The Cast ofYellowjackets: All About the Stars of Psychological Thriller

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Kailey Schwerman/SHOWTIME ;

Everyone’s buzzing aboutYellowjackets.

The Showtime thriller follows a New Jersey high school girls' soccer team involved in a deadly plane crash on their way to a tournament — and it’s coming back for its highly anticipated season 3 in 2025. Series regulars including Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress,Juliette LewisandChristina Ricciwill be returning, and the first season of the show is now streaming on Netflix.

“I was honestly surprised atwhat a phenomenonYellowjacketsbecame,” she admitted to PEOPLE in 2022. “I never had the expectations. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I felt like it was good, I felt really good about it. And I was like, ‘I hope people like it,’ but the expansiveness of the response really was amazing to me.”

From their previous roles to their off-screen dating lives, here’s everything to know about the cast ofYellowjackets.

Melanie Lynskey as Shauna

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Hollywood veteranMelanie Lynskeystars as the series' main character Shauna, a woman trying to move past the horrific crash and subsequent stint in the wilderness that her high school soccer team survived 25 years prior. Now married to the prom king (and teammate Jackie’s high school boyfriend), the complex housewife is looking to reclaim her agency while keeping the team’s morbid secrets safe.

As the series' lead, Lynskey revealed that she was a bit particular about how the series came together.

“The first season, I wasa bit nitpicky about continuityand different things like that,” she told PEOPLE in 2022. “And, ‘Well, how about this thing happened before, so shouldn’t this thing happen now?’ And people were a little bit annoyed with me.”

Given the hype around the series, Lynskey, who received an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her portrayal of Shauna, added that she was glad she was a stickler for the details. “I feel justified because the fans are paying that much attention,” she added. “Now I’m like, ‘Listen, it’s going to be all over Reddit if we don’t do this.’ "

“It was really important to me for [Shauna] to not ever comment on my body, to not have me putting a dress on and being like, ‘I wish I looked a bit better,’ " Lynskey told the outlet. “I did find it important that this character is just comfortable and sexual and not thinking or talking about it, because I want women to be able to watch it and be like, ‘Wow, she looks like me and nobody’s saying she’s the fat one.’ That representation is important.”

The New Zealander’s acting debut came when she was 16 years old starring oppositeKate Winsletin 1994’sHeavenly Creatures. She later appeared in a number of high-profile productions, includingEver After,But I’m a Cheerleader,Coyote Ugly,Sweet Home Alabama, The Perks of Being a Wallflowerand, most recently,Don’t Look Up. On the television side, the actress starred as Rose inTwo and a Half Menfrom 2003 to 2015 and as a vengeful revolutionary leader onThe Last of Usin 2023.

Lynskey was married to fellow actorJimmi Simpson, whom she met on the set ofRose Red, from 2007 to 2012. In 2013, Lynskey metJason Ritterwhile they were costarring inThe Big Askandbegan dating shortly after. The couplewelcomed a daughterin 2018 and tied the knot in 2020 in a private ceremony on their front porch.

Sophie Nélisse as Teen Shauna

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“Shauna has a little bit of every character,” Nélisse toldCosmopolitanin 2022. “I think she has the leadership and the strength of Taissa yet the kindness and sweetness of Laura Lee but also the craziness of Misty. She can lie very well and I think she can be quite unreasonable at times.”

Nélisse went on to say that Shauna “definitely has this dark side that she herself is scared to admit is there” — something that’ll almost certainly come out in season 2.

Tawny Cypress as Taissa

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“Taissa’s driving force is perfectionism,” Cypress toldAwards Dailyin 2022. “She needs to be a perfect picture. She’s gotten so far with that — beautiful house, beautiful family, successful lawyer. Where else is there to go?”

Previously, Cypress starred in the television hitHeroesas art dealer Simone Deveaux. She’s also appeared onHouse of Cards,UnforgettableandInez & Doug & Kira.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Cypress was married to Bill Charles from 2000 to 2004. The former couple share one son, Dexter. Cypress has been married to Tom Dillon since 2011.

In the 2022 docuseriesQueer for Fear, Cypress revealed she is attracted to women, even sharing that herYellowjacketscastmate Lynskey’s 1994 filmHeavenly Creatureswas involved with her coming out story.

