The dramatic powerhouse known for The Last of Us steps into comedic territory alongside Steve Carell in Bill Lawrence’s new HBO campus series, which has already earned an 88% critics score.
Danielle Deadwyler has spent years earning praise for her dramatic work, but her latest role makes a strong case that she belongs just as comfortably in comedy. The actress has joined Steve Carell in Rooster, a new 10-episode HBO series that debuted on March 8, 2026, and has already carved out a place as one of the more talked-about new comedies of the year.
Created by Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, the series is set on a New England college campus and centers on Greg Russo, an introverted and successful pulp fiction author who takes a position as writer in residence at Ludlow College, navigating academic life alongside his daughter. The show draws on Lawrence’s established ability honed through Ted Lasso and Shrinking to balance genuine warmth with moments of real awkwardness.
Deadwyler steps into new comedic territory
In Rooster, Deadwyler plays Dylan, a poetry professor whose presence on campus becomes a source of both intrigue and humor. The role is a notable departure from the weightier dramatic work she has become known for, and early reception suggests the shift has paid off.
Critics have pointed to her natural comedic timing and the emotional grounding she brings to what could easily have been a supporting role lost in the shuffle of an ensemble cast. Her character develops an unexpected dynamic with Carell’s Greg that gives the series some of its sharpest and most entertaining exchanges, with the two navigating academia’s unforgiving social landscape in ways that feel both funny and recognizably human.
For Deadwyler, the role represents a meaningful expansion of what audiences and Hollywood alike have come to expect from her, demonstrating that the range she showed in drama translates with surprising ease to a comedic setting.
Carell anchors the ensemble with quiet precision
Carell’s performance as Greg Russo leans into vulnerability rather than broad comedic swings. The character is shy and somewhat out of his depth in the academic world, and Lawrence and Tarses wisely build the show’s rhythm around that discomfort rather than forcing their lead into familiar sitcom territory.
The ensemble around him which includes Charly Clive as his daughter Katie, John C. McGinley as the college president and Phil Dunster rounding out the core cast gives the series the kind of layered chemistry that tends to keep viewers coming back. Clive in particular has drawn notice for her work as Katie, whose relationship with her father anchors much of the show’s emotional core.
The 10 episode format gives the story enough room to let secondary characters and subplots develop without feeling compressed, a luxury that shorter comedy orders rarely afford.
What critics and audiences are saying
With 49 professional reviews counted, Rooster holds an 88% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audience scores sit at 65% based on more than 100 verified viewer ratings, a gap that reflects some tonal debate among general viewers, though the critical response has remained largely enthusiastic.
The Hollywood Reporter offered a mixed take, praising the cast chemistry while flagging some inconsistency in tone across episodes. NPR’s pop culture coverage landed on the fresher end, recommending the series as a comedy with both humor and genuine heart. The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes describes the show as finding a kind-spirited, good-time register that works thanks largely to its two leads.
How it fits into the current campus comedy landscape
Rooster arrives at a moment when college-set comedies have been making something of a quiet comeback on streaming. Netflix’s Vladimir and the earlier HBO series The Chair both explored academic settings with varying degrees of success. Where Rooster appears to distinguish itself is in its commitment to emotional authenticity. The show is less interested in the absurdity of campus politics for its own sake and more focused on the personal connections and generational friction that emerge when people from different worlds are thrown together in close quarters.
Lawrence’s signature as a showrunner has always involved finding the warmth inside flawed characters, and Rooster fits that template while giving Tarses room to ensure the dialogue carries real wit and specificity.
New episodes are rolling out weekly on Max, with three currently available. For viewers already familiar with Lawrence’s previous work or simply looking for a comedy that takes its characters seriously, Rooster offers a genuinely rewarding early investment.