Kellan Lutz and Malin Akerman are officially on board for The Comeback's return. The two actors were rumored to be returning for the HBO comedy's comeback, likely for limited appearances, meaning we shouldn't expect to see either of them in all six episodes. Today comes confirmation of Akerman and Lutz's involvement in The Comeback, which returns as a limited series this fall.
The Comeback was a 2006 comedy that centered on Lisa Kudrow's character Valerie Cherish, a former TV star who was trying to achieve a comeback by having her personal and professional life taped for a reality show. The series was presented as the raw footage of the reality show, and it included Valerie's work on a new sitcom called Room and Bored. Kellan Lutz and Malin Akerman were two of the hot young stars of the sitcom, and they appeared regularly in The Comeback.
When we learned that The Comeback was most likely coming back, both Akerman and Lutz were said to be expected to return. However, neither actor's names was listed among the confirmed cast when HBO made the official announcement of the show's return. It sounds like some "juggling" had to be done to ensure both actors, now much more well known than they were when The Comeback first aired, were able to do the show.
Today, Deadline says neither Kellan Lutz nor Malin Akerman are expected to appear in all six episodes of the returning series. But they will be reprising their roles as Chris and Juna, whom Deadline says are "romantically linked." I'm not sure if that's a reveal about the characters' updated status or a reference to their Room & Bored characters, as I don't recall Chris and Juna being romantically involved in the original series. Their R&B characters were seen getting cozy on a couch in the first episode though, so maybe that's what they're referring to. Or Chris and Juna are together in the decade-later scenario that we're going to see in The Comeback's new season. We'll have to wait and see.
Regardless of where Chris and Juna are when The Comeback picks up, it's exciting that the series was able to get Kellan Lutz and Malin Akerman back, even if it's for a limited number of appearances. As mentioned, The Comeback aired before both actors' careers took off. 2006 was two years before Lutz's run on 90210 and supporting role as Emmet Cullen in Twilight. Akerman rose to fame with roles in 27 Dresses, Rock of Ages and Couples Retreat. Most recently, she starred in ABC's Trophy Wife, while Lutz starred in The Legend of Hercules. He's expected to appear in the upcoming Expendables 3, while Akerman has a number of projects in the works, including the upcoming comedy The Final Girls. So both actors have plenty going on, but it sounds like they were able to make this work. And it's a good thing too, as it's hard to imagine The Comeback without Valerie's "baby girl" and the occasionally emotionally unstable Chris.
