What Happened To The Cast Of I Am Number Four?
2011 was an interesting time for film adaptations of popular books. Series like "Harry Potter," "The Hunger Games" and "Twilight" had opened the floodgates, and every studio was searching for the next YA franchise that could bring in money by the truckload.
One result was "I Am Number Four," based on the first book of the "Lorien Legacies" series of novels by Pittacus Lore (a pseudonym for co-authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes). The books and movie deal with a small group of human-like alien survivors hiding on Earth from their intergalactic enemies, the Mogadorians. Unfortunately, they've been discovered, and their ancient adversaries have come here to finish the job and wipe them out.
There are seven novels in the main series of books and several supplemental novellas, so there were some serious hopes that "I Am Number Four" would catch fire like its counterparts. Even though it performed fairly well at the box office, it didn't fare very well with critics and the sequels were shuttered, disappointing fans of the sci-fi and fantasy genre. It did have a decent cast, however, including a number of actors who have started to gain traction in the years since the film was released. Here's what happened to the cast of "I Am Number Four."
Alex Pettyfer - John/Number 4
The hope all the major YA film franchises have is that they will find the next superstar for their lead. The central trio of the "Harry Potter" films have all gone on to success (although different levels of it), while the "Twilight" franchise spawned two massive stars in Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. "I Am Number Four" pushed their chips in on British actor Alex Pettyfer, who played John (aka Number 4), but he has yet to land the major recognition that some other YA stars have.
Pettyfer's big break actually came in 2006 when he played Alex Rider in "Stormbreaker." Like "I Am Number Four," there were plans for sequels, but they were shelved after poor reception. Pettyfer had other chances to crack the Hollywood puzzle following his role as Number 4. He played the male lead in "Beastly" opposite Vanessa Hudgens and appeared in the Justin Timberlake-led "In Time." He also had a major role in "Magic Mike" in 2012. Behind the scenes drama could be to blame for Pettyfer's failure to achieve stardom. He's admitted to experiencing problems on the set of "Magic Mike," and he gained a reputation as a "psycho" after his breakup with his "I Am Number Four" co-star Dianna Agron.
That isn't to say Pettyfer hasn't found career success. He had a major role in the well-received film "Elvis & Nixon" and made his directorial debut in 2018 with "Back Roads," which he also starred in.
Timothy Olyphant - Henri
Probably the biggest name in the "I Am Number Four" cast is Timothy Olyphant, who played John's guardian, Henri. Olyphant brought over the tough-guy attitude and effortless charm he'd become known for from roles like Sheriff Bullock on HBO's "Deadwood."
Before showing up in "I Am Number Four," Olyphant had already landed a role in yet another gritty western, this time as the lead on FX's "Justified." Aside from his memorable role in "Scream 2," that show is probably his biggest success to date. More recently, he also starred on the Netflix dark comedy series "Santa Clarita Diet" alongside Drew Barrymore, and he had a recurring role on the "Fargo" FX series. Olyphant has become enough of a recognizable figure that even his guest appearances are memorable. He played himself on an episode of "The Good Place," and he paid homage to his lawman roles on an episode of "The Mandalorian."
Though Olyphant has found the majority of his success on television, he's also landed some high-profile film roles. He played a CIA agent in the film "Snowden" and had a voice role in "Missing Link." Olyphant also has a number of films currently in the production stage, including a rumored part in an untitled Elmore Leonard adaptation for television.
Kevin Durand - Mogadorian Commander
Every good YA adaptation needs a menacing villain, and "I Am Number Four" brought in well-known character actor Kevin Durand to fill that spot. Durand plays the Mogadorian Commander tasked with hunting down John, and he seems like he's having a blast chewing up the scenery in the role.
Durand has cut his teeth on many action-oriented roles over the years, especially in the realm of television. Many TV fans were already conditioned to dislike him after he played mercenary leader Martin Keamy on "Lost." More recently, Durand starred on FX's horror series "The Strain" as the exterminator turned vampire hunter Vasiliy Fet, and he's had recurring roles on series like "Ballers" and "Vikings."
Most of Durand's major film roles came before "I Am Number Four," and you may have caught him in projects like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the 2010 adaptation of "Robin Hood," where he played Little John to Russell Crowe's heroic archer. More recently, Durand has had roles in films such as "Primal" alongside Nic Cage and the meta-horror flick "Tragedy Girls."
Callan McAuliffe - Sam
John's paranoid best friend Sam Goode is played in "I Am Number Four" by Australian actor Callan McAuliffe. In addition to being the main human connection for the alien Number 4, Sam also bonds with the completely wonderful Bernie Kosar, an alien creature disguised as an adorable beagle.
Already an established actor through Australian television series, McAuliffe actually got his big break in the United States only a year before "I Am Number Four." He was on vacation and his manager landed him an audition for the Rob Reiner-directed film "Flipped." McAuliffe apparently did some good work, as he was cast as the film's lead right away. Not long after, he had a small but memorable role as the teenage version of Leonardo DiCaprio's lead character in "The Great Gatsby." He's also branched into voice work — you might recognize him as multiple characters in the video game "Return of the Obra Dinn."
By far, McAuliffe's biggest role since "I Am Number Four" has been on "The Walking Dead." He plays Alden, a former Savior who has switched factions a few times since joining the other survivors on AMC's zombie series.
Dianna Agron - Sarah
Every good adventure needs a love story to back it up, and John's love interest in "I Am Number Four" is Sarah Hart. Hart was played by actress Dianna Agron, and their chemistry actually spilled over, as Agron dated her co-star Alex Pettyfer in the real world. Things ended very badly, however. According to Agron, Pettyfer became so jealous and controlling by the end of their relationship, she was forced to go into hiding and even check into a hotel under an alias so he couldn't locate her.