“When I was 18, I moved in with my best friend in New York, and I was in love with her. I was truly in love with her,” Cypress shared, according toPride.com. “And we went to seeHeavenly Creatures, and it changed everything. I took the step. I was like, ‘I want to be with you, let’s just live the way we want to live.’ It was life-affirming.”

Jasmin Savoy Brown as Teen Taissa

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Naturally, Cypress and Brown bonded over playing Taissa on set, although they made sure not to copy each other’s performances. “We very much have the same understanding of the character,” Brown explained totheHollywood Reporterin 2022. “We talked more about the small things. For example, does Taissa pronounce either as ‘ee-ther’ or does she say ‘eye-ther’? Things of that nature.”

Brown went on to reveal that, even in real life, she and Cypress are similar — they stayed in the same building in Vancouver, Canada, whereYellowjacketswas filmed, and they both brought their tortoiseshell cats there.

“Even as human beings, we’re very much the same,” she noted. “So I think that speaks to those similarities, because I didn’t plan that.”

Brown is also known for her roles in the fifthScreamfilm, HBO’sThe Leftoversand ABC’sFor the People. She created, produced and hosted the podcastThe Homo Schedulewith costar Liv Hewson; the podcast was sold to Netflix before she and Hewson found out theirYellowjacketscharacters would have a romantic story line.

She’s also a singer, having released two songs — “Orange Wine” and “goddamnit” — on YouTube, the latter of which starred Hewson in the music video.

Juliette Lewis as Natalie

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And though she may appear hardheaded, Natalie gets vulnerable when unpacking her trauma with Shauna, Taissa and Misty.

“Natalie is written as that, I guess, toxic strength,” Lewis told theNew York Timesin 2021. “But she completely devolves to where she goes into weakness and propitiation around the girls, and it’s strange where she ends up. I didn’t see it coming.”

Lewis first made her mark in Hollywood as a teenager, starring in films likeNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,Natural Born KillersandCape Fear(which earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nods). Lewis has since starred in films likeAugust: Osage CountyandMabefore shifting more toward television, appearing inThe Act,Queer as FolkandWelcome to Chippendales.

She’s also a musical artist, having released two albums as a member ofJuliette and the Licksand one as a solo artist.

In 2016, Lewis was in a relationship with Rage Against the Machine drummerBrad Wilk, but they’ve since split. She previously datedBrad Pitt, whom she met on the set ofToo Young to Die?, from 1989 to 1993 andLeonardo DiCaprio, whom she met on the set ofWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grape, in 1993. She was married to professional skateboarder Steve Berra from 1999 to 2003.

Sophie Thatcher as Teen Natalie

Sophie Thatcher takes on playing teenage Natalie, whose troublemaking tendencies and brash personality make her one of the most “unlikely” teammates, according to Showtime — despite her natural soccer talent. In the wilderness, Natalie begins to grow closer and closer to Travis, which has major consequences for the entire group.

And although she’s Lewis' younger counterpart, Thatcher’s Natalie is distinct from Lewis' — which was done intentionally.

“There’s a lot more of a lightness in younger Natalie, and it grows,” Thatcher toldTeen Voguein 2022. “She had so much love in her heart, and to see her turn into this almost suicidal wreck, to see how dark she got, I think that makes it more heartbreaking.”

Thatcher, who’s originally from Chicago, Illinois, is also known for her appearance as a cyborg leader in Disney+‘sThe Book of Boba Fett. She got her start in theater, starring in productions ofThe Diary of Anne Frank,A Christmas Carol: The Musical, Oliver!andThe Secret Garden.

Christina Ricci as Misty

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Christina Ricci stars as Misty, the Yellowjackets’ former equipment manager who has a passion for online (and in-person) sleuthing. After feeling left out for most of her high school career, the care facility nurse can ruthlessly manipulate others, to the benefit (and sometimes misfortune) of the remaining survivors.

Ricci has been acting since she was a child, having had her breakout performance asWednesday Addamsin 1991’sThe Addams Family. Subsequently, she starred in the film’s sequel,Addams Family Values, as well as several ’90s hits likeCasperandNow and Then. She has gone on to star in more than a dozen films, includingThe Opposite of Sex,Sleepy HollowandMonster.

