Yellowjackets took the world by storm when it first debuted on Showtime in late 2021—and with each new season and its Netflix streaming debut in October 2024, the show has only inspired more buzz. The hit has won over audiences by stradling the survival drama and psychological thriller genres, while also being a meditation on trauma and grief in one—and that's before we get to all the fan theories. In the series, a high school girls' soccer team headed to Nationals gets stranded in the wilderness for 19 months. The immediate aftermath is one timeline; in another, 25 years later, we see how the survivors were affected by their time in the wild, as they covered up the horror of what they had to do to survive.
In addition to the twisted, mysterious story, the must-watch TV show—now in its third season—also boasts incredible casting. The Showtime hit includes the actors behind our favorite '90s movies, paired with rising stars playing their teenage versions. (Seriously, the resemblance is uncanny). Below, read on for what to know about the cast and characters of Yellowjackets, and where you've seen all these incredible actresses before.
Shauna Sadecki, née Shipman (Sophie Nélisse as a teen; Melanie Lynskey as an adult)
Shauna, the first survivor we meet, is quieter than her teammates and usually stands in her best friend, Jackie's, shadow. However, she also has an intense side that emerges on the field in the wilderness, and some big secrets that she keeps from Jackie. As an adult, Shauna is a stay-at-home mom living in her hometown, experiencing issues with her husband.
Sophie Nélisse grew up in Montréal, Canada, and got her first roles as a child actress in French-Canadian films. Before Yellowjackets, she starred in the big-screen adaptation of The Book Thief, as well as 47 Meters Down: Uncaged and Pawn Sacrifice.
Australian actress Melanie Lynskey has appeared in several indie and cult-classic films, including Heavenly Creatures and But I'm a Cheerleader, as well as the shows Castle Rock and Two and a Half Men. She received Best Actress in a Drama Series nominations for her work on Yellowjackets in both seasons 1 and 2.
Natalie Scatorccio (Sophie Thatcher as a teen; Juliette Lewis as an adult)
Natalie has a rough home life and is called a "burnout" for drinking and doing drugs with her friends outside of the team. She's still a devoted player though, and she's not afraid to stand up for herself and others. As an adult, Natalie is a recovering addict who dealt with the trauma from the wilderness and other events in her life with alcohol and substances.
Sophie Thatcher began acting on several network shows before her first character arc on Chicago P.D. in 2016. Since then, she's had breakout roles in projects like the Star Wars series The Book of Boba Fett and become an emerging horror movie scream queen, appearing in The Boogeyman, MaXXXine, Heretic, and Companion. Outside of acting, she also has an indie music project.
Juliette Lewis became an awards and indie darling after starring in several beloved cult classic films in the '90s, including Cape Fear, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Natural Born Killers, and From Dusk Til Dawn. She also starred in the family drama August: Osage County and the roller-derby film Whip It.
Taissa Turner (Jasmin Savoy as a teen; Tawny Cypress as an adult)
Teen Taissa is determined and cutthroat both on the field and in the wilderness, but she's shaken when she begins sleepwalking. When we first see Taissa as an adult, it's through a campaign ad for her State Senate run, despite the surviving Yellowjackets' agreement to lay low. When she's not dodging questions about the crash on the campaign trail, she's raising her young son with her wife.
California-native Jasmin Savoy has starred in several shows, including the Shonda Rhimes legal drama For the People and the HBO drama The Leftovers. She's also appeared in films like Missing and the Scream franchise reboot, including Scream V and Scream VI.
Fans may recognize Tawny Cypress from her supporting roles on several hit shows, including Heroes, House of Cards, The Good Wife, and Billions. The actress is also a New Jersey native herself, like her character Tai.
Misty Quigley (Samantha Hanratty as a teen; Christina Ricci as an adult)
Misty is the team's ball girl, mostly held at length from the team, and is bullied by other girls at school. After the plane crash, she becomes a central figure in the group thanks to her survival skills, though no one really trusts her. As an adult, Misty works as a nurse in a retirement home and moonlights as a citizen detective.
Samantha Hanratty started acting in her teens on Disney and Nickelodeon shows (such as Drake and Josh, iCarly, and Shake It Up). After her multi-season run on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, she also appeared in series like Pushing Daisies, The Vampire Diaries, and Shameless.
Christina Ricci began in the entertainment industry as a child star, playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values films, and starring opposite Cher and Winona Ryder in Mermaids. She later became a teen star and indie darling, appearing most notably in films like Casper, Now and Then, Pecker, Buffalo '66, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Prozac Nation. She received an Outstanding Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of Misty at the 2022 Emmys.
Lottie Matthews (Courtney Eaton as a teen; Simone Kessell as an adult)
Team member Lottie gets freaked out by the woods immediately, putting her at odds with Taissa. She's also the first to notice that there may be something extra sinister behind their time in the wilderness. In season 2, we learn that the adult Lottie runs what she calls "an intentional community," but is believed to be a cult, as members live in a commune and receive new age therapy treatments.
