Why Are You Afraid of the Dark Actors Still Haunt Our Memories (and Where They Are Now)

Growing up in the nineties meant one specific ritual: Saturday nights, SNICK, and the sound of a match striking in the pitch black. We all remember the Midnight Society sitting around that campfire, but what’s wild is looking back at the Are You Afraid of the Dark actors who occupied those logs—or played the monsters in our nightmares. It wasn't just a kids' show. It was a massive talent incubator.

Honestly, it’s kinda surreal. You’re rewatching an old episode about a haunted camera or a creepy clown, and suddenly you realize you’re looking at a future Oscar nominee or a teen heartthrob who dominated the early 2000s.

The show worked because it didn't talk down to us. It was anthology-style horror that relied heavily on the charisma of young performers who had to sell ghosts and ghouls on a Canadian cable budget. While the "Midnight Society" members were the face of the franchise, the guest stars often stole the spotlight. Some stayed in the industry, while others basically vanished into thin air, much like the spirits they were running from on screen.

The Stars Who Found Gold After the Fire Went Out

Most people don’t realize how many A-listers got their feet wet in the woods of Montreal. Ryan Gosling is the obvious heavyweight here. Long before he was "Ken" or the guy in The Notebook, he was Jamie Leary in the episode "The Tale of Station 109.1." He played a kid obsessed with death who gets trapped in a weird after-life radio station. He was scrawny, high-pitched, and already showing that weirdly magnetic screen presence.

Then you’ve got Elisha Cuthbert. She didn't just guest star; she was a core member of the second generation Midnight Society (the 1999 revival). She played Megan. It’s funny because she went from telling ghost stories to becoming a massive "It Girl" in 24 and The Girl Next Door. She was the bridge between the Nickelodeon era and the mainstream Hollywood boom of the early aughts.

And we can’t ignore Neve Campbell. Before Scream turned her into the ultimate final girl, she was in "The Tale of the Dangerous Soup." It’s almost poetic. She spent her career being chased by Ghostface, but it all started with a story about a restaurant that serves your fears in a bowl.

Jay Baruchel is another one. He appeared in multiple episodes, including "The Tale of the Walking Shadow" and "The Tale of the Dice." He’s basically the poster child for the Canadian-to-Hollywood pipeline that Are You Afraid of the Dark helped build. He stayed true to his roots, though, often working with fellow Canadians like Seth Rogen, but his nervous energy was perfected on the set of the Midnight Society.

The Original Midnight Society: Where Did They Go?

The original cast—the ones from the 1991–1996 run—feel like old friends to Millennials. Gary, played by Ross Hull, was the de facto leader. He wore those iconic wire-rimmed glasses and took the lore very seriously. Ross Hull actually transitioned into a very different kind of storytelling. He became a well-known meteorologist in Canada. If you turn on Global News in Toronto, there he is, still talking to an audience, just about cold fronts instead of "The Ghastly Grinner."

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Raine Pare-Coull played Betty Ann. She was always the one who brought the truly psychological, messed-up stories to the fire. After the show, she largely stepped away from the limelight. It’s a common theme with the Are You Afraid of the Dark actors from that first era. Many found that child stardom was a peak they were happy to move on from.

Jason Alisharan, who played Frank, moved into the behind-the-scenes world. He didn't want to be in front of the camera forever. He ended up working in production and development at big studios like DreamWorks. It makes sense. If you spend your formative years learning how to structure a "scary story," you’re probably going to be pretty good at script development.

Then there’s Rachel Blanchard (Kristen). She’s had one of the most consistent careers of the bunch. She went on to star in the Clueless TV series and more recently appeared in The Summer I Turned Pretty. She managed to dodge the "child star curse" entirely by just... keeping her head down and working.

The Creepy Guests and One-Off Legends

The monsters were often played by local stage actors or character actors who brought a level of intensity that terrified us. Remember Zeebo the Clown? Or the Ghastly Grinner?

The Grinner was played by Neil Kroetsch. He was terrifying. That blue-skinned, laughing freak was the stuff of actual therapy sessions for kids in 1994. Kroetsch is a veteran of the Montreal acting scene. He didn't just do kids' shows; he’s done Shakespeare and heavy dramatic theater. That’s why those villains worked. They weren't just guys in masks; they were trained actors treating the material like it was high drama.

Gilbert Gottfried even showed up once! He played a character named Roy in "The Tale of Station 109.1"—the same episode Ryan Gosling was in. Seeing Gottfried’s manic energy mixed with a young Gosling is one of those "only in the nineties" fever dreams that makes the show so rewatchable today.

