The bestRachael Harrismovies and TV shows tell a story of a solid actor who’s been consistently delivering strong performances since her career began in the late 1980s. Born in Ohio, Rachael Harris began performing at an early age, acting in plays while attending Otterbein College. It was here that, thanks to some advice from one of her professors, she learned that her style of performance was much more suited to comedy than drama, and this shaped her approach to many of her roles over the following years.
Rachael Harris first appeared on-screen in 1992’sTreehouse Trolls,though it was appearing in anepisode ofStar Trek: Voyagerand landing a recurring role inSister, Sisterin 1997 that truly saw her career take off. Since then, she’s appeared in the likes ofLucifer, Suits, The Hangover,and theDiary of a WimpyKidmovies. However, these are only some of the dozens of projects she’s been a part of, and the best Rachael Harris movies and TV shows include an admirable range of characters and genres.
Mother of the Bride
Cast
Lana’s daughter Emma returns from abroad and drops a bombshell: she’s getting married. In Thailand. In a month! Things only get worse when Lana learns that the man who captured Emma’s heart is the son of the man who broke hers years ago.
Since the start of her career, Rachael Harris has been mostly known for her comedy TV shows and movies. This hasn’t changed much over the years, as in 2024 she was part of the cast of the Netflix rom-comMother of the Bride.Unfortunately, this particular Rachael Harris movie wasn’t received well, though while critics may have been harsh toward the Mark Waters-directed movie, it did far slightly better with audiences who wanted an easy-watch lighthearted film.
Rachael Harris playsJanice inMother of the Bride,the best friend of Lana (who is the titular mother). It’s a supporting role both in terms of Harris’s position in the cast, and the purpose of Janice as a character, whose primary function throughout the story is to pick Lana up when she’s at her lowest.Mother of the Brideis far from the best Rachael Harris movie or TV show, but deserves consideration as it’s her most recent appearance in a feature film (and, as far as her performance goes, she does a solid job given how little she had to work with).
While the ABC sitcomNotes from the Underbellyonly ran for two seasons, Rachael Harris was fantastic as one of the main cast members when she took on the role of Cooper. The show, which was created by Stacy Traub, focuses on the ups and downs of pregnancy, with central characters Lauren (Jennifer Westfeldt) and Andrew (Peter Cambor) expecting their first child.
Rachael Harris’s character, Cooper, is a friend of Lauren’s. She spends the show trying her best to give Lauren good advice about raising children, though she often fails miserably — especially since she appears to be more-or-less allergic to children (one of her worst fears is a crying baby, for example). Cooper also has several sub-plots of her own, such as when she falls for one of the new employees at her firm. All in all,Notes from the Underbellymay not be the most acclaimed projects starring Rachael Harris, but the actor herself had plenty of stand-out moments in it.
Old Dads
Old Dads is a 2023 comedy film directed by Bill Burr, created for Netflix. In Bill Burr’s first directorial debut, three middle-aged men sell their businesses and struggle to find their place in the world. From a progressive preschool to the new CEO drastically changing the work culture of their business, the parents engage in comedic mishaps as they attempt to find their footing in a world that has seemingly left them behind.
Rachael Harris may not have the most prominent part in the 2023 Bill Bur-ledNetflix comedyOld Dads,though she’s a memorable appearance regardless.Old Dadsfocuses on a trio of Gen X fathers with young children — Jack (Bill Burr), Connor (Bobby Cannavale), and Mike (Bokeem Woodbine). The movie itself received fairly poor reviews from critics, mainly because of its over-reliance on jokes about generational differences that became pretty stale by the time the credits rolled.
