''Rude Awakening'' is an American television

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

series created by Claudia Lonow, that aired on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

over fifty-five 22-minute episodes spanning three seasons from August 1, 1998 to February 15, 2001.

Story

''Rude Awakening'' tells the story of Billie Frank, an out of work alcoholic ex-soap-opera actress. She tries to go sober and become a writer but continues to struggle with her self-destructive habits. The show depicts her relations with other members of Addictions Anonymous, her neighbor Dave, and her mother, Trudy.

Episodes

Cast

Main

Sherilyn Fenn Sherilyn Fenn (born Sheryl Ann Fenn; February 1, 1965) is an American actress. She played Audrey Horne on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. She als ...

as Billie Frank *

Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was a British and American actress. During a career that spanned five decades, she won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Em ...

as Trudy Frank *

Jonathan Penner Jonathan Lindsay Penner (born March 5, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, television personality, and film producer, known for producing and starring in the film '' The Last Supper'', as well as acting in the television series '' Rude Aw ...

as Dave Parelli * Rain Pryor as Jackie Garcia (seasons 1–2) * Roger E. Mosley as Milton "Milt" Johnson (season 2) *

Mario Van Peebles Mario Van Peebles (born January 15, 1957) is a Mexican-born American director and actor. He is best known for appearing in ''Heartbreak Ridge'' in 1986, and known for directing and starring in ''New Jack City'' in 1991, and ''USS Indianapolis: ...

as Marcus Adams (season 3)

Recurring

Paul Ben-Victor Paul Ben-Victor (born ) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', Alan Gray in '' Entourage'' (2005–2008), and Ray in '' Body Parts'' (1991). Early lif ...

as Carl *

Corinne Bohrer Corinne Bohrer (born October 18, 1958) is an American film and television actress whose career has spanned four decades and includes regular roles in eight primetime series produced between 1984 and 2015: '' E/R'' (1984–85) ''I’ll Take Man ...

as Tish Frank * Dan Finnerty as Joe the Bartender *

Tom Gallop Tom Gallop is an American actor. He is best known for his performance as Tom Cronin in the '' Bourne'' film franchise and for playing recurring character Rob in ''Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mu ...

as Jerry Frank *

Jason Graae Jason Graae (pronounced "grah" or "graw", but not "gray") (born 15 May 1958) is an American musical theater actor, best known for his musical theater performances but with a varied career spanning Broadway, opera, television and film. He has ...

as Chad * Richard Lewis as Harve Schwartz * Mark Lonow as Max Frank * Ana Mercedes as Antonia the Maid *

Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the '' National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for ...

as Sidney 'Syd' Gibson (season 2) *

Taylor Dayne Taylor Dayne (born Leslie Wunderman; March 7, 1962) is an American singer who rose to fame after her first two albums ('' Tell It to My Heart'' and '' Can't Fight Fate'') were both certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of ...

as Maureen (seasons 2–3) *

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the musical film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London, 1974 L ...

as Martin Crisp (seasons 2–3) *

Jack Plotnick Jack Plotnick is an American film and television actor, writer, and producer. Career Plotnick is possibly best known for his role as Edmund Kay in the 1998 period drama '' Gods and Monsters'', which won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Scr ...

as Clark (seasons 2–3) *

Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Who, known for his powerful voice and charismatic stage presence. His stage persona ear ...

as Nobby Clegg (season 2) * George Katt as Zack (season 2) *

Elizabeth Lackey Elizabeth Lackey (born 2 March 1971), is an Australian actress sometimes credited under the name Lisa Lackey. Career Lackey grew up in Orange, New South Wales, and attended Orange High School. Lackey was working as a model before she was cas ...

as Raquel (season 3) *

Salli Richardson Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield (born Salli Elise Richardson, November 23, 1967) is an American actress and television director. Richardson is known for her role as Angela in the film '' A Low Down Dirty Shame'' (1994) and for her role as Dr. A ...

as Nancy Adams (season 3) * Jenny Robertson as Haley (season 3)

Notable guest stars

Karen Black Karen Blanche Black (née Ziegler; July 1, 1939 – August 8, 2013) was an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She rose to prominence for her work in various studio and independent films in the 1970s, frequently portr ...

as Crystal Garcia *

Jennifer Coolidge Jennifer Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she wa ...

as Sue *

Lana Parrilla Lana Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress. She was a regular cast member in the fifth season of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Spin City'' (2000–2001) and in the fourth season of ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2005), ...

as Nurse Lorna * Ron Glass as Marcus' father *

CCH Pounder Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Claudette Wyms in the FX police drama series '' The Shield'' (2002–2008), Mo'at in the ''Avatar'' (2009–present) franchise, ...

as Tracy *

as Sidney Gibson *

Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox / Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development'' (2003–2019) and Marty Byrde in the Netflix crime drama s ...

as Ryan *

as Martin Crisp *

as Nobby Clegg * Martin Lewis as Nigel *

Michelle Phillips Holly Michelle Phillips ( Gilliam; born June 4, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Described by ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine as the "purest soprano in pop music", she rose to fame in the mid-1960s with the folk rock vocal ...

as Vivian *

Alan Young Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was a British-born actor. Young is best known for portraying Wilbur Post in the television comedy '' Mister Ed'' (1961–1966) and voicing Disney's Scrooge McDuck for over ...

as Priest

Notes

References

* *

External links

* {{Showtime Network programming 1998 American television series debuts 2001 American television series endings 1990s American LGBTQ-related sitcoms 2000s American LGBTQ-related sitcoms 1990s American single-camera sitcoms 2000s American single-camera sitcoms Television series by Sony Pictures Television Showtime (TV network) original programming American English-language television shows Television shows set in Los Angeles Television shows about alcohol abuse