The 1999 Revival and the New Class

When the show came back in 1999, the vibe changed. It was slicker. The Midnight Society moved from a random clearing in the woods to a weird bridge/overpass area.

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Daniel DeSanto played Tucker, Gary's younger brother. He was the only real link between the two generations. Daniel has stayed very active in the industry, notably playing Jason in Mean Girls ("Your mom's chest hair!"). He’s a staple of the Toronto voice-acting community now.

Joanna Garcia Swisher was also in that revival. She played Heather. Most people know her now from Reba or Sweet Magnolias. She’s become a queen of the "cozy drama" genre, which is a hilarious 180-degree turn from shivering in the dark talking about vampires.

Why the Casting Was So Effective

DJ MacHale and Ned Kandel, the creators, had a specific eye for talent. They didn't just want "cute kids." They wanted kids who felt like they had secrets.

The casting directors in Montreal and Toronto tapped into a pool of talent that hadn't been over-exposed by Disney or the LA scene. This gave the show an "everyman" feel. You felt like these kids could be your neighbors. When Are You Afraid of the Dark actors delivered their lines, there was a certain Canadian earnestness that made the horror feel grounded.

It wasn't just about the jump scares. It was about the campfire chemistry. If you didn't believe the kids were friends, the stories wouldn't matter. They spent hours together in the cold Canadian nights, often filming the campfire scenes all at once over a few days to save budget. That exhaustion you see on their faces? Some of that was real.

The Tragedy of the "Lost" Actors

Not everyone made it big, and some stories are just a bit quiet. There’s a lot of "Whatever happened to...?" surrounding this show.

Take Nathaniel Moreau, who played David in the early seasons. He was the "quiet, sensitive" one. He did a few things after the show, like the Kung Fu: The Legend Continues series, but then he just... stopped. No big scandal, no public meltdown. Just a choice to live a private life. In a world of social media, there’s something almost haunting about an actor from a horror show who just disappears into normalcy.

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Fact-Checking the "Cursed" Rumors

Internet forums love to claim that the Are You Afraid of the Dark actors are cursed. Let’s be real: they aren't.

Unlike the cast of Diff'rent Strokes or other shows plagued by tragedy, the AYAOTD alumni are mostly doing great. They are teachers, parents, weather reporters, and producers. The "curse" is just a byproduct of the show's dark subject matter. People want the real life to match the fiction. But the reality is much more wholesome. Most of them look back at the show as a summer camp experience that happened to be filmed.

How to Track Their Work Today

If you’re looking to go down a rabbit hole, here is how you can actually follow the work of these actors in the modern day:

• Ross Hull (Gary): Follow his weather reports on Global News. He’s very active on social media and often leans into the nostalgia.
• Elisha Cuthbert (Megan): Check out her work in the comedy The Ranch on Netflix or her recent horror film The Cellar.
• Jay Baruchel (Guest Star): He’s everywhere, but his voice work in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise is his biggest legacy.
• Rachel Blanchard (Kristen): Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty to see her playing the "cool mom" role, a far cry from her campfire days.
• Ryan Gosling (Jamie): Just go to a movie theater. He’s arguably the biggest movie star in the world right now.

What We Can Learn From the Midnight Society

The show was a masterclass in anthology acting. Each week, a new guest star had to make us care about a thirty-minute story. That’s hard. It’s much harder than being a series regular on a sitcom where the audience already knows you.

The actors had to build stakes instantly. If they didn't look scared, we weren't scared. Looking back, the sheer volume of talent that passed through that forest is a testament to the show's quality. It wasn't just a "kids' show"; it was a training ground for a generation of performers who would go on to define 2000s cinema.

Next Steps for the Nostalgic Fan

To truly appreciate the evolution of these performers, your best bet is to do a "Before and After" marathon. Start by streaming "The Tale of Station 109.1" on Paramount+ or YouTube to see a 15-year-old Ryan Gosling, then immediately watch Drive or Blade Runner 2049. The contrast in his physicality is staggering, yet that same intense gaze is there.

If you're more interested in the core cast, look up Ross Hull's "Midnight Society" reunions on YouTube. He has occasionally brought the old gang back together for interviews, providing the most authentic look at what happened behind the scenes when the cameras stopped rolling and the fire was finally doused. For those into the production side, Jay Baruchel's interviews often touch on his time as a child actor in Canada, offering a gritty, honest look at the industry that birthed these spooky stories.