The Bear Fans Are Buzzing Over Season 3's Guest Stars

Like the mouth-watering food, the city of Chicago, and all those bicep-bearing chef shirts, guest stars help form the fabric of The Bear. But if you think the show blew its cameo budget on Season 2’s not-so-cheery Christmas episode, think again.

The critically acclaimed series dropped its third season on June 27, and brought plenty of familiar faces along with it — from returning favorites to surprising newcomers that will have you wondering, Um, how did that not leak ahead of time?

Naturally, fans celebrated every reveal. Here are some of the best memes and tweets about The Bear Season 3’s guest stars from viewers on X (formerly Twitter). Spoilers for Season 3 ahead.

The Berzattos Are Back

The Bear’s latest installment brought back several members of Carmy’s extended family, including his mom, Donna, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. She helps support her daughter, Natalie, through her labor in Episode 8. While Donna is the last person Natalie wants to call as she rushes to the hospital (no one else answered!), the experience is a meaningful bonding moment for the pair.

As one fan put it, this episode was “HEAVY... But I loved it so much. Unexpected to see Donna in this light, but surely very good too!”

Another wrote, “Donna actually being good to Nat and then leaving as soon as Pete came. You kinda moved me, Donna.”

Fans also joked that the show loves to use brief flashback clips of Jon Bernthal as Carmy’s brother, Mikey. “The amount of emotional mileage The Bear has gotten out of one 3-second clip of Jon Bernthal smiling is proof that god might exist after all,” one viewer wrote.

But alas, the actor (who received an Emmy nomination for his guest role on the show) had quite an extended scene with Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina in Episode 6, which is essentially her origin story for joining the restaurant. Their sweet heart-to-heart had fans sobbing. “Tina and Mikey’s first encounter was so cute,” one viewer wrote. “God, I love those two.”

ILY, Luca

Fans also praised the return of Will Poulter as Luca, who met Sydney at a “funeral dinner” for Ever, the restaurant Richie staged at in Season 2. “OMG THEYRE BESTIES,” wrote one viewer, while others speculated that their connection wasn’t purely platonic.

One fan wondered if Season 4 would be an “angst and jealousy” situation, given the way Carmy has been “sidelining” Sydney. Several praised the pair’s chemistry, and hoped Luca might return for Season 4.

Wait, Is That...

Olivia Colman, Joel McHale, and other stars reprised their chef roles, too. But as Carmy looks at a collage of notable real-life chefs in the season finale, there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of Bradley Cooper, who isn’t a chef on the show, but did recently get into the food truck business.

The photo is actually from Cooper’s 2015 film, Burnt, and its inclusion had viewers doing a double-take. “The Bradley Cooper pic??? HOLD UP,” one fan wrote.

John Cena Stopped By, Too

One of the biggest surprises from The Bear Season 3 was John Cena, who stopped by to play Sammy Fak. One viewer called it a “genius move,” requesting him as a series regular going forward. (Yes, please.) “JOHN CENA?!? What are you doing at The Bear in Chicago?!?” another wrote.

Richie Meets Tiff’s New Fiancé

Josh Hartnett debuted as Frank, the new fiancé of Richie’s ex, Tiff. The two men meet outside Frank’s home, with Taylor Swift’s “Long Live” blasting from inside. So, he’s a Swiftie dad, too, as if the guest star wasn’t enough of a heartthrob already.

“The absolute guttural scream that came out of me when Josh Hartnett answered the door, nails painted, Long Live blasting... I had a shrine to this man on the back of my door when I was 13 for good reason,” one fan wrote.

“I died and came back as a teenage girl,” another said. “No shame.”

No shame indeed! Fortunately, The Bear is a critical and audience favorite that celebrities are lining up to join — so you can likely count on even more cameos when Season 4 rolls around.