Lifetime movies have this specific, almost addictive energy that you just can't find anywhere else. They’re glossy. They’re a little bit dangerous. Honestly, they’re the ultimate guilty pleasure for a Tuesday night when you just want to see some high-stakes high school drama. One of the standouts in recent years is definitely the 2019 thriller that put a dark spin on the "pep rally" trope. We’re talking about The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders cast and how they managed to turn a fairly standard "new girl in school" plot into something that felt genuinely tense.
It’s not just about the stunts or the uniforms.
The movie works because the casting was surprisingly spot-on. You’ve got a mix of veteran TV royalty and fresh faces who actually looked like they could survive a grueling practice—or a backstabbing captain. When Ava, played by Savannah May, moves to a new town and tries out for the Lions cheer squad, she thinks she’s just joining a team. She’s actually entering a lion's den.
The Power Players: Breaking Down The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders Cast
If you watched Disney Channel or Nickelodeon in the late 2010s, you probably recognized a few faces immediately. It wasn't just a random group of extras.
Savannah May carried the weight of the film as Ava. Before she was dodging sabotaged cheer routines, she was already making waves in the industry. You might remember her from Knight Squad on Nickelodeon. What’s interesting about May is her background in musical theater. It shows. There’s a discipline to her movement that made the cheer sequences feel authentic rather than just "movie-magic" faked. She didn't just play a cheerleader; she moved like one.
Then there’s the legendary Denise Richards.
Look, Denise Richards is the queen of this genre for a reason. In this film, she plays Candice, Ava’s mother. It’s a bit of a meta-casting choice if you think about it. Richards, who has been in the spotlight since the 90s and lived through the intense scrutiny of reality TV and Hollywood tabloids, plays the supportive but slightly wary mother perfectly. She brings a groundedness to the film that balances out the more "teen-scream" elements of the plot. She isn't just a "mom" character; she’s the emotional anchor that makes the stakes feel real for Ava.
The Antagonist You Love to Hate
Every cheer movie needs a villain. Not just a "mean girl," but someone who feels genuinely formidable. Allie DeBerry stepped into the role of Katrina, the captain of the squad.
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Katrina is the classic archetype: beautiful, popular, and absolutely terrifying. DeBerry was a veteran of the Disney world—specifically A.N.T. Farm—so seeing her play a manipulative, borderline sociopathic cheer captain was a fun departure for fans. She played the role with a sharp edge. It wasn't just hair flips and insults; it was a calculated performance of a girl who realizes her power is entirely tied to her status on that squad.
Why This Specific Cast Worked Where Others Fail
A lot of these made-for-TV movies fall flat because the actors feel like they’re just reading lines between commercial breaks. That didn’t happen here.
The chemistry between the The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders cast felt layered. You had the supporting players like Josie Davis, who plays Coach Sinclair. Davis is another TV veteran (Charles in Charge, Beverly Hills, 90210), and she brings that "hard-nosed coach with a secret" energy that keeps you guessing about her true motives. Is she helping Katrina? Is she oblivious? Is she just as much of a victim of the school's toxic culture?
The dynamics worked because the age gaps felt right, and the history felt lived-in.
- Savannah May brought the "new girl" vulnerability.
- Allie DeBerry brought the "incumbent" threat.
- Denise Richards provided the "adult perspective" that usually gets ignored in teen dramas.
It creates a trifecta of tension. You aren't just worried about who is going to be at the top of the pyramid; you're worried about the psychological fallout of a girl trying to fit into a system that is designed to break her.
Realism vs. Lifetime Drama: The Physical Demands
Let's be real for a second. Cheerleading is a sport. A dangerous one.
While The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders leans heavily into the "thriller" aspects—the stalking, the sabotage, the secrets—it also had to look the part. The cast actually had to look like they could perform. While stunt doubles are a reality of the industry, the main actors had to undergo choreography training to ensure the transitions looked seamless.
