Will Carla Gugino Be in ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor?’

The Haunting of Hill House fans have been anticipating the anthology’s second season since the dramatic horror first premiered on Netflix. The first season debuted to critical and audience acclaim, allowing for familial conflict and personal turmoil to guide the spooky ghost story. The showrunners’ inspired approach made for a chilling series that defied the gore and grizzly violence inherent to the thriller genre. 

The cast also drew audiences in, as their on-screen chemistry – from shouting matches to shared terror – was palpable. The first season starred Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Elizabeth Reaser, Carla Gugino, and more. Carla Gugino portrayed the mother of the family, Olivia Crain. Crain — kind though prone to aggression — changed as the house infiltrated her mind, leading viewers down an unpredictable path with Gugino at the center. 

Gugino stole the spotlight in the first season; her character’s complexity made for juicy TV, as the horror show often felt like a ghost-infused take on This Is Us. Thus, will the actor largely responsible for the premiere season’s triumph return for The Haunting of Bly Manor?

Carla Gugino said she was willing to star in ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’  

According to CinemaBlend, Carla Gugino noted last summer that she would be willing to return for a second season. She said: 

Well, I can’t say anything definitive at this point, other than Mike and I really love collaborating and working together and any opportunity where a schedule allows for us to do that, we will, and I would be honored to. So we’re talking a lot about it and we’ll just see if all schedules allow.

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Though Gugino seemed open to returning to the series back in 2019, recent evidence suggests that the actor may not have been able to fit the show in (if she was asked to return).

Recent signs suggest that Gugino will not appear in ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’

The IMDb page for The Haunting of Bly Manor does not list Carla Gugino as one of the cast members. The new season is set to star Victoria Pedretti, Andrew Neil McKenzie, Tahirah Sharif, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and more. While Jackson-Cohen and Pedretti are set to return, many new actors will join the existing stars. 

The trailer for the upcoming season also shows no signs of Carla Gugino; meaning, if she is set to return to the anthology for season two, she will likely have a minor role, only appearing in one or two episodes as a guest star. 

While the showrunners may want to keep Gugino’s return a surprise — in service of some sort of bizarre plot twist — the evidence suggests that Gugino will not be in Bly Manor. Yet, if she is as passionate about the show, she will hopefully return for the third season. Gugino will soon appear in San Andreas 2, With/In, and Gunpowder Milkshake; the latter two are currently in post-production.