ICYMI, the PEN15 cast [1] is crazy close in real life. No, seriously — cocreators and main stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle [2] share a tight bond that rivals that of Maya Ishii-Peters and Anna Kone (perhaps minus the cheesy friendship necklaces though). Erskine's onscreen mom, Yuki, is portrayed by her actual mother, Mutsuko Erskine. And, as I discovered while binge-watching season two [3], the middle school drama teacher is played by none other than Michael Angarano, aka Erskine's boyfriend [4]. How cute is that?
During the sixth episode of season two, we meet Angarano as Greg Rosso, the dad-sneakers-sporting director of the school play and a lover of the words "real" and "honest." Maya is cast in a lead role of said play, meaning Erskine shares a handful of hilarious scenes with her offscreen partner. Honestly, I just want to know how Angarano managed to keep a straight face and stay in character while watching his girlfriend wear a mushroom-like wig and pretend to flirt with an actor half her age [5]. It's a true testament to his acting skills, which he's been honing since he was a young kid. Angarano has starred in a slew of shows and movies through the years, including Sky High (yep, he's Will Stronghold!), I'm Dying Up Here, Will & Grace, Cover Me, The English Teacher, and, most recently, This Is Us, on which he portrayed Jack's younger brother, Nicky [6]. Talk about range!
It's unclear exactly when Erskine and Angarano first started dating, but they made things Instagram official in September 2019, a few months after PEN15 nabbed its season-two renewal [7]. Since then, they've shared a boatload of sweet moments together, which you can admire ahead after seeing Angarano in action as Greg on PEN15 [8].
Pictures of Michael Angarano as Greg the Drama Teacher on PEN15
Pictures of Michael Angarano and Maya Erskine
