Netflix’s Wayward cast brings depth and unease to a story about control, memory, and survival inside the mysterious Tall Pines Academy.
With a mix of acclaimed stars and rising talent, the limited series turns its fictional Vermont community into a haunting character study. Here’s a breakdown of the main players and why their casting matters.
Alex Dempsey — played by Mae Martin
Alex, a Detroit police officer, moves to Tall Pines with pregnant partner Laura, hoping for a quieter life. Instead, Alex uncovers disturbing truths about the town’s therapeutic school and the disappearances surrounding it. Their arc moves from investigator to reluctant insider, torn between protecting family and confronting corruption.
Mae Martin, known for the Netflix comedy-drama Feel Good, brings vulnerability and quiet intensity to Alex, a character who wants a “normal” family but struggles with moral compromise.
Laura Redman — played by Sarah Gadon
Laura grew up at Tall Pines and credits Evelyn Wade with saving her from a destructive path. But returning home awakens suppressed memories and draws her toward power. She begins by resisting Evelyn yet slides into leadership herself, promising reform but echoing the same rhetoric she once feared.
Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace, Enemy) excels at layered performances, balancing warmth with quiet menace as Laura shifts from survivor to potential successor.
Evelyn Wade — played by Toni Collette
Charismatic, manipulative, and unsettlingly maternal, Evelyn built Tall Pines Academy on the promise of healing. She uses psychedelic “Leap” therapy to rewrite pain and bind students to the community. In the finale, she faces rebellion and a drug-induced reckoning but leaves behind a system that may outlast her.
Toni Collette (Hereditary, Pieces of Her) commands every scene, equal parts life coach and cult leader, grounding the show’s psychological horror in chilling authenticity.
Abbie — played by Sydney Topliffe
Abbie is a dyslexic teen whose father sends her to Tall Pines after rejecting her friendship with Leila. Resilient but underestimated, she endures humiliation and control before mounting an escape. Abbie’s flight becomes the series’ only true act of rebellion, even as it leaves her alone.
Newcomer Sydney Topliffe delivers a raw, understated performance that keeps Abbie relatable and quietly heroic.
Leila — played by Alyvia Alyn Lind
Leila, street-smart but wounded by guilt over her sister Jess’s death, travels alone to rescue Abbie. Tough on the surface, she ultimately surrenders to Tall Pines, drawn by belonging and the painful knowledge that her mother has moved on without her.
Alyvia Alyn Lind (Chucky, Daybreak) gives Leila an edge that slowly crumbles, capturing how trauma erodes even the strongest façade.
Dwyane Andrews — played by Brandon Jay McLaren
Dwyane, Laura’s childhood friend and Alex’s police partner, seems trustworthy but proves complicit in Tall Pines’ cover-ups. His loyalty to Evelyn runs deep, culminating in kidnapping Alex for a forced Leap. His death marks one of the finale’s few victories against the system.
Brandon Jay McLaren (Graceland, Firefly Lane) brings both warmth and menace, making Dwyane’s betrayal hit harder.
Rabbit (Rebecca) — played by Tattiawna Jones
Rabbit starts as a loyal Tall Pines counselor but quietly grows disillusioned. In the finale, she sabotages Evelyn’s Leap ritual by drugging her, a turning point that helps topple the leader but doesn’t end the system.
Tattiawna Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale, Flashpoint) plays Rabbit with weary complexity, embodying both survivor and reluctant rebel.
Other notable cast members
- Patrick J. Adams as Wyatt Turner — the polished school counselor who recommends Tall Pines to desperate parents.
- Patrick Gallagher as Chief Bartell — the town’s guarded police chief.
- Gage Munroe as Riley Warren — the boy whose doomed escape sparks Alex’s investigation.
- Isolde Ardies as Stacey — a student pushed toward the dangerous Ascend/Leap phase.
- Joshua Close as Duck — another member of Tall Pines’ insular network.
- Byron Mann as Brian — a shadowy community figure tied to Tall Pines’ survival.
Why the casting works
The Wayward cast mixes prestige TV veterans with emerging actors, grounding the cult-thriller tone in realism. Collette’s commanding presence gives the show its psychological menace, while Gadon and Martin add moral ambiguity. New faces like Sydney Topliffe and Alyvia Alyn Lind keep the story rooted in youthful vulnerability, making Tall Pines’ manipulation hit harder.
A carefully chosen ensemble
The Wayward cast isn’t just a list of names; it’s the backbone of the series’ unsettling power. By pairing award-winning actors with breakout talent, Netflix delivers a story that feels lived-in and disturbingly believable, essential for a show about control disguised as care.
Key Details: Wayward
- Release date: September 25, 2025 (Netflix limited series)
- Episode count: 8
- Setting: 2003, Tall Pines, Vermont
- Main cast: Mae Martin, Toni Collette, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Brandon Jay McLaren, Tattiawna Jones, Patrick J. Adams, Patrick Gallagher, Gage Munroe, Isolde Ardies, Joshua Close, Byron Mann
- Creators: Produced by Campfire Studios; directed by Skye Borgman
- Source material: Original Netflix series
