"Surprising special guest appearances in Season 1 of Fallout on Prime Video"

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the first season of Fallout available on Prime Video.

Summary

The TV series Fallout has surprised viewers with the unexpected appearance of actors in surprising roles. Original characters bring a new freshness to Season 1 of Fallout, combining humor and serious moments for a unique experience. Special appearances by famous faces such as Michael Rapaport and Fred Armisen add an extra touch of interest to the Fallout universe in Amazon's adaptation.

Amazon's Fallout series features both lesser-known actors and established stars, while introducing more recognizable faces in secondary roles throughout the plot. Many actors who play small roles in the Fallout cast are a pleasant surprise when they appear. Despite having a good sense of humor, Fallout is not strictly a comedy, which makes it all the more surprising that many of the show's guest stars have comedic backgrounds. However, not all of them were cast to provide comic relief.

The Fallout universe allows a variety of interesting characters to appear in the Wasteland and other areas of the world map. By the end of Season 1 of Fallout, it's clear that Amazon's adaptation of the Bethesda game series isn't afraid to introduce new characters just for the sake of recognizing the actor playing them. However, the show never goes for shock value for the sake of it, as all of Fallout's high-profile guest stars bring something valuable to the show.

The Amazon series is set at the most recent point in the Fallout timeline, which means that many of the characters in the production have never appeared in the video game franchise. As such, the guest stars who take part in their respective appearances are largely given a great deal of creative freedom to establish an in-universe personality that doesn't get in the way of the gameplay branch of the Fallout franchise. Some Fallout guest appearances are little more than fun, while others feature characters who are essential to the overall plot.

The Fallout TV series draws on its video game origins and also introduces new consumables into Amazon's adaptation to create a sense of originality.

5. Michael Rapaport as the Knight Titus: Titus didn't live up to Maximus' expectations

As a member of Fallout's Brotherhood of Steel, Knight Titus begins as an imposing figure whose face is hidden for most of his only episode. Titus is played by actor and comedian Michael Rapaport. Although Rapaport has played roles in several comedic and dramatic productions, including My Name is Earl and Justified, his most famous character is undoubtedly Gary from Friends, despite only playing the fictional cop in four episodes in 1999.

In Fallout, Titus and the other Knights are admired by aspiring Brotherhood members, including Maximus. An unfortunate truth about Titus' false reputation is revealed in episode 2 of Fallout's first season, "The Target", when Rapaport's character runs away from an irradiated bear instead of standing his ground and fighting as a Brotherhood of Steel Knight is expected to do.

Titus proves to be cruel and cowardly by insulting Maximus while asking for a Stimpak to heal his wounds.

The revelation that Knight Titus is played by Michael Raport is a welcome surprise for fans of his work, and the presence of a comic actor cleverly fools the audience into believing that the next sequel will be funnier than it is. Instead, Titus proves to be cruel and cowardly as he insults Maximus while asking for a Stimpak to heal his wounds. Titus is a central character in Maximus' journey, with the latter inheriting the former's power armor and even operating under his name for a short time.

4. Fred Armisen as DJ Carl: DJ Carl is a perfect role for Fred Arimsen

Fred Armisen is best known for his improv work and sketches during his long run on Saturday Night Live. Whenever Armisen gets a role outside the series that launched him to success, his characters tend to be irreverent and eccentric. For example, Fred Armisen's guest appearances on New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are perfect encapsulations of his type of comedy, and DJ Carl continues this trend. Carl is perhaps a little less eccentric than some of Arimsen's previous roles, but he manages to make his small part just as captivating.

DJ Carl runs a radio tower and potentially even owns and lives in it. From his enthusiasm when showing Thaddeus the abrasive recording of some stringed instruments, Carl seems to be as much of an audiophile as living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland allows. When explaining to Thaddeus what makes the music so enjoyable, Carl tells him that nobody appreciates the fact that they are the "original recordings", but he never specifies what the original recordings are of. This implies that Carl doesn't know or is just withholding information to make the scenario confusing, which is very characteristic of Armisen's previous characters.

From his enthusiasm when showing Thaddeus the abrasive recording of some stringed instruments, Carl seems to be as much of an audiophile as living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland allows.

A large, colorful sign declares that DJ Carl's radio tower broadcasts a station called "KPSS". It's not clear how far the tower's signal reaches, but it's at least enough for Thaddeus to contact the Brotherhood to request extraction. DJ Carl seems to be aware of the threat that Wasteland could pose, as he hides when it becomes clear that Thaddeus is about to fight Maximus and Lucy. Carl also has the ground around his tower littered with traps.

Fred Armisen's special appearance as DJ Carl is in episode 7 of the first season of Fallout, "The Radio".

