FX on Hulu’s The Bear is a big hit among those of us who have been traumatized by our stints in the food-service industry, but few servers, line cooks or head chefs can relate to star Abby Elliott’s desire for the next a–hole customer who comes in yelling about something that’s not her fault to be her dad.
Season Two of the too-real dramedy about a dysfunctionally delicious Italian beef shop on Chicago’s North Side dropped yesterday evening, and the second installment’s early 100 percent rating on RottenTomatoes indicates that the cast and crew of The Bear continue to build upon its jagged charm. However, the story of food and family is missing one key ingredient according to series star Elliott — her dad, prolific comedic actor, writer and director Chris Elliott of Schitt’s Creek and Scary Movie fame.
Abby plays Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto, sister to Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy and the angry voice of reason in an unstable family. “I would love for my dad to be in it in some capacity,” the younger Elliott told People. Looking at her father’s IMDb page, it’s surprising that there are still comedies that haven’t featured a Chris Elliott cameo.
“That would be really, really fun,” Elliott said of the possibility of teaming up with her father on-screen. The father-daughter duo appeared together in the younger Elliott’s earliest acting gigs, including the 2006 made-for-TV movie You’ve Reached the Elliotts and the sketch special Chrissy: Plain & Simple in 2007. But after Abby landed her largest TV role when she joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2008, the two have shared the screen just once — in the 2018 dramedy film Clara’s Ghost, written by Abby’s sister Bridey.
On the topic of what her father’s role would be in The Bear, Elliott said, “I don’t know who he would play. Maybe a disgruntled customer, or someone in the family.” Or maybe neither — maybe he plays the gang’s butler who has a weird tiny hand. Maybe he helps in the kitchen, too.
