Thought The Stars Of The Diplomat Season 2 Looked Familiar? Here's Where You've Seen The Cast Before

Fans of musical theatre, prestige US dramas and other big-budget Netflix shows might recognise a few familiar faces.
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in The Diplomat
Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in The Diplomat
ALEX BAILEY/NETFLIX

The much-hyped second season of The Diplomat began streaming last week, and has had Netflix viewers gripped ever since.

Series two of the action-packed show sees original cast members Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell and Ali Ahn all returning for the new batch of episodes, alongside a cast of impressive newcomers.

If you’ve started the latest season of The Diplomat, the chances are that one or two of these new additions might look familiar.

And if you’re struggling to place exactly where you know them from, then you can save yourself an exasperated Google search, and just read on…

Adrienne Warren

Adrienne Warren performing as Tina Turner
Adrienne Warren performing as Tina Turner
Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

Adrienne Warren got her start in theatre, appearing in shows like Dreamgirls, Bring It On and Shuffle Along before she originated the role of Tina Turner in the hit musical about the singer’s life.

She won a Tony for her portrayal of Tina, and later made the jump across the pond to play the same role on the West End.

As for her screen work, Adrienne has appeared in the likes of Women Of The Movement, The Woman King and Rustin in the last few years.

She also appeared in an episode of Orange Is The New Black’s inaugural season, and more recently played a lead in the US drama Black Cake.

Rosaline Elbay

Rosaline Elbay in Netflix's Kaleidoscope
Rosaline Elbay in Netflix's Kaleidoscope
Netflix

If you watched the ambitious, mind-bending Netflix series Kaleidoscope last year, you might recognise Rosaline for her performance as Judy, and she also has a recurring role in the drama Ramy.

She was born and raised in Cairo, and while she now resides in New York, she does have a number of credits in her native Egypt to her name, too.

Alysia Reiner

Alysia Reiner as Natalie Figueroa in Orange Is The New Black
Alysia Reiner as Natalie Figueroa in Orange Is The New Black
Netflix

If you’ve been struggling to place Alysia Reiner’s face every time she’s on screen in The Diplomat – the chances are you remember her as the ruthless prison warden Natalie Figueroa in all seven seasons of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black.

She also played D.A. Wendy Parks in How To Get Away With Murder and starred in Better Things, The Deuce and Ms Marvel.

David Alan Basche

David Alan Basche in United 93
David Alan Basche in United 93
Jonathan Olley

On the big screen, you may have seen David in War Of The Worlds, United 93, Sex And The City 2 and The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall, and he recently completed work on the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet in the lead role.

David’s TV work includes numerous iterations of Law & Order and CSI and the sitcoms The Exes, Three Sisters and Frasier.

Interestingly, he is married to his The Diplomat co-star Alysia Reiner, who he met when they were both working on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Clare Burt

Clare Burt as Madge Britton in Holby City
Clare Burt as Madge Britton in Holby City
Kieron McCarron/BBC

Regular Holby City viewers might remember Clare Burt for her recent stint in the medical drama, playing director of nursing Madge Britton.

Her other work includes the original run of Top Boy and the TV adaptation of Sexy Beast and the film X+Y as well as one-off appearances in Friday Night Dinner and Call The Midwife.

Away from her work, Clare was also in a 20-year relationship with Gavin & Stacey star Larry Lamb, with whom she shares two daughters.

Nancy Carroll

Nancy Carroll in season four of The Crown
Nancy Carroll in season four of The Crown
Netflix

Before landing the part of MI5’s Philippa Pemberton in The Diplomat, Nancy starred in another of Netflix’s biggest productions, The Crown, as Lady Anne Glenconner.

Her other screen work includes the film An Ideal Husband and the TV series Agatha Raisin, Father Brown and Silent Witness.

She also won an Olivier for her performance in After The Dance, sharing the stage with Benedict Cumberbatch and Adrian Scarborough.

Allison Janney

Allison Janney in The West Wing
Allison Janney in The West Wing
HBO

Where do you even start with a star like Allison Janney? Probably with The West Wing, where he performance as press secretary CJ Cregg earned her no fewer than four Emmys, with an additional three wins for her performances in Mom and Masters Of Sex.

Her expansive film career includes memorable roles in 10 Things I Hate About You, Juno, Hairspray, The Help, Finding Nemo, The Girl On The Train and The Hours.

Oh, and in 2018, she won her first Oscar for her performance as Tonya Harding’s no-nonsense mother in the drama I, Tonya.

Both seasons of The Diplomat are available to stream now on Netflix, with a third currently in production.

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