When Nadia turns 36, she gets stuck in a time loop. Stuck in a time loop. Stuck in a time loop. Stuck in a time loop. Throughout Season 1 of Russian Doll, our protagonist (or antagonist, depending on how you perceive her) is cursed to relive her birthday night over and over again, each time ending with her death. So what exactly happens to our sweet birthday baby? Well, Nadia gets hit by a taxi, is knocked down stairs, gets electrocuted, drowns in a river, suffers a sudden heart attack, and is even caught in a gas explosion. Is she trying to overcome some past trauma that left her in this chronic, ill-fated state? Or maybe it’s karma for her years of self-sabotaging relationships.
A lot (also, not that much) changes in Season 2. For starters, Nadia is free, she’s turning 40 and is proud to say she hasn’t died once since accepting her past and befriending fellow death-loop victim Alan. But then, as sweet birthday fate would have it, she steps onto Manhattan’s 6 train and... well, we don’t want to give away too much.
If you’re worried about rewatching all of Russian Doll Season 1 ahead of Season 2’s April 20 premiere, fear not: We’ve got you covered (though, also feel free to rewatch Season 1; it is really as good as you remember it). But if you’re wondering who will make an appearance in the long-awaited next season, we’ve also got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters of Russian Doll Season 2.
Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia Vulvokov, the woman who, on her 36th birthday, found herself trapped in a time loop that always ended in her death. Abrasive, a little self-centered and stuffed full of emotional baggage from her childhood with her mother, Nora, who was a paranoid schizophrenic, Nadia, still rocking that all-black look and armed with a cigarette dangling off her bottom lip, is celebrating her 40th birthday in Season 2 and is sent on a new journey to discover more of her family’s past.
Lyonne has been acting since childhood — her first gig was playing Opal in Pee-Wee’s Playhouse in 1986 — but she’s best known for her breakout roles in ’90s classics Slums of Beverly Hills, American Pie, and But I’m a Cheerleader and her standout performance as Nicky Nichols in Orange Is the New Black. Not only does she star as Nadia, but Lyonne is also the co-creator and executive producer of Russian Doll, drawing a lot of this season’s inspiration from her own life.
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Charlie Barnett plays Alan, a mild-mannered man who has the worst night of his life, only to wake up stuck in a time loop, forced to relive it over and over again. Alan could not be more different from Nadia — he’s quiet, thoughtful, very risk-averse and meticulously tidy — but he learns to work with her to get out of the loop, and the two commit to being there for each other no matter what time or space they’re stuck in. In Season 2, that proves difficult as they are faced with a brand-new time-warped challenge.
Barnett was working for almost a decade before landing his first major role playing Peter Mills in Chicago Fire. He also appeared in You Season 2 and currently stars in NBC’s Ordinary Joe.
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Elizabeth Ashley stars as Ruth Brenner, the woman who raised Nadia after her mother lost custody. A longtime smoker, Ruth is a tough psychologist who isn’t afraid to call Nadia out. She’s also the only family Nadia has, and continues to be her source of support — and some would say her north star — as she navigates this otherworldly birthday experience yet again.
Ashley has been a working actor since the 1960s. As a theater actor, she’s earned three Tony nominations — she took home the award for best featured actress in a play in 1962. On screen, she’s done everything from starring in a TV movie opposite Michael Douglas (in 1972’s When Michael Calls) to appearing in Murder, She Wrote.
Chloë Sevigny returns to Russian Doll to play Nora, Nadia’s mother. Nora suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which causes a lot of friction between her and the rest of her family — Nadia included, and Season 1 sees Nadia learn to come to terms with Nora’s death. This season, Nora (or should we say Nora’s body?) takes on a whole new role. I can’t tell you much more than that, sorry.
Sevigny made her big-screen debut in 1995’s Kids, and has worked steadily ever since. She’s best known for her work in Boys Don’t Cry, for which she was nominated for an Oscar, and Big Love, for which she won a Golden Globe, and she recently starred in HBO’s We Are Who We Are.
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Greta Lee stars as Maxine, Nadia’s eccentric best friend who enjoys performance art, colorful eyeliner and a good smoke. She puts up with Nadia’s erratic behavior in all timelines and loves her unconditionally. So when Nadia is caught up in another soul-searching mission, Maxine is there for support. Even if she doesn’t really understand what’s going on.
Lee’s been a regular scene-stealer for years, appearing in Girls, New Girl and Inside Amy Schumer. Most recently, Lee joined the star-studded cast of The Morning Show.
Rebecca Henderson stars as Lizzy, Nadia’s other BFF. Like Maxine, Lizzy loves Nadia and all of her quirks, even if that means she has to take over some of Nadia’s responsibilities while the latter is journeying through her past. Henderson recently appeared in Inventing Anna and is currently starring in Single Drunk Female.
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Sharlto Copley is joining the Russian Doll cast for Season 2 as Chezare. Fans might recognize the South African actor from his work in District 9, Maleficent and Chappie.
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Brendan Sexton III appears throughout Russian Doll as Horse, a mysterious homeless coiffeur who runs into Nadia at key moments in her time-traveling journey. He reappears in Season 2 as an omen of the chaos to come.
Like Lyonne and Sevigny, Sexton broke out in the ’90s, playing Warren in Empire Records. He’s also known for roles in Black Hawk Down, Boys Don’t Cry, and The Killing, and recently starred in Don’t Breathe 2.
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Annie Murphy is also joining Russian Doll in a new role for Season 2, but that’s being kept heavily under wraps. But trust me, it’s so good. Murphy, of course, is fresh off her six-season run as Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek. She also stars in the AMC dramedy Kevin Can F**k Himself.