However, Rachael Harri’s character of Dr. Lois Schmieckle-Turner is one of the redeeming characters inOld Dads,as she is absolutely hilarious whenever she appears. Dr. Schmiekle-Turner is the principal of the elite preschool Jack’s son, Nate, attends. She is constantly finding ways to undermine and demean Jack, and Harris’s chemistry with Bill Burr during these moments makes for multiple laugh-out-loud moments.WhileOld Dadsitself may never get a sequel, Rachael Harris’s Dr. Lois Schmieckle-Turner definitely has enough mileage to be re-used in another project.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
2021 saw the release of a reimagined version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with a 3D animated film directed by Swinton Scott. The release was written and produced by Jeff Kinney, the creator of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid novel. Playing on Disney+, the film sees Rodrick giving his younger brother Greg advice on how to best survive Middle School.
For fans who grew up when theDiary of a Wimpy Kidmovies were hitting theaters, Susan Heffley is probably the role Rachael Harris is most known for. Susan is the mother of Greg, the titular wimpy kid, and Harris absolutely shines in the role. She strikes an interesting balance that Harris pulls off almost-effortlessly, with the character being caring and easygoing on the one hand, and yet overbearing and borderline-humiliating for Greg on the other.
Based on the books by Jeff Kinney, Rachael Harris appeared in thefirst threeDiary of a Wimpy Kidmovies, though the 2010 original remains the best of the trio. Critical response was mixed, though the trilogy still holds a place in the heart of many audiences who were the right target age demographic (like many similar kids movies).Susan remains one of the most memorable Rachael Harris roles too, and it’s somewhat surprising she hasn’t been cast as another young mom in the time since, given how good her performance was.
In many ways,Natural Selectioncould be argued to be the best Rachael Harris movie if her performance alone was the yardstick. The indie comedy drama from director Robbie Pickering features Harris in a leading role, and both she and co-star Matt O’Leary both received breakthrough performance awards when the movie debuted as SXSW 2011. The film still sits on a 74% score onRotten Tomatoes, and the reason it doesn’t rank higher is simply due to the popularity of some of the other movies Rachael Harris has appeared in.
Rachael Harris plays Linda White inNatural Selection,a Christian housewife living an incredibly sheltered life in Texas. Unable to have children of her own, Linda finds her life thrust into unfamiliar territory when she learns her dying husband has a 23-year-old son via sperm donation in Florida. At Abe’s request, Linda sets off to find her husband’s adult son.It’s a truly charming and often emotional comedy movie, and still stands as one of the best performances Rachael Harris has given.
There are many actors who have standout performances in sitcoms that were canceled relatively quickly through no fault of their own, and Rachael Harris is no exception.Her performance as Joanne Dunlevy in the short-lived Fox sitcomSurviving Jackmay not have been enough to save the show from being axed after only seven episodes, but her appearance in it remains some of the best on-screen minutes of the actor’s career so far.
The sitcom itself was relatively nuanced in terms of its premise, and focused on an uptight former military man, Jack (Christopher Meloni) trying to navigate being a stay-at-home parent when his wife, Harris’s Joanne, goes back to law school. Seeing Harris play an ambitious character like Joanne is a delight, especially as she attempts to turn the Dunlevy home into a neighborhood social hub (much to Jack’s dismay).
The Hangover
The Hangover follows a group of friends who head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. With Doug (Justin Bartha) preparing for his wedding, his friends Phil, (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) take him on a night he’ll never forget, After blacking out, the group - who call themselves the “Wolf Pack” - realize that they’ve lost Doug, and must retrace the steps of the most outrageous night of their lives in order to find him.
Rachael Harris’s appearance inThe Hangoveralso marks one of the most successful movies she’s been a part of, as the 2009 comedy was a box-office smash.Harris plays Melissa inThe Hangover,and her turn as such an outright hostile and unlikable antagonist is hilarious. Melissa is the girlfriend of Ed Helms' character Stu, and during their every conversation she belittles, insults, and undermines him.
Melissa’s behavior is nothing short of toxic and abusive, though this doesn’t change the fact that Rachael Harris’s performance bringing the character to life is worthy of note. The chemistry she has with Ed Helm is incredible, and the pair are completely believable as characters despite their dynamic being so over the top.Harris even manages to sell Stu’s moment of redemption at the end of the movie when he finally stands up to Melissa, with her shell-shocked and completely un-self-aware response being as funny today as it was in 2009 when the movie debuted.
