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Hulu\u2019s series The Bear<\/em><\/a> proved there\u2019s no such thing as too many chefs in the kitchen after two seasons of\u00a0star-studded cameos.<\/a><\/p>\n The show, which debuted in June 2022, explores the food industry through the lens of a talented chef named Carmy (Jeremy Allen White<\/strong>)<\/a>, who returns to Chicago to run his older brother Mikey\u2019s (Jon Bernthal<\/strong>) restaurant following his death.<\/p>\n Season 1 focused on Carmy\u2019s attempts to help the sandwich shop thrive as he deals with his own grief. The initial episodes served as a jumping off point to the show\u2019s second season \u2014 which followed Carmy, Sydney (Ayo Edebir<\/strong>i) and other employees at The Beef<\/a> as they opened up their new restaurant on a very tight deadline.<\/p>\n In the middle of season 2, The Bear pivoted to a flashback Christmas episode that allowed the audience to see the unstable dynamics<\/a> between various Berzatto family members such as Carmy, Natalie and Mikey\u2019s mother, Donna Berzatto, who was played by Jamie Lee Curtis<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n The Halloween<\/em> star took to social media in June 2023 to open up up about bringing the complicated character to life.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe secrets is out. We all have them. Every family. Every human being. The center of the brilliant masterpiece that is commonly referred to as @thebearfx is the story of a family secrets and the concentric circles of rage and trauma and grief and humor that revolve around, Carmen, Sugar, and Michael Berzatto,\u201d Curtis captioned an Instagram post at the time. \u201cWhen I saw the first episode of the first show, last summer and Sugar asks Carmen if he had spoken to their mother, in that second I knew that I would play her. Don\u2019t ask me how. I just knew.\u201d<\/p>\n Curtis referred to Donna as the \u201crole of a lifetime\u201d after joining the cast<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s not a person alive who won\u2019t relate to what it feels like to be around someone like Donna Berzatto. I certainly have my own experiences. That\u2019s what makes the show so magnificent,\u201d she continued. \u201cWe can relate and commiserate and celebrate all of our communal survival in this thing called\u2026. life. Thank you Chris @chrisstorer and the ENTIRE BEAR family of creative human beings and scene partners for allowing me in to let it rip!\u201d<\/p>\n While Curtis manifested her role on the show, Bernthal\u2019s journey was very different when it came to his pivotal appearance as Mikey. Bernthal joined the cast in season 1 after his former Punisher<\/em> costar Ebon Moss-Bachrach<\/strong><\/a>, who plays Richie on the series, recommended him.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were trying to cast that role Michael for a while. And they asked us, \u2018Does anyone have any ideas?\u2019 And they asked me and I was like, \u2018I don\u2019t think we should ever see him.\u2019 Because when you talk about somebody, and hype them up so much, it\u2019s always a letdown,\u201d Moss-Bachrach told Cinema Blend<\/em> in June 2023. \u201cAnd then it did occur to me one day, and I was like, \u2018Well, I do think Jon is such a charismatic and hilarious dude.\u2019 I was like, \u2018He actually would be really great.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Moss-Bachrach noted that it was easy to film Richie and Mikey\u2019s moments<\/a>, adding, \u201cWe really enjoy working with each other. So, he was happy to come. Even without reading the script he was like, \u2018Yeah, sure. I\u2019ll come I can do it. If we can make it work. We\u2019ll do it.\u2019 It was really cool. It was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n