The Good Place's stars reveal it's the 'right time' for the show to end
Noo!
Author: Emma DoddsPublished 22nd Jul 2019
Fans of The Good Place were devastated to hear that the upcoming fourth season would be its last. Although it only began in 2016, show creator Michael Schur announced in June that there would be no further series after this one as he felt four season was 'the right lifespan'.
Taking to Twitter with a statement, he wrote, 'After The Good Place was picked up for season two, the writing staff and I began to map out, as best we could, the trajectory of the show. Given the ideas we wanted to explore, and the pace at which we wanted to present those ideas, I began to feel like four season was the right lifespan.'
'At times over the past few years, we've been tempted to go beyond four seasons, but mostly because making this show is a rare, creatively-fulfilling joy, and at the end of the day, we don't want to tread water just because the water is so warm and pleasant.'
The stars of the show have now revealed that it's 'the right time' for the show to end, speaking at Comic-con over the weekend. Jameela Jamil, who plays Tahani Al-Jamil, confirmed that it would "give the fans the ending they deserve".
She said, "We always manage to surprise people and go deeper into thought and idea, and I think we've definitely done this. It's a really dignified and beautiful end to this season.
"It's really, really sad to walk away from something that you love so much, that people love so much, something that has changed you internally and changed the way we think about empathy. So it feels forking shirt to walk away from this, but I think it was done at the right time in the right way."
Swipe through to see who's in the cast of The Good Place and where you might have seen them before...
The Good Place's stars reveal it's the 'right time' for the show to end
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Rebecca Hazlewood as Kamilah Al-Jamil
Rebecca Hazlewood stars as Kamilah Al-Jamil, Tahani's younger sister who is preferred by their parents and who lauds her success over her sister. She has various talents and is adored by many on Earth.
Rebecca is best known for her roles in Crossroads and Bad Girls, and was also on Outsourced in the US. She had a role on Lost and also guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Swipe through to see who's in the cast of The Good Place and where you might have seen them before...
Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop
Kristen Bell stars as Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who has accidentally been sent to The Good Place when she dies. NBC said, "The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an ordinary woman who enters the afterlife, and thanks to some kind of error, is sent to the Good Place instead of the Bad Place (which is definitely where she belongs)."
Kristen Bell is a very prolific actress, having starred in a number of TV shows over the last 25 years. After getting her breakthrough role as the titular character in Veronica Mars, she also served as the narrator on Gossip Girl. Kristen is now famous for her roles in films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Frozen as the voice of Anna and Bad Moms.
Ted Danson as Michael
Ted Danson plays Michael, the architect of The Good Place. Although he wasn't originally a fan of the human race, he was completely fascinated by them by the end of the first series, even helping them to escape The Bad Place. He is assisted by Janet in his endeavours.
Ted has been in the acting business for more than 40 years. His most recognised roles consist of lead character Sam Malone on Cheers, the father of the baby in the Three Men and a Baby film series, as well the CSI series. He's also co-written a book on ocean conversation.
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye
Chidi Anagonye is an ethics professor whose inability to make decisions completely cripples him. He is the first person who learns that Eleanor shouldn't be in The Good Place, and tries to help her earn her place by teaching her how to be a good person. He is Eleanor's main love interest.
William has experience in theatre, and before starring in The Good Place portrayed Everett in 2016 film Paterson starring Adam Driver. He's also had small parts on Law & Order and 30 Rock. William considered quitting acting before landing his role as Chidi, saying that he was "frustrated" and "burned out", citing the show as a "miracle".
Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil
Jameela Jamil stars as Tahani Al-Jamil on the show, a wealthy British philanthropist whose fierce rivalry with her sister causes her to die in initially mysterious circumstances. Although Eleanor doesn't get on with Tahani to begin with, they soon become friends.
Jameela is a British TV presenter turned actress. She rose to fame as a presenter on T4, a slot on Channel 4 and E4. She also formerly presented The Official Chart Show, and after a cancer scare in 2016 moved to America to become a screenwriter. She's also well-known for being a fierce body positivity advocate.
D'Arcy Carden as Janet
D'Arcy Carden plays Janet, a programmed guide who is essentially an archive of all the knowledge in the universe. She is Michael's right-hand woman, and as she cannot tell lies, will always explain things objectively. Despite being a sort-of robot, Janet falls in love with Jason and they get married. D'Arcy also plays Bad Janet and Neutral Janet.
D'Arcy has had various small roles in films, and also had roles on Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Veep, Barry and American Dad!.
Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza
Manny Jacinto plays Jason Mendoza on the show, a dim-witted amateur DJ from Florida who is not exactly helpful to the group. He's first introduced as a silent Buddhist monk, a cover-up for the fact that he thinks he's in the same predicament as Eleanor. He is involved in a love triangle with Tahani and Janet.
Manny has had small roles in Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, The 100 and iZombie, as well as film roles in Bad Times at the El Royale and the upcoming Top Gun reboot, Top Gun: Maverick.
Adam Scott as Trevor
Adam Scott stars as Trevor, a demon from The Bad Place who continually causes trouble for the four humans and Michael. In season three, he pretends to be a human on earth and makes friends briefly with Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason.
Adam is probably best known as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, a role he starred in for five years. He's also starred on a huge number of other shows including Angie Tribeca, Big Little Lies and Veep. His film credits include The Aviator, Knocked Up, Step Brothers and Black Mass.
Marc Evan Jackson as Shawn
Marc Evan Jackson portrays Shawn, Michael's demon boss who makes it his mission to ensure the four humans end up in The Bad Place after Michael betrays him. Marc also hosts the official podcast The Good Place: The Podcast.
Marc has been an actor for the last 20 years, and is well-known in the TV world. Having starred in Happy Endings, 2 Broke Girls and Arrested Development, he also had a recurring role on Parks and Recreation. He currently also stars as Kevin Cozner, the husband of Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also had roles in films Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 22 Jump Street and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as well as Kong: Skull Island.
Tiya Sircar as 'real Eleanor Shellstrop' / Vicky Sengupta
Tiya Sircar plays the 'real Eleanor Shellstrop' / Vicky Sengupta, a demon who pretends to be the 'real Eleanor', whose place Eleanor has taken in The Good Place. After pretending to have been sent to The Bad Place in her place, all is revealed at the end of season one. She is also working against the group of humans and Michael.
Tiya has had many film and TV roles, having starred in series The Vampire Diaries, NCIS, Master of None and The Mindy Project. She has also made film appearances in 17 Again, Friends with Benefits and The Internship.
Maribeth Monroe as Mindy St. Claire
Maribeth Monroe plays Mindy St. Claire on the show - the only person to have ever lived in a neutral zone, rather than in either The Good Place or The Bad Place. She lives on her own in The Medium Place, and although she is not tortured for eternity like those in The Bad Place, she is in a state of perpetual boredom.
Maribeth is well-known in TV, having had roles in Workaholics, The Neighbors, Parks and Recreation, The Big Bang Theory, According to Jim, Hannah Montana, Maron and Modern Family.
Jason Mantzoukas as Derek Hoffstettler
Jason Mantzoukas stars as Derek Hoffstettler, a being that Janet creates as a rebound boyfriend to get over Jason in season two after Jason's memories are wiped. Once Janet is done with Derek, she sends him to live with Mindy St. Claire.
Jason is a well-recognised actor in comedy TV, having had roles on The League, Enlightened, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, Bob's Burgers, Broad City, Transparent, Community, American Dad! and had a recurring role as Adrian Pimento on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Maya Rudolph as Judge Hydrogen
Maya Rudolph stars as Judge Hydrogen (Gen), the overruling being in the universe and 'an impartial inter-dimensional judge who rules on matters involving the Good Place and the Bad Place.'
Maya is a hugely popular actress, having starred in plenty of films and TV shows. Having made a name for herself on Saturday Night Live, she's also had roles on series like Family Guy, Angie Tribeca, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Forever. She has also starred in films 50 First Dates, Bridesmaids and Grown Ups, and had voice roles in Shrek the Third, Big Hero 6 and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Simone
Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays Simone, an Australian neuroscientist who has a relationship with Chidi once he's returned to Earth in season two. In season three, she's brought to the afterlife by Shawn in an attempt to scupper Michael's plan - this causes Chidi to have his own memory wiped so that he doesn't ruin things.
Kirby is a talented actress, and has appeared in House of Lies, is a recurring character on Netflix's LOVE as well as on HBO comedy-drama Barry with Bill Hader. She also starred in Killing Eve season one as Eve's friend and assistant Elena Felton, who transferred to MI6 with her when she started to work for Carolyn.
Leslie Grossman as Donna Shellstrop
Leslie Grossman plays Eleanor's mother Donna Shellstrop, a somewhat negligent parent whose traits and abandonment have made Eleanor into the selfish person she is. In season three, it is revealed that she faked her death, moved away and started a new life with a boyfriend.
Leslie is probably best known as Mary Cherry on Popular, and as Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt on the seventh and eighth season of American Horror Story. She's also starred on Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls and Fuller House.