Most recently, Ricci returned to theAddams Familyworld in Netflix’sWednesdayas house mother Marilyn Thornhill. On television, she also had a leading role in the short-lived ABC seriesPan Amand both produced and starred in Lifetime’sThe Lizzie Borden Chronicles. The California native is also the national spokesperson for the nonprofit RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Outside of her career, Ricci is mother to two children: she shares herson Freddiewith ex-husbandJames Heerdegen, and she welcomed daugherCleopatrawith husbandMark Hampton. Ricci and Hamptongot marriedin October 2021.

Samantha Hanratty as Teen Misty

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Samantha Hanrattystars as teenage Misty, the Yellowjackets' equipment manager. While seemingly bubbly and eager to please, her upbeat nature hides a dark side — Misty will do anything to get what she wants. Hanratty has said that she has to tap into averydifferent side to play her.

“I’m a very emotional person; I’m an empath,” she toldThe Hollywood Reporterin 2022. “I, as Samantha, would have been sobbing. I would have been having a mental breakdown. But Misty takes in things so differently. … I just want to hug her and tell her to go to therapy.”

And while she and Ricci didn’t coordinate on their approaches to Misty, Hanratty said she went down an internet rabbit hole after she found out she’d be playing a younger Ricci.

“I started looking up pictures of her and looking at pictures of myself,” she told the outlet. “I [put] them side to side to be like, ‘What is it that we have in common? And what is it that we don’t?’ "

BeforeYellowjackets, Hanratty had stints on hits likePushing DaisiesandShameless. Her breakout role was Chrissa inAn American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong. Born in Scottsdale, Arizona, Hanratty is currently engaged to production assistant Christian DeAnda. The twoannounced their engagementin November 2021 after he proposed during a seaside picnic.

Thecouple got marriedin November 2023, and in August 2024, they revealed that they areexpecting their first childtogether,

She shared the news with her cast mates the first day thatYellowjacketsresumed filming on season 3, sharing video of their reactions onTikTok.

“I was single when we filmed the pilot, dating during season one, engaged during season 2, and nowmarried and pregnantduring season 3!” she wrote in her caption. “It’s been a crazy ride.”

Simone Kessell as Lottie

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Season 2 of the series is sure to introduce a number of new twists and turns — and will certainly address the season 1 cliffhanger that Lottie is actually alive.Simone Kessellwill play the adult version of Lottie, who has been up to something suspicious over the past few decades.

“She’s come into her life,” Kessell said of her character toVanity Fairin 2023. “She’s found her voice, and she’s used it in a way to help teach — she sort of brings therapy to people. … She has reinvented herself from the darkness into the light. She leads a group of broken toys. The past 25 years she’s reinvented herself as a leader, as a guru, as a healer. And with that, she has created her own world.”

And what is this group of “broken toys,” exactly? “You could call it a cult,” Kessell added.

Kessell recently appeared in on Disney+‘sObi-Wan Kenobiseries alongsideEwan McGregor. She’s also known for her roles onOur Flag Means DeathandTerra Nova.The New Zealand native is married to Australian director Gregor Jordan. They have two children, Jack and Beau.

Courtney Eaton as Teen Lottie

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But this isn’t the first time the Aussie actress has been in a doomsday scenario — Eaton is best known for her role inMad Max: Fury Roadas Cheedo the Fragile, the youngest of cult leader Immortan Joe’s wives. She also starred in the 2013 fantasy action filmGods of Egyptand the 2019 thrillerLine of Duty.

Eaton previously dated former Disney Channel starRoss Lynch, her costar in the direct-to-video movieStatus Update, from 2015 to 2017. She is currently in a relationship with cinematographer Spencer Goodall.

Lauren Ambrose as Van

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In 2023, Ambrose toldEntertainment Tonightthat she wanted to join the series after watching season 1. “I definitely had the experience of watching the show and being like, ‘Well, gee, can I be on this show or what?’ " she told the outlet. “Liv created a beautiful character that wasn’t even necessarily meant to stick around. And because of Liv’s very cool, beautiful performance, I get to be part of it now, too.”

