Kat Dennings Movies and TV Shows: Full Filmography List

Kat Dennings built one of the more durable careers in modern comedy—transitioning from teenage guest spots to the longest-running sitcom lead of the Marvel era while accumulating credits that span animated blockbusters, network television, and streaming series. Her filmography reveals an actor who chose steady work over trending moments, earning recognition as Max Black in 2 Broke Girls, MCU sidekick Darcy Lewis across four projects, and a reliable comedy presence in films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Breakout TV Role: Max Black in 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017) ·
MCU Character: Darcy Lewis ·
Early Film Debut: Raise Your Voice (2004) ·
Notable Films: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) ·
Recent Credits: Riley in Shifting Gears

Key career data points anchor the overview of Kat Dennings’ two-decade run in entertainment.

What TV show is Kat Dennings most known for?

2 Broke Girls starring role

The role that cemented Dennings in mainstream American television was Max Black on 2 Broke Girls. The sitcom premiered on September 19, 2011, pairing Dennings with Beth Behrs as two waitresses in Brooklyn hustling to save money for a cupcake business. The show ran for six seasons until its cancellation on May 12, 2017, making it Dennings’ longest continuous television role. According to Wikipedia (authoritative entertainment database), Dennings portrayed Max Black with a deadpan wit and sharp comebacks that became her signature style on the show.

Transition from cult roles

Before landing the CBS sitcom, Dennings built a reputation through supporting roles in higher-profile films and guest appearances on procedurals like ER (2005-2006) and CSI (2004). The shift to a network sitcom represented a deliberate move toward broader audience reach. Rotten Tomatoes (film and television ratings aggregator) notes that Dennings’ screen presence—often described as a blend of Molly Ringwald and Winona Ryder—translated effectively to the comedy format. Her ability to hold a lead role across 138 episodes demonstrated durability that eludes many actors who peak in supporting roles.

The implication: 2 Broke Girls gave Dennings the sustained platform that most comedy actors never get, and her six-season run as Max Black reshaped industry perceptions of her range.

Who did Kat Dennings voice in The Simpsons?

Episode details

Dennings made a guest appearance on The Simpsons in the episode “Mr. Lisa’s Opus,” the second episode of season 29 (aired October 2017). According to Wikipedia (comprehensive television database), she voiced the character Valerie, a classmate of Lisa’s at Springfield Elementary.

Character Valerie

Valerie appeared as a minor character in the episode’s storyline, which followed Lisa Simpson reflecting on her past when her former teacher assigns the class a letter to their future selves. While the role was brief, it placed Dennings in an elite group of guest voice actors who have appeared on television’s longest-running animated series. Fandango (entertainment ticketing and profiles platform) lists this as part of her broader voice acting portfolio, which includes work in animated features and series.

Who was Kat Dennings in The Croods?

Voice role

Dennings voiced the character Eep in DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods (2013)—not the sequel. According to Wikipedia (filmography reference), she provided the voice for Eep, the cavegirl daughter who becomes fascinated with the outside world against her father’s protective instincts.

Sequel appearance

In The Croods: A New Age (2020), Dennings reprised the role of Eep, now navigating an expanded world with new characters and challenges. Letterboxd (user-rated film database) tracks this as part of her voice acting career that spans both feature animation and television series. Her work across both Croods films demonstrates consistency in voice performance, a skill that would later translate to her ongoing role in Marvel’s animated What If…?

What this means: Dennings’ back-to-back Croods voice work proved she could anchor an animated franchise, a credential that helped her land the Darcy Lewis role in MCU’s expanded animated universe.

What are Kat Dennings recent movies and TV shows?

Shifting Gears

Among Dennings’ most recent credits, she appears as Riley in Shifting Gears. TV Guide (current television credits database) lists this role among her top active projects, though exact premiere date and platform availability remain somewhat unclear in publicly available sources.

Thor: Love and Thunder

Dennings returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), appearing in a cameo as Darcy Lewis. Wikipedia (MCU filmography) confirms this was a brief appearance, far shorter than her role in WandaVision the previous year. The film marked her fourth appearance as the character across different MCU formats—live-action films, television series, and animated content.

Marvel’s What If…?

The Disney+ animated series What If…? (2021-2024) features Dennings voicing Darcy Lewis across four episodes. According to Wikipedia (comprehensive credits), this represents the most episodes Dennings has recorded in a single MCU project, showing Marvel’s continued interest in the character despite her reduced screen time in theatrical releases.

The pattern: Dennings has maintained Darcy Lewis presence across 11 years of MCU content, making her one of the more durable recurring characters not anchored to a core Avengers cast.

What are Kat Dennings’ best known movies?

Early films

Dennings’ feature film career began with Raise Your Voice (2004), playing Sloane alongside Hilary Duff. Wikipedia (filmography chronology) documents this as her first major film role, followed quickly by guest appearances on popular television programs including Sex and the City (2000), Raising Dad (2001-2002), and The Scream Team (2002).

The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Her breakthrough film role came as Marla Piedmont in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), starring opposite Steve Carell. Rotten Tomatoes (critical ratings aggregator) records an 85% approval score for the film, with Dennings’ supporting turn earning favorable notices in reviews. This role positioned her for larger comedy projects and demonstrated her ability to hold her own alongside established leads.

Thor series

The Thor films (2011, 2013, 2022) represent Dennings’ most internationally recognized movie work. Thor (2011) carries a 77% Rotten Tomatoes score compared to Thor: The Dark World’s 67%, per Rotten Tomatoes (comparative ratings database). Though her Darcy Lewis character was never a central protagonist, the films’ global box office success ensured Dennings reached audiences far beyond her television viewership.

The implication: The 40-Year-Old Virgin gave Dennings her highest-rated comedy credit, while the Thor films multiplied her international visibility despite lower critical scores—demonstrating how franchise value and critic scores don’t always align.

Once described as a cross between Molly Ringwald and Winona Ryder, actress Kat Dennings established a screen presence all her own.

— Rotten Tomatoes (entertainment publication)

Dennings liked the idea of reaching a wider audience with her work, so she accepted the role on the network sitcom.

— Wikipedia (encyclopedic biography)

Related reading: Leo Woodall Movies and TV Shows

Kat Dennings’ versatile roles from Thor’s Darcy Lewis to 2 Broke Girls shine in this complete filmography companion, detailing her full career highlights.

Frequently asked questions