The Bear revolves around the staff of the restaurant of the same name, led by Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and Sydney (Ayo Edebiri). This is a family operation which comes with all the love and drama that characterize the most chaotic families. and While the series centers on the dysfunctional yet lovable family of the restaurant, the story features several guest stars who portray compelling characters who shake things up.
Guest stars have played crucial roles in The Bear and have added more context to the overall story. Some guest stars, like Jamie Lee Curtis, further flesh out the Berzatto family with all of their quirks and flaws. Others, like Will Poulter, help The Bear employees identify their reasons for involvement in the food service industry. Each of these guest stars brings humor, poignancy, and chaos to a story that is ultimately about family.
The Bear
- Release Date
- June 23, 2022
- Seasons
- 3
- Directors
- Christopher Storer
- Main Genre
- Drama
10 Joel McHale
Played: Chef David
David Fields (Joel McHale) is a bully. David is shown in flashbacks, while Carmy is in culinary school. In every scene, it is clear that David makes Carmy his target. He mocks Carmy mercilessly and makes Carmy question his skills and abilities. Although David yells, his worst bullying comes from quietly belittling Carmy as he simply tries his best. In The Bear‘s third season, he tells Carmy that he only ever bullied him to make him the best chef he could be.
What makes Harnett’s character so infuriating yet compelling is the fact that, while he does compel Carmy to be better, he leaves Carmy with a massive complex. David provides Carmy with a vision of what Carmy does not want to become. The way that he singles Carmy out is an authentic way to showcase a workplace bully. In many ways, David is Carmy’s antithesis and everything he could have become if he gave into his inner bitterness and rage. David is a character who is easy to hate, and that makes him compelling.
9 John Cena
Played: Sammy Fak
John Cena appeared in The Bear’s third season as Sammy Fak, Neil (Matty Matheson) and Theodore’s (Ricky Staffieri) brother. He stops by the restaurant to help buff the floors. The Faks are childhood friends of the Berzattos. Chaos ensues when he and his brothers end up in a screaming match in the heat of one of many stressful moments. Sammy’s role may be a small one, but he’s an important addition to the Fak family.
What makes Sammy so magnetic as a character is that he showcases what makes the Fak family so lovably chaotic. In a show filled with stressful yelling, there’s something joyful about the Fak family screaming about their drama. Sammy’s scenes are also significant in that they showcase the particular brand of humor that The Bear captures. Sammy Fak adds to the series by demonstrating the unique bonds that exist between brothers.
8 Molly Ringwald
Played: Al-Anon Moderator
Molly Ringwald appears as a moderator at the Al-Anon meeting that Carmy attends. She appears in the series’ first season, when Carmy is evidently continuing to come to terms with his brother’s suicide. As a moderator, her role is to direct discussions in the meeting and to keep everyone on topic. The former Brat Pack member appears as this character, who doesn’t have a name. However, she leaves Carmy to ponder some important truths that lead to character growth.
What makes Ringwald’s character so impactful is her powerful speech about the cost of holding onto trauma and reckoning with one’s own involvement in a loved one’s addiction. Carmy needs to hear her speech about the impact of toxic environments. This speech is a catalyst for Carmy to reflect on where he needs to go if he is going to recover. The moderator’s monologue provides important guidance to participants who are listening intently.
7 John Mulaney
Played: Stevie
John Mulaney is part of the infamous Christmas episode of The Bear’s second season. He is Michelle’s (Sarah Paulson) boyfriend, Stevie, who is invited to the Berzatto family’s Christmas. He is mostly an observer as the holiday becomes progressively more unhinged. Essentially, Mulaney plays himself in this role with the humor that he is known for. He adores Michelle and has a non-judgmental attitude towards her family.
What makes Mulaney’s appearance so endearing is that Stevie knows his place as a guest. While the family falls further apart, he remains true to himself and keeps doing what he is doing. Stevie adds some much-needed calm to this event. Additionally, what makes him even sweeter is the fact that he is so supportive of Michelle as she navigates her family’s dynamics. This is another guest appearance that is brief but impactful.
6 Sarah Paulson
Played: Michelle Berzatto
Sarah Paulson plays Michelle Berzatto, a cousin who is part of The Bear‘s Christmas festivities. She is Carmy, Natalie (Abby Elliott), and Mikey’s (Jon Bernthal) cousin. She is charming and evidently cares for her family through all of their flaws. She has made a life for herself outside of her family. She is the picture of stability and growth in the middle of a family in crisis. Her relationship with Stevie has clearly added to her life.
