Cast of Only Murders in the Building: The Brilliant Trio You'll Absolutely Love 2026 -

Introduction

If you’ve ever found yourself binge-watching a show at 2 AM and thinking, “just one more episode,” then you already know the feeling that the cast of Only Murders in the Building gives you. This Hulu original mystery-comedy series has taken the streaming world by storm since its premiere in 2021. The show blends sharp humor, genuine emotion, and a whodunit format that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

The cast of Only Murders in the Building is one of the most talked-about ensembles on television right now. You’ve got comedy legends, a global pop icon, and some of the most respected character actors in the business — all sharing the same fictional Manhattan apartment building called the Arconia.

In this article, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about the cast of Only Murders in the Building. We’ll cover the main trio, the recurring supporting players, the jaw-dropping guest stars across all seasons, and why this particular group of actors works so brilliantly together.

The Main Trio: Why These Three Just Work

Let’s be real — the entire show lives and dies by the chemistry between its three leads. And somehow, the casting directors struck gold. The cast of Only Murders in the Building is anchored by three people who, on paper, seem like the most unlikely combination imaginable. Yet on screen, they are pure magic.

Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage

Steve Martin plays Charles-Haden Savage, a washed-up actor who is best known for playing a detective in an old TV procedural called Brazzos. Charles is awkward, a little sad, and deeply earnest. Steve Martin brings a warmth to the role that feels completely natural.

Martin is, of course, a comedy legend. His career spans decades — from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s to films like Roxanne, L.A. Story, Father of the Bride, and Bowfinger. By the time Only Murders came around, many people wondered if Martin could still headline a hit series. He answered that question loudly and definitively.

What’s fascinating about Charles is that he mirrors some of Martin’s own real-life reputation — a beloved entertainer who stepped back from the spotlight. Martin plays the vulnerability of that role beautifully. You genuinely feel for Charles. His relationship with his estranged daughter and his tentative romance with Jan (and later with Loretta Durkin) are handled with surprising emotional depth.

Martin Short as Oliver Putnam

Oliver Putnam is a theatrical Broadway director who has seen better days. He’s dramatic, over-the-top, and desperately clinging to relevance. Martin Short plays him with a joyful, almost unhinged energy that makes every scene he’s in electric.

Short is no stranger to stealing scenes. His career includes Three Amigos, Innerspace, Father of the Bride, and decades of sketch comedy work. He and Steve Martin have been best friends in real life for years, and that genuine warmth bleeds into their on-screen dynamic completely.

Oliver is also surprisingly layered. Beneath all the theatrics is a man dealing with financial ruin, complicated family relationships, and a deep longing to be taken seriously again. Short handles these emotional beats just as skillfully as he handles the comedy. His relationship with his son Will, and later with Loretta, gives the character a heart you don’t always expect.

Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora

Here’s where the casting gets genuinely interesting. Selena Gomez plays Mabel Mora, a young woman with a mysterious past connected to the Arconia and a murder that shook her childhood friend group. Mabel is sharp, guarded, and emotionally complex.

When Gomez was announced as part of the cast of Only Murders in the Building, some people raised eyebrows. Pop star turned prestige TV actress? But she completely silenced any doubters. Her performance is understated, precise, and deeply compelling. She doesn’t try to out-funny Martin or Short. Instead, she plays the straight anchor of the trio, and it works perfectly.

Gomez also serves as an executive producer on the show, which tells you how seriously she takes the project. Mabel’s backstory — involving her friend Zoe’s death, her estranged friend group, and her complicated feelings about the Arconia — becomes one of the emotional cores of the entire series.

Supporting Cast Members Who Deserve More Credit

The main trio gets all the attention, but the cast of Only Murders in the Building is stacked with supporting players who elevate every episode.

Amy Ryan as Jan Bellows

Amy Ryan plays Jan, a bassoonist who lives in the Arconia and becomes a romantic interest for Charles. Ryan is a two-time Academy Award nominee (she received an Oscar nod for Gone Baby Gone) and brings serious dramatic credibility to the show. Jan’s arc across Season 1 is one of the most satisfying twists the show has delivered. Ryan plays the character with a sly intelligence that makes the reveal feel earned, not cheap.

