Many know actress and comedian Milana Vayntrub for her role in AT&T commercials, but there are plenty of other projects on her resume. She’s appeared in “Lizzie McGuire,” “Californication,” “ER,” and “Days of Our Lives,” in addition to other shows and movies. With a role in the upcoming Andy Weir adaptation “Project Hail Mary” alongside Ryan Gosling, Vayntrub continues to add interesting and dynamic projects to her filmography.
Even if you don’t know her from her AT&T commercials, comedy fans are sure to recognize Vayntrub from her work in several popular comedy series. She’s been in CollegeHumor videos, is Diane and Dianebot in the YouTube ARG “Dad,” and has lent her voice to three episodes of “Robot Chicken.”
If you want to see Vayntrub’s best projects, look no further. These series and films not only show off her comedic chops in different settings, but how she can play both unsuspecting villains and shy playwrights with ease. After looking at her roles within these projects and their scores on Rotten Tomatoes, the following stand out as her five best movies and shows.
5. Give Me an A
An anthology movie made in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, “Give Me an A” features the work of 19 different filmmakers and their reactions to the Supreme Court decision. The 17 segments feature a cast of well-known names, from “Gilmore Girls” and “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Sean Gunn to “Suits” lead Gina Torres. Milana Vayntrub appears in the segment “Vasectopia,” a commercial for a utopia where no one can get pregnant. The actress is the humorous spokesperson in the commercial.
Each part of the anthology highlights a different issue related to abortion and healthcare, like female autonomy and the right to choose. However, more interestingly, some segments feature what these changes might look like for men. There is no one tone across the anthology, presenting segments that can resonate with everyone.
With an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Give Me an A” was received positively by critics. “Whilst the energy within ‘Give Me an A’ is rightfully angry and antagonistic, this is not a sequence of banal preachings,” Kat Hughes wrote for TheHollywoodNews.com. “The writers and directors instead use their ingenuity and wit to help plead their case.”
4. Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors
Milana Vayntrub voices Squirrel Girl, a girl who can communicate with squirrels, in the “Marvel Rising” shorts. They follow various Marvel characters, some who have appeared in the live-action movies and shows of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like Kamala Khan and American Chavez, and others who have yet to make the jump from the animated series. In the full-length film “Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors,” best friends Squirrel Girl and Kamala go through everyday issues, including arguing over who to trust.
This film currently holds a 100% from critics and a 74% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Nerdist’s Rosie Knight writes that “Secret Warriors” is “filled with awesome characters and a storyline which pushes what we’ve come to expect from ‘kids’ television.”
Still, the project was divisive, with some viewers believing “Secret Warriors” panders to more “woke” agendas, by featuring a bisexual America Chavez and focusing on a group of characters that is mostly young women of color. In contrast, critics highlight the included diversity as a positive, with Nerdist saying “it’s refreshing to see a young Muslim Pakistani American woman at the forefront of a flagship animation property like this.”
3. Werewolves Within
Based on a video game, “Werewolves Within” is a comedic horror film following forest ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson) and mail carrier Cecily Moore (Milana Vayntrub). The two are trying to solve who might be the werewolf terrorizing the small town, but with disgruntled residents and a blizzard thrown into the mix, it isn’t as easy as it seems to find the culprit.
While there have certainly been some video game adaptations bombs over the years, “Werewolves Within” isn’t one of them. The movie did fairly well with critics, earning an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, though it didn’t have a wide theatrical release. Reviews highlight how well the film blended the two genres, with Austin Chronicle comparing “Werewolves Within” to “Clue,” writing that it “finds the laughs in the jump scare, and brings back the uproarious joy of the ‘it’s behind you!’ creeping fright.”
Vayntrub’s performance in particular is praised by reviewers as the high point of the movie. “This is a triumphant performance, a wondrous turn overflowing in comedic inspiration, the actress layering in unexpected emotional modulations that make Cecily far more than the kooky backwoods cherub she initially appears to be,” Sara Michelle Fetters wrote for MovieFreak. “She’s equal parts angel and devil, and as the counterpoint to Richardson’s plucky go-get-’em do-gooder, Vayntrub is a bedeviling ingénue who’s the ideal yin to his yang.” RogerEbert.com’s Nick Allen agreed, calling Vayntrub and Richardson’s performances “a special grade of adorable.”
2. Bad Shabbos
“Bad Shabbos” takes audiences to a Shabbos dinner. It should be a wonderful moment, as oldest son David (Jon Bass) brings his fiancé Meg (Meghan Leathers), who is planning to convert, to spend time with his family. However, between the off-kilter family dynamics with David’s younger siblings Abby (Milana Vayntrub) and Adam (Theo Taplitz), and the accidental death of Abby’s boyfriend Benjamin (Ashley Zukerman), the evening takes a turn for the worse.
The movie features Vayntrub at her best. The dark comedy centers around something we’ve all had to worry about at some point — how our parents behave during the holidays — and it really allows the actress to shine. Comedy is her sweet spot, and Vayntrub settles into her part of the story with ease, easily the funniest of the cast. “Top comic delivery honors go to Vayntrub (of AT&T commercials and, more recently, the Menendez brothers ‘Monsters’ fame) as an unhappy woman who becomes both increasingly drunk and the situation’s moral center,” Bob Strauss wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Not only is Vayntrub phenomenal in “Bad Shabbos,” but the movie received an 84% from critics and an 82% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, cementing it as one of the actress’s best reviewed films. It also won the Audience Award at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, reinforcing the audience love for the project.
1. This Is Us
One of Milana Vayntrub’s highest-rated projects with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, “This Is Us” makes the top of this list because of the impact of the project and Vayntrub’s role in it. As a show, the NBC drama covers important topics like racism, blended families, grief, and generational trauma across a lifetime as Kevin, Kate, and Randall grow up and become parents.
Vayntrub joins the cast for eight episodes in Season 1, portraying Sloane Sandburg. The character is a playwright and someone Kevin crosses paths with in his acting career. Though the two become romantically involved for only a short time, it’s long enough to help Sloane grow into a more confident person. When she’s first introduced in Episode 4, she’s much more reserved, so it’s nice to watch Sloane’s growth.
While “This Is Us” is a series that did well because of the emotional depth and connection audiences felt with the characters, it’s one of Vayntrub’s best projects because it features the actress in a different role compared to the rest of her resume. People may know her from comedy YouTube series like College Humor and Dad, or even from her guest roles in “Key & Peele” and “Californication,” but as Sloane, the actress puts her range on display. Sure, she succeeds in comedy, but “This Is Us” shows she can also do more dramatic roles just as well.