Where You've Seen The Cast Of Nope Before

In 2012, Jordan Peele collaborated with Keegan-Michael Key to create the hit comedy sketch series "Key & Peele." The show ran for five seasons and catapulted both creators into superstardom. While that was enough to make Peele a well-known face and name in the comedy world, he has since become one of the most talked-about figures in the horror genre — and it's no surprise why.

For his part, Peele doesn't feel like his jump from comedy to horror is so extreme. He told CinemaBlend that the two genres are ultimately just "two sides of the same coin" and that he's built his career on discussing social commentary across these platforms. As Ana Peres writes for MovieWeb, Peele uses the genre to discuss topics such as racism, class, and segregation. His feature directorial debut, "Get Out," was released in 2017 and has already been acclaimed as a classic, having garnered massive critical support and a slew of awards. He followed "Get Out" with 2019's "Us," garnering a slightly more divisive but no less passionate response. 

With such strong films already under his belt, it's no wonder that audiences are buzzing about his third film, "Nope." And considering that he's already worked with such talented actors as Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Katherine Keener, and Bradley Whitford, it should be no surprise that "Nope" features some pretty heavy hitters. Here's why the cast of "Nope" looks so familiar, and where you've likely seen them.

The trailer for "Nope" sets Keke Palmer's ​​Emerald Haywood up to be the face and potential main character of the film. She's seemingly running a family-owned ranch when things start to go awry. Palmer is no stranger to working in Hollywood, as she became a child actress at age 11 when she landed her first role in "Barbershop 2: Back to Business." A year later she got the role of Akeelah in "Akeelah and the Bee," landing Palmer her first Critics Choice Award nomination.

Palmer has since found prominent work on television with her roles on "Scream Queens," "Star," "Scream," "Masters of Sex," and "Berlin Station." Before filming "Nope," Palmer had worked with Peele in the past in an episode of "Key & Peele." In 2019, she starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the widely celebrated film "Hustlers." Aside from acting, Palmer has enjoyed a successful career as a host. In 2020, Palmer received a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her work on "Good Morning America. In the same year, Palmer was also the first woman of color to host the MTV Video Music Awards (via Essence).

As if that's not enough, Palmer has plenty of experience in voice work as well. She's lent her talents to roles like Aisha on "Winx Club," Rochelle on "Big Mouth," and Maya on "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder," and she could be prominently heard as Izzy Hawthorne in "Lightyear."

Daniel Kaluuya plays OJ Haywood in "Nope." The actor is no stranger to working with Peele as he played lead character Chris Washington in "Get Out." While that film is likely what people best recognize Kaluuya from, it's far from his only prominent role.

In 2021, Kaluuya played Fred Hampton in the highly acclaimed film "Judas and the Black Messiah." According to the Washington Post, his heavily researched portrayal of the Chairman of the Black Panther Party's Illinois chapter gained Kaluuya massive praise. You might also recognize Kaluuya from his role as Slim in 2019's "Queen & Slim" alongside Jodie Turner-Smith; as Jatemme Manning in 2018's "Widows" with Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Liam Neeson; or as W'Kabi in "Black Panther" alongside Danai Gurira and the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

In addition to leading roles on the big screen, Kaluuya has made numerous TV appearances. In 2014 he played Matt Coward on "Babylon" before voicing the character Bluebell for 2018's "Watership Down" miniseries. Kaluuya acted in an episode of "Black Mirror," and had recurring roles on "Skins," "FM," "Bellamy's People," "Psychoville," "The Fades," and "Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul."

Steven Yeun stars as Ricky "Jupe" Park in "Nope." Yeun is likely most recognizable for his turn as Glenn on AMC's "The Walking Dead." Who could forget the Season 6 cliffhanger when audiences were unsure as to who Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) was beating to death? When Season 7 revealed that it was fan-favorite Glenn who was fated to die, many viewers revolted (via CinemaBlend).

