Let’s be honest. When you think of gritty 80s cinema, you probably think of neon-soaked streets, synth-heavy soundtracks, and the kind of "street justice" tropes that haven't aged well but remain strangely addictive. At the heart of that era's cult obsession was Molly Stewart. Or rather, Angel. By the time we got to the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel, the franchise had shifted gears. It wasn't just about a high school honors student who moonlighted as a Hollywood Boulevard sex worker anymore. It was about revenge. Pure, unadulterated, 1985-style vengeance.
It's weirdly fascinating how this specific sequel managed to maintain a fanbase. Most "B-movie" sequels from this era just recycled the first film's plot with a lower budget. But Avenging Angel? It leaned into the absurdity and the heart of its ensemble.
Who Actually Played Who in the Cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel
The big elephant in the room when discussing the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel is the lead actress change. Donna Wilkes, who played the titular character in the 1984 original, didn't return. Depending on who you ask in film circles, this was either a scheduling conflict or a creative pivot. Enter Betsy Russell.
Most modern horror fans know Russell as Jill Tuck from the Saw franchise. But back in '85, she was the face of the "new" Molly Stewart. She brought a harder edge. A different energy. While Wilkes’ Angel felt like a victim trying to survive, Russell’s Angel felt like a warrior who had found her footing. She’s now a law student, which is a wild character arc if you think about it for more than ten seconds.
But a movie like this lives or dies by its supporting players.
Robert F. Lyons stepped in as Lt. Andrews. He wasn't just the "cop on the edge." He was the bridge between Molly’s old life and her new one. Lyons has that specific 80s character actor vibe—someone you’ve seen in a hundred things but can’t quite place until you check IMDb. He’s been in everything from Death Wish II to Falcon Crest.
Then there’s Rory Calhoun.
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If you want to talk about true Hollywood royalty anchored in a grindhouse sequel, it's Calhoun. He returned as Kit Carson. Kit is basically the heart of the movie. A fading cowboy star living in the past, providing a weirdly paternal anchor for a girl who shoots people for a living. Calhoun was a veteran of the Golden Age of Westerns. Seeing him share scenes with 80s street punks is the kind of jarring, beautiful contrast that makes cult cinema worth watching.
The Return of the Favorites
Susan Tyrrell. Honestly, we need to talk about her more.
She returned as Solly Mosler. Tyrrell was an Academy Award nominee (for Fat City), and she brought a level of "unhinged brilliance" to the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel that few others could match. She played the lesbian landlord with a penchant for high-volume dialogue and zero filters. It’s a performance that feels like it belongs in a much more expensive movie, yet it fits the grimy Hollywood aesthetic perfectly.
The rest of the "street family" rounded out the group:
- Ossie Davis as Captain Teddy Harrison. Yes, the legendary Ossie Davis was in this. It’s a testament to the era that a civil rights icon and Broadway legend was playing a police captain in an exploitation sequel.
- Steven M. Porter as Yo-Yo.
- Barry Pearl as Johnny Glitter. You might recognize Pearl as Doody from Grease. It’s a bit of a tonal whiplash seeing the "Those Magic Changes" guy in this environment, but he makes it work.
Why the Casting Shift Changed the Franchise
The transition from Donna Wilkes to Betsy Russell changed the DNA of the series. The first Angel was directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil and had a certain "after-school special gone wrong" vibe. It was shocking.
Avenging Angel, however, leaned into the action.
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When you look at the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel, you see a group of actors who were comfortable with the camp. They knew what kind of movie they were making. The chemistry between Russell and Calhoun is actually quite sweet. It’s a surrogate father-daughter relationship built on a foundation of trauma and 44-magnums.
The villain, played by Paul Lambert (as Arthur Gerard), provided the necessary corporate sleaze. In the 80s, the villain was almost always a suit-wearing executive or a corrupt official. It reflected the era's distrust of the "Yuppie" establishment.
The Production Reality
Directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil again, the film had to deal with a limited budget and the pressure of following up a surprise hit. The New World Pictures machine was in full swing. They needed a sequel, and they needed it fast.
This led to some of the "kinda" messy pacing that fans actually love. It feels like a real snapshot of mid-80s Los Angeles. Not the glitzy Miami Vice version, but the one with cracked sidewalks and flickering neon signs.
The Legacy of the Performers
What happened to the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel after the smoke cleared?
Betsy Russell became a B-movie icon before disappearing for a while and then having a massive resurgence in the 2000s. Robert F. Lyons continued to be the "reliable guy" for decades. Tragically, we lost greats like Rory Calhoun and Susan Tyrrell, but their work in this film remains a weird, sticky time capsule of their range.
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Tyrrell, in particular, is someone film students should study. She never gave a "small" performance. Whether she was in a John Waters movie or a sequel about a teenage vigilante, she gave 150%.
Navigating the Angel Series Today
If you’re looking to dive into this series, don’t expect high art. That’s not what we’re doing here.
Most people search for the cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel because they remember seeing it on a late-night cable broadcast or a dusty VHS rental. There is a third movie (Angel III: The Final Chapter) and even a fourth (Angel 4: Undercover), but the second one is widely considered the peak of the "sequel" era because it kept so much of the original soul (and Solly).
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you want to track down the work of this cast or explore the genre further, here is the move:
- Check the Blu-ray releases: Vinegar Syndrome or similar boutique labels often put out restored versions of these films. The commentary tracks usually feature the surviving cast members and are gold mines for "behind the scenes" chaos.
- Follow Betsy Russell’s later work: If you liked her here, her role in Private School (1983) or her later turns in the Saw series show a completely different side of her career.
- Look for "The Lost Boys" connection: While not directly related, the 80s "street kid" genre peaked around this time. If the vibe of Avenging Angel hits for you, you’ll likely enjoy the work of the character actors who populated that entire subgenre.
The cast of Angel 2 Avenging Angel represents a specific moment in Hollywood history where the line between "prestige" and "exploitation" was incredibly thin. You had Oscar nominees rubbing shoulders with B-movie queens, all while trying to tell a story about a girl who just wanted to finish her law degree and maybe stop a few bad guys along the way. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s quintessentially 1985.