Why The Cast Of Gen V Looks So Familiar

Contains spoilers for "Gen V" and "The Boys"

The MCU movies successfully brought superhero content to the masses, Prime Video's "The Boys" shows that not every comic book adaptation needs to be family-friendly. Since its premiere in 2019, the show has been praised for its satirical take on the genre, gritty and mature storylines, and intense violence, making it stand out compared to many other superhero releases in recent years.

The franchise has now expanded with the release of "Gen V." This spin-off focuses on a group of teenage students at the fictional Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, who learn how to harness their superpowers and compete for a chance to get the best position when they graduate. Unlike its predecessor, though, "Gen V" features a relatively young cast filled with actors who are still making names for themselves.

Of course, that doesn't mean that you won't have seen these actors in other places before. In fact, many of them have had significant parts in major television series and films. Here's why the cast of "Gen V" looks so familiar to you.

Like Jaz Sinclair, Chance Perdomo is also an alumnus of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." As part of the main cast, he portrayed Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina's cousin who moves to the United States from England. A Warlock, he often accompanies Sabrina on her adventures but spends time under house arrest after a failed attempt to destroy the Vatican, leading to his decision to help run the mortuary set up by Zelda (Miranda Otto) and Hilda (Lucy Davis).

Perdomo first came to public attention for his starring role in the BBC drama film "Killed by My Debt," a story focusing on the death by suicide of a young man in the U.K. after he accrued a £1,000 debt from unpaid parking fines. His performance earned the young actor a BAFTA nomination for leading actor, although the prize ended up going to Benedict Cumberbatch for "Patrick Melrose." He also portrayed Landon Gibson in the three most recent movies in the "After" franchise.

Speaking to Collider, Perdomo explained that he loves how "Gen V" concentrates on characters — like his own Andre Anderson — trying to achieve their very best. He said, "The parts of the story that resonate for me and I always keep coming back to this, is that it really showcases the human aspects."

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Born in Canada, Maddie Phillips moved to Australia at a young age and spent much of her youth in the country developing a strong passion for acting. During the early 2010s, she was cast in a number of projects, including "If I Had Wings" and the "Batman" fan film "Nightwing: Prodigal," in which she took on the role of Harley Quinn. Phillips went on to make a single appearance on the hit television series "Supernatural" and made her breakthrough with a recurring part in the Netflix comedy "Project Mc2" as Devon D'Marco, replacing Alyssa Lynch for Season 5.

However, "Gen V" viewers will probably know her best for playing one of the two main characters in "Teenage Bounty Hunters," a Netflix series that aired its only season in 2020. The teen comedy-drama stars Phillips and Anjelica Bette Fellini, who play a pair of twins secretly working as bounty hunters to fix their father's truck after they accidentally damage it. Both leads received widespread praise for their performances in the show, establishing Phillips as a rising star and no doubt contributing to her casting in "Gen V" as Cate Dunlap.

Derek Luh might not have been acting for all that long, but he's been a force in the world of entertainment for some years as a musician. Following his first release in 2013, Luh has put out several albums and EPs. During that time, he's also worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, collaborating and touring with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and French Montana.

In terms of acting, Luh made his debut in the 2019 Marvel series "Runaways" and then went on to portray Jack Allen in two episodes of "All Rise." His first major role came in the Starz comedy-horror series "Shining Vale," where he played Ryan He alongside actors such as Courteney Cox and Greg Kinnear. On the show, Ryan is a devoted man of faith and acts as a romantic interest for Gaynor Phelps (Gus Birney).

Luh spoke about how well "Gen V" captures the craziness of college life for teenagers in an interview with Prime Video (via Collider). "They've done such a good job of just showing how absolutely insane it is to be a college student at any time, but especially now, because everything is recorded," the actor said. "Everything can go on social media."

Shelley Conn is a far more experienced actor than many of her co-stars in "Gen V." That's mainly because of the fact that she's one of the older members of the cast. Conn made her on-screen debut in 2000 as part of the cast of the television movie "The Last Musketeer" and has since become a regular on TV.

Along with recurring parts in the likes of "Liar" and "The Deceived," Conn has voiced the headmistress Mrs. Sidiqui in the British animated series "Dodo." Her most notable credits have come in shows on Netflix and Prime Video, with the actor playing Edwina and Kate's mother Lady Mary Sharma in "Bridgerton" and Beelzebub in "Good Omens," opposite Michael Sheen and David Tennant.

In "Gen V," Conn portrays Indira Shetty, the dean of Godolkin University and the person ultimately responsible for the superpowered students who attend the school. As part of her job, she has to rank the various teenagers and try to keep them out of trouble despite having no superpowers of her own.

Patrick Schwarzenegger may be one of the most familiar faces in "Gen V," even for those who haven't seen him in any other TV shows or movies. That's because he's the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He plays Golden Boy in "Gen V," a popular superhero at Godolkin University School of Crimefighting whose real name is Luke Riordan. Having been around film sets since he was a young boy, it may have seemed inevitable that the younger Schwarzenegger would move into acting. He landed his first on-screen role in 2006 in the film "The Benchwarmers" and then took up acting more seriously some years later with roles in "Stuck in Love" and "Grown Ups 2."

Throughout the late 2010s, Schwarzenegger made appearances in films such as "Midnight Sun," "Echo Boomers," and "Stowaway," and he's found more success in recent years. His breakout role came in the HBO crime series "The Staircase," in which he plays the real-life character Todd Peterson, who tries to prove that his father murdered his mother and stepmother. He also landed a recurring role in "The Terminal List" as Donny Mitchell in 2022 before being cast in "Gen V."

Clancy Brown plays Richard Brinkenhoff in "Gen V," a professor at Godolkin University who acts as an antagonist to the students thanks to his overly aggressive training techniques and questionable morals. This makes sense for the actor, who has often portrayed villains throughout his long career. Having made his breakthrough in the 1983 film "Bad Boys" alongside Sean Penn, he has since appeared in over 300 releases.

His most high-profile roles have included playing the villainous Kurgan in "Highlander" and Sgt. Charles Zim in "Starship Troopers." He had a notable role in "The Shawshank Redemption" as Captain Byron Hadley, the violent prison guard, and had a brief part in "John Wick: Chapter 4" as the Harbinger. Outside of films, Brown has appeared in "Billions" and "Carnivále" as part of the main cast.

Brown has also lent his iconic voice to characters like Mr. Krabs in "SpongeBob Squarepants" and Lex Luthor in various series within the DC Animated Universe. He also voiced several characters in the video game franchise "Crash Bandicoot" and has also had roles in "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."