This autumn, actors who are already renowned for playing beloved TV characters will stretch their talents on exciting new series. Here are five star turns worth checking out.
Natasha Rothwell
Claim to fame: This former “Saturday Night Live” writer is one of HBO’s comedy MVPs. She both wrote for “Insecure” and costarred as Issa Rae’s scene-stealing pal Kelli. (A hilarious moment in which she tries to storm the gates of Coachella leads to an encounter that would make Lucille Ball proud.) Rothwell later scored an Emmy nomination for her performance as spa manager Belinda, the adversary of Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya, on the first season of “The White Lotus.” She’s returning for the upcoming third season, which is set in Thailand.
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Her next act: Rothwell is leveling up as the creator, executive producer, and star of the Hulu comedy “How to Die Alone,” premiering Sept. 13. She plays Melissa, an airport employee whose near-death experience makes her decide to start living life to the fullest. “Insecure” and “The White Lotus” proved that Rothwell can wring laughs from life’s most awkward moments, so “How to Die Alone” seems like the perfect fit for her effervescent wit.
Credit: Disney/PictureGroup
Kaitlin Olson
Claim to fame: Oh, the indignities Olson has borne in the name of comedy on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton’s long-running FX sitcom puts her character, Sweet Dee, through the paces—and endless bird-related insults—usually while she’s lying, cheating, or stealing. She netted a 2024 Emmy nod for her turn on Max’s “Hacks” as DJ, the serially neglected daughter of a world-famous comedian.
Her next act: Olson is producing and starring on “High Potential,” a crime procedural from Drew Goddard that hits ABC on Sept. 17. She plays Morgan, a cleaning lady with a genius IQ and a talent for solving murders. Olson has experience headlining an edgy network series thanks to her star turn on Fox’s wickedly sharp, canceled-too-soon comedy “The Mick.” She played Mackenzie Murphy, a character much like Dee; but unlike the latter, her role on “The Mick” allowed her to dip into sincerity from time to time. “High Potential” seems poised to further prove Olson’s knack for playing sarcastic, uncouth characters—this time, in a totally different genre.
Kaitlin Olson on "High Potential" Credit: ABC/David Bukach
Sophie Turner
Claim to fame: She’s the Queen in the North. Turner won the loyalty of millions as the flame-haired Sansa Stark (and scored an Emmy nod) on HBO juggernaut “Game of Thrones.” She went on to star as Jean Grey in the 2019 blockbuster “X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” a woman who escapes a plane crash on Quibi’s “Survive” (2020), and the daughter of a murder suspect on Max’s 2022 series “The Staircase.”
Her next act: No one on this list is taking a bigger swing than Turner: She’s starring on “Joan,” a six-part crime drama from Anna Symon, as real-life jewel thief Joan Hannington. The show, debuting Oct. 2 on the CW, calls on Turner to assume various disguises as Hannington steals her way to infamy in 1980s London. The actor transformed Sansa from a spoiled teen to a cunning monarch over the course of eight seasons—so how will she approach an even more fluid character? We’re pumped to see her show off her range (and her burglary skills).
Kaitlin Olson on “High Potential” Credit: ABC/David Bukach
Kathy Bates
Claim to fame: Bates is revered for her prolific film career; check out those three Oscar nominations, plus a best actress win for “Misery”; but TV is in her DNA. (One of her earliest credits is a guest spot on the original “Love Boat.”) The boisterous actor brought her no-nonsense charisma to multiple seasons of Alan Ball’s “Six Feet Under,” as well as Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s “American Horror Story.” True to the FX show’s anthology format, Bates really stretched her proverbial legs to play a decapitated, racist immortal; a bearded lady; and the vampiric manager of a haunted hotel.
Her next act: Bates’ next role sounds like something straight out of Mad Libs: She’s starring on CBS’ “Matlock,” Jennie Snyder Urman’s reboot of Dean Hargrove’s classic courtroom drama that’s become synonymous with “stuff your grandparents watched.”
Bates reinvents the role Andy Griffith originated as Madeline Matlock, a septuagenarian lawyer winning cases and defying expectations who frequently uses her age and Southern charm to grease the wheels of her investigations. The part is a natural fit for Bates, a Tennessee native who headlined the 2011 NBC legal dramedy “Harry’s Law.” This could become a signature role for the already celebrated actor. The series is set to premiere on Oct. 17, with a sneak peek on Sept. 22.
Nicole de Boer as Carlin, Kathy Bates as Madeline Matlock, David Del Rio as Billy Martinez, and Leah Lewis as Sarah Yang. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/CBS
Reba McEntire
Claim to fame: For six seasons, viewers enjoyed the misadventures of an overworked single mom with gentle hands and the heart of a fighter on “Reba.” Apart from having the best theme song ever, Allison M. Gibson’s 2001 series gave the country legend the chance to ham it up in a fictionalized version of her real persona. She’s maintained a TV presence ever since, including her current stint as a coach on “The Voice.”
Her next act: McEntire is giving sitcoms another go-round with Kevin Abbott’s “Happy’s Place,” which hits NBC on Oct. 18. She plays Bobbie, a woman who inherits a restaurant from her late father only to discover that it comes with a surprise half sister. McEntire would probably be the first to tell you she isn’t a Method actor, so expect punchlines delivered with her familiar down-home drawl. And speaking of returning to form: That secret sibling will be played by Melissa Peterman, who portrayed McEntire’s foil on “Reba.” “It ain’t my first rodeo,” McEntire told “Entertainment Tonight.”
Reba McEntire and Belissa Escobedo on “Happy's Place” Credit: Casey Durkin/NBC
This story originally appeared in the Aug. 1 issue of Backstage Magazine.