Created by Rian Johnson.
Poker Face premiered on January 26, 2023.
Distributed by Peacock, which is owned by NBCUniversal Television and Streaming.
Series Review
Poker Face is a brilliantly addictive mystery series anchored by Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a sharp, curious loner who can spot lies.
Season 1 introduces the format: self-contained howcatchem episodes that travel across America and showcase a rotating roster of guest stars.
Each hour feels like a short film, mixing dark humor, inventive plotting, and Lyonne’s wry narration.
Season 2 leans into higher stakes and bolder comedy while keeping the procedural heart.
New guest turnouts bring both laughs and menace, and the season explores Charlie’s past more, adding emotional texture without losing the show’s breezy momentum.
Both seasons celebrate classic detective craft updated for modern sensibilities.
If you love clever plotting, memorable performances, and a lead who is equal parts mischief and moral compass, Poker Face is essential viewing.
It is smart television that stays comforting and surprising. Watch it for warmth, wit, and endlessly inventive small mysteries too.
Ratings
• IMDb: 7.8/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
• Google Audience Score: 79% liked this TV show.
Poker Face Actors
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale
DOB: April 4, 1979.
Bio: Brooklyn-born actor, writer, and producer celebrated for her distinctive voice, sharp comedic timing, and ability to bring both grit and vulnerability to her characters.
Beginning her career as a child actor, she rose to prominence in indie films during the late 1990s before becoming a television favorite.
Role: Charlie Cale, the drifter at the center of Poker Face. Charlie has an extraordinary gift: she can always tell when someone is lying.
While on the run, she finds herself drawn into solving murders and mysteries along the way.
Seasons & Episodes: Series lead across Season 1 and Season 2 (all episodes).
What to Expect: Wry narration, quirky roadside empathy, and a heroine who solves crimes while staying true to her careless, kind heart.
Favorite Things: Lyonne often mentions music, road-trip movies and improvisation as fuels for her work in interviews.
Notable Works: Orange Is the New Black, Russian Doll, But I’m a Cheerleader.
Benjamin Bratt as Cliff LeGrand
DOB: December 16, 1963.
Bio: American actor and producer with a career spanning more than three decades in both film and television.
Born in San Francisco, California, to a Peruvian mother and American father, Bratt has become known for his versatility, charisma, and commanding screen presence.
Role: Cliff LeGrand, the head of security and trusted enforcer for the Frost casino empire.
He becomes Charlie Cale’s relentless pursuer throughout Poker Face Season 1, embodying the system she’s on the run from.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 (5 episodes).
What to Expect: A pragmatic, quietly dangerous enforcer who becomes morally complicated as the season unspools.
Favorite Things: Bratt often highlights family as the center of his life and has spoken about his love of storytelling as a way to connect cultures and histories.
Notable Works: Law & Order (films and TV), Traffic, Miss Congeniality, The Cleaner.
Simon Helberg as Luca Clark
DOB: December 9, 1980.
Bio: American actor, comedian, and musician born in Los Angeles, California.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he developed early stage and sketch comedy chops before breaking out on television.
Helberg is best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory, for which he earned critical acclaim and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Role: Luca Clark, a quirky yet grounded FBI agent who repeatedly crosses paths with Charlie Cale.
Serving as both a foil and reluctant ally, Luca brings a mix of dry humor, procedural know-how, and an offbeat humanity to Charlie’s winding investigations.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 and returns in Season 2 (5 episodes).
What to Expect: An earnest, oddly charming lawman who adds procedural muscle to Charlie’s freewheeling investigations.
Favorite Things: Helberg often speaks about music, particularly jazz piano, as a personal passion.
He also highlights family life as central to his identity off-screen.
Notable Works: The Big Bang Theory, Florence Foster Jenkins, Annette.
Rhea Perlman as Beatrix Hasp
DOB: March 31, 1948.
Bio: American actress and writer, best known for her iconic role as Carla Tortelli on the sitcom Cheers, which earned her four Emmy Awards.
Over her career, she has demonstrated exceptional range, from sharp-tongued comedy to layered dramatic roles, and has remained a beloved presence in television and film for decades.
Role: Beatrix Hasp, a powerful East Coast crime boss. Introduced in the Season 1 finale (“The Hook”).
Beatrix sets the stage for the next phase of Charlie’s story, acting as a looming threat and a new rival to the casino world Charlie escaped.
She returns in Season 2, expanding her role as a dangerous player in Charlie’s cat-and-mouse game with criminal networks.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 finale and returns in Season 2 (5 episodes).
What to Expect: Perlman delivers a magnetic performance, blending mob-boss gravitas with her signature sly comedic timing.
Favorite Things: Perlman has often spoken about her love for family, theater, and storytelling, as well as her joy in working on projects that mix humor with heart.
Notable Works: Cheers, Matilda, The Mindy Project.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Trey Mendez
DOB: February 17, 1981.
