Sweet Magnolias is a Netflix original series based on the novels by Sherryl Woods. The series follows three South Carolina women: Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen. Having been friends their whole lives, these three women navigate their lives with the unconditional love and support of one another. Sweet Magnolias premiered in 2020 and was popular enough to be renewed for a second season in 2022, with many wondering when there will be confirmation of a third season.
The series revolves around grown adult women as they struggle with their families, love lives, and independence. The cast of Sweet Magnolias has been pulled from all walks of life, with some having had a great deal of musical experience while others only have made small appearances on TV before appearing in the Netflix series. The actors that make up the main cast may seem familiar to some of you. Here are other roles where you may have seen the cast of Sweet Magnolias.
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JoAnna Garcia Swisher
Netflix
Playing the role of the series’ main character, recently separated, single mother Maddie Townsend, is JoAnna Garcia Swisher. Swisher began acting at the young age of 10, making her breakout appearance as Sam in Are You Afraid of the Dark? before moving on to joining the cast of Freaks & Geeks as Vicki and Cheyenne in Reba. Swisher’s screen time in films is rather limited, making small appearances in films like American Pie 2 and, most recently, Fist Fight. That said, Swisher has made no shortage of appearances on television, including a number of small appearances in a variety of successful shows, including How I Met Your Mother and Gossip Girl. Swisher’s performance as Maddie in Sweet Magnolias has gained her a good amount of attention for her acting skills, leading us to wonder where her career will take her next.
Brooke Elliott
Brooke Elliott plays the role of Dana Sue Sullivan, best friend to Maddie and Helen and chef and owner of Sullivan’s restaurant in the series Sweet Magnolias. Elliott has spent more time on-stage in the theater, making appearances in Beauty and the Beast and Wicked. Elliott made her TV debut as Jane Bingumin on the series Drop Dead Diva, which ran for a total of six seasons, winning her a Gracie Award for Female Rising Star in a Comedy Series and a Women’s Image Network Award for Best Actress Comedy Series, ultimately gaining Elliott attention from the Hollywood bigwigs. Elliott has managed to snag a few small roles over the years, including the role of Kat in More Beautiful For Having Been Broken, but her role as Dana Sue in Sweet Magnolias has truly showcased her abilities.
Heather Headley
Helen is an accomplished lawyer and the final member of the Sweet Magnolias, alongside Maddie and Dana. Her character is portrayed by Heather Headley, a Trinidadian-born American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress. Headley earned herself a Tony award in 2000 for her outstanding performance as the titular character in Aida and later earned a Grammy in 2010 for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. While Headley’s filmography is somewhat limited, her most recent appearances have been as Clara Ward in the biopic about music icon Aretha Franklin Respect and as Fikiri for one episode in The Lion King animated series spin-off The Lion Guard. With new attention being garnered for her performance as Helen in Sweet Magnolias, it will be interesting to see which direction her career will take. Whether that be returning to music or accepting more serious acting roles, Headley has a bright future ahead.
Justin Bruening
Justin Bruening has gifted us with the ever-charming and handsome Cal, Maddie’s new romantic interest. Bruening reached stardom as an actor first, being discovered in a McDonald’s, before moving on to work regularly as a model. His acting career began in 2003 when he made an appearance as Jamie Martin in All My Children, earning him a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005. In 2007, Bruening was cast as Mike Traceur, son of Michael Knight in a new iteration of the classic TV series Knight Rider. Bruening has since gone on to appear in a number of TV series’, including making recurring appearances as Matthew, paramedic and eventual husband of April Kepner in ABC’s long-running show Grey’s Anatomy. With a new season of Sweet Magnolias on the way, Cal will return once again to have a dominating presence on-screen.
Chris Klein
Playing the role of Maddie’s ex-husband, a family doctor at Serenity Family Physicians and the father of Maddie’s children, is Chris Klein. Best known for his roles as Chris “Oz” Ostreicher in the classic American Pie franchise and as Paul Metzler in Election, Klein is one member of the cast who the audience may recognize based on appearance alone, thanks to the legacy of American Pie. Klein has made a series of small appearances in a number of films over the years; unfortunately, most of these roles have been small appearances. Most recently, Klein’s biggest roles in TV are his role as Bill Townsend in Sweet Magnolias and his role as Orlin Dwyer/ Cicada, the main antagonist in The Flash series.
Jamie-Lynn Spears/Noreen Fitzgibbon
Jamie-Lynn Spears is a name that some may be familiar with thanks to the continuing drama between Jamie-Lynn and her sister, pop-star Britney Spears. Spears made her first big appearance as the main character Zoey in the Disney Channel Original series Zoey 101. After her time on Zoey 101, Spears took a break from acting to take care of her child and instead chose to pursue a career in country music. Unfortunately, her music career was not nearly as successful as she had hoped, and so she made her return to TV through Sweet Magnolias. Spears plays the role of Noreen Fitzgibbon, Bill’s pregnant fiancée and medical assistant with whom he had an affair while still married to Maddie.
