In Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Christopher Pike’s 1994 book “The Midnight Club,” a group of teenagers at Brightcliff hospice for the terminally ill bond, share stories in their “midnight club,” and delve into the mystery of Brightcliff. The young cast is incredible and for some, this is their first acting job, which is especially challenging as they also play multiple characters in their midnight stories. See who plays who, who’s worked with Flanagan before and who you can expect to see in Flanagan’s next: “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
Iman Benson as Ilonka
After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Ilonka feels drawn to Brightcliffe. She becomes obsessed with the story of previous resident Julia Jayne (Larsen Thompson), who was miraculously cured at the facility in the 1960s. Iman also appears as characters Imani and Sheila in different midnight stories. She previously played Tia on the Mike Epps comedy series “Uncle Buck,” Reagan on “Alexa & Katie,” and Drea on “#BlackAF.”
Igby Rigney as Kevin
Kevin is the first person Ilonka meets at Brightcliffe, where they share an instant connection, although he has a girlfriend back home. He has leukemia and has been at Brightcliffe for four months. Igby also plays story characters Dusty and Ben. He played Warren in Flanagan’s “Midnight Mass,” and will also feature in the upcoming “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
Ruth Codd as Anya
Anya, a former ballet dancer who has bone cancer, has been at Brightcliffe the longest. She’s hostile to Ilonka at first and scoffs at all new age-y or religious approaches to terminal disease. This is the disability advocate’s first professional acting job. She will also appear in Flanagan’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
William Chris Sumpter as Spencer
Spencer gives Ilonka a tour of Brightcliffe when she first arrives, and introduces her to the other characters. When he panics over a cut finger, she learns he has AIDS. The other residents, especially Anya, are very protective of him, given the hateful reactions he’s received on the outside. However, he frequently clashes with the ultra-religious Sandra. Before this, Sumpter played Young Jamie on an episode of “Power.” He landed his first acting role at age 11 in the Broadway musical “Matilda.”
Sauriyan Sapkota as Amesh
Until Ilonka arrived at Brightcliffe, Amesh was the “new guy.” He has a glioblastoma, an aggressive tumor in the brain or spinal cord, and desperately wants to live until the new Playstation comes out. This is Sauriyan’s first acting role and he’s also set to appear in “The Fall of the House of Usher.”
Aya Furukawa as Natsuki
Natsuki has ovarian cancer and is first seen doing yoga with Sandra. Before coming to Brightcliffe, she struggled with depression. Aya, who is fluent in both English and Japanese, was one of the Japanese schoolgirls in “Cabin in the Woods.” She also played Janine Kishi in “The Baby-Sitters Club” and Sachiko in “The Terror.” She is also going to be in “Usher.”
Annarah Cymone as Sandra
Sandra is a deeply religious Christian who often irks the other residents with her conversion attempts. She has terminal cancer and is reluctant to join Ilonka’s efforts to delve into potentially curative spells. She also hates when people comment on her wig. Annarah previously appeared in “Midnight Mass” as Leeza.
Adia as Cheri
No one at Brightcliffe is sure about the details of Cheri’s life as she has told so many different versions to different people. She is also vague about the nature of her disease. What we do know is that her parents are wealthy and possibly famous and that she plays the cello. “The Midnight Club” is Adia’s acting debut.
Heather Langenkamp as Dr. Georgina Stanton
The “Nightmare on Elm Street” star plays the founder of Briarcliffe, who believes in treating her charges as adults. She also plays various characters in the midnight stories, including the devil and a detective.
Zach Gilford as Mark
Mark is a nurse practitioner at Brightcliffe who cares for the residents and who is particularly devoted to Spencer. Gilford played Riley Flynn in “Midnight Mass” and Matt Saracen on “Friday Night Lights.”
Samantha Sloyan as Shasta
The mysterious Shasta owns the land next to Briarcliffe and advises Ilonka as she explores natural remedies. Sloyan has worked with Flanagan before on the film “Hush,” and the limited series “Midnight Mass,” and “The Haunting of Hill House.” She also played Dr. Penelope Blake on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Matt Biedel as Tim
Tim is Ilonka’s foster father, who reluctantly agrees to bring her to Briarcliffe. He’s not in the series much, but Flanagan fans will likely recognize him as Sturge in “Midnight Mass.” Biedel’s other credits include “Narcos: Mexico” and “The Umbrella Academy.” He will also be in “Usher.”