Luckily, it seems like that scary episode is behind her, and Agron continues to work steadily in film and television. Her highest-profile role was as the cheerleader Quinn on the popular musical series "Glee," on which she'd been cast two years before landing "I Am Number Four." She has also starred with major names like Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer in the organized crime comedy "The Family" and had a small voice role in Disney's "Ralph Breaks the Internet."
More recently, Agron made her feature directorial debut with "Berlin, I Love You," and had roles in films like "Shiva Baby" and "The Laureate." She also still does some singing, throwing it back to her old days on "Glee."
Jake Abel - Mark
A huge aspect of any good YA story is the way we change as we grow older, and the antagonistic Mark James does exactly that. He starts out as a stereotypical jock bully, angry his ex is spending time with the new guy. By the end of the film, he still hasn't completely gotten over that dynamic, but he does try to make things right and starts to gain a little independence from his controlling father. Mark is played by actor Jake Abel, whose most well-known role prior to "I Am Number Four" was as Adam Milligan, Sam and Dean's unknown-to-them younger brother on "Supernatural" who also became the archangel Michael's vessel periodically throughout the series' 15-year run.
Like many of his fellow actors in "I Am Number Four," Abel made appearances in a few different attempts to get YA franchises started. The most successful was the "Percy Jackson" series, in which Abel played Luke. He also appeared in the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's "The Host" as the human survivor Ian who falls in love with an alien living inside a female human host.
Abel also has found some success in roles outside of that realm. He played musician Mike Love in the Beach Boys film "Love & Mercy." Abel also had a lead role on the Netflix sci-fi series "Another Life" and a recurring role in the series "Dirty John."
Teresa Palmer - Number 6
Of all the young actors who appeared in "I Am Number Four," Teresa Palmer is probably the one who has found the most success in the years after the film's release. Palmer played Number 6, who discovers the identity of John and comes to his aid in order to stop the Mogadorians.
The offers never really slowed for the Australian actress following the release of "I Am Number Four," and she started showing off her versatility in a number of different genres. Palmer starred in the horror-comedy-romance "Warm Bodies" alongside Nicholas Hoult, and she had a lead role in the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks book "The Choice." Not only did she star in "The Ever After," but she co-wrote the screenplay for the film with her husband, actor Mark Webber. Palmer was also amongst the cast of the 2014 "Point Break" remake.
Her more recent film appearances include "Hacksaw Ridge" and "Lights Out," but Palmer's most notable role of late has actually come from the world of British television. She plays Diana Bishop, the lead role in the fantasy series "A Discovery of Witches."
Greg Townley - Number 3
The Mogadorians are hunting each of the nine members of the "Garde," and they must kill them in sequence. If you couldn't tell from the film's title, Number 3 is the one picked off right before John starts getting hunted down. We catch glimpses of Number 3 over the course of the film, and he's played by Greg Townley.
Townley has appeared in some of the biggest movies over the last 10 years ... just not as a featured actor. In fact, you aren't meant to identify him at all, since he's done most of his Hollywood work in stunts. He first began working as a stunt performer in 2010's "Kick-Ass," and he's appeared in several other action-oriented films since. He does stunts in the "Kingsman" franchise, "Wonder Woman" and more. He is apparently a favorite double of actor Tom Holland; he's done stunts for two "Spider-Man" films and is his double in the "Uncharted" film. Sticking with the world of Spider-Man, Townley is also Jared Leto's stunt double in "Morbius."
As an actor, Townley only has four films to his credit. The most notable of those outside of "I Am Number Four" is the final film of Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy, "The World's End," in which Townley had a very small role as Greg.
Reuben Langdon - Number 3's guardian
Like all of the Garde in "I Am Number Four," Number 3 has a guardian who plays a brief role in the film. He is portrayed by Reuben Langdon, who you probably won't recognize on sight, but most video game fans will recognize his voice in a pretty quick fashion.
Langdon, like fellow "I Am Number Four" actor Greg Townley, is mostly known for stunt work. However, much of Langdon's major performances come in the world of video games, where he does motion capture and voice work for a number of franchises. Langdon has been the motion capture and voice actor for Dante of the "Devil May Cry" series for well over a decade. Sticking with cocky, red-clad heroes, Langdon might also be recognized by fighting game fans as Ken Masters of the "Street Fighter" series. He's worked on several other recognizable titles, too, but those are the characters he's made his own.
That isn't to say Langdon only does stunt and mo-cap work. You can spot him in roles like the lab guard he plays in "Ant-Man" or, in an extremely meta moment, the lead stunt double for Lucas Lee's gang of doubles in "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World."
Judith Hoag - Sarah's Mom
Sarah's mom in "I Am Number Four" doesn't get to do very much to the point she's actually credited as "Sarah's Mom" instead of her name, Annie. That's too bad, as it's a waste of a very talented actor who also ticks a lot of nostalgia boxes. Judith Hoag plays the brief role, and children of the 1990s are almost sure to recognize her.
It's April O'Neil! Hoag played the role of the yellow-clad reporter who befriends the sewer-dwellers in the 1990 live-action version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." She also had a small role in the classic '90s disaster film "Armageddon." Disney fans will know her from her roles in the "Halloweentown" movies, in which she played Gwen Piper, a descendant of one of the most powerful witch families in existence, the Cromwells.
Hoag still works steadily as an actress, but she tends to do a lot more work in television now rather than film. She's made guest appearances on dozens of popular shows, so you've probably seen her on such favorites as "Castle," "The Middle" and "CSI: NY." Outside of that, Hoag has had a few recurring roles as well. She played Tandy Hampton on numerous episodes of "Nashville," and you also might have seen her playing Stephanie Quinn on Syfy's "The Magicians."