Wayward cast: Who stars in the Netflix 'troubled teens' industry thriller?
Mae Martin and Toni Collette lead the cast.
Shortly after police officer Alex Dempsey moves to the idyllic small town of Tall Pines with his pregnant partner in Netflix's Wayward, he knows something is drastically amiss.
"He connects with two students Abbie and Leila from the local school for "troubled teens" who are desperate to escape and could be the key to unearthing everything rotten in the town," reads the official synopsis.
"As Alex begins investigating a series of unusual incidents, he suspects that Evelyn, the school's mysterious leader, might be at the centre of all the problems."
Speaking to Tudum ahead of the series release, Martin revealed that they were a "wayward teen in the early 2000s", and that their best friend was also institutionalised when she was 16.
"She came back and had just the craziest stories about it," they added.
And so, Wayward was born, described as "a thrilling and genre-bending limited series about the eternal struggle between one generation and the next, what happens when friendship and loyalty are put to the ultimate test, and how buried truths always find a way of coming to the surface".
A number of familiar faces star in the series, including Mae Martin and Toni Collette, plus some you might not be familiar with.
Find the cast rundown below.
Wayward cast
- Mae Martin as Alex Dempsey
- Toni Collette as Evelyn Wade
- Sarah Gadon as Laura Redman
- Sydney Topliffe as Abbie
- Alyvia Alyn Lind as Leile
- John Daniel as Rory
- Brandon Jay McLaren as Dwyane Andrews
- Isolde Ardies as Stacey
- Tattiawna Jones as Rabbit
- Joshua Close as Duck
- Tricia Black as Mule
- Gage Munroe as Riley
- Milton Torres Lara as Daniel
- Elizabeth Adams as Ello
- Patrick J Adams as Wyatt Turner
- Patrick Gallagher as Chief Bartell
- Byron Mann as Brian
- Charlie Gibbard-McCall as Marty
- Maia Jae as Alexandra
- Feaven Abera as Kendall
- Erik Junnola as Tanner
- Cynthia Ritchie as Claire
- Jenny Raven as Carla
- Carolina Bartczak as Maggie
- Carolyn Taylor as Officer Terry
- Donald MacLean Jr as Kyle
- Devin Cecchetto as Jess
- Christina Orjalo as Ashley
- Geena Meszaros as Oatmeal Beth
- Michela Cannon as Harper
For more information about the characters and where you've seen the actors before, read on.
Mae Martin plays Alex Dempsey
Who is Alex? A police officer who moves from Detroit to Tall Pines in Vermont with his pregnant partner. On arrival, it looks like the couple have hit the jackpot, but when Alex's attention is drawn to the local school for "troubled teens", it doesn't take long for the town's sinister secrets to reveal themselves.
What else has Mae Martin been in? Comedian Martin is best known for Feel Good.
Toni Collette plays Evelyn Wade
Who is Evelyn? The head youth counsellor at Tall Pines Academy. Evelyn is quick to welcome Alex into the community, but almost as quickly, the cop begins to feel the full force of her menacing, domineering energy.
What else has Toni Collette been in? Collette's extensive CV includes The Sixth Sense, About A Boy, Hereditary, The Staircase, Pieces of Her, Unbelievable and United States of Tara.
Read more:
- Mae Martin’s Wayward exposes the dark world of 'troubled teen' schools
- Best series to watch on Netflix right now
Sarah Gadon plays Laura Redman
Who is Laura? She's in a relationship with Alex and they are expecting a baby. Laura is also a graduate of Tall Pines Academy and Evelyn is thrilled to welcome her back into the community.
What else has Sarah Gadon been in? You might have watched her in Alias Grace, Most Dangerous Game, Black Bear, True Detective and Letterkenny.
Sydney Topliffe plays Abbie
Who is Abbie? Her parents send her to the academy after becoming increasingly frustrated with her behaviour. Abbie's dyslexia negatively impacts her ability to apply herself at school, but her mum and dad don't seem to care much about that.
What else has Sydney Topliffe been in? You might know her from Davey & Jonesie's Locker.
Alyvia Alyn Lind plays Leile
Who is Leile? Abbie's best friend. When Leile finds out her ride or die has been institutionalised, she heads to Vermont to break her out. Leila's sister also died recently, which has impacted her mental health and behaviour.
What else has Alyvia Alyn Lind been in? Her credits include The Young and the Restless, Chucky, Daybreak, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Revenge.
John Daniel plays Rory
Who is Rory? He becomes close with Abbie at the academy. More than anything, Rory wants a relationship with his dad, but he has no desire to bond with his son.
