Chris Klein Isn't the Only Famous Face You'll Spot in Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias" (2024)

After taking a 12-year hiatus from acting, Jamie Lynn Spears (of Zoey 101, country music, and Britney-Spears's-little-sister fame) returned to the small screen as Noreen Fitzgibbons, a young nurse whose affair with Bill Townsend (Chris Klein) and subsequent pregnancy stirs up lots of rumors and gossip in the small Southern town. "Although it was nerve-racking to get back in front of the camera, this felt very natural for me," Spears, now 29, told The Hollywood Reporter. "I remember being 16 years old, being pregnant in a small town. And then on top of it, the whole world was watching."

Find her on Instagram @jamielynnspears.

You probably remember JoAnna Garcia from the Nickelodeon show Are You Afraid of the Dark?, the gone-way-too-soon dramedy Freaks and Geeks, the ABC fairy tale drama Once Upon a Time, or her six-season run playing Reba's oldest daughter on the WB/CW sitcom Reba. But baseball fans might also know the TV veteran as the wife of former MLB outfielder and first baseman Nick Swisher and the mother of their two daughters, Emerson Jay and Sailor Stevie. In Sweet Magnolias, Garcia plays protagonist Maddie Townsend, a mother trying to rebuild her life after her husband (Chris Klein) leaves his family for his pregnant mistress.

Find her on Instagram @jogarciaswisher.

Lifetime fans will instantly recognize Brooke Elliot from the popular series Drop Dead Diva. In it, the 45-year-old actress played Jane Bingum, a razor-sharp lawyer who is possessed by the spirit of superficial model Deb Dobkins. But that's not the Minnesotan's only claim to fame: Elliot actually got her start on the Great White Way, starring in productions of Taboo, The Pirate Queen, and alongside Adam Lambert in the first U.S. tour of Wicked. On Sweet Magnolias, Elliot plays Dana Sue, a single mom and strong-willed head chef of Sullivan's, a beloved local restaurant.

Find her on Instagram @real.brooke.elliott.

As it turns out, Brooke Elliot isn't the only Broadway veteran in Sweet Magnolias: In addition to originating the role of Nala in the musical The Lion King, Heather Headley earned a Tony Award for her title role in the stage adaptation of Aida, and she assumed the role of Shug Avery from Jennifer Hudson in the revival of The Color Purple. In 2017, the mother of three (and wife of retired New York Jets quarterback Brian Musso), broke into acting with roles in the Spike Lee dramedy She's Gotta Have It and the NBC medical drama Chicago Med. Now, she stars as Helen, the whip-smart, socially conscious attorney helping Maddie get through her divorce.

Find her on Instagram @heatherheadley.

Are you thinking, Isn't that Oz from American Pie? (The correct answer: Yes!) After reprising his role as the impossibly polite high school lacrosse player in American Pie 2 and American Reunion, Chris Klein—who was once engaged to Katie Holmes—starred in a couple TV shows (the FX series Wilfred) and movies (the indie comedy Authors Anonymous with Kaley Cuoco) but largely stepped out of the public eye. That is until 2018, when the father of two returned to the spotlight as the villain in the CW show The Flash. Now, the 41-year-old actor is playing Bill Townsend, the small-town cheating husband, who leaves his family for his new, younger, and very pregnant girlfriend (Spears).

Find him on Instagram @iamchrisklein.

Don't watch Nickelodeon? Then you probably don't know Carson Rowland, who played Cole Reyes on the sci-fi drama I Am Frankie. That will change after you see the 22-year-old play Tyler "Ty" Townsend, Maddie's oldest son and a high school baseball player who jeopardizes his grades—and his spot on the team—as he struggles with his parents' divorce.

Follow him on Instagram @carsonrowland.

Another actor fresh off a Nickelodeon show: Dion Johnstone, who played movie star Craig Brooks in the series Star Falls. In Sweet Magnolias, Johnstone plays Erik Whitley, Dana Sue's loyal pastry chef turned sous chef. When he's not on the small screen, though, you'll likely find the Canadian actor on the stage (he's performed in many Shakespeare plays during his nine seasons at the Stratford Festival) or at his drawing table (yes, he's also an artist).

Find him on Instagram @dion_johnstone.

As any Gossip Girl fan will tell you, that's gin sipping CeCe Rhodes! That's not not true, but in real life, it's Caroline Lagerfelt, a French-born actress with an extensive career in TV (she's made appearances in Beverly Hills, 90210, Murphy Brown, The Mindy Project, and The Blacklist to name a few) and an even more distinguished career in theater (she's the recipient of an Obie Award and a Drama Desk nomination). On Sweet Magnolias, she plays Maddie's mom, Paula Vreeland.

Find her on Instagram @mslagerfelt.

You might not know Anneliese Judge yet—but you will after watching Sweet Magnolias. In the show, the acting newbie plays Dana Sue’s teen daughter, Annie Sullivan, who dreams of becoming a photographer.

Find her on Instagram @anneliesecjudge.

After making his on-screen debut in the Nickelodeon series Talia in the Kitchen, 15-year-old Logan Allen is now whipping up drama in Sweet Magnolias. In the show, he plays Kyle Townsend, an adorable high school freshman and Maddie's middle child.

You can find him on Instagram @itsloganallen.

She might be the youngest cast member of Sweet Magnolias, but Bianca Berry Tarantino (who plays Katie Townsend, Maddie's youngest child) has already had roles in The Gifted, NCIS, Swamp Thing, and perhaps most notably, Jimmy Kimmel's unbelievably cute reality-dating spoof "The Baby Bachelorette."

Find her on Instagram @bianca.berry.tarantino.

Just as Gilmore Girls had Reverend Archie Skinner and Hart of Dixie had Reverend Peter Mayfair, no small town would be complete without a warm, welcoming pastor. In the case of Serenity, that's June Wilkes, played by actress Tracey Bonner.

Find her on Instagram @thetraceybonner.

Chris Medlin might be a Hollywood newbie, but he's a Broadway vet who's appeared in Mean Girls and Diana: A True Musical Story. In Sweet Magnolias, Medlin plays Issac Downey, a young chef in Mary Sue's kitchen.

Follow him on Instagram @mrmedlin.

Rounding out the cast is another actress getting her big break on Sweet Magnolias: Harlan Drum. The 18 year old plays CeCe Matney, another one of the high schoolers, and—more importantly—Ty's love interest.

Follow her on Instagram @harlan_drum.