Why Nick From Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. The Reverend Looks So Familiar
Fans of the Netflix original comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt woke up on May 12th, 2020 to quite the treat. Even though the show ended its regular run in 2019, a special choose-your-own-adventure episode titled Kimmy vs the Reverend dropped to give fans one last adventure with Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), Titus (Tituss Burgess), Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski), and Lillian (Carol Kane).
The special is chock-a-block with celebrity guest stars and cameos, including Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm, and Johnny Knoxville. Even the supporting roles are played by TV veterans. One of those is that of Nick, an exasperated producer on the film that should be Titus' big break — if Titus was actually on set to film it, instead of helping Kimmy with her journey to thwart the Reverend (Hamm) once and for all.
Nick is played by Patch Darragh, who has been in the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. If you recognized him in the special, but aren't exactly sure where from, we'll jog your memory with a few of his most memorable recent roles.
Patch Darragh was the lovable dad on Everything Sucks!
Among the many impressive entries on his resume, one reason Darragh likely landed on Kimmy vs. the Reverend because he is no stranger to Netflix original series. In 2018 he starred in the '90s throwback teen comedy Everything Sucks! Sadly, the show only lasted one season, but since its cancellation, it has gone on to become something of a cult classic.
Although the show was focused on a group of high school students, Darragh played an important supporting role as Ken Messner, school principal and the widowed father of protagonist Kate (Peyton Kennedy). His touching romance with Sherry, the mother of one of Kate's friends, is one of the storylines that got fans of the show hooked.
In an interview with Observer, Darragh described the alchemy the show was able to achieve in just one season. "There are situations on the show that have a sadness to them," he said. "It's heartfelt, kids and parents dealing with loneliness and the loss of loved ones. But there's also so much comedy and lightheartedness. There's certainly a glint in our eye."
Patch Darragh was a city slicker on Longmire
The western detective drama Longmire may not have started out as a Netflix original, but when the show was dropped by A&E after season 3, the streaming service picked up the well-loved series for an additional three seasons. When the show made the network jump, it also added a number of new characters to its cast. One of those was David Milgrom, a lawyer hired to defend series protagonist Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) in a wrongful death lawsuit.
David is a fascinating addition to the show. When we are introduced to him, he has just relocated to Wyoming from Brooklyn. Although he's found himself in a radically different environment than he's used to, David is an adaptable person. Darragh plays him with enough New York chutzpah that it's easy to believe this city slicker could go toe to toe with the cattle ranchers and sheriffs of Wyoming.
David also provides viewers with the rare opportunity to see the rest of the characters through a totally different lens. One of the strengths of Longmire is its worldbuilding. Viewers spend a great deal of time immersed in Absaroka County, Wyoming, especially by the fourth or fifth season. Through David's fish-out-of-water interactions with that world, viewers get a chance to see shades of it they might not have noticed.
Patch Darragh is a member of the Waystar Royco team on Succession
HBO's family drama Succession is known for its unflinching portrayal of America's ultrawealthy, and the killer ensemble of characters that come and go throughout each season. While the Roy family is at the heart of the action, senior employees at the company they run, Waystar Royco, often have pivotal roles to play in the ongoing power struggle. For two very crucial season 2 episodes, Patch Darragh guest stars as Ray, a Waystar Royco executive.
Ray is introduced in the episode titled "Hunting," which finds the company's management team on a retreat. Of course, there are many plots afoot during the trip, and once they are revealed, Logan Roy (Brian Cox) sets out to scare his team into loyalty. He does this via a humiliating game with malleable rules called "Boar on the Floor," which has gone on to be one of the most memorable scenes in the show's history. Thankfully for Ray, he is left out of the game, and instead cheers on the chaos from the sidelines.
Although Ray only appeared in two episodes in season 2, given the way Succession likes to bring back even small characters throughout the run of the show, there's a good chance we'll be seeing him again in future seasons.