The Stand In Cast, Character & Cameo Guide

The Stand In cast is led by Drew Barrymore, but she’s far from the only recognizable actor in the movie. The Stand In , which stars Barrymore in a dual roles as a disgraced movie star and her opportunistic colleague, hadn’t been well-received by critics, but the 2020 movie became a trending title on Netflix in 2021.

The Stand In focuses on the personal and professional friction between actress Candy Black (Barrymore) and her devoted double, Paula (Barrymore). After Candy melts down on set, she retreats into a life of solitude when an embarrassing clip goes viral. She then forms an online relationship with an unassuming man, but doesn’t know if she’s actually be cat fished. Candy hires Paula to attend Alcoholics Anonymous classes as her double, and comes to realize that her stand-in has sabotaged a potential romance with her internet friend Steve.

Barrymore headlines The Stand In cast, but the movie features a full ensemble cast. Numerous TV personalities make cameos during an apology tour sequence, and the hilarious Ellie Kemper portrays an actress who tries her best to deal with Candy’s unpredictable behavior. Here’s a full cast and character breakdown to help you identify the main actors and actresses in The Stand In.

Drew Barrymore As Candy Black And Paula

Drew Barrymore stars as Candy Black, a popular actress who disappears for five years after an on-set meltdown clip goes viral. She adopts the online persona Kathy the Carpenter and befriends a carpentry enthusiast named Steve. Candy hires her former stand-in, Paula, to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and allows the woman to impersonate her during an apology tour. Unfortunately for Candy, Paula hijacks her relationship with Steve.

In the ’80s, Barrymore portrayed Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Charlie McGee in Firestarter. A decade later, she had a smaller role as Bjergen Kjergen in Wayne’s World 2 and portrayed Sugar in Batman Forever. Barrymore took a major leap forward in her career by starring alongside Adam Sandler in the 1998 romantic comedy The Wedding Singer. In the 21st century, she’s best known for portraying Dylan in the Charlie’s Angels movie franchise and for co-headlining Santa Clarita Diet as Sheila Hammond. Barrymore reunited with Sandler for the movies 50 First Dates and Blended.

Michael Zegen As Steve

Michael Zegen co-stars as Steve, a man who forms an online relationship with Candy. When they finally agree to meet, Paula shows up instead and then pursues a romantic fling with Steve. As it turns out, Candy’s carpentry pal is actually a man named Larry from Ann Arbor, Michigan who went viral after drunkenly peeing on a Holocaust statue in New Orleans.

Zegen delivered a breakout performance as Damien Keefe in Rescue Me and later portrayed Randall Culver in The Walking Dead season 2. He also appeared as Benny Siegel in Boardwalk Empire, Joe in Girls, and Joel Maisel in the Amazon Prime show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. On the big screen, Zegen is known for supporting performances in Frances Ha and Brooklyn.

T.J. Miller As Louis

T.J. Miller portrays Louis, Candy’s assistant. He’s the man responsible for her celebrity persona and comes across as a typical opportunistic Hollywood insider. When he learns that Paula has been impersonating Candy during an apology tour, he drops his client in favor of a trendy replacement. Miller portrayed Hudson “Hud” Platt in Cloverfield and starred as Erlich Bachman in Silicon Valley. He also appeared as Weasel in Deadpool and Paul Abel in Underwater.

Ellie Kemper As Jenna Jones

Ellie Kemper portrays Jenna Jones, an actress who accidentally smacks Candy on the head with a marble cat, which causes a public meltdown. Her eye is injured after Candy throws an object and later confronts her on Today. Kemper portrayed Erin Hannon on The Office and starred as the title character in the Netflix show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She also appeared as Becca in the 2011 comedy classic Bridesmaids and portrayed Ms. Griggs in 21 Jump Street. Kemper also voiced Phyllis in The Lego Batman Movie and Katie in The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Holland Taylor As Barbara Cox

Holland Taylor appears as Barbara Cox, a director who tries to calm Candy during an on-set meltdown. She later meets with the faux Candy, Paula, and hires her for a one-day shoot which doesn’t go well. Taylor portrayed Judge Roberta Kittleson in The Practice and Evelyn Harper in Two and a Half Men. She also appeared as Professor Stromwell in Legally Blonde and Bunny in The Wedding Date. Streamers may also know Taylor as Ida Silver from Mrs. Mercedes and Ellen Kincaid in the Netflix show Hollywood.

Andrew Rannells As Nico

Andrew Rannells portrays Nico, a resident at LI Health Rehab Center. He’s surprised to see a “Hollywood hot shot” (which is actually Paula), and then makes passive-aggressive comments about Candy’s sequel movies and a Vanity Fair profile. Rannells worked as a voice actor during the 2000s before starring as Bryan Collins in The New Normal and and Elijah Krantz in Girls. He also portrayed Darren in A Simple Favor and Larry in The Boys in the Band. Big Mouth fans may know Rannells for voicing Matthew MacDell.

Lena Dunham As Lisa

Lena Dunham appears as Lisa, a party guest who supports Candy’s comeback and cites her as an inspiration for young actresses. She then interrupts Candy (Paula), and says, “I’m done,” before walking away. Dunham produced and starred in the HBO series Girls. She also portrayed Valerie Solanas in American Horror Story season 7 and Gypsy in the 2019 movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Richard Kind As Wes

Richard Kind portrays Wes, an actor at a casting office who chastises Paula. He mentions that she once refused to join him for lunch on set and instead ate a burrito by herself. Kind portrayed Uncle Arthur in A Serious Man and Max Klein in Argo. He voiced Molt in A Bug’s Life and Bing Bong in Inside Out. Kind also voices Marty Glouberman in Big Mouth.

Michelle Buteau As Ingrid

Michelle Buteau appears as Ingrid, Barbara’s assistant who gets sent to rehab. At LI Health Rehab Center, she defends Candy and her marijuana-themed movie “Pippi Bongstocking.” Buteau portrayed Veronica in the Netflix movie Always Be My Maybe and Martina in Isn’t It Romantic. She also appeared as Trudy in Happiest Season and Bree Washington in The First Wives Club.

Charlie Barnett As Simon

Charlie Barnett portrays Simon, a publicity agent that Paula meets at Today. He requests a selfie and urges Candy to use social media as a personal branding tool. Barnett portrayed Peter Mills in Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. He also appeared as Alan Zaveri in Russian Doll, Gabe in You, and John Diggle Jr. in Arrow.

The Stand In’s Celebrity Cameos

Giuliana Rancic as Herself: An E! News anchor who refers to Candy as a “class clown” (11:00).

Jason Kennedy as Himself: An E! News anchor who discusses Candy’s meltdown (11:00).

Savannah Guthrie as Herself: The co-anchor of Today who interviews Paula/Candy (45:00).

Andy Cohen as Himself: The host of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen who speaks about Candy’s glow (52:00)

Bridget Everett as Herself: A comedian who makes a guest appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (52:00).

Jimmy Fallon as Himself: The host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon who makes a brief cameo during Candy’s apology tour (54:00).

Meghan McCain as Herself: A TV personality who interviews Paula/Candy about being part of the liberal elite (54:00).

Graham Norton as Himself: The host of The Graham Norton Show who briefly announces that Candy will be on his program (54:00).

Kelly Ripa as Herself: The co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan who briefly discusses Candy’s upcoming appearance (54:00).

Ryan Seacrest as Himself: The co-host of Live with Kelly and Ryan who introduces Candy (54:00).

About The Author

Q.V. Hough
(1892 Articles Published)

Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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