Television Sitcoms
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS
ByAshley Bubp/
"Ghosts" stands out as one of CBS' most inventive sitcom offerings. Based on the British series of the same, "Ghosts" debuted in 2021 with considerable acclaim, emerging as a major hit for the network. Over onRotten Tomatoes, the American remake boasts a solid 97% critics, with audiences not far behind, giving it a positive 85% score. Supernatural comedies don't tend to play well on network television butTrevor actor Asher Grodman says the "Ghosts" pilot was the best he'd ever read, knowing from the get-go that the sitcom would be a hit.
Created by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, "Ghosts" follows Sam and Jay Arondekar (Rose McIver andUtkarsh Ambudkar), a happy-go-lucky couple from New York whose lives are flipped upside down when they inherit a beautiful country home. Eager to take advantage of the property, they move in, only to realize that the house is inhabited by a number of ghosts from various eras and time periods. While Sam can communicate with the ghosts thanks to a freak accident, Jay cannot, resulting in some truly hilarious escapades.
With so many Ghosts under one roof, it's easy for viewers to latch onto one of their favorites. A major standout in the series is Flower, played by SheilaCarrasco. A hippe from the '60s, Flower is one of the funniest and most emotionally interesting characters in the series. Flower has been with the show since Season 1 — Carrasco even had surprising thoughts over the hilarious Ghost Prom episode.
Chances are that audiences have seen Carrasco in some of her other television and film appearances, which is why Flower looks so familiar.
Life in Pieces
Hulu/CBS
"Ghosts" isn't Carrasco's first rodeo on CBS. One of her first appearances on the network was on "Life in Pieces," which aired from 2015 to 2019. It starred some pretty big names, like Colin Hanks, Thomas Sadoski, Mark Ruffalo, and Betsy Brandt, among others. Additionally, it featured some big-name guest appearances from the likes of Jordan Peele, Josh Groban, and even Cary Elwes. Carrasco also made a noteworthy — although unfortunately non-recurring — appearance.
She played a young woman named Beth in Season 2, Episode 5, "Dinner Professor Steps Lesbian." Toward the end of the episode, the ladies visit a lesbian bar in support of their friend Dougie (Fortune Feimster) coming out as gay. At the bar, Dougie strikes up a conversation with Beth, trying to solicit a kiss out of her. And it ends as awkwardly as you would expect it since it's not every day that a complete stranger agrees to kiss another person just because they asked nicely. It's a short but teachable moment about consent and proper social etiquette.
Fox News Sexual Harassment Training Video
The "Funny or Die" YouTube Channel may have never landed itself on a major broadcasting network, but it's enough of a cultural phenomenon to deserve its own honorable mention. This is especially true given that Carrasco once co-starred in a particularly funny — and viral — video that closely parodied a series of real-life sexual harassment scandals that rocked Fox News back in April of 2017. It is (aptly named) "Fox News Sexual Harassment Training Video" and also stars the likes of Lauren Adams and Dave Theune.
In the short, Carrasco plays Becky, a young woman who just can't catch a break when it comes to receiving multiple inappropriate offers from her male superiors in the workplace. Adams is the exasperated, pearl-clutching narrator/instructor who takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to navigating several tumultuous hypothetical scenarios involving inappropriate office conduct. In reality, though, all of the scenarios described in the video were taken right out of the headlines. And everyone, Carrasco included, does a fantastic job finding the laughter in a series of uncomfortable situations while at the same time exposing how egregious it is that such incidents are so unfortunately commonplace.
It's also worth noting that the video was prophetic at the time. Although the phrase #MeToo was first coined back in 2006 to help unite and support victims of sexual assault and misconduct, it didn't gain momentum until The New York Times published the first of a long series of allegations against Hollywood directorHarvey Weinstein in October of 2017 — six monthsafter Carrasco's skit was published on the Funny or Die YouTube page.
Jane the Virgin
CW/Netflix
"Jane the Virgin" was one of the biggest shows to ever grace the CW back in the day. It enjoyed five successful seasons from 2015 to 2019. What American viewers may not know is that the show was a reboot of a popular Venezuelan telenovela named "Juana la Virgen," basically following the same premise with English-speaking actors (via Bustle). The series revolves around a young teenage girl who gets artificially inseminated by accident during a routine women's health physical. She then (comically!) struggles with pregnancy and motherhood despite the fact that she has never broken her Catholic commandment of abstaining from sex before marriage.
During Season 3, Petra finds herself in some legal trouble which forces her to have several uncomfortable interactions after Detectives Dennis Chambers (Christopher Allen) and Dana Peruzzi (Carrasco) basically accuse her of murder. But in a surprise twist at the end, The Narrator surprises everyone and shows the audience that Petra is no longer their main suspect — it was Louisa, her husband's sister! Petra, her husband, and the cops eventually team up together, and Petra is cleared of blame for the murder that she didn't commit.
