Paint Cast & Character Guide

Paint is a comedy from Brit McAdams that stars Owen Wilson as a funhouse version of Bob Ross, a TV host surrounded by a cast of very funny actors.

The 2023 independent comedy Paint stars Owen Wilson surrounded by a hilarious cast of characters played by some well-known comic talents as well as new faces. Paint follows Carl Nargle, a fictional TV personality who has the soft speech, bouncy hair, and careful brush strokes of television icon Bob Ross but none of his gregariousness and modesty. Carl's dominance of PBS Burlington is challenged when a younger, more talented artist is hired to come on after his time slot. Suddenly faced with the fact that he's no longer the top dog of the station or even of his own office, Carl has to figure out how to remain relevant.

Television director Brit McAdams (Tosh.0) helms his first theatrical feature with Paint. The movie follows a modern story about an overconfident man who suddenly realizes that the world is changing around him, and he's being left behind. Despite the modern setting, Paint is filmed with a lo-fi '90s aesthetic that transports the audience visually but retains modern characters and dialogue. Here is a guide to the cast of Paint, which characters they play, and what else the actors are known for.

Owen Wilson leads the cast of Paint as Carl Nargle, the quiet and ostensibly nice painter who shows a jealous side when he's challenged. Wilson is famous for starting out with filmmaker Wes Anderson as a co-writer and star of the latter's movies, and Paint's comedy and cinematography seem to owe a lot to Anderson's oeuvre. In addition to his work with Anderson, Wilson has played many likable and iconic characters, including lead roles in Wedding Crashers, Midnight in Paris, Zoolander, and the animated Cars franchise. On the small screen, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mobius M. Mobius on Loki.

Katherine is Carl's ex-girlfriend and his underappreciated producer, who hires his competition. Katherine is portrayed in Paint by comedian and actor Michaela Watkins. A short-lived Saturday Night Live cast member between 2008 and 2009, Watkins has also played minor roles in the comedies Good Boys, Wanderlust, and Brigsby Bear. She also delivered a dramatic performance in Ben Affleck's The Way Back as his character's sister, Beth. Watkins is a prolific television actor who has made appearances in The Dropout and Big Mouth, and starred in the 2015-2018 Hulu comedy Casual as Valerie, a therapist in the middle of a divorce.

When the PBS offices in Burlington decide to add another painting show, they bring in the talented and likable Ambrosia. She is a foil to Carl and ends up being more like him than anyone initially realizes. Ciara Renée takes on this antagonist role as part of the cast of Paint after spending most of her working career on stage. Renée's most notable Broadway role was her turn as Elsa in Frozen the musical in 2020. On the small screen, Renée plays Kendra Saunders a.k.a. Hawkgirl as a recurring character on The Flash and Arrow and as a main cast member in season 1 of DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Stephen Root plays Tony as part of the cast of Paint. Tony is a well-meaning station manager who decides, along with Katherine, that a second artist is just what PBS needs. Root is a prolific television and movie actor who first gained widespread attention as the muttering Milton in the movie Office Space. He is a chameleon who has played a vast array of characters in many different genres. Root co-stars in DodgeBall, No Country For Old Men, and Get Out. On television, he's appeared on dozens of shows, with some of his larger roles being in News Radio, Succession, Perry Mason, and Barry, in which he plays Monroe Fuches.

Jenna, played by Lucy Freyer, is one of Carl's staffers and one of his biggest fans, fawning over his line readings. She and Carl have a relationship that gets tense when Ambrosia's arrival begins uncovering Carl's true colors. Paint marks the first feature film casting for Freyer, who only has two earlier acting credits to her name. Both are small roles on the short-lived TV shows Jake's Unemployment Summer and Dead@17: Rebirth. It's not easy to share a screen with seasoned actors like Wilson, Root, and Watkins, but Freyer does an admirable job as a young woman suddenly realizing she needs to stop idolizing her boss.

Wendi McLendon-Covey as Wendy - Wendi McLendon-Covey plays Wendy, another of Carl's staffers in Paint. McLendon-Covey is a prolific comic actress who notably played Rita in the ensemble cast of Bridesmaids. She's a regular on The Goldbergs as the character Beverly and co-starred on Reno 911! as Deputy Clementine Johnson.

Lusia Strus as Beverly - Beverly is a gravelly-voiced staffer on the PBS Burlington team played by Lusia Strus. Younger audience members may remember Strus as Dr. Xavier in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. She also plays the assistant Alexa in the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates.

Michael Pemberton as Dr. Bradford Lenihan - Michael Pemberton has mostly appeared in one-episode roles in various television series but notably played Dexter in two episodes of Veep and briefly appeared as a lie detector administrator in Bridge of Spies.

Denny Dillon as a PBS Host - Carl is not the only personality on the PBS Burlington television station in Paint, as another host is played by Denny Dillon. The actor starred in the 1990-1996 HBO sitcom Dream On as Toby Pedalbee and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live during season 6.

Evander Duck Jr. as Reuben - Evander Duck Jr. is a prolific television actor who portrayed Brother Clinkscale in Godfather of Harlem on Epix for five episodes. He also appeared in small roles on Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.

Ryan Czerwonko as Young Bar Regular - Ryan Czerwonko is cast as a regular at a bar Carl frequents in Paint. Czerwonko has appeared in numerous television shows since he first appeared on Chicago Fire in 2015. He has played parts in The Blacklist, HBO's Watchmen, and the short-lived series The Endgame.