By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
A lot of poker face stuff, school buddy gets another role, four season surprise
The second season of “Poker Face” began streaming on Peacock on May 8 (12 episodes this season. Episodes premiere on Thursdays). Reviews of the first and second seasons are good-to-great. It’s worth noting that NATASHA LYONNE, 46, got an Emmy award nomination for her star performance in the first season of “Poker Face” (lead actress, comedy series).
Here’s an excerpt of a second season review in the “Daily Beast”: “‘Poker Face’ isn’t a whodunit but a “howcatchem,” with installments beginning with prologues that reveal the identity and methods of their killer before flashing back to detail how Charlie Cale (Lyonne) — a drifter with an amazing gift for deducing who’s being truthful, and who instinctively calls ‘bullshit’ when someone isn’t — unravels the conspiracy.”
Lyonne is Natasha’s middle name. Her real last name is Braunstein, and she was raised in a religious home. An early role (“Slums of Beverly Hills,” 1998) really put her on the map.
However, drug abuse almost ended her life. She overcame that in 2006. She directed and co-wrote a second season “Poker” episode (the May 15 episode).
There aren’t many regular cast members in “Poker Face” because Charlie Cale (Lyonne) is constantly moving. The series producers hired a lot of first season guest stars — and many well-known Jewish (guest) actors were hired in the first season too. I expect many more will be in the second season.
Here are partial lists: RON PERLMAN, 75, appears in the first and last episode of the first season. He played a big-time casino owner. RHEA PERLMAN, 77 (voice only) played a rival casino owner in the last episode of season one. It’s certain she’ll appear in the second season. And SIMON HELBERG, 44, played an FBI agent who allied with Charlie in three first season episodes. The one-episode guest actors were: ADRIEN BRODY, 52, JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT, 44, JUDITH LIGHT, 76, TIM BLAKE NELSON, 60, and ELLEN BARKIN, 71.
In the past, I have mentioned “Loving Leah” (2009), an excellent, very Jewish film about an Orthodox rabbi’s widow who marries the rabbi’s secular younger brother, a doctor. In the last few months, four free streaming services have started streaming “Loving Leah”: Tubi, Roku, Pluto and Plex. I suspect that the huge audience that watched “Nobody Wants This” inspired these channels to pick up “Loving Leah.” “Nobody” is a Netflix series about a rabbi who falls in love with a non-Jewish woman. She agrees to convert to Judaism at the end of the first season.
If you watch “Leah,” you’ll notice that Natasha Lyonne plays the widow’s “very” Orthodox sister and — if you watch a brief scene at the beginning of the film — you’ll see a 13-year-old TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, 29, playing Jake, the doctor brother when Jake was a young teen.
“Duster” premieres on May 15 on HBO/Max. The first season is eight episodes. It’s set in the Southwest in the 1970s. It explores the life of a gutty getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate. Josh Holloway stars as Jim, “the driver” and Rachel Hilson co-stars as Nina, an African American FBI agent who is tasked with taking down the crime syndicate.
The series was co-created by J.J. ABRAMS, 58, and he is the principal producer. He has produced and co-created scores of hit series and films, grossing billions. Just Google him for all his credits in every genre you can think of.
J.J. Abrams is also a loyal friend. His high school buddy is actor GREG GRUNBERG, 58. Grunberg shows up in many of Abrams’ films and TV series. He has a mid-size role in “Duster.” He plays “Abbott.” (I’m not sure if Abbott is a good or bad guy.)
“The Four Seasons” is a Netflix series that premiered on May 1. The entire first season (eight episodes) was released at once. This series is based on a 1981 film of the same name. Both the film and the series follow three couples, who are friends, vacationing (together) four times in one year. Reviews have been mixed, but it’s likely it will have a second season. None of the eight main cast actors are Jewish. However, I recently learned that JULIA LESTER, 25, who had a big recurring role (four episodes), is Jewish. She plays Lila, the daughter of Nick (Steve Carrell) and Anne (Kerry Kenney). More on Julia Lester in columns to come.
