Every New and Returning Character in ‘The Bear’ Season 3 (original) (raw)

Characters from The Bear

Image by Federico Napoli

Published Jun 26, 2024, 8:50 PM EDT

Dana Noraas is a Senior Resource Writer for Collider. Her favorite genre of movies to watch and write about is horror, but she will watch everything from Disney to Darren Aronofsky. She received her BA in Strategic Communications from Temple University of Philadelphia in 2015 after switching majors from Film and Media Arts and has been writing ever since. As a "Constant Reader" of Stephen King, she has an extensive collection of his works on her bookshelf, along with other horror authors such as Joe Hill, Christopher Buehlman, and Thomas Harris.

In 2018, she wrote and published her first book, "Lingering Things and Other Dark Tales” which is inspired by her childhood favorite anthology series, “Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark,” and is currently working on the second book of the series. Dana can usually be found in her natural habitat; a dark cave somewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania with a glass of red wine and her two fuzzy companions by her side.

The Bear quickly became one of the most popular comedy television series within the first few episodes of Season 1. Although many people disagree with the categorization of “comedy,” because while the show can be hilarious at times, it can also be very emotionally intense and dramatic as you learn more about each character and their individual motivations to do what they do. Those who have worked in kitchens themselves can’t help but appreciate the small details that make The Bear so realistic and authentic, down to the cursing, chain-smoking, and drinking water out of quart-sized plastic soup containers in the back alley. Season 2 of The Bear ended on a relatively high note, but not without a few loose ends that must be addressed in the third season.

The comedic, yet high-intensity show earned the title of the most-watched comedy series on FX in the history of the network during its first season and continued to break records throughout the second season. The third season has been plated and is ready to be served, so if you haven’t had a chance to rewatch the first two seasons as a refresher course, this handy guide will get you up to speed on who’s who. Heard, chef!

Release Date

2022 - 2026-00-00

Network

Hulu

Showrunner

Christopher Storer

Directors

Ramy Youssef

Writers

Catherine Schetina, Alex Russell, Karen Joseph Adcock, Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, Stacy Osei-Kuffour

Cast

Richard 'Richie' Jerimovich

Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, a young chef from the fine dining world, returns to Chicago to run his family's sandwich shop after a tragedy. As he navigates the chaotic environment of the small kitchen, Carmy must manage the struggles of turning around the failing business while dealing with his own grief and personal demons. The series dives deep into the intense world of culinary arts, highlighting the challenges of running a restaurant, the bonds formed among staff, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

Jeremy Allen White

Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto - Owner and Head Chef

In the first season, we are introduced to Carmy, who previously worked in high-end, Michelin-star restaurants before the unexpected death of his brother, Mikey. When he returns to his hometown in Chicago to take over Mikey’s struggling restaurant, “The Beef,” he also inherits a rag-tag team of kitchen staff and is determined to whip them all into shape. Despite his best efforts to implement more efficient techniques and practices, the existing crew he is working with pushes back against his harsh expectations, causing more issues along the way. In addition to managing The Beef, now re-named “The Bear,”, Carmy also struggles with dealing with the death of his brother and how it has impacted his career, his relationships with friends and family, and his romantic interest, Claire.

Carmy is played by Jeremy Allen White, who most recently starred in the A24 biopic drama, The Iron Claw. He first made his claim to fame as Lip Gallagher in Shameless, which is also set in Chicago. He’s been nominated for 13 awards for his performance in The Bear, and has won 9 of them so far, including an Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series,” a Golden Globe for “Best Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical,” and a SAG award for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series.”

Ayo Edibiri

Sydney Adamu - Sous Chef

Sydney is hired by Carmy in the first season to help him get The Beef into ship-shape. At first, she is ostracized by the rest of the kitchen staff, who see her as a “try-hard” and “teacher’s pet.” She quickly earns their respect as she implements and maintains her methods while getting to know each member of the team on a more personal level. She was promoted to the title of Sous Chef, thanks to her culinary prowess, quick-thinking, and problem-solving abilities. At the end of Season 2, she took the reins as Head Chef because Carmy was accidentally locked inside the walk-in refrigerator (due to an oversight on his end). She is ambitious and extremely serious about progressing her career after a failed attempt to run her own business, but is mostly motivated to return The Bear to its former glory because it was once her father’s favorite restaurant.

Sydney is played by Ayo Edibiri, who most recently voiced Envy in Pixar’s Inside Out 2. In addition to Inside Out 2, she has also done extensive voice acting in Big Mouth, Clone High, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Edibiri will also be starring in the upcoming horror drama, Opus, along with John Malkovichand Murray Bartlett.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Richard “Richie” Jerimovich - Manager

Richie, often referred to as “Cousin Richie,” was the late Mikey’s best friend and manager of The Bear. He and Carmy constantly butt heads throughout the first season, but come to an understanding and appreciation of each other by the end of Season 2. Richie has a quick temper which gets him into trouble, often causing issues for the rest of the staff at The Bear. After being “exiled” for a week to work at a restaurant that Carmy used to work at (Season 2, Episode 7, “Forks”) he gains an appreciation for all the effort that goes into running a successful restaurant and the satisfaction and pride that comes with doing so. He also becomes a verified “Swiftie” in this episode and an irreplaceable component to the recipe for what makes The Bear work.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach embraces the role of Ritchie with all the character’s ups and downs. He most recently appeared in the comedy No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence, and has been cast in the latest reboot of The Fantastic Four as Ben Grimm, aka “The Thing.” Aside from his role as Richie in The Bear, he is best known for his roles as Desi Harperin in Girls, and David Lieberman in The Punisher, making The Bear the second television series collaboration he’s done with co-star Jon Bernthal.

