The article contains some spoilers for Laid.
The co-creators ofLaidexplain why the cameos from familiar faces likeBarbieactorsand Marvel stars are more than just mere cameos. Developed by Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna, and based on the Australian series of the same name,Laiddebuted on Peacock in December. It stars Stephanie Hsu, known for herOscar-nominated performance inEverything Everywhere All at Once, as Ruby. Once all of her former sex partners start dying off, often in strange ways, Ruby and her roommate AJ (Zosia Mamet) try to solve the mystery of what’s going on.
In an interview withScreen Rant’s Grant Hermanns, Khan and McKenna talked about why some of the guest appearances by the likes ofShang-ChiandBarbiestar Simu Liu are more than just cameos. In the quotes below, McKenna explained how the eight-episode series approached Ruby’s sex timeline and was able to bring notable actors through that process. Khan then elaborated how every character has a purpose in the dark romantic comedy adaptation:
Sally Bradford McKenna: It’s a dream show to cast. From the beginning, we’re like, “We’re gonna have this sex timeline of all these fun guys and girls.” And it’s not just making cameos, they don’t feel like cameos. It feels like fun casting that we get to meet all these great people. Michael Angorano is amazing. We Zoomed with him, and we were immediately like, “This is him. This is Richie.” It was one of our favorite characters going into it. And when we met with him, we were like, “He’s got to do this.” And then the guest cast, the people who kind of come in quickly. I think day one, we had like a wish list, “Who are our favorite people we want to work with?” I know John Early was first, so he went right in. We also knew we wanted a celebrity on the timeline, so we just made him that. Kate Berlant, Chloe Fineman, Simu, we just got so lucky with getting the best people to come in and have fun.
Nahnatchka Khan: And all these people are great actors. So, they come in and they come in with a purpose, like Alexandra Shipp. They all affect Ruby in a meaningful way. They’re not just a random taxi driver or something that you just pop through a scene and have as a joke, you know? So, it was fun for them, it was fun for us to kind of populate it in a way that fe
What The Large List Of Guest Stars Means For Laid
The Show Uses Them Wisely
Along with Hsu in the lead andThe Flight Attendant’s Mamet as the true crime-obsessed best friend,Laidboasts an impressive list of guest actors. Some of those, like an eye-catching cameo from a WWE star, are too fun to spoil. Still, the function becomes clear in an early episode, as Ruby tries to warn her former loves of what she thinks is happening. They each respond dismissively, and it’s obvious thatRuby isn’t the best person when it comes to relationships.
The main cast ofLaidalso includes Michael Angarano and Tommy Martinez.
These guest stars and their experiences with Ruby run along with the fact thatRuby has a secret she’s keeping from AJ. There is a question of which famous ex-lover will die next, which echoes other series,some of which are even on Peacock. However, there’s also the question of what exactly happened to each ex, why they’re so angry at Ruby, and whether she’ll repeat the same mistake by hiding details from her best friend.
Our Take On Laid’s Guest List
It’s A Different Kind Of Poker Face
Before her leading role inLaid, Hsu played one ofthe scene-stealing characters inPoker Faceseason 1. The hit detective dramedy, led by Natasha Lyonne, is coming back to Peacock for season 2 with the same premise of bringing in a familiar face and often giving them plenty of exploration and worthwhile scenes for the time that they are on-screen. Hsu’s new show, with a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, does the same with a dark rom-com tweak.
Laid
Cast
A woman discovers that her former lovers are dying under unusual circumstances. As she navigates her past relationships, she must confront her history in order to move forward, delving into a journey of self-reflection and resolution.
