Fans everywhere were highly disappointed when news recently broke that NBC decided to cancel Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist after just two seasons. The creative, fun, and heavily emotional series was beloved by a small but loyal fanbase. Among the many things the show did well was its casting of guest stars.
The guest actors to appear on the show included comedic talents, dramatic performers, familiar faces, and some who have even been nominated and won major awards. Some were around for only a single episode while others stuck around and had a major impact on the series. All managed to stand out though.
10 Justin Kirk
At the start of the series, it felt like Joan (Lauren Graham) had everything under control in her life. That all changed in "Zoey's Extraordinary Boss" when her husband made his debut on the show. His name was Charlie and he often looked down on her and treated her poorly due to his high-profile status.
Charlie was portrayed by Justin Kirk, a veteran of television who is most widely known for his long-running role as Andy Botwin in Weeds. Although Kirk only appeared in one episode as Charlie, it was an important one as Joan managed to stand up to him and it helped her grow as a character who would eventually date Leif for a while.
9 Oscar Nunez
Season 2 was something of a struggle for Zoey as she had issues with her feelings for both Simon and Max, as well as had to deal with life without her father. It led to her going to therapy for some help and her therapist was Dr. Tesoro, played by the hilarious Oscar Nunez.
Although he has most recently been seen in State Farm commercials with NBA players, Nunez is most known for his work as Oscar on The Office. Dr. Tesoro was part of three episodes and all were pivotal in helping Zoey. He was especially crucial when Zoey looked back on her first day at SPRQ Point.
8 Jae Young Han
Emily spent the majority of season 1 pregnant and season 2 saw her and David with a newborn. Things were rough for them as they barely got any sleep and Emily revealed she was going through postpartum depression. To help, her sister Jenna came to visit for a while.
Jenna was played by Jae Young Han, who has appeared on shows like Santa Clarita Diet and Superstore, as well as the film Why Him? At first, Jenna annoyed Emily and David but she proved to be a welcome addition as she bonded with Maggie and helped out with the baby.
7 Morgan Taylor Campbell
SPRQ Point was in need of many changes and some came during season 2. One of them was bringing in more women to work on the coding team and that included McKenzie. She was the most prominent of those characters, ready to get into it with the boys on the squad.
Morgan Taylor Campbell took on the role, known for shows like The Imperfects and The 100, and the lead in Sadie's Last Days on Earth. McKenzie played a bigger part on the show than expected given her budding romance with Tobin, which fans will unfortunately not see more of.
6 Bernadette Peters
It was a big deal when it was announced that Bernadette Peters would be joining the show. She has a long career in singing and acting, making her perfect for this series. Her accolades include Grammy and Tony Awards, while she's also up for an Emmy thanks to her work in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.
Maggie struggles with the pending loss of her husband in season 1 and she gets help from Deb (Peters), a widow who first meets Zoey. Deb returned in season 2 as a friend to Maggie and even gets her into going to the casino. The two actually planned on going on vacation together as the show wrapped.
5 Felix Mallard
The drama of having to choose between Max and Simon, along with pressures at work and the loss of her father, made things tough for Zoey in season 2. That's what made the return of Aiden, her old next-door neighbor, so welcome. The young guy didn't have a care in the world and neither did Zoey when she hung out with him.
Aiden was a likable character played by Felix Mallard. He has had notable roles in Netflix's Locke & Key and Ginny & Georgia. Unfortunately, Aiden ended up complicating things more than usual by revealing he had feelings for Zoey and she had to let him down as gently as possible.
4 Kate Findlay
The roller-coaster romance between Max and Zoey led to them breaking up during season 2. During that time, Max reconnected with an old friend from camp named Rose and the two shared their feelings for each other before starting to date. Things got serious pretty quickly.
The two even planned on moving to New York together until Max realized he truly loved Zoey. Rose was played by Kate Findlay, who was in How To Get Away With Murder, The Carrie Diaries, and Man Seeking Woman. She was also one of the leads in the critically-acclaimed film Straight Up.
3 Zak Orth
The saddest thing about season 1 was Mitch's illness and his impending death. To help Maggie take care of him, the family hired a home health aid. That was Howie, who took an unconventional approach to his job, which is exactly why he was so perfect for it.
Howie bonded quickly with Mitch and the rest of the family. Zoey even came to his side to help him reconnect with his daughter and understand her better. Zak Orth played Howie and is most known for his roles in Wet Hot American Summer and Revolution.
2 Harvey Guillen
Along with the women who joined the fifth floor at SPRQ Point, there was George. He was basically the nicest person in any room that he entered and due to that, he quickly formed a bond with Zoey. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite as good at his job as the other coders.
That made it so Zoey had to pick him as the person to let go. They went through a lot in terms of firing and rehiring, all in heartbreaking fashion. George was played by the talented Harvey Guillen, who is among the best cast members in What We Do In The Shadows and recently starred in Werewolves Within. Guillen's performance of "Stronger" was a highlight of season 2.
1 Renée Elise Goldsberry
Although she rose to fame on the stage years ago, Renée Elise Goldsberry truly became a household name after her appearance on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. That's because her most iconic role as Angela Schuyler in Hamilton became available on Disney+ in 2020 for the world to see.
She won a Tony Award for it and has since branched out into TV. Here, she played Ava Price, Joan's rival on the sixth floor who poaches Max. She engaged in a great musical battle with Joan as they performed "The Boy Is Mine" in one of the show's best scenes. Goldsberry has since also landed a lead role on Girls5Eva.
https://ift.tt/370C094
July 25, 2021 at 12:00AM
