Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest season of Only Murders in the Building.
August 2021 marked the premiere of a groundbreaking series: Only Murders in the Building. Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, the production drew inspiration from the audience’s growing obsession with true crime series, movies, and podcasts to deliver a compelling crime story from a comedic approach. Only Murders in the Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora, three neighbors from the Arconia with one thing in common: they are obsessed with a true crime podcast. Season 1’s mysterious death of one of their neighbors pushes them to conduct their own investigation, resulting in a podcast of their own.
This Hulu series currently features two seasons (so far), each with excellent reviews, per Rotten Tomatoes, commending the plot, which perfectly combines comic, emotional, and tense moments, and the actors’ chemistry, among other things. The latter is not surprising: Short and Martin have been friends for over 35 years and have worked together on many projects. For her part, Gomez was able to adapt to and empower the group, resulting in a leading trio that transcends the screen. Of course, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are not the only interesting characters in this series, as, over the episodes, they have introduced some of the most eccentric characters, including actors and singers playing themselves, like Sting and Amy Schumer. During the final scene of season two, a new star joined the show, leaving the audience in awe: Paul Rudd as actor Ben Glenroy. As we wait for further news regarding the upcoming third season, here’s a look at the funniest characters in Only Murders in the Building.
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8 Sazz Pataki
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Jane Lynch stars as Sazz Pataki, who worked for over 20 years as Charles’ stunt double, mainly in the TV series Brazzos. Sazz is a rather arrogant figure; she loves talking about her job and mocking Charles, whose girlfriend she stole in the past. Still, it is clear that she really cares for him, and that she is a nice person concerned about his well-being. She is very smart, extremely popular, and has starred in several hilarious scenes in the show, like the time she impersonated Charles’ stunt double in order to break up the man’s relationship with his convicted girlfriend.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 Cinda Canning
Cinda Canning is played by Tina Fey, and she is largely responsible for bringing the main characters together. This very successful woman owns a production company, On Air with Cinda Canning, and hosts All Is Not Ok in Oklahoma, a true-crime podcast. Although she is initially portrayed as a kind and sympathetic person, her nasty and arrogant personality gradually comes to the fore. Cinda relies on her intelligence to manipulate the stories she features in her podcast to convey to the audience what they want to hear, no matter if it’s true or not. She has a personal assistant named Poppy White, whom she tends to mistreat tirelessly, even though she has, more than once, snatched ideas from her.
6 Bunny Folger
Jayne Houdyshell plays Bunny Folger, the board president of the Arconia and resident of apartment 12A. Season 1 introduces Bunny as a well-respected person in the building, someone who is willing to do her job properly, but has had enough of dealing with the eccentric residents. In fact, she has attempted to kick out the main characters, and especially Oliver, several times. In season 2, Bunny is murdered, and although she only appears through flashbacks, it’s enough to peek into an unknown side of her, as well as into some unexpected friendships she made. Houdyshell also voices Mrs. Gambolini, Bunny’s pet parrot who, after she died, was left in Oliver’s care.
5 Detective Williams
Donna Williams was the lead detective on the murder of Tim Kono, and she quickly ruled it as a suicide, disregarding the trio’s intentions to collaborate or, at the very least, imply otherwise. But when her wife becomes obsessed with the Only Murders in the Building podcast, the detective begins to second-guess her own verdict, and she helps the main characters unravel the mystery. Donna is a tough, but kind-hearted person, with a very sarcastic sense of humor who gets stressed easily, particularly over issues involving Oliver, Charles and Mabel. She is portrayed by Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
4 Howard Morris
Michael Cyril Creighton is Howard Morris, resident of apartment 3C and one of the most eccentric people in the building. Howard is flamboyant, over-the-top, and fond of spreading rumors. He adores his cat Evelyn and devotes his entire life to her, which leads to many amusing moments during the show. After his beloved pet passes away the same night that Tim Kono died, Charles, Mabel, and Oliver suspect that he might have something to do with the man’s murder, although they quickly rule it out upon discovering that he faints at the mere sight of blood. Following Evelyn’s passing, Howard adopted Sevelyn, who also grew fond of the Arconia’s neighbors.
3 Mabel Mora
Mabel Mora currently lives in apartment 12E of the Arconia, but from the very beginning it was clear that she could not afford such a property. This young woman’s personal story is filled with many mysteries, and probably several have yet to be unraveled. Mabel is an aspiring artist, a clever girl with a very sarcastic sense of humor and a terrific style. She is strongly connected to both murders investigated by the trio, because of her friendship with Tim Kono and for finding Bunny’s corpse in her apartment. Gomez’s character stands in contrast to her fellow podcasters, both in personality and because they are from different generations. She tends to be the one bringing them down to earth, but occasionally she gets caught up in their craziness, triggering some hilarious moments.
2 Charles-Haden Savage
Charles-Haden Savage is played by Martin. This character lives in apartment 14C of the Arconia, and has been residing there for nearly 30 years. Charles is a semi-retired actor, known for his role as the lead detective in the 90s TV series Brazzos. He is a fairly shy man, but when he gets comfortable he reveals a funny and loving side. Charles believes himself to be more famous than he really is, but hides a very low self-esteem, and because of a past break-up, he is rather awkward when interacting with women. Unfortunately, his first girlfriend post-breakup ends up being a murderer, which adds to Charles’ trauma. But not everything that happens to him is negative: due to the podcast’s success his acting career bounces back, and he manages to reconnect with his stepdaughter Lucy.
1 Oliver Putnam
Martin Short’s character is without a doubt the funniest one in the series. This is no wonder considering that Oliver Putnam, resident of apartment 10D, comes from a background in theater directing. Oliver is over-the-top, chaotic, and his poor financial situation leads him to pursue the wildest ideas without even thinking about their consequences. He is very energetic and is appointed as the creative leader of the podcast, but he is also responsible for finding sponsors for it. Only Murders in the Building gives Oliver the chance to clear his name, because even though he was a renowned Broadway director who headed major productions, he had a major failure in his career and was unable to recover from it. Also, this podcast is a chance for him to look into the future, and to stop dwelling on the illusion of his golden years.
