Fear Street Part 1: 1994 brings classic slasher thrills to Netflix, putting a range of new and familiar stars through blood-soaked mayhem — here's a guide to the cast and characters. The Fear Street saga first began life in 1989. Written by R.L. Stine, the horror series comes in a variety of forms and with a myriad of spinoffs. Several of them skew much more towards a younger audience, not dissimilar to Stine's other classic series of horror books: Goosebumps. Other Fear Street installments, meanwhile, go completely the other way and feature much more gore, violence, and other themes aimed at an older demographic.
First announced all the way back in 2015, and subject to multiple delays, Netflix's adaptation of the Fear Street saga kicked off on July 2, 2021. The first installment, Fear Street Part 1: 1994, was written by Leigh Janiak and Phil Graziadei, with the former also serving as the film's director. The movie leads directly into two sequels: Fear Street Part 2: 1978 and Fear Street Part 3, 1666, which are set for release on July 9, 2021 and July 16, 2021 respectively. Much like some of the books, Fear Street is firmly R-rated. As such, Netflix further competes with Shudder regarding horror movies and gives fans a few weeks of bloody carnage to look forward to.
Set primarily in the deeply unfortunate town of Shadyside, Ohio, the movie follows an eclectic group. As a starkly familiar pattern of murder and mayhem occurs in town, members of Shadyside clash with residents of the egregiously more affluent Sunnyvale. In the immediate aftermath, the teenagers find themselves drawn into a series of terrifying events — from which they (and the town itself) might not be able to escape. Already garnering positive reviews, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is packed with newcomers and recognizable stars alike. Here's a breakdown of the actors involved, who they play, and where you know may know them from.
Maya Hawke as Heather Watkins
Heather is an employee of B. Dalton's within the Shadyside Mall and a self-declared fan of horror fiction. She serves as viewers' introduction to the troubled town. Heather is portrayed by Maya Hawke, the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Emerging recently as a star in her own right, Hawke is best known for playing Robin Buckley on Stranger Things.
Kiana Madeira as Deena Johnson
An occasional member of Shadyside's high school band, the outspoken and self-sufficient Deena is the town's truest misfit. Already dealing with a break-up and a grim future laid out by her alcoholic father, Deena rapidly finds herself battling against a variety of even worse fates. Madeira is also known for playing Moe Truax in Trinkets, another of Netflix's original shows.
Olivia Welch as Samantha Fraser
Sam is Deena's ex-girlfriend and Sunnyvale's newest cheerleader, having left Shadyside behind in the wake of her parent's divorce. Unfortunately, she soon finds herself forcibly drawn into the sinister and bloody events. Welch is best known for playing Heather Nill on the Amazon Prime series Panic and a brief turn as Olive on multiple episodes of Modern Family.
Benjamin Flores Jr. as Josh Johnson
Josh is Deena's nerdy but tech-savvy and resourceful brother. Already ahead of his time regarding the internet, he proves a fount of knowledge regarding Shadyside's dark past. With a penchant for quoting cheat-codes for courage, he also harbors a crush on Kate. Flores Jr. is also recognizable for playing Eugene on the Bryan Cranston-led series, Your Honor.
Julia Rehwald as Kate Schmidt
Head cheerleader, valedictorian, and much more besides, Kate is the speechifying and de facto leader of Shadyside High and beyond. Aspirational beyond the restraints of Shadyside, and unafraid to make the hard decisions, she proves a fierce and stalwart ally on the night from hell. After several shorts, Fear Street Part 1: 1994 marks Rehwald's cinematic debut.
Fred Hechinger as Simon Kalivoda
Simon is the central group's unabashed goofball and Kate's best friend. His larger-than-life traits, however, belies an impressive work ethic and courageous loyalty to his friends and family. Hechinger's recent credits include playing Ethan Russell in The Woman in the Window and Seth Warshavsky in Pam & Tommy (alongside Sebastian Stan and Lily James).
David W. Thompson as Ryan Torres
Ryan is a fellow employee at the Shadyside Mall. Despite his penchant for spooky pranks and double entendres, he serves as a close, trusted friend of Heather's. As well as also featuring in Amazon's Panic, Thompson is best known for playing Jonathan Crane (a.k.a. Scarecrow) on multiple episodes of Gotham and the regenerating supe known as Gecko on The Boys.
Ashley Zukerman as Sheriff Nick Goode
Nick Goode is Sunnyvale and Shadyside's oft-beleaguered yet seemingly genuine Sheriff. Initially mocking and dismissive of the outlandish stories, he is ultimately compelled to investigate in earnest. Zukerman is currently best known for playing Matt Mitchell on the Hulu miniseries, A Teacher, and Nate Sofrelli on HBO's Succession.
Gillian Jacobs as C. Berman
The traumatized survivor of the 1978 Camp Nightwing massacre, C. Berman may or may not hold answers regarding the overall nightmare that infamously plagues Shadyside. As such, the character hangs over Fear Street Part 1: 1994's events. Gillian Jacobs is known for several roles in her career. Most popular, however, is her turn as Britta Perry on all six seasons (but not yet a movie) of Community and voicing Atom Eve on Amazon's Invincible.
Fear Street Part 1's Supporting Cast & Characters
Jeremy Ford as Peter: Sam's new boyfriend and aggressive bully of Shadyside residents. Ford also plays Logan on The Mosquito Coast.
Jordyn DiNatale as Ruby Lane: A dark blast from the past that torments the heroes. DiNatale also plays Rory on The Birch.
Darrell Britt-Gibson as Martin P. Franklin: A mysterious janitor at Shadyside Mall. Gibson plays Jermaine Jefrint on HBO's Barry.
Matthew Zuk as Mayor Will Goode: Sheriff Goode's brother and Mayor of Sunnyvale. Zuk's credits also include embodying Negative Man on Doom Patrol.
Jordana Spiro as Mrs. Lane: A former nurse and Kate's neighbor. Spiro also plays Sarah Weller on Blindspot and Rachel on Ozark.
Lacy Camp as Mrs. Fraser: Sam's disapproving mother. Camp briefly appears in Big Little Lies and plays Mrs. Vickers on Vice Principals.
Elizabeth Scopel as Sarah Fier: Sarah is the witch said to be responsible for the cursed events in Shadyside. As a result, she is often glimpsed and consistently looms over the gory proceedings. Scopel's past credits also include Chicago Med, guest-starring as Britt Mills. Sarah Fier's story is also set to be further explored following Fear Street Part 1: 1994, via the two highly-anticipated, subsequent installments of the trilogy.
