Cara Buono is riding high—fresh off Netflix's most-watched series ever, she's already pivoting to premium streaming with a star-studded project backed by some of Hollywood's biggest names.
Insiders say the transition from 'Stranger Things' wasn't seamless. Multiple sources close to production hinted at negotiations that dragged longer than expected before Buono locked in her recurring role.
Buono appeared in all five seasons of 'Stranger Things,' which concluded December 2025. She received an Emmy nomination in 2011 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for 'Mad Men.'
The question isn't whether Buono can make the leap—it's whether Hulu's crime drama can live up to the hype with Coogler and that stacked cast behind it.
Cara Buono is officially off the bench and back in the game. The "Stranger Things" alum has joined Hulu's "Southern Bastards" pilot in a recurring role, Variety reported exclusively on May 1st—and she's walking into an absolute murderer's row of talent. Buono will appear opposite Kevin Bacon, Erin Kellyman, and Tim McGraw as leads, with Jonathan Tucker, Amin Joseph, Ethan Suplee, Derek Luke, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor rounding out the ensemble.
Details on Buono's character are being kept under wraps for now, which only adds to the intrigue. The show was picked up to pilot back in October 2025, so production has clearly been moving fast behind the scenes. The premise sounds like Southern-fried prestige TV: Kellyman plays a tenacious military vet who travels to Craw County, Alabama searching for her estranged father (Bacon), only to discover a "murderous hornet's nest of organized crime" run by none other than Tim McGraw's character—the winningest high school football coach in the South.
It's a setup dripping with dark humor and violence, perfect territory for a project backed by Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media. Buono is coming off one of the most visible runs in modern television history. She portrayed Karen Wheeler in all five seasons of "Stranger Things," Netflix's juggernaut that wrapped its fifth and final season at the end of 2025.
The show consistently ranked among the platform's most-watched series ever, making Buono one of streaming's most recognizable faces. Beyond that, she earned an Emmy nomination in 2011 for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Dr. Faye Miller on "Mad Men," with additional credits including "The Sopranos," "Person of Interest," and "The Girl from Plainville." The production team reads like a who's-who of prestige television: Bill Dubuque and Nia DaCosta share co-story credit, with Matt Olmstead serving as showrunner.
Reinaldo Marcus Green—who directed Buono in "Monsters and Men"—will direct the pilot and executive produce alongside Coogler, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler of Proximity Media. The series is based on graphic novels by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour, who also exec produce. It's being produced in association with Fifth Season. Buono is represented by CESD and Skrzyniarz & Mallean.
