Where You've Seen The Flanaverse Cast Before
Certain directors are known for working with the same people or groups of people in their projects. Be it that the director is married to an actor, best friends with one, or just really loves the work they do and continues to hire them, some directors and actors can come in a package deal on projects. One director who has curated an incredible and diverse group of actors to carry out their projects is Mike Flanagan.
Known for projects like "The Haunting of Hill House," "Doctor Sleep," and "Midnight Mass," Flanagan has a very specific approach to the horror genre, where he perfectly combines elements of fear with real themes of familial relationships, grief, and love. Nearly every time Mike Flanagan writes and directs a project, he draws audiences in with the horror aspect and keeps them engaged with tears in their eyes through the real-life emotional approaches.
It's easy for Flanagan fans to recognize a project he's worked on, and part of this is because of the group of actors he includes in his work. Some have been in as many as eight of his 11 full length projects, whereas others have been in two or three. Honorable mentions for the actors in the "Flanaverse" include Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who appeared in two projects, and Alex Essoe and Igby Rigney, who both appeared in three projects. For those who love the actors in the Flanaverse, here's what projects they've been in and where you've seen them before.
Victoria Pedretti
Some of the Flanaverse actors have great fame from other projects outside of his arsenal, and Victoria Pedretti is a great example of this. Flanagan's "The Haunting of Hill House," where Pedretti plays Nellie Crain, is what brought her initial fame, she gained mainstream recognition after playing Love Quinn in the popular Netflix show, "You." In the Flanaverse, though, Pedretti has been in two projects: "The Haunting of Hill House," in which she plays Nell, and "The Haunting of Bly Manor," where she plays Dani.
Outside of her work with Flanagan, Pedretti is known for her role as Lulu in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." As most fans know her, though, she is also Love Quinn in two seasons of the Netflix series, "You," which featured tons of surprises from the actor. Pedretti is an MTV Movie & TV Award winner for her performance in "The Haunting of Bly Manor," and has an amazing ability to reach audiences through her gripping and frightening acting choices.
T'Nia Miller
A newer member of the Flanaverse is T'Nia Miller. Her first Flanagan project was "The Haunting of Bly Manor," in which she played housekeeper Hannah Grose. For this role, she was nominated for a Critics Choice super award as best actress in a horror series along with her co-star Victoria Pedretti and received acclaim from publications like Vanity Fair and The Hollywood Reporter. However, Miller isn't just going to be in a one-time Flanaverse appearance; Miller will play Victorine in Flanagan's upcoming project, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Outside of her work in Flanagan projects, Miller portrayed JJ in the 2012 film "Stud Life." She also played Celeste Bisme-Lyons in the HBO and BBC television series "Years And Years," Susan McLean in the series "La Fortuna," and Cherise Nuland in the series "The Peripheral." She also played Maxine for a few episodes of the popular Netflix show "Sex Education." Fans can get excited about her role in Flanagan's upcoming project, and, now that she's been in more than one of his projects, potential future roles as well.
Crystal Balint
Now there are other actors who have been in three of Flanagan's projects. First up is Crystal Balint, who got her start in Flanagan projects playing Dolly in "Midnight Mass." From there, she was hired to play Maggie in Flanagan's scary story club series, "The Midnight Club." Her third project has yet to be released, but Balint will also be in Flanagan's "The Fall of the House of Usher." Interestingly enough, though Balint enjoys her work with Flanagan, she isn't a horror fan, as she told The Nerds of Color in an interview. When she got the part in "Midnight Mass," though, Balint binged "The Haunting of Hill House" in preparation and fell in love with his work.
Outside of the Flanaverse, Balint has been in shows like "The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco," where she played Iris Bearden. She also had a role in the Hallmark films, "Royal New Year's Eve," "October Kiss," and "Love on the Air" — all obviously a huge departure from the world of Flanagan's gripping horror.
