Where Do You Know the Cast of Yellowjackets From?

Even if you haven’t been watching the gripping horror thriller Yellowjackets, you probably know one thing about it: It’s the show with the cannibal soccer team. (Even if they only play soccer in the pilot episode and they don’t even eat anyone until season 2.) But you may also be aware of the show’s reputation for a metaphorically-and-literally killer cast.

With teenage and adult timelines to flesh out, the show’s roster is not only stacked with talent, but is also pretty uncanny when it comes to the women playing the same character 25 years apart. From some iconic ’90s actresses to today’s rising stars, and supporting cast from everywhere in between, let’s take a look at what other, geekier projects you may already know the Yellowjackets from.

---

Sophie Nélisse and Melanie Lynskey as Shauna Shipman

Nélisse (Teen Shauna) stole our hearts in The Book Thief

Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse spent her early years training in gymnastics with ambitions to participate in the 2016 Olympics, but her plans changed after getting her role as Liesel Meminger in the film adaptation of The Book Thief. The beloved historical fiction tale is one of love, literature, and death set against the backdrop of World War II.

Since then, Nélisse has had a robust filmography, though many of her projects have been French-language films and are difficult for eager stateside Yellowjackets audiences to track down. Perhaps most notably, she co-starred with Adam Brody in The Kid Detective, based on the Encyclopedia Brown book series in 2020, though its theatrical release coincided with the COVID pandemic lockdowns.

Lynskey (Adult Shauna) has cult classic roles in But I’m a Cheerleader, Over the Garden Wall, and More

As soft-spoken as she is behind the scenes, New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey has quite a reputation for playing brusque, even brutal female characters. Modern audiences might remember her most recently from season 1 of the live-action adaptation The Last of Us, where she played the cold-hearted Kathleen Coghlan (who was taken down by child Clicker). But Lynskey is well known for numerous cinematic cult classics like Heavenly Creatures, Coyote Ugly, and the beloved queer satire But I’m a Cheerleader.

She also worked alongside her good friend Elijah Wood in Cartoon Network’s animated gem Over the Garden Wall as Beatrice the bluebird, and she recently returned for the 10th anniversary special for the celebrated cozy folk horror series.

---

Samantha Hanratty and Christina Ricci as Misty Quigley

Hanratty (Teen Misty) went from Disney to The Vampire Diaries

Beneath the big glasses and poodle-hair wig of Misty Quigley, you’d be forgiven for not recognizing Samantha Hanratty at first. She’s been in dozens upon dozens of small parts across sitcoms and film, including singular appearances in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Charmed, House, Mad Men, and more. She also then had recurring roles in Disney’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and ABC’s Pushing Daisies.

A few years before Yellowjackets, Hanratty had additional recurring roles in teen dramas like The Vampire Diaries and Shameless, cementing her as a versatile actress who has probably guested on something you’ve seen at some point.

Ricci (Adult Misty) is an Addams Family icon

Many viewers are often shocked to remember that Christina Ricci is in Yellowjackets — not because she’s not memorable, but because of how wholly she disappears into the role of the adult Misty Quigley. Like Hanratty who plays her teen counterpart, Ricci is disguised under a curly blonde wig, big glasses, and a captivatingly suspicious character obsessed with murder, mystery, and amateur sleuthing. But the diminutive actress is a powerhouse on the screen.

Most will recognize this household name as Wednesday Addams (and as Marilyn Thornhill in Netflix’s Wednesday), though she’s been in a whole host of other lite-horror classics, including Casper and Sleepy Hollow. She’s had voice roles in Rick and Morty, Teen Titans, Batman: Caped Crusader, and archive footage of her role in Casper even appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

---

Jasmin Savoy Brown and Tawny Cypress as Taissa Turner

Brown (Teen Taissa) took on Miles Morales as The Tinkerer

California-born Jasmin Savoy Brown is perhaps most currently recognized for her role as the horror-savvy Mindy Meeks-Martin, a legacy character introduced in Scream 5 (also just titled Scream) who has returned for installments 6 and 7 in this hit horror franchise. But the slashers don’t stop there, with Brown also starring in Sound of Violence, a Finnish-American flick from 2021.

