Cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s Film: Actors & Roles

When the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie finally premiered on October 27, 2023, fans found something unexpected among the animatronics and jump scares: a cast packed with actors who’d cut their teeth in genres ranging from teen dystopias to slasher classics. Josh Hutcherson, a name synonymous with blockbuster franchise work, signed on as the film’s troubled night guard Mike Schmidt. Not far behind came Matthew Lillard—best known for Scream and Shaggy Scooby-Doo roles—sliding into the film’s most sinister character.

Director: Emma Tammi · Lead Actor: Josh Hutcherson · Key Antagonist Actor: Matthew Lillard · Release Year: 2023 · Co-Lead: Piper Rubio

The table below lays out the primary cast lineup with their verified roles as documented across major film databases.

Who is in the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s film?

The Five Nights at Freddy’s film brings together a surprisingly deep ensemble that goes well beyond the four actors most fans will recognize. At the center sits Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, a struggling young man who takes the night guard position at the haunted pizza franchise. The film’s Wikipedia entry documents the full cast breakdown.

Lead Roles

Josh Hutcherson’s casting marked a significant moment for franchise fans—the Hunger Games alum bringing star power to what had been an indie-scale horror adaptation. Hutcherson joined the project in December 2022 alongside Matthew Lillard, according to verified casting announcements.

Piper Rubio landed the role of Abby Schmidt, Mike’s younger sister whose custody situation drives much of the film’s emotional core. Elizabeth Lail plays Vanessa Shelly, a local police officer who forms an uneasy alliance with Mike as the night’s horrors unfold.

Supporting Cast

Mary Stuart Masterson takes on the role of Jane Schmidt—also referred to as Aunt Jane in some credits—Mike and Abby’s aunt who becomes central to the children’s living situation. Kat Conner Sterling portrays Max, Abby’s babysitter who brings a street-smart edge to the story as a member of a juvenile gang.

Who plays Mike Schmidt in Five Nights at Freddy’s?

Josh Hutcherson’s Role

Josh Hutcherson inhabits the role of Mike Schmidt, a troubled security guard who takes the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. The character carries the weight of personal tragedy—specifically the abduction of his brother Garrett years earlier—which makes his decision to work at a location steeped in dark rumors all the more fraught. Wikipedia identifies Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt with high confidence based on multiple verification sources.

Background

Hutcherson’s casting represented a calculated choice by producer Scott Cawthon and director Emma Tammi. The actor brought name recognition from The Hunger Games trilogy while also signaling seriousness about genre material—a balance that proved crucial for a film adapting a property with intense but niche fan loyalty.

The role required Hutcherson to anchor much of the film’s runtime alone, carrying scenes against animatronic antagonists that exist somewhere between practical puppetry and digital effects. His casting in December 2022 came as the production moved from development into active filming.

Josh Hutcherson as Mike Schmidt, a struggling young man who takes a job as the night guard of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza — Wikipedia Editors

Director Emma Tammi and producer Scott Cawthon built the film around actors capable of grounding the horror in real emotional stakes — Film Production Notes

Who plays William Afton in Five Nights at Freddy’s movie?

Matthew Lillard’s Portrayal

Matthew Lillard tackles the dual role of William Afton and Steve Raglan—the film’s central antagonist who operates both as a career counselor at the employment agency Mike visits and as the serial killer responsible for the animatronic hauntings. Lillard brings decades of horror credentials from the Scream franchise, where he played Shreve Walsh across multiple installments.

Character Details

The character’s dual identity represents a clever adaptation choice—the game version of William Afton, who becomes Springtrap, needed to be filtered through a more human-scale villain for the screen. In the film, Afton appears as a seemingly helpful counselor who manipulatively guides Mike toward the Freddy Fazbear job opportunity.

What is the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2023?

The full cast extends well beyond the headliners, encompassing animatronic suit performers, child ghost actors portraying murdered children possessing the robots, and cameos from internet personalities familiar to gaming audiences. Wikipedia’s cast listing runs to dozens of credited performers.

Full Credits Overview

Beyond the leads, key supporting actors include David Lind as Jeff (leader of the juvenile gang and Max’s brother), Christian Stokes as Hank, and Joseph Poliquin as Carl—both members of Jeff’s gang. Lucas Grant appears as Garrett Schmidt, Mike and Abby’s abducted brother whose fate drives significant plot elements.

Christian Stokes brings an understated energy to the gang member role, while Theodus Crane plays Jeremiah, Mike’s previous co-worker whose history with Mike establishes the character’s troubled employment past. Tadasay Young appears as Dr. Lillian, Abby’s therapist.

Notable Mentions

The film features cameo appearances that reward attentive fans. YouTube personality Cory Williams (CoryxKenshin) appears as the Taxi Driver, while Matthew Patrick (MatPat) shows up as Ness—a waiter at a local diner. Michael P. Sullivan plays Doug, Jane’s lawyer.

Worth noting: some role name variations exist across sources. Wikipedia lists Elizabeth Lail’s character as Vanessa Shelly, while some YouTube cast videos identify the same character as Vanessa Monroe. Similarly, Kat Conner Sterling’s character is listed as Max on Wikipedia but appears as Maxine on Horror Fandom Wiki. These discrepancies don’t affect the core facts of the casting.

Cast updates for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 film?

Announced Returns

With Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 released in 2025, reports indicate that core cast members from the original film are expected to return to their roles. Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, and Matthew Lillard have been mentioned in connection with the sequel, suggesting continuity in the primary ensemble.

Rumors

As of the original film’s release, no full cast roster for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 had been confirmed by official sources. Early announcements focused on the original film’s cast rather than sequel additions. The sequel presumably introduces new animatronic characters—Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza has expanded in the game lore—but specific casting for these roles remains unverified in available sources.

YouTube personalities who appeared in the first film, including MatPat, have not confirmed their involvement in the sequel. Similarly, suit performers for new animatronic characters, if any, have not been announced.

Who performed the animatronics?

The animatronic characters required dedicated performers working inside suits and providing vocal layers. The film’s practical-animal approach combined physical performers with voice actors for the signature sounds each robot makes during the terrifying nighttime encounters.

Suit Performers

Kevin Foster took on the physically demanding role of Freddy Fazbear, working inside the bear suit for key scenes. Jade Kindar-Martin performed as Bonnie the Bunny, bringing physical presence to the guitar-playing animatronic. Jessica Weiss (also credited as Jess Weiss) portrayed Chica the Chicken inside the chicken suit.

Russ Walko performed as Foxy the Pirate Fox according to Horror Fandom Wiki, while Artie Esposito served as the Golden Freddy suit performer. These performers operated the animatronics during scenes where the robots actively move against the human characters.

Voice Contributions

Kellen Goff provided the distinctive vocal performance for Foxy, notably delivering Foxy’s scatted pirate song that plays during key moments. Wikipedia confirms Goff’s contribution to the film’s soundscape, which adds another layer of eeriness to the pirate fox character.