Image Source: E! online, Den of Geek
Steve Martin and Martin Short are a duo whose performance on the screen can never be easily forgotten. Completely charismatic and at ease with each other, the comedy legend group has commanded their genre perfectly well for a long time spanning over 35 years. Their duo, as fabulous as they are, was certainly not surprising because that is what anyone would expect from them. Still, their instant pairing with Selena Gomez sure came as an exciting turn in the history of their cinematic performances.
The two friends, along with Selena, are now cast in Hulu's new comedy series "Only Murders in the Building,’’ which is a fresh take on the talents of all the three actors as they stretch their comfort zones a bit to conform to their roles. Martin and Short extended their comedic duo to Selena Gomez and yet found an "equal footing" for all three to perform their best. Selena, too, though not new to the world of acting, did an exceptional job with her novel try at the comedic delivery on screen.
As the duo now turns into a trio, the series takes a particularly refreshing take on true crime podcasts. Working on just the right angle with her comedy veteran costars, Selena wows and impresses with her mystical and yet sophisticated character in the series.
The series first season took place in a cool New York apartment building in the posh neighborhood of Upper West Side. The events of the series kick start when the three mystery podcast-loving characters come together to look deeper into the murder of a fellow resident from their building. While initially, their interest in the killing is mere curiosity arising from their time spent listening to mystery podcasts, but soon the things start getting more complex as Mabel turns out to have a connection with the dead tenant. If anything, it is totally enchanting to see Selena Gomez's character Mabel juggle with her scathing sarcasm at one time and then shift to utter emotions as the scenes pace forward.
Image Source: Rolling Stone
Selena's captivating performance was quick to draw the attention of TV critics as they saw the emerging actress deliver an endearing performance with such prowess. Melanie McFarland from Salon wrote, "'Only Murders in the Building' capitalizes on her strength and dramatic versatility, placing her on equal billing with comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short – and better still, equal footing."
Alan Sepinwall from Rolling Stone said that "her comic deadpan feels sharpened to a knife's edge, and she's an effective emotional fulcrum for the story." And now that the critics are already in love with Mabel, it looks like Selena has gathered quite a lot of speed to win the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The actress follows right behind in the comedic popularity of actresses who have had a promising start like Emmy-winners Jean Smart from "Hacks" and Hannah Waddingham from "Ted Lasso". Others in the race are Elle Fanning ("The Great"), and the SAG favorites Sandra Oh ("The Chair"), and Issa Rae from "Insecure."
As one could wish from the Martin and Short junior, the duo has already garnered a lot of love for their latest show and are not far behind Ted Lasso's Jason Sudeikis, where the popular opinion for Best Comedy actors is concerned. The series is all set to be nominated for its comedic ensemble, all thanks to the star cast's extraordinary performance, and will surely make a significant impact as the SAG Awards will roll in.
Predictors of the SAG Awards are already of the mind that Selena sure will go home with one or the other SAG title this year. The Awards show has a long-held history of honoring comedy veterans, and when it comes to women nominees, experienced actresses like Schitt's Creek's Catherine O'Hara and Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Veep have made the cut previously. Among others to win the honor is Betty White from Hot in Cleveland, also a sourdough actress and yet new-found talents also catch the eye of the judges from time to time. Uzo Aduba from Orange is Black has won the title twice already, and Ellie Kemper from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, along with Alison Brie from GLOW, have secured many nominations to their name. Hence, it is only apt that Selena makes the cut, too, this year. The actress, singer, and producer already has enough popularity to raise her esteem, and her amiable talent doesn't hurt either.
Credits: E! Online
The series executive producer, John Hoffman, is all praise for the young lady. In an interview with Deadline, he said, "I hope their chemistry was a big surprise for everyone who sees the show. It was something we were hinting at, understanding, and imagining, but boy, the first time we heard them read together over Zoom, it immediately hit all of us. It was the first time we heard Selena read with the guys and it was just immediate. That's when we realized, "This is going to work," and she came to play. It was thrilling to see her match up with them and not just holding her own but also building a lane for herself with these guys."
