Vengeance: 10 Movies & Shows You Know The Cast From

In his directorial debut and produced by Blumhouse Productions, former The Office writer and star B.J. Novak impressed many with Vengeance. The film follows the story of a progressive young journalist from New York City whose presence in a small rural town in Texas for the funeral of a girl he hooked up with, Abilene’s, that becomes an investigative attempt to find the true cause of her death.

While Novak’s character searches for the conspiracy around his girlfriend’s death, he receives a culture shock when he interacts with the people from the town. The modern dark comedy and satire strive to comment on the divisive culture in American politics and features Novak’s signature humor. It also boasts an all-star recognizable cast with notable credits.

B.J. Novak As Ben Manalowitz

Date Of Birth: July 31, 1979

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  • Active Since: 2001

Actor: B.J. Novak directs and stars in Vengeance. Novak’s most recognizable performance is as Ryan Howard on all nine seasons of The Office. Novak played the temp worker who Carell’s Michael Scott becomes infatuated with. B.J. Novak’s most recent major project includes the anthology series The Premise on FX, a comedic satire that centered around several characters dealing with current sociopolitical issues. Novak directed, wrote, and produced the series. Novak has also worked as a guest star on series like The Mindy Project, Community, and My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

The Office (2005-2013)

Ryan Howard

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Pfc. Smithson Utivich

The Mindy Project (2013-2016)

Jamie

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Alistair Smythe

The Founder (2016)

Harry J. Sonneborn

Character: In addition to his directorial debut, B.J. Novak also stars in the movie as Ben Manalowitz, the journalist who travels to Texas in his investigative efforts. In Vengeance, Ben gets a call from Ty Shaw (Boyd Holbrook), who informs him that one of his many casual flings has died and he asks Ben to attend the funeral. When he gets there, the family says they believe that there was more to her death than a drug overdose and Ben agrees to help them investigate while recording it as a podcast.

Boyd Holbrook As Ty Shaw

Date Of Birth: September 1, 1981

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  • Active Since: 2001

Actor: Boyd Holbrook has been gaining more notable roles after his breakout performance in Netflix’s Narcos as DEA Agent Steve Murphy in the first two seasons, based on the drug lord Pablo Escobar in Colombia. He gained more recognition as the antagonist Donald Pierce alongside Hugh Jackman in the highly-acclaimed sequel, Logan. He also previously worked with B.J. Novak on an episode of The Premise. His recent credits include Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and the streaming series The Sandman.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Narcos (2015-2016)

DEA Agent Steve Murphy

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Klaber

The Bikeriders (2023)

Cal

The Sandman (2022)

The Corinthian

Justified: City Primeval (2023)

Clement Mansell

Character: Boyd Holbrook stars as Ty Shaw, the brother of Manalowitz’s girlfriend who passes away. He is the man who calls Ben and asks him to come to the funeral before then asking if Ben would help investigate his sister’s death. Ben and his family do not believe that his sister would overdose, and they feel something more sinister was at play. He then hits the road to travel with Ben to investigate the death and find out what really happened.

Dove Cameron As Kansas City Shaw

Date Of Birth: January 15, 1996

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  • Active Since: 2007

Actor: Dove Cameron’s most notable performances include her breakout roles on Disney Channel as twins on the sitcom Liv & Maddie and the daughter of Maleficent, one of Disney Channel’s best villains, in the musical movie franchise Descendants. Aside from making music, she has starred as Ruby Hale in a recurring role on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as the voice of Ghost Spider on the Marvel Rising specials. She also starred as Betsy on Apple TV+’s, Schmigadoon and in History of the World, Part II.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Liv and Maddie (2013-2017)

Liv Rooney/Maddie Rooney

Descendants (2015)

Mal

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2018)

Lucy Hale

Dumplin’ (2018)

Bekah

Schmigadoon! (2021-2023)

Betsy McDonough / Jenny Banks

Character: Playing the Shaw sister, Dove Cameron stars as Kansas City in the movie alongside Holbrook. Often just called “KC,” and she is part of the Shaw family as they mourn the death of their sister and daughter. She has a few interactions with Ben, but she mostly exists to show the trauma of losing someone and now knowing how to deal with the pain.

