Oscar nominee Hong Chau shows up in the series’ second episode as Marge, a drug-dealing trucker. The no-nonsense woman meets Charlie in a truck stop bathroom as the latter tries to staunch the blood flow from her gunshot wound. When Charlie collapses, Marge brings her into her truck and superglues her back together. She’s resourceful, from the glue on down to “Baby Roscoe,” the pistol she keeps tucked in her boot. Unfortunately, she’s captured on CCTV dumping a body she found in her truck. Cops arrest Marge, so Charlie sets out to prove her innocence.
Chau is a versatile actor, as anyone who saw “The Menu” and “The Whale” can attest. She disappears into the gruff-talking role of Marge, especially vocally. Throughout the episode, she acts in a huskier register than we’re used to hearing. We immediately believe that this is a woman who lives her life on the road, just as Charlie will learn to do. She even gives her crucial advice that will shape the episodic series: “Anywhere you land, find a side hustle that pays cash.”
She also has phenomenal comedic timing, as she’s proven in her previous roles. Marge veers wildly between extremes — one moment confessing to having cried while watching Bambi and the next offering, “I’m getting…not-gonna-hook-up vibes?” Chau makes a major impression with less than ten minutes of screen time, landing her high on this list.
