frank Castle/Punisher in ‘Daredevil‘ and ‘The Punisher.’

The sixth episode of season 2 finally introduces viewers to the Berzatto family matriarch, Donna Berzatto, with actress Jamie Lee Curtis essaying the role. Curtis plays Donna’s rough and unpredictable side with the same ease as she portrays the kind and caring sides of a mother. She also makes a brief cameo towards the end of the season 2 finale, and her role in Carmy’s story leaves the door open for Curtis to take a more prominent role in the future. Curtis is best known for playing Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s slasher film ‘Halloween‘ and its more recent sequels ‘Halloween Kills‘ and ‘Halloween Ends.’

Read More: Is The Bear’s Ever Based on a Real Restaurant?