Goosebumps
R. L. Stine’s horror book series receives its second television adaptation with the 2023 Disney+ series Goosebumps. The new series brings in the creative minds behind the first two Goosebumps films and centers on five teenagers who haphazardly unleash evil supernatural forces on their town. As they attempt to send them back to where they came from, they learn that their parents harbor similar secrets from their younger days.
Many of Rachael Harris’s best roles have been in TV shows rather than movies, and her appearance as Nora in the 2023Goosebumpsseries is one of the strongest examples from the latter half of her career. Based on the series of children’s horror novels by R.L. Stine, the Disney+Goosebumpsseries threaded elements from some of the most popular books into a cohesive single narrative for its first season (eschewing the anthology-style format of the 1990s show).
2023’sGoosebumpsis a murder mystery as much as it’s a supernatural story, and Rachael Harris’s character Nora is integral to this aspect of the plot. Nora is the mother of Lucas (Will Price), and it’s clear from early on in the show that she knows more than she’s letting on about the spooky events troubling her son and his group of friends. AsGoosebumpsprogresses, it’s revealed that Nora had a part to play in the death of Harold Biddle, the specter haunting the town.Nora’s mental health slowly unravels too, which leads to some surprisingly emotional moments with the character that also serve to showcase Rachael Harris’s impressive range as an actor.
Suits
Suits is a legal drama series that premiered in 2011, centering on Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory who lands a job at a top New York law firm despite lacking a law degree. Partnering with one of the city’s best legal closers, Harvey Specter, they navigate the challenges of high-stakes cases and firm dynamics.
Suitsis one of the streaming success stories of the 2020s, as the show gained an entirey new audience and renewed popularity when it arrived on streaming platforms several years after the final episode aired. While she wasn’t a part of the main cast,Rachael Harris’s Sheila Sazs was one of the show’s most popular recurring characters, and it’s safe to say that her time inSuitsis where many fans first became aware of Harris as an actor.
Rachael Harris appeared in 27 episodes ofSuitsbetween seasons 2 and 9, first appearing in season 2, episode 3, “Meet The New Boss”. Sheila is an admissions officer for Harvard University who ends up in a romantic entanglement with Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman),the often-antagonist rival of Harvey Specterat Pearson Hardman. They eventually marry, leading to many further appearances for Rachael Harris inSuits,and throughout she manages to be a supporting influence for Louis that sees him turn into a much more likable character.
Lucifer
Lucifer, released in 2016, follows Lucifer Morningstar, the former Lord of Hell, who retires to Los Angeles. There, he partners with LAPD detective Chloe Decker to solve crimes. As he distances himself from the underworld, a potential threat looms, risking the unleashing of humanity’s darkest forces.
Of the many dozens of appearances in her career, the best Rachael Harris movie or TV show is undoubtedlyLucifer,both in terms of the series as a whole, and when considering her performance and specific character.Lucifersees the titular lord of hell grow tired of his duties overseeing the damned. He decides to retire and head to Earth, where he finds himself solving crimes alongside detective Chloe Decker. While he initially makes out to all concerned that he’s doing so only for a bit of fun, it becomes apparent the task actually holds some deeper meaning to him — which is where Rachael Harris as Linda Martin comes into play.
Linda Martin is Lucifer’s therapist, and — as one would expect — the dynamic leads to some absolutely hilarious moments. Rachael Harris is in her element playing Satan’s shrink, and as the show continues, Linda’s involvement in the wider narrative also becomes much heavier. She’s one of the first mortals who Lucifer reveals his true nature to, and she even has a child with the angel Amenadiel. There have been many greatRachael Harrisroles over her career, though none even come close to topping her performance as Linda Martin inLucifer.
