Who Plays Claire on ‘The Bear’ Season 2? Why Molly Gordon Looks Familiar (2024)

The Bear is back for Season 2 and things are heating up for our head chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) both in and out of the kitchen.

Ten new episodes of Christopher Storer’s critically acclaimed FX dramedy premiered on Hulu Thursday, June 22, and in addition to a new restaurant name, a new business plan, and a number of other major changes, The Bear Season 2 welcomes several new talents to screen, including Molly Gordon as Claire, a blast from Carmy’s past.

So who is Claire on The Bear? And why does Molly Gordon, the actor who plays her, look so familiar? Here’s everything we know about Gordon and her recurring role on The Bear Season 2.

Who Is Claire on The Bear?

Gordon’s character Claire is first introduced in The Bear Season 2, Episode 2, “Pasta,” when she bumps into “Carm” at the grocery store one night. After Carmy finally remembers her name, he and Claire establish it’s been “forever” since they’ve seen each other and put their effortless chemistry on display in the frozen food section. Claire asks Carmy if he’s making a veal stock sundae with vanilla ice cream, which he says sounds delicious, and they exchange brief life updates while basking in each other’s presence.

Claire says she has six months left in her emergency medicine residency, then reminisces on a childhood experience that inspired her to pursue her career path. Carmy tells her he’s trying to open a restaurant and says she loves the name, which confuses him because he doesn’t remember ever telling her. He bets her $1 million she doesn’t know the name, and promptly loses when she says, “You’re The Bear and I remember you.” Great line, Claire. Great line.

The banter continues when Claire asks Carmy how she’s getting all the money he owes her, and then suggests he wires it to because that’s cleaner than a Venmo transaction. She asks for his contact info just to be safe, and Carmy gives her his number…or does he?

In Episode 3, “Sundae,” Carmy gets a call from Claire asking why he gave her a fake number. Dude! She explains she had to reach out to his BFF Fak to get his real digits, and he says, “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I’m sorry, it was a mistake.” She asks again if it’s OK that she has his real number and Carmy assures her that he wants her to have it then agrees to bail on plans with Sydney to help Claire move her mom’s stuff into a storage unit. Dude!!

It’s clear from the start that Claire and Carmy have a deep, perhaps complex history together. But maybe a future together, too? Do they rekindle their friendship in Season 2? Or do they take their relationship to the next level? You’ll have to watch to find out. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about Molly Gordon, the actor who plays Claire in The Bear Season 2.

Can’t get enough of The Bear Season 2? For more insight, analysis, GIFs, and close-ups of Carmy’s arms, check out all of Decider’s episodic recaps:

• The Bear Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: “Beef”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: “Pasta”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: “Sundae”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 4 Recap: “Honeydew”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: “Pop”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: “Fishes”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 7 Recap: “Forks”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: “Bolognese”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: “Omelette”
• The Bear Season 2 Episode 10 Recap: “The Bear”

Who Plays Claire on The Bear? Meet Molly Gordon

As you know by now, Claire is played by 27-year-old actor Molly Gordon, daughter of director/writer/producers Bryan Gordon and Jessie Nelson. Gordon kickstarted her on-screen career in 2001 as Callie in I Am Sam and has since starred in a number of popular television series and films including Booksmart, Shiva Baby, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Ramy, You People, and more. Most recently, Gordon co-directed, co-wrote and starred inTheater Camp, which premiered at Sundance and also stars The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri.

If you’re looking to stay up-to-date withThe Bear Season 2star off screen, you can follow Gordon on Instagram at@mollsterg, where she currently has 156,000 followers or on Twitter at @mollyjgordon, but be warned, she only has a single retweet at the moment. Here’s hoping we see more of Gordon on screen after her brush with The Bear.

The Bear Season 2 is currently streaming on Hulu.