However, while Yeun portrayed one of the most beloved characters on one of the most popular shows on television, he also has a vast resume of voice acting work that you might have heard without even recognizing him. Yeun voices Mark Grayson (aka Invincible) on "Invincible," Speckle on "Tuca & Bertie," Keith on "Voltron: Legendary Defender," and Little Cato on "Final Space." He also uses his vocal talents to bring Steve Palchuk to life on the Guillermo del Toro animated series "Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia." Yeun voiced Steve in all the spinoff shows, including "3Below: Tales of Arcadia," "Wizards," and "Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans." He's voiced characters on "Avatar: The Legend of Korra," and appeared in front of the camera for "Space Jam: A New Legacy," Bong Joon Ho's "Okja," and an episode of "The Big Bang Theory." Before working with Peele on "Nope," Yeun was cast to play A. Traveler on Peele's "Twilight Zone" reboot in 2019.

Keith David is, perhaps, a man who needs no introduction. in everything. Just look at his IMDb page – David's career began in 1979 and has stayed strong ever since. There's no way to list all of his accomplishments, so we'll focus on the main highlights.

First up, his voice acting. David has used his vocal talents in some pretty heavy hitters, including "Gargoyles," "Rick & Morty," "Mass Effect," the "Aladdin" TV series, "The Legend of Tarzan," "Teen Titans," "Halo," "The Princess and the Frog," "Adventure Time," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Amphibia," and so many more.

Next, we have his roles on live-action TV — David has worked on shows like "Love Life," "Stargirl," "Greenleaf," "Black-ish," "Future Man," "ER," "The Big House," "Community," and even "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." And of course, he's done no shortage of feature film work. Some highlights include "The Thing," "They Live," "Spawn," "Cloud Atlas," "Crash," "Pitch Black," "21 Bridges," "Death at a Funeral," "Transporter 2," and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." This list could go on, but suffice it to say, you've definitely seen him or heard his voice somewhere before.

Barbie Ferreira plays the character Nessie in "Nope," and while she might not have as much experience as some of her co-stars, Ferreira's star power is not to be underestimated. Audiences are likely to recognize the actress from her role as Kat Hernandez on HBO's hit series "Euphoria." Creator Sam Levinson created a remarkable series by basing "Euphoria" on his own experiences with drugs, identity, sexuality, and abuse during his informative years (via Variety). According to BuzzFeed News, Ferreira's character Kat is a fan favorite. The actress uses her platform to express and promote body positivity in Hollywood (via Vogue).

Aside from playing Kat, Ferreira can be found in smaller roles throughout her career, having starred in two episodes of "Divorce" as Ella, as Bailey Butler in "Unpregnant," and as Willow on "The Afterparty." In 2022, she lent her vocal talents to "Robot Chicken." Ferreira also starred in a Maybelline New York short film called "New York Minute" as a model trying to pursue her dreams in the big city. 

Before portraying Amber Park in "Nope," Wrenn Schmidt already had an impressive career spanning back to 2006. While Schmidt has starred in one-off episodes of shows such as "Law & Order," "Mercy," "Body of Proof," and "Blue Bloods," she's found steady work as recurring characters since landing the role of Julia Sagorsky Harrow on the HBO series "Boardwalk Empire."

Following her time on that show, Schmidt was cast as the leading lady in the violent thriller "Preservation." After wrapping, she continued to dominate on television with roles like Kate on "The Americans," Jenna Olson on "Tyrant," Vicki Wilson on "Unforgettable," Dr. Iris Campbell on "Person of Interest," Megan Holter on "Outcast," Diane Marsh on "The Looming Tower," Ellory on "Elementary," and Margo Madison on "For All Mankind."

Aside from her work in television, Schmidt has also starred in the film "The Good Catholic" alongside acting legend Danny Glover. She also starred in the Michael Bay flick "13 Hours" with John Krasinski, and in the Hank Williams biopic "I Saw the Light" with Marvel stars Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen.

Donna Mills steps into Peele's world as Bonnie Clayton, and while her character was not heavily featured in the trailer for "Nope," Mills is certainly a recognizable face. In fact, the actress might be considered television royalty. With her iconic roles as Madeline Reeves on "General Hospital" and Sherry Doucette on "Melrose Place," Mills is no stranger to the screen.

Aside from those two big characters, Mills has held many other noticeable roles. She portrayed Jane Miller on "The Good Life," Laura Donnelly Elliott on "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing," both Jeannie Carter and Lila Barton on "The Love Boat," Lulu Grandiron on "Nip/Tuck," Abby on "Knots Landing," and Victoria Trisk on "Hilton Head Island."

