Some actors are so good at certain genres that their names begin to carry associations: when you think "Drew Barrymore," you probably picture teen-oriented comedies or romances like The Wedding Singer, Ever After, or Never Been Kissed. So you'd be forgiven for assuming that Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet, whose cast is led by Barrymore, exists in a similar genre — but you'd also be wrong. It turns out that Santa Clarita Diet is actually about zombies, with its likable leading lady turning into a flesh-eating undead monster halfway through the first episode.
In fairness, the half-hour Netflix series is still a comedy; it's just one you might not want to watch while you're eating. Creator Victor Fresco (who also created the short-lived ABC comedy Better Off Ted, which as amassed something of a cult following in the seven years since it went off the air) is blending genres just like Barrymore's real estate agent Sheila Hammond blends internal organs in a food processor for breakfast. But of course, the former child star isn't the only famous face you'll encounter when you tune into this wacky zom-com. Here are the six main cast members you'll encounter when you binge Santa Clarita Diet, and where you know them from:
Drew Barrymore as Sheila Hammond
Maybe we shouldn't have been all that surprised to learn the true nature of Barrymore's Diet. After all, although we may think of her classic rom-coms first and foremost, the actress has appeared in a wide variety of genres including horror (Scream), animated movies (Titan A.E.), action (Charlie's Angels), sci-fi (Donnie Darko), and drama (Grey Gardens). But this will be a first for her in one major way: it's Barrymore's first starring role on a television series in her 37-year career.
Timothy Olyphant as Joel Hammond
TV audiences will know Olyphant best as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens from his six years on the acclaimed FX drama Justified; or perhaps as Sheriff Seth Bullock from his three years on the acclaimed HBO drama Deadwood; or perhaps from his recurring and guest roles on other shows like Damages, The Mindy Project, and The Grinder. But you may also have seen him on the big screen, where he has appeared in films like Scream 2, The Broken Hearts Club, The Girl Next Door, Live Free Or Die Hard, and Hitman.
Liv Hewson as Abby Hammond
This 21-year-old actress may just be finding her feet in the biz, but she's already off to a great start. Apart from a regular role on a high-profile Netflix series, she also appears in the upcoming feature film YA adaptation Before I Fall, which just premiered at Sundance last month to positive reviews.
Skyler Gisondo as Eric Bemis
Gisondo has quite the impressive resumé, considering his young age. You may have seen him on the big screen in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Amazing Spider-Man, Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb, or Vacation; and you may have seen him on the small scree in House, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, or Once Upon A Time. His biggest role to date has been as the younger version of the protagonist on USA Network's long-running procedural Psych.
Ricardo Chavira
Chavira is jumping directly to Santa Clarita Diet after his Scandal character Governor and Presidential hopeful Francisco Vargas was (spoiler alert!) shockingly assassinated in that show's Season 6 premiere. He has also played recurring characters on the likes of Jane The Virgin, Burn Notice, Monk, and Six Feet Under. But undoubtedly the character Chavira is most famous for is Carlos Solis, the on-again off-again husband of Eva Longoria's Gabrielle on all eight seasons of Desperate Housewives.
In addition to these five main cast members, viewers can also expect to see a whole bunch of their favorite comedic talent pop up in supporting or guest roles, including Nathan Fillion (Castle), Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development), Patton Oswalt (Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), and Natalie Morales (Parks And Recreation), and Richard T. Jones (Hawaii Five-0).
See them all in action when all 10 episodes of Santa Clarita Diet Season 1 are made available for streaming on Netflix this Friday, Feb. 3.
