Meet Queue: Noël Wells Conquers Comedy On ‘Master of None’

Netflix’s new series Master of None was the must-see binge-watch of the weekend. While the show paints famed comic Aziz Ansari in a brand new, much more nuanced light, it also serves as a brilliant breakthrough for comedienne Noël Wells. We at Decider have been fans of Wells for while now. We think she was unfairly ousted from Saturday Night Live after one season and we loved the zany True Detective mashups that she and Flint Wainess shared with the internet. So, we’re psyched to see the adorably elastic performer get her due.

If you want the lowdown on Noël Wells, we’ve compiled a streaming dossier for you. It’s kind of like a “meet cute” in a romantic comedy, but because it’s all streaming, we’re calling it your “meet queue.” So get ready to fall in love with Noël Wells…

Saturday Night Live (2013-2014)

As we said up top, Wells was a featured player during Saturday Night Live 39th season. The accomplished impressionist and sketch performer was brought on to breathe life into a variety of pop culture icons like Lena Dunham, Emma Stone, Zooey Deschanel, and Kylie Jenner. Wells joined the cast during a tumultuous transition year that saw the show licking its wounds after losing the likes of Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. Even though she didn’t get a chance to really show off her full range, she left quite an impression with all of her, um, impressions. [Watch Saturday Night Live on Hulu]

“Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl” (2014)

After her first season of Saturday Night Live wrapped, Wells branched out with her own satiric web series “Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl.” The triumvirate of sketches cast Wells as a girl who seems like the quintessential Manic Pixie Dream Girl (a phrase coined by Nathan Rabin), but who is actually a world of crazy. It’s a hilarious treat and gave Wells a chance to break free of the sometimes stifling world of Saturday Night Live.

The Awesomes (2014)

Wells continued to establish herself as one of the “cool comedy kids” by doing voice work on Seth Meyers’ pet project The Awesomes. The show features the voice talents of people like Taran Killam, Ike Barinholtz, Rashida Jones, and Kenan Thompson, so being in that mix is kind of big deal. Wells got a chance to voice two characters in the second season. The first was Cait Walker, a school girl with a superpower, but the second was a bit more of a plum gig. Wells voiced Knight Light, the leader of the European version of the Awesomes. [Watch The Awesomes on Hulu]

Comedy Bang! Bang! (2014)

It’s hard to describe what Comedy Bang! Bang! to people who have no idea what Comedy Bang! Bang! is. It started out as a podcast on Earwolf where Scott Aukerman would interview alternative comics in and out of character. IFC adapted the popular show as a loopy riff on late night shows. Aukerman was joined by Reggie Watts and the two interview real celebs alongside their comedy brethren (who are usually doing absurd character bits). Wells appears as boy film reviewer Aiden Tomasetto in an episode entitled “Kid Cudi Wears A Denim Shirt And Red Sneakers.” [Watch Comedy Bang! Bang! on Netflix]

Master of None (2015)

Master of None opens with Aziz Ansari’s Dev in bed with Noël Wells’ beguiling Rachel. A condom breaks, a mood is ruined, and a Plan B pill has got to be bought. Though it seems that Wells’ character is soon shifted out of the picture, she returns to the series as Dev’s primary love interest — and a pretty intelligent social commentator at that! [Watch Master of None on Netflix]

[Photos: Hulu, IFC, Netflix]