Rebecca Hazlewood as Kamilah Al-Jamil
Rebecca Hazlewood stars as Kamilah Al-Jamil, Tahani's younger sister who is preferred by their parents and who lauds her success over her sister. She has various talents and is adored by many on Earth.
Rebecca is best known for her roles in Crossroads and Bad Girls, and was also on Outsourced in the US. She had a role on Lost and also guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Swipe through to see who's in the cast of The Good Place and where you might have seen them before...
Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop
Kristen Bell stars as Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who has accidentally been sent to The Good Place when she dies. NBC said, "The show follows Eleanor Shellstrop, an ordinary woman who enters the afterlife, and thanks to some kind of error, is sent to the Good Place instead of the Bad Place (which is definitely where she belongs)."
Kristen Bell is a very prolific actress, having starred in a number of TV shows over the last 25 years. After getting her breakthrough role as the titular character in Veronica Mars, she also served as the narrator on Gossip Girl. Kristen is now famous for her roles in films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Frozen as the voice of Anna and Bad Moms.
Ted Danson as Michael
Ted Danson plays Michael, the architect of The Good Place. Although he wasn't originally a fan of the human race, he was completely fascinated by them by the end of the first series, even helping them to escape The Bad Place. He is assisted by Janet in his endeavours.
Ted has been in the acting business for more than 40 years. His most recognised roles consist of lead character Sam Malone on Cheers, the father of the baby in the Three Men and a Baby film series, as well the CSI series. He's also co-written a book on ocean conversation.
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye
Chidi Anagonye is an ethics professor whose inability to make decisions completely cripples him. He is the first person who learns that Eleanor shouldn't be in The Good Place, and tries to help her earn her place by teaching her how to be a good person. He is Eleanor's main love interest.
William has experience in theatre, and before starring in The Good Place portrayed Everett in 2016 film Paterson starring Adam Driver. He's also had small parts on Law & Order and 30 Rock. William considered quitting acting before landing his role as Chidi, saying that he was "frustrated" and "burned out", citing the show as a "miracle".
Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil
Jameela Jamil stars as Tahani Al-Jamil on the show, a wealthy British philanthropist whose fierce rivalry with her sister causes her to die in initially mysterious circumstances. Although Eleanor doesn't get on with Tahani to begin with, they soon become friends.
Jameela is a British TV presenter turned actress. She rose to fame as a presenter on T4, a slot on Channel 4 and E4. She also formerly presented The Official Chart Show, and after a cancer scare in 2016 moved to America to become a screenwriter. She's also well-known for being a fierce body positivity advocate.
D'Arcy Carden as Janet
D'Arcy Carden plays Janet, a programmed guide who is essentially an archive of all the knowledge in the universe. She is Michael's right-hand woman, and as she cannot tell lies, will always explain things objectively. Despite being a sort-of robot, Janet falls in love with Jason and they get married. D'Arcy also plays Bad Janet and Neutral Janet.
D'Arcy has had various small roles in films, and also had roles on Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Veep, Barry and American Dad!.
Manny Jacinto as Jason Mendoza
Manny Jacinto plays Jason Mendoza on the show, a dim-witted amateur DJ from Florida who is not exactly helpful to the group. He's first introduced as a silent Buddhist monk, a cover-up for the fact that he thinks he's in the same predicament as Eleanor. He is involved in a love triangle with Tahani and Janet.
Manny has had small roles in Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, The 100 and iZombie, as well as film roles in Bad Times at the El Royale and the upcoming Top Gun reboot, Top Gun: Maverick.
Adam Scott as Trevor
Adam Scott stars as Trevor, a demon from The Bad Place who continually causes trouble for the four humans and Michael. In season three, he pretends to be a human on earth and makes friends briefly with Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani and Jason.
Adam is probably best known as Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation, a role he starred in for five years. He's also starred on a huge number of other shows including Angie Tribeca, Big Little Lies and Veep. His film credits include The Aviator, Knocked Up, Step Brothers and Black Mass.
Marc Evan Jackson as Shawn
Marc Evan Jackson portrays Shawn, Michael's demon boss who makes it his mission to ensure the four humans end up in The Bad Place after Michael betrays him. Marc also hosts the official podcast The Good Place: The Podcast.
Marc has been an actor for the last 20 years, and is well-known in the TV world. Having starred in Happy Endings, 2 Broke Girls and Arrested Development, he also had a recurring role on Parks and Recreation. He currently also stars as Kevin Cozner, the husband of Captain Raymond Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also had roles in films Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, 22 Jump Street and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as well as Kong: Skull Island.
