Michael Lawson (Neil Patrick Harris) has it all in the series premiere of Uncoupled. He’s a successful real estate agent; in a long-term, committed relationship with hunky hedge fund manager Colin (Tuc Watkins); and has lots of supportive friends and colleagues around him.
But when the so-called love of his life walks out on him, Michael’s entire world is flipped upside-down, and he has to discover how to navigate life in New York City on his own.
Below, meet Michael, Colin and their fellow Manhattanites as they learn the meaning of how to get uncoupled — and be OK with it.
The character: Michael is a real estate broker in his late 40s who thought his relationship with Colin would last forever. Now that he’s been dumped, he must confront his self-absorbed, overbearing tendencies and re-enter the dating scene.
The actor: You remember how you, um, met Neil Patrick Harris, whether it was when he was a young star scrubbing in as the titular Doogie Howser, M.D., or decades later, when he starred as the sinister Count Olaf on A Series of Unfortunate Events, or in between those two series, when he appeared as the lovable lothario Barney Stinson on the long-running sitcom How I Met Your Mother. An executive producer as well as the star of Uncoupled, Emmy Award-winner Harris is also known for his performances in Gone Girl, Stark Raving Mad, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and on Glee. On stage, Harris has performed in Rent, Cabaret, Assassins, Amadeus, Company, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and, most recently, Into the Woods. He won a Tony Award for Hedwig in 2014.
The socials: Follow Harris on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: Michael’s spunky real estate colleague and BFF is navigating life as a single woman in NYC, who also happens to be a single mom with a son in his 20s.
The actor: Tisha Campbell is well acquainted with the perils of finding love in New York City, as her big screen debut was in the 1986 movie musical Little Shop of Horrors. She’s also appeared on television series such as Rags to Riches, Martin, My Wife & Kids, All of Us, Empire and Outmatched. Or maybe you know her from films like School Daze, Rooftops, Another 48 Hrs., Boomerang, Sprung and the House Party franchise? Campbell has a long and storied career, the kind that begs for a watch party of its own.
The socials: Follow Campbell on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: A charismatic TV meteorologist (making him something of a local celebrity), Billy’s always on the lookout for a cute young fling.
The actor: Right before starring in Uncoupled, Brooks appeared on Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer. He can also be seen on Queens, Blue Bloods, MacGyver, The Last Ship, NCIS: Los Angeles, 24, Lost and All My Children, as well as in a stint as a senior SHIELD agent in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The socials: Follow Brooks on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: A droll, pretentious art dealer who’s one of Michael’s oldest friends, Stanley is yet another middle-aged New Yorker exploring the competitive local dating scene.
The actor: Brooks Ashmanskas is a Tony-nominated theater darling who has performed in productions of The Prom, Sunday in the Park with George, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, Something Rotten!, Gypsy, The Producers and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, to name a few. His film and television career includes roles in All My Children, Julie & Julia, The Good Wife, Tales of the City, The Good Lord Bird and Better Nate Than Ever.
The character: Michael and Suzanne’s client is extremely rich and very fussy. She’s getting a divorce after 28 years of marriage and is having some trouble figuring out what’s next.
The actor: Marcia Gay Harden’s career took off in 1990 after her breakthrough role in the Coen brothers’ Miller’s Crossing. 10 years later, she won an Oscar for her performance in Pollock. Other big screen credits include Crush, Used People, The First Wives Club, Flubber, Space Cowboys, Desperate Measures, Mystic River, Mona Lisa Smile, Whip It, Moxie and the Fifty Shades of Grey films. On television, you may have seen her on Sinatra, The Education of Max Bickford, She’s Too Young, Damages, Royal Pains, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Trophy Wife, The Newsroom, How to Get Away with Murder, Code Black, Barkskins and The Morning Show. Harden made her Broadway debut in Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play Angels in America and returned to the Great White Way for God of Carnage in 2009.
The socials: Follow Harden on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: Michael’s handsome ex is a wealth manager who was never very open about his emotions — which is why he walked out on Michael without any explanation.
The actor: Tuc Watkins memorably starred in The Boys in the Band on Broadway and reprised his role in the film adaptation. He’s appeared in numerous television series, including Desperate Housewives, Black Monday, The Other Two, Major Crimes, Awkward and Parks and Recreation. You may have also seen him in films like The Good Shepherd, Miracle in Lane 2, The Mummy, Can’t Stop Dancing and The Thin Pink Line.
The socials: Follow Watkins on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: Jack is Michael’s wise older neighbor who’s been around the block a few times, and can sympathize with Michael’s heartache over his breakup.
The actor: If you’re a theater fan, you may still be reeling from André De Shields’ stunner of a Tony Awards acceptance speech for his role in Hadestown in 2019, when he shared his three cardinal rules of success and longevity: 1) Surround yourself with people whose eyes light up when they see you coming, 2) slowly is the fastest way to get where you want to be and 3) the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, so keep climbing. His stage credits are extensive. In addition to Hadestown, he’s performed in productions of Death of a Salesman, Impressionism, Prymate, The Full Monty, Play On!, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Stardust, The Wiz, Warp and his revue, André De Shields’ Haarlem Nocturne, which he also co-wrote, co-directed and choreographed. He’s also choreographed two shows for Bette Midler. On-screen, he’s appeared in Prison, Extreme Measures, As the World Turns, Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle, The Inheritance, The Backseat, Katy Keene, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Tick, Tick… Boom! as a “Sunday” legend.
The socials: Follow De Shields on Instagram and Twitter.
The character: Tyler is a smug millennial realtor who constantly jostles with Michael for listings at their firm.
The actor: In true New York fashion, Nic Rouleau is known for his theatrical performances. He starred as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon for 2,500 performances on Broadway, in Chicago and on the West End. He appeared in the first national tour of Hello, Dolly!, starring Betty Buckley, and the national tour of Legally Blonde: The Musical. He also played Daddy’s Boy in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
