The Kominsky Method is an American comedy web television series, created by Chuck Lorre, that premiered on November 16, 2018, on Netflix. The series stars Michael Douglas, Alan Arkin, Sarah Baker, and Nancy Travis and follows an aging acting coach who, years earlier, had a brief moment of success as an actor. On January 17, 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.
Premise
The Kominsky Method follows "Sandy Kominsky, an actor who years ago had a brief fling with success and is now a revered Hollywood acting coach."[1]
Cast and characters
Main
Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky, a once successful actor who now works as a revered acting coach in Hollywood.
Alan Arkin as Norman Newlander, Sandy's agent and friend.
Sarah Baker as Mindy, Sandy's daughter who runs his acting studio with him.
Nancy Travis as Lisa, a recent divorcée who decides to take acting lessons from Sandy.
Recurring
Graham Rogers as Jude, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Ashleigh LaThrop as Breana, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Melissa Tang as Margaret, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Jenna Lyng Adams as Darshani, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Casey Brown as Lane, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Emily Osment as Theresa, a student in Kominsky's acting class.
Susan Sullivan as Eileen, Norman's wife to whom he's been married for 46 years.
Lisa Edelstein as Phoebe, Norman's estranged daughter who struggles with pill addiction.
Ramon Hilario as Alex the Waiter
Cedric Begley as Mathew
Danny DeVito as Dr. Wexler, a urologist whom Sandy goes to see regarding his frequent urination.
On August 14, 2017, it was announced that Netflix was finalizing a series order for the production for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was set to be written by Chuck Lorre, Al Higgins, and David Javerbaum. Lorre was also set to direct the first episode and executive produce alongside Michael Douglas. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions.[2] On July 29, 2018, it was announced during the Television Critics Association's annual summer press tour that the series was to premiere on November 16, 2018.[3] On January 17, 2019, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season consisting of eight episodes.[4]
The series has been met with a positive critical response upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 80% with an average rating of 6.89 out of 10, based on 40 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Full of humor and heart, The Kominsky Method paints a surprisingly poignant -- if a little paint-by-numbers -- portrait of life and aging, elevated by two top-notch performances by acting legends Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas."[8]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 68 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[9]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alan Arkin
Pending
Michael Douglas
Pending
Home media
Season one will be released to general retailers on November 19, 2019 in Region 1, with a Blu-ray version made available exclusively through the Warner Archive Collection.[14]
