District 9 star Sharlto Copley has joined the second season of Netflix's Russian Doll. Amy Poehler, Leslye Headland, and Natasha Lyonne's grimly satirical existential dramedy, Russian Doll, dropped on Netflix in February 2019 and became a binge-worthy addition to the streaming giant's slate of acclaimed originals. The first season followed Lyonne's chain-smoking, caustic game developer Nadia Vulvokov as she gets trapped in a frustrating Groundhog Day-esque time loop after dying on her 36th birthday. Unable to completely slide off the mortal coil, Nadia comes across a man (Charlie Barnett's Alan Zaveri) who's also stuck in an endless loop. Together they navigate the strange phenomenon, confronting their traumas and addressing events in their past that weren't fully resolved.
In its freshman season, Russian Doll received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its inventive time travel tropes and Lyonne's thrilling moxie. The positive reception also landed the show 13 nominations at the 2019 Emmys, including in the Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category. Following its success, the series was renewed for a second season in June 2019. Initially, there were plans for the show to begin filming in March 2020. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was delayed significantly, only resuming a year later in March 2021. As of late, no details about the season 2 storyline have been revealed, although the show has cast a bunch of new actors in undisclosed roles, including Schitt's Creek's Annie Murphy and Colony's Carolyn Michelle Smith. Now another noted performer has joined the ensemble in a key role.
As confirmed by Netflix on Monday, Russian Doll season 2 has added District 9's Sharlto Copley to its star-studded cast. At the moment, there is no word about what character Copley would play. But given his celebrity stature, it's likely that Copley has been brought on board as a series regular, unlike the previously announced Murphy and Smith, who have been cast in recurring roles.
Copley's upcoming role in Russian Doll marks his comeback to the television space after a considerable hiatus. The high-profile South African actor previously starred as Christian Walker in two seasons of the Playstation series Powers, which ended in 2016. But fans still best recognize him for his breakout role as Wikus van der Merwe in Neill Blomkamp's sci-fi blockbuster District 9. Besides the movie, Copley has also headlined some major studio tentpoles like The A-Team, Elysium, and Maleficent. He will next be seen in the title role as Ted Kaczynski in Tony Stone's historical crime drama Ted K.
So far, Copley is the biggest name on the call sheet for Russian Doll season 2. The actor has already made a name for himself in the sci-fi/ action genre, delivering exhilarating performances that constantly keep audiences at the edge of their seats. But in the upcoming show, fans will get to see another side of the actor as he attempts to blend in with the show's snappy pace, mind-bending narrative, and brilliantly eccentric characters. Since there are only scant details known about season 2, it's hard to predict in what capacity Copley would appear in the show. But no matter how Copley ends up appearing on Russian Doll, it would certainly be a treat for fans who have long-anticipated the return of the introspective, hit, enigmatic comedy-drama.
Source: Netflix