With comedy legend Chuck Lorre steering the ship, Southern powerhouse Leanne Morgan bringing the laughs, and Ryan Stiles delivering his signature charm, the show is already generating serious buzz.
But it’s the fresh new face on the cast — stealing scenes and hearts — that’s got everyone talking. Who’s the breakout star? And how did LEANNE become Netflix’s biggest sitcom bet yet?
From Chuck Lorre, the creator of Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, comes Leanne, a heartwarming comedy about a grandmother whose life is turned upside down when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman.
The Netflix series was co-created by Lorre, Susan McMartin, and star Leanne Morgan. Morgan is an compelling figure, a 59-year-old mother of three who only started performing comedy at the age of 32. She calls herself the “the Mrs. Maisel of Appalachia.”
Leanne Morgan as Leanne on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Before Leanne Morgan became a household name with her 2023 Netflix special Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman, she was working as a door-to-door jewelry saleswoman.
It was during her sales calls that she discovered her jokes about motherhood were connecting. She eventually took her act to comedy clubs, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Since her comedy special hit big, Morgan hasn’t slowed down. In 2024, she published her debut book, What in the World?!, which quickly soared to the top of the New York Times and Amazon best-seller lists.
This year, she made her feature film debut opposite Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell in the Prime Video romantic comedy You’re Cordially Invited. Plus, she has two more comedy specials in the works and her Just Getting Started comedy tour is selling out nationwide. Morgan is definitely on a roll.
As co-creator, executive producer, and writer of Leanne, Morgan will highlight her own brand of observational humor, which centers on relatable issues of domesticity and aging. The show begins with her titular character reeling after her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman.
In a recent interview, Morgan shared that the character is basically a fictional version of herself — except for one big difference. Unlike the fictional Leanne, Morgan is still happily married to her husband.
“The rest of it is pretty parallel to my life,” she explained, “like taking care of elderly parents, launching children. I’m a grandmother in real life, I have been through a bad menopause. So, there was a lot that was very similar to my life.”
Kristen Johnston as Carol
Kristen Johnston as Carol on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Leanne marks Kristen Johnston’s second collaboration with Lorre and McMartin, as she previously starred as recovering addict Tammy Diffendorf on Mom (2018–2021).
Johnston is no stranger to sitcoms. The actress is well known for her work on hit series like 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996–2001) and The Exes (2011–2015). Beyond that, you may recognize her from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and The Righteous Gemstones (2023).
Beyond acting, Johnston is an author, having released a best-selling memoir, Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster, in 2012.
On Leanne, Johnston plays Carol, Leanne’s sister. Talking to TV Insider, the actress shared, “Carol has her own heartbreak and has just come back from Chicago. It’s the two of us trying to forge through our 50s and survive, basically.”
She also described Leanne and Carol’s dynamic. “Leanne’s very charming and fun and darling and kind of very southern, and Carol’s got a city edge, a darker, edgier vibe,” she explained. “Leanne is, in Carol’s eyes, so perfect. Carol feels like it’s her life’s goal to kind of take her down a couple notches.”
Celia Weston as Mama Margaret
Celia Weston as Mama Margaret on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
With a career spanning film, television, and stage, Celia Weston has quietly built one of the most impressive resumes in the business.
From her performance in the Oscar-winning Dead Man Walking (1995) to roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Igby Goes Down (2002), The Village (2004), and The Intern (2015), Weston has mastered the art of the supporting role. She also recently shared the screen with Morgan in You’re Cordially Invited.
When it comes to TV, Weston is perhaps best known as Jolene Hunnicutt on the CBS sitcom Alice (1981–1985). But she’s also starred on fan-favorite shows like Memphis Beat (2010–2011), Modern Family (2010–2016), and American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014–2015).
Now, Weston takes on the role of Mama Margaret, Leanne and Carol’s mother.
Blake Clark as Daddy John
Blake Clark as Daddy John on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Blake Clark is one of those familiar faces (and voices) you’ve definitely seen (or heard) before.
Clark is a veteran of numerous sitcoms, including Home Improvement (1994–1999), Boy Meets World (1995–2000), and The Drew Carey Show (1995), the latter of which he appeared on with Leanne costar Ryan Stiles.
He’s also no stranger to animation, lending his raspy voice to the Toy Story franchise (2008–present), Rango (2011), and Harvey Beaks (2016–2017).
Adam Sandler fans will no doubt recognize Clark from his numerous appearances in the actor’s films, from The Waterboy (1998) and 50 First Dates (2004) to Grown Ups (2010), That’s My Boy (2012), and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025).
On Leanne, Clark plays Daddy John, Leanne and Carol’s father.
Ryan Stiles as Bill
Ryan Stiles as Bill on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Ryan Stiles has been shaping the landscape of improv for decades thanks to his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, both the U.K. (1989–1999) and U.S. (1998–2006, 2013–present) versions.
Stiles has also made a lasting mark on sitcoms, most memorably as lovable oddball Lewis Kiniski on The Drew Carey Show (1995–2004), not to mention scene-stealing pediatrician Herb Melnick on Lorre’s Two and a Half Men (2004–2015).
Now, Stiles joins the main cast of Leanne as Leanne’s husband, Bill, whose decision to leave her sets the series in motion.
In a recent interview, Stiles shared that the role hit a little close to home. “I’m 66,” he said, “Plus I had been through a divorce a few years before. I have two kids around the same age as the kids on the show. … People are going to see a lot of themselves in the show. It’s about getting through life and enjoying and supporting your family.”
Graham Rogers as Tyler
Graham Rogers as Tyler on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Graham Rogers has a good rapport with Netflix, seeing as he’s already appeared on three of the streamer’s shows: Atypical (2017–2021), Love (2018), and The Kominsky Method (2018–2021), the latter of which was created by none other than Lorre.
Outside of Netflix, you might recognize Rogers from Love and Mercy (2014) and Quantico (2015–2017), as well as Ray Donovan (2017–2020) and its follow-up movie.
On Leanne, Rogers plays Leanne’s son, Tyler. A new dad with plenty on his plate, Tyler is caught between the chaos of raising a young family and dealing with the fallout of his parents’ unexpected split.
Hannah Pilkes as Josie
Hannah Pilkes as Josie on ‘Leanne’.Patrick McElhenney/Netflix
Hannah Pilkes has been building a name for herself in comedy for several years, but things really started to click with the internet sketch series Sorry Not Sorry (2017).
Since then, she’s racked up credits on projects like Yearly Departed (2021), Search Party (2022), and For Worse (2025), as well as numerous podcast series.
Pilkes costars as Leanne’s daughter, Josie, who the actress referred to in a chat with Woman’s World as an “ellipsis of a human.”
Pilkes continued, “She is super opinionated. She can be crass. She can be cheeky, She’s definitely the mischievous one of all of them, but you see that in all the other characters — there’s a lot of overlap.”