Bio: American actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur born in Los Angeles, California.
He began acting as a child in commercials and on television before achieving early fame in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Transitioning into independent cinema, he earned acclaim for nuanced performances in films like Mysterious Skin and Brick.
Role: Trey Mendez, a wealthy, manipulative antagonist in the standout Season 1 episode “Escape From Shit Mountain.”
Trey is a house-arrested businessman whose charm masks dangerous volatility, making him one of the series’ most memorable one-off villains.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1, standout episode appearance.
What to Expect: A magnetic, unsettling performance that blends Gordon-Levitt’s trademark boyish charisma with a sinister edge.
Favorite Things: Gordon-Levitt frequently highlights his love for collaborative storytelling through his HitRecord community, music, and projects that merge technology with creativity.
Notable Works: 500 Days of Summer, Inception, Looper, Mysterious Skin.
Chloë Sevigny as Ruby Ruin
DOB: November 18, 1974.
Bio: American actress, director, and fashion icon born in Springfield, Massachusetts.
She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a defining figure of American independent cinema, earning critical acclaim for her debut in Kids (1995) and an Academy Award nomination for Boys Don’t Cry (1999).
Role: Ruby Ruin, the mercurial lead singer of the washed-up heavy metal band Doxxxology, featured in Season 1’s episode “Rest in Metal.
Desperate to reclaim fame, Ruby and her bandmates become embroiled in a murder plot that sets the stage for Charlie’s investigation.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 guest episode “Rest in Metal.”
What to Expect: A stylized, magnetic performance full of swagger, theatricality, and dangerous edge.
Favorite Things: Outside of acting, Sevigny has a deep passion for fashion, art, and music.
Notable Works: Kids, American Psycho, Big Love.
David Castañeda as Jimmy Silva
DOB: October 24, 1989.
Bio: Mexican-American actor born in Los Angeles and raised in Sinaloa, Mexico, before returning to the U.S. as a teenager.
He studied film and international business at Cal State Fullerton before pursuing acting full time.
Role: Jimmy Silva, the shady motel owner introduced in Season 1’s acclaimed bottle episode “Escape From Shit Mountain.”
A man with a violent past and questionable motives, Jimmy becomes central to Charlie’s most dangerous and claustrophobic case.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1, “Escape From Shit Mountain.”
What to Expect: Castañeda delivers a tense, unpredictable performance that mixes quiet menace with flashes of volatility.
Favorite Things: In interviews, Castañeda often highlights his Mexican heritage, family ties, and cultural roots as inspirations for his career.
Notable Works: The Umbrella Academy, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, End of Watch.
Ron Perlman as Sterling Frost Sr.
DOB: April 13, 1950.
Bio: American actor with a celebrated career in film, television, and voice acting.
Born in Washington Heights, New York City, he trained at Lehman College and later earned a master’s degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota.
Role: Sterling Frost Sr., the patriarch of the Frost casino empire whose shadow looms large over Charlie Cale’s journey.
His presence comes to the forefront in the Season 1 finale, embodying the ultimate face of corporate power and menace that Charlie must confront.
Seasons & Episodes: Key guest in Season 1 finale (2 episode).
What to Expect: Perlman delivers a towering, dangerous performance, equal parts theatrical and menacing.
Favorite Things:Perlman has spoken often about his love for comic books, fantasy, and genre filmmaking, crediting them as inspirations for his career.
Notable Works: Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy, Beauty and the Beast (TV).
Stephanie Hsu as “Mortimer Bernstein” (Morty)
DOB: November 25, 1990.
Bio: American actress and singer celebrated for her versatility across stage, television, and film.
A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she began her career in experimental theater before moving into Broadway, earning acclaim for originating roles in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical and Be More Chill.
Role: Mortimer “Morty” Bernstein in the penultimate Season 1 episode, “Escape From Shit Mountain.”
Morty is a morally ambiguous character whose past ties and present decisions bring dangerous complications for Charlie and others trapped in the snowy mountains.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1, “Escape From Shit Mountain.”
What to Expect: Hsu delivers a layered, offbeat performance that blends humor, self-interest, and raw survival instinct.
Favorite Things: Hsu often speaks about her theater roots, Asian-American representation, and the creative freedom that comes from taking bold risks on stage and screen.
Notable Works: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Joy Ride, Be More Chill.
Lil Rel Howery as Taffy Boyle
DOB: December 17, 1979.
Bio: Milton “Lil Rel” Howery Jr. is an American comedian and actor from Chicago, Illinois.
He began his career in stand-up before breaking out on television with The Carmichael Show and his own sitcom Rel.
Role: Taffy Boyle, the smooth-talking co-owner of a Texas barbecue joint in Season 1, Episode 4 (“The Stall”).
Taffy presents himself as a friendly host, but his motives turn darker as the story unfolds, making him one of the show’s most memorable episode villains.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1, “The Stall.”
