Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building has always featured some pretty big names. Since its debut in 2021, the series has centered around a trio of well-known actors, consisting of comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short and pop princess/Disney Channel star, Selena Gomez. With their collective talents and some intriguing mysteries, the series garnered tons of fans and some Emmy hardware (including one for Nathan Lane). Season 3 is currently up for an impressive 21 Emmy nominations (including ones for all three lead actors, as well as Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Matthew Broderick, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph for their co-starring roles.)
Over its previous three seasons, Only Murders in the Building has highlighted some of the biggest celebrities in the business today, from Amy Ryan and Amy Schumer to Tina Fey and Shirley MacLaine. Even Sting popped up for a cameo in Season 1. And now it looks like Season 4 (which just premiered on August 27) will be surprising us with even more jaw-dropping guest spots from well-known celebrities. Including all of these major names might be a bit of a departure from past storylines that leaned into the dramatic side of the series, but these brilliant casting choices are just going to make the comedy even more fun to watch.
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Is Chock-Full of Celebrities Now
As soon as fans learned that Streep would be gracing the show with her presence in Season 3, it seemed impossible that the series could improve its casting. But now it appears as though the Only Murders in the Building team is determined to step up their game in Season 4. In the first episode alone, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, and Scott Bakula all make cameos, playing themselves with hilarious results. Molly Shannon and Jin Ha (Pachinko) also appear as the Paramount studio executive and screenwriter, respectively, who are trying to get the Only Murders in the Building podcast adapted to the big screen. With Streep also popping back up as Short’s love interest, Loretta, that’s a whole lot of star power in one episode.
But that’s not even all the celebrities that have already been announced to appear in this season. Melissa McCarthy is slated to play Charles’ sister, and Kumail Nanjiani will depict another one of the Arconia’s residents. Randolph (who is now an Oscar winner) will also likely reprise her role as Detective Williams, and Jane Lynch will pop up in some flashback scenes. There are aspects of the cameos that can feel a bit distracting, and because only some of the actors are playing themselves versus other characters, it can draw the viewer away from the story at hand; it can be a bit tough to remember which actors are playing themselves and which ones are portraying fictional characters. And with so many big actors in one episode, viewers might be asking themselves, just who else can possibly pop up on the screen next? And have all of these cameos forced the show to take on a different tone?
Leaning Into the Silly Makes Sense for ‘Only Murders in the Building’
Even though some might criticize the over-abundance of celebrities, the comedy will be well-served by taking advantage of all of these big names. First, it is never a bad thing for a show to incite more people to tune in. Also, there’s a silliness that comes through when the audience gets treated to one celebrity after another. These cameos help the show maintain an over-the-top quality that relates to the series being able to poke fun at itself (the premiere episode even has a line that touches on how wild it is that all of these murders happen in the one building they live in). The show is smart to lean into this type of comedy, since this is where the true talents of Short and Martin lie. They have the perfect blend of self-deprecation and tongue-in-cheek snarkiness to drive these points home. And the more kooky these guys can be (especially with a lot of physical humor), the better.
There are definitely still some darker elements present in this season. It is revealed at the end of the first episode that Charles’ dear friend, Sazz (played by Lynch), has been murdered at the Arconia. Howard (Michael Cyril Creighton) has a new pet that just so happens to be a cadaver dog, and they realize that there definitely was a dead body in Charles’ apartment. Then the mystery-solving trio comes across the gruesome discovery of what is left of Sazz’s remains (her metal joints) in the building’s incinerator. It is certainly a dark twist, especially because the murder they’re going to investigate in upcoming episodes is someone who is so near and dear to Charles’ heart. That means it’s probably a good idea to sprinkle in some A-listers in the episodes to lighten up the mood. It is even more crucial that a lot of these celebrities are pretty major names in the comedy world, so they’re guaranteed to bring the laughs, even if the murder investigation creates some darker vibes. Who could watch McCarthy or Galifianakis without chuckling?
It’s not likely that Only Murders in the Building will start to shy away from including all of these cameos and guest-stars any time soon. Anything that helps convince more people to watch the series or that gets fans excited to tune in is a positive thing. So, if this aspect is going to be part of the show from now on, emphasizing the silly moments (like Longoria depicting a much younger Mabel in the feature film) will help to highlight what makes the show special. Plus, the meta aspect of making fun of the entertainment business and its eccentricities brings a freshness to this season of the comedy. Bottom line: the celebrities and a more absurd tone are here to stay for the remaining future. So, sit back, and enjoy the best of what Hollywood has to offer this season on Only Murders in the Building.
Only Murders in the Building is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S. New episodes premiere every Tuesday.
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