I Think You Should Leave
One of the best things to come out of Netflix is comedian TimRobinson's hilarious and out-of-pocket sketch series "I Think YouShould Leave." The series debuted in 2019 and quickly became one of the streaming giant's zaniest offerings. With episodes less than 18 minutes, "I Think You Should Leave" is a bite-sized comedic triumph and has won 3 Emmys, turning lead star Robinson into a sensation. The show has even found a fan inSeth Rogen, who says it's the funniest comedy series of all time.In Season 1, Episode 2, titled "Thanks For Thinking They Are Cool,"Sheila Carrasco has a small appearance in the "Wilson's NaturalHair Loss System" sketch.
The sketch is a commercial for "Wilson's Natural Hair Loss System," and followsDave (Carlos Arellano), a middle-aged man who feels insecure about wearing a toupée to hide his bald head.Eager to reclaim his freedom as a bald man, Dave enlists the help of Wilson's, a fictional company that provides customers with a series of toupées that shed hair over time, creating the illusion that the individual is balding over time. In the sketch, Carrasco plays a woman who works with Dave, who chastises her coworker in a hypothetical scenario where he gets rid of his toupée altogether.
At the end of the sketch, Dave, now a happy and free bald man, accidentally pokes Carrasco's character in the eyes. It's a brief appearance but (without getting into spoilers) memorable appearance for Carrasco as she gets one of the funniest lines in the entire episode.
The Good Place
NBC/Netflix
"The Good Place" was a very popular NBC comedy that ran from 2016 to 2020. It was set in a fictitious afterlife referred to as The Good Place and starred major talents like Kristen Bell, Jameela Jamil, Ted Danson, and William Jackson Harper. The show accomplished in its first season a feat which is rare in the entertainment industry today: it managed to hide the big plot-twist reveal that (spoiler alert) they were actually all in The Bad Place the whole time. This sent the rest of the series on a trajectory that few saw coming, with even more delightful surprises and revelations as the characters proceeded on their four-season journey.
During the show's final season, that trajectory intersected with Carrasco's acting career. Episode 3, "Chillaxing," has all of the major characters on edge and in dire need of some levity. About halfway through the episode, this relief came about in the form of a Hawaiian-themed luau. At one point, Good Place residents were given the chance to chuck a magical lava stone into a special pit of sand in order to be given their heart's deepest desire. When Matilda (Carrasco) steps up first, instead of getting a gift, she is reunited with her long-lost childhood pet, a boxed turtle named Shell Turtlestein. It may be a small cameo with very few lines, but the palpable joy on her face as she waves the turtle around for all to see is highly relatable for anyone who experienced the joys of animal companionship at an early age.
#VanLife
Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images
2019 was an exceptionally busy year for SheilaCarrasco, as the actress also appeared in the series "#VanLife." The series debuted just as the "van life" way of living was becoming popular throughout the West. The "van life" movement is simple. Why pay thousands in rent and be stuck in one place when you can retrofit a van and make it your mobile home? Nomadic and incredibly, the "van life" phenomenon is captured in "#VanLife," which capitalized on the rising trend.
The series follows a couple (Rose O'Shea and Mike Castle) who abandon their jobs and decide to become van dwellers to explore the country. Fascinated by their experiences, they begin to document their journey for their fans. The social media aspect of the series is notable as the series debuted exclusively on Snapchat as part of their Snap Originals initiative.
The lead couple is compelled to go on their life-upending journey after becoming fascinated with social media influencers Jewel (Carrasco) and Rafa (Jimmy Fowlie), a couple at the forefront of the #VanLife movement. O'Shea and Castle's characters eventually meet their heroes on their journey, realizing that #VanLife is more than just quirky social media posts and idyllic living. In the series, Carrasco plays your typical, new-age-obsessed social media influencer, adding levity to the stereotype. Carrasco's "#VanLife" character compliments Flower for "Ghosts," as both are hippies and nature-loving.
The Donor Party
In 2023,Sheila Carrasco lent her talents to the sex comedy "The Donor Party." The picture followsJaclyn (Malin Akerman), a single woman who decides to finally follow up on her dream of becoming a mother. Without a partner, Jaclyn hatches a plan with her friends to find a suitable sperm donor. They decide to go to a house party, where Jaclyn seducing various eligible candidates at the event to be her donor, leading to all sorts of chaos. "The Donor Party" received poor reviews from critics and currently boasts a 0% rating onRotten Tomatoes, emerging as a lowlight for Carrasco and lead star Akerman. In addition to Akerman and Carrasco, the film stars"Hot Tub Time Machine" standout Rob Corddry and "The Big Bang Theory" actorJerry O'Connell.
In the film, Carrasco plays Gia, the woman in a relationship with Jaclyn's ex. Jaclyn is disappointed when she finds out that Gia is pregnant and the couple already have a baby, as her ex previously expressed disinterest in having children. Seeing Gia glowing and happy with a child is what propels Jaclyn to become a mother. While Carrasco's role in the picture is brief, she plays a compelling character who sets the plot in motion.
Carrasco's clout as an actor continues to grow, especially as "Ghosts" continues to be one of CBS' most prominent comedic offerings.
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