Additionally, Brown is known for lending her voice to some acclaimed video games, including 2019’s Wolfenstein: Youngblood (where she played Abby “Super Spesh” Walker) and 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Here, fans can see her performing the motion capture for Phin Mason, a reimagined version of The Tinkerer who serves as a fierce frenemy to the titular hero. Her final boss battle is an emotional climax to the short Spider-Man adventure that is a must-play for Marvel fans.

Cypress (Adult Taissa) starred in sci-fi drama Heroes

Tawny Cypress currently has more television credits than films to her name, and has had both guest spots and recurring roles in crime prodecurals and dramas like The Good Wife, House of Cards, Elementary, and more. She’s also appeared in sci-fi series like Warehouse 13 and even the CW’s Supergirl as a White Martian.

But fans will most likely remember her from the first season of NBC’s Heroes, as Simone Deveaux the art dealer. Cypress was introduced in the pilot episode, romantically involved with heroin addict and precog painter Isaac Mendez. While her character never displayed any powers, her character’s father possessed telepathy. As for what’s going on right now with Other Tai in Yellowjackets … that’s anyone’s guess.

---

Liv Hewson and Lauren Ambrose as Van Palmer

Hewson (Teen Van) is no stranger to cannibalism thanks to Santa Clarita Diet

Liv Hewson has been acting since 2013, and is perhaps best known for leading roles in the shortform comedy series Dramaworld and the under-appreciated Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. Both of these amusingly encapsulate their character Van Palmer’s experiences in Yellowjackets, from television as escapism to cannibalistic secrets.

They also played a small role in Marvel’s Inhumans as Audrey, a vet who helped Lockjaw in his time of need. Not to be left behind in the world of video game adaptations, however, Hewson will be next seen in Innersloth’s Among Us television series alongside Elijah Wood and Critical Role‘s Ashley Johnson (among many, many others).

Ambrose (Adult Van) starred in Six Feet Under and Torchwood

It’s entirely possible that movie buff Van Palmer has seen Lauren Ambrose’s 1998 teen comedy classic Can’t Hardly Wait, one of her own most notable roles (which would have released after the Yellowjackets were rescued). Trained in opera singing, Ambrose’s career started in off-Broadway theater before moving to film and television in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

She has perhaps received most acclaim for starring in the HBO drama Six Feet Under, about a family who runs a funeral home. Additionally, she starred as Jilly Kitzinger in Torchwood: Miracle Day, the final season of the BBC One sci-fi series.

---

Courtney Eaton and Simone Kessell as Lottie Matthews

Eaton (Teen Lottie) rode historic on the Fury Road

Before she was the wide-eyed Lottie Matthews, Australian-born Courtney Eaton was a model. She made her film debut in 2015’s highly celebrated Mad Max: Fury Road as Cheedo the Fragile, one of Immortan Joe’s wives. Cheedo was notable for being the youngest and meekest of the women, with Eaton’s performance emphasizing her emotional eyes and lanky frame. Eaton next went on to star in the fantasy film Gods of Egypt.

Still, it’s more likely you read this paragraph and went back to look at photos from Mad Max just to double check. Making the leap to television with Yellowjackets, Eaton wasn’t sure if she wanted a feature role early on, which is why Lottie is just a recurring character in season 1 before she was elevated to main cast status for season 2 and beyond. (She also initially auditioned for the role of Shauna!)

Kessell (Adult Lottie) has a host of sci-fi credits including Star Wars

Unless you’re a diehard pickleball enthusiast, you’ll likely first recognize Simone Kessell from one of her film and television roles. New Zealand-born Kessell had roles in numerous installments the Hercules films and television series starring Kevin Sorbo (though her earliest credits are “Girl/Hag”). She has also had spots on Farscape and Xena: Warrior Princess, and a recurring role in the short-lived sci-fi series Terra Nova.

More recently, fans may have spotted the actress in fan-favorite shows like Our Flag Means Death as Mother Teach and in Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi™ as none other than Breha Organa, Leia’s adoptive mother, herself.

---

Sophie Thatcher and Juliette Lewis as Natalie Scatorccio

Thatcher (Teen Natalie) is an undisputed modern scream queen

Actress Sophie Thatcher may be one of the newest careers in the cast, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t already made a huge name for herself in the geek and horror spaces. In 2016, she played a young Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist television series, and has since starred in modern horror films like Stephen King-inspired The Boogeyman, MaXXXine, Heretic, and this year’s Companion.

