Russian Doll season 2: Why is comedian Rosie O'Donnell in the credits?

Natasha Lyonne in Russian Doll season 2
(Image credit: Netflix)

Much of Russian Doll season 2 takes place on the New York City subway – but did you recognize the subway announcer's voice?

Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed Rosie O'Donnell's name in the credits, but the comedian doesn't actually appear at any point in the season. Well, her face doesn't, but her voice does. 

"She's the subway announcer. She's the, 'Next stop, this is Astor Place. Next stop, 14th street,'" series co-creator and star Natasha Lyonne told EW.

"It was very generous of [O'Donnell]. I just texted her, because we knew we wanted a real New York accent. We were sort of running down the line, we're like, 'Rosie Perez, Rosie… Mike Rappaport. Who's doing this part?' And so I texted Rosie, and she just would start sending me these little voice memos." 

O'Donnell has previously appeared in shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Nip/Tuck, and more recently she's had roles in Showtime's SMILF and HBO's I Know This Much is True opposite Mark Ruffalo. Up next for the comedian is American Gigolo, a TV series based on the 1980 movie of the same name and starring Jon Bernthal. 

Set four years after season 1, Nadia (Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) are traveling through time in the series' second installment, and the subway – and, more specifically, the 6 Train – is their version of a time machine.

Russian Doll season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. If you've watched the new episodes, check our guides to the Russian Doll season 2 ending explained and the Russian Doll season 2 timeline explained. Plus, here's our guide to everything we know so far about a potential Russian Doll season 3.  

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.