‘Black Mirror’ Season 6: Meet the Cast of the Wild, Extremely Meta Episode ‘Joan Is Awful’

Fan of hunting for “Black Mirror” Easter Eggs? Well, the Netflix series has a treat for you — Season 6 debuts with the show’s most meta installment yet. The first episode of the long-awaited sixth season, “Joan Is Awful” follows Joan; a woman who finds that her life is being turned into a prestige streaming series starring Salma Hayek, a discovery that sends her jobs and relationships into freefall after all of her secrets suddenly become public knowledge.

Annie Murphy plays Joan. Salma Hayek also plays Joan… and Salma Hayek. Rob Delaney plays Mac. Ben Barnes also plays Mac. Which is to say, there’s a lot to unpack (it is “Black Mirror,” after all) and a heck of a cast to keep track of while you’re at it. There’s even a fake streaming service full of “Black Mirror” references and callbacks.

We’ve got you covered with a handy guide to who plays whom (and who’s playing those characters in the show within a show, too).

Annie Murphy as Joan

Annie Murphy plays Joan, an average woman who comes home after a particularly difficult day, kicks her feet up with her boyfriend and discovers that Salma Hayek is playing her in a dramatized streaming series called “Joan Is Awful.” Murphy is best known for her Emmy Award–winning performance as Alexis Rose on “Schitt’s Creek.” Other roles include Allison on “Kevin Can F**K Himself,” Young June on “Russian Doll” Season 2, as well as appearances on “American Dad!,” “Murderville” and “Crank Yankers.”

Salma Hayek Pinault as Herself/”Joan”

Salma Hayek Pinault plays a fictionalized version of herself, who plays the lead role in “Joan Is Awful.” An international icon and Oscar-nominated actress, Hayek is best known for “Frida,” “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” franchise, “Dogma,” “Wild Wild West” and a number of Robert Rodriguez films, including “From Dusk till Dawn” and her breakout role in “Desperado.” Most recently, Hayek starred in Marvel’s “Eternals,” “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” and “House of Gucci,” and lent her voice to “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”

Avi Nash as Krish

Avi Nash plays Joan’s boyfriend Krish. Nash is best known for playing Siddiq in “The Walking Dead” and Lukas in “Silo.” His work also includes “Silicon Valley,” “There There” and “Amateur Night.”

Himesh Patel as “Krish”

Himesh Patel plays the TV character version of “Krish” on the series “Joan Is Awful.” Patel is best known for “Tenet,” “Don’t Look Up,” Danny Boyle’s “Yesterday,” “Enola Holmes 2” and his Emmy-nominated performance as Jeevan in “Station Eleven.”

Michael Cera as Beppe

Michael Cera plays Beppe, an employee at Streamberry, the streaming service producing “Joan Is Awful.” Cera is best known for “Superbad,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” “Arrested Development,” “Juno,” “The LEGO Batman Movie” and “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.”

Rob Delaney as Mac

Rob Delaney plays Mac, Joan’s ex, who reenters her life just in time to appear in “Joan Is Awful.” Delaney is best known for “Catastrophe,” “Deadpool 2,” “Bombshell,” “The School for Good and Evil” and “The Man Who Fell to Earth.”

Ben Barnes as “Mac”

Ben Barnes plays the TV version of “Mac.” Barnes is best known for playing Prince Caspian in the “Chronicles of Narnia” films and the Darkling on “Shadow and Bone.” He has also starred in “Westworld,” “The Punisher,” “Sons of Liberty” and “Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.”