You’re probably scrolling through Netflix or Hulu and saw a thumbnail of Ryan Phillippe looking gritty with a gun. That’s The 2nd. It’s one of those modern "Die Hard in a school" riffs that popped up in 2020. Honestly, people usually click on it because they recognize Phillippe from his Cruel Intentions days or maybe Shooter, but then they realize the ensemble is actually full of faces you've seen in a dozen other things. It’s a specific kind of B-movie comfort food. If you're looking for the full breakdown of the cast of The 2nd, you aren't just looking for a list of names; you’re looking for why these actors feel so familiar and how they hold up a script that basically involves a lot of running through hallways.
The movie centers on Vic Davis, a Secret Service agent. He’s played by Phillippe. He goes to pick up his son from college, but—surprise—a high-stakes kidnapping plot is already in motion. The target? The daughter of a Supreme Court Justice. It’s straightforward. It's loud. And the cast does a surprising amount of heavy lifting to make the stakes feel real when the budget clearly wasn't at Michael Bay levels.
Ryan Phillippe as Vic Davis: The Reluctant Hero
Ryan Phillippe is the anchor here. By the time he joined the cast of The 2nd, he had already spent years pivoting from "90s heartthrob" to "reliable action guy." You can tell he’s doing his own stunts—or at least a good chunk of them. He brings this exhausted, "I’m too old for this" energy to Vic Davis that actually works. He isn't playing a superhero. He’s playing a dad who happens to be very good at killing people with office supplies.
Phillippe’s career is a weird trajectory to track. He went from Gosford Park and Crash—movies that won actual Oscars—to leading a high-octane VOD (Video on Demand) action flick. But he doesn't phone it in. In The 2nd, his performance is tactical. He moves like someone who has had basic combat training. It’s that professional veneer that keeps the movie from sliding into total parody. If he didn't take it seriously, we wouldn't either.
Casper Van Dien: The Perfect Villainous Foil
If you grew up in the 90s, Casper Van Dien is Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers. Period. Seeing him show up in the cast of The 2nd as the primary antagonist, Driver, is a treat for genre fans. Van Dien has aged into this rugged, sharp-featured look that screams "corrupt government operative."
He plays the leader of the mercenary team infiltrating the campus. What makes his performance interesting is the lack of mustache-twirling. He’s clinical. He’s there to do a job. The chemistry—or rather, the friction—between him and Phillippe is the highlight of the film. They represent two different eras of action stars colliding in a low-budget sandbox. Van Dien has spent a lot of time in the indie action world lately, and he knows exactly how to command a scene without overacting.
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The Supporting Players: More Than Just Redshirts
A movie like this lives or dies by the people being chased.
- Jack Griffo (Sean Davis): You might know him from Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans. Here, he plays Vic’s son. It’s a bit of a departure for him. He has to play the "scared but capable" kid who is trying to live up to his father’s shadow. His role is basically to be the emotional stakes.
- Lexi Simonsen (Erin Walton): She plays the daughter of the Supreme Court Justice. This is the character the bad guys are actually after. Simonsen has to do a lot of the "damsel in distress" beats, but the script gives her just enough agency to not feel like a cardboard cutout. She had previously appeared in Pop-Vlog and some smaller projects, but this was a major visibility boost for her.
- Richard Burgi (Director Phillips): Burgi is one of those "hey, it’s that guy" actors. He was in Desperate Housewives and Sentinel. He brings a level of gravitas to the "man in the van" or "man in the office" role that helps ground the larger conspiracy elements of the plot.
Why the Casting Choice Matters for This Genre
When people search for the cast of The 2nd, they are often trying to figure out if the movie is "legit" or just another bargain bin thriller. Having Phillippe and Van Dien at the top of the bill gives it a pedigree that separates it from the thousands of other action movies filmed in single locations.
The director, Brian Skiba, clearly understood that he needed actors who could handle the physicality. The film doesn't rely on massive CGI explosions. It relies on hand-to-hand combat in locker rooms and tactical shootouts in dormitories.
