Entertainment
Kyle Chandler & George Clooney Are Just TWO Of The Reasons To Watch Hulu's 'Catch 22'
The days are getting longer and TV comedies are getting darker. Netflix had a recent wave of success with Christina Applegate’s Dead To Me and now Hulu is going the black comedy route with Catch-22, a six-part limited series based on the 1961 Joseph Heller novel of the same name. Catch-22’s cast is filled with a mixed bag of A-list movie stars and rising actors who will bring this story to life.
Per Hulu, the series follows John Yossarian, a World War II United States Air Force bombardier who is frantically trying to survive his mounting missions in Italy. Yossarian and his group of friends are more weighed down and frustrated over the bureaucracy of the military than they are of German soldiers.
The events of this show are centered around an absolutely ridiculous Catch-22 by-law that says If you fly missions, then you are crazy and don’t have to fly them if you ask to not fly. But, if you ask to not participate, then you are sane so you still have to fly anyway. Wait, what? It’s clear how this law will lead to some hilarious moments to balance out the real-life inspired darkness of being a wartime soldier. And, if Catch-22’s trailer is any indication of what fans can expect, it will be a fun ride.
Dark comedies walk a fine line that only the best thespians can truly balance. And, most of this cast have the resumes to prove that they can make Catch-22 a successful live-action venture. Here’s what you need to know about the actors taking on this interesting story.
Christopher Abbott
According to IMDB, Christopher Abbott will star as John Yossarian. He is widely known for his role as Charlie Dattolo in HBO’s Girls as well as his portrayal of astronaut David Scott in the 2018 Neil Armstrong biopic First Man.
In a Vanity Fair interview, Abbott confessed that he didn’t read the Catch-22 novel prior to auditioning for the leading role, but he has read the book twice since then to fully understand his character. He knows that this adaptation, which he described as “more linear than the book” won’t please every die-hard fan of the novel, but he’s still ready to take on the challenge of balancing comedy and drama.
Kyle Chandler
The Emmy-Award winning actor has starred in films like Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, Game Night, and The Wolf of Wall Street, but Friday Night Lights fans will always call him Coach Taylor. Chandler will portray Colonel Cathcart, a commander who constantly contradicts himself and is obsessed with becoming a general. Cathcart is a major pain in Yossarian’s side because he keeps increasing the number of missions that have to be flown before a tour of duty is complete.
May is a big month for Chandler because he will also star in Godzilla: King of the Monsters alongside Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown.
Hugh Laurie
There isn’t much that Hugh Laurie hasn’t had a chance to do in his nearly 40 year long professional career. He has starred in films like Sense and Sensibilities, The Night Manager, and Stuart Little, and was one of the highest-paid actors on TV during his time on House, per New York Daily News. Laurie has released two blues albums, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, according to BBC News, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2018 for his creative arts contributions.
Now, the seasoned actor is taking on a new role as Major de Coverley, a noble man who is the epitome of cool as he makes martinis and kicks back to some jazz. It’s a new direction for Laurie, but there really isn’t anything that he can’t do well.
George Clooney
A man like George Clooney doesn’t need any introductions. The two-time winner of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” list and close friend to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will portray Scheisskopf, who climbs the ranks during the course of the novel. Scheisskopf is obsessed with marching and military life, much to the chagrin of his attention-starved wife.
It’s very different from Clooney’s real-life love with his brilliant wife Amal Clooney, whom he recently praised for her humanitarian work during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. His character probably won’t be the most likeable person on the series, but it’s kind of hard to hate such a handsome face, right?
Daniel Davis Stewart
Daniel Davis Stewart, who portrays the capitalistic mess officer Milo Minderbender, is a lesser known actor who made some cameo appearances in shows like K.C. Undercover, The Middle, and The Goodwin Games, per IMDB. He recently gained recognition for his role as the speaking voice of Ernst in the Tony-Award winning Broadway revival Spring Awakening. Stewart has an active Instagram account where he documents his world travels and recently posted a comical clip of his amoral character with a caption saying “It’s all good for the good of the Syndicate!”
Rafi Gavron
Gavron was recently spotted in movies like A Star Is Born and Snitch and now he’s taking on the role of Aarfy Aardvark, an abusive navigator who always smokes a pipe and manages to get lost on missions. It’s an eerie character-actor match-up considering that Gavron was arrested for domestic violence charges against his then-girlfriend in 2013.
There’s not a lot of information out there about the aftermath of his charges but it obviously hasn’t stopped the English-American actor from continuing to score Hollywood roles. He previously spoke to Interview Magazine about his love for skiing, rollerblading, and gymnastics as a kid, which worked in his favor when he was cast as a nimble thief in his 2006 breakout role in the film Breaking and Entering.
Austin Stowell
Austin Stowell is a relatively fresh face in this group who previously starred in Dolphin Tale, Love and Honor, and Whiplash. According to US Magazine, the actor was romantically linked to Nina Dobrev back in 2015, but seems to be a single man these days. Stowell will play Nately, a teenage lieutenant who comes from a rich and respectable family.
The actor’s Instagram page is definitely worth a follow with plenty of flicks with friends at the beach, snapshots hanging out with his beloved dad, and lots of hot shirtless moments.
Graham Patrick Martin
This actor is best known for his role as Rusty Beck on The Closer as well as its spin-off series Major Crimes. Now, he’s transitioning right into this mini-series as Orr, who is considered to be “crazy” and always finds a way to survive.
Martin revealed to TNT that he decided to become an actor after he went to a performing arts summer camp and landed his first musical role in The King and I. He also said he wanted to be like Leonardo DiCaprio after seeing him in Titanic as a kindergartner. Hopefully, this role will get him on his way towards becoming the next big star.
Lewis Pullman
Pullman’s star power has recently rose with appearances in Bad Times at the El Royale, Battle of the Sexes, The Strangers: Prey at Night, and an upcoming role in Top Gun: Maverick, according to his IMDB profile. And, his Catch-22 role as Major Major Major Major will likely lead to more acting credits under his belt. The character, who is actually a major with the same name three times, who gets a lot of flak for being hopelessly mediocre.
Catch-22’s ensemble cast also stars Tessa Ferrer as Nurse Duckett, Jay Paulson as The Chaplain, Giancarol Giannini as Marcello, Grant Heslov as Doc Daneeka, and a host of other characters who inhabit this satirical world. Find out who can dip around this ridiculous Catch-22 when the show hits Hulu on May 17.
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