Who Stars In M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap? Cast & Character Guide Explored
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest psychological thriller Trap has just hit theaters this weekend on August 2 and has created a lot of buzz already. One of the most-talked-about aspects of the movie is its ensemble cast, featuring Josh Harnett and Shyamalan’s daughter Saleka, among others.
While Trap has a low chance of becoming one of Shyamalan’s best movies so far, it definitely has become the talk of the town for its storyline, cast, and low production cost, all of which make it a great watch. Take a look at the amazing ensemble cast of the movie.
Josh Harnett
Harnett recently made a noteworthy comeback with his performance in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 Oscar-winning blockbuster Oppenheimer and has not calmed down since then. After his appearance in Black Mirror Season 6 and a guest appearance in The Bear Season 3, he now takes on the role of a serial killer in Trap.
In the movie, Hartnett portrays Cooper Adams, a disguised serial killer who, while taking his daughter to a pop concert, finds himself in a complex game of cat and mouse with the authorities.
Ariel Donoghue
Australian teenager Ariel Donoghue is a rising star in the acting world. Donoghue’s most well-known performances include Tough (2021), Blueback (2022), and Wolf Like Me (2022). At the age of seven, she made her professional acting debut in a 2017 episode of High Life.
During her childhood acting career, she also starred in a number of short films. Without a doubt, Trap is the largest role Donoghue has had thus far. Riley Adams, played by Ariel Donoghue, is Cooper’s daughter, whom he brings to the concert in Trap.
Saleka Shyamalan
One of Shyamalan’s daughters is Saleka, born in 1996, and Trap is her first feature picture. As a singer and recording artist, her real-life stage name, Saleka, is practically fictionalized into the character of Lady Raven.
Alongside the release of Trap, Saleka released her full first album, Lady Raven, featuring rappers Russ and Kid Cudi, who are all involved in the movie. Additionally, Saleka composed a portion of the original score for her father’s Apple series, Servant.
Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills made her acting debut in Tiger Bay (1959). Her breakout performance in the 1961 film The Parent Trap as Susan Evers and Sharon McKendrick helped her gain prominence. Throughout her career, Mills has starred in numerous noteworthy movies, mostly for Disney, including Pollyanna (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961).
The 78-year-old British actor took a ten-year break from acting between 1994 and 2004, following which she recently appeared in The Wheel of Time and Wild at Heart. In Trap, Mills portrays Dr. Josephine Grant, an FBI profiler in charge of tracking down Josh Hartnett’s serial killer persona.
Alison Pill
Actor Alison Pill is well-known for her roles in some of the most important movies of the 21st century, such as Milk (2008) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010). Before moving on to more mature parts, Pill, a former child actor from Toronto, Canada, made multiple appearances in productions as a young child.
She most recently starred in season 13 of Archer, Star Trek: Picard, Hello Tomorrow!, the original Apple series, and Amazon’s Them. In Trap, Alison Pill portrays Riley’s mother and Cooper’s wife, Rachel Adams.
Kid Cudi
Rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, is one of the most popular artists in the world. The 2009 debut album Man On the Moon: The End of Day, which featured popular singles including Day ‘n’ Nite, Soundtrack 2: My Life, and Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare), propelled him to stardom.
When Kid Cudi played himself in the movie One Tree Hill in 2010, he made his acting debut. Since then, he has starred in a number of movies and television shows and also developed and performed in the Emmy-winning Netflix animated series Entergalactic. In Trap, Kid Cudi is portraying a character named The Thinker.
Other cast and crew members
Besides the aforementioned actors and characters, the movies features Russell Vitale, aka rapper Russ, as Parker Reign, Lochland Miller as Cooper’s son Logan Adams, Marnie McPhail as Jody’s mother, Jonathan Langdon as a venue employee named Jamie, Vanessa Smythe as Tour Manager, Hailey Summer as The Thinker’s Assistant, and Shyamalan himself as Lady Raven’s Uncle.
The movie is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock, and Shyamalan under the banner of Blinding Edge Pictures.
ALSO READ: Trap Ending Explained: What Happens To Josh Hartnett’s Cooper Adams, Let’s Find Out?