Lionel Boyce

Marcus Brooks - Pastry Chef

Played by Lionel Boyce (The Jellies!), Marcus originally started as a baker, making the rolls for the sandwiches that The Beef would sell. Thanks to the encouragement and mentorship by Carmy (and a guest star appearance by Will Poulter in Season 2), he advances his title to Pastry Chef. Before his title upgrade, he is consumed by the idea of making the “perfect donut,” which causes some tension between him and Carmy during an extremely successful moment. However, he and Sydney form a bond and Carmy forgives Marcus and apologizes for blowing up on him. Now, as pastry chef, he is in charge of the decadent desserts that are available at The Bear, as the restaurant transitions from a sandwich shop to a fine-dining establishment.

Liza Colón-Zayas

Tina Marrero - Line Cook

Tina is a sharp-tongued line cook who initially resents the introduction of Sydney’s character but quickly comes around once she realizes that Sydney has a lot of valuable skills to teach her about working in a professional kitchen. She adopts these new practices quickly and, while still having a no-nonsense attitude, she works well with the other members of the kitchen staff. She is never short of opinions, however, and often offers them whether she’s asked or not. In a stubborn, yet slightly affectionate way, she usually acknowledges Carmy with a “Yes, Jeff,” instead of “Yes, Chef.” Tina is played by Liza Colón-Zayas (In Treatment), who has most recently appeared in the animated family-friendly film, IF, directed by John Krasinski.

Abby Elliot

Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto - Co-Owner

Natalie is Carmy and Mikey’s sister, and is mostly referred to as “Sugar.” Despite being Carmy’s older sister and co-owner of The Beef, she was mostly a side character in the first season. She encourages Carmy to go to grief counseling and manages the books for the restaurant, despite being reluctant to have any involvement. In the second season, she becomes much more involved in her role as co-owner, interacting with the kitchen staff and keeping them on their toes when it comes to expenses and revenue. At the end of the second season, her husband, Pete (Chris Witaske), inadvertently reveals to her mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis) that she is pregnant with their first child. Sugar is played by Abby Elliot, who was in the 2022 remake of Cheaper by the Dozen and will be appearing in the upcoming adult animated comedy, Adventures of Drunky.

Matty Matheson

Neil Fak - Handyman

Neil Fak (Matty Matheson) kneeling on the ground with a wrench to a pipe, looking behind him in The Bear

Image via FX

Neil Fak, who is usually only referred to as “Fak,” is a longtime childhood friend of Berzattos. He may not have any culinary experience, but he’s always around to fix minor electrical or plumbing issues at The Bear, even if he occasionally causes more issues while doing so. Thick or thin, he’s always there to help out. Similar to Sugar, he had minimal involvement with the rejuvenation of The Beef, but in Season 2, his relationship is shown to be more than just a handyman, as he is invited to the infamous and chaotic Christmas episode “Fishes,” where he and his brother hilariously ask for $500 from cousin Michelle Berzatto’ (Sarah Paulson) boyfriend, Stevie (John Mulaney) for an investment. Ironically, Matty Matheson, who plays Fak, is an executive producer for the series.

Oliver Platt

Jimmy “Cicero” Kalinowski - Family Friend and Investor

Cicero is an old friend of the late father of the Berzatto siblings. As such, they always refer to him as “Uncle Jimmy.” He is the key investor in the restaurant and gives leeway to Carmy and Sugar as they struggle to repay their debts to him in Season 1 because of the longstanding relationship he had with their father. While he wants them to be successful, he is ultimately concerned about getting a return on his investment and reminds them of this often. In addition to having financial ties to The Bear, Cicero also offers business and relationship advice to Carmy and Richie throughout the second season. He is played by Oliver Platt (Chicago Med) and will continue to be an enigmatic figure in the third season of The Bear.

Molly Gordon

Claire - Childhood Friend and Carmy’s Love Interest

Played by Molly Gordon (You People), Claire made her first appearance in The Bear in the second season, creating new inspiration for Carmy while, at the same time, creating a new distraction for him. She seems genuinely interested in wanting to see Carmy succeed, but Sydney isn’t so sure if his newfound ideas (based on Claire’s suggestions) are what’s best for the restaurant. Additionally, Uncle Jimmy warns Carmy that he mustn’t get distracted, implying that he can only choose one of his two passions: the restaurant, or Claire. While Carmy is stuck in the walk-in, he goes on a rant about how Claire has ruined his focus on the restaurant, not knowing that Claire is on the other side of the door. She leaves in tears and only after does Carmy discover a voicemail that she left him, confessing her love for him. Claire will return for the third season, but it’s unsure where her relationship with Carmy will go after their last interaction.