Meet the Cast of FX's 'English Teacher,' the Best New Comedy of the Fall

Despite a mostly unknown cast, FX's 'English Teacher' is the funniest new show of the fall. Here's an overview of the actors and their characters.

Sex crimes against women. LGBTQ+ issues. School shootings. As a general rule, these are not topics you should try to center a half-hour sitcom around. But in the first four episodes of FX’s remarkable new comedy series English Teacher, all of these issues are broached in a manner that is at once thoughtful, humane, and, crucially, hilarious. The next time the angry conservative in your family claims that, ‘We can’t joke about anything anymore,’ tell them about this show.

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Created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez, English Teacher is about a well-intentioned, gay high school teacher in Austin, Texas whose best efforts constantly land him in hot water with his fellow teachers, students, and principal. Sub out high school for grade school and Austin for Philly, and that description could also apply to Abbott Elementary, but compared to Quinta Brunson’s Emmy-winning show, English Teacher is bolder, deeper, and more provocative (to be clear, we’re big fans of Abbott Elementary; with their distinct tones, these two shows compliment each other well).

As mentioned above, English Teacher does not shy away from hot-button topics. But instead of waving them away with a dismissive, “kids-these-days” shrug, Alvarez leans into them with empathy and curiosity. For example, to resolve a conflict between the LGBTQ+ club and the football team over their “powderpuff” performance as cheerleaders in the second episode (one of the funniest half-hours we’ve seen all year), Alvarez’s character hires a drag queen to coach the players. In Alvarez’s hands, generational conflicts are treated with gentle bemusement, not judgment.

It also helps that the cast – most of whom are relative unknowns – is uniformly amazing, especially Sean Patton as gym coach Markie Hillridge, a character that initially presents as regressive but slowly reveals himself to be observant and thoughtful (complex, in other words). Since they’re all about to get a lot of burn in Google searches, we saved you the time and put together this guide to the cast of English Teacher. To watch the two-episode premiere of English Teacher on Monday, Sept. 2 at 10pm ET on FX, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Blue.

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Descriptions courtesy of FX

Brian Jordan Alvarez as Evan Marquez

Character description: Evan is an English teacher at Morrison-Hensley High School. Prone to taking stands and fighting for what he believes in, even when he probably shouldn’t. He’s passionate about teaching but also has a rich and complex personal life that he is trying to keep separate from his work life. He sees the way the world should be and has a hard time just going with the flow. He became a teacher to enrich his students’ lives but struggles with essentially every other aspect of the job.

You might know him from…M3GAN, Jane the Virgin, Grace and Frankie

Stephanie Koenig as Gwen Sanders

Character description: Gwen is Evan’s best friend and fellow teacher at Morrison-Hensley High. She’s especially supportive of her long-term boyfriend, Nick, who recently lost his job and begun hand-digging a pool in their yard. While everyone else sees this as a cry for help, Gwen thinks it’s a great idea.

You might know her from…Lessons in Chemistry, The Offer, The Flight Attendant

Enrico Colantoni as Principal Grant Moretti

Character description: Morrison-Hensley’s level-headed leader, Principal Grant Moretti finds himself trying to keep Evan in line far more often than he’d like. He prefers to be as neutral as possible about any controversy but has a deep soft spot for the teachers who work for him. He is hesitant to share his personal opinions, wanting to separate himself as much as possible from his work.

You might know him from…Veronica Mars, Station Eleven, Just Shoot Me

Sean Patton as Markie Hillridge

Character description: The gym teacher and athletic director at Morrison-Hensley High, Markie is an affable but cocky Texan who considers himself an alpha male. But he can be surprisingly kind and resourceful, often helping Evan out of jams. He’s confused and annoyed at times by the changing world around him and has a habit of over-simplifying things. He has a soft spot for Gwen... maybe even a little bit of a crush.

You might know him from…Those Who Can’t, Inside Amy Schumer, Stand-up comedy

Carmen Christopher as Rick

Character description: Rick works as a Guidance Counselor at Morrison-Hensley, though it’s often unclear just how helpful he is. He thinks of himself as more of an entrepreneur and big idea guy. Relaxed and fun-loving, at times Rick seems like he may have more in common with the students than his fellow teachers. He and Markie often bicker, each believing himself to be smarter than the other.

You might know him from…The Bear, The Chris Gethard Show, Shrill

Jordan Firstman as Malcolm

Character description: Malcolm is Evan’s ex-boyfriend and former dance teacher at Morrison-Hensley. Unpredictable and wild, Malcolm says whatever he wants whenever he wants... which may be why he didn’t last long as a teacher. Now working in tech, Malcolm clearly still has some feelings for Evan, though neither is sure how to navigate them.

You might know him from…Ms. Marvel, You People

Langston Kerman as Harry

Character description: Harry is the funny and charming new teacher at Morrison-Hensley. Evan and Harry quickly develop a crush and flirtation, which is an issue since Evan is not allowed to date other faculty.

You might know him from…The Boys, Insecure, Bust Down