Fans who turned in to watch 'The Bear' on Wednesday night were surprised by a guest appearance from 'Oppenheimer' star Josh Hartnett.
The Bear season 3 surprised fans with a Josh Hartnett cameo on Wednesday night as all 10 episodes of the highly anticipated series arrived on Hulu. Plot details and spoilers for season 3 of The Bear below!
Those who have patiently (and impatiently) waited since season 2 of the FX dramedy released in June 2023 turned on their TVs in a hurry to binge the latest episodes, only to once again find a flurry of returning guests and new cameos -- including Hartnett, 45.
The third season of the hit series follows the chefs of the Chicago-based eatery "as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business. It’s a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business. Carmy pushes himself harder than ever, and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity."
The show stars Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Matty Matheson, Abby Elliott, L-Boy and Liza Colón-Zayas.
If you happened to fall asleep after the first episode -- or even the second and third -- heads up, you did not doze off and miss Hartnett's brief but exciting appearance as a major character. The actor -- who most recently appeared in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer -- finally arrives on screen in episode 4 and portrays the fiancé of Tiffany Jerimovich (Gillian Jacobs), the ex-wife of Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach).
Hartnett plays Frank (or "Waldo" if you ask Tiffany and Richie's daughter, Eva), who ends up having a heart-to-heart with Richie after dropping Eva off to switch her into her mom's custody.
After Richie walks Eva to Frank's house, the pair wind up chatting on the stoop about how "Waldo" came about and Frank's guilt for not consulting him before proposing to Tiffany. The entire scene is set to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Long Live," which quietly plays from inside Frank's abode.
"Sup, Waldo?" Eva says, explaining, "Yeah, Dad said I could call you whatever I want."
Hartnett's Frank -- the soon-to-be stepfather to Richie's daughter -- tells Eva to go inside as he has a discussion with her dad, which Richie could not look more uncomfortable with. In the moment, though, Frank takes the opportunity to apologize to Richie -- which only makes him more uneasy.
"I'm feeling really sh**ty about something," Frank tells Richie during the scene. "I should have given you a heads up before I asked Tiff to marry me... I should've talked to you." Richie, of course, brushes it off but keeps eyeing an exit as he's placed in the scene with his back against the wall (literally and figuratively).
"I'm not her father," Richie says. "You don't need my permission, Frank."
After several bouts of uncomfortable silence -- and Hartnett's character getting oddly close to Richie -- the scene ultimately resolves as Richie makes a break for it. Richie also manages to sidestep Frank's questions about his RSVP to their wedding and when he and Tiffany can come to The Bear for dinner.
Later on in the season, Richie and Tiffany have a very honest conversation from a park bench at the playground, in which she essentially begs him to come to the wedding. She notes that even though it will surely be uncomfortable for him, she wants and needs him there.
So there you have it: season 4 -- which is already well in the works over at FX -- could just see another appearance from Hartnett. No word yet on how the team behind the 10-time Emmy Award-winning show pulled off the cameo and how they kept in under wraps.
Outside of the cameo from the Black Hawk Down actor, season 3 also welcomed newcomers John Cena, David Zayas and famed chef/restauranteur Thomas Keller. Returning guest stars from season 2 include Will Poulter, Olivia Colman and Jamie Lee Curtis.
For a breakdown of all the season 3 guest stars and more coverage of The Bear, check out the links below.
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