The Bear marked Ayo Edebiri’s breakout as loveable and quirky sous chef Sydney Adamu. Even before her success in this role, Edebiri had an impressive and varied career under her belt, and her list of accomplishments only continues to grow. She already won one Emmy for playing Sydney and is nominated for both Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series at the 2025 Emmys. In spring 2026, she will star as a math genius's daughter in the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning play Proof — her first foray into Broadway — alongside Don Cheadle as her late father.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach earned his first two Emmys playing Richie Jerimovich, affectionately known as “Cousin,” on The Bear. This spring, he will make his Broadway debut in Stephen Adly Guirgis’s stage adaptation of the Al Pacino film Dog Day Afternoon, starring alongside his Bear castmate and on-screen best friend Jon Bernthal. His Off-Broadway credits, however, are numerous, having performed at renowned institutions like The Public Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, and more.

Mikey Berzatto, Jon Bernthal’s character on The Bear, may be just a memory, but his presence on the show looms large. Bernthal is well-known for his role as The Punisher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he is an accomplished stage actor as well. He’s appeared off Broadway and beyond many times in shows from Othello (as Iago) to Proof (as Hal). He even performed with his own experimental stage company, Fovea Floods. In spring 2026, Bernthal makes his Broadway debut in Stephen Adly Guirgis’s Dog Day Afternoon, starring alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Liza Colón-Zayas is not only an Emmy winner for her role as Chef Tina, best also a decorated Off-Broadway actress. She is the winner of a Lucille Lortel Award and an Obie Award for her roles in the Off-Broadway shows Between Riverside and Crazy (for which she reprised her performance on Broadway) and Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven, both written by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Colón-Zayas also happens to be a playwright herself — her play ¡Ole! debuted off Broadway in 1995.

In The Bear, Edwin Lee Gibson’s character Ebraheim is one of the few soft-spoken people who work at the restaurant. Given his character’s sweet nature, it’s easy to picture Gibson in his former job teaching musical theatre in Westchester, New York. In 2007, Gibson appeared in The Seven at New York Theatre Workshop and earned an Obie Award for his dual role as Oedipus/Laius.

Oliver Platt has so many film and television credits that it would be a wonder if The Bear fans didn’t recognize him on the show as “Uncle” Jimmy Kalinowski. His long resume also includes two Broadway turns: Shining City in 2006, earning a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play, and Guys and Dolls in 2009.

Molly Gordon’s The Bear character Claire (often called “Claire Bear”) may be an emergency room doctor, but Gordon herself identifies as a theatre kid. In childhood, she founded a group called Theater Geeks of America with friends Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein, and they performed at retirement communities. In 2019, Gordon made her Off-Broadway debut as the title character in the musical Alice by Heart, and she later co-starred in the 2023 film Theater Camp.

Perhaps best known for her role as Britta on the show Community, Gillian Jacobs brings her signature toughness to The Bear as Richie’s ex-wife Tiffany. Jacobs has also appeared in several Off-Broadway shows, including Kings in 2018 and The Little Flower of East Orange in 2008, both at The Public Theater.

Sarah Paulson first appeared on The Bear as Michelle Berzatto during the Berzatto family Christmas episode called “Fishes,” playing a down-to-earth cousin who lives in New York. Paulson has also been on and off Broadway for most of her career. In 2005, she took on the role of Laura Wingfield in Tennessee Williams's classic The Glass Menagerie. Most recently, she starred in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Appropriate in 2023, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.

Learn more about Sarah Paulson's theatre career.

Another celebrity guest star, John Mulaney appears in The Bear as Michelle’s partner Stevie, who is out of place among the hotheaded Berzattos. Mulaney first appeared on Broadway alongside Nick Kroll in the popular comedy show Oh, Hello in 2015, based on their original characters. The duo adapted their act as an Off-Broadway play that transferred to Broadway after a successful run. In 2024, Mulaney returned to Broadway in the original cast of Simon Rich’s All In: Comedy About Love.

Bob Odenkirk has a small but memorable role in The Bear as Uncle Lee, the family friend and sometimes-boyfriend of Carmy’s mother. His character inspires rage from Mikey and even the milder Carmy. Odenkirk is relatively new to theatre, but he made his Broadway debut in spring 2025’s Glengarry Glen Ross revival as Shelly Levene and earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance.