Fans of Portlandia really only need Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein (and maybe Kyle MacLachlan's Mayor) to make them happy, but the guest stars of Portlandia always add a delightful element to the IFC show. So in advance of the premiere of Portlandia Season 7 on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m., IFC announced the guest star list for the latest season of the sketch comedy series. And just like with the previous seasons, a quirky blend of comedians and unexpected celebrities will be joining Armisen and Brownstein in their hilarious antics.
As my personal life goal is to make an appearance on an episode, I'm pretty envious of the Portlandia Season 7 guest stars. The talented people on this list are traveling to Armisen and Brownstein's vision of Portland, Oregon, for the first time to portray eclectic characters or make some cameos. These Portlandia newbies will be accompanied by seasoned guest stars of the IFC series like Saturday Night Live's Vanessa Bayer, Steve Buscemi, Mitch Hurwitz, Natasha Lyonne, Kumail Nanjiani, and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. MacLachlan will also be back for Season 7 because, honestly, what's a season of Portlandia without the Mayor of Portland? Even if Carrie chose not to have his child in Season 6, he's still an integral part of the wacky series that lovingly mocks the absurdities of the Portland counterculture.
Although you're probably excited enough as it is, get even more pumped for Portlandia Season 7 by checking out the new guest stars. As Brownstein said in the above video, "It's pretty chock-full this year."
Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford, the comedian and actress of Lady Dynamite and Season 4 of Arrested Development, has a brand of humor that will fit perfectly into the world of Portlandia.
Claire Danes
Although she wasn't on the list of guest stars from IFC, Armisen noted in the above video about guest stars that Claire Danes will make an appearance. I can't wait to see what the Homeland actress will do.
Rachel Dratch
It's surprising that Armisen's friend from Saturday Night Live, Rachel Dratch, hasn't been on Portlandia before now.
John Early
John Early most recently stars in Search Party, but he's also been on 30 Rock as Jenna Maroney's son and in the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Love.
Judy Greer
The ultimate costar (she even wrote a book about it), Judy Greer will be using her comedic chops that she's shown time and time again on shows like Arrested Development and Archer to elevate herself to guest star status.
Ryan Hansen
Previews of Season 7 show that Ryan Hansen of Veronica Mars and Central Intelligence will be portraying Carrie's new hunk boyfriend.
Tim Heidecker
Tim Heidecker (on the right in the above photo) of Tim and Eric Awesome Show will be bringing his awesome weirdness to Portlandia.
Abbi Jacobson
Broad City's Abbi Jacobson is making my comedic dreams come true by showing up on Portlandia this season.
Damian Lillard
The NBA basketball player Damian Lillard, who appropriately plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, will portray a version of himself when he becomes Carrie's friend in Season 7.
Laurie Metcalf
Laurie Metcalf of Roseanne and The Big Bang Theory will be playing Jill in Season 7, a character who dreads being talked to one-on-one in the workplace.
Sam Richardson
Sam Richardson has proven how funny he is on Veep, playing the naively pleasant Richard Splett.
Andy Richter
Andy Richter has done his fair share of TV appearances in the past, so Portlandia is the next logical step for Conan O'Brien's sidekick.
Run The Jewels
El-P (Jaime Meline) and Killer Mike (Michael Render) of the hip-hop supergroup Run the Jewels are hesitant to pretend they died to hype up their new album in a cameo appearance in Season 7.
The B-52s
Another band that will show up on Portlandia Season 7 is the B-52s, with Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider, and Cindy Wilson slated to appear.
Jessica St. Clair
Playing House's Jessica St. Clair has been on IFC before in Comedy Bang! Bang! as Miss Polite.
These new guest stars — along with Armisen, Brownstein, and the reoccuring guests — promise to make Portlandia's second to last season just as epically absurd as every season before it.
