Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer reprise their roles in a new sequel to the 1984 mockumentary. See the original This Is Spinal Tap cast side

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer reprise their roles in a new sequel to the 1984 mockumentary.

See the original This Is Spinal Tap cast side-by-side with their characters in the sequel

Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer reprise their roles in a new sequel to the 1984 mockumentary.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a former editor at **. He left EW in 2023.

EW's editorial guidelines

September 12, 2025 6:00 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Spinal Tap in 1984; Spinal Tap in 2025. Credit:

Bonnie Schiffman/Getty; Bleecker Street

- *Spinal Tap II: The End Continues* revisits the subjects of 1984's *This Is Spinal Tap* for a reunion concert.

- The long-in-the-works sequel reunites director Rob Reiner with stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.

- Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer also reprise their roles, while Paul McCartney and Elton John make cameo appearances.

*This Is Spinal Tap* is so funny that the fake band it chronicles has made more of a cultural impact than most "real" bands could ever hope to achieve. Though they were written as jokes, songs like "Big Bottom," "Hell Hole," and "Sex Farm" rattle skulls to this day.

It's surprising, then, that it took *this* long for a sequel to Rob Reiner's trailblazing mockumentary to get a proper sequel, though its core trio —  Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer — has kept the joke going with a made-for-TV special in 1992, as well as two more albums in 1992 and 2009 to accompany the original soundtrack.

"All of a sudden, it [became] this thing that sort of folds into the real world," Reiner said in a recent chat with **. "It's like a Möbius strip that just folds into itself. They played the Royal Albert Hall, they played Glastonbury, and they played Wembley. And so you've got this weird kind of hybrid thing where they're now in the real world."**

On Sept. 12, 2025, more than 40 years after the release of *This Is Spinal Tap*, *Spinal Tap II: The End Continues* stumbles its way into theaters. Like its predecessor, it was made without a script and features cameos from real-life musical heavyweights, including Paul McCartney, Elton John, Questlove, and Trisha Yearwood.

Guest, McKean, and Shearer are each reprising their roles, as are a handful of other players from the original film. Below, we detail the *Spinal Tap* sequel's cast alongside side-by-side photos that show the characters then and now.**

Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel

Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; Guest as Nigel in 'Spinal Tap II'.

*This Is Spinal Tap* wasn't directed by Christopher Guest, but you'd be forgiven for thinking it was. Guest went on to direct (and often star in) several fly-on-the-wall mockumentaries that, like *This Is Spinal Tap*, utilize improvisation to capture offbeat, passionate personalities embedded in hyper-niche industries.

They include *Waiting For Guffman* (1996), *Best in Show *(2000), *A Mighty Wind* (2003), and *For Your Consideration* (2006), as well as the Netflix series *Mascots* (2016).

Here, he reprises his role as Nigel "These Go to 11" Tufnel, guitarist and vocalist of Spinal Tap.

Speaking with *Rolling Stone* ahead of the sequel's release, Guest said he's been "essentially retired" since directing *Mascots*. "I go hiking and I walk in rivers and I ski. And I do that and I play music every single day... I don't have an idea for a movie, and I might not ever. I don't know."

But that changed when he met with Reiner and the *This Is Spinal Tap* cast to discuss a sequel. " When we got together, we made each other laugh," he said.**

Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins

Michael McKean as David St. Hubbins in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; McKean as David in 'Spinal Tap II'.

Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty; Bleecker Street

Michael McKean's charmed career began as Lenny on *Laverne & Shirley* (1976–1983) and has seen the multi-hyphenate star in cult hits like *Clue* (1985), join the cast of *Saturday Night Live* (1994–1995), headline Broadway on multiple occasions, and win over $1 million on *Celebrity Jeopardy*.

A frequent collaborator of Guest's, he earned a Grammy for co-writing the titular song from the director's *A Mighty Wind *(and an Academy Award nomination for a different song from that film).

Rob Reiner applauds Paul McCartney and Elton John's improv in 'Spinal Tap II' first look (exclusive)

Spinal Tap from the beginning

He also nabbed an Emmy nomination for his turn as Chuck McGill on the *Breaking Bad* prequel *Better Call Saul* (2015–2018).

McKean will reprise his role as Spinal Tap frontman David St. Hubbins. "If you think those guys were sad when they were young…" he said while chatting with PEOPLE. "It's tragic in the funniest way — hopefully."**

Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls

Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; Shearer as Derek in 'Spinal Tap II'.

Harry Shearer bounced from being a cast member on *Saturday Night Live* (1979–1980) to rocking out in *This Is Spinal Tap* to voicing multiple iconic characters on *The Simpsons* (1989–present). In 2014, he won an Emmy for his contributions to the animated sitcom, which include the voices of Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, and Principal Skinner.

