Five Nights at Freddy’s 2023 Cast: Full Cast List & Characters

Few game-to-film adaptations have sparked as much debate before release as Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023). The movie brings the haunted‑pizzeria lore to life with a cast that fans have studied for casting clues since the first trailer dropped.

Release date: October 27, 2023 ·
Director: Emma Tammi ·
Lead actor: Josh Hutcherson ·
Matthew Lillard plays: Steve Raglan

Five key facts about the movie, one pattern: the production team leaned heavily on game canon while introducing original characters for new viewers.

What is the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2023?

The main cast of the 2023 film brings together a mix of known actors and fresh faces. Josh Hutcherson, best known from The Hunger Games, plays night guard Mike Schmidt. Piper Rubio appears as his younger sister Abby, and Elizabeth Lail (from You) plays police officer Vanessa Shelly. Matthew Lillard (Scream, Scooby‑Doo) takes on the role of Steve Raglan, the enigmatic career counselor. Mary Stuart Masterson rounds out the core cast as Aunt Jane (Fandango (ticketing and cast source)).

Supporting actors include Kat Conner Sterling as Max, David Lind as Jeff, Christian Stokes as Hank, and Joseph Poliquin as Carl (IMDb (full film credits)). A group of child actors portray the ghost kids that haunt Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza: Grant Feely (blonde boy), Asher Colton Spence (hook), David Huston Doty (bunny ears), Liam Hendrix (hat), and Jophielle Love (blue-eyed girl).

Where can I watch Five Nights at Freddy’s 2023?

• The film is available for streaming on Peacock in the United States (Collider (entertainment news)).
• It is also available on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu.
• Physical Blu‑ray and DVD released in December 2023.

The implication: if you don’t have Peacock, you can rent or buy the movie on most major VOD stores without waiting for a theatrical re‑release.

Is there a trailer for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2023?

• The official trailer was released on June 29, 2023 on the Blumhouse YouTube channel.
• A second trailer dropped on September 6, 2023, revealing more of the animatronics and the film’s tone.
• Trailers have over 100 million combined views as of late 2023.

Who is Matthew Lillard playing in FNAF?

Matthew Lillard portrays Steve Raglan, a career counselor who helps Mike Schmidt get the night‑guard job at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Both IMDb and Fandango list Lillard as Steve Raglan in the main cast (IMDb; Fandango). However, IMDb also includes a credit for “William Afton” with Lillard’s name (IMDb full credits), indicating that Steve Raglan is the human identity of the series’ primary antagonist. This dual‑role casting is a deliberate nod to the game lore, where William Afton operates under an alias.

Was Matthew Lillard in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2?

• Matthew Lillard has not been confirmed to appear in the announced sequel as of 2025.
• Industry speculation suggests his role may return via flashbacks or as a ghostly presence.
• The sequel is expected to continue the storyline, possibly introducing new characters from the game’s later entries.

What this means: for now, Lillard’s involvement in the FNAF movie universe is limited to the first film, but the franchise’s tendency toward multiverse‑style narratives leaves the door open.

Should I let my 10 year old watch Five Nights at Freddy’s?

The film carries a PG‑13 rating from the MPAA for “horror violence, frightening images, and thematic content” (Rotten Tomatoes (rating information)). Common parental concerns include frequent jump scares, disturbing animatronic designs, and themes of child abduction. While children familiar with the game may be desensitized to the imagery, the movie does not shy away from showing animatronics attacking adults.

Age‑suitability reviews vary. Many parenting guides recommend waiting until age 12 or older due to the sustained tense atmosphere. The film also includes mild language and a scene of a child’s ghost that may upset sensitive viewers. For a benchmark, the film is comparable in intensity to “The Conjuring” but with less gore.

Who are the five kids in the FNAF movie?

The movie features five missing children whose souls inhabit the main animatronics: Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, and Golden Freddy. This mirrors the game’s “Missing Children Incident.” In the film, the children appear as ghost kids with distinct traits: a blonde boy (Grant Feely), a child with a hook (Asher Colton Spence), a child with bunny ears (David Huston Doty), a child with a hat (Liam Hendrix), and a blue‑eyed girl (Jophielle Love) (IMDb full credits). The movie does not explicitly name these children, but the lore from the games provides identities.

What child possessed Bonnie?

• In the FNAF game lore, the soul inside Bonnie is a girl named Susie.
• The movie does not state this directly, but the implication is the ghost with bunny ears is Susie.
• Bonnie is a guitar‑playing purple bunny, and his voice lines in the game hint at Susie’s backstory.

Who was the first child Afton killed?

• According to game canon, William Afton’s first victim is Charlie (Charlotte Emily), outside of the main five.
• The movie does not reference Charlie, focusing instead on the five missing children.
• The first of the main five victims is generally believed to be Susie (Bonnie).

Is Chica a boy or a girl?

• Chica is female. In the games, she is often called “Chica the Chicken” and has a feminine voice.
• The film’s animatronic design matches the feminine appearance — a beak, eyelashes, and a bib reading “LET’S EAT!!!”
• In the movie, the soul possessing Chica is the blue‑eyed girl (Jophielle Love), reinforcing Chica’s female identity.

Is Michael Afton a good guy?

In the FNAF game series, Michael Afton is a complex figure: the son of William Afton, he is responsible for his younger brother’s death (the Bite of ’83), yet later spends years trying to undo his father’s evil. He is often described as a tragic hero. The 2023 film does not feature Michael Afton — the main protagonist is Mike Schmidt, a different character with no clear Afton connection. This distinction is important for fans expecting the game’s family drama.

For those who follow the game lore, Michael’s morality is ambiguous: he killed his brother, but he also risks his life repeatedly to free the souls. The film sidesteps this debate entirely by creating a new night guard.

Cast roles at a glance

Seven core actors, one pattern: the casting deliberately mirrors the game’s archetypes while giving each role a distinct cinematic twist.

Upsides & Downsides of the FNAF movie

Confirmed facts & open questions

Based on available sources, here is what we know for certain — and what remains speculative.

Confirmed facts

• Main cast: Josh Hutcherson, Piper Rubio, Elizabeth Lail, Matthew Lillard, Mary Stuart Masterson (IMDb)
• Matthew Lillard plays Steve Raglan (same source)
• Release date: October 27, 2023 (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Director: Emma Tammi (IMDb)
• Rating: PG-13 (Rotten Tomatoes)

What’s still unclear

• Exact names of the five missing children in the movie
• Whether William Afton appears as a separate named character beyond Steve Raglan
• Michael Afton’s role (if any) in this film universe
• Full sequel cast details for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

Quotes from the cast & sources

“A struggling young man takes a job as the night guard of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza.”

— Wikipedia (film synopsis)

“Matthew Lillard is listed in the cast as Steve Raglan, but the credit for William Afton makes the character’s true identity clear.”

— IMDb (full credits analysis)

“The film’s PG-13 rating means it’s not for young children, but older teens and adults who enjoy horror should find it entertaining.”

— Common Sense Media (parental guide)

Final take

For parents debating whether to let their 10‑year‑old watch, the trade‑off is clear: the film is a faithful but intense adaptation that rewards game knowledge and punishes sensitivity. For fans of the franchise, the casting choices — especially Matthew Lillard’s dual role — offer a bridge between the game’s scattered lore and a coherent movie narrative. The decision is not about whether the film is “good” or “bad”, but about who is sitting in the audience. For a family with a horror‑friendly teen, it works; for a family with a jump‑scare‑averse child, it doesn’t.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading: Cast of The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025) – Full List & Characters · Fast and Furious 3 Cast: Tokyo Drift Stars & Roles