By David Craig

Published: Tuesday, 11 January 2022 at 12:00 am


Toast of Tinseltown episode two wowed viewers with more A-list celebrity cameos, from animation icon Homer Simpson to Marvel superstar Paul Rudd.

The sitcom is a continuation of Channel 4’s Toast of London, starring Matt Berry as controversial actor Steven Toast as he attempts to take his ailing career to the next level.

Springfield’s most notorious resident appears early in episode two, when Toast remarks that America is much like what he expected, turning to see three bikini-clad women carrying assault rifles.

His gaze then shifts to across the table, where we see Homer sitting opposite him with a pint of Duff beer, which he raises with a wink to the camera.

IT: Chapter Two star Bill Hader also bags a guest role as Hollywood director Dwight Difference, who insults Toast’s appearance and place of residence on a Zoom call, believing himself to be muted at the time.

This seems to be a reference to a clip that went viral in late 2020, when real-life director Tristram Shapeero criticised the apartment of actor Lukas Gage in a virtual audition, an incident for which he issued a “sincere and unvarnished apology”.

Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) also appears in the role of Billy Tarzana, a woman who pretends she cannot speak English so that she can avoid getting trapped in a conversation with the eccentric Russ Nightlife (Fred Armisen).

Berry reunites with his Year of the Rabbit co-stars Susan Wokoma and Freddie Fox in this episode, with the former playing Dwight’s assistant Nina Armenian and the latter appearing as a version of himself named Edward Fox.

"Susan
Susan Wokoma in Toast of Tinseltown
BBC

Ant-Man and the Wasp star Paul Rudd, who was recently named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, makes a brief cameo as himself, being turned away from Dwight’s David Bowie-themed party for turning up in the same costume as the host.

Viewers might be left scratching their heads about the identity of Toast’s US-based agent Brooke Hooberman, who appears in heavy prosthetics and is credited under the pseudonym Cocoah Mankind.

This is actually not a celebrity cameo but a new role for regular cast member Doon Mackichan, who also plays Toast’s British talent agent Jane Plough.

The big reveal at the end of episode two is that Toast is in the running to make a film with Daniel Day-Lewis, but not even the genius comedy of Matt Berry was enough to coax the acclaimed actor out of retirement.

Instead, Guy Combes portrays Day-Lewis, appearing briefly in a costume inspired by Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes, which is so startling that it sends Toast into a deranged frenzy.

Suffice to say, it looks like he still has a long way to go before making it big in the States, with more Hollywood stars sure to cross his path in the remaining four episodes.

Toast of Tinseltown is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.