Film & TV NewsCheck Out Photos From Season 2 of The Politician, Starring Ben Platt, Judith Light, Bette Midler, MoreThe Ryan Murphy Netflix series returns in June.
By
Dan Meyer
May 18, 2020
Ben Platt and Ryan Haddad in The PoliticianGiovanni Rufino/Netflix
Aspiring U.S. President Payton Hobart will return for a new bout of political backstabbing and self-discovery June 19, when Season 2 of Ryan Murphy's The Politician premieres on Netflix.
Returning to the series are Golden Globe nominee and Tony winner Ben Platt as Payton, Judith Light as Senator Dede Standish, and Bette Midler as Standish's chief of staff, Hadassah Gold. While the two leading ladies were only featured in handful of episodes last season, they'll be a major part of the next installment, comprised of seven episodes.
Season 2 will follow Payton as he goes toe-to-toe against Standish for a seat in the New York State Senate. In order to continue on his path to the Oval Office, Payton must develop his own image as an electable candidate while using political sabotage to undermine his opponent. Meanwhile, Payton's mom Georgina (Gwenyth Paltrow) decides to enter the political arena herself.
The satire also welcomes back Lucy Boynton as Astrid Sloan, Zoey Deutch as Infinity Jackson, Laura Dreyfuss as McAfee Westbrook, Theo Germaine as James Sullivan, Julia Schlaepfer as Alice Charles, David Corenswet as River Barkley, Rahne Jones as Skye Leighton, and Ryan Haddad as Andrew Cashman. Twins Trevor Mahlon and Trey Eason will also return to play Payton's older brothers Martin and Luther. The series also features Jackie Hoffman, Joe Morton, Sam Jaeger, Benjamin Barrett, and Teddy Sears.
Created by Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, The Politician first debuted in 2019; the premiere season followed Payton as he ran for high school president but encountered more than a few roadblocks—including murder plots, unexpected opponents, and secret romances. By the end of the first season, Payton was at college in New York City and ready to enter the political fray once again.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