Shearer has resurrected bassist Derek Smalls on multiple occasions, both with and without Guest and McKean. In 2020, for example, he released a solo album, *Smalls Change: Meditations Upon Ageing, *with contributions from* *Donald Fagen, Dweezil Zappa, and Joe Satriani.

In 2023, Shearer (as Smalls) dropped a satirical single, "Must Crush Barbie," that aimed to take the doll down a peg following the smash success of Greta Gerwig's *Barbie*. With that song, he shared an update on Smalls' life that's carried over to the *Spinal Tap* sequel.

"Been spending the last year or so as Brand Ambassador for BruegelCoin, the Dutch cryptocurrency," reads a press release written as Smalls. "Since it was cratering this past spring, I was following the news more than usual, which is where I got bombarded by all the *Barbie* BS. I don't know which angered me more, but it's really hard to write a song about crypto."**

Rob Reiner as Marty DiBergi

Rob Reiner as Marty Dibergi in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; Reiner as Marty in 'Spinal Tap II'.

Embassy Pictures; Bleecker Street

Rob Reiner, the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, began his career as a writer on *The Smothers Brothers* (1967) and an actor on *All in the Family *(1971–1979).

Reiner made his directorial debut with *This Is Spinal Tap*, and he went on to direct a number of now-classics, including *Stand By Me* (1986), *The Princess Bride* (1987), *When Harry Met Sally... *(1989), and *A Few Good Men* (1992), the latter of which was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

In recent years, he's rounded out his ongoing directorial work with appearances in projects such as Martin Scorsese's *The Wolf of Wall Street* (2013), Ryan Murphy's *Hollywood* (2020), and Emmy-winning FX hit *The Bear* (2025).

Here, Reiner both directs and reprises his role as Marty DiBergi, the documentarian chronicling Spinal Tap.

"When it was announced that Spinal Tap would reunite for one final concert, Marty DiBergi saw this as a chance to make things right with the band who viewed *This Is Spinal Tap *as a hatchet job," Reiner said in a statement when the sequel was announced in 2022. "So he left his position as a visiting adjunct teacher's assistant at the Ed Wood School of Cinematic Arts in pursuit of film history."

Speaking with EW ahead of the film's premiere, he marveled at the enduring popularity of the original film. "The real world of rockers loves the movie. They've come to embrace it. And I can't tell you how many times I've been approached by rockers who said, 'It's a staple on the tour bus. We watch it over and over again,'" he said. "The first time I met Sting, he said, 'I've watched this thing so many times. Every time I watch it, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.' Because it's so close to the reality of their lives."**

Fran Drescher as Bobbi Flekman

Fran Drescher as Bobbi Flekman in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; Drescher at the 'Spinal Tap II' premiere on Sept. 9, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Embassy Pictures; Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Fran Drescher is best known for her nasally, fashionable, and Emmy-nominated turn as Fran Fine on *The Nanny* (1993–1999), which she also co-created and produced.

She's remained active in film and television, lending her distinctive voice to the *Hotel Transylvania* film series (2012–2022) and leading sitcoms such as *Living With Fran* (2005–2006), *Happily Divorced *(2011–2013), and *Indebted* (2020).

She's currently wrapping up her run as the national president of the SAG-AFTRA actors' union, a role she's held since 2021, and will next appear opposite Timothée Chalamet in Josh Safdie's anticipated *Marty Supreme*.

In *Spinal Tap II*, Drescher will reprise her role as "hostess with the mostess" Bobbi Flekman, though it won't be the first time. During the fifth season of *The Nanny*, Drescher resurrected the character as a record label producer for The Brian Setzer Orchestra.

"We shot it in one day," Drescher told *Rolling Stone* of her appearance in the sequel. "Rob and I had some creative discussions prior to it. I had reinvented the character, and Rob was very happy with my vision for Bobbi Flekman all these years later."**** She added, "I think I look like Bobbi all these years later, what she would look like now. Just like in the original, low-budget, I was wearing my own clothes.**

Paul Shaffer as Artie Fufkin

Paul Shaffer as Artie Fufkin in 'This Is Spinal Tap'; Shaffer at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival premiere of 'John Candy: I Like Me' at Roy Thomson Hall on Sept. 4, 2025.

Embassy Pictures; Emma McIntyre/Getty

Paul Shaffer orbited comedy circles for years, playing in the *Saturday Night Live* house band and even joining the show for its 1979–1980 season. In 1982, he took a gig as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick, becoming an integral cog in one of comedy's most influential institutions.

But he's also hosted game shows, comedy roasts, and radio shows, and cameoed on popular series such as *How I Met Your Mother* (2013) and *Schitt's Creek *(2018), among other shows.

In This Is Spinal Tap, he appeared as promoter Artie Fufkin, a role he reprises in *Spinal Tap II*.