Australian actress Courtney Eaton's first acting role was in Mad Max: Fury Road as one of Immortan Joe's wives. She's also acted in films like Gods of Egypt, Line of Duty, and Parachute.
Simone Kessell is an actress from New Zealand who has been working since the '90s. She has primarily worked in TV, briefly leading the USA sci-fi series Terra Nova, and over the past few years, she's held roles in major like Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Night Agent, and Our Flag Means Death.
Van Palmer (Liv Hewson as a teen; Lauren Ambrose as an adult)
Van is a player who survives the crash and is quick to try to look for routes toward getting out of the woods. Horrors of the wilderness later lead her to be more hesitant, and as Lottie emerges as a leader, she becomes one of her close followers. In season 2, we meet Van as an adult, now running a video rental store after escaping the woods.
Liv Hewson is a non-binary Australian actor who appeared in series like Top of the Lake before holding a main role on Santa Clarita Diet. They've been in movies like Before I Fall, Bombshell, and Let It Snow, and are also a playwright and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
The Showtime hit continued its trend of casting '90s icons as the adult Yellowjackets. Lauren Ambrose was a teen star in the decade, who appeared in hit movies like In & Out, Can't Hardly Wait, and Psycho Beach Party. She later starred in the classic HBO '00s series Six Feet Under, earning two Emmy nominations during her run on the show. Since then, she's starred in various movies, Broadway stage productions, and shows like Servant.
Jackie Taylor (Ella Purnell)
Popular Jackie is the team captain who has a devoted best friend, Shauna, and boyfriend, Jeff. Her insecurities are revealed after the crash, as she loses her influence over the team.
Ella Purnell's first role was in the dystopian tearjerker Never Let Me Go. Since then, the British actress has appeared in several films, including Maleficent, Kick-Ass 2, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and Army of the Dead. Aside from Yellowjackets, she leads several other TV shows, including voicing Jinx in Netflix's League of Legends adaptation Arcane, Fallout, and Sweetpea.
Jeff Sadecki (Warren Kole)
Shauna and her husband Jeff have a strained relationship at the start of the series. The two married young, and he knew her back in high school. Before the crash, Jeff had complicated relationships with Shauna and her friend Jackie.
Warren Kole has a stacked TV career, with roles on the network shows 24, Common Law, The Following, and Shades of Blue. He also starred in the Paramount+ show Why Women Kill.
Callie Sadecki (Sarah Desjardins)
Shauna also has a strained relationship with her and Jeff's teenage daughter Callie, which gets more and more complicated as Callie discovers some of her mom's secrets.
Sarah Desjardins was born in Vancouver and began her acting career in the early 2010s. Her notable credits include the shows Impulse, Riverdale, and Netflix's The Night Agent and Dead Boy Detectives.
Coach Ben (Steven Krueger)
Ben, the assistant Yellowjackets coach, is the only adult who survives the plane crash and has to teach the teens as much as he knows about surviving, including how to hunt. Coach Ben gets increasingly frightened of his players as their time in the wilderness continues.
Steven Krueger is best known to CW fans for playing Josh in The Originals and Heath in Roswell, New Mexico. He's also appeared on Pretty Little Liars, Good Trouble, Parenthood, and Two and a Half Men.
Travis Martinez (Kevin Alves)
Travis is one of the few boys stranded in the woods with the Yellowjackets. He's on the flight because his father, who died in the accident, was the team's head coach. He at first remains close to his younger brother Javi, while being somewhat a domineering figure over him, but eventually opens up to some of the girls.
Kevin Alves is a Canadian actor who has held roles in several popular TV series. He began acting with small parts on Canadian series during his teenage years, then had arcs in shows like Degrassi: The Next Generation, Shadowhunters, Locke & Key, and No Good Deed.
Javi Martinez (Luciano Leroux)
Javi is the youngest person who survives the crash, presumed to be about 12 or 13. Like his older brother Travis, he was joining his coach father on the trip. He is greatly shaken by his father's death, and then very frightened by the increasingly dangerous circumstances of the woods.
Luciano Leroux is an American-Canadian actor/soccer player. He played for the professional youth club team FCB Escola Barcelona and acted in shows outside Yellowjackets, including A Million Little Things, Sight Unseen, and Teacup.
Walter Tattersall (Elijah Wood)
In season 2's present-day timeline, Misty seems to meet her soulmate in Walter, a fellow citizen detective who's a multimillionaire after an injury settlement with a scaffolding company. Like Misty, Walter is willing to go outside the law to solve a problem or protect someone he loves.
Elijah Wood rose to fame for his role as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He has also appeared in movies including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Don't Feel at Home in this World Anymore, and the Happy Feet franchise. On the TV side, he starred in the FX series Wilfred, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
