Nonnas is the latest feature from acclaimed director Stephen Chbosky, who’s best known for his work on The Perks of Being a Wallflower. His new movie tells the story of a chef who decides to open a family restaurant in honor of his late mother, employing only real-life grandmothers as the chefs. It’s a very powerful exploration of family, grief, and community that blends drama and comedy in a very effective way. There’s a very grounded sense of real-life inspiration in Nonnas that makes it a very fun watch.

Without a doubt, the most entertaining part of Nonnas is its brilliant ensemble cast. Chbosky does an excellent job of navigating the high-temperature work environment of a professional kitchen in a way that’s always funny, and the film’s hilarious performances help suck the audience into this charming story. The movie also makes the most of a real-life friendship between Vince Vaughn and Joe Manganiello, which facilitates some of the movie’s funniest moments.

Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella

Date of Birth: March 28, 1970

• Active Since: 1993

Actor: Vince Vaughn was born in Minneapolis in 1970 and is best known for his innovative comedy work throughout the late ‘90s and early 2000s. The actor broke through with a memorable role as Nick Van Owen in Jurᴀssic Park: The Lost World, before playing Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant’s Psycho remake. Since then, his biggest credits have included Zoolander, Wedding Crashers, and Four Christmases.

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Character: Vince Vaughn’s protagonist Joe Scaravella is based on a real-life restaurant owner of the same name, whose life story inspired the events of Nonnas. After his mother pᴀssed away, he opened “Entoca Maria” in her memory and used real-life Italian grandmothers to recreate the experience of a family dinner that allowed visitors to reflect on their fondest culinary memories.

Susan Sarandon as Gia

Date of Birth: October 4, 1946

• Active Since: 1970

Actor: Susan Sarandon was born in New York City in 1946 and made her film debut in Joe in 1970, where she played a wealthy socialite named Melissa. Since then, Sarandon has starred in plenty of acclaimed movies and received numerous awards for her five-decade-long career. Her most notorious credits include The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Thelma and Louise, and the Oscar-winning ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man Walking. Sarandon has also had a successful career in theater, appearing in productions of An Evening With Richard Nixon and Exit The King.

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Character: Sarandon plays Gia in Nonnas, an older grandmother who was friends with Joe’s mother before she pᴀssed away. When she brings homemade food to her friend’s wake, Joe realizes that she’s a perfect candidate for his new restaurant, and the pair form a close bond.

Lorraine Bracco as Roberta

Date of Birth: October 2, 1954

Active Since: 1979

Actor: Lorraine Bracco was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and first gained fame as a model for Jean-Paul Gauthier in France and starred in a number of French movie productions, including her feature debut, Duos sur Canapé. Her English-language breakthrough came in 1987’s The Pick-Up Artist, and she broke into the public eye three years later in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas. She is best known for playing the psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi in HBO’s The Sopranos, which is widely considered among the best TV shows ever made.

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Character: Roberta is another close friend of Joe’s late mother, and her sharp temper makes her a hilariously polarizing figure in Joe’s new family kitchen. Although she struggles to work alongside the other grandmothers, Roberta soon realizes that the restaurant is an opportunity to build a new family that she doesn’t currently have.

Talia Shire as Teresa

Date of Birth: April 25, 1946

• Active Since: 1968

Actor: Talia Shire was born in New York City in 1946 and is best known for playing Connie Corleone in The Godfather trilogy. She is the sister of acclaimed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and the mother of award-winning actor Jason Schwartzman. Shire is also well-known for playing Adrian in 1976’s Rocky, for which she was nominated at the Academy Awards. The actress has also appeared in projects such as I Heart Huckabees and Kiss The Bride.

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Character: Teresa is one of Nonnas’ most likeable characters, and one of the few nonnas who doesn’t have a direct connection to Joe or his mother. She lived the majority of her life as a nun, until personal conflicts forced her to leave the church and look elsewhere for her new family.

Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella

Date of Birth: November 18, 1939

• Active Since: 1961

Actor: Brenda Vaccaro was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1939 and is best known for her work in theater. Her Broadway credits include The Affair, The Odd Couple, and Cactus Flower. In film, Vaccaro has appeared in projects such as Midnight Cowboy alongside Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, for which she was nominated at the Golden Globes. She also got an Oscar nomination for Once Is Not Enough. Brenda Vaccaro’s work on Nonnas is the actress’s first significant screen credit since her minor role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood.

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Character: Antonella is the fourth and final nonna who takes up work in Joe’s kitchen – she’s the neighbor of Joe’s high school friend Olivia, whom the protagonist meets by chance when strolling the sidewalks of Staten Island. Although she has a large family of her own, Antonella seemingly lives alone, grieving the loss of her husband.

Joe Manganiello as Bruno

Date of Birth: December 28, 1976

• Active Since: 1995

Actor: Joe Manganiello was born in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia in 1976 and landed his breakthrough role as Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man alongside Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. He is best known for starring in five seasons of HBO’s True Blood show as werewolf Alcide Herveaux. Manganiello’s other acting credits include Magic Mike, Rampage, and How I Met Your Mother.

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Character: Bruno is an old friend of Joe’s who gets roped into his unlikely plan to start a restaurant business, lending him the money and standing by his side as everything looks destined to fail. Although the pair often clash about Joe’s methods, he’s one of Joe’s most loyal friends.

Nonnas Supporting Cast & Characters

Linda Cardellini as Olivia: Cardellini is best known for her starring roles in ER, Freaks and Geeks, and Bloodlines. She also appeared on AMC’s Mad Men, and earned an Emmy nomination for her lead role in Netflix’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ to Me. In Nonnas, she plays Joe’s high school friend and modern-day love interest, Olivia.

Drea de Matteo as Stella: De Matteo is best known for her Emmy-winning role as Adriana la Cerva on The Sopranos; her other credits include Sons of Anarchy and Desperate Housewives. She plays Stella, the wife of Joe’s friend Bruno.

Michael Rispoli as Al: Rispoli’s most well-known role is Jackie Aprile, a recurring character in the first season of HBO’s The Sopranos. He also appeared in The Taking of Pelham 123 alongside his old co-star James Gandolfini. In Nonnas, he plays an Italian resident of Staten Island who disapproves of Joe’s new restaurant.

Campbell Scott as Edward Durant: Durant is an American actor and producer best known for playing Mark Usher in House of Cards and Richard Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel. He is the son of Hollywood stars George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst. In Nonnas, he plays an important food critic named Edward Durant.