Stephanie Hsu and Keke Palmer lead a star-studded animated comedy.

By David Craig

Published: Thursday, 22 February 2024 at 16:58 PM


It seems like there’s no shortage of animated sci-fi comedies on streaming these days, but The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy looks poised to stand out from the crowd.

In a review for RadioTimes.com, contributor David Opie described it as “Prime Video’s best animation“, which is no small feat for the home of Invincible, Undone, The Legend of Vox Machina and Hazbin Hotel.

The series follows two intergalactic surgeons, played by Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu and Emmy winner Keke Palmer, as they take on everything from anxiety-devouring parasites to deep-space STIs.

A number of other big name actors are along for the ride – if you recognise one of the voices in the trailer or are just keen to know who you can expect, read on for everything we know about The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy cast.

The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy cast: Full list of actors

Stephanie Hsu plays Dr Sleech

On the left, Stephanie Hsu wears a red and white outfit at The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiere / On the right, her character in the show performs surgery
Stephanie Hsu plays Dr Sleech in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Dr Sleech? Dr Sleech works at the titular Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, alongside her best friend Dr Klak. They take on all manner of wild and unpredictable medical cases.

What else has Stephanie Hsu been in? Hsu rose to international stardom in the cast of Academy Award winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, where she played Joy, the troubled daughter of Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn.

Last year, she followed it up with underrated comedy feature Joy Ride. On the small screen, she’s known for playing Mei Lin in Prime Video’s The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, as well as for recent guest appearances in Poker Face and American Born Chinese.

[squirrel-affiliate-playlist squirrel_playlist_id=”609″ /]

Keke Palmer plays Dr Klak

On the left, Keke Palmer wears a red dress at an event / On the right, her character from The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy performs surgery
Keke Palmer plays Dr Klak in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Robin L Marshall/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Dr Klak? Dr Klak is another of the top medical staff at the Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy, who is particularly close with Dr Sleech.

What else has Keke Palmer been in? Palmer earned acclaim for her performance in Jordan Peele’s Nope, which hit cinemas in 2022. Her other credits include Jennifer Lopez thriller Hustlers, Ryan Murphy’s horror-comedy Scream Queens, plus animated series Big Mouth and its spin-off Human Resources.

Kieran Culkin plays Dr Plowp

On the left, Kieran Culkin photographed in a black t-shirt at Sundance Film Festival / On the right, his character in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Kieran Culkin plays Dr Plowp in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Dr Plowp? Dr Plowp is one of the colleagues of Dr Klak and Dr Sleech, whose alien form somewhat resembles an anthropomorphic chicken.

What else has Kieran Culkin been in? Of course, Culkin is best known for his celebrated role of Roman Roy in Succession, which ended just last year in spectacular form. Previously, he had appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Fargo season 2. His career began as a child actor, appearing in Home Alone (opposite brother Macauley) and Father of the Bride.

Natasha Lyonne plays Nurse Tup

On the left, Natasha Lyonne smiles in a green dress at The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiere / On the right, her character in the show holds a clipboard
Natasha Lyonne plays Nurse Tup in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Nurse Tup? Another regular character on the show, Nurse Tup will be lending a vital hand to the doctors as they’re thrown into wacky sci-fi situations.

What else has Natasha Lyonne been in? Lyonne has had an acclaimed run on streaming television in recent years, giving stellar performances in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll, before hopping over to Peacock for Rian Johnson’s Poker Face. Her earlier credits include comedy films American Pie and But I’m a Cheerleader.

Maya Rudolph plays Dr Vlam

On the left, Maya Rudolph wears white and gold at The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiere / On the right, her robotic character in the show
Maya Rudolph plays Dr Vlam in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Dr Vlam? Another series regular, Dr Vlam appears to be some kind of robotic member of the team.

What else has Maya Rudolph been in? A big name in American comedy, Rudolph rose to prominence on Saturday Night Live before finding success in a wide variety of other projects. These include feature films Grown Ups and Bridesmaids, as well as television sitcoms Big Mouth and The Good Place.

Sam Smith plays Dr Azel

On the left, Sam Smith wears a black top with white stars and gold earrings / On the right, their character in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy performs surgery
Sam Smith plays Dr Azel in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images/Prime Video

Who is Dr Azel? Rounding out the series regulars is Dr Azel, seen performing surgery in the image above.

What else has Sam Smith been in? Smith is primarily known for their music, having released four studio albums, as well as the theme song for 007 film Spectre – which earned them an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Lennon Parham

Lennon Parham laughs at a press event, wearing a black patterned V-neck top
Lennon Parham.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Lennon Parham been in? Parham is a comedy character actor, whose long list of credits include Veep, Lady Dynamite, Arrested Development, Adventure Time, Bob’s Burgers, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Minx.

Gary Anthony Williams

Gary Anthony Williams wears a black jersey with a white t-shirt underneath at The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiere
Gary Anthony Williams at The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy premiere.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Prime Video

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Gary Anthony Williams been in? Williams has an extensive filmography comprised of both animation and live-action. His recent credits include Netflix’s Agent Elvis, Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and DC’s Harley Quinn.

Bowen Yang

Bowen Yang wears a white t-shirt and blue overshirt at a SiriusXM event
Bowen Yang.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Bowen Yang been in? Yang is one of the most prominent members of the current Saturday Night Live cast. He is also known for comedy films Bros and Fire Island, as well as Awkwafina’s acclaimed sitcom Nora From Queens.

Phil LaMarr

Phil LaMarr smiles at a premiere event
Phil LaMarr.
Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Phil LaMarr been in? LaMarr is best known as a voice actor, whose most famous roles include Hermes from Futurama and Samurai Jack in the fan favourite Cartoon Network animation.

Abbi Jacobson

Abbi Jacobson wears a white blazer at an event hosted by Time Magazine
Abbi Jacobson.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Abbi Jacobson been in? Jacobson is best known for her acclaimed Comedy Central sitcom Broad City, where she was co-creator and co-star opposite Ilana Glazer. She went on to play Princess Bean in Netflix’s Disenchantment and spearheaded Prime Video’s recent reimagining of A League of Their Own.

Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross photographed in a white dress at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards
Tracee Ellis Ross.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing.

What else has Tracee Ellis Ross been in? Ellis Ross recently had a supporting role in Best Picture contender American Fiction, where she appeared opposite Jeffrey Wright.

She is better known for her celebrated performance as Dr Rainbow Johnson in long-running sitcom Black-ish, which earned her a Golden Globe and five Primetime Emmy nominations. It followed earlier comedy success in the cast of Girlfriends.

Cirocco Dunlap

Cirocco Dunlap wears a black and white dress at the premiere of The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Cirocco Dunlap.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Prime Video

Who are they playing? They have been confirmed as a guest star in season 1, but no character details have been revealed at the time of writing. Dunlap is also the creator of the show.

What else has Cirocco Dunlap been in? Dunlap is best known as a writer, having previously penned scripts for Russian Doll, Little Voice and Miracle Workers, as well as providing material for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.