Copyright Screen Rant
Ryan Murphy’s latest show, All’s Fair, is generating a lot of buzz after dropping its first three episodes last week. All’s Fair is breaking streaming records for Hulu, despite debuting to a rare 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. There are many reasons why critics panned Ryan Murphy’s legal drama, from its inconsistent tone to a stilted performance from Kim Kardashian. All's Fair leans more on aesthetics than plot, with incredible wardrobe and plenty of enviable real estate, even if the story relies on tired tropes. Kardashian leads the cast of All’s Fair, which is packed with wildly talented actors. To see them shine in better-written series, check out these 10 TV shows starring the cast of All’s Fair. 10 Star (2016-2019) Teyana Taylor As Joyce Sheree Star was Fox and Lee Daniels’ darker, grittier answer to Nashville, trading country stages for the R&B and hip-hop scene in Atlanta. The series follows three young women chasing music stardom while confronting the harsh realities of the industry, where talent alone isn’t enough and every step forward comes at a cost. The show leaned into themes of found family, survival, and the pressures of fame. Teyana Taylor, who plays Milan, a receptionist and aspiring lawyer in All’s Fair, appeared in Star’s second and third seasons as Joyce Sheree, another ambitious singer striving to break through. Her storyline highlighted how personal demons and industry expectations can collide with heartbreaking consequences. 9 American Horror Story: Delicate (2023-2024) Kim Kardashian As Siobhan Corbyn American Horror Story: Delicate (or AHS season 12) marked a notable shift for the franchise. It was the first season to be based on a book — Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine — and it came under the direction of new showrunner Halley Feiffer instead of Ryan Murphy or Brad Falchuk. It’s a middling season of AHS, retreading the same horror territory as Rosemary’s Baby. Still, Delicate’s biggest legacy may be introducing Kim Kardashian into the Ryan Murphy universe. Her presence was unmistakable and oddly compelling, even if her performance didn’t redefine her as a dramatic actress — at least not yet. It signaled Murphy’s ongoing fascination with celebrity as art form, and of course, Kardashian is the center of All’s Fair. 8 Reno 911! (2003-2009, 2020-2022) Niecy Nash-Betts As Deputy Raineesha Williams Reno 911! was a seminal mockumentary comedy that directly parodied the style and self-seriousness of Cops, presenting a fictional sheriff’s department full of wildly unqualified officers. Airing on Comedy Central throughout much of the 2000s, it blended improvisation with sharp character work. It also introduced a wider audience to Niecy Nash-Betts’s comedic brilliance. In All’s Fair, Nash-Betts plays Emerald Greene, a meticulous investigator, but in Reno 911!, she was the unforgettable Deputy Raineesha Williams, a loud, swaggering officer who reveled in the authority her badge offered. Nash-Betts’s impeccable timing, physical comedy, and ability to elevate even a small joke turned Raineesha into one of Reno 911!’s most memorable characters. 7 Modern Family (2009-2020) Ed O’Neil As Jay Pritchett Modern Family perfected the mockumentary sitcom formula by balancing fast-paced comedy with genuine emotional reflection. Those closing voice-overs, often over a montage, gave real heart to episodes that spent the previous 22 minutes making viewers laugh. The show’s impressive run was anchored by Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett, the gruff-but-loving patriarch of the sprawling family. In All’s Fair, O’Neill plays Doug Standish, Glenn Close’s character's husband, but Jay remains one of his most defining roles. It’s notable that O’Neill is now just as associated with Jay and Modern Family as he is with Al Bundy from Married… with Children, marking the rare actor who helped define two major eras of TV comedy. 6 Damages (2007-2012) Glenn Close as Patty Hewes All’s Fair isn’t Glenn Close’s first foray into the high-stakes world of female-led legal dramas. She famously played Patty Hewes in Damages, a brilliant and ruthless attorney locked in a psychologically fraught mentor-protégé relationship with Rose Byrne’s character. Damages stood out for its season-long cases that unfolded like thrillers, giving equal narrative weight to Patty’s firm and their adversaries. Close delivered one of her most commanding performances in Damages, winning two Emmys for the role. In All’s Fair, she stars as Dina Standish, a seasoned divorce lawyer, but it remains to be seen whether the series will offer the same depth, tension, and moral complexity. Damages set a high bar for legal storytelling centered around Close’s steely magnetism. 5 Mr. Robot (2015-2019) Grace Gummer As Dominique DiPierro Mr. Robot’s brilliance lies in its intelligence, atmosphere, and emotional sincerity. On the surface, it plays as a tech thriller about a hacker trying to take down a massive corporation, but the show is ultimately about mental health, identity, loneliness, and the struggle to feel in control, earning the show a cult following. Mr. Robot received much critical acclaim, including Golden Globes, Emmys, and a Peabody. Grace Gummer appears as Dominique “Dom” DiPierro, an FBI agent who becomes entangled in the fallout from the major hacks at the story’s center. In All’s Fair, Gummer guest stars as Grace Henry, a former trophy wife who left her husband for a woman. 4 American Horror Story: Asylum (2012-2013) Sarah Paulson As Lana Winters American Horror Story: Asylum (AHS season 2) is one of the most cherished seasons among the fandom because it balances the show’s trademark chaos with a surprisingly tight narrative. The season’s horror draws from real-world abuses of power in religious and medical institutions, making the scares feel grounded and genuinely unsettling rather than pure camp. Sarah Paulson, a frequent Murphy collaborator, delivers some of her best work as Lana Winters in Asylum, whose journey from victim to survivor to morally complex public figure remains one of the show’s richest character arcs. In All’s Fair, she plays Carrington Lane, a rival divorce lawyer. Paulson is the best part of the show, but All's Fair is unlikely to go down as one of her best series. 3 Transparent (2014-2019) Judith Light As Shelly Pfefferman Transparent was a radically bold swing by Amazon, never taking the easy way out — from its frank exploration of trans issues and modern Judaism to its audacious feature-length musical finale. Despite controversies surrounding the show off-screen, it remains a landmark for its emotional honesty and inventive storytelling. Judith Light shines as Shelly Pfefferman, the sharp, witty, and always unfiltered matriarch of the Pfefferman family. Shelly navigates her own insecurities while trying to support — while sometimes clashing with — her evolving family, providing humor, nuance, and real emotional weight. In All’s Fair, Light plays Sheila Baskin, a client of Naomi Watts’ Liberty Ronson, who is divorcing her husband. 2 The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-2025) O-T Fagbenle As Luke Bankole The Handmaid’s Tale became more than just a series — it sparked real-world activism, with protesters donning the iconic red handmaid uniforms outside government buildings. O-T Fagbenle starred as Luke Bankole, June’s husband from the pre-Gilead days, whose fate is unknown to her in the early seasons. Separated from June, Luke rebuilds a life in Canada while carrying deep guilt for the family he couldn’t protect. Eventually reunited, the series examines how trauma reshapes even the strongest bonds, though June and Luke don't end up together in the finale of Handmaid's Tale. In All’s Fair, Fagbenle plays Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ramirez, Liberty's boyfriend. 1 Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) Naomi Watts As Janey-E Jones Twin Peaks: The Return faced an impossible task: following up a beloved series more than 25 years later. David Lynch not only delivered but expanded the world in bold, surreal ways. Naomi Watts’ new character, Janey-E Jones, became one of the revival’s most memorable threads, highlighting Watts’ knack for blending humor and emotional depth.
