The Bear Cast: Where Have We Seen Them Before?

The Bear is an ongoing dramedy series that focuses on a struggling restaurant and its crew of ragtag cooks.

Carmy Berzatto, a big-time fancy chef who returned to Chicago to take over his deceased brother’s business, heads up The Bear, formerly The Beef.

The Bear appeared on FX and Hulu in 2022, with The Bear Season 3 available for streaming on Hulu as of June 27, 2024.

If you think some of the faces seem familiar, you’re probably right.

The Bear has a diverse cast of actors, some series regulars and others who only appear as surprise guests, showing up for a few short scenes.

Here are the cast of The Bear and where they’ve been in their careers before joining the award-winning FX family dramedy.

Family of The Bear

The Bear isn’t just the name of the series and the newly revamped Chicago restaurant. Bear is also a nickname often used for Carmy and his family, which inspired the name change from The Beef.

Here are the members of the Berzatto family.

Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto

Jeremy Allen White portrays talented head chef Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto, a genius cook who leaves his big-time career to run his brother’s restaurant, The Beef.

If White looks familiar, you’ve probably seen him in his recurring role as a member of the raunchy white trash Gallagher clan in the long-running series Shameless.

His adaptation of charming bad-boy Phillip “Lip” Gallagher made him a familiar face for fans to love for a decade of naughtiness.

We’ve also seen him in films like The Iron Claw, The Rental, Chasing You, and Rob the Mob. He also had a short stint on the series Homecoming.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richard ‘Richie’ Jerimovich

Before Carmy took over his brother Mikey’s restaurant, his cousin Richie was Mikey’s right-hand man.

He and Carmen often butt heads in a power struggle, and his f-you attitude can rub the wrong way.

He’s the guy we love to hate and hate to love when we see that he does have some redeeming qualities. Primarily his love for his daughter. He’s a very proud girl dad.

Before Ebon was busy portraying jackass Richie on The Bear, he had roles on Girls for 25 episodes, The Punisher (2017) for 12, and the mini-series John Adams for three episodes.

You’ve also seen his mug on several Law & Order series, including SVU, Criminal Intent, and Trial by Jury.

He’s also appeared in several lesser-known movies, such as No Hard Feelings, Lying and Stealing, Blow the Man Down, and Gods Behaving Badly.

Abby Elliott as Natalie ‘Sugar’ Berzatto

The third sibling of the Berzatto clan is Natalie, although she is more often referred to as Sugar on the show.

Sugar doesn’t work in the restaurant in the first season, but she becomes The Bear’s COO in the second season.

She opens the new restaurant and keeps the staff in line while playing host to another life form.

Elliott is Saturday Night Live royalty as the first second-generation cast member. She followed in the footsteps of her father, Chris Elliott (1994-1995).

We’ve seen Elliott in movie remakes like Cheaper by the Dozen (2022) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

She’s also been in lesser-known films like Better Off Single, Sex Ed, and No Strings Attached with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman.

Her work on TV expands several recurring roles like King of the Hill, SNL (2008-2012), 2 Broke Girls, Dropout, How I Met Your Mother, Odd Mom Out (30 episodes), Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and Search Party.

Oliver Platt as Uncle Jimmy Cicero

The actor who plays the criminal Uncle Cicero needs no introduction. He is known for his voice as much as his face.

Many people might know Oliver Platt as Dr. Charles from Chicago Med. But he’s been in over 90 films and series in his career, so you could have seen him from anywhere.

He got his start wone-off off episodes of the originals of The Equalizer and Miami Vice in the ’80s before finding big roles in the ’90s with Beethoven, The Three Musketeers, Lake Placid, Ready to Rumble, and X-Men: First Class.

His most underrated works include Tall Tale alongside Patrick Swayze, A Time to Kill with Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson, and Simon Birch.

Series-wise, he’s been in Deadline for 13 episodes, Queens Supreme for 13 episodes, The West Wing for 25 episodes, Huff for 25 episodes, The Big C for 40 episodes, and The Good Wife with Josh Charles for three episodes.

Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna (Mother Bear) Berzatto

We first met Bear’s mom, Donna, in The Bear Season 2 Episode 6, when Carmy had a flashback to a chaotic but loving Christmas dinner.

She returned briefly during the opening night of The Bear for the second season finale, but she never came inside.

Donna is an emotionally abusive, depressed, and alcoholic parent who has zero qualms about insulting and guilting her kids to get her way.

The role demonstrates Curtis’s massive talents as an actress. She’s a legend in cult classics like Halloween, The Love Boat (series), My Girl, and True Lies.

She’s also done family flicks like the Freaky Friday remake with Lindsey Lohan and Haunted Mansion (2023) as Madame Leota.

NCIS fans will remember her as Dr. Samantha Ryan, and New Girl fans will recognize her as Joan Day.

Jon Bernthal as Michael “Mikey” Berzatto

In both seasons, Mikey appears in flashbacks to further the storyline or explain a past event. Michael is the older Berzatto brother and the original owner of The Beef.

He struggled with drugs and problematic family drama, contributing to his suicide, which established the storyline of Carmy inheriting the struggling establishment.

Jon has filled over 70 roles since he broke into acting in 2002 with a role on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, followed by L&O: SVU in 2005, Boston Legal, Without a Trace, CSI: Miami, How I Met Your Mother, and Numb3rs.

He scored recurring roles in The Class, Eastwick, Mob City, Daredevil, We Own This City, and American Gigolo.

But his most notable roles are as Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead and Frank Castle in The Punisher. He will appear as Castle in Daredevil: Born Again.

