Honestly, whenever Hollywood announces a remake of a Stephen King classic, the internet collectively groans. It’s a natural reflex. When Kimberly Peirce signed on to direct a modern spin on Carrie, people were skeptical. How do you follow up Sissy Spacek’s wide-eyed, ethereal terror from 1976? You don't. You just try something different. The carrie the movie 2013 cast had a massive mountain to climb, and while the film itself divided critics, the actual performances brought a weird, grounded energy to the tragedy of Chamberlain, Maine.
People forget how stacked this lineup was. You’ve got Oscar winners, future blockbuster stars, and character actors who basically specialize in being unsettling. It wasn't just a horror movie; it was a character study that leaned way harder into the "superhero origin gone wrong" vibe than the original ever did.
The Core Players: Chloë and Julianne
Most of the conversation around the carrie the movie 2013 cast starts and ends with Chloë Grace Moretz. At the time, she was coming off Kick-Ass and Let Me In, so she already had that "creepy but capable" energy down. But playing Carrie White is different. She had to be a "gray crayon in a box of 64 colors," as the book puts it.
Some fans felt Chloë was "too pretty" or too polished for the role. Sissy Spacek had this alien, fragile look that made her feel like a different species. Moretz, by contrast, feels like a real teenager who’s just been crushed by life. Her Carrie is less of a ghost and more of a ticking time bomb. You can see the anger simmering under the surface long before the prom.
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Then there’s Julianne Moore as Margaret White. Look, Moore doesn't do "halfway." Her version of Margaret is terrifying because she’s not just a religious zealot; she’s deeply, profoundly mentally ill. The 2013 version added scenes of Margaret’s self-harm and the literal birth of Carrie, which gave the relationship a much darker, more physical weight. When Moore is on screen, the air just kinda leaves the room. It’s uncomfortable to watch, which is exactly why it works.
The High School Hierarchy: Bullies and Boyfriends
The supporting carrie the movie 2013 cast is where you see the "before they were famous" effect in full swing.
- Ansel Elgort (Tommy Ross): This was actually Elgort’s film debut. Before The Fault in Our Stars or Baby Driver, he was the golden boy with a conscience. He played Tommy as genuinely sweet, which makes his eventual death via flying bucket way more depressing.
- Gabriella Wilde (Sue Snell): She brought a very "modern guilt" feel to Sue. In this version, Sue is clearly haunted by the shower incident from the jump.
- Portia Doubleday (Chris Hargensen): If you know her from Mr. Robot, seeing her as the quintessential mean girl is a trip. She played Chris with this screechy, entitled venom that made you actively root for her demise.
- Alex Russell (Billy Nolan): He took over the role originally played by John Travolta. This Billy wasn't just a dumb jock; he was a legitimate sociopath.
The dynamic between Chris and Billy in this version felt a lot more dangerous. They weren't just "kids being kids." They were a toxic duo fueled by smartphones and social media—a change that really updated the bullying aspect for the 2010s.
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The Authority Figure: Judy Greer
We need to talk about Judy Greer as Miss Desjardin. Usually, Greer is the "best friend" in rom-coms, but here she’s the only adult who actually gives a damn about Carrie.
She brings a lot of heart to a movie that is otherwise pretty bleak. Her relationship with Carrie is one of the few spots of light. In the 2013 version, Carrie actually uses her powers to save Miss Desjardin during the prom massacre, which is a huge departure from the 1976 film where the teacher gets crushed by a basketball hoop. It showed that this Carrie had a shred of morality left, even when she was covered in pig's blood.
Why the 2013 Casting Choice Still Matters
A lot of people dismiss this movie as a "needless remake." Fair enough. But when you look at the carrie the movie 2013 cast, they were trying to do something specific. They wanted to show how isolation works in the age of the internet. When Chris uploads the video of Carrie’s "accident" in the shower to YouTube, it changes the stakes. It’s not just a locker room secret anymore; it’s global.
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The actors had to play that. Moretz had to portray the specific horror of being "canceled" before that was even a common term. The cast had to navigate a script that was trying to be a faithful King adaptation and a modern teen drama at the same time.
Cast and Roles Summary
| Actor | Character | Role Energy |
|---|---|---|
| Chloë Grace Moretz | Carrie White | Vulnerable, vengeful, powerful |
| Julianne Moore | Margaret White | Fanatical, tragic, suffocating |
| Judy Greer | Miss Desjardin | Compassionate, protective |
| Portia Doubleday | Chris Hargensen | Pure, unadulterated malice |
| Ansel Elgort | Tommy Ross | The "good guy" caught in the crossfire |
| Alex Russell | Billy Nolan | Volatile and cruel |
Actionable Insights for Fans and Rewatchers
If you’re planning on revisiting the 2013 version, or if you're a horror buff looking for trivia, keep an eye on these specific details:
- Watch the background: In the early school scenes, notice how isolated Carrie is framed compared to the rest of the cast. The cinematography uses the actors' physical distance to highlight Carrie's telekinetic "bubble."
- The "Superhero" Parallel: Keep an eye on how Carrie tests her powers in her bedroom. The cast and director have mentioned in interviews that they looked at this more like a "dark origin story" (think Chronicle) than a traditional slasher.
- Julianne Moore's "Ticks": Watch Moore’s hands and facial twitches. She added a lot of physical character work that wasn't in the script to show Margaret's deteriorating mental state.
To really appreciate what this version did, try watching the 1976 original and the 2013 remake back-to-back. You’ll notice that while the plot is almost identical, the carrie the movie 2013 cast plays the "tragedy" much louder than the "horror." It’s less about a monster in the prom dress and more about a girl who just couldn't catch a break.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Stephen King adaptations, your next move should be comparing the 2013 film to the original 1974 novel. You might be surprised to find that Chloë Grace Moretz's version of the "prom destruction" is actually closer to the book's description of a city-wide disaster than the 1976 version. From there, checking out the 2002 TV movie version of Carrie provides the final piece of the puzzle for how this character has evolved over fifty years of cinema.