Jackie Hoffman as Uma Heller

Jackie Hoffman plays Uma, the prickly president of the Arconia’s board. She’s a recurring presence across seasons and always delivers sharp comedic moments. Hoffman is a veteran of Broadway and television, and she makes Uma feel real even when the role calls for broad comedy.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Detective Williams

Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays Detective Donna Williams, the NYPD detective who keeps crossing paths with the amateur podcasting trio. Randolph is extraordinary in the role — she plays the character with a weary intelligence and a dry wit that perfectly complements the leads. Her performance across multiple seasons is consistently one of the highlights of the show. Randolph has since won an Academy Award for The Holdovers, cementing her status as one of the best actors of her generation.

Aaron Dominguez as Oscar Torres

Aaron Dominguez plays Oscar, one of Mabel’s childhood friends who was wrongfully imprisoned. He’s a steady, grounded presence in Season 1 and provides important context for Mabel’s backstory. Dominguez plays the role with quiet dignity and makes Oscar one of the more sympathetic figures in the show’s early run.

Guest Stars: The Show’s Secret Weapon

If there’s one thing the cast of Only Murders in the Building does better than almost any other show on television, it’s landing jaw-dropping guest stars. Every season brings new faces that range from surprising to absolutely legendary.

Sting

Yes, that Sting. The rock legend plays himself as a fellow Arconia resident. His appearances are played completely straight, and somehow, that makes it funnier. The moment where Oliver tries desperately to impress Sting is one of the funniest sequences in the show’s entire run.

Cara Delevingne as Alice Banks

Cara Delevingne joins the cast in Season 2 as Alice, a chic art world figure who becomes romantically involved with Mabel. Delevingne brings a stylish, slightly unpredictable energy to the role. Her character raises interesting questions about authenticity and performance — themes that run through the whole season.

Shirley MacLaine as Bunny Folger

Shirley MacLaine plays Bunny Folger, the Arconia’s formidable and mysterious board president in Season 2. MacLaine is a living Hollywood legend — an Oscar winner with a career stretching back to the 1950s. Her presence in the show feels significant. She plays Bunny with a steely authority that makes her murder feel genuinely tragic.

Paul Rudd as Ben Glenroy

Paul Rudd joins the cast of Only Murders in the Building in Season 3, playing Ben Glenroy, a major Hollywood movie star who becomes the season’s central murder victim. Rudd is charming, funny, and surprisingly willing to play a morally complicated version of himself (sort of). His scenes — both before and after his character’s death — are some of Season 3’s best moments.

Meryl Streep as Loretta Durkin

This is where the show goes from great to genuinely extraordinary. Meryl Streep — three-time Oscar winner, widely considered the greatest living actress — joins the cast of Only Murders in the Building in Season 3 as Loretta Durkin, a struggling actress who gets her big break in Oliver’s Broadway production. Streep is completely committed to the role. She’s funny, emotionally devastating when the script calls for it, and has remarkable chemistry with Martin Short. Their romantic storyline becomes one of the most surprisingly touching things the show has ever done.

The fact that Meryl Streep signed on to this show says everything about the quality of the writing and the caliber of the cast of Only Murders in the Building.

Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, and More

Season 4 continues this tradition of extraordinary guest casting. Eva Longoria and Zach Galifianakis have both been connected to the show’s later seasons, playing fictionalized versions of Hollywood figures drawn into the Arconia’s orbit. The show uses its real-world New York City setting and its entertainment industry connections to bring in guests that feel organic rather than gimmicky.

What Makes This Cast Work So Well Together

You’ve probably noticed by now that the cast of Only Murders in the Building isn’t just a collection of famous names. There’s something specific about how they all fit together.

The show’s creator, John Hoffman, along with Steve Martin, built the series around the idea of unlikely connection. Three people from completely different generations and backgrounds — a faded TV actor, a broke theater director, and a guarded young woman — who only come together because of a shared tragedy and a shared obsession with true crime podcasts. That premise only works if the actors can make the relationships feel real.