Issa Rae As Eloise

Date Of Birth: January 12, 1985

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  • Active Since: 2011

Actor: Issa Rae garnered praise for her performance as Issa Dee, as well as co-creator and co-writer, in HBO’s Insecure about a young Black woman’s experiences which ran for five seasons and ended in early 2022. Becoming one of the most notable and influential names in Hollywood, she has starred in a variety of movies such as Little alongside Regina Hall as April Williams, the assistant to a controlling boss who suddenly becomes eight years old again. She also worked with Lakeith Stanfield in the romance movie The Photograph and opposite Kumail Nanjiani in the romantic comedy The Lovebirds.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl (2012-2013)

J

Insecure (2016-2021)

Issa Dee

The Lovebirds (2020)

Leilani

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Jess Drew / Spider-Woman (Voice)

American Fiction (2023)

Sinatra Golden

Character: Issa Rae stars as Eloise who works with Novak’s character and attempts to help him solve the case of his former girlfriend’s death. She is his podcast producer and she agrees it would be a good idea to go with Abby’s family to investigate while also recording a podcast series they will produce about grief and denial. She works with him throughout the production of the podcast but is more interested in that than the more personal issues with the Shaw family.

Ashton Kutcher As Quentin Sellers

Date Of Birth: February 7, 1978

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Active Since: 1998 Actor: Ashton Kutcher had previously worked with Novak on an episode of his show Punk’d and was excited to work with him again (IndieWire). Kutcher is primarily known for his work in sitcom television, starring as aloof Michael Kelson in That 70’s Show, alongside his future wife Mila Kunis, and as billionaire Walden Schmidt on Two & A Half Men. Kutcher has starred in a number of romantic comedies, such as Just Married opposite Brittany Murphy, and No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

That ’70s Show (1998-2006)

Michael Kelso

Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

Jesse Montgomery III

Punk’d (2023-2012)

Himself

Jobs (2013)

Steve Jobs

Two and a Half Men (2011-2015)

Walden Schmidt

Character: Ashton Kutcher joins the cast as Quentin Sellers, a record producer in a small town in Texas who offers to help Ben learn more about Abby’s death. However, it turns out that Quentin is actually responsible for Abby’s death by not doing anything to save her when the overdose began. It is a rare villain role for Kutcher, but one he plays with aloofness and an uncaring attitude, making his fate much deserved.

J. Smith-Cameron As Sharon Shaw

Date Of Birth: September 7, 1957

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  • Active Since: 1979

Actor: Despite her multiple guest-star appearances in shows like Law & Order, Madam Secretary, and The Good Wife, Smith-Cameron achieved widespread recognition through her Emmy-nominated role as Gerri Kellman on the award-winning HBO series Succession. In the show, she plays the godmother to Shiv, the only daughter in the wealthy family. Though her role was originally minor and written for a man, her performance was well-received and earned her Emmy nominations.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Rectify (2013-2016)

Janet Talbot

Search Party (2017-2020)

Mary Ferguson

Succession (2018-2023)

Gerri Kellman

Hacks (2024)

Kathy Vance

Turtles All the Way Down (2024)

Professor Abbott

Character: J. Smith-Cameron joins the cast of the movie as Abilene’s mom, Sharon Shaw. When Ben arrives in Texas for the funeral, he meets Sharon, and she asks him if he will help Ty look into Abby’s death. Later, she admits that maybe Abby overdosed because people were distant from her – including Ben, who she only dated casually.