Ambrose married writer and directorSam Handelin September 2001. The couple share a son, Orson, and a daughter.

Liv Hewson as Teen Van

“Van crops up a lot as a strong comedic voice in the ensemble, which I had a lot of fun with as a performer,” Hewson toldThe Guardian. “I think people respond to that — not just about Van, but the show generally.Yellowjacketsis this bleak tragedy and it’s all going to end in tears, but there’s sharp comedy in it, which I think people respond to. I respond to it. It’s my favorite thing about it.”

Van is superstitious and an early believer in Lottie’s proselytizing, with many fans theorizing that she’s involved in the ritual sacrifice that’ll soon engulf the team. The character, who begins a relationship with Taissa in the wilderness, has quickly become a fan favorite online — something Hewson has been relishing.

Ella Purnell as Teen Jackie

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Ella Purnell portrays teenage Jackie, the magnetic, popular and sometimes entitled captain of the Yellowjackets. After surviving in the wilderness, her friendship with Shauna disintegrates — with some pretty brutal consequences. But Purnell wanted to make sure Jackie wasn’t a typical “Queen Bee.”

“I definitely was over playing anything close to stereotypical, so I wanted to make sure that she was vulnerable,” Purnell toldVanity Fair. “Maybe she says some things that come off a little insensitive, but that’s only because she’s insecure.”

So far, Jackie has only been seen in the ’90s. But if Purnell were to ever have an adult counterpart of her own, she already has someone specific in mind.

“Helena Bonham Carter, if you’re out there!” she toldEntertainment Tonightat the 2022 Critics Choice Awards. “We’re both English, we should be friends!”

Currently, she’s dating musician Max Bennett Kelly, though in the past she’s been spotted out with singer James Coates and withSex Educationstar (andMiss Peregrinecostar)Asa Butterfield.

Kevin Alves as Teen Travis

Alves has said he’s comfortable playing an unlikable character like Travis.

Born and raised in Canada, Alves is also an internationally-ranked figure skater. Growing up, he juggled figure skating with acting, ultimately reaching two World Figure Skating Championships and being ranked in the top 30 in the world. Aside fromYellowjackets, Alves has had recurring roles on Netflix’sLocke and Keyas well as Freeform’sShadowhuntersseries.

Steven Krueger as Ben Scott

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Steven Kruegerportrays the Yellowjackets’ assistant coach Ben Scott, who is burdened with being the only surviving adult and losing a leg from the crash. Ben isalsosaddled with being the object of teenage Misty’s affections — while hiding that he’s actually gay.

The actor, who grew up in Sarasota, Florida, may be familiar to fans of The CW’sVampire Diariesspin-off,The Originals, on which he played fan favorite Josh.

Warren Kole as Jeff Sadecki

Kole, who’s best known for his starring role oppositeJennifer Lopezon NBC’sShades of Blue, apparently drew inspiration from his real life to play the New Jersey townie.

“I have friends who I went to school with that are very similar to Jeff Sadecki, in that they peaked in high school, and now they’re just surviving, and resigned to sort of a certain mediocrity and a provincial existence,” he toldAssignmentXin 2021. “So, I had a lot to draw from there, just from my life. Maybe I was a part of that jock class a little bit when I was in high school, too.”

Kole also had a recurring role on Paramount+‘sWhy Women Killand a guest appearance on Prime Video’sThe Terminal List.

Elijah Wood as Walter

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Elijah Woodwill also make hisYellowjacketsdebut in season 2 as recurring guest star Walter. According toShowtime, Walter is a “very dedicated Citizen Detective who will challenge Misty in ways she won’t see coming.”

In January 2023, the network released asneak peekof Walter alongside Misty, writing, “Welcome to the Bureau of Citizen Detectives.”

But this isn’t the first time Ricci and Wood have shared the screen together — the two were both inAng Lee’s 1997 filmTheIce Storm. In addition to his roles in hits likeEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindandWilfred,Wood is best known as Frodo Baggins inPeter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy.

In 2019, Wood and his fiancée, Danish film producerMette-Marie Kongsved, welcomed their first child together, a boy.

source: people.com