Spoiler Warning: This article contains detailed plot points from the Only Murders in the Building season 1 finale.
Hulu's Only Murders In The Building boasts an incredible cast of talent from top to bottom, with A-listers Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez leading the critically acclaimed series. Other major names, like The Office's Amy Ryan, appear throughout the series, further bolstering the strength of the cast.
But the series would truly be nothing without its amazing cast of supporting players, and the incredible guest stars who inhabit these roles. Whether they're portraying one-off characters for side plots, murder suspects whose lives are far more complex than initially believed, or podcast hosts with potentially sinister intentions, the guest stars in Only Murders are some of the best on television right now.
Porky Pig And Bugs Bunny
This one may be more of an honorable mention than anything else, but it would be impossible to forget the appearance of Porky Pig and Bugs Bunny of Looney Tunes fame - or, at least, the appearance of two people dressed as them. Throughout the fourth episode of the series, Charles is seemingly haunted and followed by these two comical figures.
As it turns out, they are a reminder of his last heartbreak, when his former girlfriend, Emma, and her daughter, Lucy, left him by himself on a cruise he had planned for the three of them. The contrast between the characters' comedic presence and the immense pain that Charles endures as a result of this memory makes for one of the series' most fascinating choices and makes these two some of its most memorable characters as a result.
Ali Stroker
Late in season 1, Only Murders' cast of likable characters grows with the introduction of the hilarious group of Arconiacs, proudly devoted fans of the podcast produced by Oliver, Charles, and Mabel. One of these obsessive fans is Paulette, a young female wheelchair user played by the Tony-winning Ali Stroker.
While each member of the fan club is hilarious in their own right, Stroker commands every scene she is in thanks to her strong theatre background and her natural knack for comedy. Additionally, her inclusion in the series serves as yet another reminder of Only Murders' commitment to depicting New York in as realistically diverse a manner as possible.
Roy Wood Jr. And Jacob Ming-Trent
Sometimes, the best supporting characters are the ones that provide unexpected parallels to a series' main cast. In the fifth episode, Charles and Oliver meet their matches in fellow podcast hosts Vaughn and Lucian, also known as the Yard Dogs. Vaughn and Lucian are portrayed by Roy Wood Jr. and Jacob Ming-Trent, respectively.
Wood Jr. is best known for his work in stand-up comedy, while Ming-Trent has a sizable theatre background in addition to his television work. The two play off one another almost as well as series leads Steve Martin and Martin Short do, and it's not hard to understand why their horticulture podcast is as popular as they profess it to be.
Mandy Gonzalez
As should be well clear by now, Only Murders boasts an impressive cast of theatre actors among its more standard Hollywood talent. Another theatre star makes a memorable turn as Mabel's mother, Silvia, in the sixth episode. Mandy Gonzalez, known for her turns in In the Heights and Hamilton, is perfectly cast as the well-meaning but frustrated mother.
Silvia and Mabel have a strained relationship, as a result of Mabel's time at the Arconia and all that she has witnessed there. But Gonzalez layers her portrayal of Silvia with nuance, making it clear that Silvia is truly concerned about her daughter, and not just her own role in making her the woman she is. Although she isn't a major character, Silvia might be one of Only Murders' most intelligent characters, emotionally.
Jayne Houdyshell
Yet another Tony winner among the cast of Only Murders is Jayne Houdyshell, who turns in one of the series' most standout performances as Bunny. Bunny is widely hated among the Arconia for her hard, no-nonsense nature and her strong opinions.
She is especially hated by the core group of Mabel, Oliver, and Charles, which makes her shocking murder at the end of season 1 a truly dramatic scenario for the next season to explore. Houdyshell's snarky, boisterous performance makes Bunny into a fully realized character in her few but memorable scenes. Hopefully, season 2 will find ways to include her as Bunny's murder is investigated.
Tina Fey
From the moment podcast host Cinda Canning arrived on the scene as portrayed by Tina Fey, it was obvious that there would be much more to her character. Fey perfectly nails the true-crime podcast host persona, with her airy radio personality voice and her condescending attitude toward the podcast hosts who are just starting out.
But there is more of an edge to Cinda's character, as glimpsed in moments when she is alone with her assistant. Fey's pointed tone and acerbic humor provide Cinda with layers and complexities that season 2 will possibly explore in greater detail, especially since she is now planning her own podcast about the new murder at the Arconia.
James Caverly
James Caverly's Theo Dimas makes a few brief appearances early in season 1, but the seventh episode of the series, "The Boy from 6B," focuses almost entirely on his character. Caverly, a deaf actor, delivers one of the most captivating performances in the entire series, in an episode that revolutionizes what television is capable of and artfully foregrounds inclusion.
Even though Theo may have been one of the most likely murder suspects, Caverly's work in the role still makes Theo a fundamentally sympathetic character. With a father who never understood him and truly cold interactions with similarly aged Arconia residents, Theo has always been a boy looking for belonging, even as he commits crimes in the process of searching for it. Caverly's work will not be forgotten any time soon.
Sting
It could have been a cheap joke cameo when it's revealed early on that Sting lives in the Arconia. When he is raised as a potential murder suspect, it is immediately laughable... until it isn't. The series, and Sting himself, elevate this fictionalized portrayal of the legendary musician to the level of comedy gold, making him one of the Hulu series' funniest characters.
There was never any real likelihood that he would have been the one responsible for Tim Kono's death, but Sting's performance of paranoia and guilt over his fraught interactions with the murder victim still manages to provide a compelling case for reasonable doubt. Hopefully, season 2 allows Sting to continue to be in on the joke.
Jane Lynch
Who would ever have thought that Jane Lynch of all people would be completely believable as Steve Martin's stunt double? That in itself is a perfect example of the genius that makes Only Murders work as well as it does. Sazz Pataki immediately charms everyone from the moment she steps on the scene, even though she has a history of stealing Charles's girlfriends.
Lynch's wonderfully wry line delivery makes Sazz fit right in, between the zanier Charles and Oliver and the more cynical Mabel and Oscar. She feels as if she has been part of the series, and the crime-solving group, all along as soon as she arrives. Hopefully, Lynch will get to return to help solve season 2's murder mystery.
Nathan Lane
There has never been any doubt that Nathan Lane is an absolutely incredible comedic talent, and a stellar theatrical performer as well. But Only Murders takes Lane in an entirely new direction, making him into a fearsome crime boss after lulling viewers into accepting him as yet another one of his quirky and hilarious roles.
Lane plays perfectly off frequent scene partner Short, taking their relationship from unlikely business partners to fierce foes in the blink of an eye. It's hard to imagine a season 2 where Teddy Dimas isn't featured in at least some small way, purely because it would be a shame to not see Lane return to this role.
