Supermassive Games has this specific "thing" they do. You know the one. They take a bunch of recognizable faces, put them in a blender with some 80s slasher tropes, and see who survives the night. But with the cast of the Quarry, something shifted. It wasn't just another interactive movie; it felt like a weirdly high-budget reunion of people you’ve seen on Netflix or in that one horror movie from ten years ago.
Honestly? It works because they didn't just hire voice actors. They hired performers.
When you’re playing, you aren't just looking at polygons. You’re looking at David Arquette’s actual worry lines. You’re seeing Brenda Song’s specific brand of sass. It’s the performance capture that bridges the gap between a "game character" and a "person I actually want to keep alive." Or, you know, kill off if they’re being particularly annoying. That’s the beauty of it.
The heavy hitters who anchored Hackett’s Quarry
It’s impossible to talk about the cast of the Quarry without starting with David Arquette. Seeing Dewey from Scream play Chris Hackett, the camp owner, felt like a meta-nod to the entire horror genre. He’s got this nervous energy that makes you instantly suspicious but also kind of sympathetic. Arquette brings a groundedness to the role that a less experienced actor might have missed. He’s not a villain; he’s a guy trying to manage a catastrophic situation with very limited tools.
Then you have Siobhan Williams as Laura. She’s arguably the most important character in the game. Her transformation from a terrified captive to a hardened, eye-patch-wearing survivor is the emotional spine of the story. If her performance didn't land, the whole "second half" of the game would have felt hollow. She has to carry the mystery.
And we have to talk about Ted Raimi. If you’re a Sam Raimi fan, seeing Ted as Travis Hackett was a treat. He plays that "creepy but maybe right?" cop archetype so well. His voice has this gravelly, unsettling quality that keeps you on edge during every interrogation scene. It’s nuanced work. He isn't just a monster; he's a brother and a son dealing with a family curse.
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The "Counselor" dynamics that make or break the story
The younger counselors are where the "teen slasher" vibe really lives. Justice Smith as Ryan is a standout, mostly because he plays the "loner who likes podcasts" trope without making it feel like a caricature. He’s dry. He’s awkward. He’s very Justice Smith.
Brenda Song as Kaitlyn is another stroke of genius. Most of us grew up watching her on Disney, so seeing her handle a shotgun and take charge of a group of panicking teenagers is a fun subversion. She brings a competence to the group that they desperately need. Without Kaitlyn, the counselors are basically just fodder.
- Ariel Winter as Abigail: She plays the shy, artistic type. It’s a huge departure from her Modern Family persona, showing a lot of vulnerability.
- Evan Evagora as Nick: He’s the sweet, sensitive guy who... well, things don't go great for him. His chemistry with Abigail is what makes the early chapters feel like a real summer camp romance.
- Halston Sage as Emma: The "influencer" archetype. She could have been incredibly annoying, but Sage plays her with enough hidden depth that you start to see the persona is just a shield.
- Miles Robbins as Dylan: Easily the fan favorite. His humor is the only thing that keeps the tension from becoming unbearable. Robbins has incredible comedic timing, even when his character is potentially losing a limb.
Why the horror legends matter
Beyond the main kids, the cast of the Quarry includes some absolute titans of the genre. Grace Zabriskie as Eliza, the Hag of Hackett’s Quarry, is terrifying. You might remember her from Twin Peaks. She has this way of looking directly into the camera—directly at you—that feels genuinely intrusive. She’s the one reading the tarot cards between chapters, and her descent from helpful guide to vengeful spirit is a masterclass in pacing.
Then there’s Lin Shaye and Lance Henriksen.
If you’ve seen Insidious or Aliens, you know these two are royalty. Having them play the elder Hacketts adds a layer of "prestige horror" to the project. They don't have the most screen time, but when they are there, they dominate the frame. Henriksen’s voice alone is enough to set the mood. It sounds like two tectonic plates grinding together.
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The tech behind the faces
We have to acknowledge the "Uncanny Valley" for a second. Sometimes, the cast of the Quarry looks a little... stiff? It’s usually the teeth. Something about the way games render mouth movements still hasn't quite perfected the "human" look. But Supermassive used a sophisticated performance capture rig that recorded body, face, and voice simultaneously.
This is why the chemistry feels real. When Dylan and Ryan are joking around in the radio shack, those actors were actually in the room together. They weren't just reading lines in a booth six months apart. You can hear the overlaps, the natural pauses, and the genuine laughter. That's what separates this from a standard AAA game where the dialogue can feel robotic.
What most people get wrong about the "Bad" endings
There’s a misconception that if you kill off the "famous" members of the cast of the Quarry, you’re playing the game wrong. Honestly? Some of the best writing is hidden in the failure states. Seeing how different actors react to the death of their friends—or their own impending doom—is where the range really shows.
Justice Smith’s reaction if he has to make a "hard choice" regarding a certain family member is gut-wrenching. If you play everyone perfectly and everyone survives, you actually miss out on some of the most intense acting in the game. It’s a tragedy, sure, but it’s a well-acted tragedy.
The legacy of the performance
The Quarry proved that "famous" actors aren't just a marketing gimmick for games anymore. In the early 2000s, getting a celebrity for a voice role usually meant a flat, bored performance. Here, the cast is clearly invested. They’re playing characters with flaws, secrets, and really bad survival instincts.
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It sets a high bar. When we look at future horror titles, we’re going to expect this level of talent. We want actors who can handle the physical demands of motion capture while delivering lines that feel like they belong in an A24 film.
How to get the most out of your next playthrough
If you’ve already beaten the game once, you’ve probably only seen about 30% of the recorded dialogue. The cast of the Quarry recorded thousands of lines that many players will never hear. To really appreciate the work put in here, you should try a "Movie Mode" run where you set specific personalities for the characters.
- The "Gorefest" Run: Set everyone to make the worst possible decisions. It sounds cruel, but it allows you to see the death animations and the "final stand" performances that are genuinely impressive.
- The "Everyone Lives" Challenge: This requires precise timing and a lot of patience. It’s the only way to see the full redemptive arcs for characters like Laura and Max.
- The Couch Co-op Experience: Assign different actors to different friends. It changes the dynamic entirely when you’re "responsible" for Brenda Song’s life while your friend is playing as the comic relief.
The real magic of the cast of the Quarry is that they made us care about a bunch of trope-heavy counselors in the middle of the woods. Whether you love them or hate them, you remember them. And in a genre as crowded as horror, that’s the hardest thing to achieve.
Next time you’re in the woods, just remember: keep the lights on, don’t open the trapdoor, and maybe, just maybe, listen to what Ryan has to say about the podcasts. He might be onto something.