The Chemistry of Conflict
There is a specific scene mid-way through the film where the tension peaks. It’s not a gunfight. It’s a confrontation where the motivations of the "bad guys" are laid out. In many low-budget films, this is where the wheels fall off because the dialogue is clunky. However, because you have veterans like Phillippe and Van Dien, they manage to sell the high-level conspiracy involving the 2nd Amendment (hence the title) with a straight face.
The movie plays with the idea of the "Deep State" and constitutional rights. It’s a bit on the nose. Honestly, it’s very on the nose. But the cast of The 2nd treats the material like it’s a high-stakes political thriller, which elevates the final product.
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Production Context: Filming The 2nd
It’s worth noting that this film was released during a weird time in cinema history—mid-2020. Most theaters were closed. It found its life on digital platforms. This is why the cast is so recognizable but the "vibe" feels like a direct-to-video classic.
They filmed on a relatively tight schedule, mostly in California. The campus setting—which is supposed to be "Walton University"—is actually a blend of locations that had to look cohesive enough to pass for a prestigious college. The actors had to deal with tight corridors and practical squibs. It’s messy filmmaking in the best way possible.
Fact-Checking Common Questions About the Cast
There is often confusion about who appeared in this film versus other similarly titled action movies.
- Is James Marsden in it? No. People often confuse him with Ryan Phillippe because of their similar 90s origins, but Marsden is not part of this project.
- Is there a sequel? While the ending leaves things open for Vic Davis to return, as of now, the cast of The 2nd has not reunited for a follow-up.
- Are the stunts real? Most of the hand-to-hand stuff is the actors. Phillippe has been vocal in interviews about enjoying the physical demands of these types of roles, especially after his time on the Shooter TV series.
Beyond the Lead Names: The Mercenary Team
The "bad guys" aren't just faceless goons. You’ve got actors like William Katt (the legendary Greatest American Hero) making an appearance as Bob Walton. Seeing a TV icon like Katt in the mix is a nice Easter egg for older viewers. Then you have Samaire Armstrong as Olivia, who adds another layer of threat to the mercenary group. Armstrong, known from The O.C. and It’s a Boy Girl Thing, plays against type here. She’s usually the "girl next door," but in this movie, she’s cold and lethal.
This subversion of casting is what makes the movie watchable. You take actors you know from one genre and throw them into a gritty, bullets-and-blood environment. It works because the actors are clearly having a bit of fun with the transition.
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Actionable Insights for Fans of the Cast
If you enjoyed the performances in The 2nd, you’re probably looking for what to watch next that features the same grit or the same actors.
- Watch 'Shooter' (The Series): If Phillippe’s tactical movement in The 2nd impressed you, the Shooter series is his best work in the genre. It has much higher production values and a more complex plot.
- Check out Casper Van Dien’s recent indie run: He has become a staple of modern B-action. Look for The 2nd as a double feature with Alpha Wolf or Assault on VA-33 if you want to see him leaning into his "tough guy" era.
- Follow the Director: Brian Skiba has a very specific style. If you liked the pacing here, his other films like The 4th Horseman or Pursuit (with Emile Hirsch and John Cusack) offer a similar experience.
The cast of The 2nd succeeded in making a relatively simple "extraction" plot feel urgent. It’s a testament to the idea that you don't need a $200 million budget if you have leads who understand the assignment and a supporting cast that shows up to play. It isn't Citizen Kane, and it isn't trying to be. It’s a 90-minute adrenaline shot that reminds us why we liked these actors in the first place.
If you’re planning to watch it, don't overthink the political subtext. Just watch it for the choreography and the satisfaction of seeing Ryan Phillippe take down bad guys with a fire extinguisher. Sometimes, that’s all you need on a Friday night.
To dive deeper into the film's production, you can check out the official IMDb credits or look for behind-the-scenes interviews from the 2020 press circuit where Phillippe discusses the physical prep for the role.