‘Only Murders in the Building’ adds Meryl Streep for Season 3
Streep’s character is unknown for now, but she joins fellow new recruit Paul Rudd, who will play an ill-fated theater actor.
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006's 'The Devil Wears Prada .'
TV comedy thriller series ‘Only Murders in the Building’ already features one of the best casts on the small screen, and it’s about to get even better. Star Steve Martin revealed on twitter that Meryl Streep has joined the ensemble.
The show stars Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short as Charles-Haden Savage, Mabel Mora and Oliver Putnam, three very different residents of a swanky, high-rise apartment building in Manhattan. When one of the other people in the building is murdered––one who had a connection to Mabel––the three unlikely citizen detectives team up to investigate what really happened.
Along the way, they launch the podcast that gives the show its name. Season 2 follows their attempts to unmask who killed Arconia Board president Bunny Folger (Jayne Houdyshell). Along the way, they’re publicly implicated in her murder and are the subjects of a competing podcast.
‘Only Murders’ has built a reputation for quirky characters, engaging mysteries and a wealth of acting talent in its cast beyond the central three.
Those either guest starring or part of the supporting cast include Nathan Lane, Jackie Hoffman, Amy Ryan, Cara Delevingne, Tina Fey, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Sting, Jane Lynch, Andrea Martin, Michael Rapaport and Shirley MacLaine.
(L to R) Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) on Hulu's 'Only Murders In The Building'. Photo: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
At the end of Season 2, Oliver––a seasoned, though as the show starts, unemployed––theater director, got his chance to helm a new show on Broadway. His cast includes Savage (an actor who made his career and a healthy fortune starring in a cheesy 1980s police series) and Paul Rudd’s Ben Glenroy, a snobbish fellow performer who in a flash-forward, has disagreements with Savage. He dies on stage, and Season 3 will explore the backstory to that.
As for Streep’s character, the ‘Only Murders’ team have yet to reveal how she’ll factor into the story for the new season and whether she’ll have any connection to the core trio.
Streep, of course, needs little introduction, an Oscar winning actor more normally found in movies (but occasionally on TV). She seems like a perfect fit for the ‘Only Murders’ world and it’ll be interesting to see how she fits in.
From the looks of Gomez’ Instagram post that also served to announce Streep’s casting, she’s already interacting well with the main cast, larking around pretending to be an assistant providing them with new cushions, while being asked by Short for the “tea I ordered a half hour ago”.
Created by Martin and showrunner John Hoffman, ‘Only Murders’ has now been shooting its third season for roughly a week, but there is no date on the books yet for when it might return to Hulu. Despite its quality, it hasn’t won as many awards as you might imagine, but Streep’s presence could well change that.
(L to R) Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Oliver (Martin Short) on Hulu's 'Only Murders In The Building'. Photo: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu.
