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Laura Donnelly Joins Apple TV+ Sugar Season 2 as Femme Fatale Charlotte Fischer
Laura Donnelly has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s neo‑noir mystery series Sugar for its second season, stepping into the role of Charlotte Fischer—a femme fatale who lures the private‑eye protagonist, John Sugar, into a fresh, twisting case.
Created by Mark Protosevich, Sugar premiered on Apple TV+ on 5 April 2024 and was renewed for a second season in October 2024. Season 2 began streaming on 19 June 2026 and will run through 7 August 2026, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
Don Donnelly, a Northern‑Irish actress, is best known for her stage work with playwright Jez Butterworth and for television roles in The Nevers, Outlander and The Ferryman. She has earned an Olivier Award for Best Actress and a Tony nomination for her performance in The Ferryman, and she has appeared in the Disney+ horror‑comedy Werewolf by Night.
In an interview with Bleeding Cool, Don Donnelly said the Sugar team reached out to her after the first season aired. She recalls a phone call inviting her to play Charlotte, followed by a coffee meeting with showrunner Sam Catlin. Catlin explained the character’s arc and the show’s blend of classic film‑noir and old‑Hollywood aesthetics.
"I thought it was a really cool show," Don Donnelly said. "I loved the genre, the film noir aspect of it. I loved the L.A. aspect of it, how it showed the city and was very much inhabiting the city." She added that the opportunity to portray a femme fatale in 1930s‑40s costumes was a rare chance to step into a world she had admired as a child.
Don Donnelly highlighted the authenticity of working with Colin Farrell, who plays the lead detective John Sugar. She praised Farrell’s truthfulness and leadership on set.
"He never delivers anything but the complete truth," she said. "He leads the whole production. He's number one on the call sheet, also an executive producer, and he does it with such grace and empathy and generosity towards everybody." The actress noted that Farrell’s natural performance made her own work easier.
Showrunner Sam Catlin was also praised for his writing and creative vision. Don Donnelly described Catlin’s storytelling as a mix of gritty, violent Los Angeles scenes and a golden‑age Hollywood atmosphere.
"He marries all that together so beautifully," she said. "He has such a beautiful way of telling the story through lots of different aspects, whether that's like the voiceover and the edit of the little film clips, or whether it's the different, going from very gritty, dark, violent LA to this beautiful golden age of Hollywood stuff that happens with Charlotte and Sugar." The actress also mentioned the collaboration with costume designer Christie Wittenborn, who helped bring the 1930s‑40s look to life.
Don Donnelly’s experience in the 2022 Disney+ film Werewolf by Night also informed her approach to Sugar. She recalled that the horror‑comedy was filmed as a B‑movie, with tangible sets and practical effects.
"I loved doing Werewolf by Night. What I really loved about that was, even though it was a Marvel project, we filmed it as if it was like a little B‑movie and like everything was real. All the sets were real. All the… even the Man‑Thing was like, a guy in a costume and not just a CGI ball in front of me," she said.
When asked about future projects, Don Donnelly said she has no set plans but is intrigued by the idea of a Western.
"Maybe I need to do a Western?" she mused.
The rest of the Sugar season 2 cast includes Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton and Sasha Calle. The series follows Sugar as he investigates a missing‑persons case that spirals into a city‑wide conspiracy, while also searching for his sister.
Apple TV+ has positioned Sugar as a stylish, genre‑blending mystery that has already attracted critical attention. The first season received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single‑Camera Series (Half‑Hour). With the second season’s release, the platform continues to expand its original drama slate.
As of now, Sugar season 2 is available to stream on Apple TV+ and will conclude its run on 7 August 2026. Viewers can expect further developments in the series’ narrative and potential future seasons.
Created by Mark Protosevich, Sugar premiered on Apple TV+ on 5 April 2024 and was renewed for a second season in October 2024. Season 2 began streaming on 19 June 2026 and will run through 7 August 2026, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
Don Donnelly, a Northern‑Irish actress, is best known for her stage work with playwright Jez Butterworth and for television roles in The Nevers, Outlander and The Ferryman. She has earned an Olivier Award for Best Actress and a Tony nomination for her performance in The Ferryman, and she has appeared in the Disney+ horror‑comedy Werewolf by Night.
In an interview with Bleeding Cool, Don Donnelly said the Sugar team reached out to her after the first season aired. She recalls a phone call inviting her to play Charlotte, followed by a coffee meeting with showrunner Sam Catlin. Catlin explained the character’s arc and the show’s blend of classic film‑noir and old‑Hollywood aesthetics.
"I thought it was a really cool show," Don Donnelly said. "I loved the genre, the film noir aspect of it. I loved the L.A. aspect of it, how it showed the city and was very much inhabiting the city." She added that the opportunity to portray a femme fatale in 1930s‑40s costumes was a rare chance to step into a world she had admired as a child.
Don Donnelly highlighted the authenticity of working with Colin Farrell, who plays the lead detective John Sugar. She praised Farrell’s truthfulness and leadership on set.
"He never delivers anything but the complete truth," she said. "He leads the whole production. He's number one on the call sheet, also an executive producer, and he does it with such grace and empathy and generosity towards everybody." The actress noted that Farrell’s natural performance made her own work easier.
Showrunner Sam Catlin was also praised for his writing and creative vision. Don Donnelly described Catlin’s storytelling as a mix of gritty, violent Los Angeles scenes and a golden‑age Hollywood atmosphere.
"He marries all that together so beautifully," she said. "He has such a beautiful way of telling the story through lots of different aspects, whether that's like the voiceover and the edit of the little film clips, or whether it's the different, going from very gritty, dark, violent LA to this beautiful golden age of Hollywood stuff that happens with Charlotte and Sugar." The actress also mentioned the collaboration with costume designer Christie Wittenborn, who helped bring the 1930s‑40s look to life.
Don Donnelly’s experience in the 2022 Disney+ film Werewolf by Night also informed her approach to Sugar. She recalled that the horror‑comedy was filmed as a B‑movie, with tangible sets and practical effects.
"I loved doing Werewolf by Night. What I really loved about that was, even though it was a Marvel project, we filmed it as if it was like a little B‑movie and like everything was real. All the sets were real. All the… even the Man‑Thing was like, a guy in a costume and not just a CGI ball in front of me," she said.
When asked about future projects, Don Donnelly said she has no set plans but is intrigued by the idea of a Western.
"Maybe I need to do a Western?" she mused.
The rest of the Sugar season 2 cast includes Jin Ha, Raymond Lee, Tony Dalton and Sasha Calle. The series follows Sugar as he investigates a missing‑persons case that spirals into a city‑wide conspiracy, while also searching for his sister.
Apple TV+ has positioned Sugar as a stylish, genre‑blending mystery that has already attracted critical attention. The first season received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single‑Camera Series (Half‑Hour). With the second season’s release, the platform continues to expand its original drama slate.
As of now, Sugar season 2 is available to stream on Apple TV+ and will conclude its run on 7 August 2026. Viewers can expect further developments in the series’ narrative and potential future seasons.