What to Expect: Howery blends his trademark charm and humor with a chilling edge, turning Taffy into a character who is both entertaining and unsettling.
Favorite Things: In interviews, Howery often highlights his love for stand-up comedy, improv, and community storytelling, crediting his Chicago roots for shaping his perspective.
Notable Works: Rel, Get Out, Free Guy.
Judith Light as Irene Smothers
DOB: February 9, 1949.
Bio: American actress whose career spans stage, television, and film. She first rose to fame on One Life to Live before becoming a household name on Who’s the Boss?.
A two-time Tony Award winner, Light has also earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, admired for her fearless performances and ability to balance humor with deep emotional weight.
Role: Irene Smothers, a mischievous and sharp-witted resident of a retirement community.
Alongside fellow resident Joyce (played by S. Epatha Merkerson), Irene hides a darker past beneath her seemingly sweet exterior.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1: standout single-episode guest turn (“Time of the Monkey”).
What to Expect: Light delivers a brilliantly layered performance, funny, sly, and ultimately chilling.
Favorite Things: Light often cites theatre, activism, and mentorship as her deepest passions.
Notable Works: One Life to Live, Transparent, American Crime Story.
S. Epatha Merkerson as Joyce Harris
DOB: November 28, 1952.
Bio: American actress with a career spanning film, television, and stage.
She is best known for her 17-season run as Lt. Anita Van Buren on Law & Order, making her one of the longest-running African-American characters in TV drama history.
Role: Joyce Harris, a lively and sharp-tongued retirement home resident with a radical past.
Alongside her friend Irene Smothers (played by Judith Light), Joyce becomes central to Charlie’s investigation when a mysterious death occurs.
Seasons & Episodes: Season 1 guest (1 episode).
What to Expect: Merkerson brings mischievous charm and sharp timing to Joyce, balancing humor with menace.
Favorite Things: Merkerson has spoken about her passion for mentorship, advocacy, and supporting young artists.
Notable Works: Law & Order, Lackawanna Blues, Chicago Med.
More Actors
Season 1 (2023)O
• Patti Harrison as Alex
• Steve Buscemi as Good Buddy
• Adrien Brody as Sterling Frost, Jr.
• Hong Chau as Marge
• Clea DuVall as Emily Cale
• Tim Blake Nelson as Kyle Owens
• Nick Nolte as Arthur Liptin
• Charles Melton as Davis McDowell
• Dascha Polanco as Natalie Hill
• Tim Meadows as Michael Graves
• Jameela Jamil as Ava
• Danielle Macdonald as Mandy Boyle
• Shane Paul McGhie as Austin / Hanky T. Pickins
Season 2 (2025)
• Cynthia Erivo as Amber / multiple roles
• John Mulaney as Daniel Clyde-Otis
• Katie Holmes as Greta Finch
• Giancarlo Esposito as Fred Finch
• Kumail Nanjiani as Joseph ‘Greta Joe’ Pilson
• Gaby Hoffmann as Fran Lamont
• Sam Richardson as Kendall Hines
• Awkwafina as Maddy Saint Marie
FAQ – Poker Face TV Series
Has Poker Face been renewed for Season 3?
As of now, Poker Face has not been officially renewed for a third season.
While the show remains critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, decisions about a possible Season 3 rest with Peacock, creator Rian Johnson, Natasha Lyonne, and showrunner Tony Tost.
More on Decider
What is the episode structure like?
The show follows a “case-of-the-week” format: each episode is a standalone mystery featuring Charlie crossing paths with a new cast of characters.
Which platform streams Poker Face?
The series airs exclusively on Peacock in the U.S. Overseas, it’s available on platforms like Stan (Australia), Citytv+ (Canada), and Sky Max (UK).
Where is Poker Face filmed?
The series is largely filmed within a 40-mile radius of New York’s Hudson Valley, using towns like Newburgh (Umbra stages), Beacon, Accord, Poughkeepsie, and New Paltz for diverse American backdrops such as Texas, the Midwest, or Florida.
Desert sequences are shot in Albuquerque (NM) and Laughlin (NV), where the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino doubles as the fictional “Frost Casino.”
Season 2 continues in New York, using Brooklyn, Rockland, Orange, Westchester counties, plus Clover Stadium in Pomona and even local airfields.
More on NBC
Conclusion
Poker Face is more than a mystery series, it is a love letter to old-school detective storytelling with a modern twist.
Natasha Lyonne brings unmatched charm and grit to Charlie Cale, making the character unforgettable while every episode offers a fresh puzzle and a new corner of America to explore.
Across its seasons, the show balances humor, tension, and emotional depth in a way few series manage.
Whether you enjoy smart whodunits, quirky characters, or simply great writing, Poker Face delivers on all fronts.
It is clever, stylish, and deeply rewatchable, proving that some of the best mysteries are not about who did it but how we uncover the truth.