Those who love true crime and are faced with a decent mystery to solve should check out Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu series that is making waves and deserves attention. Created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman, this 2021 production follows Charles-Haden Savage, Oliver Putnam, and Mabel Mora, three residents of The Arconia, a luxury building on the Upper West Side. They do not initially know each other but share the same obsession: a true-crime podcast hosted by Cinda Canning. When one of the building’s neighbors dies under strange and mysterious circumstances, these die-hard crime fans decide to join forces, create a podcast of their own, and ultimately solve the mystery.
Only Murders in the Building has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, mainly for its leads’ performances, whose chemistry goes beyond the screen. Moreover, it is not a typical crime series; instead, it has a comedic and light-hearted twist, allowing viewers to enjoy the story and have fun while trying to solve each mystery alongside the main characters. Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez do a wonderful job playing these characters that are so different from each other yet perfectly complement one another.
They also serve as executive producers and are joined by an ensemble cast of talented actors with wide-ranging careers in film, television, and on stage, such as Amy Ryan, Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Paul Rudd, and Meryl Streep, to name a few. Here are some unknown facts about the cast of Only Murders in the Building.
Update September 14, 2023: This article has been updated with even more fun facts about the cast of Only Murders in the Building, including some details on two of the newest cast members of the series.
15 Steve Martin and Martin Short Have Been Friends for Over 30 Years
It makes a lot of sense that Steve Martin and Martin Short have such great chemistry in Only Murders in the Building, considering how long they’ve known each other: they’ve been friends for over 30 years! They first met in 1986 when they co-starred alongside Chevy Chase in the movie Three Amigos, and from then on, they were inseparable, sharing events and family vacations. Besides starring in several productions together, such as Father of the Bride, they have appeared in a few comedy specials as well.
14 Selena Gomez Was a Cast Member of Barney & Friends
Most viewers probably recall Selena Gomez for one of her biggest roles as a teenager: that of Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, the Disney Channel series she starred in alongside David Henrie and Jake T. Austin. However, her debut performance came well before that, as Gianna in the children’s show Barney & Friends. Gomez wasn’t the only industry star to make her debut on the show: Demi Lovato, Debby Ryan, and Madison Pettis also starred alongside the famed purple dinosaur.
13 Steve Martin Plays the Banjo
Martin is one of the most well-rounded performers in the industry: actor, comedian, producer, writer…and even musician! The Only Murders in the Building star first picked up the banjo as a teenager, adding it to his comedy routines in his early days. At the beginning of the 2000s, Martin decided to pursue a career as a musician, releasing music albums and touring with different bands. For his first solo album, he earned a Grammy Award.
12 Martin Short Has a Canadian Coin Named After Him
Short has been all over the world, but there is one place in particular that stole his heart: Muskoka, Ontario. Indeed, he loves it so much that he teamed up with the Royal Canadian Mint to work on a silver collector coin known as “Martin Short Presents Canada”, which features an image of his summer home in Muskoka, designed by artist Tony Bianco.
11 Selena Gomez’s Popularity Hampered On-Location Shoots
Given such an important cast, it was to be expected that shooting on-location, particularly in New York City, would be a challenging task. Yet, Gomez’s shots were nearly impossible to pull off due to her popularity. In an interview with Town and Country Magazine, Aaron Dominguez, who plays Oscar Torres, commented that, while filming on-location, they were surrounded by paparazzi and Gomez’s fans cheering her name as much as they could, making it very difficult to stay in character.
10 Meryl Streep Can Play the Violin
In Only Murders in the Building, Hollywood legend Meryl Streep plays Loretta Durkin, an eccentric yet hapless actress and love interest to Oliver. Streep’s own talents as an actress are well documented (the three Academy Awards speck for themselves), but lesser known are her skills as an instrumentalist.
In preparation for her role in the 1999 film Music of the Heart, Streep learned how to play the violin by practicing for six hours a day for eight weeks. Her efforts paid off, as she ended up being nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress at the 72nd Academy Awards ceremony. Interestingly, Madonna was meant to play the role, but pulled out due to creative differences after she’d already taken the time to learn the violin.