"I had been hanging out a little bit with a promo man in New York, and his name was Jim Knapp. I don't know whatever happened to him; I haven't see him since the '80s," Shaffer recalled in a 2022 interview. "But I got a lotta phrases from him, to do with his business. And then acting-wise, I was no actor, but I used to do an impression of [music producer] Don Kirshner on *Saturday Night Live*, and that was all I could do as an actor, so I just did that. My promo man turned out to talk a lot like Don Kirshner."**

Kerry Godliman as Hope Faith

Kerry Godliman as Hope Faith in 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues'.

Bleecker Street

English actress and comedian Kerry Godliman previously worked with Guest on *Mascots*, and is also a frequent collaborator of Ricky Gervais, playing lead roles in Gervais-created series like *Derek* (2012–2014) and *After Life* (2019–2022).

Here, she plays Hope Faith, the daughter of Spinal Tap manager Ian Faith. "We had this idea that he willed a contract to his daughter, Hope Faith, that called for one more concert," Reiner explained to EW. "And so she's got this contract, but it's worthless because nobody has seen [Spinal Tap] play in 15 years."**

Chris Addison as Simon Howler

Chris Addison as Simon Howler in 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues'.

Bleecker Street

British actor, writer, director, and comedian Chris Addison rose to fame playing Ollie Reeder on the brilliant political satire *The Thick of It* (2005–2012), as well as its cinematic spinoff *In the Loop* (2009).

In recent years, Addison has worked just as much behind the scenes, with directing credits on HBO's Emmy-winning *Veep* and the 2019 Rebel Wilson comedy *The Hustle*. He also co-created the FX series *Breeders *(2020–2023).

Addison costars in *Spinal Tap II* as Simon Howler, Spinal Tap's new manager. In a chat with *GQ*, Reiner described him as a "pure mercenary" and explained the origins of the character.

"When we were working on developing the film, we had a meeting with Simon Fuller, who created *British Idol* and *American Idol,*" he said. "He was a brilliant manager. And he said, 'I have some ideas for the band.' We actually listened. And then we started thinking, *Wait a minute, there's a fun thing to be done here with a manager who only cares about money*. This guy says, 'I can't even hear music.' So we kind of did a mix between Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller and made him Simon Howler, who's just a pure mercenary."**

Kathreen Khavari as Yasmine Farangi

Kathleen Khavari at the 'Spinal Tap II: The End Continues' premiere on Sept. 9, 2025 in Los Angeles.

Bleecker Street

Kathreen Khavari previously worked with Guest on *Mascots*, but is also known for her work on the HBO series *Insecure* (2016–2018) and *Big Little Lies* (2017). Since 2016, she's voiced Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, in a number of Marvel animated series and video games.

Khavari plays Yasmine Farangi in the sequel, whom she described in an Instagram post as "a very small drop in a very epic, legendary bucket."**

John Michael Higgins as Bob Kitness

John Michael Higgins at the 'Best in Show' 25th anniversary screening at the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York City.

Bleecker Street

John Michael Higgins is a highlight of Guest's mockumentaries, having delivered some of the most quotable lines from *Best in Show, A Mighty Wind*, and *For Your Consideration.*

Over the past 25 years, the actor's been a staple of big- and small-screen comedy, with scene-stealing roles in films like *Pitch Perfect *(2012) and *Licorice Pizza* (2021) and series such as *Arrested Development* (2003–2006), *Community* (2009–2010), and the *Saved By the Bell* reboot (2020–2021).

Higgins plays fitness coach Bob Kitness in *Spinal Tap II. *

Higgins opened up to TV Insider in 2024 about his years working with Guest and his time on the film's set. "Every day people will come up to me where I have to talk about *Best in Show*. I made that movie 25 or so years ago," he said. "I think this *Spinal Tap II* will be no different. It will be very funny from the stuff I've seen. There are fancy cameos, but the heart of it is not the fancy cameos but these extraordinary talents."

Don Lake at the 'Ted premiere on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles.

Bleecker Street

Like Higgins, Don Lake is another veteran of Guest's mockumentaries, having appeared in each of Guest's projects going back to 1996's *Waiting For Guffman*.

Lake plays a ghost tour guide in *Spinal Tap II*.

The actor also remains prolific outside of Guest's orbit, with credits on some of the most popular comedy series of the century, from *American Dad! *(2007) and *Modern Family* (2012) to *How I Met Your Mother* (2012) and *Space Force* (2018–2022).

Where can I watch This Is Spinal Tap?

*This Is Spinal Tap* is available to rent or buy via Amazon Prime or Apple.

*Spinal Tap II: The End Continues *is currently playing in theaters.**

*** Sign up for ****** to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.'s free newsletter*****

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Movies"

Read More

---

Source: VOGUE MAG

Full Article on Source: VOGUE MAG

#LALifestyle #USCelebrities