‘The Bear’: Will Poulter “begged” creators to cast him in season 2

Black Mirror star Will Poulter has recalled how he “literally begged” the producers of The Bear to cast him in the show’s new second season.

• READ MORE: Here’s every song on ‘The Bear’ soundtrack

Poulter is one of many new faces in the second season of the Disney+ show which lands in the UK on July 19. He stars as pastry chef Luca and is joined in the new season by Jamie Lee Curtis, Bob Odenkirk, Olivia Colman and more.

Speaking to Variety about the role, Poulter discussed his love of the Jeremy Allen White-starring show’s first season, and how strongly he put his case forward to be cast.

“I called them. I literally begged to be in the show,” he said. “I asked if I could meet with [series creator] Chris Storer and basically communicated that I was such a fan of so much of his work, but especially The Bear.

“He was kind enough to gift me with the offer to play Luca, and it really changed my life, to be honest.”

Poulter went on: “I have such an immense amount of respect for chefs and the women and men of that industry.

“I feel like the whole society stands on the shoulders of people in the food and beverage industry, and we don’t even necessarily really know it or think about it. They sustain us and maintain us daily and they don’t get enough thanks for what they do.”

Reviews of season two of The Bear, which has already aired in the US, have landed, with critics praising new episodes as “electrifying” and “fresh”.

The FX show’s first season, created by Christopher Storer, followed award-winning chef Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) who returns to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop following the suicide of his older brother.

The Bear made NME‘s list of the top TV shows of 2022, with Alex Flood writing: “Just when you thought you’d got a grip on tense kitchen drama The Bear, it morphed into a completely different dish.

“Starting out as a workplace show stuffed with Succession-style backstabbing, it eventually ended up a wholesome family comedy, stopping off at surrealist psychological portrait along the way.”

The Bear season 2 will premiere in the UK on July 19, 2023 on Disney+.

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