9 Tina Fey’s Acting Debut Was in a Bank Commercial
Actress, comedian, writer, and producer Tina Fey is among the biggest names in the industry, especially when it comes to comedy. She has taken part in productions such as Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and movies like Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Sisters and Soul. Nevertheless, her acting debut was not in film or television, but in advertising: the actress playing Cinda Canning got her first gig in 1995, in a commercial for Mutual Savings Bank.
8 Paul Rudd Used to DJ at Bar Mitzvahs
Everybody’s favorite age-defying actor, Paul Rudd, joined the cast of Only Murders in the Building during the closing moments of its second season, before returning for season three. He plays Ben Glenroy, a famous actor who gets murdered during the opening performance of Oliver’s play. Though he is best known for his roles as Mike in Friends and Ant-Man in the MCU, Rudd hasn’t always been an actor.
In fact, before his fame, Rudd worked as a DJ for bar and bat mitzvah receptions on weekends while he was studying at acting school. Two of his most played songs were “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred and “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer. DJing’s loss is Hollywood’s gain.
7 Michael Cyril Creighton is Allergic to Cats
In Only Murders in the Building, Michael Cyril Creighton plays Howard Morris, one of The Arconia residents and a cat-lover. During the show’s second season, he has a new love interest, Jonathan, with whom he has a romantic moment during a blackout in the building. However, their moment gets ruined as the young man is allergic to cats and has to leave Howard’s apartment. A little-known fact is that this scene is quite similar to what happened to Michael when he met his husband, though the person allergic to cats turned out to be the actor himself.
6 Jayne Houdyshell is a Five-Time Tony Award Nominee
Only Murders in the Building features performances by some of the most accomplished artists in various fields and productions. A prime example of this is Jayne Houdyshell, who plays Bunny Folger, Arconia’s board president, who is murdered in season 2. Houdyshell has worked in movies, TV shows, and plays, earning several awards specifically for her performance on stage. In fact, she is a five-time Tony Award nominee and has won a statuette for her outstanding work in The Humans.
5 Nathan Lane Voiced Timon in The Lion King
In Only Murders in the Building, Nathan Lane is Teddy Dimas, a deli chain owner who lives in The Arconia and sponsors the main characters’ podcast. But Lane also portrayed a very well-known character in the children’s genre: Timon, the meerkat who becomes Simba’s guardian along with Pumbaa in The Lion King. That was not the only project in which he voiced children’s characters: he also took part in films such as Stuart Little, Teacher’s Pet, and Astro Boy.
4 Ali Stroker Rose to Fame on The Glee Project
Ali Stroker is featured in the series as part of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s group of fans. She is the first wheelchair-using actor to work in a Broadway play and also the first to win a Tony Award. However, this actress became known for one massive production: she was a contestant on The Glee Project, a reality show where the prize was to appear on Glee. Even though Stroker didn’t win, she made it to the finals, landing a guest role in one episode of the show’s fourth season.
3 Meryl Streep Was Almost a Lawyer
A world where Meryl Streep never became an actress is possibly not one worth thinking about. But the reality is the Hollywood star almost went into a different line of work altogether. While studying drama at Yale, Streep became disillusioned with the acting lifestyle after having to work many hours as a waitress just to pay her course fees. She, therefore, applied for law school. However, she ended up missing the interview because she overslept and, instead, took this as a sign that she should continue to follow her dream. And thank goodness she did!
2 Paul Rudd Owns a Candy Store
As well as being funny, charming, and likable, it turns out that Paul Rudd is also a real-life Willy Wonka. In order to save it from closing when its owner passed away, Rudd, along with The Walking Dead‘s Jeffrey Dean Morgan, bought Samuel’s Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck, New York. The store had been around since the early 90s, and both Rudd and Dean Morgan had become good friends with the owner before he passed away in 2014. They still own it today. So, why not pop in next time you’re in Rhinebeck.
1 Cara Delevingne Has a Famous Godmother
British actress and model Cara Delevingne played Alice, the love interest of Selena Gomez’s Mabel in season 2 of Only Murders in the Building. The cast of the show is full of famous faces, but Delevingne is no stranger to being in the company of big names. In fact, being the daughter of a wealthy property developer who grew up in one of the most affluent parts of London, Delevingne was surrounded by influential people from a young age, including her godmother, Dame Joan Collins. Collins is best known for her role as Alexis Colby in the eighties soap opera Dynasty, as well as her 70-year-long career in films. It’s always good to have friends in high places.
