Based on the explosive accounts of several former Fox News employees who exposed CEO Roger Ailes for rampant sexual harassment (as well as the toxic workplace that surrounded and emboldened him), Bombshell seemed destined to be one of December 2019's biggest releases — particularly as it featured one of the year's most high-profile acting ensembles.
An A-list cast that includes Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney, the film from Emmy-winning director Jay Roach was predicted to be an awards contender from the moment it was first announced. Sure enough, it received three Oscar nominations, for Best Actress (Theron), Best Supporting Actress (Robbie), and Best Make-Up and Hairstyling, notably for the impressive transformations that turned Theron and Lithgow into Megyn Kelly and Ailes, respectively.
While the movie underperformed financially, Bombshell remains a sizable streaming hit, particularly for the impressive talent involved. Now that it has been a little over a year since the drama premiered in theaters, what is the high-profile Bombshell cast working on? Let's take a look and find out!
Charlize Theron (Megyn Kelly)
Playing the part of Megyn Kelly, a Fox News anchor caught in personal and professional conflict during the end of her tenure at the station, Charlize Theron received another Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the real-life broadcast television personality in Bombshell. An Oscar-winning actress for her leading role in Monster, Theron is an A-list superstar who's best known for North Country, The Italian Job (2003), Young Adult, The Devil's Advocate, The Cider House Rules, Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, Prometheus, Snow White and the Huntsman, Tully, Mighty Joe Young, The Fate of the Furious, Hancock, and Long Shot, as well as Æon Flux, Reindeer Games, That Thing You Do!, In the Valley of Elah, The Road, and Arrested Development. She can also be heard in Kubo and the Two Strings and The Addams Family (2019).
Most recently, Charlize Theron starred in Netflix's The Old Guard, which she also produced. Next, Theron will appear in F9, which is expected to come out later this year. She'll also be heard in The Addams Family 2.
Nicole Kidman (Gretchen Carlson)
As Gretchen Carlson, a Fox News broadcast journalist, Nicole Kidman plays one of the lead roles in 2019's Bombshell. An Oscar-winning and two-time Emmy-winning actress, Kidman is known and acclaimed for her performances in The Hours, Rabbit Hole, Moulin Rouge!, Eyes Wide Shut, To Die For, Dogville, Cold Mountain, Big Little Lies, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Paddington, The Others, Far and Away, and Top of the Lake: China Girl, as well as Hemingway & Gellhorn, Lion, Birth, Destroyer, Boy Erased, The Beguiled, and Stoker. She's also recognized for her work in Batman Forever, Aquaman, Australia, Bewitched, Practical Magic, Days of Thunder, and The Upside.
Most recently, Nicole Kidman starred in HBO's The Undoing. She also played a splashy supporting role in Netflix's The Prom. Next, Kidman appears in Nine Perfect Strangers, Hulu's mini-series based on Liane Moriarty's novel, and she's set to be seen in The Northman, a Viking drama from director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse). Additionally, Kidman's signed on to star in Amazon Prime's Pretty Things and Things I Know To Be True.
Margot Robbie (Kayla Pospisil)
In the role of Kayla Pospisil, an ambitious young TV producer (and a fictitious personality based on several people who worked for Fox News), Margot Robbie received her second Oscar nomination for her supporting role in Bombshell. A rising superstar after her scene-stealing performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, Robbie garnered her first Oscar nomination for I, Tonya and she was notably seen in Suicide Squad, Focus, Mary Queen of Scots, The Legend of Tarzan, and Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood.
Shortly following Bombshell's release, Margot Robbie starred in Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, which she also produced. A few months later, Robbie starred in and produced Dreamland. She also produced December's Promising Young Woman. Next, the actress will be seen in The Suicide Squad, reprising her role as Harley Quinn, and she'll be heard in Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. Additionally, she's expected to star in Babylon and the newest film from writer-director David O. Russell. Robbie will also serve as a producer on Netflix's Maid.
John Lithgow (Roger Ailes)
Playing Roger Ailes, Fox News' CEO and chairman, John Lithgow adopted heavy make-up to become the main antagonist in Bombshell. A well-versed veteran of the stage and screen, Lithgow is most well-known for Emmy-winning work in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, and The Crown. He also appeared in Terms of Endearment, Harry and the Hendersons, Dreamgirls, Footloose, The World According to Garp, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, This is 40, Love is Strange, Interstellar, Pitch Perfect 3, Daddy's Home Two, Late Night, and Pet Sematary (2019). Also, the actor is heard in Shrek. In addition to his screen work, Lithgow won two Tony Awards for 1973's The Changing Room and 2002's Sweet Smell of Success.