Matt Biedel
Next on the list of three projects is Matt Biedel. Similarly to Crystal Balint, Biedel got his start in the Flanaverse through "Midnight Mass," wherein he played Sturge. After "Midnight Mass," Biedel was cast in Flanagan's series, "The Midnight Club" as Tim. Coming up, Biedel will also appear in Flanagan's latest series, "The Fall of the House of Usher," though his character is unknown as of now.
But Biedel has found fame from many other roles outside of the Flanaverse. Namely, Biedel plays Sgt. Dale Chedder in the Emmy-nominated Netflix series "The Umbrella Academy." Biedel also played Daryl Petsky in Season 2 of the Netflix series "Narcos: Mexico" and appeared in the series "Altered Carbon" as Dimi/Abuela. Biedel's characters continue to get more room to play and explore the grit of the human experience, so it'll be interesting for fans to see what Flanagan gives him to do in "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Zach Gilford
Another three-project Flanaverse actor is "Midnight Mass" star Zach Gilford. In "Midnight Mass," Gilford plays Riley, a man who has just been released from jail and is going back to his remote island hometown to live with his parents. Gilford takes on the leading role in this Flanagan series, but he is also featured in other projects of Flanagan's like "The Midnight Club" as Mark, a nurse practitioner, and will play an important role in his upcoming project, "The Fall of the House of Usher." In an interview with GQ, Gilford explained his love for Flanagan and also praised his approach to the horror genre, particularly with "Midnight Mass," saying, "He does the horror genre in a different way. The word 'horror' is such a large umbrella and when we say it people are like, 'I don't like that,' but it's not gory. It's not even scary, it's just a little creepy, maybe."
Gilford has also had an illustrious career outside of the Flanaverse. Most notably, Gilford played Shane in the 2014 "Purge" sequel, "The Purge: Anarchy," and the main character and football QB1 Matt Saracen in the popular television show "Friday Night Lights." He has also had other experience within the horror genre from his role as Zach in the 2014 film "Devil's Due," and in the drama department with his role as Gregg in the television series "Good Girls."
Rahul Kohli
There are also several actors who have been featured in four of Flanagan's 11 projects. First up is Rahul Kohli, who started working with Flanagan for the 2020 show "The Haunting of Bly Manor." Kohli played Owen, the estate cook who befriends Dani and has an especially close relationship with the housekeeper, Hannah. Kohli then continued in Flanagan projects with "Midnight Mass," where he played the town's sheriff and one of the only people who practice a different religion than the rest. His third project with Flanagan is the series "The Midnight Club," where he appeared in one episode as Vincent, a game designer. Kohli will also be featured in the upcoming Flanagan project, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Kohli has also portrayed roles in many other projects outside of the Flanaverse, including Jack Spheer in the television series "Supergirl," the voice of Scarecrow in the television series "Harley Quinn," and Ed in the Netflix film "Happy Anniversary." Though he is most recently known for his work in Flanagan projects, Kohli also had a large role in the television series "iZombie" as Ravi Chakrabarti, a medical examiner and Liv's best friend and confidant.
Annabeth Gish
Another four-project Flanaverse actor is Annabeth Gish, who has been acting since she was a child. She has garnered a versatile and heavy career outside of her role in Flanagan projects. However, within the Flanaverse, Gish started by playing Natalie, a social worker, in the film "Before I Wake." She then went on to play Mrs. Dudley in "The Haunting of Hill House" series, and continued with her role as Dr. Sarah Gunning in "Midnight Mass." Gish will also have a role in Flanagan's upcoming series, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Outside of her roles in Flanagan projects, Gish is most known for her role in the 1988 film "Mystic Pizza," where she starred alongside Lili Taylor and Julia Roberts. She also starred as Jennifer in the film "Gone Mom: The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos," and played Angie in the 1999 crime thriller starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones, "Double Jeopardy." But it doesn't stop there; Gish portrayed Julie Nixon Eisenhower in the 1995 biopic "Nixon," and played Monica Reyes in the popular television show, "The X-Files." Gish dives into each one of her roles, no matter the depth or genre, and it'll be exciting to see how her career, namely in the Flanaverse, continues.
Michael Trucco
Another four-project Flanaverse actor is Michael Trucco, who started his relationship with Flanagan while playing John in Flanagan's 2016 horror film, "Hush." After "Hush," Trucco continued working with Flanagan in "Midnight Mass" as Wade, the mayor. He also played Frederick in an episode of "The Midnight Club." Trucco will keep working with Flanagan for the foreseeable future, as he is set to appear in Flanagan's latest series, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Outside of the Flanaverse, though, Trucco has portrayed many notable roles. He starred as Justin Patrick in the drama series, "Fairly Legal" and Lt. Tucker Henry III in the drama series "Pensacola: Wings of Gold." He also has a main character role in the 2009 film "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan," where he played Samuel T. Anders, a role he originated in the science fiction series, "Battlestar Galactica." He even had a stint on the teen drama "One Tree Hill" as Nathan's Uncle Cooper. Trucco's work in horror isn't limited to Flanagan projects, either. He portrayed Steven Verdel in the 2002 horror film "Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled" and Virgil in the 2017 horror film "The Bye Bye Man," where he worked with Doug Jones, another Flanaverse player.
Robert Longstreet
Moving into the five-project Flanaverse actors, we have Robert Longstreet. He started his career with Flanagan in "The Haunting of Hill House" as Mr. Dudley. He continued in the Flanagan film "Doctor Sleep" as Barry the Chunk, one of the cult members. He also was a minor character in the series "Midnight Mass," where he played Joe Collie, and was featured as the janitor in two episodes of "The Midnight Club." His fifth Flanagan project will be "The Fall of the House of Usher." Flanagan has referred to Longstreet as "one of the most gifted actors in the business" and a "towering talent."
Longstreet has also procured many roles outside of the Flanaverse. He's most known for his role as the Ravener in the 2019 thriller "Ravage," and for his recent role as Lonnie Elam in the film "Halloween Kills." He's also starred in films like "A Dim Valley," where he played Clarence, "The Catechism Cataclysm" where he played Robbie, and "Thou Wast Mild And Lovely" where he played Jeremiah.
Carla Gugino
One of the biggest faces of Flanagan projects is five-timer Carla Gugino. Though she's more famous for four particular projects, she appears in five. Her first project with Flanagan is a staple in his repertoire and hers alike: "Gerald's Game." She played Jessie, a woman who heads to a cabin with her husband for a romantic weekend, and gets handcuffed to the bed for his kink. While engaging in some intense bedroom behavior, he has a heart attack, and she gets stuck in the bed with no way to leave. She then went on to portray Olivia, the matriarch of the Crain family, for "The Haunting of Hill House," and then the storyteller and — revealed at the end — an older version of Jamie for "The Haunting of Bly Manor." She had a small part in Flanagan's "Midnight Mass" and is set to appear in Flanagan's upcoming series, "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Outside of her notable work in Flanagan projects, Gugino is known for playing Ingrid Cortez in the "Spy Kids" franchise, Emma in the action film "San Andreas," Sally Jupiter in the DC film "Watchmen," and Rebecca in the popular kid's film "Night at the Museum." Truthfully, with 106 acting credits listed on IMDb, there are too many films and television shows to mention all of the notable roles throughout her illustrious career.
Samantha Sloyan
Another five-project Flanaverse player is Samantha Sloyan. She started off her career with Flanagan in the thriller film "Hush," where she has a small role playing Sarah, the neighbor of the main character, who dies early on in the film. She then played Leigh Crain, Steven Crain's wife, in "The Haunting of Hill House," but that was also more of a minor role. She gained main character status with her role in "Midnight Mass" as Bev Keane, the extremely devout teacher who supports Father Paul in every way. She was also a central character in "The Midnight Club," as Shasta, the curious neighbor. Her fifth project with Flanagan will be "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Though she's mostly known for her work in Flanagan projects, Sloyan has appeared in other productions as well. She played a recurring character in "Grey's Anatomy" named Dr. Penelope Blake, who accidentally has a hand in the death of Dr. Derek Shepherd, one of the show's main characters. She also played a recurring character in "SEAL Team" named Victoria and played Lois in the horror film "Area 407."
