Over the last few years, Mike Flanagan has taken horror by storm. With both movies and television series under his belt, Flanagan has become well associated with his contributions toNetflix. Flanagan has completed projects for other studios including the 2019 adaptation of Stephen King’sDoctor Sleep. He also adapted King’sGerald’s Gamein 2017.
Flanagan’s biggestNetflixhits areThe Hauntingseries. To bring these creations to life, Flanagan features a wide range of actors in his work, many of who appear in more than one project of his. Following the release of his newest project,Midnight Mass, there are quite a few stars fans of Flanagan may recognize.
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Kate Siegel
Perhaps the most infamous of all of Flanagan’s stars is his wife,Kate Siegel. Siegel has starred in countless projects that her husband created, including her most recent role of Erin Greene inMidnight Mass.
In 2016, Siegel starred as the main protagonist ofHush, a deaf horror writer who becomes caught in her own worst nightmare. Siegel built off this in the years following, appearing as Theo Craine inThe Haunting of Hill Houseand Viola inThe Haunting of Bly Manor. Siegel has also starred as Marisol Chavez inOculusand Jenny Browning inOuiji: Origin of Evil, and Sally inGerald’s Game.
Samantha Sloyan
Samantha Sloyan has starred opposite of Siegel in a few of Flanagan’s projects. InMidnight Mass, Sloyan plays Bev Keane, a woman eerily dedicated to spreading God’s message, no matter the cost. While Sloyan got under the skin of most viewers, many enjoyed her innocent portrayals of characters like Sarah inHush.
In addition to bothMidnight MassandHush, Sloyan also played Leigh Crain inHill House. Leigh was the wife of Stephen Crain, one of the many children who lived inside Hill House and found themselves struggling with the seemingly unexplainable experiences they had there. Because of Stephen’s own writings about the events, his relationship with his family (and eventually his wife) begins to deteriorate.
Rahul Kohli
Rahul Kohlistole the hearts of many with his gutwrenching story inMidnight Mass. As the Sheriff who is trying to solve a crime that goes far beyond what his capabilities as Sheriff entail, he is dragged into a mess that he gives everything to stop. This heartbreaking role Kohli fills isn’t his first time doing so with Flanagan.
In 2020, Kohli appeared inBly Manoras Owen. Many fell in love with the innocent chef of Bly that grew overly fond of not only the children but the housekeeper, Hannah Grosse. The beauty of their relationship made it easy forBly Manorviewers to root for him and Hannah. In fact, it led many to root for his character inMidnight Massas well.
Henry Thomas
Henry Thomas is a prominent male figure in Flanagan’s work. InMidnight Mass, he plays Ed Flynn, the father of Riley and Warren. Troubled by Riley’s return to the island after serving time for his drunk driving accident that killed a young woman, Ed is a heavy presence in the Flynn household.
Thomas has appeared in a Flanagan project for the last five years, including his role inMidnight Mass. In 2017, Thomas appeared inGerald’s Gameas Tom. He followed this by starring as Young Hugh Crain inHill Houseand a more minimal role inDoctor Sleep. In 2020, he starred as Henry Wingrave, the guardian of both Miles and Flora inBly Manor.
Carla Gugino
Carla Gugino has starred in many of Flanagan’s projects, often paired with Henry Thomas. Gugino has a very limited role inMidnight Mass. Gugino stars as the Judge seen only inMidnight Mass’first episode. Her minimal role may have been a surprise to those familiar with the roles Gugino typically fills for Flanagan, but her limited appearance has opened the door for new stars to perform for Flanagan.
Gugino ledGerald’s Gameas Jessie before she transformed into the chilling matriarch of the Crain family inHill House. As Olivia Crain, Gugino plays the mother plagued by chronic headaches before suffering a tragic fate. InBly Manor, Gugino broke even more hearts in the end after the true identity of her storytelling character was revealed.
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish plays a heartwarming character inMidnight Massas Doctor Sarah Gunning. A skeptic of the religious community she is in, Sarah takes care of her mother’s crippling condition. Serving as a caregiver for many on the island extracts a heavy toll on Sarah once the island begins to endure miracles that don’t lend themselves to scientific explanations.
Before starring as Sarah, Gish appeared as Mrs. Dudley inHill House. She and her husband served as an eerie council to the Crains, keeping the sinister history of the house to themselves. While Mrs. Dudley may not appear as one of the most sympathetic characters fromHill House, evidence from her past proves that the Dudleys may provoke some tenderness from the audience after all.
Alex Essoe
InMidnight Mass, Alex Essoe plays Mildred Gunning, the mother of the island doctor. Essoe spends the first few episodes appearing very ill before her health slowly begins to develop into something Sarah has never seen before. Mildred’s surprising health stint leads to a number of stunning revelations about the Gunning family.
Prior toMidnight Mass, Essoe appeared in bothBly ManorandDoctor Sleep. As a member of Bly’s dark history, Essoe personified Charlotte Wingrave, mother to Miles and Flora. Despite Charlotte only appearing in flashbacks throughout the series, she lends herself to reveal important plot information (much likeMidnight Mass). InDoctor Sleep, Essoe played the recognizable role of Wendy Torrance, originally played byWendy Duvall inThe Shining.
Robert Longstreet
InMidnight Mass, Robert Longstreet plays the troubled Joe Collie who is burdened by his hand in some of the unfortunate events that have struck the island. Hoping to change his ways and seek solace for the things he’s done, Joe becomes further involved in the sinister workings of the island. Prior to his role as Joe, Longstreet played Mr. Dudley inHill Houseand Barry the Chunk inDoctor Sleep.
Michael Trucco
Michael Trucco stars as Wade (Leeza’s father) inMidnight Mass. Unable to find a reasonable conclusion for what may have led God to take away his daughter’s ability to walk, Wade and his family seek solace from the church. In 2016, Wade starred inHushas John, the boyfriend to Sloyan’s Sarah. His character, like Sloyan’s, is rather short-lived, but enough to give viewers a chance to recognize them from Flanagan’s previous work.
With Flanagan’s next Netflix project,The Midnight Clubis already expected to star a fewMidnight Masscast members. Among them are Sloyan, Zach Gilford, Igby Rigney, Matt Biedel, Annarah Cymone, and Longstreet. Flanagan is also working on an adaptation ofEdgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of Usher"for Netflix. With the trend of reoccurring actors in Flanagan’s work, it’s likely that there will be a few names from this list (as well as some new arrivals) who will help drive these scary stories forward.