Mills seems to particularly enjoy holiday projects, with her resume containing titles like "A Beauty and the Beast Christmas," "Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses," "Carol of the Bells," "12 Gifts of Christmas," and "A Very Cool Christmas." Mills has also starred in various TV movies such as "Bare Essence," "Bunco," "Fire," "Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby," and "My Name is Kate," to name a few.

Brandon Perea joins the cast of "Nope" as Angel Torres. For fans of shows based on comic books or focused on supernatural mysteries, his face is likely to be familiar. He's still early in his career, but he's quickly on the rise.

Perea starred as Alfonso "French" Sosa on "The OA," a drama series that ran from 2016 to 2019 on Netflix. "The OA" follows a mysterious young girl who reappears seven years after disappearing. Perea's character is the star athlete at his school who seemingly has a picture-perfect life. However, he spends his time hiding a drug addiction as he fights some of his own inner demons. Prior to being cast on "The OA," Perea had small appearances in the short film "How Far," the music video for Logic's "One Day," and a YouTube Red Original Movie called "Dance Camp."

In 2020, Perea portrayed Dr. Jonathan Tyme on "Doom Patrol" for an episode. Following that, he was cast as Arjay in "American Insurrection," and as Colin in another short called "Delivery."

Portraying the character Buster in "Nope," Eddie Jemison is likely a face that'll make you go, "Hey, I've seen this guy before!" That's because you probably have, as Jemison has built a career out of being a recognizable face in Hollywood. Whether it's as a guest star or a recurring character, Jemison has made himself a TV staple. He's also known for his small but memorable roles in feature films.

You might recognize him from his role as Stacey Boss on the CW series "iZombie." Jemison was interested in playing the excitable villain as the character managed to do such terrible things while being happy, calm, cool, and collected (via International Business Times).

He's also played Stanley Stohl on "Chicago Med," Banks Jenkins on "Truth Serum," The Greek on "Legion," Chaim Getzel on "Adoptable," and Ronnie Haxon on "Hung." Jemison has made guest appearances on "ER," "Closer," "Six Feet Under," "Criminal Minds," "CSI," "Grey's Anatomy," and "NCIS." On the big screen, you may have seen him in "Th Punisher," "Bruce Almighty," "War Dogs," or "Ocean's 11" and "Ocean's 12."

Oz Perkins portrays Fynn Bachman in "Nope." And while his name may not be too familiar, his face might trigger a few memories. Perkins was cast in one of the most iconic and quotable films of the early 2000s, "Legally Blonde." In the film, Perkins portrayed the character Dorky David, who Reese Witherspoon's Elle Woods befriends during her time at Harvard Law.

Perkins can also be found in projects such as "Not Another Teen Movie," "Wolf," "Alias," and "Six Degrees of Separation." He also landed smaller roles such as Jonathan in "Secretary," Steve in "Erosion," Johnny in "Dead & Breakfast," a Communications Officer in J.J Abrams' "Star Trek," and Detective Charlie DeSantis in "The Utah Murder Project." As a child, he appeared in "Psycho II" as the young version of Norman Bates, the role made iconic by his famous father, Anthony Perkins. In recent years, he's stepped behind the camera to direct the horror movies "The Blackcoat's Daughter," "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House," and "Gretel & Hansel."

"Nope" will mark Perkins' reunion with Peele, having worked on the "Twilight Zone" revival as both actor and director for the episode "You Might Also Like."

Before portraying the character Antlers Holst in "Nope," Michael Wincott acted on one of the most talked-about television shows in recent memory, "Westworld." Season 1 took audiences by storm, holding a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 87% and an audience score of 93%.  Wincott's "Westworld" role as Old Bill brought him a whole new level of attention, but he'd been doing reliably great work for decades before.

You may also recognize Wincott from his role as Adrian Cross on "24: Live Another Day," or as Georgina on "Veni Vidi Vici." Wincott has also done some voice acting, and you may have heard him in cartoons and video games like "Halo 2," "Darksiders II," "Infex," "Syndicate," "Narc," and "Treasure Planet." Other memorable on-screen appearances include "Alien: Resurrection," "The Crow," "Dead Man," and the 1993 version of "The Three Musketeers."