There were a lot of shows canceled in 2025 and, as of right now, Poker Face is included in that list. The Natasha Lyonne-led mystery crime dramedy was axed by Peacock in November, but it was also announced that the series' creator, Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson, would shop it around for a potential third season, with Peter Dinklage taking over Lyonne’s role as Charlie Cale. Now, Lyonne is opening up about why she wanted to step back and if she’d ever step back into her role.
It was a surprise when Dinklage was announced to be in talks to play Charlie, while Lyonne would be staying on as an executive producer of the show. However, it sounds like this is what Lyonne ultimately wanted. The Emmy-nominated actress told The Hollywood Reporter that she wants to prioritize feature filmmaking but is more than excited about Dinklage taking over the role:
Yes, and also just to say, I adore [Peter] Dinklage. Game of Thrones is obviously one of my favorite shows, but Peter is also one of my favorite people of all time. It’s kind of all good news. For me, baby’s gotta direct some movies. I’ve been talking about it long enough. I’m very grateful I got to direct TV and write so much of it.
Lyonne has really been branching out from acting in recent years, adding directing and writing credits to her resume. She's also been executive producing numerous projects as of late. With Poker Face alone, Lyonne directed three episodes and wrote two of them. Of course, she still has plenty of acting roles coming up and other projects she’s excited for.
The American Pie alum seems to be looking forward to having other passions to focus on and branching out even more. With that, it makes sense that she wanted to step down as Charlie Cale. She continued:
I love what I do very much; I’m so grateful that I get to do it. And the unfortunate thing about a human timeline is that, much like the sand in the hourglass, these are the days of our lives. I gotta get these movies under my belt, and I’m also excited about my Sky show with Matt Berry, Force & Majeure, a sci-fi retro endeavor. When we’re done talking, I’m going to get back to that writers room to finish that finale. We shoot in September.
If or when Poker Face returns, it will be exciting to see how Dinklage pulls off Charlie Cale. Still, even with someone else donning the mantle, could Lyonne ever actually step back into those shoes? Well, it sounds like the door isn’t exactly closed on that front. As for what it would take her to return, Lyonne said the following:
Oh, just for Rian and I to hang out and make a little album or a single or something. Any time, any place. I’d always be happy to be tapped back in.
It is a little too early to start thinking about Lyonne’s theoretical return to Poker Face, especially since the series hasn’t even been confirmed for a third season elsewhere. Still, fans can hope, right? As a fan, I'm also glad she'll still be attached as an executive producer if the show continues and, quite frankly, anything with Peter Dinklage is great. Of course, the Tyrion Lannister does have some big shoes to fill, given Lyonne is so perfect as Charlie.
Speaking of which, while Poker Face doesn’t have a new home yet, HBO is reportedly in the running to scoop it up, and executive Casey Bloys previously revealed that discussions are happening. Bloys seems excited at the prospect of having Dinklage back in the fold following Game of Thrones. Still, nothing is confirmed as of yet, so we'll have to wait and see what lies ahead for the mystery-of-the-week show.
In the meantime, both seasons of Poker Face are streaming with a Peacock subscription.