What makes Michelle such a compelling character in the Christmas episode, in particular, is that she remains grounded despite everything going on around her. She is everything the Berzatto family could be. Michelle’s stability has not come without healing and processing the trauma that came from being raised in such a family environment. Paulson’s performance is memorable because it is as authentic as it is charming.
5 Bob Odenkirk
Played: Uncle Lee
In another crucial appearance in The Bear’s Christmas episode, Bob Odenkirk plays Uncle Lee. This character adds to the chaos of the holiday gathering tangibly by bringing his fight with Cicero (Oliver Platt) to the function. He is Donna’s on-and-off boyfriend and Cicero’s business partner. He is not able to keep his own feelings and issues away from the family gathering, and the confrontation between Lee and Cicero really caps off the tension of the holiday.
Lee is a compelling character because his calm exterior masks a massive storm. For all of his flaws, he evidently loves Donna in his own way. However, it is clear that he has not confronted his own demons and is a long way from achieving anything resembling inner peace. The Bear features many relationships with various levels of toxicity. It is clear that Lee plays a role in Donna’s continued spiral and that he has many of his own issues that need to be addressed.
4 Will Poulter
Played: Chef Luca
Poulter plays Luca, a pastry chef who works with Marcus (Lionel Boyce) in Denmark. While Luca first appears in The Bear‘s second season, he returned for season 3. He has honed his craft over many years and has proven himself to be a superb teacher. He takes his work as a pastry chef seriously and demands excellence from himself and those he works with. He eventually makes his way to Chicago and joins the team at The Bear as they approach their latest phase.
What makes Luca such a captivating character is his relationship with Marcus. They work so well together and bond over their love of pastries. This connection is what makes Luca such a natural fit with the restaurant’s team overall. Luca’s lack of ego, combined with his high personal standards, makes him easy to root for. His commitment to excellence and ability to work as part of a team makes him a natural fit into the story overall. He brings much-needed stability to this team that is so often in disarray.
3 Jon Bernthal
Played: Michael Berzatto
Jon Bernthal plays Mikey, the third Berzatto sibling. He passed away before the series’ first season. He appears several times throughout the series in flashbacks. Through these flashbacks, viewers get to know Mikey on a deeper level, which makes his ultimate passing that much more tragic. He was evidently close to his siblings, and his death continues to impact them. Each time Mikey is featured in an episode, it is clear that he always tried his best in the face of whatever circumstances he faced.
Every time Mikey appears in The Bear, he is nothing less than magnetic to watch. With all the other relationships featured in The Bear, everything always comes back to family. Mikey embodies this every time he makes an appearance. It is heartbreaking to watch Mikey excel in what he did as a restaurant owner while never being able to overcome his restlessness. In spite of everything happening around him, Mikey displayed an immense amount of hope and optimism for the future.
2 Olivia Coleman
Played: Chef Terry
Olivia Coleman‘s Chef Andrea Terry is a wholesome addition to the anarchy of The Bear. She was the executive chef and owner of Ever, a three-star restaurant where Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) trains for a time. She eventually makes the decision to close her restaurant and to create a new start for herself. At her restaurant, Richie learns valuable lessons about the most effective ways to operate a restaurant and the importance of customer service.
Chef Andrea is the calm and stable person this restaurant family needs. Her example is one for those at the Bear to follow. Watching her combine her obvious talents with her deep compassion makes her an endearing guest on the series. She is a mother figure to those she works with and demonstrates an unselfishness that makes it easy to believe that she would run a successful restaurant. Andrea’s guidance is invaluable to the Bear’s team as they reinvent themselves.
1 Jamie Lee Curtis
Played: Donna Berzatto
Donna, or Dee Dee Barzatto, is the matriarch of the Berzatto family and a deeply troubled woman. She first appeared in the Christmas episode, where she spiraled far out of control while trying to keep everything and everyone together for the holiday. Her untreated mental illness has impacted her family in tangible ways. She has minimal contact with her family throughout the series. As flawed as she is, Dee Dee makes an effort as best as she can.
What makes Dee Dee so compelling is that she is so human. While she is an exaggerated version of a neglectful and unwell parent, there is authenticity in her struggle to hold her family together. There is hope in this character as she tries to reconnect with her children as an adult. Dee Dee has so much to work through on her own. It is clear that she is still willing to keep trying to connect with her children repeatedly, regardless of whether she ultimately succeeds.
