Sam Richardson’s 10 Best Roles, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Sam Richardson’s profile has been on the rise, with starring roles in series like Apple TV+’s The Afterparty, voicing characters in animated shows like Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K., and guest starring on a variety of shows, from RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars to Nailed It! Of course, who can forget his memorable role as Ghanaian billionaire Edwin Akufo on Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso?

Often referred to as one of comedy’s hidden gems, Richardson hasn’t been acting on screen long. But he snagged recurring roles in shows like The Office and appearances in shows like Arrested Development. He hit his stride with a role on HBO series Veep, which went from guest starring to regular cast member. It’s a testament to his abilities, so it’s no surprise that, following the success of The Afterparty, fans might only now realize that Richardson has been involved in plenty of high-profile projects.

10 Ghostbusters (2016) – 74%

Perhaps his most memorable line in the movie was “Whoa, nobody called for a Clark Kent strippergram!” His character was known in the movie as Basement Cop Tyson, a police officer in New York City whose sole job was to, as his name implied, guard the basement of The Mercado Hotel.

His character on Ghostbusters was punched by Kevin Beckman while possessed by Rowan North. One of Tyson’s most hilarious reveals in the movie was that he wore a different T-shirt every day then threw it away because he found a deal to get them for $0.50 each.

9 The Office (2013) – 81%

It’s a testament to his talents that Richardson managed to snag a role on one of the biggest comedies of the 2010s. He played Colin, an employee and founding member of a start-up sports marketing company called Athlead. He was also Jim’s old college mate. While the storyline with Athlead is actually one of the most hated storylines on The Office, it still allowed Richardson to show off his talents.

He appeared in a variety of episodes in season 9, including conducting an interview with Darryl and advising Jim of an important meeting, which led him to miss Cece’s dance recital. He was also visible in the background of many other episodes, even when he didn’t have speaking lines.

8 Werewolves Within (2021) – 86%

Richardson starred in this comedy horror based on the video game of the same name. It’s about a group of people from Vermont who, after getting stuck in a snowstorm, begin to suspect that one of them might be a werewolf.

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His character’s name on Werewolves Within is Finn Wheeler, a forest ranger tasked with covering the small town where the blizzard takes place. He is the main protagonist, working to keep everyone safe while trying to figure out what is going on and why people keep getting killed, attacked, or maimed.

7 Room 104 (2019) – 88%

An anthology series, each episode of Room 104 takes place entirely in a specific room of a roadside motel, following the different people who stay there. The episodes also switch among genres, from comedy to thriller to outright horror.

Richardson appears in a season 3 episode called “Drywall Guys” about a woman who must deal with his co-worker who keeps sleepwalking, to the point that it is getting out of control. Richardson plays Greg while Steve Little plays the sleepwalking co-worker Randy. The show is ultimately about how the two men bond after something bad happens and Greg suspects Randy might have been unknowingly involved.

6 Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K. (2021) – 88%

A voice acting role, Richardson plays Garfield “Gary” Garoldson, an optimistic henchman who only has one arm and always stays positive, despite his loyalty never being recognized. Gary, one of the funniest characters on M.O.D.O.K., is married to a trucker named Big Mike. The animated sci-fi/superhero series, which streams on Hulu and is based on the Marvel Comics character, also features the voice acting talents of Patton Oswalt (who co-created the show) along with Aimee Garcia, Ben Schwartz, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Beck Bennett.

It is one of Richardson’s more recent projects, and with the series having received such positive reviews for its first season, chances are it will be renewed for a second and Richardson will reprise the role.

5 The Afterparty (2022) – 89%

As one of the most likable characters in The Afterparty, Richardson plays Aniq, the smart, level-headed escape room designer and owner who seemingly just attended his high school reunion in hopes of reuniting with his now divorced former crush Zoe.

He gets caught up at the center of the murder of a former classmate, however. Together with his high school best friend Yasper, they try desperately to clear Aniq’s name from being at the top of the suspect list and find out who the real perpetrator is.

4 Curb Your Enthusiasm (2020) – 92%

Appearing in the season 10 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm called “The Spite Store,” Richardson plays a character named Will Cooper who is in an interracial marriage. Speaking as frankly as he does, Larry David asks them about how light or dark-skinned they want their child to be, which ends up causing a bit of a rift between the pair.

The episode was the finale for that season and featured a ton of celebrity cameos, including Timothy Olyphant, Abby Jacobson, Esai Morales, Laverne Cox, Jonah Hill, Sean Penn, Mila Kunis, and others. If there was ever an episode to guest star in, that was the one.

3 Veep (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019) – 93%

Richard Splett, one of the most likable characters on Veep, began as a guest character but Richardson was eventually promoted to the main cast. He was a campaign aide from President Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, then worked as director of communications for congressman Jonah Ryan and chief of staff once she was no longer in office.

The character’s career had some serious milestones and accomplishments, including helping save lives following a plane crash into a local 7/11 and exposing corrupt politicians and lobbyists. By the end, his character was set to be president in 2040.

2 Spy (2015) – 95%

He only had a small role in Spy as a character named John in this action comedy spy movie that starred Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, and Jude Law.

Richardson is seen very briefly in the beginning of the movie as one of McCarthy’s character’s CIA agent friends and co-workers. With that said, Richardson told Chicago Tribune that he filmed many more scenes than he was actually in, and was “cut out of the movie almost entirely.”

1 New Girl (2016, 2018) – 95%

In the episode called “The Apartment,” which appeared in the fifth season of New Girl, Dunston is Winston’s new partner on the police force. Winston asked to be assigned with someone new after getting tired of hearing Aly, who he secretly had feelings for at the time, continuously talk about her boyfriend. As it happens, however, Dunston turns out to be just as goofy as Winston, making them a seemingly perfect match.

Dunston, however, isn’t the best cop. He claims to have “night blindness,” can’t find a restroom in a bar, and seems to lose all the strength in his hand at the worst possible moment. Dunston doesn’t last long, anyway, as Winston and Aly decide to work together again after all. But he and Winston had one of the friendships that deserved more screen time on New Girl.

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