Andrew Rannells has played a lot of roles over the years. Broadway star. Sitcom scene-stealer. Essayist. Co-host of the Great American Baking Show. Gay icon with incredible comedic timing. But now he’s stepping into something a little softer, sadder, and more grounded with HBO’s Miss You, Love You and honestly? We are sat.
The new drama stars Rannells opposite the legendary Allison Janney, which already feels like enough reason to tune in. But the emotional heart of the story is what really pulls you in. According to the official synopsis, the film follows Diane Patterson, “a blunt, grieving widow” played by Janney, who is forced to plan her husband’s funeral with Jamie Simms, her estranged son’s assistant, played by Rannells.
Naturally, chaos follows.
The synopsis continues: “As they fumble through grief and their strange, darkly funny circumstances, buried secrets and long-held resentments surface, but their partnership becomes an unlikely conduit for connection, laughter, and healing for this mother and her unexpected surrogate son.”
That balance of heartbreak and humor feels exactly like the kind of project Rannells thrives in. He has always been exceptionally good at playing characters who feel polished on the outside while quietly spiraling internally. There is something deeply relatable about the way he delivers vulnerability. Even when he’s funny, there’s usually a little ache underneath it.
And apparently, getting the chance to do that opposite Allison Janney felt surreal even to him.
Talking to People, Rannells shared that starring alongside the Oscar-winning actress felt like he had “won the gay acting lottery.” Honestly, fair. Janney has long held unofficial patron saint status among gay audiences thanks to her razor-sharp wit, towering presence, and ability to switch from hilarious to devastating in seconds.
Putting these two together in a grief-centered dramedy already sounds like emotional damage in the best way possible.
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From Broadway Boyfriend to Emotional Leading Man
What makes Rannells so easy to root for is that he never really pretends to have life figured out. Even as his career keeps growing, he still talks openly about uncertainty, aging, relationships, and feeling a little lost sometimes.
That honesty came through strongly in his 2023 essay collection Uncle of the Year: & Other Debatable Triumphs, where he reflected on life in his forties. The essays explored the strange realization that you can technically have the career, the relationship, and the porperties and still wonder, “Wait… Am I doing this right?”
It is probably why audiences connect with him so much. He feels successful without becoming untouchable.
Rannells has also built a genuinely sweet real-life love story with fellow actor Tuc Watkins. The two have been together since 2019 after first meeting during the 2018 Broadway revival of The Boys in the Band. They later reprised their roles in the Netflix adaptation and worked together again on Black Monday.
There’s something comforting about seeing queer actors simply exist in long-term, happy relationships without turning it into a spectacle. It just feels lived in and real, much like the characters Rannells often gravitates toward playing.
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The Cast Is Kind of Stacked
Beyond Rannells and Janney, Miss You, Love You also features Bonnie Hunt, Suzy Nakamura, Oscar Nunez, and Lisa Schurga, which gives the film an extra layer of warmth and comedy nerd excellence.
The project comes from director and writer Jim Rash, who audiences also know from Community and his Oscar-winning work co-writing The Descendants. That combination of dry humor and emotional honesty seems baked into the DNA of this movie.
And honestly, sometimes those quieter films end up hitting the hardest.
Not everything has to be explosions or prestige television intensity. Sometimes you just want to watch two deeply talented people navigate grief, awkward conversations, resentment, and unexpected connection while making you laugh through tears.
That’s exactly what Miss You, Love You seems ready to deliver.
The film debuts on HBO on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET and will also stream on HBO Max. And between Rannells’ emotional charm and Allison Janney doing literally anything, we already know we’re going to need tissues.