3. Chris Parnell as Supervisor Benjamin: The leader of Vault 4 is fair almost to the extreme

Parnell teams up with his former Saturday Night Live colleague Fred Armisen to play a role in the world of Fallout. Although Armisen's role is strictly to make the audience laugh, Chris Parnell's Fallout character occupies a much more appealing place in the series' lore. Overseer Benjamin is the leader of Vault 4, which is an unconventional community compared to other groups of Vault Dwellers. The inhabitants of Vault 4, including Benajmin, are descendants of Surface Dwellers who were experimented on by the first wave of Vault citizens - who were scientists.

Although Benjamin is too young to have taken part in the coup that prevented the scientists from experimenting on his ancestors, he is well aware of the tumultuous history of Vault 4. He has strong opinions about the surface dwellers and talks a lot about their smells and customs, but he is not cruel in the way he interacts with Lucy or Maximus. Benjamin has an eye in the middle of his face as a result of the experiments carried out on his ancestors and still claims that the Gulper from level 12 is his great-uncle.

Supervisor Benjamin is a perfect role for Chris Parnell to make an impact while at the same time not overshadowing the main cast of Fallout. The actor's natural charisma makes it easy for him to steal the spotlight effortlessly, so although he has the chance to shine as Benjamin, it's used sparingly. Parnell appears in consecutive episodes in season 1 of Fallout: episode 6, "The Trap", and episode 7, "The Radio". Compared to some of the other special appearances in Fallout, Parnell is allowed to make quite a large contribution to the show.

2. Matt Berry as Sebastian Leslie / Snip Snip: Snip Snip's personality is based on a character played by Sebastian Leslie

Matt Berry is unique among Fallout's special appearances in that he is allowed to play more than one character. His instantly recognizable voice is introduced to the show in Fallout's first season, episode 4, "The Ghouls", when the nefarious Mr. Handy robot named Snip Snip enters the fray. Berry's characteristic comic vibe works brilliantly for Snip Snip, because although the robot initially seems friendly and even caring, it is revealed soon after that he has been repurposed for non-consensual organ harvesting. As such, Berry's silky tones leaving such an evil machine heightens the fear factor in relation to what Lucy almost endures.

Berry also has a small role in the first season of Fallout, episode 1, "The End", as a Mr. Handy robot who may or may not be Snip Snip before being reprogrammed.

The origin of Snip Snip's voice is explained in episode 6 of Fallout's first season, "The Trap", when Matty Berry also appears in person as the fictional actor Sebastian Leslie before the bombs drop. During an exchange with Walter Goggins' Cooper Howard, Sebastian reveals that he sold his vocal rights to "That spinning robot they sell to housewives and perverts" for "US$ 186,000, before taxes". He also received a Mr. Handy robot as part of the deal.

Although Sebastian provides the voice model for all the Mr. Handy robots produced by General Atomics International, he doesn't do it as himself. Instead, Sebastian is known in the Fallout universe for playing a character known as a butler called Codsworth, and so Mr. Handy's artificial personality is actually modeled on Codsworth, rather than on Sebastian Leslie, the actor. Interestingly, this also links Sebastian Leslie to the Fallout video games, as Mr. Handy robots appear throughout the franchise.

1. Michael Emerson as Dr. Siggi Wilzig: Dr. Wilzig's presence in Fallout goes beyond Emerson's episode

Michael Emerson's Fallout character is so deeply rooted in the plot of the series that it seems unusual not to include him as part of the main cast. However, Dr. Siggi Wilzig only really appears in the first season of Fallout, episode 2, "The Target". As such, it's more accurate to describe Dr. Siggi Wilzig's only appearance as an extended cameo by Emerson. Fans of Lost will be among the most likely to recognize the actor, with Emerson appearing in 81 episodes of the series, as well as 103 episodes of Person of Interest.

Dr. Wilzig is an incredibly intelligent and deeply compassionate man. The scientist puts his life on the line not only to save the pragmatically named CX404, but also contributes to the death of a man in defense of the dog, while demonstrating a willingness to flee the safety of the facilities that have kept him safe while working. Wilzig's time in Wasteland is short, for although he had a plan to reach Lee Moldaver and the rest of the New California Republic, the Ghoul had other ideas when he shot the doctor in the foot in Filly.

Although Emerson only portrays Dr. Wilzig in a single episode of Fallout, the character and Emerson's image continue to appear in a new form throughout the rest of the show. Dr. Wilzig's severed head becomes the most sought-after item in the Wasteland. The head, which decomposes as the episodes progress, contains a key part of his research into cold fusion. Not only that, but the head is also modeled on Michael Emerson, making his presence on Amazon's Fallout TV show seem far beyond "The Target".

The first season of Fallout is available to stream in its entirety on Prime Video.

Fallout

Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Fallout is a drama series set in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. The series follows the survivors of the human race in an alternative timeline of the 1950s, where nuclear war has devastated the Earth, generating large irradiated areas and mutated humans who now roam the planet.

Cast: Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell, Kyle MacLachlan, Xelia Mendes-Jones, Aaron Moten
Release date: April 10, 2024
Seasons: 1