Steve Martin and Martin Short have a friendship that goes back decades. That history is visible in every scene they share. There’s a shorthand between them, a comfort, that no amount of acting can fake. Selena Gomez was a deliberate counterbalance to their energy — younger, more subdued, more emotionally internal. The contrast creates a dynamic that stays fresh even deep into multiple seasons.

The supporting and guest cast reinforces this quality. Nobody phones it in. Even actors who appear in a single episode — like Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas or Tina Fey as true crime podcaster Cinda Canning — bring full commitment to their roles.

The Show’s Cultural Impact and Why the Cast Deserves Credit

Only Murders in the Building has become one of the most critically acclaimed comedies of the 2020s. It’s won multiple Emmy Awards and has been nominated across virtually every major category. The show currently holds an impressive approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes that sits consistently above 90%.

A lot of that success comes down to writing and concept. But a great concept falls apart without the right people to execute it. The cast of Only Murders in the Building — from the leads down to the smallest recurring roles — has elevated this show into something genuinely special.

Selena Gomez has spoken publicly about how much the show has meant to her personally, particularly in terms of finding her footing as a dramatic actress. For Martin and Short, the show has introduced them to an entirely new generation of viewers who may only have known them as names their parents mentioned. That kind of cross-generational appeal is rare and almost impossible to manufacture artificially.

Season-by-Season Cast Highlights

Here’s a quick breakdown of what each season brought to the cast:

Season 1 (2021): Established the core trio. Amy Ryan’s Jan was the season’s secret weapon. The Arconia felt alive because of strong work from Jackie Hoffman, Nathan Lane, and others.

Season 2 (2022): Shirley MacLaine elevated every scene she was in. Cara Delevingne added a fresh romantic dynamic. The season deepened Mabel’s character significantly.

Season 3 (2023): The Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd additions made headlines globally. The Broadway setting gave Martin Short his finest material yet.

Season 4 (2024–2025): The show continues expanding its world, using its Hollywood connections to bring in guests that keep longtime viewers genuinely surprised.

Conclusion

The cast of Only Murders in the Building is, quite simply, one of the best assembled groups of performers working in television today. What started as an intriguing concept — legendary comedians + a pop star + a murder mystery — has evolved into a genuine cultural phenomenon built on real chemistry, committed performances, and a willingness to take creative risks.

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez are the heart of it all. But the layers around them — the remarkable supporting players, the jaw-dropping guest stars, the directors and writers who understand how to use all this talent — make the whole thing work.

If you haven’t started watching yet, now is the perfect time to dive in. And if you’re already a fan, I’d genuinely love to know — which guest star appearance surprised you the most? Drop your thoughts and let’s talk about it.

FAQs About the Cast of Only Murders in the Building

1. Who are the three main stars of Only Murders in the Building? The three leads are Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, Martin Short as Oliver Putnam, and Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora.

2. Is Meryl Streep in Only Murders in the Building? Yes. Meryl Streep joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building in Season 3, playing aspiring actress Loretta Durkin.

3. How many seasons of Only Murders in the Building are there? As of early 2025, four seasons have aired on Hulu, with the show continuing to perform strongly.

4. Did Selena Gomez win any awards for the show? Gomez has received Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations for her performance. She also serves as an executive producer.

5. Is Steve Martin and Martin Short’s friendship real? Yes, they have been genuine best friends for several decades, which visibly enhances their on-screen chemistry.

6. Who plays Detective Williams in Only Murders in the Building? Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays Detective Donna Williams. She has since won an Academy Award for her role in The Holdovers.

7. Does Sting actually appear on the show? Yes, Sting plays a fictionalized version of himself as an Arconia resident across multiple seasons.

8. Who created Only Murders in the Building? The show was created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman. It premiered on Hulu in August 2021.

9. Where is Only Murders in the Building filmed? The show is primarily filmed in New York City, with significant location work done at real Manhattan landmarks.

10. Will there be a Season 5 of Only Murders in the Building? Hulu has not yet made a definitive public announcement about Season 5 as of early 2025, but the show remains one of the platform’s top performers.

Cast of Only Murders in the Building: The Brilliant Trio You’ll Absolutely Love 2026

Introduction