The Uglies and the Pretties are headed to the big screen! Or, the small screen, I guess. But in a movie, not a series. It’s a film for Netflix, alright. We live in the future. Choose whatever size screen ya want! The point is, nearly 20 years after its release, the YA novel Uglies is being adapted into a movie.
If you aren’t familiar with the book, the dystopian novel by Scott Westerfeld was published in 2005. It’s about a future world in which everyone undergoes cosmetic surgery provided by the government on their 16th birthday. This surgery turns them from an “Ugly” to a “Pretty” with the idea being that the society will be controlled and at peace if everyone is the same level of conventionally attractive. But is there something even more sinister going on, too? Of course, there is! The main character, Tally, looks forward to becoming a Pretty, but ends up in a situation where she questions the entire idea. There are two sequel books, Pretties and Specials, as well as a companion book, Extras.
Joey King stars in the adaptation as Tally Youngblood and is also one of the executive producers of the film. Who’s joining her?
Here are the cast and characters of Uglies, which hits Netflix on Friday, Sept. 13.
Joey King as Tally Youngblood
Tally Youngblood is the lead character of Uglies, a nearly 16-year-old girl, who lives with the other Uglies and is excited to become a Pretty. (By the way, children, called Littlies, live with their parents until age 12 when they are sent to Uglyville for, essentially, boarding school until they become Pretties.) Tally meets a new friend, Shay, who runs away before undergoing the surgery. Tally then sets out to find Shay and learn more about what is really going on in her society.
Joey King, who plays Tally, is also known for the movie series The Kissing Booth, as we as for the movies Crazy, Stupid, Love and A Family Affair, and the miniseries The Act.
Instagram: @joeyking
Brianne Tju as Shay
Shay, the runaway Ugly who befriends Tally and sets off her mission to learn more about the plastic surgery procedure, is played by Brianne Tju.
Tju starred in the TV show adaptation of I Know What You Did Last Summer and appeared in episodes of Chicago PD, Scream, and Grey’s Anatomy. She also starred in the movie 47 Meters Down: Uncaged.
Instagram: @briannetju
Keith Powers as David
David is a runaway Ugly, who introduces Tally to a society outside of the one she knows, called the Smoke. Here, people, known as Smokies, are suspicious of the Pretty surgery, rather than excited about it like Tally is used to. Important for those who like some romance with their dystopia: David is also Tally’s love interest.
Davis is played by Keith Powers. His movie roles include Straight Outta Compton, Before I Fall, and The Tomorrow War. On TV, he’s appeared in Pretty Little Liars, Faking It, and The New Edition Story.
Instagram: @keithpowers
Chase Stokes as Peris
Peris is Tally’s best friend, who has already become a Pretty. Tally has snuck into New Pretty Town to visit him when she meets Shay.
Chase Stokes plays Peris. The actor is best known for starring in the TV show Outer Banks. He’s also had roles in Stranger Things and Tell Me Your Secrets.
Instagram: @hichasestokes
Jan Luis Castellanos as Croy
Croy is another runaway who lives in the Smoke. He’s suspicious of Tally’s reason for being in the Smoke at first, when she arrives to look for Shay.
Croy is portrayed by Jan Luis Castellanos, who has had roles in 13 Reasons Why, Don’t Look Deeper, and Tall Girl 2.
Instagram: @janluiscastellanos
Charmin Lee as Maddy
Maddy is David’s mother, who is one of the founders of the Smoke and who knows the truth of about the pretty surgery.
The character of Maddy is played by Charmin Lee, who has had roles in the TV shows The Chi, Girlfriends, and The Inspectors, and in the movies Palmer, Just Mercy, and What Men Want.
Instagram: @charminnoellee
Laverne Cox as Dr. Cable
Neither an Ugly, Pretty, or Smokie, Dr. Cable is one of the government officials, who works for a department called Special Circumstances. Dr. Cable enlists Tally’s help to find Shay.
Laverne Cox plays Dr. Cable. Cox is best known for starring in Orange Is the New Black, and has also had roles in Doubt, Promising Young Woman, and Inventing Anna.
Instagram: @lavernecox
