‘Cruel Intentions’ 2024 Cast And Character Guide

Aside from the wicked appeal of racy teenage drama, one of the key hooks that made the original Cruel Intentions a cult classic was the allure and charm of the relationship dynamics among the lead trio played by Sarah Michelle Gellar (Kathryn Merteuil), Ryan Phillippe (Sebastian Valmont), and Reese Witherspoon (Annette Hargrove). Given the risqué nature of the narrative, without support from a competent cast and proper characterization, the movie could have gone either way, but fortunately, it fared well in the end. The same challenge was faced by the recently released Amazon Prime TV series adaptation of the same name, which followed a similar premise of sex, politics, and influence-oriented powerplay orchestrated by stepsibling duo Lucien and Caroline. Aside from the fact that a story like this shouldn’t have been stretched to an eight-episode series in the first place, the character writing and acting on this occasion feels more like a generic mess instead of having an iota of organic connection. That resulted in a poor mimicry of the original movie, which doesn’t entice or captivate but simply irritates. 

Caroline Marteuil, played by Sarah Catherine Hook

Actor Sarah Catherine Hook has previously starred in several small screen ventures like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and American Crime Story and also acted in horror movies like The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and First Kill. In Cruel Intentions, she portrays the role of Caroline Martueil, the president of Delta Phi Pi Sorority House. An extremely territorial, megalomaniac, crafty Caroline hides behind the façade of a dutiful and caring leader and weaponizes her control over people who trust her for her own benefits. Caroline shares an estranged relationship with her mother, Claudia, whose disappointment with her, coupled with a lack of attention, has prompted Caroline to seek addiction as a coping mechanism. Lack of parental connection has also made Caroline a vindictive control freak who isn’t loyal to either her own family or peers. Caroline can stoop to any low to ensure that she remains in power and is able to manipulate her stepbrother, Lucien, to do her bidding by exploiting his lust for her. However, unlike Kathryn, who had an aura about her that complemented her amoral seductress persona pretty well, Caroline doesn’t seem to have a charismatic presence to sell her act. This makes it difficult for viewers to relate to her on a humane level, and having a lead with whom viewers cannot connect always spells disaster for any venture, which is true in this occasion as well. 

Lucien Belmont Played by Zac Burgess

Australian actor Zac Burgess has previously acted in the TV series One Night and Boy Swallows Universe, and in the series, he plays the role of Caroline’s stepbrother, Lucien Belmont—the playboy heartthrob of Manchester College who uses his sexuality to mark a presence amidst his peers. Lucien’s reckless streak of sexual encounters highlights an emotional void and aversion to commitment, which is a result of his troubling childhood. Lucien had witnessed the final moments of his mother, which left him scarred for life, leading him to simultaneously fear and crave for a maternal presence. The only person with whom he connected emotionally before getting serious with Annie Grover is with his stepsister Caroline, whom he desired as well. Despite being a mischievous rascal to his peers, Lucien is gullible to a fault when it comes to Caroline, and as a result, he was crestfallen when Caroline betrayed him at the end. However, knowing Caroline’s willingness to win the approval of her mother, Claudia, to be one of her weaknesses, Lucien took the ultimate revenge by sleeping with Claudia. 

CeCe Carroway Played By Sara Silva

Actor Sara Silva had previously acted in the TV movie Jaded and played minor roles in The Boys and American Horror Stories. Her take on CeCe Carroway, Caroline’s trusted accomplice, an overburdened chatterbox, showed much promise, even though the character could have been written a bit better. A major part of CeCe’s personality revolves around her devotion to Caroline and Delta Phi Pi, to such an extent she sacrifices her own wishes and desires for them. CeCe’s dysfunctional childhood prompts her to trust people way too easily, and she paid the price of such naiveté by the end as her best friend, Caroline, and the person she fell in love with, Professor Chadwick, both betrayed her trust. However, in the upcoming season, we will possibly see a more confident, independent version of CeCe, who will stand against Caroline and the toxic sorority culture she represents. 

Blaise Powell Played by John Harlan Kim

Australian actor John Harlan Kim made a name for himself by playing the role of Ezekiel in the fantasy series The Librarians, following which he acted in a series of small-screen ventures. In Cruel Intentions, he plays the role of Blaise Powell, one of the influential members of the Alpha Gamma fraternity, a social climber who uses personal connections and relationships to ensure he has a secured future. Unlike his peers, Blaise does not come from a well-established background, which is why he feels the need to do whatever is necessary to survive in the midst of this hostile environment full of preppy jerks—even if it means lying, stealing money, and cheating on people close to him. However, by threatening to use his lover Scott’s sexual orientation for his personal gain, Blaise shows his true colors; he is as incorrigible as the likes of Caroline or Lucien and gets his comeuppance by the end of the first season. 

Beatrice Worth Played By Brooke Lena Johnson

Actor Brooke Lena Johnson played the role of Beatrice Worth in the series, and even though her role was significant as the leader of the anti-fraternity movement, her arc was barely explored in the first season. Hopefully, in the upcoming one, she gets a more prominent role and destabilizes Caroline’s vice grip over the university for good. 

Annie Grover Played by Savannah Lee Smith

Actor Savannah Lee Smith, who played the role of Monet in Gossip Girl, was not properly utilized in the first season of Cruel Intentions, and as Annie Grover, daughter of the American Vice President, she was reduced to playing an extremely gullible, clueless newcomer who fails to see through the treachery of Caroline, ignoring most of the telltale signs of trouble and warnings. Instead of appearing more as an innocent character as intended by the makers, Annie is naïve to a fault, a character trait that feels kind of insufferable given the context of the narrative. However, like CeCe, she has begun to see things for what they really are, and hopefully, in the next season, viewers will find her on a much more interesting journey of using her father’s political connections to end frat culture for good.

Miscellaneous Characters

Aside from the leads, all the supporting characters played their part convincingly to add to the intrigue of the narrative. Actor Sean Patrick Thomas, who played the role of Professor Hank Chadwick in the series, had also played the role of Cecile’s (CeCe’s counterpart) lover, Ronald Clifford, in the original movie. Khobe Clarke played the role of Scott Russell, Blaise’s lover, while Alpha Gamma presidential candidate Blandsman was played by Zeke Goodman. The role of Caroline’s mother, Claudia, was played by Laura Benanti, who has previously acted in Gossip Girl, Supergirl, and No Hard Feelings.