Most recently, John Lithgow starred in HBO's Perry Mason. Next, the actor will star in FX's The Old Man. Additionally, outside of acting, Lithgow wrote 2019's Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse, a book of poems and illustrations, along with its follow-up, Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age, which was published this past September.
Kate McKinnon (Jess Carr)
In the role of Jess Carr, Kayla's savvy Fox News co-worker and eventual love interest, Kate McKinnon had a scene-stealing character in Bombshell. Most notably, McKinnon is a long-standing standout on NBC's Saturday Night Live, having won two Emmys for her work on the sketch comedy series. Her popularity on SNL eventually led to starring roles in Ghostbusters (2016), Rough Night, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and Office Christmas Party. Additionally, the film/TV actress can be seen in Yesterday and Masterminds, as well as heard in The Venture Bros., Finding Dory, Ferdinand, China, IL, and The Angry Birds Movie.
Currently, Kate McKinnon can be seen in the latest ongoing season of SNL. She can also be heard as the voice of Ms. Frizzle in Netflix's The Magic School Bus Rides Again. The actress also does voice work for Nature Cat and Heads Will Roll. Up next, McKinnon will play Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu's mini-series, The Dropout, and Carole Baskin in NBC's Joe Exotic. She's also set to star in an adaptation of Deb Lucke's The Lunch Witch.
Connie Britton (Beth Ailes)
As Beth Ailes, Roger Ailes' wife, Connie Britton played a prominent supporting character in Bombshell. Most notably, Britton is best known for her television work in NBC's Friday Night Lights, for which she received two Emmy nominations, ABC/CMT's Nashville, another Emmy-nominated performance, and the first and eighth seasons of FX's American Horror Story, where she was, once again, Emmy-nominated. She also played a main cast role in the first season of Fox's 9-1-1, and she starred in Spin City and Dirty John. Outside of TV, Britton appears in Friday Night Lights (2004), The Brothers McMullen, The Last Winter, This is Where I Leave You, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The To-Do List, The Land of Steady Habits, and Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
Most recently, Connie Britton was briefly seen in Promising Young Woman. She also reprised her role as Abby Clark in a couple of episodes of Fox's 9-1-1. Next, Britton appears in Joe Bell, which recently premiered at TIFF. She's also starring in the upcoming mini-series, The White Lotus.
Malcolm McDowell (Rupert Murdoch)
Playing the part of Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul behind Fox News, Malcolm McDowell had a small-but-imposing role in Bombshell. Most famously, McDowell was the lead in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. He can also be seen in Time After Time, Halloween (2007), Star Trek: Generations, Caligula, If..., O Lucky Man!, Britannia Hospital, Cat People, Tank Girl, The Artist, Easy A, Franklin & Bash, Mozart in the Jungle, Entourage, and Heroes, and he can be heard in Bolt and Metalocalypse.
Most recently, Malcolm McDowell appeared in Amazon Prime's Truth Seekers. He can also be seen in The Big Ugly and Timecrafters: The Treasure of Pirate's Cove and heard in The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two and an episode of Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Additionally, McDowell was the narrator for Free Lunch Express. Next, the actor lends his talents to a number of upcoming films and shows, including Wizardream, Just Noise, Trick and Treats, She Will, ARK: The Animated Series, The Virus, Monster Butler, Midnight Reckoning, The Mystery of Casa Matusita, and Experiment 77, to name only a few.
Allison Janney (Susan Estrich)
In the role of Susan Estrich, a legal counsel for Roger Ailes, Allison Janney played a notable supporting character in Bombshell. An acclaimed actress with seven Emmys and an Oscar to her name, among other accolades, Janney is best known for The West Wing, Masters of Sex, Mom, and I, Tonya, as well as Drop Dead Gorgeous, Nurse Betty, Hairspray (2007), The Way Way Back, The Help, Juno, American Beauty, 10 Things I Hate About You, Private Parts, Primary Colors, The Hours, Tammy, Spy, Tallulah, Ma, Get On Up, and The Girl on the Train. She can also be heard in Finding Nemo, Minions, Over the Hedge, and The Addams Family (2019).
Currently, Allison Janney is still playing the lead role in CBS's Mom. She also lends her voice to DuckTales. Following Bombshell's release, Janney appeared in Troop Zero, Bad Education, Lazy Susan, and the short film, The Great Man Himself. Next, the actress will be seen in Breaking News in Yuba County and To Leslie. She's also signed on to star in The Heart and Lou.
You can watch Bombshell on Hulu here. You can also stream it on Amazon Prime here.
