Why Cassy From The Big Show Show Looks So Familiar
Streaming audiences are learning that you don't have to be a fan of wrestling to appreciate the talents of Paul "The Big Show" Wight, the mountain-sized wrestler who stars as a fictionalized version of himself on the Netflix original family comedy The Big Show Show. The series sees the big guy struggling with retirement while dealing also dealing with a new addition to his family: Lola (Reylynn Caster), his teenage daughter from a previous relationship. When Lola's mother is transferred overseas, she moves in with dear old dad and his loving and supportive wife Cassy, along with their two younger children Mandy (Lily Brooks O'Briant) and J.J. (Juliet Donenfeld).
The show has a sweet yet snappy sense of humor, and the first season even treated wrestling fans to guest appearances by Mick Foley, Mark Henry, and Rikishi. But theirs weren't the only familiar faces to be found on the series. If you've owned a television for the last couple of decades, then you've definitely seen the actress who plays Cassy before. Her name is Allison Munn, and she's a small screen vet who has appeared on more popular series than you can shake a stick at. Here's why Cassy from The Big Show Show looks so familiar.
One of Allison Munn's first roles was on That '70s Show
Munn got her start near the turn of the millennium with guest appearances on series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Now and Again, but it took her no time at all to land her first major recurring role: she portrayed Caroline, Fez's first girlfriend, on several episodes of That '70s Show during the third season.
Fans of that series will remember that Caroline was a girl with slight abandonment and anger issues, and Munn displayed a hilarious knack for taking her character from sweet and mild-mannered to teeth-gnashing crazy at the drop of a hat. Caroline stuck around for seven episodes, before Fez finally decided that her volcanic freakouts were a tad too much for him. However, he briefly got back together with her for a couple of episode in the series' final season.
After her run on That '70s Show, Munn turned in several more guest spots on series such as Inside Schwartz, JAG, and Charmed, and she also turned up in bit roles in the feature films Local Boys and White Oleander. In 2003, though, she landed a recurring gig on a popular show, which would come to be a theme for her career.
Allison Munn starred on What I Like About You
Munn's next TV home was the WB sitcom What I Like About You, whichran for four seasons between 2002 and 2006. The series focused on New Yorker Val (Jennie Garth), who must take in her handful of a younger sister Holly (Amanda Bynes) when their father moves overseas. Munn joined the series' ensemble cast in the second season, portraying Tina, an outspoken young woman who becomes Holly's best friend.
During her run on the series, Munn supplemented the gig with small roles in several more features, including Elizabethtown and A Couple of Days and Nights, and once the show completed its run she popped up in several TV movies, and even scored a co-lead role in the 2007 film Farm Girl in New York. It didn't take her too long to land another recurring role on the small screen, though — this time on one of the CW's longest-running dramas ever.
Allison Munn also appeared on One Tree Hill
The basketball-themed melodrama One Tree Hill went through a lot of permutations during its nine years on the air. Originally focused on a pair of teenage half-brothers (Chad Michael Murray and James Lafferty) as they competed for a spot on their school's basketball team and the affections of their female classmates, the series underwent a number of cast changes and time jumps as the story shifted focus to other characters. Munn was added in season 6 as Lauren, an elementary school teacher and love interest for Antwon "Skills" Taylor (Antwon Tanner), a friend of the brothers and star basketball player.
After finishing her run on that series in 2012, Munn continued to pop up in guest roles, appearing in single episodes of Family Tools, Dads, Legit, Instant Mom, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She also appeared alongside Rufus Sewell and Colm Meaney in the horror flick The Devil's Hand in 2014. That same year, though, she was tapped to star in another new series — one that would see her gain some experience playing a harried mom to a bunch of precocious kids.
Allison Munn was the mom on Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn
On the Nickelodeon series Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Munn portrayed Anne Harper, the mother of the titular nine-year old quadruplets. The series ran for four seasons between 2014 and 2018, and was well-loved by its fans. It also helped to prime Munn for her motherly role on The Big Show Show, an experience which she admits has been a little different from her previous sitcom work.
In a recent conversation with Wrestling Inc., the actress said that working on her first streaming series has been an eye-opener, as it didn't take too long to gauge how fans were reacting to the first season."You never know how audiences are going to respond," Munn said. "This has been a delight. A complete surprise. I've also never done a streaming show like on Netflix. Here the whole season is put out at one time. It's put out all across the world the same day, so we were just getting inundated on social media with messages from all over the world. Name a country, we were getting messages from there. It was all so positive."
She also had high praise for the acting abilities of her hulking co-star ("He was such a good student. The guy's learning curve is incredible," she says), and admitted that she's become a wrestling fan since being cast on the series. Hopefully, it will be another long-term gig — while Netflix hasn't yet announced whether The Big Show Show will be renewed for a second season, it's certainly striking a chord with fans, and Munn's endearingly goofy performance is a big part of that success.