Meet the cast of Netflix romcom Happiness for Beginners
Ellie Kemper leads the cast of the new film based on the novel of the same name from 2015.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper leads the cast of the new Netflix romcom Happiness for Beginners, which is based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Katherine Center.
Kemper stars as a recent divorcee who decides to sign up to an Appalachian Trail survivalist course in a bid to learn how to live and love again, only to find that her younger brother's best friend is doing the same course.
Kemper is joined in the cast by a couple of familiar faces – read on to find out where you might have seen them before.
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Ellie Kemper plays Helen
Who is Helen? A newly-divorced woman who has always lived as far from the edge as possible – and who signs up for the “Adventure of a Lifetime!” hiking the Appalachian Trail with a group of oddball strangers.
What else has Ellie Kemper been in? Kemper is best known for her roles as Erin Hannon in the The Office (US) and as the title character in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, while film credits include Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street and Home Sweet Home Alone.
Luke Grimes plays Jake
Who is Jake? A friend of Helen's younger brother, who she previously dismissed as irresponsible - but soon sees in a new light while they connect on the survival course.
What else has Luke Grimes been in? Previous film credits for Grimes include as Marc Alan Lee in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper and Elliot Grey in the Fifty Shades series, while he has a starring role as Kayce Dutton in the hit TV show Yellowstone. Other TV credits include Brothers and Sisters and True Blood.
Nico Santos plays Hugh
Who is Hugh? Another hiker on the trip, who bonds with Helen – often by making fun of the other people on the course.
What else has Nico Santos been in? Santos has previously starred as Oliver T'sien in the hit film Crazy Rich Asians and as Mateo Liwanag in the sitcom Superstore, while he recently played the role of Recorder Theel in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.
Shayvawn Webster plays Windy
Who is Windy? Another hiker on the group, who develops a crush on Jake.
What else has Shayvawn Webster been in? Webster has a recurring role last year as Detective Dani Vertiz in Law & Order, while other credits include episodes of Instinct, Devs and Blue Bloods.
Ben Cook plays Beckett
Who is Beckett? The leader of the survival course Helen is taking.
What else has Ben Cook been in? Cook has appeared extensively on stage on Broadway in productions such as Billy Elliott, Mean Girls, and West Side Story, while screen credits include episodes of 30 Rock, House of Cards, Veep, Law & Order: SVU and recurring roles in The First Lady and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Alexander Koch plays Duncan
Who is Duncan? Helen's younger brother and Jake's best friend.
What else has Alexander Koch been in? Koch had a regular role in the mystery series Under the Dome and appeared in several episodes of Lucifer season 5, while film credits include Black Bear and Sightless.
The cast also includes: Esteban Benito (Isn't it Romantic?) as Mason, Gus Birney (I'm Thinking of Ending Things) as Kaylee, Julia Shiplett (A Tourist's Guide to Love) as Sue, and Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents) in an undisclosed role.
Happiness for Beginners is released on Netflix on Thursday 27th July 2023. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
