From But I’m A Cheerleader to The Last Of Us, the cast of this survival show have been in some great queer stories
BY CAROLINA MENDONCA, IMAGE BY PARAMOUNT+
Think you have what it takes to survive a plane crash? Well, the Yellowjackets cast sure does, or at least most of them do… Following significant delays affecting its release, the Showtime thriller series has fans on the edge of their seats with the premiere of its third season. Filled with familiar faces, here is a refresh on where you recognize some Yellowjackets stars from!
Melanie Lynskey (Shauna Shipman)
Shauna is portrayed by none other than Melanie Lynskey. You might have seen her actively leading a resistance group as Kathleen Coghlan in HBO’s The Last Of Us or hyping up her best friend Violet Sanford as Gloria in Coyote Ugly.
However, Melanie is most remembered for her eagerly prudish, but well-meaning, role as Hilary in the sapphic cult classic But I’m A Cheerleader.
Sophie Nelisse (Teen Shauna)
The troubled teen isn’t the first character with a turbulent life that Sophie Nelisse has played. Most notably, she has played Zoe Tanner, the heiress of a business mogul, in Close and as Liesel Meminger, as she finds solace in book theft during World War II in the timeless classic, The Book Thief.
Tawny Cypress (Taissa Turner)
Taissa, played by Tawny Cypress, is not the actress’s first rodeo when it comes to survival films. She confronted flesh-eating zombies as Cindy in Remains. Maybe that’s where she got her nefarious sleepwalking tendencies from…
Jasmin Savoy Brown (Teen Taissa)
Jasmin Savoy Brown incredibly fulfils the role of a closeted, ambitious teen Taissa, who will do anything to win the national championship. You might recognize her from some of her other sapphic roles, such as Mindy Meeks-Martin in Scream and Scream VI. Fun fact, Mindy is the first openly queer character to appear in the Scream franchise!
Liv Hewson (Teen Van)
Taissa’s secret sweetheart, Van is played by none other than Liv Hewson. The actor clearly has experience when it comes to playing cannibalistic roles, having played Abby, a character combatting their flesh-craving mum in Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet. They have also been in K-drama Dramaworld, where they play Claire Duncan. You can also see them in Christmas film Let It Snow, where they play Dorrie, a lesbian Waffle Town waitress.
Christina Ricci (Misty Quigley)
Played by the American icon Christina Ricci, Misty is unable to establish connections with others. However, this antisocial behaviour is nothing new to Ricci, as many know her face from childhood staple characters such Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Kat Harvey in Casper The Friendly Ghost.
When away from the world of family-friendly movies, you can find Ricci in Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ‘66, where she takes on the role of a kidnapped tap dancer Layla.
Sophie Thatcher (Teen Natalie Scatorccio)
In Yellowjackets, Sophie Thatcher lives in the shoes of a young Natalie, as she navigates drug addiction. However, Thatcher has recently been on the rise in the film industry, taking on the role of Iris, a savage sex-bot in Companion. Iris couldn’t be more different from Sister Barnes, a conservative Mormon missionary, who Thatcher portrayed in Heretic.
Ella Purnell (Jackie Taylor)
A stereotypical mean girl, Jackie, played by Ella Purnell, struggles to survive in the wilderness without your typical high school hierarchy (Peaked in High School much?). However, even if you’re not be familiar with Purnell from recent shows like Fallout and Sweetpea, you sure have heard her voice before as she voices the reckless Jinx in another sapphic staple, Arcane.
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