It was 1984. A comet wiped out most of humanity. Two Valley Girls survived. Honestly, when you look back at the cast of Night of the Comet, it’s a miracle the movie worked as well as it did. Most low-budget sci-fi from that era feels like a dusty museum piece now, but this one? It’s alive. It’s vibrant. That’s mostly because the actors didn't play it like a B-movie. They played it like a character study that just happened to involve flesh-eating zombies and a world covered in red dust.
Thom Eberhardt, the director, basically hit the jackpot with his leads. You had Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney playing sisters Regina and Samantha Belmont. They weren't your typical "damsels." They were smart. They were sarcastic. They knew how to handle a MAC-10. It’s that chemistry that keeps people coming back forty years later.
Catherine Mary Stewart as Regina Belmont: The Big Sister We All Needed
Catherine Mary Stewart was already becoming a face people recognized by the time 1984 rolled around. She had done The Last Starfighter the same year, which is a wild double-feature if you think about it. In the cast of Night of the Comet, she’s the anchor. She plays Regina with this weary, "I’ve seen everything" attitude that makes perfect sense for a girl who spends her days working at a movie theater and her nights dealing with a stepmother she hates.
Stewart’s performance is subtle. She doesn't overact the apocalypse. When she realizes her boyfriend has been turned into a pile of red dust, she’s shocked, yeah, but she’s also practical. There's a scene where she’s playing Tempest in the lobby—that’s iconic. It’s such a specific 80s moment that grounds the sci-fi weirdness in reality.
She’s gone on record in various interviews—check out her chats with Icons of Fright or her convention panels—saying how much she loved that these girls weren't victims. They were the heroes of their own story. Stewart didn't just show up for a paycheck; she gave Regina a backbone of steel. After Comet, she stayed busy with projects like Weekend at Bernie's, but for a certain generation, she’ll always be the girl who outlasted the end of the world.
Kelli Maroney and the Art of the Cheerleader Survivalist
If Regina is the brains, Samantha is the heart. Kelli Maroney brought something so special to the cast of Night of the Comet. Before this, she was the "bad girl" Cindy Carr in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Here, she’s a cheerleader in a world with no one left to cheer for.
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Maroney is funny. Like, genuinely funny. Her delivery of the line, "Daddy would have gotten us Uzis," is probably the most quoted bit of dialogue in the entire film. But it’s not just a joke. It’s a glimpse into her character’s upbringing. These girls were raised by a military dad who taught them how to fight. Maroney plays that duality perfectly—one second she’s pouting about her hair, the next she’s ready to take down a zombie with a smile.
It’s interesting to note that Maroney almost didn't get the vibe right at first. She has mentioned in retrospectives that she had to find the balance between the Valley Girl trope and a real person. She succeeded. You care about Sam. You don't want her to get caught by the "Think Tank" scientists.
Robert Beltran: The Romantic Interest Who Actually Does Something
Then you have Robert Beltran as Hector. Most people know him as Commander Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager, but before he was lost in the Delta Quadrant, he was a truck driver trying to survive a comet.
Beltran provides a necessary foil to the sisters. He’s a bit older, a bit more cynical, but he’s a "nice guy" in the best sense of the word. The dynamic between him and Catherine Mary Stewart feels earned. It isn't some rushed "we're the last people on earth so we have to fall in love" thing. It’s two people who find comfort in each other while everything else is literally turning to dust.
Beltran’s inclusion was also a bit of a milestone. Having a Latino lead in a mainstream sci-fi film in 1984 wasn't exactly common. It wasn't pointed out or made into a "thing" in the script; he was just Hector. That kind of representation, even back then, gave the cast of Night of the Comet a sense of depth and reality that other films lacked.
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The Villains: Mary Woronov and Geoffrey Lewis
A movie is only as good as its villains, and boy, did this movie have some weird ones. Mary Woronov and Geoffrey Lewis as the lead scientists at the underground bunker? Inspired casting.
Woronov is a cult cinema legend. From her work with Andy Warhol to Eating Raoul, she always brings this icy, detached energy to her roles. In Night of the Comet, she plays Audrey White, a scientist who eventually realizes that what they are doing to "save" humanity is actually monstrous. Her character arc is one of the darkest parts of the film. She’s not a cartoon villain. She’s a person who made a terrible choice and has to live (or die) with it.
Geoffrey Lewis, a character actor veteran and father to Juliette Lewis, plays Dr. Carter. He represents the cold, bureaucratic evil. He’s not a monster with claws; he’s a man with a clipboard and a needle. That’s way scarier.
Why the Chemistry Worked
You can’t manufacture chemistry. You either have it or you don't. When you watch the cast of Night of the Comet together, you can tell they liked each other. The scenes in the radio station, where they’re just hanging out and eating snacks while the world is dead outside, feel like genuine moments.
- The Script: Eberhardt wrote dialogue that sounded like how people actually spoke.
- The Setting: Filming on the empty streets of Los Angeles (done very early in the morning) created a real sense of isolation for the actors.
- The Wardrobe: Let's be real—the outfits are legendary. The red dress, the cheerleader outfit, the leather jackets. It gave the actors a physical identity to lean into.
There was a sense of "us against the world" on that set. It was a low-budget production. They didn't have the money for massive effects, so they had to rely on the performances. If the audience didn't believe the sisters cared about each other, the movie would have flopped. Instead, it became a cult classic that outperformed its budget by millions.
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The Legacy of the Performers
Looking at where the cast of Night of the Comet is now is like looking at a map of 80s and 90s pop culture.
- Catherine Mary Stewart: Continues to act and is a regular at horror conventions. She remains incredibly proud of the film's feminist undertones.
- Kelli Maroney: Still active in the indie horror scene and runs a popular social media presence where she engages with fans of the film.
- Robert Beltran: Became a sci-fi icon through Star Trek and continues to do theater and voice work.
- Mary Woronov: Mostly retired from acting to focus on her art and writing, though her impact on the "weird" side of cinema is permanent.
Common Misconceptions About the Cast
Some people think the movie was a flop because it’s a "cult classic." Actually, it was a hit! It made about $14 million on a budget of roughly $700,000. The actors weren't "failed" stars; they were successful working actors who happened to make a movie that resonated way longer than anyone expected.
Another weird myth is that the cast didn't get along. Every interview with Stewart and Maroney suggests the opposite. They’ve remained friends for decades. That sisterly bond you see on screen wasn't just acting—it was the foundation of the whole production.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of this 80s gem, don't just stop at the movie. Here is how to actually engage with the history of the cast of Night of the Comet:
- Seek out the Shout! Factory Blu-ray: This version contains some of the best commentary tracks featuring Stewart and Maroney. Hearing them reminisce about the L.A. streets is worth the price alone.
- Follow the leads on social media: Both Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart are very active on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. They often share behind-the-scenes photos that haven't been seen in magazines.
- Attend a Horror Convention: This cast is a staple at events like Monster-Mania or Chiller Theatre. They are notoriously kind to fans and often do group signings.
- Watch 'The Last Starfighter' and 'Chopping Mall': To really appreciate the range of the cast, watch Stewart in the former and Maroney in the latter. It gives you a full picture of their 80s "reign."
- Research the filming locations: Many of the spots in Los Angeles, like the movie theater (the El Rey) and the radio station building, are still standing. A self-guided tour is a great way to feel like you're in the film—just watch out for red dust.
The reason we still talk about this specific group of actors isn't just nostalgia. It’s because they treated a "silly" apocalypse movie with respect. They gave us characters who felt like people we knew. In a decade defined by over-the-top action heroes, the cast of Night of the Comet gave us something better: survivors we actually liked.