After gaining deserved recognition from NBC's smash hit Parks and Recreation, Aziz Ansari branched off by creating his own Netflix series titled Master of None, alongside co-creator Alan Yang. Master of None's first season was released in 2015, while its second season was released in 2017. Although the series has yet to be canceled, there are currently no plans for a third season.
Throughout its two masterful seasons, Master of None hosted a plethora of talented guest stars. Today, we examine the 10 best guest stars of Master of None, ranked. Note: Although Master of None features other wonderful stars like H. Jon Benjamin (Archer) and Noël Wells (Saturday Night Live), we will only be mentioning stars with less notable roles for this list. Comedian Andy Samberg does a voice-over cameo in the season two episode "New York, I Love You," which will also be excluded.
Noah Emmerich As Mark
Noah Emmerich, known for playing Marion in The Truman Show (1998) and Stan Beeman in the popular FX series The Americans, guest stars as Claire Danes' husband Mark in Master of None, who infamously receives a kick in the pants from karma when he acts like a jerk to Dev in an ice cream parlor. Dev meets Nina (Danes, see below) and begins an illustrious affair, unbeknownst to Dev that the very same idiot who cut in line at the ice cream parlor happens to be Nina's husband!
The episode ends with a reconciliation between Mark and Nina, discovered by Dev and Denise, who runs into the newly-happy couple while out furniture shopping. Things come full circle when the Richard Gere film Unfaithful (2002) is mentioned once again.
John Legend As Himself
At a lavish dinner party Dev attends with his not-so-platonic Italian muse Francesca (Alessandra Mastronardi), John Legend appears seemingly out of nowhere and does a beautiful piano performance of Michael Jackson's "I Can't Help It", which further builds the tension between Dev and Francesca.
John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen have gained notable fame in the pop culture sphere, both huge fans of Bravo's hit reality shows like the Real Housewives franchises and Vanderpump Rules. John Legend is a prolific singer/piano player, with over 33 awards and 88 nominations!
Cedric The Entertainer As The Magnificant Kenny
Cedric The Entertainer plays a hilarious cameo in the Master of None season two episode "Door #3" as The Magnificent Kenny, an ultra-nervous magician who appears on Dev's show "Clash of the Cupcakes". Dev tries consoling The Magnificent Kenny before his on-camera performance, convincing him not to back out last-minute.
Dev soon regrets his pep-talk when The Magnificent Kenny accidentally spikes a knife through his hand in a three-card trick gone wrong!
Busta Rhymes As Himself
Busta Rhymes plays himself in the season one episode, "Indians on TV," which highlights the underrepresentation of people of color in television, especially Indian-Americans. Aziz Ansari does a wonderful job portraying the racism that stems from type-casting Indians and gives his Indian-actor friend Ravi (Ravi Patel) a tip about using a fake Indian accent to audition for roles.
Busta Rhymes appears when Dev attends a party and he approaches the Flipmode MC to ask his advice about people of color in the industry. After giving a poignant speech about the underbelly of racism in Hollywood, Busta busts out: "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go f--k with some of those shrimp," which co-creator Alan Yang said Busta completely improvised.
Nina Adriana As Alice
Up-and-coming actress Nina Adriana (Midnight in Paris, Billions) plays the adorable elusive waitress named Alice that Dev has been flirting with for weeks, and finally scores a date with featured the season one episode, "Hot Ticket". Things begin to go horribly wrong when Dev discovers Alice is both immature and a kleptomaniac, regardless of a killer Cartman impression!
Although Adriana may be less notable than other esteemed guest stars featured throughout Master of None, her performance as Alice was both unforgettable and hilarious, adding an invaluable element to the storyline.
Raven-Symoné As Herself
In the season two finale "Bueno Notte", Disney star Raven-Symoné plays herself as a host of a TV show that Dev appears on with his business partner Jeff (Bobby Cannavale), who Raven ends up interrogating live while filming, breaking the news about a scandal involving Jeff and 14 sexual misconduct claims.
Dev had learned about the allegations right before going on stage, so his demeanor on camera was more than uncomfortable. Raven-Symoné rose to fame after starring in the '00s Disney Channel hit That's So Raven, and later came out on Twitter as a lesbian in August 2013.
Danielle Brooks As Shannon
Danielle Brooks is a talented African-American actress, best known for her role as Tasha 'Taystee' Jefferson in Netflix's popular series Orange Is the New Black. While Brooks plays a convict in prison as Taystee, her role in Master of None differs greatly, as she portrays Shannon, Dev's agent.
Shannon is a successful New York casting agent who busts balls and refuses to take no for an answer, which is similar to Taystee's disposition, the main difference being Taystee's incarceration!
Clem Cheung As Peter
Clem Cheung has been playing the token Asian character in Hollywood for several years, most notably in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006). Cheung stars as Peter in the heartwarming Master of None season one episode titled "Parents", where Dev and his Asian-American friend Brian (Kelvin Yu) realize they've been overlooking their Asian immigrant parents, and decide to throw dinner in their honor.
Brian is disconcerted with his dad's passive attitude, unaware of Peter's past hardships. Cheung returns for the second season episode "Door #3", where his active love-life is highlighted, expressing his indecision between two women with his son, Brian.
Claire Danes As Nina
In a much different role from her characters in Homeland and My So-Called Life, Claire Danes delivers a performance with high energy and nefarious intent in Master of None as Nina, the sexy hotshot journalist who seduces Dev. Once Dev and Nina reach her apartment after they begin to hook up, Dev realizes Nina is married and becomes "The Other Man", explained through the episode title.
Nina's husband, Mark (Noah Emmerich), coincidentally gives Dev a hard time at an ice cream parlor, giving Dev an epiphany when he sees Mark's photo spread throughout Nina's house. Danes' promiscuous, fiery character was refreshing and bold, a good look for the popular actress.
Angela Bassett As Catherine
Acclaimed African-American actress Angela Bassett, known for her roles in Strange Days (1995), American Horror Story, and Black Panther (2018), guest stars in the highest-rated second season episode of Master of None titled "Thanksgiving." The episode centers around Dev and his best friend Denise (Lena Waithe) celebrating Thanksgiving during different stages of their lives.
Bassett plays Denise's mom Catherine, who takes longer to come around with accepting her daughter as a lesbian. Fun fact: Waithe specifically requested to have Angela Bassett play her mom, telling Vanity Fair: "She's a freaking legend. Without Angela Bassett here is no Viola Davis. Without Angela Bassett, there is not Hallie Berry."