Let’s be real for a second. Remaking a Brian De Palma masterpiece is basically a suicide mission for any director, but when Kimberly Peirce signed on for the 2013 reimagining of Stephen King’s debut novel, there was actually a glimmer of hope. Why? Because the cast of carrie 2013 was, on paper, absolutely stacked. You had a rising indie darling, a four-time Oscar nominee, and a handful of future stars who hadn't quite hit their stride yet. It should have worked.
The 2013 version didn't fail because of the acting. Honestly, the actors are the only reason we're still talking about this movie over a decade later. While the CGI blood looked like strawberry syrup and the pacing felt a bit rushed, the ensemble brought a certain "Gen Z" (well, late-Millennial at the time) vulnerability to a story that usually feels like a gothic fever dream.
Chloë Grace Moretz took on the impossible task of following Sissy Spacek’s iconic, wide-eyed performance. Moretz was only 15 when they filmed this. That's a huge deal. Usually, Hollywood casts 25-year-olds with perfect skin to play "ugly duckling" high schoolers, which makes the bullying feel fake. With Moretz, the youth was real. The awkwardness was palpable. But she wasn't alone; she was anchored by Julianne Moore, who played Margaret White with a terrifying, self-mutilating intensity that arguably surpassed Piper Laurie’s campier 1976 version.
Breaking down the core cast of carrie 2013
When you look at the cast of carrie 2013, the standout is obviously Chloë Grace Moretz. She was coming off the high of Kick-Ass and Let Me In, proving she could handle dark, heavy material. In this version, her Carrie is less "alien" than Spacek’s and more of a social outcast trying—and failing—to blend in. She hunches. She hides behind a curtain of blonde hair. It’s a grounded performance, even when she’s flipping cars with her mind.
Then there is Julianne Moore. If you want to talk about commitment, talk about Moore in this movie. She didn't just play a religious zealot; she played a woman deeply suffering from untreated mental illness. She famously did her own stunts involving self-harm (using a prosthetic, obviously) to show how Margaret White’s fanaticism was a cage for both her and her daughter. It’s uncomfortable to watch. It should be.
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The supporting players were equally interesting.
- Gabriella Wilde as Sue Snell: Wilde brought a soft, ethereal quality to the girl who feels guilty. Unlike the original film where Sue feels a bit more like a typical "good girl," Wilde plays her with a lingering sense of dread.
- Ansel Elgort as Tommy Ross: This was Elgort's film debut. Before The Fault in Our Stars made him a household name, he was just the "nice guy" taking the weird girl to prom. He plays Tommy with a sincere, jock-with-a-heart-of-gold vibe that makes his eventual death by falling bucket actually sting a little.
- Portia Doubleday as Chris Hargensen: Every horror movie needs a villain you love to hate. Doubleday is vicious. She’s the modern "mean girl" before that trope became a parody of itself.
- Alex Russell as Billy Nolan: Taking over for John Travolta is a tall order. Russell plays Billy as a volatile, dangerous loser rather than a charismatic bad boy. It fits the darker tone Peirce was aiming for.
The Judy Greer factor and the teachers
One of the most underrated parts of the cast of carrie 2013 is Judy Greer as Ms. Desjardin. Greer is usually the "best friend" in rom-coms, but here she gets to show real grit. She’s the only adult in the entire story who treats Carrie like a human being. Her chemistry with Moretz is one of the few warm spots in an otherwise bleak film.
Barry Shabaka Henley also appears as Principal Henry Morton. It’s a thankless role—the principal who can’t even remember the protagonist's name—but Henley plays the bureaucratic indifference perfectly. It adds to the theme of Carrie being invisible to the world until she becomes impossible to ignore.
Why the chemistry worked (and where the script didn't)
The actors were doing the heavy lifting. You can see it in the prom scene. The way Elgort’s Tommy looks at Moretz’s Carrie isn't mocking; it’s genuinely sweet. This makes the "Plug It Up" incident and the eventual pig blood prank feel much more devastating. You actually want Carrie to have a nice night.
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Critics at the time, like Roger Ebert’s site (penned by Matt Zoller Seitz), noted that the film felt "unnecessary" but praised the performances. The issue wasn't the cast of carrie 2013—it was the direction. Kimberly Peirce, who directed the raw and harrowing Boys Don't Cry, seemed to be fighting against a studio that wanted a "superhero origin story" vibe.
The actors were playing a tragedy. The special effects team was making an action movie. This disconnect is why the movie sits at a lukewarm 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite the fact that the acting is objectively high-caliber.
The evolution of the bullying
In 2013, the concept of "cyberbullying" was starting to peak in the public consciousness. The script updated the story to include the shower incident being filmed on a smartphone and uploaded to the internet. Portia Doubleday’s Chris Hargensen becomes a more modern monster because of this. It’s not just schoolyard teasing; it’s digital permanence. This shift required the cast to play with a different kind of cruelty—one that is distant and cold rather than just loud and physical.
Where are they now?
Looking back at the cast of carrie 2013, it’s a snapshot of a very specific moment in Hollywood.
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- Chloë Grace Moretz: She took a brief hiatus from acting to recalibrate and has since returned with more experimental roles and voice work. She remains a vocal advocate for young actors' rights.
- Ansel Elgort: Went on to massive fame with Baby Driver and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, though his career has faced public scrutiny and pauses in recent years.
- Julianne Moore: She finally won her Best Actress Oscar just two years after Carrie for Still Alice. She continues to be one of the greatest living performers.
- Portia Doubleday: Became a cult favorite for her role in the hit series Mr. Robot.
- Alex Russell: Found steady work in the TV world, notably starring in S.W.A.T. for several seasons.
What most people get wrong about this remake
People love to hate remakes. It’s a sport. But if you watch the 2013 version and focus strictly on the cast of carrie 2013, you’ll realize it’s a much better character study than the 2002 TV movie or the ill-fated The Rage: Carrie 2.
The nuance Julianne Moore brings to the "closet" scenes—where she locks Carrie away—is deeply sad. She isn't just a monster; she’s a broken woman who thinks she’s saving her daughter’s soul. That complexity is hard to pull off. Most actors would just ham it up and scream. Moore plays it with a quiet, shaky-voiced desperation.
Similarly, Moretz’s portrayal of the telekinesis isn't just "hand waving." She used movement coaches to make the powers feel like an extension of her body. It looks like she’s conducting an orchestra, which is a cool departure from the stiff-stare approach of previous iterations.
Actionable Insights for Horror Fans
If you're revisiting the movie because of the cast of carrie 2013, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the "Deleted Scenes": There is an alternate ending and several extended scenes between Carrie and Margaret that were cut for time. These show off the acting much better than the theatrical cut.
- Compare the "Blood" Scene: Notice how the 2013 cast reacts differently to the prom disaster. In '76, it's a dreamscape. In '13, it's a panic attack. The visceral horror comes from the realism of the teenagers' terror.
- Focus on the Wardrobe: The costume design for Carrie’s prom dress was intentionally "plain" to show she made it herself. It contrasts sharply with the high-fashion look of the other girls, emphasizing the social gap the actors had to bridge.
- Read the Book First: To truly appreciate what the actors were doing, you have to realize they were trying to be more faithful to the book than the De Palma film. The 2013 version includes the "meteor shower" opening from the novel that was previously ignored.
The 2013 Carrie might not be the definitive version of the story, but it’s a masterclass in how a talented cast can elevate mediocre material. These actors took a "cash-grab" remake and tried to give it a soul. Whether they succeeded is up for debate, but you can't deny the sheer talent on screen. For anyone interested in acting or film history, it's a fascinating case study in performance vs. production.