If you were channel surfing on a random Sunday night in May 2008, you probably stumbled upon a movie that looked suspiciously like a gender-swapped Fright Night. That movie was Never Cry Werewolf. It wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece that swept the Oscars, but it’s developed a weirdly loyal following over the years. Honestly, most people track it down today because they can't believe a future A-lister was once fighting a guy with hairy palms in a Canadian TV movie.
The never cry werewolf cast is such a fascinating mix of "where are they now" and "holy crap, I forgot they were in that." You’ve got a massive teen star before she hit it big, a 90s action icon playing a washed-up version of himself, and a villain who played the "creepy neighbor" role so well it actually felt a bit uncomfortable.
Let's break down who these people were, what happened in that bizarre plot, and where the actors ended up after the fur stopped flying.
The Big Names: Nina Dobrev and Kevin Sorbo
Before she was caught in a brooding love triangle in Mystic Falls, Nina Dobrev was Loren Hansett. She was just a teenager who suspected her neighbor, Jared, was more than just a guy with a nice motorcycle. Nina was only 19 when this aired. You can already see the "final girl" energy she’d later use in The Vampire Diaries. In this movie, though, she spends a lot of time looking through windows and being the only person with common sense.
Then there’s Kevin Sorbo. He plays Redd Tucker. If you grew up in the 90s, he’s Hercules. Period. But in Never Cry Werewolf, he plays a guy who used to be a big deal—a reality TV hunter whose career has seen better days. It’s almost meta. He brings this weird, semi-comedic energy to the film that balances out the horror. He’s the Peter Vincent to Nina’s Charley Brewster.
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Sorbo has stayed busy, though mostly in the faith-based film world lately. Think God's Not Dead and various independent projects. He’s definitely carved out a specific niche for himself, even if he's not fighting hydras anymore.
Peter Stebbings: The Man Behind the Fur
Peter Stebbings played Jared Martin, the neighbor who wasn't just "rough around the edges." He was literally a werewolf. Stebbings has one of those faces you recognize from a dozen different Canadian procedurals. He brought a genuine creepiness to the role, specifically in the scene where Loren catches him shaving his palms.
Yeah, you read that right. Shaving his palms.
Since 2008, Stebbings has moved more into the "distinguished character actor" territory. He was in The Listener, Bates Motel, and even popped up in The Handmaid’s Tale. He’s also done a lot of work behind the camera as a writer and director. He’s the kind of actor who keeps the Canadian film industry running, honestly.
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The Supporting Players
You can't have a teen horror flick without the best friend and the annoying brother.
- Melanie Leishman (Angie): She played the "best friend who doesn't believe the protagonist" until it’s way too late. Melanie has had a solid career, most notably starring in the cult hit Todd and the Book of Pure Evil.
- Spencer Van Wyck (Kyle): He was the bratty younger brother. He’s since moved away from the spotlight, but at the time, he nailed that "I'm going to annoy my sister until she wants to feed me to a wolf" vibe.
- Sean O'Neill (Steven): The punk rock pizza guy with a crush. He was the only one who actually helped Loren initially. Sean went on to do a lot of stage work and appeared in shows like Degrassi (which, let’s be real, is a rite of passage for every Canadian actor).
Why the Never Cry Werewolf Cast Still Matters
It’s easy to dismiss a Syfy (or "Sci-Fi Channel" back then) original movie. Most of them are forgettable. But there’s a reason people still search for the never cry werewolf cast.
First, the Fright Night parallels are undeniable. It’s basically a remake without the license. It swapped the vampire for a werewolf and the teenage boy for a teenage girl. It’s a formula that works because it taps into that universal fear of the "stranger next door."
Second, the practical effects were... actually okay? For a TV budget in 2008, the transformation scenes and the "Hell Hound" (Jared's dog that turns into a monster) weren't as bad as the CGI messes we see today. There was a grit to it that felt very 80s.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Movie
A lot of people think this was a big theatrical release that flopped. It wasn't. It was always meant for TV. It was filmed in Ontario, Canada, on a budget of less than a million dollars. When you look at it through that lens, the performances from the never cry werewolf cast are actually pretty impressive.
They weren't just phoning it in for a paycheck. Nina Dobrev was genuinely trying to prove she could carry a movie. Kevin Sorbo was leaning into the "has-been" trope with a wink and a nod. Even Peter Stebbings treated the "long-lost love reincarnation" plot point with more gravity than it probably deserved.
The Weirdest Facts About the Film
- The Soundtrack: The music is incredibly loud. Like, startlingly loud. It’s been a point of contention for fans for years.
- The Vegan Angle: Loren is a strict vegetarian/vegan in the movie, which is a subtle nod to her "moral superiority" over the meat-eating (literally) werewolf.
- The Director: Brenton Spencer directed this. He’s a veteran of the industry who worked on Stargate SG-1 and Sanctuary. He knew how to make a small budget look bigger than it was.
The Legacy of Never Cry Werewolf
Is it a "good" movie? By objective standards, maybe not. But is it an entertaining time capsule of 2008 horror? Absolutely. It’s one of those films that pops up on streaming services and people watch it out of curiosity, only to realize they actually like the chemistry between the leads.
If you’re looking to revisit the film or see what these actors are up to now, here are a few things you can do:
- Check out Nina Dobrev’s recent work: She’s moved into producing lately. Look for Sick Girl or her Netflix rom-com Love Hard.
- Watch the original Fright Night (1985): If you haven't seen the movie Never Cry Werewolf "borrowed" its plot from, you’re missing out on a classic.
- Track down Melanie Leishman in Todd and the Book of Pure Evil: If you liked her in this, you’ll love her in that. It’s peak Canadian horror-comedy.
The never cry werewolf cast might have moved on to bigger things (or different things), but this little werewolf movie remains a strange, hairy footnote in their careers that refuses to go away.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to dive deeper into 2000s era creature features, check out the filmography of Brenton Spencer for more hidden gems. You can also follow Nina Dobrev's production company, as she's currently developing several new projects that lean back into the genre spaces she started in. For those interested in the filming locations, much of the movie was shot in and around Hamilton, Ontario, which has since become a major hub for "Hollywood North" productions.