You remember the late 2000s, right? It was a weird, messy time for horror. Everyone was trying to ride the coattails of the "zombie renaissance" started by 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. Some of those movies were absolute trash. Others, like the 2009 horror-comedy Zombies of Mass Destruction (ZMD), actually had something to say. It wasn't just about brains; it was about political polarization, small-town bigotry, and the absolute absurdity of the Bush-era "war on terror" vibes. But honestly, when you look back at the Zombies of Mass Destruction cast, you realize this wasn't just a bunch of random extras. These were real actors who took a micro-budget indie filmed in Port Townsend, Washington, and turned it into a cult favorite that still gets talked about on Reddit and horror forums today.
It’s a scrappy movie.
The plot kicks off when a biological weapon—or maybe just a weird virus—hits the sleepy island town of Port Gamble. Suddenly, the neighbors aren't just annoying; they’re hungry. The movie works because the cast treats the ridiculous script with more sincerity than it probably deserves. Janette Armand, playing Frida Abbas, anchors the whole thing. She’s a college dropout returning home to a town that doesn't exactly welcome her with open arms, mostly because of her heritage. It’s heavy-handed? Maybe. But in the context of a 2009 indie flick, it was actually pretty gutsy.
The Faces Behind the Chaos: A Closer Look at the Zombies of Mass Destruction Cast
Janette Armand was the "Final Girl," but with a lot more depth than the trope usually allows. After ZMD, she didn't become a massive Hollywood A-lister, but she stayed active in the industry for a while. You might have spotted her in The Last Rescue (2015). Her performance in ZMD is what people usually remember—that mix of exhaustion and sheer "I’m done with this" energy as she navigates both zombies and blatant racism. It’s a performance that feels very grounded in a movie that features a guy getting his head crushed by a church bell.
Then there’s Doug Fahl. He played Tom Hunt.
✨ Don't miss: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
Tom is one half of the gay couple (with Cooper Hopkins as Lance Murphy) who comes to Port Gamble to "come out" to Tom’s mother. It’s played for laughs, sure, but Fahl brings this nervous, twitchy energy that makes you actually root for him. Since the movie, Doug Fahl has actually become a bit of a recognizable face in the digital world. He transitioned into voice work and YouTube, where he runs a fairly popular channel called Augmented Actor. He talks about the craft, the industry, and how to actually make a living as a performer. It’s pretty cool to see someone from a cult zombie movie use that experience to mentor younger actors. He’s been in projects like The Gamers: Hands of Fate too.
Cooper Hopkins, who played Lance, stayed in the Pacific Northwest creative scene. He’s been involved in various shorts and local productions. His chemistry with Fahl provided the heart of the movie, even when things got exceptionally gory.
The Supporting Players and Standout Villains
You can't talk about this cast without mentioning Bill Johns, who played the Reverend Haggis. He’s the quintessential "judgmental small-town leader" who thinks the apocalypse is a divine message rather than a biological fluke. Johns has that perfect character-actor face. He’s done a lot of work in the Seattle theater scene and appeared in projects like The Devil’s Mirror.
And then there’s Russell Hodgkinson.
🔗 Read more: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
Wait, if that name sounds familiar, it should. Hodgkinson played Joe Miller in ZMD, but he went on to become a major star in the zombie genre as "Doc" in the hit Syfy series Z Nation. Seeing him in ZMD is like finding a hidden Easter egg. You can see the seeds of that grizzled, cynical-yet-lovable survivor character right there in this 2009 indie. He’s a veteran of the screen now, with credits in Big Fish and Grimm. His presence in the Zombies of Mass Destruction cast is a big reason why the film has seen a resurgence in interest; Z Nation fans go back to find his earlier work and stumble upon this gem.
Ali Hamidi played Abbas, Frida’s father. He captures that immigrant father experience perfectly—the pride, the confusion, and eventually, the courage. He hasn't been as active in major Hollywood productions since, but his performance remains one of the more emotional anchors of the film.