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Savannah May, in particular, has often spoken about her love for dance. That athletic background is a huge asset in a film like this. It’s the difference between a movie that looks like "actors playing dress-up" and a movie that feels like a slice of a very specific, high-intensity subculture.
High school cheerleading, especially in competitive regions, is a pressure cooker. The film taps into that. It takes the "win at all costs" mentality and pushes it to a lethal extreme.
Where Are They Now? Life After the Pom-Poms
Since the movie premiered in 2019, the cast hasn't slowed down. If you're looking to follow their careers, they've branched out into some pretty diverse projects.
Savannah May moved from Lifetime thrillers to Netflix hits. She played Carrie in Julie and the Phantoms, a role that let her showcase those musical theater chops we mentioned earlier. It’s a completely different vibe—way more neon and pop-rock than "secret lives" and sabotage—but it cemented her as a multi-talented performer to watch.
Allie DeBerry has continued to work steadily in independent films and TV movies. She’s carved out a niche for herself as a versatile actress who can jump between comedy and drama without breaking a sweat.
Denise Richards, of course, remains a household name. Between The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (though she’s moved on from that chapter) and her continued work in film and soaps like The Bold and the Beautiful, she’s proved that she has incredible staying power in an industry that isn't always kind to actresses as they age.
The Cultural Impact of the Cheerleading Thriller
Why do we keep coming back to these stories?
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There is something about the "cheerleader" image that represents the pinnacle of American high school social standing. When a movie like this pulls back the curtain—even in an exaggerated, fictional way—it touches on a universal fear: that the people we admire are actually the ones we should fear the most.
The The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders cast didn't just play roles; they represented different facets of that social hierarchy.
- The Outsider: Ava (May) represents the viewer—the person trying to understand the rules of a new world.
- The Gatekeeper: Katrina (DeBerry) represents the status quo—the person willing to do anything to keep things exactly as they are.
- The Protector: Candice (Richards) represents the reality check—the person who sees the danger before the protagonist does.
What You Should Watch Next
If you enjoyed the performances in this film, you don't have to stop there. The "Cheerleader-in-Peril" subgenre is vast.
You should definitely check out Dare Me, a series that takes a much darker, more prestige-drama look at the world of high school cheerleading. If you want more of Savannah May, Julie and the Phantoms is a must-watch, even if it’s a totally different genre. It shows her range in a way that Secret Lives only hinted at.
For those who are fans of Allie DeBerry’s "mean girl" turn, her earlier work on Disney is a fun contrast. It’s always interesting to see where an actor started versus where they ended up when they were given a darker script to chew on.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
Watching a film like The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders offers more than just entertainment if you look closely at how the cast handles the material.
- Study the "Face Turn": Notice how Allie DeBerry uses micro-expressions to go from "friendly teammate" to "calculated threat." It’s a masterclass in playing a two-faced character.
- Athleticism Matters: For aspiring actors, the film proves that having a "special skill" like dance or cheerleading on your resume isn't just fluff. It can be the literal reason you get cast in a lead role.
- Veteran Presence: Observe how Denise Richards handles smaller, more emotional scenes. She doesn't overplay them. She knows the "Lifetime" style requires a bit of heightened reality, but she keeps her performance grounded enough to make you care about her daughter's safety.
The movie might be a thriller, but the careers of the cast are very real. They've used this project as a stepping stone to bigger things, proving that there's a lot of talent behind the pom-poms.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the filmography of these actors, your best bet is to start with their most recent social media updates or IMDb pages. Many of them, like Savannah May, are very active on platforms like Instagram, sharing behind-the-scenes looks at their new projects and reflections on their past roles. For a deeper look at the production side, checking out interviews with the director, Peter Sullivan, can give you a better idea of how they managed to film those intense cheer sequences on a TV movie schedule. Sullivan is a pro at the Lifetime thriller genre, and his insights into casting are often fascinating for those interested in the industry.