Even though the United States declared independence from the English monarchy centuries ago, trade between the two countries continues. One of these trades is in successful television shows. The Office was a sitcom based in the United Kingdom before it was produced in the United States. The humor of the two matches the audience, but both versions have the cast looking directly into the camera or doing a confessional of some kind. Another comedy show that broke the fourth wall was Miranda, starring Miranda Hart and Tom Ellis (Lucifer). In the show, Miranda is a single woman who is navigating single life with a giant crush on her friend, Gary (Ellis), and dealing with a controlling mother. The show was picked up by the US broadcasting station Fox and premiered in 2021 under a new title, Call Me Kat, with Hart as an executive producer, according to Entertainment Daily.
With Hart behind the scenes, the revised version needed a new face. Enter Mayim Bialik, a seasoned actress who has quite the repertoire. Additionally, the name would need to change as Hart would not be the focus. Call Me Kat is about a single woman named Katherine, or Kat, who owns a cat café. She works with her best friends Randi and Phil. Her mother is overbearing and is often quite critical of Kat’s singledom and risky career choice of being a business owner. Kat is in love with her best friend, Max (Cheyenne Jackson), who is a talented musician, but is not into her. He works at a bar called The Middle C with his best friend Carter. The cast is delightful, funny, and recognizable.
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Mayim Bialik
BBC Studios
Kat, the beloved owner of the cat café, is portrayed by none other than Mayim Bialik. She is most recognizable from her previous show, The Big Bang Theory, as Amy Farrah Fowler, a neuroscientist at the California Institute of Technology. Additionally, she portrayed Blossom in the hit comedy show of the same name. In fact, in Season 2, Episode 1 of Call Me Kat, she reunited with her former Blossom cast mates, who portrayed themselves. Additionally, Bialik lent her voice to animated series like Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Recess. She has also lent her voice to the comedy series Young Sheldon, a spin-off of The Big Bang Theory.
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Cheyenne Jackson
BC Studios
Kat’s main love interest and her best friend since college is Max. He is an aspiring musician who cherishes Kat, but is a little lost when it comes to adulting. Cheyenne Jackson, who portrays Max, is most well-known for his appearances on American Horror Story and the follow-up series, American Horror Stories. He often plays a bisexual or gay man on the show, but, as he told Pride Source, he doesn’t seek out or take LGBTQ+ roles for the sole reason they are LGBTQ+. Jackson can also be seen as Hades in the Descendants series.
Kyla Pratt
Randi is a straight shooter. She will be truthful, even if it hurts. If Randi looks familiar, it’s because the actress who portrays her, Kyla Pratt, was in an episode of Living Single, Family Matters, and a comedy movie with Eddie Murphy called Doctor Doolittle. Though if none of these appearances ring a bell, you’ll be surprised to hear that she voices Penny on the original and revival of the animated series, The Proud Family.
Leslie Jordan
The late Leslie Jordan portrayed Phil, a divorced gay man from the South who puts his heart and soul into everything he baked for the Cat Cafe. Jordan is famously known for his “closeted” character, Beverly Leslie, on WIll and Grace. Indeed, Jordan has a long history in Hollywood. He appeared in an episode of Night Court, which is being revived, according to NBC. He also appeared as Shelby in the horror flick Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday. Modern audiences know him for his TikTok videos, his appearances on American Horror Story and Sordid Lives: The Series, and his role as Mr. Blackly in The Help.
Schuyler Helford
Sometimes Kat will imagine scenarios that the audience can see. A common person in her daydreams is Max’s former fiancé, Brigitte. Though the real Brigitte doesn’t make an appearance, Kat’s imagined version of her is portrayed by Schuyler Helford. She’s virtually new to the Hollywood scene, as she has been behind the scenes as a writer and producer on the shows #Cybriety and Indoorsy. She is known for her role as Mallory in the horror flick Haunt and as Sateen in Anger Management, starring Charlie Sheen.
Christopher Rivas
Although most dating advice isn’t to sit around waiting for the postman to deliver someone, Kat met her first serious boyfriend, Oscar, while working at her café. Oscar, portrayed by Christopher Rivas, happens to be a UPS delivery person. Before starring as the lovable Oscar in Call Me Kat, Rivas appeared in several hit TV shows. He appeared in an episode of Shameless, Rizzoli and Isles, and Grey’s Anatomy. According to Rivas’ Instagram, he has directed a short that appeared in the NY Times, called Calm Your Curls. In the post, he speaks to research performed on representation in hundreds of films.
Lamorne Morris
Kat isn’t the only woman on the show who meets someone she falls head over heels in love with. Her best friend, Randi, meets someone on a wild night out. For several episodes, Randi and Daniel, portrayed by Lamorne Morris, date but eventually break up. Morris is widely known as Winston on New Girl, but has appeared or starred in a variety of projects. For instance, he appeared in a couple of podcasts as a recurring character. Morris also starred in The Christmas Chronicles and Sandy Wexler. He also voiced himself in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
Tim Bagley
NBC
Every coffee shop has its regulars. From caffeinated college students to retired people who just want to enjoy a warm pastry and coffee in the morning, each regular has their own quirk. At the cat café, one of these regulars is Wyatt, who audiences may recognize from Will and Grace and Grace and Frankie. Tim Bagley, like his late co-star Leslie Jordan, has been in numerous projects. Before his breakout on Will and Grace, Bagley was in The Mask and Diagnosis Murder, a crime procedural starring Dick Van Dyke. More recently, he has lent his voice to some animated series like The Great North and Mike Tyson Mysteries.
Andy Favreau
Reamworks
Kat and Oscar may have seemed like the perfect match, but her feelings for Max kept a wall between her and Oscar. After their break-up, a new restaurant opened down the block from the café and the owner, albeit smitten by Kat, was as arrogant as they come. Nick, the owner of an artisan sandwich shop, is portrayed by actor Andy Favreau. He appeared in several episodes of Grace and Frankie, Molly McQueen, 9-1-1: Lone Star, and Little Fires Everywhere before appearing in Call Me Kat.
Julian Grant
The owner of The Middle C, a bar with live music sharing the alley with the café is Carter. He is a father, a little nerdy, and wildly in love with his girlfriend, Randi. Carter is portrayed by Julian Grant. Before portraying Carter, Grant appeared in the comedy sketch show, Key and Peele, and an episode of Superior Donuts. He lent his voice to some of the Pigs in The Angry Birds Movie as well. Grant has starred in a few films as well, like Barfight! and the TV movie Reno 911: The Hunt for QAnon.
Swoosie Kurtz
Kat’s overbearing mother, Sheila, is portrayed by Swoosie Kurtz. While Kurtz has been in cult classics like Cruel Intentions and Bubble Boy, those roles are only the tip of the iceberg. She portrays Lily Charles in Pushing Daisies and Beverly in Man with a Plan. However, her biggest role was in the role of Joyce Flynn on Mike and Molly, starring another comedian extraordinaire, Melissa McCarthy.
