Where You've Seen The Love Hard Cast Before

Whether it's the holiday season or you're just in the holiday mood, you can never go wrong with a Christmas film. That's especially true when we're talking about Christmas romantic comedies. And streaming giant Netflix has a strong record of charming winter rom-coms with films like "A Christmas Prince" and "The Christmas Chronicles." And, of course, there's "Love Hard," the delightful story of a young professional woman who's literally made a career out of bad relationships. But now, she's deciding to risk it all on a man she's never officially met, only to find out he's not exactly who she thought he was.

This charming little flick sports a pretty impressive cast. From its stars to the supporting characters, there isn't a weak one in the bunch. Some of them have been acting for decades, while others are relative newcomers, and as you watch them all interact, you may find yourself wondering where you've seen them before. Well, get in the holiday spirit as we take a look at the cast of "Love Hard" and why their faces seem so familiar.

The man who serves as Natalie's catfisher and unintentional love interest is Josh Lin, played by comedian, writer, and actor Jimmy O. Yang. Josh has spent his life trying to be someone he's not. He works at a store catering to hikers and adventurous types just because it's owned by his dad. Originally, his dating profile consists of horribly awkward photos of him attempting to appear rugged. It makes sense that he would use pictures of Lake Placid's coolest guy — and his former friend — to get a date because he doesn't believe in himself.

Playing a character who essentially deceives someone into loving him must be tough. Yang pulls it off by being funny and vulnerable. So even though we're wired to distrust his character, we still want to like him. Previously, the actor has popped up in the ninth season of the long-running FX comedy series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," Season 2 of "New Girl," "Fresh off the Boat," and the 2018 blockbuster rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians." He may be best known, however, as app developer Jian-Yang in the HBO comedy "Silicon Valley."

Josh's father is not an overbearing man. In fact, he doesn't say much at all. He loves the outdoors and really gets along with Josh's former friend, Tag, but he's never tried to turn his son into someone more like him. Of course, the man is still a bit of an intimidating presence. He appears to be so comfortable in his roles as father, husband, and businessman that it isn't a massive leap to understand why Josh pretends to be like him.

The actor inhabiting the role is non-other than veteran actor James Saito. He's racked up a ton of credits over his nearly 50-year history as an actor in film and television. Chances are good you've encountered him in one of his many roles on the legendary television series "M*A*S*H." Trekkers may recognize him from the opening episode of "Star Trek: Voyager," where he played Second Lieutenant Nogami. In 2019, he appeared in another Netflix romantic comedy, "Always Be My Maybe," and the Amazon Studios series "Modern Love." Plenty of fans, however, probably remember him best as the original live-action Shredder in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" from 1990.

One of the many reasons Josh seems to struggle with self-esteem is Owen, his absolutely perfect, attention-seeking older brother played by Harry Shum Jr. Before the character appears on screen, you know pretty much all you need to know just by how he announces his arrival. He thinks he's the best at everything and deserving of the praise he receives from his wife and family.

Shum plays the character as smug yet with an underpinning of insecurity. He thrives on the positive energy in a way that asks the question, "Could he even survive without adulation?" Before taking the role of Owen, Shum honed his craft as an actor and dancer with appearances in "You Got Served," "Stomp the Yard," "Step Up 2: The Streets," "Glee" (where he played Mike Chang), "Shadowhunters," and "Tell Me A Story." Like his costar Jimmy O. Yang, he also appeared in the film "Crazy Rich Asians."

Other than being the wife of Josh's perfect older brother, Owen, Chelsea isn't given a whole lot to do in "Love Hard." In a way, she assists her husband in his attention-stealing antics, but she doesn't do this out of any kind of malice. Her husband is a guy who needs constant approval, and she seems to provide that to him in spades while also having a funny line here and there.

Mikaela Hoover, the actress playing Chelsea, may not do much in the film, but that doesn't mean she hasn't made a name for herself with an impressive list of TV and film roles over the years. For instance, she's collaborated with Marvel and Disney directing superstar James Gunn on several of his projects. These include his comedy series "PG Porn," the wild superhero film "Super," and both "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad." You may have also seen her in the 2008 WB series "Sorority Forever," "Happy Endings," and "Two and a Half Men."

Lee is Natalie's passive-aggressive, self-obsessed, drama-addicted boss, portrayed by actor Matty Finochio. Of all the performances in the film, no one seems to relish their role more than Finochio. Every scene he's in becomes about him whether it was intended to or not. Despite providing Natalie with little more than toxic advice, the audience can't help but enjoy watching him do his thing.

This may explain Finochio's mammoth body of work. He may not be a star, but you've seen him all over the place. From "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" and "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb "(where he played two different characters) to "Date My Dad," "The Order," and a recurring role as Tweedledee in "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland," it's very likely you've seen him before. He also boasts impressive credits such as "Riverdale," "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," and Syfy's "Day of the Dead" series.