Why This Specific Cast Worked for a Micro-Budget Film
Most indie horror movies fail because the acting is wooden. You know the type—people just waiting for their turn to scream. But director Kevin Hamedani got lucky (or was very smart) with this group. They leaned into the satire.
The movie was filmed on a shoestring budget. We're talking "using local parks and friends' houses" levels of indie. Because the cast was largely comprised of theater-trained actors from the Seattle and Washington State area, they brought a level of discipline that you don't usually see in a movie where someone gets killed by a flaming torch in a church. They understood the tone. It wasn't just a horror movie; it was a dark comedy about the Bush era.
💡 You might also like: Is Lincoln Lawyer Coming Back? Mickey Haller's Next Move Explained
Real-World Connections and Filming Trivia
- Port Townsend is real: The movie was filmed in Port Townsend, WA, which stood in for the fictional "Port Gamble." Many of the extras were locals who just wanted to be zombies for a day.
- The After Dark Horrorfest: This movie gained its biggest audience when it was selected for the "8 Films to Die For" series. This was a huge deal back then for indie creators.
- Political Satire: Unlike Dawn of the Dead (the original), which was about consumerism, the ZMD cast had to navigate themes of Islamophobia and homophobia. It’s a lot to ask of actors in a movie called Zombies of Mass Destruction, but they pulled it off without it feeling like a Sunday school lesson.
It’s weirdly prophetic in some ways. Watching the townspeople turn on each other based on political suspicion feels a bit too "on the nose" in 2026.
Tracking the Career Trajectories
If you’re looking for where the Zombies of Mass Destruction cast ended up, it’s a mixed bag of steady work and career shifts.
- Russell Hodgkinson: Clearly the breakout. Between Z Nation and various indie films, he's the king of the "grizzled survivor" archetype.
- Doug Fahl: Successfully pivoted to the "expert" space. His YouTube channel is a legitimate resource for actors starting out. He still does local theater and commercial work.
- Janette Armand: She’s kept a lower profile in recent years but remains the face of the film for most fans.
- Kevin Hamedani (Director/Cast): Kevin actually appeared in the movie too. He went on to direct Junk and has worked as a writer and producer. He’s a big proponent of the "just go out and film it" mentality.
The movie didn't make anyone a billionaire. It didn't win an Oscar. But for a specific group of horror fans, these actors are icons of a very specific moment in time. They represent the transition from the "torture porn" era of the mid-2000s to the more socially conscious horror we see today with filmmakers like Jordan Peele.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Filmmakers
If you're a fan of the movie or just interested in the careers of the Zombies of Mass Destruction cast, here’s how you can engage with the legacy of this film and the people who made it:
- Follow the "Augmented Actor": If you’re into acting, Doug Fahl’s YouTube channel is actually great. It’s not just about "how to be famous," but the actual mechanics of being a working professional.
- Binge Z Nation: If you loved Russell Hodgkinson in ZMD, his work as Doc in Z Nation is essentially the final form of that character. It’s five seasons of glorious, weird zombie TV.
- Support PNW Film: Many of the cast members are still active in the Seattle/Portland film circuits. Keep an eye on local film festivals in the Northwest; that’s where the next ZMD is likely brewing.
- Re-watch with Context: Go back and watch ZMD today. It’s fascinating to see how the political jokes land now compared to 2009. Some are dated, but some are surprisingly sharp.
The reality of indie film is that not everyone becomes a household name. But the cast of ZMD proved that you don't need a hundred-million-dollar budget to make a mark. You just need a good script, a lot of fake blood, and a cast willing to commit to the bit. They made a movie that managed to be about more than just rotting flesh, and that’s why we’re still talking about them over a decade later. It’s a testament to the talent involved that the film survived the "DVD bargain bin" era to become a respected piece of cult cinema history.
Go check out their current projects. Most of these folks are still out there, grinding, acting, and creating, which is the most "human" ending a story about zombies could have.