Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for Étoile!

Actor Jonathan Groff has one of the most enjoyable cameos in Prime Video’s Gilmore Girls’ creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and her husband, Dan Palladino – centers on a daring talent swap between a New York City ballet company and a Parisian one. As a lover of the Palladino’s shows and a former performer, I couldn’t wait to experience the new show.

In an exciting move, the Palladinos’ winningly authentic follow-up show to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel replicates many of the best traits of the creators’ previous shows while also establishing its own tone and personality. One characteristic it pulls from the past is the pop culture references and celebrity cameos. However, this time, they’re more catered to the world of ballet and the performing arts. A delightful example of this is Jonathan Groff’s cameo towards the end of Étoile, which reunites him and Gideon Glick.

Gideon Glick & Jonathan Groff Reunite In Étoile 19 Years After Spring Awakening Debuted On Broadway

Gideon Glick & Jonathan Groff Acted Together In Gideon Glick's Broadway Debut

Although the news came out about Jonathan Groff’s cameo about half a year before Étoile season 1 released on Prime Video, it remained relatively quiet, allowing viewers to enjoy the surprise. Jonathan Groff's appearance in Étoile season 1 opposite Gideon Glick is a treat, especially for musical theater fans. The actors first met when they originated roles in Spring Awakening, a coming-of-age rock musical that follows a group of teenagers as they explore their sexual impulses. Groff played Melchior, and Glick played Ernst. They continued in these roles from December 2006 to January 2009, and they have remained buddies since then.

Their paths have crossed professionally a few times since then. In 2019, Glick took over for Groff in the role of Seymore in the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. They came together with other Spring Awakening cast for the 15th-anniversary concert and the accompanying documentary Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known. However, Étoile is an exciting moment because it’s technically their first time acting opposite each other in a scene, as their characters in Spring Awakening only appeared together in group settings.

Who Jonathan Groff Plays In Étoile Season 1

Jonathan Groff Plays Gideon Glick's Ex-Boyfriend In Étoile

Towards the end of Étoile season 1, Jonathan Groff plays Kevin, the charming and sweet boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend, depending on the character asked) of Tobias. Tobias flies out to meet Kevin so they can have a serious conversation. After info-dumping about tortillas, the choreographer reveals that he thinks they should break up, but Kevin is confused because he thinks they have already ended things. According to him, the pair haven’t spoken in a year. The choreographer apparently went out one day to get a snack and never came back. Kevin is even engaged to be married to another man now.

[Jonathan Groff and Gideo] Glick have perfect timing and natural repartee, which is a necessity with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s notoriously fast-talking shows.

They hilariously bicker back and forth about what happened and when. Tobias’s fixation on small details instead of the big picture and his struggle to understand the social implications of his actions during the conversation is wonderfully relatable to me. Ultimately, the interaction ends in a really sweet place, with Tobias accepting Kevin’s offer to attend his wedding. They even sneak in an easily overlooked Stephen Sondheim reference at the last minute.

Even though the scene only lasts around three minutes, Groff and Glick have such great chemistry that it’s easy to invest in their Étoile characters as a former couple. They have perfect timing and natural repartee, which is a necessity with Amy Sherman-Palladino’s notoriously fast-talking shows. Additionally, the pair Although Tobias and Gabin are an extremely lovable pairing, the scene with Jonathan Groff almost makes me wish Kevin would come back in Étoile season 2.

Étoile Includes Other Notable Cameos

The Prime Video Show Incorporates Numerous Memorable Faces

Although Étoile season 1’s Jonathan Groff cameo is the most enjoyable, the show is packed with minor appearances from recognizable individuals. After his first ballet in Paris, Tobias has a video call with David Byrne from The Talking Heads to discuss collaborating on a project. The fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi interviews Cheyenne towards the end of the season.

Additionally, Dakin Matthews, who plays Heaster Charleston in Gilmore Girls, has a very small role as a member of the board at the Metropolitan Theater Company in New York City. Meanwhile, Matisse Love and Lyrica Woodruff, two of the young dancers from Bunheads, also have cameos as ballerinas in Étoile.

The Palladinos' other ballet-centric TV show, Bunheads, is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.

The cameos of Groff and Byrne feel appropriate for a show that’s about the performing arts, even if they don’t come from the ballet world. Meanwhile, the cameos from Matthews, Love, and Woodruff feel like an homage to fans of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s previous shows.