You know that feeling when you're watching a show and a specific character walks into the room, and suddenly the energy just... shifts? Not because they’re doing something explosive, but because they have this uncanny, bone-deep sense of timing. That is essentially the career of Mary Sohn. If you’ve spent any time with NBC’s A.P. Bio or caught her in a random guest spot on Curb Your Enthusiasm, you’ve seen it. She doesn't just play a role; she anchors it with a specific kind of Midwestern groundedness that makes everything around her funnier.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a crime she isn't a household name yet. For anyone tracking Mary Sohn movies and tv shows, the list is a masterclass in "the working actor who makes everyone else look better."
The Chicago Roots and the Second City Machine
Mary didn’t just wake up with these comedic chops. She’s a product of the Chicago improv scene, which, if you follow comedy, is basically the Harvard of being funny on the fly. She spent over a decade at The Second City. We’re talking about the National Touring Company and eventually the Mainstage.
If you grew up in Champaign, Illinois, like she did, the path to Hollywood isn't exactly laid out in red carpet. Her parents were Korean immigrants—her dad was a pharmacist and her mom was a teacher. Actually, Mary was originally on the path to becoming a nutritionist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was failing chemistry. Most of us would just panic, but she went to a Second City show and decided that was the move instead.
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Why the Chicago Background Matters
- The "Group Think": Chicago improv teaches you to support the scene, not just grab the spotlight.
- The Character Depth: Second City actors don't just do "bits"; they build people.
- Resilience: Performing 8 shows a week for years builds a specific kind of stamina.
Breaking Through: The A.P. Bio Era
The role most people associate with her is Mary Wagner in A.P. Bio. She plays the art teacher at Whitlock High School. It’s a workplace comedy, but the secret sauce of that show wasn't just Glenn Howerton’s frantic energy or Patton Oswalt’s lovable principal. It was the trio of teachers: Mary, Stef (Lyric Lewis), and Michelle (Jean Villepique).
They were the "teacher's lounge" Greek chorus. Mary Wagner, specifically, had this delightful, slightly messy, very authentic vibe. She felt like a real teacher you actually had in high school—the one who was cool but also clearly had a life outside the classroom that was probably a little chaotic.
A Look at the Filmography: From The Boss to Freakier Friday
While A.P. Bio is the big one, Mary Sohn has been popping up in some surprisingly high-profile projects. Take the 2016 film The Boss starring Melissa McCarthy. Sohn played Jan Keller. It was a smaller role, but in the world of McCarthy-led comedies, you have to be able to riff, or you’ll get left in the dust. Mary held her own.
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Notable Movie and TV Credits
- A.P. Bio (2018–2021): The definitive role. 42 episodes of being the most relatable person on screen.
- Work in Progress (2019–2021): She played Susan in this Showtime series. It’s a different tone—more grounded, more dramatic—and it showed she had range beyond just "the funny friend."
- Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019): She played Tina. If you can keep a straight face around Zach Galifianakis, you’re a pro.
- The Neighborhood (2023): A guest spot as Virginia that reminded everyone she can thrive in the multi-cam sitcom format too.
- Freakier Friday (2025): One of her most recent bigger swings, playing Vivian in the sequel to the Lindsay Lohan/Jamie Lee Curtis classic.
The "Guest Star" Magic
There is a specific skill in being a "one-and-done" guest star. You have to establish a character in thirty seconds. Sohn has done this on Grace and Frankie, Miracle Workers, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
In Curb, specifically, you’re working with Larry David. There’s no script. It’s just an outline. You have to be fast. If you aren't, you're cut. The fact that she’s a recurring face in the prestige comedy world says more about her talent than a lead role in a bad sitcom ever could.
What People Get Wrong About Her Career
People often assume she’s "just" an actress. But Mary is also a writer. She has a writing credit for the short Irregular Fruit and has been vocal about developing her own projects. In an industry that often tries to pigeonhole Asian-American actors into specific tropes, Sohn has consistently played characters where her ethnicity is a part of who she is, but not the only thing she is.
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She’s spoken about her parents’ support—even if they didn't quite get the comedy thing at first. They wanted her in medicine. She gave them a TV career instead. Fair trade.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans of Mary Sohn
If you’re just discovering her work, don’t just stick to the IMDB highlights. To really see why she’s respected in the industry, you have to look at the fringes.
- Watch the Podcasts: Specifically her appearances on Doughboys or The Neighborhood Listen. You get to hear the real-time comedic processing that made her a Mainstage star at Second City.
- Track the "Trio" Chemistry: Go back and watch A.P. Bio but focus on the background of the teacher's lounge scenes. The physical comedy between Sohn, Lewis, and Villepique is a masterclass in ensemble work.
- Check out Work in Progress: If you only know her as "funny Mary," this show will change your perspective on her dramatic weight.
Mary Sohn represents a shift in how comedy works. It’s less about the "jokey-joke" and more about the "vibe." Whether she’s playing an art teacher, a mom, or a random person in a grocery store, she brings a level of reality that makes the comedy hit harder. Keep an eye on her 2026 projects; with the momentum from Freakier Friday, she’s likely moving into that "lead role" territory very soon.
To truly appreciate her filmography, start by streaming A.P. Bio on Peacock to see her foundational work, then jump over to Showtime for Work in Progress to witness her range.