Tiya Sircar as 'real Eleanor Shellstrop' / Vicky Sengupta
Tiya Sircar plays the 'real Eleanor Shellstrop' / Vicky Sengupta, a demon who pretends to be the 'real Eleanor', whose place Eleanor has taken in The Good Place. After pretending to have been sent to The Bad Place in her place, all is revealed at the end of season one. She is also working against the group of humans and Michael.
Tiya has had many film and TV roles, having starred in series The Vampire Diaries, NCIS, Master of None and The Mindy Project. She has also made film appearances in 17 Again, Friends with Benefits and The Internship.
Maribeth Monroe as Mindy St. Claire
Maribeth Monroe plays Mindy St. Claire on the show - the only person to have ever lived in a neutral zone, rather than in either The Good Place or The Bad Place. She lives on her own in The Medium Place, and although she is not tortured for eternity like those in The Bad Place, she is in a state of perpetual boredom.
Maribeth is well-known in TV, having had roles in Workaholics, The Neighbors, Parks and Recreation, The Big Bang Theory, According to Jim, Hannah Montana, Maron and Modern Family.
Jason Mantzoukas as Derek Hoffstettler
Jason Mantzoukas stars as Derek Hoffstettler, a being that Janet creates as a rebound boyfriend to get over Jason in season two after Jason's memories are wiped. Once Janet is done with Derek, she sends him to live with Mindy St. Claire.
Jason is a well-recognised actor in comedy TV, having had roles on The League, Enlightened, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, Bob's Burgers, Broad City, Transparent, Community, American Dad! and had a recurring role as Adrian Pimento on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Maya Rudolph as Judge Hydrogen
Maya Rudolph stars as Judge Hydrogen (Gen), the overruling being in the universe and 'an impartial inter-dimensional judge who rules on matters involving the Good Place and the Bad Place.'
Maya is a hugely popular actress, having starred in plenty of films and TV shows. Having made a name for herself on Saturday Night Live, she's also had roles on series like Family Guy, Angie Tribeca, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Forever. She has also starred in films 50 First Dates, Bridesmaids and Grown Ups, and had voice roles in Shrek the Third, Big Hero 6 and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Simone
Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays Simone, an Australian neuroscientist who has a relationship with Chidi once he's returned to Earth in season two. In season three, she's brought to the afterlife by Shawn in an attempt to scupper Michael's plan - this causes Chidi to have his own memory wiped so that he doesn't ruin things.
Kirby is a talented actress, and has appeared in House of Lies, is a recurring character on Netflix's LOVE as well as on HBO comedy-drama Barry with Bill Hader. She also starred in Killing Eve season one as Eve's friend and assistant Elena Felton, who transferred to MI6 with her when she started to work for Carolyn.
Leslie Grossman as Donna Shellstrop
Leslie Grossman plays Eleanor's mother Donna Shellstrop, a somewhat negligent parent whose traits and abandonment have made Eleanor into the selfish person she is. In season three, it is revealed that she faked her death, moved away and started a new life with a boyfriend.
Leslie is probably best known as Mary Cherry on Popular, and as Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt on the seventh and eighth season of American Horror Story. She's also starred on Charmed, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls and Fuller House.
Rebecca Hazlewood as Kamilah Al-Jamil
Rebecca Hazlewood stars as Kamilah Al-Jamil, Tahani's younger sister who is preferred by their parents and who lauds her success over her sister. She has various talents and is adored by many on Earth.
Rebecca is best known for her roles in Crossroads and Bad Girls, and was also on Outsourced in the US. She had a role on Lost and also guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.
William Jackson-Harper, who stars as Chidi Anagonye, affirmed that it was "absolutely the right time", and star of the show Kristen Bell - AKA Eleanor Shellstrop - added, "It's really hard to say, 'Yeah, it's the right ending for it'. Also because we know what's gonna happen and we know the statement they're making with it, it's really worth it."
Manny Jacinto, who plays Jason Mendoza, said, it felt "emotionally right to end it at this point", but added that "it definitely pulled the heartstrings a little bit," going on to say, "For all of our characters, there is gonna be a finish line, an ending, and I am looking forward for all the fans to see, without spoiling anything, what their Good Place will be like."
Michael Schur was also in attendance, and said, "It's a super bummer. It's been an amazing experience and we all have the same feeling that I understand intellectually it's the right decision, and emotionally it feels terrible."
Whilst Marc Evan Jackson, who plays demon Shaun, said, "I understand everything the cast is talking about. I am, first and foremost, a fan of The Good Place long before being a cast member, and to take it out deliberately, precisely, lovingly, it's... you're gonna love it."
The Good Place season four will air on Netflix in the UK on Friday 27th September.
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