The Midnight Clubis shaping up to be one of the most significant new horror shows to join the ranks on Netflix this spooky season. Based on the 1994 novel of the same name byChristopher Pike,The Midnight Clubhas been in the works since early 2020, withMike FlanaganandLeah Fongat the helm. The series premiered exclusively on Netflix on June 23, 2025.
Flanagan’s name quickly became a horror-household staple after his directorial debut ofOculus, followed closely byBefore I Wake. He went on to createThe Hauntingfranchise in a partnership with Netflix, producing thriller showsThe Haunting of Hill HouseandThe Haunting of Bly Manor. Leah Fong joined him as writer and producer forThe Haunting of Bly Manorand their partnership continues through toThe Midnight Club.
The Midnight Clubfollows a group of young adults co-habitating at a hospice as they battle their terminal illnesses. They meet at midnight each night to make up and share ghost stories with each other, distracting them from their own mortality. Each member has to make a pact when they join the club, agreeing that if they are the first to succumb to their disease will try to reach out to the others from beyond the grave. After one of them passes, strange and unexplainable occurrences begin to haunt the rest of them.
Now that the show has been released, we have a lot more information to work with in regard to the cast. There are a few familiar names in the cast list, as well as many relative “unknowns,” but don’t let that fool you. This handy guide will tell you a little more about what you can expect from the stories and characters.
Related:What Mike Flanagan’s ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil’ Has in Common With ‘The Midnight Club’
Who’s In The Cast?
The cast members of this series actually take on multiple roles and names throughout each episode of the show, as they reenact the ghost stories that members ofThe Midnight Clubtell each night. This guide will focus solely on their characters as they exist in the “real world.” If you have not yet watched the show, don’t worry, this article will not include any major spoilers. Instead, most of the information will remain focused on the official trailer.
Iman Benson - Ilonka
Iman Bensonis an American actress known for her role as Tia Russell in the television comedy series,Uncle Buck. She also had a recurring role inAlexa & Katieand was the lead in#blackAF. Benson will be playing Ilonka, the lead role of the series. She discovers Brightcliffe after learning she has thyroid cancer and becomes the newest guest at the hospice, hoping to find an unorthodox cure.
Igby Rigney - Kevin
As seen in the trailer,Igby Rigneywill be playing a fellow patient at Brightcliffe who interacts first with Ilonka after she moves into the hospice. He states that he’s been living there for about 4 months prior to her arrival and that he is diagnosed with Leukemia. Rigney was also inMidnight Mass, making this his second collaboration with Mike Flanagan. He will also be appearing in Flanagan’s upcoming seriesThe Fall of the House of Usher.
Annarah Cymone - Sandra
Annarah Cymonealso made her acting debut in Flanagan’sMidnight Mass, with only one credited acting gig prior, which was a 2021 drama calledCaged. She will be playing Sarah, a super religious patient at Brightcliffe who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her character holds the most trepidation about some of the healing rituals that Ilonka suggests trying.
Aya Furukawa - Natsuki
Aya Furukawais a bilingual Canadian actress, fluent in both English and Japanese. Her first role was in the 2011 filmCabin in the Woodsas one of the Japanese schoolgirls. She took a quick step back from acting until recently when she appeared inBrand New Cherry Flavor. She will be playing a character named Natsuki. Natsuki’s character struggles with depression and attempted to commit suicide only 2 months before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. As a patient at Brightcliffe, she develops a new lust for life through her friendships and relationships with other patients.
Adia - Cheri
This series will beAdia’s acting debut. She is playing Cheri, one of the more mysterious patients at Brightcliffe. She states during one scene that she has been at Brightcliffe for 3 months at the time of Ilonka’s arrival. Her character seems to have a dry sense of humor, as she states: “This is a hospice? My parents told me this was a boarding school…” However, we learn early on that she has a propensity to lie constantly about herself and her background before coming to Brightcliffe.
Ruth Codd - Anya
Ruth Coddwill be playing the fiery and cynical Anya. She is seen in the trailer, wheelchair-bound and looking the illest out of the group, possibly foreshadowing the first death of the series. Along with Igby Rigney, she will also be making an appearance in Flanagan’s upcoming show,The Fall of the House of Usher.
Sauriyan Sapkota - Amesh
The Midnight Clubwill beSauriyan Sapkota’s acting debut, followed closely by a follow-up appearance inThe Fall of the House of Usheralongside cast mates Ruth Codd and Igby Rigney. Sapkota plays a character named Amesh, and can be seen in the trailer counting out exactly how long he has been staying at Brightcliffe, clearly not enjoying his time there. Before Ilonka’s arrival, he was the newest patient there. He is also shown later in the trailer, kissing Aya Furukawa’s character, Natsuki.
William Chris Sumpter - Spencer
William Chris Sumpterplays the final member ofThe Midnight Club, Spencer. He is an openly gay character with an AIDS diagnosis. Dr. Stanton assigns him the duty of giving Ilonka a tour of Brightcliffe. He can be seen in the trailer during the scene where he and Amesh tease Ilonka about taking the elevator down to the basement. Sumpter has a musical background as well as acting, as his first job was in the Broadway musicalMatilda. He was also recently seen inNYC Dreamsas a teenage Theo.
Heather Langenkamp - Dr. Stanton
Heather Langenkampis a horror film veteran, making her first “big-scream” debut as Nancy Thompson in the 1984 movie,The Nightmare on Elm Street. Langenkamp will be playing Dr. Stanton, the person who oversees all the patients at Brightcliffe. She can be seen in the trailer greeting Iman Benson’s character and her adoptive father, Tim. This is a role that is personal to Langenkamp, as she lost her son to cancer in recent years. Dr. Stanton also shares this information about her character when meeting Ilonka and Tim for the first time.
Related:Unanswered Questions We Have After ‘The Midnight Club’ Finale
Matt Biedel - Tim
Matt Biedelwill be playing the adoptive father of Ilonka. Although he doesn’t agree with Ilonka’s decision to live out her last days at Brightcliffe, he is still supportive. He can be seen at the beginning of the trailer, telling her to celebrate her acceptance into Stanford, and again later by her hospital bed. He also had a role inMidnight Mass, as Sturge, the island’s handyman. In addition to his Flanagan filmography, he was also inThe Umbrella AcademyandAltered Carbon.
Samantha Sloyan - Shasta
Samantha Sloyanhas worked with Mike Flanagan before, in his 2016 filmHush. She also starred in Flanagan’s limited series,Midnight Massas the despicable Bev Keane. She is playing the role of Shasta, a woman that Ilonka encounters in the woods near Brightcliffe. She is also possibly shown as a younger woman in the center of an old photo of a group of former patients of Brightcliffe, so she might be a former patient herself. It’s implied she knows more than she lets on about the strange occurrences at Brightcliffe.
Zach Gilford- Mark
Zach Gilfordis best known for his role as Matt Saracen in the television seriesFriday Night Lights. More recently, he played Shane fromThe Purge: Anarchy, as well as the lead role as Riley inMidnight Massalongside Samantha Sloyen. He plays the role of Mark, one of the nurses at Brightcliffe.
Since its release on Netflix on October 7,The Midnight Clubhas ten episodes to kick off the Halloween season. If you’ve seen Flanagan’s other shows, you’ll be glad to see a few more familiar faces making guest appearances throughout the series, such asHenry ThomasandRobert Longstreet.
Just remember to toast while watching…
“To those before, to those after, to us now, and to those beyond. Seen or unseen, here but not here.”
