‘Alice and Steve’ stars talk ruining the friendship in new Hulu series
Yali Topol Margalith, Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker attend the ‘Alice and Steve’ premiere during the 2026 Tribeca Festival at SVA Theater on June 4, 2026, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker are ruining the friendship in the new Hulu comedy series Alice and Steve. The two star as the titular best friends whose relationship is tested when Steve starts dating Alice’s adult daughter, Izzy.
It’s being described as a “wrong com” instead of a rom-com, but Walker tells ABC Audio that while her character, Alice, might call it that, she believes it’s more nuanced.
“I think it’s hugely problematic and going to, you know, [be] a grenade that blows up everybody’s lives. But I don’t think it’s wrong,” she says of the relationship between Steve and the 26-year-old Izzy.
“No one is right and nobody is wrong completely, but everyone behaves appallingly at times,” she adds. “And yet you understand them and sympathize with them, I think.”
Clement says there’s “a lot of gray area” in terms of the characters’ behavior, and while he doesn’t necessarily relate to Steve, he at least feels for him.
“He is extremely lonely when we begin, and he’s just lost a good friend, a mutual friend of his and Alice’s,” Clement says. “And so he’s thinking about his entire life at that moment.”
All six episodes of Alice and Steve are now streaming on Hulu.
Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman, John Ross Bowie and Brian Posehn in ‘Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.’ (Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max)
Are you ready for the next The Big Bang Theory spinoff?
HBO Max has announced that the series Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will be available to stream in July.
The new series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart, Lauren Lapkus as Denise, Brian Posehn as Bert and John Ross Bowie as Barry.
“Comic book store owner Stuart Bloom is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon,” according to its official logline. “Along the way, they meet alternate-universe versions of characters we’ve come to know and love from The Big Bang Theory. As the title implies, things don’t go well.”
Additionally, HBO has announced that the series’ original theme music will be created by Emmy and Grammy winner Danny Elfman.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe comes from Chuck Lorre Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. It is created, written and executive produced by Lorre, Zak Penn and Bill Prady.
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is not the first Big Bang Theory spinoff. Young Sheldon, which followed the origins of the original show’s protagonist, Sheldon Cooper, aired on CBS from 2017 to 2024. A spinoff of Young Sheldon, titled Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, currently airs on CBS. It premiered in October 2024 and is now in the middle of its second season.
In this Oct. 11, 2019, file photo, actor Sam Neill attends a press conference at the Sitges Fantastic Film Festival in Sitges, Spain. (Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images, FILE)
The Hollywood community is remembering Sam Neill following news of his death Monday.
Toni Collette, who starred with Neill in 2014’s A Long Way Down and 2002’s Dirty Deeds, called Neill a “legend” in an Instagram tribute.
“I love you, dear Sam. You hero. You legend. You sweetheart. Our great friend. You are already missed so very much. Continue in peace wherever you are,” Collette wrote.
Richard E. Grant, who co-starred with Neill in 2019’s Palm Beach, remembered his longtime friend in an Instagram post.
“Knew @samneilltheprop for 3 decades and finally worked with him on PALM BEACH in 2018,” Grant captioned the post, which included several photos of Neill. “An officer and a Gentleman in the truest sense. Guided and helped me through a very difficult time in my Life.”
He added, “Sail on, kind Sir.”
Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow, who worked with Neill on 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, described Neill as a “deeply soulful and beautiful man.”
“He was a friend and collaborator at a challenging time, and his strength gave us all strength,” Trevorrow wrote in an Instagram tribute. “I’ll remember him for his tranquility, his love of wine, and for the calm assuredness he brought to his characters. It’s not every lifetime you get to befriend a legend. Forever grateful.”
Fellow New Zealand actor Karl Urban expressed condolences for Neill’s family and friends in a comment on Instagram.
“Sam was truly brilliant. An inspiration for many who followed in his trailblazing footsteps,” he wrote. “A beautiful man, a national treasure who gave so much to New Zealand and the to world. God speed Sam.”
Neill died Monday at the age of 78, according to a statement shared on the actor’s social media account.
The veteran actor had revealed publicly in 2023 that he had undergone treatment for blood cancer, including taking a monthly chemotherapy drug, but had announced he was cancer-free in April this year.
In a statement released Monday, Neill’s family and loved ones said the actor was cancer-free when he died.
“Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life,” the statement read. “The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer free.”
The statement also expressed “deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.”
“More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss,” it added.
Jodie Comer attends The 2025 Fashion Awards presented by Pandora at the Royal Albert Hall on Dec. 1, 2025, in London, England. (Lia Toby/Getty Images)
Jodie Comer is the first link in The Chain.
The actress is set to star in the upcoming HBO series The Chain from creator Damon Lindelof. Comer will play Rachel in the limited series, which is based on the bestselling book by Adrian McKinty.
Comer’s casting was announced in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“Meet Rachel,” the caption reads. “Jodie Comer stars in #TheChain, the new Damon Lindelof limited series based off the book by Adrian McKinty.”
McKinty’s 2019 book follows a suburban mom, named Rachel, who has to consider the unthinkable when her daughter is kidnapped. While details on the show are being kept under wraps, a press release from HBO says Lindelof is “expanding the mythology of McKinty’s award-winning thriller.”
HBO ordered The Chain back in January. At the time it was announced, Lindelof said, “From the moment I heard the wild and original premise of Adrian’s book, I was shocked, surprised and angry I hadn’t thought of it myself.”
He continued, “I’ve always wanted to try to adapt a great thriller and this one has all the dark, weird, exhilarating touches that fire up my imagination.”
