Justin Timberlake and Jason Ritter Team Up for a Cameo in Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey's New Show

Candy premiered Monday on Hulu

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 03: (L-R) Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel pose for portrait at the Premiere of USA Network's "The Sinner" Season 3 on February 03, 2020 in West Hollywood, California. Jason Ritter and Melanie Lynskey attend the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica, California.
Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty; Kevin Mazur/Getty

Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey's new Hulu series, Candy, has a big surprise in store for viewers.

In the true-crime drama's fourth episode titled "Cover Girl," Justin Timberlake and Jason Ritter appear as special guest stars. Their appearance, of course, is even sweeter since Timberlake is married to Biel, 40, and Ritter is married to Lynskey, 44.

Timberlake, 41, portrays Deputy Steve Deffibaugh. His character is the real-life officer who led the 1980 criminal investigation surrounding Betty Gore's (Lynskey) murder. Biel's titular Candy Montgomery was accused of murdering Gore in Wylie, Texas, after having an affair with the victim's husband. (The judge overseeing the real-life ruled that Montgomery was not guilty.)

As for Ritter, the 42-year-old Raising Dion alum plays Timberlake's character's partner, Deputy Denny Reese.

Candy -- “Cover Girl” - Episode 104 -- The day after the incident, Candy takes part in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Betty Gore. As more evidence comes to light, Candy hires ambulance-chaser attorney Don Crowder. Deputy Dave (Shaun Michael Lynch), Diffy (Justin Timberlake) and Deputy Denny Reese (Jason Ritter), shown.
Tina Rowden/Hulu

Explaining how Timberlake and Ritter's cameos came to be, Biel said that the "Can't Stop the Feeling" crooner became interested in playing Deputy Deffibaugh after reading the script. Biel added that Timberlake was reading the script "because I always ask him for his opinion on everything I'm doing."

"He said, 'Oh, who's playing this character?' I said, 'Oh, I don't know, probably somebody local. We don't have any money left,'" Biel, who is also an executive producer on Candy, told Entertainment Tonight. "And he goes, 'I want to play it.'"

Timberlake's casting inspired co-creator and showrunner Robin Veith to bring Ritter on board as well, particularly after seeing a photo of the actor rocking a mustache.

"Robin was like, 'Wow, Jason looks like he's in the '80s,'" Lynskey recalled to ET. "She was inspired by his '80s cool, edgy fireman look."

Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel)
Melanie Lynskey and Jessica Biel in Candy. Tina Rowden/Hulu

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Unfortunately viewers won't get to see Ritter in a mustache on screen. According to Lynskey, "He had to lose the 'stache."

Biel and Timberlake, who have been married since 2012, share sons Silas, 7, and Phineas, 2. Before Lynskey and Ritter got married in 2020, the longtime couple welcomed a daughter together in 2018.

Candy premiered Monday on Hulu. Pablo Schreiber, Timothy Simons and Raúl Esparza round out the five-episode show's cast.

Elizabeth Olsen is the next actress set to portray Montgomery in Love and Death, which is slated to premiere on HBO Max later this year.

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