Lio Tipton As Abilene Shaw

Date Of Birth: November 9, 1988

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  • Active Since: 2008

Actor: Lio Tipton won third place on the eleventh cycle of America’s Next Top Model before working as an actor. Tipton guest-starred in two episodes of The Big Bang Theory and Why Women Kill. They received wider recognition when they portrayed Jessica Riley, the babysitter and one of the most likable characters, in Crazy, Stupid, Love, who becomes infatuated with Steve Carell’s character. They also starred in the 2025 action-comedy Love Hurts and the 2022 miniseries A Friend of the Family.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Jessica Riley

Warm Bodies (2013)

Nora

Why Women Kill (2019)

Mary Vlasin

A Friend of the Family (2022)

Gail Berchtold

Love Hurts (2025)

Ashley

Character: Lio Tipton stars as Abilene, Novak’s character’s romantic interest whose death was originally believed to be caused by death overdose. As Manalowitz investigates further into her death, he starts to learn more about the person he refused to get to know deeply. She is seen in flashbacks throughout the movie as it was her death that started the story to begin with.

John Mayer As John Mayer

Date Of Birth: October 16, 1977

BJ Novak as Ben talking to John Mayer in Vengeance

  • Active Since: 1998

Actor: John Mayer is known mostly for his music, with hits like “Your Body Is A Wonderland” and “Gravity.” John Mayer has stated that he only works in his friend’s movies which is why he starred in this movie with his long-time friend Novak (The Hollywood Reporter). He had a brief cameo as himself in Get Hard alongside Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, as well as a truck driver in the campy horror movie Zombeavers.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2008)

Tony’s Buddy

Zombeavers (2014)

Luke

Get Hard (2015)

John Mayer

The Drone (2019)

DJ Murtaugh

Redefined (2023)

Mr. Gordon

Character: In a minor role, John Mayer returns to acting as John, one of Manalowitz’s friends at the beginning of the movie before he travels to Texas. This is nothing more than a fun cameo as the movie starts, and he does not play into the story at all.

Isabella Amara As Paris Shaw

Date Of Birth: October 9, 1998

Isabella Amara ss Paris Shaw standing in the kitchen in Vengeance

  • Active Since: 2010

Actor: Still growing in the movie industry, she had a minor role as Sally Avril in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War as a member of Peter Parker’s decathlon team. She was seen surviving Thanos’ snap and consequently graduated from Midtown High before the events of Far From Home and No Way Home. She most recently starred as Luna, the Kat-like character in Lexi Howard’s play in the second season of Euphoria. Vengeance is one of her first more notable performances.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (2016)

Heidi

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Sally Avril

Alex Strangelove (2018)

Gretchen

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Sally Avril

Euphoria (2022)

Luna

Character: Another one of Abilene’s sisters, Isabella Amara plays Paris Shaw in the movie. She has only a minor role as the youngest of the siblings and someone who is also trying to understand the death of her sister when Ben arrives.

Zach Villa As Sancholo

Date Of Birth: March 17, 1987

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  • Active Since: 2011

Actor: Zach Villahas made many minor appearances in shows like Archer, Shameless, and Station 19. He voiced Carlos in the short-lived adult animated series Bordertown. He got his breakout role as serial killer Richard Ramirez in season 8 of American Horror Story: 1984. He continued his venture into horror as a minor role in Netflix’s Station 19 as Chris Lee. Vengeance is his first theatrical movie release.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movies & TV Shows

Role

Bordertown (2016)

Carlos Sanchez (Voice)

Dan is Dead (2017)

Dashiell Lowman

Shameless (2019)

Dax

American Horror Story: 1984 (2019)

Richard Ramirez

Station 19 (2021)

Charlie

Character: Zach Villa plays Sancholo, a citizen of the small Texan town that Manalowitz visits. He is a local drug dealer and this is the person that Ty and his friend Crawl believe might have been responsible for getting Abby the drugs. However, when Ben asks him about the death, he says he was in Oklahoma when she died – and he was with the Shaw family.

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Vengeance

R

Comedy

Mystery

Thriller

ScreenRant logo

6/10

Release Date

July 29, 2022

Runtime

107 minutes

Director

B. J. Novak

Writers

B. J. Novak

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Boyd Holbrook

    Boyd Holbrook

  • Headshot Of Dove Cameron

    Dove Cameron

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