He’s been in movies such as Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, The Wolf of Wall Street, Snitch, Grudge Match, The Accountant, King Richard, Ford v Ferrari, and The Unforgivable.

Members of the Kitchen

No restaurant is complete without a well-trained staff.

While the workers at The Beef might not have met Carmy’s standards at first, the staff they become by the second and third seasons certainly do.

Here are the most prominent members of The Bear kitchen crew.

Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu

The second most important member of The Bear’s kitchen crew is his sous chef, Sydney.

Although young, she entered the restaurant and quickly helped make it and the crew successful.

Ayo has had some other notable roles outside The Bear. She’s also starred in flicks and shows like Omni Loop, Bottoms, Theater Camp, Cicada, How It Ends, and As of Yet.

Her voice has been heard in animations such as Envy on Inside Out 2, Harriet Tubman in Clone High, Big Mouth, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and April O’Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Liza Colon-Zayas as Tina

Tina is the queen of the kitchen for The Beef in Season 1 and then The Bear in the second and third seasons.

It took the fans time to warm up to her as it took her time to find her place in the mix of things.

She struggled out of the gate as a cook, but in real life, she has dominated.

Liza has made one-off appearances on numerous series, including Deadline, Third Watch, Rescue Me, House, Dexter, Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, Bull, and In Treatment.

She’s also appeared in films like Righteous Kill, Won’t Back Down, Collateral Beauty, and her most recent work in the comedy IF, starring Ryan Reynolds.

Lionel Boyce as Marcus

Marcus is the baker of The Bear, creating delicious treats that are as beautiful as they are tasty.

His character stays calm and composed, no matter the drama around him, making him the perfect balance to the turbulent kitchen.

He expanded his expertise when he traveled to Copenhagen, per Carmy’s request. He worked under the tutelage of Carmy’s former rival, played by Will Porter (Guardians of the Galaxy III and We’re the Millers).

Like Ayo, Boyce has given his talents to animated films like The Jellies, Hap and Leonard, and Grand Theft Auto V.

He also played in 20 episodes of Loiter Squad from 2012 to 2014 and a single episode of Hey You, It’s Me and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In addition to his acting career, Boyce was a member of the rap collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.

Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim

Ebraheim is another member of the kitchen who’s been around pre-Carmy, working alongside Tina for Mikey.

Ebra is a middle-aged foreigner who loves to cook — his way. In the second season, he goes to culinary school to further develop his talents.

But he doesn’t do well with the structure — or the uniform — so he disappeared for a few episodes.

Luckily, he came back just in time to handle the walk-up sandwich window at The Bear while everyone else moved into the fancier location.

Edwin has been successful away from The Bear, finding roles on Shameless with White, Fargo, Chicago P.D., Law & Order, and L&O: SVU.

Matty Matheson as Neil Fak

Neil’s character added some comedic charm, often bickering with Richie and calling in reinforcements from Sugar, who they nickname Mom.

Fak is often seen hanging around The Bear, performing handyman tasks, and helping with anything besides cooking.

But in real life, Matty Matheson is a professional Canadian chef. He also appeared in It’s Suppertime for 24 episodes and Dead Set on Life for 12 episodes.

Matheson also has talents as an executive producer for every show he’s been in and a co-producer for The Bear. He also has two writing credits to his name.

Occasional Cast

These characters have appeared on one or more episodes of The Bear, but they don’t appear as series regulars in every episode.

Molly Gordan as Claire

Molly plays the role of Claire — Claire Bear — the high school flame of Carmy. They have a reunion years later in The Bear Season 2, although they broke off their thing in the season finale.

Molly will also be in the third and fourth seasons in the same role, although we don’t know how their relationship will progress.

Gordan is no stranger to the camera. Her charisma has been on shows like Orange is the New Black, Animal Kingdom, Ramy, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

She’s also been in movies like Bewitched, Sin City Saints, Love the Coopers, Life of the Party, Booksmart, Theater Camp, and Am I OK?

Chris Witaske as Pete

Pete is the prim, suburban brother-in-who that sticks out like a sore thumb with the crassness of Carmy and Richie.

We don’t see him every episode, making his random scenes more memorable, given his role as a side character.

Witaske is a lesser-known name with fewer acting credits. He’s been in several series once, like New Girl starring Max Greenfield from The Neighborhood, Arrested Development, Sunnyside, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

He scored a recurring 16-episode role in Chicago Party Aunt and has appeared in a few movies, including Omni Loop, The Bubble, The Wrong Missy, What Men Want, and Lady Bird.

Ricky Staffieri as Theodore Fak

Ricky plays Theodore, the brother of handyman Neil, for The Bear Season 3. We first met him during the infamous Christmas dinner flashback in the second season.

He and his brother have big scheming personalities and are always looking for ways to make some bucks.

The Bear will be Staffieri’s biggest role since starting his career in 2011. He’s had single appearance roles in series like Chicago P.D., Better Call Saul, This is Us with Justin Hartley, and Read the Room.

While The Bear has done quite well retaining the same cast, it’s also doing great, introducing a few new characters each season to infuse fresh blood.

The Bear Season 3 will see famous names making guest appearances, like John Cena and Josh Harnett as the new husband of Richie’s ex. We saw Molly Ringwald as a cameo in the first season.

Have you tried watching the realistically portrayed restaurant series The Bear yet? How do you like seeing Jeremy Allen White in his first lead role?

If you’re behind on what’s cooking in the Berzatto kitchen, be sure to catch up on all episodes of The Bear, and then give us your thoughts in the comments.