June Diane Raphael is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Raphael made her first debut with a guest spot in the television series Ed in 2002, but her career did not start until 2006 when the actor began to take on a series of minor roles across TV and film.
Raphael would make her mark in comedy through TV programs like Burning Love, NTSF:SD:SUV::, and Grace and Frankie, where she played central roles. As a screenwriter, June Diane Raphael is most notable for her work on Bride Wars and Ass Backwards, the latter of which she also produced and starred.
A seasoned comedic actor and talent, we look at the best June Diane Raphael performances, ranked up to our number one pick.
10 Year One
Leading with a strong cast of Jack Black and Micheal Cera, Year One was almost unanimously panned by critics as a case of poor execution and disconnect between the talent in front and behind the camera. The film performed okay at the box office but was far from the smashing success one would hope from a Jack Black-led comedy on the big screen.
Still, the film gave June Diane Raphael a chance to flex her comedic skill alongside some of the greats playing the role of Maya, a romantic interest in the film to Zed (Jack Black) — a notable role in an otherwise forgettable comedy.
9 Girl Most Likely
Another comedy that saw June Diane Raphael work alongside a modern-day comedic powerhouse in Kristen Wiig, Girl Most Likely, was released in 2012 to a rather bland reception. Following a playwright named Imogen (Wiig), who, after the fallout of a staged suicide attempt to win back her ex, finds herself in the care of her gambling-addict mother (Annette Bening).
June Diane Raphael plays the role of Dara in Girl Most Likely, the girlfriend of Imogene's ex-boyfriend.
8 Big Mouth
The adult coming-of-age cartoon Big Mouth is one of the more popular Netflix original series thanks to its cult following. The show features a wide range of voice talent, including Nick Kroll, John Mulvaney, Maya Rudolph, and Fred Armisen, to name a few. The series also includes regular appearances by other talent, including June Diane Raphael as Devin, who appeared in the show's first season.
Devin is the popular girl in school whose good looks and center of attention make her thrive in spreading gossip about others. Raphael lends her voice sufficiently to the character and is best when playing across from Devon (Jak Knight), her ex-husband/boyfriend.
7 Weakness
The 2010 indie drama Weakness, directed by Michael Melamedoff, follows suburban high school teacher Joshua Polansky (Bobby Cannavale), whose life is drastically changed during summer. While the film focuses on the midlife crisis of Joshua, June Diane Raphael plays an integral role in the film as Joshua's wife, Elizabeth. Contributing to Joshua's downfall is his wife's infidelity, and the two have to work through the complex issues.
June Diane Raphael gives a memorable performance as Elizabeth for a feature primarily focusing on character building. Even though it is one of the actor's more understated and less discussed roles, it is certainly worthy of note when considering her best performances.
6 NTSF:SD:SUV::
"National Terrorism Strike Force: San Diego: Sport Utility Vehicle" or NTSF:SD:SUV:: for short, was an Adult Swim TV series spoofing cop procedural shows. The show lasted three seasons, spanning 40 episodes, and starred a regular recurring cast, including Paul Scheer, Kate Mulgrew, Brandon Johnson, Martin Starr, and June Diane Raphael.
Related: Best Comedy TV Shows of the 2010s
June Diane Raphael plays the role of Piper Ferguson in NTSF:SD:SUV::, a "brainless beauty" who evokes all the stereotypical clichés of the 'tough as nails but hot' that was commonplace among police procedural shows of the past. This is one performance where you can tell Raphael had a blast playing the character and leaning into the absurdity and bad a**ery her character embodied.
5 8-Bit Christmas
The HBO Max original, 8-Bit Christmas captures that nostalgic period of youth where the biggest dream was finding that coveted NES under the Christmas tree. Set in the '80s, the movie is undeniably nostalgia bait, but it is well constructed and perfectly apt for the Christmas season and those looking to revisit the era when Nintendo was on the mind of almost every child.
In 8-Bit Christmas, June Diane Raphael plays the role of Kathy Doyle, the mother of Jake Doyle, the boy wishing for a NES. The film may not be a universally accepted Christmas classic. Still, the holidays are what you make of them, and for many, the warm and nostalgic comedy will become a holiday staple. For her part, Raphael fully embraces the holiday joy in the film and offers a memorable performance.
4 Burning Love
June Diane Raphael's leading the second season of the spoof reality dating show Burning Love to "hang out with as many guts as possible and not go to any of my dark places" was peak comedy TV. While she appeared in the first season as a contestant, which is also worth a watch, the second season cemented her comedic prowess and willingness to embrace the absurd.
The TV series also put Raphael in the position of being "competed for" by some great comedic talents, the likes of Rob Huebel, Nick Kroll, Kumail Nanjiani, and Micheal Cera, to name but a few. The absurd spoof comedy is perfectly bingeable and, arguably, the most unrestrained and expressive performance from Raphael on this list.
3 Long Shot
The 2019 American rom-com Long Shot, follows a journalist named Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan) who reunites with his former babysitter/crush in Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) as her scriptwriter in her run for the United States Secretary of State. As Fred gets to know Charlotte better to help craft her speeches, the two start to kindle romantic feelings.
In Long Shot, June Diane Raphael plays the role of Maggie, Charlotte's staffer who helps her in her campaign. While the part is a supporting role, Raphael steals the show in any scene with her witty personas that offer up some of the movie's best one-liners. Beyond that, her loyalty to Charlotte and her determination bring strength to the character, which is admirable and perfectly pulled off by Raphael.
2 Ass Backwards
If you are looking for a project that best embraces June Diane Raphael's comedic styling, then Ass Backwards will be the go-to. Working with her friend Casey Wilson, the two wrote and starred in the dark buddy comedy that saw two friends traveling cross-country to head back to the small town to compete in a beauty competition they lost as kids.
Related: Best Buddy Cop Duos, Ranked
The film is a buddy comedy similar to Dumb and Dumber, seeing two clueless friends travel to a location with a mission and running into eccentric characters along their journey. Both Raphael and Wilson are outstanding in the film, and even if the comedy does not land for everyone (the film was met with mixed reviews), both performances are a true stand-out that makes the film worth a watch.
1 Grace and Frankie
Undoubtedly, June Diane Raphael's best performance is as Brianna Hanson in the hit Netflix original Grace and Frankie. Brianna is the oldest daughter of Grace and heir to her beauty empire; she is known for her sardonic wit, which sees her delivering some of the show's best punchlines. The character has proven popular, and there has even been a tease of Brianna getting a spin-off series.
Regardless of the future of Raphael's character on the show, the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin-led Grace and Frankieappealed to a generation quite unlike anything seen in modern TV, making it the longest-running Netflix TV program. Raphael's part in the series is easily her most watched and praised, all for good reason.