Katie Parker
The list of three actors who have the most credits on Mike Flanagan projects starts with Katie Parker. Katie Parker has been in seven Flanagan projects and stars in one of his earliest films, "Absentia," as Callie. She then continued in the Flanaverse, playing roles like Annie in "Oculus," Poppy Hill, the flapper spirit in "The Haunting of Hill House," Silent Sarey, a member of the cult in "Doctor Sleep," and Perdita Willoughby, another ghost figure in "The Haunting of Bly Manor." She also played a role in "The Midnight Club," and her seventh project with Flanagan will be in "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Additionally, Parker has been in films like the science fiction/drama, "Next Exit," with fellow Flanaverse star Rahul Kohli, and the horror film "All the Creatures Were Stirring" as Sasha. Her horror work comes with an impressive resume, which is likely why Flanagan continues to use her in his projects. He even described Parker by saying, "She never does the same thing twice."
Henry Thomas
Though many actors can say they're a part of the Flanaverse, there are only two who have been in eight of Flanagan's 12 projects. First is Henry Thomas, who started his career with Flanagan in the film "Ouija: Origin of Evil," playing Father Tom, in 2016. After that project, Thomas had a small (but unforgettable) role in "Gerald's Game" and then garnered more leading roles starting with "The Haunting of Hill House," where he played young Hugh Crain. He also had a minor role in "Doctor Sleep," as the iconic Jack Torrance, and he had a larger role in "The Haunting of Bly Manor" as the house owner and uncle to the children. He also boasted a recurring character in "Midnight Mass" and had a small cameo in "The Midnight Club." Thomas' eighth project with Flanagan will be "The Fall of the House of Usher" when it premieres in 2023.
Thomas, though regaining fame from Flanagan's productions, first found fame playing Elliot, the main character, in the classic film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." He's been in a number of other works, but Flanagan's projects and "E.T." are what he's most known for. In an interview with Slash Film, Thomas said he's become a mainstay of the horror and thriller genre because of Flanagan. He said, "We just finished our eighth project together, so he's hired me consistently since 2014, and as a result, my face has just popped up in that genre so much over the course of the last few years that people associate me with it."
Kate Siegel
Finally, and most prominently, is the undoubted face of Flanagan's projects, Kate Siegel. As the wife of Flanagan and one of the most talented actresses of this time, Siegel has been in eight of Flanagan's 12 projects and continues to throw herself into every role. She started her Flanaverse career by playing Marisol in the 2013 film "Oculus," and in 2016 earned the leading role in what is a masterclass of a film "Hush." She then played Jenny in "Ouija: Origin of Evil" and Sally in "Gerald's Game." Siegel entered Flanagan's "Haunting" series by playing Theo in "Hill House" and Viola in "Bly Manor," and then took on the heartbreaking role of Erin in "Midnight Mass." Her latest Flanagan project is "The Fall of the House of Usher," which is in post-production.
Outside of her Flanagan projects, Siegel played Annette in the HBO series "The Time Traveler's Wife," Jenn in the Netflix film "Hypnotic," Beth in the film "Hot," and Elizabeth in the indie film "Steam." However, she's most known for her work in Flanagan projects. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Siegel called Flanagan a horror "genius," and praised him for taking her seriously at a time when other filmmakers weren't, and allowing her to express herself and use her voice. Their partnership has proven fruitful in both their professional and personal lives, as Flanagan found a great star in Siegel, who found a great director in Flanagan, and they are happily married with children.