Like many horror movies, Smile features a cast of familiar faces in the roles of its main and supporting characters, but they aren't really household names. Given how well the actors balance their characters' impending doom and the terrifying unknown surrounding mental health in Smile, it's worth recognizing who they are and what they've done before.
Smile's plot parallels The Ring but adds a unique spin to the transmissible curse subgenre by focusing on the subjective experience of trauma. The movie follows a therapist who deals with a smiling curse that is passed to her by a patient. The smile visual is a clever idea for a horror movie motif, as the expression is usually associated with happiness, yet in Smile, it serves as a grave warning to the individuals exposed to it.
Centered around a strong lead performance, Smile boasts a cast that audiences may know from popular television shows more than other movies. More than serving as the feature debut for writer-director Parker Finn, Smile is also the first major big-screen effort for some of its actors. Here is a reference guide to each of the primary and supporting cast along with the characters they play in Smile and where viewers may have seen them before.
Sosie Bacon As Dr. Rose Cotter
In her first lead role for a feature film, Sosie Bacon stars as Smile's protagonist, Dr. Rose Cotter. The character, a therapist, works in a psychiatric ward and deals with a mysterious entity that feeds on the trauma of its victims. Bacon's performance in Smile has been praised by many, including Stephen King. Previously, she appeared in the series 13 Reasons Why, Here and Now, Narcos: Mexico, and Mare of Easttown.
Jessie T. Usher As Trevor
Jessie T. Usher plays Trevor, Rose's fiancé. While audiences may recognize the actor for his portrayal of A-Train in Amazon's The Boys, he is no stranger to the big screen, having co-starred in such studio films as Independence Day: Resurgence and 2019's Shaft. Usher also has had other notable roles on the small screen, including in Level Up, Survivor's Remorse, Criminal Minds, and Tales of the Walking Dead.
Kyle Gallner As Joel
Kyle Gallner stars as Joel, Rose's ex and main confidant throughout Smile. The character is also a cop, which provides Rose with the resources necessary to track her curse. Gallner is no stranger to the horror genre, having co-starred in Jennifer's Body, The Haunting in Connecticut, the Nightmare on Elm Street remake, and 2022's Scream. Among his other credits are roles in Interrogation, Outsiders, and Dinner in America.
Smile's Supporting Cast & Characters
Robin Weigert as Dr. Madeline Northcott - Rose's therapist and one of the many forms the entity takes in Smile. Robin Weigert is known for her roles in the TV series Sons of Anarchy, the Western show Deadwood, and multiple seasons of American Horror Story.
Caitlin Stasey as Laura Weaver - A Ph.D. student who passes the curse to Dr. Rose Cotter. Caitlin Stasey starred as a similar character in Parker Finn's 2020 short film Laura Hasn't Slept, on which Smile is based. She also played a lead role in Tomorrow, When the War Began and can be seen in the cast of such movies as All Cheerleaders Die and I, Frankenstein.
Rob Morgan as Roscoe Talley - An inmate who is the only known survivor of the curse. Rob Morgan is known for his role as Turk in Netflix's Marvel shows, including Daredevil and Luke Cage. Along with several films, such as Don't Look Up, Mudbound, and Bull, he also appears as a Hawkins cop in the popular Netflix show Stranger Things.
Kal Penn as Dr. Morgan Desai - Rose's boss in the psychiatric ward. Kal Penn's biggest roles include the co-lead of the Harold & Kumar film franchise and Dr. Lawrence Kutner on the show House MD. Since taking a break from acting for a job as a White House aide, the Smile actor has co-starred in the shows Designated Survivor and Clarice and is next set to star in the upcoming Disney+ show The Santa Clauses.