Olivia Colman’s mysterious appearance on the London set of Only Murders in the Building finally has an official explanation, the Oscar winner is joining Season 6 as a guest star.
The Hulu comedy announced Colman’s casting on Aug. 18 with a playful video featuring Selena Gomez, Meryl Streep and Martin Short. “We have had so many amazing guest stars for Only Murders in London,” Gomez says before Streep insists that one person is still missing.
Short initially appears as the apparent answer, only for Gomez and Streep to push him aside and reveal Colman in costume. Just Jared noted that Hulu has not yet revealed who Colman is playing.
The confirmation resolves a question that had been hanging over production since July, when Colman unexpectedly appeared in behind-the-scenes photographs shared by Gomez.
The Casting Reveal Turned Colman Into the Video’s Punch Line
The announcement plays with the size of the show’s increasingly crowded guest cast. “We have had so many amazing guest stars for Only Murders in London,” Gomez begins as she stands beside Streep.
“Yeah, but we’re just missing one!” Streep replies. Short then enthusiastically steps into the frame, apparently assuming he is the person they have been waiting for. “No, Marty, you’re already in the show,” Gomez tells him as she and Streep move him out of the way.
Colman is then revealed behind them, smiling and curtsying in a long brown costume. Variety confirmed that Colman will guest star in Season 6, although details about her character remain under wraps.
The clip also places Colman directly alongside Streep, creating a reunion for two Oscar winners who previously appeared together in 2011’s The Iron Lady. Streep played British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the film, while Colman portrayed her daughter, Carol Thatcher.
Colman Had Already Appeared in Selena Gomez’s Set Photos
Fans had good reason to suspect Colman was involved well before Tuesday’s official announcement. In a July 19 Instagram carousel, Gomez shared photographs from her time filming Season 6 in London. The post mixed personal images with behind-the-scenes material from the production, including shots with Streep and Steve Martin.
One photograph was considerably harder to explain. Colman could be seen sitting on a couch inside a period-style room while a production camera was trained directly on her.
PEOPLE noted at the time that Colman had been rumored to be joining Season 6 but that her involvement had not been confirmed. That made the image something close to an unofficial casting reveal without actually telling viewers what Colman was doing there.
Season 6 Has Built a Huge British and Irish Guest Cast
Colman joins an unusually deep roster of guest stars as Charles, Oliver and Mabel move their investigation from New York to London. Deadline reported Colman’s addition after Peter Capaldi became another recent name added to the season.
Previously announced recurring guest stars include David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker, Nicola Coughlan, Jim Broadbent, Richard Ayoade, Martin Freeman, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Jennifer Saunders, Simone Ashley and Sharon Horgan.
The extensive lineup also includes Jamie Demetriou, Anjana Vasan, Jane Horrocks, Derek Jacobi, Lesley Nicol, Sean Teale, Amar Chadha-Patel, Rhea Norwood, Matthew Beard, Adrian Lukis and Kathryn Hunter.
The lineup creates several built-in reunions and connections. Capaldi, Tennant and Whittaker have all played the Doctor in Doctor Who, while Coughlan and Ashley are both Bridgerton stars. Colman and Tennant also famously worked together on Broadchurch.
Michael Cyril Creighton is returning as Howard Morris. Da’Vine Joy Randolph has also been photographed during production, although Variety reported in June that her return as Detective Donna Williams had not yet been officially confirmed.
Cinda Canning’s Death Sends the Trio to London
Season 6’s move across the Atlantic grows directly out of the Season 5 finale. The finale brought back Tina Fey’s true-crime podcaster Cinda Canning, who had launched a London-connected podcast titled The Girl With the Curls involving a mystery tied to the U.K.
By the end of the episode, Cinda became the show’s next apparent murder victim, giving Charles, Oliver and Mabel a new case. Variety has confirmed that Season 6 follows Steve Martin, Martin Short and Gomez’s characters as they travel across the pond to continue investigating Cinda’s death.
Previous seasons have taken the trio outside the Arconia and even into Hollywood, but New York has remained the series’ narrative home base. Season 6 is building an entire murder investigation around London.
Season 6 is currently in production in the U.K. and is expected to consist of 10 episodes. Martin and John Hoffman co-created the series, with Hoffman, Martin, Short and Gomez among its executive producers. 20th Television produces the comedy.