Amazon Prime is gearing up to debut its new teen drama, Panic, and the series features a young cast of rising stars alongside several seasoned veterans. The show, which author Lauren Oliver created, is actually based on her 2014 novel of the same name. Even though she has changed a few aspects for the small screen adaptation, the core narrative of the thriller is still there.

Panic follows the small town of Carp, Texas, where graduating seniors carry on a tradition by playing a game full of fear-inducing challenges. With the enormous cash prizes often in five figures, this could potentially be the only feasible way out of town. This year, the prize is at its highest, but the competitors must take extra precautions in keeping Panic a secret due to the deaths of two players the previous year. What seems like a traditional game soon turns more dangerous when players encounter changing rules.

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Amazon is hoping Panic will be the next big hit based on a YA novel. The tale led by name likes Olivia Welch, Jessica Sula, and Mike Faist has a good chance of becoming a summer hit, seeing as shows with young ensemble casts do well on streaming services and network TV; here’s a breakdown of Panic‘s character and where viewers would likely recognize the cast from.

Olivia Welch As Heather Nill

Olivia Welch serves as Panic’s leading star, Heather Nill, a graduating senior who enters the game in the hopes of earning money to one day get out of her Texas town. Though she’s initially reluctant to play, she has no choice when her own mother steals her savings for college. Heather also has her little sister to worry about, seeing as their mom isn’t a reliable provider. Before Panic, Welch appeared in Agent Carter and Modern Family. She will also be appearing in the upcoming Netflix Fear Street film trilogy.

Jessica Sula As Natalie Williams

Jessica Sula stars alongside Welch as Natalie Williams, a fellow graduating senior and one of Heather’s best friends. Unlike Heather, Natalie plans to participate in the annual game of Panic from the start. She plans to use the prize money to move to Los Angeles in the future. Williams would be recognized for her work in Skins, Recovery Road, Split, Godless, and season 3 of the Scream TV show.

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Mike Faist As Dodge Mason

Mike Faist plays one of Panic‘s male leads, Dodge Mason, a recent newcomer to Carp, who takes part in the dangerous competition. Despite not growing up with the town’s tradition, Dodge has personal reasons for playing Panic that doesn’t involve the cash prize. Aside from minor roles and playing Connor Murphy in Dear Evan Hanson on Broadway, Faist will be seen portraying Riff in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Ray Nicholson As Ray Hall

Ray Nicholson portrays the fellow male lead as Ray Hall, a graduating senior and resident “bad boy” that comes from a family of troublemakers. Of course, Ray has no qualms about joining Panic until some of the rules begin to change, affecting the fate of his family. Nicholson recently appeared in Mayans M.C. as Hallorann and Promising Young Woman in the role of Jim.

Camron Jones As Bishop Mason

Camron Jones appears in Panic as Bishop Mason, Natalie and Heather’s other best friend, who has a secret crush for the latter but is afraid to share his feelings because it could potentially ruin the friendship. Bishop doesn’t play Panic, but he does have a mysterious connection to this year’s event. His family’s wealth makes him stand out from the majority of his peers. Jones previously worked on Grown-ish, Shameless, and The Purge TV show.

Enrique Murciano as Sheriff James Cortez

Enrique Murciano plays James Cortez, the sheriff in Carp who lost his son, Jimmy, to Panic the previous year. After Jimmy’s tragic death, Cortez vows to stop Panic for good, but the game is more complicated than first believed. Murciano would be best known for playing Danny Taylor in Without A Trace in addition to roles in NCIS, CSI, Power, and Bloodline.

Panic Supporting Cast

David W. Thompson as Diggins: A graduating senior who acts as this year’s MC for Panic. Thompson has had roles in Gotham and The Boys, and he will also be seen in part one of the Fear Street trilogy alongside Welch.

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Walker Babington as Luke Hall: Ray’s older brother who is often in trouble with the law. Babington has appeared in The Magnificent Seven, Cloak & Dagger, The Purge, and The Hunt.

Lee Eddy as Sgt. Christine Langley: A fellow cop in town who investigates the year’s dangerous game. Eddy also currently stars in Freeform’s Cruel Summer.

Todd Williams as Capt. John Williams: Another cop and the single father of Natalie. Williams would be recognized for his work in In Plain Sight, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, and All Rise.

Nancy McKeon as Jessica Mason: Dodge’s single mother who has a secret romantic relationship with Sheriff Cortez. Aside from playing Jo Polniaczek in The Facts of Life, McKeon would be known for roles in Can’t Hurry Love and The Division.

Madison Ferris as Dayna Mason: Dodge’s sister who was paralyzed in a car accident, serving as Dodge’s motivation in joining the game. Ferris recently worked on Shades of Blue and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Bonnie Bedelia as Anne McCarthy: A local woman that hires Heather to work on her farm and animal sanctuary. Bedelia is an award-winning actress best known for playing Holly Gennero McClane in the Die Hard franchise as well as roles in The Division and Parenthood.

Moira Kelly as Melanie Cortez: The sheriff’s wife, who is still grieving the death of her son, Jimmy. Kelly’s most notable work stems from voicing Nala in The Lion King franchise and her roles in One Tree Hill and The West Wing.

Rachel Bay Jones as Sherri Nill: Heather’s mother, who lives in a local trailer park with her daughters. Jones recently appeared in God Friended Me, Modern Family, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Kariana Karhu as Lily Nill: Heather’s little sister, who she primarily cares for. Aside from small film roles, Panic marks Karhu’s first TV appearance.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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