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For more than 35 years, Steve Martin and Martin Short appeared alongside one another in movies like Three Amigos! and Father of the Bride, showed up as surprise guests on Saturday Night Live, and even shared the stage, taking their friendship to theaters and opera halls around the world. The two longtime friends recently got back together once more as the anchors of the Only Murders in the Building cast, the new Hulu murder mystery show that sees the comedy duo team up with Selena Gomez, the former Disney Channel star. And, while it’s easy to name one, two, or even more movies and shows where you’ve seen Martin, Short, and Gomez over the years, remembering where you’ve seen other members of the dark comedy’s cast might be a bigger challenge for you. Well, fear not, as we’ve put together a quick guide to help you put names to faces.
Steve Martin (Charles-Haden Savage)
On Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage, a former television star known for his portrayal of a legendary detective who now spends his days digging into mysteries at the Arconia apartment building. The recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Kennedy Center Honors, and AFI Lifetime Achievement Award has been a fixture of pop culture as far back as the 1960s, writing, directing, and starring in countless movies, including The Jerk, Father of the Bride, Parenthood, and It’s Complicated, to name only a few.
Steve Martin’s television work is just as impressive with turns on The Muppet Show, The Simpsons, 30 Rock, The Smothers Brothers Show, and served as host of Saturday Night Live more than a dozen times, becoming one of the more prolific members of the 5-Timers Club. Martin also has a rather successful music career, winning multiple Grammys for his contributions to the bluegrass genre.
Martin Short (Oliver Putnam)
Martin Short co-leads the Only Murders in the Building cast as Oliver Putnam, a struggling Broadway director who finds friendship with the other residents in his building due to a shared interest in true crime. Whether he is appearing on Saturday Night Live, or SCTV before that, in movies like Inherit Vice or Mars Attacks, or even telling fake Bill Paxton stories on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Short has always found a way to entertain audiences with his unique sense of humor and over-the-top personality.
Those characteristics also happen to make Martin Short one of the funniest character actors in Hollywood, and include characters like Franck Eggelhoffer in the Father of the Bride franchise, or creations like Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimley. Short has also lent his voice to a number of high-profile animated films over the years including Prince of Egypt, The Wind Rises, and The Addams Family (2019).
Selena Gomez (Mabel Mora)
Selena Gomez rounds out the main stars of the Only Murders in the Building cast as Mabel Mora, a mysterious young woman in the process of renovating her aunt’s apartment and also someone who is obsessed with all things murder. Since becoming a megastar for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the insanely popular Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place from 2007 to 2012, Gomez has become not only one of the busiest young stars in Hollywood but also one of the most dynamic.
After starring in a number of family-friendly movies like Ramona and Beezus, The Muppets, and Monte Carlo during her Disney days, Selena Gomez transitioned to more serious roles like the ones she played in Spring Breakers, The Fundamentals of Caring, and A Rainy Day in New York. Gomez also gave a memorable performance in Jim Jarmusch’s comedy horror film The Dead Don’t Die where she played one of the young travelers who made the mistake of coming to town during a zombie outbreak.
Aaron Dominguez (Oscar)
Aaron Dominguez joins the Only Murders in the Building cast as Oscar, one of Mabel’s childhood friends and the suspect at the center of the show’s murder case. Unlike the first three names on this list, Dominguez is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, having made only a few appearances in notable film and television projects in the past decade. This includes small roles on shows like NCIS: New Orleans, SEAL Team, and Should I Do It?, as well as movies like Shaft, Like a Boss, and Breathe.
Amy Ryan (Jan)
Amy Ryan appears in Only Murders in the Building as Jan, a resident of the Arconia and one of the many suspects in the alleged murder that took place there. Some will see Ryan’s face and immediately think of The Office, where she played Holly Flax, the replacement human resources representative at the Scranton Branch of Dunder Mifflin who later became Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) love interest through the final seasons of the series. But, to others, Ryan will always be Baltimore Police officer Beadie Russell on The Wire.
Outside of those two landmark television programs, Amy Ryan has had a successful film career, with perhaps her most notable performance being that of Helene McCready in Gone Baby Gone, a role that earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations as well as multiple other awards and accolades.
Julian Cihi (Tim Kono)
Julian Cihi plays Tim Kono in Only Murders in the Building, the recently killed resident of the Arconia building who inspires Charles, Oliver, and Mabel to start making a podcast in the first place. Prior to landing a role on the new Hulu murder mystery comedy series, Cihi played Edgelord on the Amazon Studios version of The Tick in the show’s second and final season. He also had a role on the Netflix series Gypsy during its first and only season. Prior to that, Cihi made brief appearances on shows like Crashing, High Maintenance, and Mr. Robot, to name only a few.
Nathan Lane (Teddy Dimas)
Three-time Tony Award winner Nathan Lane shows up in Only Murders in the Building as Teddy Dimas, Oliver’s worried investor and resident of the Arconia building who becomes a subject of the podcast. Over the years, Lane has been a major presence in film, television, and the world of theater, providing audiences with memorable performances in each.
Nathan Lane started out in theater, and so we’ll start there. Throughout his stage career, Lane has had leading roles in everything from A Midsummer Night’s Dream to The Producers and The Odd Couple to Angels in America. His television work includes shows like The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, The Good Wife, Modern Family, and most recently, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. And, then, who could forget Lane’s masterful performances in films like The Birdcage, Lion King, and Mouse Hunt.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Detective Williams)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph appears in Only Murders in the Building as Detective Williams, the no-nonsense detective who investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of Tim Kono. If you saw the 2019 Eddie Murphy comedy Dolemite Is My Name then you will surely recognize Randolph as Lady Reed, one of Rudy Ray Moore’s most trusted friends who helped the aspiring singer-turned-blacksploitation-star become an international cult hero.
Over the years, Da’Vine Joy Randolph has also shown up in movies like The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, Trolls World Tour, and Office Christmas Party. Randolph’s television work includes recurring roles on shows like High Fidelity, People of Earth, and Empire. She has also had smaller roles on The Good Wife, Veep, and This Is Us.
Michael Cyril Creighton (Howard Morris)
Michael Cyril Creighton takes on the role of Howard Morris, the overly-emotional resident of the Arconia building in Only Murders in the Building. You have mostly likely seen Creighton over the years in shows like High Maintenance, Orange is the New Black, 30 Rock, and Person of Interest, but his list of credits doesn’t stop there.
Throughout his film career, Michael Cyril Creighton has appeared in one of the best journalism movies of all time with Spotlight, where he portrayed Joe Crowley, one of the first victims of the Catholic church to speak out against the abuse at the hands of a priest. He later appeared in Steven Spielberg’s newspaper movie The Post. Other film appearances include Game Night, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Home Again.
Vanessa Aspillaga (Ursula)
Vanessa Aspillaga shows up in a recurring role on Only Murders in the Building as Ursula, the building manager at the Arconia who becomes a thorn in the side of the main characters’ investigation and attempt at making a true crime podcast. Throughout her career, Aspillaga has appeared on a number of series including Madame Secretary, High Maintenance, and The Jim Gaffigan Show, but that is just the beginning.
In addition to television roles, Vanessa Aspillaga has appeared in movies like Morning Glory, Love and Other Drugs, and Hustlers, as well video games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption II.
This is just some of the actors you will find on the Only Murders in the Building cast as there are plenty of other surprises to come before Charles, Oliver, and Mabel get to the bottom of the Arconia murder and finish their podcast. If you’re looking for shows to check out, don’t forget to take a look at our 2021 fall TV schedule, though it will be hard to find another series that has Sting playing a version of himself or Tina Fey narrating a true crime podcast.