This meteoric rise to scream queen status has made her a fan favorite with audiences, but for those who haven’t yet caught up on her horror library, you might have seen Thatcher in one other surprising place. She played Drash, the cyborg biker in service to Tatooine’s new daimyo in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett™.

Lewis (Adult Natalie) is a ’90s offbeat icon

Like other cinematic powerhouses in the adult Yellowjackets timeline, Juliette Lewis has an extensive filmography with some of her most notable roles taking place in the ’90s. She has starred in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Cape Fear, Rodriguez/Tarantino joint vampire flick From Dusk Till Dawn, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, August: Osage County, roller derby film Whip It!, 2015’s Jem and the Holograms, and many, many more. She has even voiced herself as a radio DJ in the Grand Theft Auto IV video game.

Famous for her offbeat performances and distinctive voice, Lewis has since left Yellowjackets to pursue other projects, including her passion for music with her band Juliette and the Licks. Additionally, she starred in Amanda Kramer’s Sundance oddity By Design, where her character Camille became a literal chair. Yeah, it’s hard to explain.

---

Ella Purnell as Jackie Taylor

Ella Purnell is immediately recognizable (and generally known) for her captivating, large eyes. And once you start to notice her, you’ll realize that this actress has been just about everywhere lately. In Yellowjackets, her ill-fated team captain Jackie Taylor haunts the narrative, and particularly her best friend Shauna, throughout all three seasons. When she was younger, Purnell made appearances in films like Disney’s Maleficent (playing a teen version of Angelina Jolie’s titular character), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and Kick-Ass 2.

These days, Purnell is also known for having the golden touch when it comes to video game adaptations. She’s the headliner of Amazon’s smash hit Fallout as well as Jinx in Netflix’s acclaimed Arcane series, based on the world of League of Legends. Additionally, you can see her in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, and she has even lent her voice to Invincible and Star Trek: Prodigy.

---

Elijah Wood as Walter Tattersall

We love a short king! And Yellowjackets audiences do too. Elijah Wood joined season 2 as Walter Tattersall, a fellow citizen detective to rival the likes of Ricci’s Misty Quigley. We probably don’t have to remind you where you know Wood from, but of course, he’s perhaps best recognized as Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Wood made his film debut with a minor role in Back to the Future II, and has since been in numerous geeky projects including animated Star Wars™, Superman, and Tron projects.

He also came into Yellowjackets already knowing Melanie Lynskey, thanks to their shared work on Over the Garden Wall, where he played perpetually worried older brother Wirt, who was often the butt of Beatrice’s sassy attitude. And he’ll next be heard voicing Green, one of the crewmates in Among Us, alongside Liv Hewson as Black.

---

Hilary Swank as ???

As fans wait for our mysterious Million Dollar Wilderness Baby to make her debut (our money is on a new adult survivor/Shauna’s stalker — maybe Melissa?), let’s revisit just a few geeky picks in Hilary Swank’s Oscar-winning filmography.

In addition to the aforementioned Clint Eastwood collaboration, Swank has had many notable roles in her extensive career. One in particular that had a lot of chatter lately is her starring part in The Next Karate Kid. Many had hoped her character Julie Pierce would make a cameo before Netflix’s Cobra Kai came to its conclusion, but the stars just weren’t aligned there. And it looks unlikely she’ll play a part in Karate Kid: Legends either. Swank also made her film debut in 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Kimberley, one of the Slayer’s (played by Kristy Swanson in this version) fashion-obsessed, mall rat friends. But she’s done so much more since then, and fans are eager to see what highly secretive role she’ll play in Yellowjackets.

The clock is racing towards the season 3 finale — who do you think she’ll be?

---

Odds are, even if you haven’t watched Yellowjackets just yet, you know at least one of these prolific actors from somewhere! Together, their collective filmography has touched nearly every major fandom out there. Hopefully this partial overview of notable roles has helped jog your memory and place those faces. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re still trying to figure out who really burned down the cabin.

Loving Yellowjackets season 3? Join the buzzing conversation with other horror fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!