What else has John Daniel been in? Prior to Wayward, his most notable role was in The Hardy Boys.
Brandon Jay McLaren plays Dwyane Andrews
Who is Dwyane? A Tall Pines police officer and Alex's work partner. Dwayne makes a scarily good first impression on Alex, emphasis on the 'scarily'.
What else has Brandon Jay McLaren been in? Ransom, Graceland, Snowfall and The Rookie are just some of the titles he's appeared in.
Isolde Ardies plays Stacey
Who is Stacey? Abbie's roommate at Tall Pines. Stacey is very intense and not someone Abbie and Leile can trust.
What else has Isolde Ardies been in? She's also appeared in Ruby and the Well.
Tattiawna Jones plays Rabbit
Who is Rabbit? She's in charge of all the girls at the academy and also used to be a student there. Rabbit is desperate for Evelyn's approval.
What else has Tattiawna Jones been in? You might know her from Flashpoint, Murderbot, A Strange Empire, Lost in Space and 19-2.
Joshua Close plays Duck
Who is Duck? Another staff member at Tall Pines. He can often be seen with a guitar in his hand.
What else has Joshua Close been in? His credits include The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, Fargo, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Unusuals, among others.
Tricia Black plays Mule
Who is Mule? Mule also works at the academy. She is less menacing than Rabbit and Duck, but still not to be crossed.
What else has Tricia Black been in? Pretty Hard Cases and Stories from My Gay Grandparents are two of the titles she's appeared in.
Gage Munroe plays Riley
Who is Riley? He escapes the academy and begs the police not to send him back.
What else has Gage Munroe been in? He's done a lot of voice work, notably on Hotel Transylvania. He also appeared in Nobody 2.
Milton Torres Lara plays Daniel
Who is Daniel? Riley was his roommate at Tall Pines, before he fled. Daniel is holding onto a lot of anger.
What else has Milton Torres Lara been in? His CV includes Slip and Tales from the Void.
Elizabeth Adams plays Ello
Who is Ello? Before she was enrolled at Tall Pines, Ello had been in and out of hospital due to heroin addiction. She shares a room with Leile.
What else has Elizabeth Adams been in? Her credits include Trouble in Suburbia and Richard III (2023).
Patrick J Adams plays Wyatt Turner
Who is Wyatt Turner? The headmaster at Abbie and Leile's school. Wyatt initially suggests that Leile attend Tall Pines, something she outright refuses.
What else has Patrick J Adams been in? He's best known for Suits.
Patrick Gallagher plays Chief Bartell
Who is Chief Bartell? Tall Pines Chief of Police.
What else has Patrick Gallagher been in? You might recognise him from Big Sky, Glee and Night at the Museum.
Byron Mann plays Brian
Who is Brian? Abbie's dad. After his daughter crosses one too many of his lines, he decides to send her to Tall Pines in the hope that it will straighten her out.
What else has Byron Mann been in? He has appeared in Arrow, Wu Assassins, and Blood and Water, among others.
Additional Tall Pine students include:
- Charlie Gibbard-McCall plays Marty.
- Maia Jae (Gen V) plays Alexandra.
- Feaven Abera (Doc) plays Kendall.
- Erik Junnola (It Chapter Two) plays Tanner
Additional Wayward cast includes:
- Cynthia Ritchie (Cruel Intentions) plays Claire - Abbie's sister. They are very different people.
- Jenny Raven (Majority Rules!) plays Carla - Abbie's mother. She parents very differently to her husband.
- Carolina Bartczak (Painkiller) plays Maggie - Leile's emotionally unavailable mother.
- Carolyn Taylor (Baroness von Sketch Show) plays Officer Terry - she works for Tall Pines PD. Terry is very passionate about stationery.
- Donald MacLean Jr (Workin' Moms) plays Kyle - Leile's boyfriend, who is far too old for her.
- Devin Cecchetto (The Way Home) plays Jess - Leile's late sister.
- Christina Orjalo (Astrid & Lilly Save the World) plays Ashley - Jess's best friend, who Leile has a crush on.
- Geena Meszaros (High School) plays Oatmeal Beth - she graduated from the academy but opted to stay. She has a penchant for oatmeal.
- Michela Cannon (Frankie Drake Mysteries) plays Harper - she lives in Tall Pines and also attended the academy when Laura was a student.
Wayward is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor for Radio Times, covering TV drama and comedy titles. She previously worked at Digital Spy as a TV writer, and as a content writer at Mumsnet. She possesses a postgraduate diploma and a degree in English Studies.
