Why Ruby Hill From Good Girls Looks So Familiar
There are a lot of ways to view the world in our current moment, and one is that there's never been a better time to pick up a new show. Those in the market for an uplifting comedy with just the right amount of edge could do a lot worse than NBC's crime comedy Good Girls. The show's third season was added to Netflix on February 16, which gives you just enough time to catch up before the premiere of season 4 in March.
The series follows the exploits of three seemingly average moms who decide to move beyond their dead-end jobs and put their determination and street smarts to more lucrative use. After robbing a grocery store, they find themselves plunged into a life of crime, and learn a little bit about the power of female friendship along the way.
Two of the central characters, Beth and Annie, are sisters and played by TV icons Christina Hendricks (a.k.a. Joan Holloway from Mad Men) and Mae Whitman (a.k.a. Ann "Her?" Veal from Arrested Development). The third woman in this trifecta, Ruby, is a friend of the sister duo, and she too is played by a modern TV star. If you're one of the many Netflix viewers who have been watching Good Girls, you may be wondering where else you've seen stand-up comedian and actor Retta. Here are several reasons why she looks so familiar.
Retta proved there are no small roles on Parks and Recreation
Like many stand-up comedians, Retta has picked up plenty of one-episode guest starring roles on TV shows. In the early days of her career as an actor, she appeared on shows like Moesha, Freddie, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. But it was a seemingly miniscule part on an NBC sitcom that arguably put her on the map as a bona fide TV star.
Retta was one of the original cast members on Parks and Recreation back before Pawnee, Indiana, became one of the most famous fictional towns in America. Her character, unimpressed office manager Donna Meagle, didn't have much to do in the early episodes of the series. Retta herself expressed that she found working on the first season of the show "stressful" because of its initially mediocre reception (via The Journal).
However, Parks and Recreation grew and became a hit, and so did the character of Donna. Her roasts of her co-workers, revelations of the delightfully scandalous details of her personal life, and catchphrases like "Treat yo' self" made her an indispensable part of the ensemble by the end of the series.
Retta parlayed her scene-stealing work in Parks and Recreation into lead roles on shows like Good Girls, as well as another scripted comedy that found an unexpected home on TV.
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce gave Retta the opportunity to explore female friendship
Although it's best known for reality TV programming like The Real Housewives and Below Deck franchises, cable network Bravo dipped into original scripted programming in 2014 with the premiere of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. The show followed the exploits of a recently separated self-help author named Abby McCarthy (Lisa Edelstein) as she tries to navigate a new stage of her life. In the first season of the series, Abby regularly leans on her friends Phoebe (Beau Garrett), Jo (Alanna Ubach), and Lyla (Janeane Garofalo) for support. The second season added a new confidant to the mix: a co-worker of Abby's named Barbara, who is played by Retta.
Abby and Barbara's relationship wasn't always a smooth one during the course of Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce's five seasons, but Retta relished the chance to show a more complicated side of female friendship. Speaking with Bustle, the comedian said, "I've had some fight scenes with Abby and I really appreciate them, because you can show that you can have conflict and still come back around and be friends."
Retta delivered scene-stealing work in Good Boys
First, to clear up any confusion, the 2019 comedy film Good Boys is not related to the NBC series Good Girls. In fact, in many ways, it's the polar opposite. The movie uses the tried-and-true formula of a group of young men learning lessons about life and love courtesy of some extremely raunchy first hand experiences. The catch here is that the young men in question are sixth graders, not college freshmen. While the movie's mix of a young cast and R-rated content might have come off as extremely inappropriate, critics found that it had enough genuine heart and emotional resonance to balance everything out (via Rotten Tomatoes).
One of the most touching storylines is that of young Lucas (Keith L. Williams), who is traversing the familiar, but never easy, issue of his parents' impending divorce. The parents in question are played by Lil Rel Howery and Retta. Both comedians only appear in the movie fleetingly, but as is often the case with these types of uproarious character comedies, their small amount of screentime still elicits quite a few laughs.
You can keep up with Retta's career by catching season 4 of Good Girls when it premieres March 7.