‘Russian Doll’ Season 2 Casts Chappie Himself, Sharlto Copley
At long last, the worlds ofChappieandRussian Dollwill collide as Chappie himself, actorSharlto Copley, has joined the cast ofRussian Dollseason 2. We don’t know who Copley is playing just yet, but feel free to go ahead and assume he’s playing Chappie again until we have a definitive answer. Natasha Lyonne once again stars in the series, and while season 2 details aren’t available just yet, season 1 found Lyonne’s character caught in aGroundhog Day-like time loop on her birthday. Copley isn’t the only new addition to the show – it was previously reported thatSchitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy is also on board as well.
Deadline broke the news that Sharlto Copley has joined theRussian Dollseason 2 cast in an undisclosed part. He joins previously announced new cast member Annie Murphy, while Natasha Lyonne once again stars in the series. In season 1, Lyonne played Nadia, whom we first meet attending her 36th birthday party in New York City. Nadia leaves the party and ends up dying – only to end up in aGroundhogDay/Happy Death Day/Edge of Tomorrow/Palm Srpings-like time loop that keeps dropping her back at the party every time she kicks the bucket. She soon finds out she’s not alone – a guy named Alan (Charlie Barnett) is stuck in a time loop of his own.
The time loop storyline is in danger of becoming stale, butRussian Dollwas a fantastic, inventive series that featured a killer lead performance from Lyonne. I’m not entirely sure we even need a second season since season 1 stood so well on its own, but I’m more than happy to watch Lyonne walk around NYC while chain-smoking cigarettes again. In addition to Barnett, season 1 also featuredGreta Lee,Yul Vazquez, andElizabeth Ashley. It has yet to be officially announced who else from the first season is coming back, but I’ve seen set pics featuring Lyonne and Barnett, so it’s safe to assume the Alan character will be involved in season 2.
As for the addition of Copley, that’s certainly an unexpected choice. Copley is an actor who I would describe asinteresting– sometimes he turns in a not-so-great performance, sometimes he’s pretty good, and other times, he’s so over-the-top and unhinged that you can’t help but get swept up in what he’s doing. And sometimes he’s Chappie. I’m curious to see who he is playing here and what kind of performance he’ll turn in.
Russian Dollwas created by Lyonne,Leslye Headland, andAmy Poehler. Filming is currently underway on season 2, with the expectation that it will arrive on Netflix sometime this summer.
