Trading punchlines for punch ups, Rachel Brosnahan soars into the spotlight as Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman. After winning everyone over with her wise-cracking performance as Midge Maisel, an aspiring stand-up comic, in the period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, this marks her first major studio film lead since hanging up her mic in 2023.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is arguably one of Prime Video’s greatest hits, earning Brosnahan a shelf full of awards, including a Primetime Emmy and two Golden Globes, and turning her into a household name. But even before stepping into Midge’s heels, she was already turning heads with her standout performances in House of Cards, the atomic age drama Manhattan, and the stylish ’70s thriller I’m Your Woman, proving she’s always had range to spare. If you’re craving more of her brilliance after Superman, here are the 10 best Rachel Brosnahan movies and TV shows starring her that you’re sure to enjoy.
10. Burn Country (2016)
Rachel Brosnahan stars alongside James Franco and Dominic Rains in the 2016 film Burn Country. This slow-burn crime drama follows Osman, a former war journalist who relocates to a rural town in Northern California after being exiled from his last post. There, he takes a job at the local newspaper and soon finds himself entangled in a murder case. Brosnahan plays Sandra, an aspiring actress and one of Osman’s closest allies in the film.
9. I’m Obsessed With You (But You’ve Got to Leave Me Alone) (2014)
Adapted from Genevieve Adams' off-Broadway play IMPROVed, I’m Obsessed With You (But You’ve Got to Leave Me Alone) is a 2014 indie comedy-drama that follows a group of Ivy League improv comedians right before and after graduation. When a famous movie star crashes one of their parties, the group is thrown into chaos, pushing each character to confront their dreams, insecurities, and messy relationships. Rachel Brosnahan plays Nell Fitzpatrick, the socially outgoing, free-spirited heart of the group. The role marked one of her earliest lead appearances, which, funnily enough, also involved playing a comic. Her naturalism and grounded performance revealed early on the emotional range and comedic instincts that would come to define her later work.
8. Spies In Disguise (2019)
One of the funniest and most underrated animated films in recent years, Spies in Disguise follows the adventures of Sterling, the world’s most legendary spy, and Walter Beckett, a brilliant but socially inept scientist, as they attempt to take down a tech-savvy terrorist. But there’s a catch, thanks to one of Walter’s quirky inventions, Sterling is accidentally transformed into a pigeon, forcing the unlikely duo to team up to save the day. This oddball animation features Will Smith and Tom Holland as the voices of Sterling and Walter, respectively. Rachel Brosnahan voices Wendy Beckett, Walter’s late mother and a former police officer who was killed in the line of duty when Walter was a child.
7. Patriots Day (2016)
A tense, emotional retelling of one of the most tragic real-life events in recent American history, Patriots Day, takes us back to the day of the Boston Marathon Bombings. The film stars Mark Wahlberg as Sgt. Tommy Saunders, a police officer who finds himself at the heart of the multi-agency manhunt to track down the brothers who planned and executed the attack. The story builds from the planning of the attack to the chaos of the bombing and the tragic after-shocks of the event using a combination of interviews, surveillance, and tense shootout scenes. Brosnahan plays the role of Jessica Kensky, a real-life survivor, who, along with her husband is severely injured at the marathon’s finish line. Though a supporting role, Brosnahan brings a quiet emotional power to the part, offering a deeply human perspective on the tragedy.
6. Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People (2018)
Superman isn’t the first time Rachel Brosnahan has played the role of a journalist. The actress lent her voice to the 2018 PBS documentary Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People, which explores the life, work, and legacy of Joseph Pulitzer, the Hungarian-American newspaper pioneer whose name lives on through the Pulitzer Prizes. Brosnahan voices Nellie Bly, the trailblazing journalist known for her undercover reporting in mental institutions and her record-breaking trip around the world. As one of Pulitzer’s most prominent protégées, Brosnahan’s role may be small, but it’s certainly a notable one.
5. House of Cards (2013)
Before winning hearts in Amazon Prime Video’s megahit series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan showcased her acting chops in Netflix’s first breakout series, House of Cards. She plays Rachel Posner, a sex worker who becomes entangled in the dark, manipulative world of Washington politics. Her storyline begins when she’s hired by Congressman Peter Russo, and their relationship is later exposed by Frank Underwood as part of his ruthless rise to power. Originally written as a one-off role, the part was expanded thanks to Brosnahan’s compelling performance.
4. I’m Your Woman (2020)
Trading in her punchlines for paranoia, Brosnahan takes on the role of Jean, a soft-spoken housewife in Julia Hart’s feminist neo-noir I’m Your Woman. Jean is a naive woman who has no idea what her husband is up to, until he leaves her, quite literally, with a baby in one hand and baggage in the other. Suddenly on the run from dangerous men she’s never met, Jean is dropped into a world of loaded glances, silent car rides, and people who only half explain what’s going on. Brosnahan’s character is both strong and fragile, naive and perceptive, and she delivers a quiet, riveting performance that anchors the film with emotional depth.
3. The Courier (2020)
Based on the true story of Greville Wynne, the charming, suit wearing everyman turned MI6 courier during the Cuban missile crisis, The Courier is a stylish, sleek, and tense espionage thriller starring Rachel Brosnahan in yet another period film alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. Brosnahan plays the fast-talking, quick-thinking, and impulsive Emily Donovan, a fictional CIA agent who serves as one of Greville’s main trusted allies. While most of the film is a slow burn, Brosnahan injects pace and pressure every time she’s on screen. Sharp, steely, and strategically always two steps ahead, Brosnahan brings just the right amount of heat to the Cold War drama.
2. Manhattan (2014)
Science, politics, and paranoia collide in this moody and ambitious period drama about the race to build the first-ever nuclear weapons. While history gives us the big picture of the Manhattan Project, Manhattan zooms in on the lives of the soldiers, scientists, and families who lived behind the barbed wire of Los Alamos. Brosnahan plays Abby Isaacs, the wife of physicist Charlie Isaacs, one of the lead scientists working on the bomb. At first, she’s the poster image of the wide-eyed, polite, eager-to-fit-in housewife. But as the show progresses, Abby slowly unravels into one of the most emotionally complex characters on the series. If you like shows like Mad Men or The Americans, you’ll enjoy this hidden gem that ended far too soon.
1. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
The show that catapulted Brosnahan to global stardom, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a whip-smart, fast-talking period comedy that blends razor-sharp humour with heartfelt drama. Set in 1950s New York, the series follows Midge Maisel, a stylish Upper West Side housewife who seems to have it all figured out, two kids, a charming apartment, and a loving husband. That is, until her husband asks for a divorce, sending her stumbling into the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy, only to discover she’s brilliant at it. Brosnahan is simply marvelous in the show, sharp as a tack, funny as hell, and dressed to kill in every scene.
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