Nonnas cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the Netflix film?

The freshly released Netflix film Nonnas boasts a splendid cast of actors, including Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello, and Linda Cardellini.

Helmed by Stephen Chbosky, the film is based on a true story that follows a man named Joe Scaravella, who brings together a group of actual Italian grandmothers—also known as “Nonnas”—to showcase their culinary skills and knowledge in his restaurant, Enoteca Maria. He creates the restaurant to honor his late mother.

Let us find out more about the cast and the characters they portray in Nonnas.

Nonnas cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the Netflix film?

1) Joe Manganiello as Bruno

A still from 'Nonnas' | Image via @Youtube/Netflix

Actor Joe Manganiello essays the role of Bruno, a long-time friend of Joe who helps him set up Enoteca Maria. Bruno supports Joe financially as well, and even though he doesn’t always agree with him, he stands by him nonetheless. Speaking about being cast in the film, Manganiello told Entertainment Weekly:

“I’m of mixed ancestry, so I haven't been cast as Italian a lot in my life,”

He also added:

“There were little nuanced, funny things about being Italian that I felt like I understood."

In addition to this film, Joe Manganiello has previously appeared in the Spider-Man film series (2002, 2007), the Magic Mike film series (2012, 2015, 2023), Justice League (2017), Rampage (2018), Bottom of the 9th (2019), Shoplifters of the World (2021), The Kill Room (2023), among others.

2) Linda Cardellini as Olivia

In the film, Linda Cardellini appears in the role of Olivia, who is romantically involved with Joe and helps him with judicial matters related to the restaurant.

Outside of this film, Cardellini has previously worked in Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), Legally Blonde (2001), the Scooby-Doo film series (2002, 2004), ER (2003–2009), The Lazarus Project (2008), the Avengers film series (2015, 2019), A Simple Favor (2018), Capone (2020), Nutcrackers (2024), and many more.

3) Brenda Vaccaro as Antonella

Veteran actor Brenda Vaccaro portrays Antonella, one of the Nonnas working at Enoteca Maria. Antonella has lost her husband and leads a solitary life despite having many family members. She also lives near the residence of Olivia, Joe’s romantic interest.

Brenda Vaccaro has had an illustrious career on both screen and stage. The three-time Golden Globe–nominated actor has appeared in films and series including Midnight Cowboy (1969), Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg(1974), Jacqueline Susann’s Once Is Not Enough (1975), Capricorn One (1977), Supergirl (1984), Heart of Midnight(1988), Friends (1995), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Sonny (2002), The Clapper (2017), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), And Just Like That… (2021), and many more.

4) Talia Shire as Teresa

Veteran actor Talia Shire portrays the role of Teresa, another Nonna in the group who has predominantly worked as a nun throughout her life before walking away from the institution. She then joins Joe’s restaurant as one of the chefs.

The Academy Award–nominated actor is well known for her work in The Godfather films (1972, 1974, 1990), the Rockyfilm series (1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1990), Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star (1986), Deadfall (1993), Kiss the Bride (2002), Homo Erectus (2007), Minkow (2010), Dreamland (2016), Working Man (2019), Megalopolis (2024), and more.

5) Lorraine Bracco as Roberta

Actor Lorraine Bracco essays the role of Roberta, the ill-tempered Nonna who initially does not fit in with the group. She was also a close confidante of Joe’s mother.

The Academy Award–nominated actor has previously appeared in films and series including The Dream Team (1989), Goodfellas (1990), Radio Flyer (1992), The Sopranos (1999–2007), Tangled (2001), Rizzoli & Isles (2010–2016), Blue Bloods (2017–2018), The Birthday Cake (2021), Rich Flu (2024), and others.

6) Susan Sarandon as Gia

Susan Sarandon embodies the role of Gia, one of the Nonnas who is an expert pastry chef. She, too, was a friend of Joe’s mother.

The Academy and BAFTA-winning actor is recognized for her work in films and series including A World Apart (1970–1971), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Atlantic City (1980), Tempest (1982), Bull Durham (1988), Thelma & Louise (1991), Little Women (1994), Dead Man Walking (1995), Stepmom (1998), Friends (2001), Moonlight Mile (2002), Romance & Cigarettes (2005), Enchanted (2007), Peacock (2010), Cloud Atlas (2012), Viper Club (2018), Blue Beetle(2023), The Six Triple Eight (2024), and more.

7) Vince Vaughn as Joe Scaravella

And finally, the person behind the vision of Entoca Maria, Joe Scaravella, is portrayed by actor Vince Vaughn. His character is based on the real-life figure Joe Scaravella. In the film, Vaughn’s character brings together the Nonnas to work in his restaurant as chefs, with the restaurant serving as a tribute to his late mother.

Other than this film, Vince Vaughn is well known for his work in films and series including Swingers (1996), Psycho(1998), Old School (2003), Wedding Crashers (2005), Into the Wild (2007), Four Christmases (2008), The Watch (2012), The Internship (2013), True Detective (2015), Seberg (2019), Freaky (2020), Broke (2025), and more.

The rest of the cast of Nonnas

The supporting cast of the film includes a mix of experienced actors and newcomers who add heart and authenticity to Nonnas. The supporting cast include: