Meet the Cast of Colleen Hoover's 'It Ends With Us'
Colleen Hoover's BookTok sensation, It Ends with Us, is finally getting the Hollywood treatment, complete with a star-studded cast.
In case you missed it, the best-selling author's romance novel, which follows Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid, rose in popularity in 2021 after getting attention from countless readers on #booktok. And now, fans will get to see the story come to life, with director Justin Baldoni and Gossip Girl's Blake Lively starring as the main characters.
The movie's finally out in theaters, six months later than its originally projected February 9 release date. But it seems worth the wait: It Ends With Us has already grossed $7.3 million in previews against its $25 million budget. And according to Hoover, fans are in for a treat. She previously told Today, "You guys are going to be so happy. I'm extremely happy and now my expectations are up, and I'm going to keep them there."
You know I already have my movie ticket, but before I head to the theater, I thought it was time to get better acquainted with the It Ends with Us cast.
1. Blake Lively as Lily Bloom
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What else she’s been in: Gossip Girl, A Simple Favor, The Shallows, The Age of Adaline, The Town, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
In It Ends With Us, Lively plays Lily Bloom, a college graduate who has recently lost her father and is processing her parents' turbulent and often violent relationship. She moves to Boston to fulfill her dream of owning her own business, eventually opening a flower shop. Lily also gets involved in a messy love triangle, which is where all the drama begins. The actress went through quite the transformation to bring Lily to life by dyeing her blonde hair red. And the author, Hoover, couldn't be more thrilled to have her on board. On Instagram, she said, "Blake Lively, y'all! She's my dream Lily."
Lively is best known for her iconic portrayal of Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl, and she has starred in other noteworthy projects like The Age of Adaline and A Simple Favor. She has also done work behind the camera, directing (and appearing in) Taylor Swift's music video for "I Bet You Think About Me" in 2021.
Fortunately, we'll see more of Lively in her upcoming films, including The Husband's Secret, The Making Of and Proxy.
2. Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid
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What else she’s been in: Jane the Virgin, Con Man, Undercover Bridesmaid, Isolated
Baldoni stars as Ryle Kincaid, a handsome surgical resident and Lily's love interest. And as it turns out, Baldoni got Hoover's stamp of approval as soon as she met him. She said, “When I first met Justin Baldoni, who is directing the film for It Ends With Us, I immediately wanted him to be Ryle. I just thought that he had what it takes to play that character.”
Baldoni has been working behind the scenes as of late, directing movies like Clouds and Five Feet Apart. But we can't forget about his scene-stealing performance as the dreamy Rafael in Jane the Virgin. His other acting credits include Happy Endings, Single Ladies and CSI: NY. He first gained recognition for his award-winning documentary series, My Last Days, which put him on CW's radar, the success of which allowed him to found his entertainment company, Wayfarer Entertainment.
3. Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan
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What else he’s been in: 1923, Vice, Westworld, The Offer, Futra Days
Brandon Sklenar is Atlas Corrigan, Lily’s high school boyfriend and the third part of Lily's complicated love triangle. In an Instagram post that has since been removed, Sklenar responded to the casting news and wrote, “When this project came along I wasn’t aware of this book or the tremendous impact it has had on women all over the world in helping them to have the strength to change their lives. This is something very personal to me.”
Sklenar has been nailing his role as Spencer Dutton in 1923, the prequel to Yellowstone, but before he started donning his cowboy hat, Sklenar appeared in shows like New Girl (Loner), Westworld (Henry), Walker: Independence (Liam Collins) and The Offer (Burt Reynolds). His upcoming projects include Fall Into Me, Green & Gold and Favorites.
4. Jenny Slate as Allysa Kincaid
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What else she’s been in: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Obvious Child, The Great North, Big Mouth, Bob's Burgers
Jenny Slate plays Ryle's sister and Lily's friend, Allyssa. She's married to Marshall, portrayed by Slate's fellow comedian Hasan Minhaj.
House of Lies, Parks and Recreation, Girls and Brooklyn Nine-Nine are just a few shows you may recognize Slate from—but these don't hold a candle to her voice-acting credits. The actress has voiced over a dozen animated characters, like Valerie Da Vinci in Despicable Me 3, Bellwether in Zootopia and Missy in Big Mouth. Oh, and did we mention that she created the hit comedy, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On?
5. Hasan Minhaj as Marshall
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What else he’s been in: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Morning Show, Haunted Mansion, Mustache, No Hard Feelings
Hasan Minhaj portrays Allyssa's husband and Ryle's best friend, Marshall—a skilled app developer who makes seven figures a year. On the film's official Instagram page, his character is described as a "light in the darkness."
The comedian and actor is best known for making audiences laugh on The Daily Show, where he was a senior correspondent from 2014 to 2018. In 2017, Minhaj released a Netflix stand-up comedy special, Homecoming King, for which he won the Peabody Award in 2018. After leaving The Daily Show, Minhaj launched the weekly comedy show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minjah, earning him a second Peabody Award. The comic's second Netflix special, Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester, was released in 2022. While his comedy resumé is extensive, don't sleep on Minhaj's acting chops. So far, he has appeared in shows like Arrested Development, The Morning Show and Champions. And in addition to It Ends with Us, you can expect to see him in the comedy Best of the Best.
6. Alex Neustaedter as Young Atlas Corrigan
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What else he’s been in: Things Heard & Seen, A-X-L, Colony, Ithaca, Walking Out, America Rust
Alex Neustaedter plays the younger version of Lily's high school sweetheart, Atlas.
After appearing in a few short films and TV shows, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (young Christian Ward), Neustaedter landed his first big role in Meg Ryan's Ithaca as Homer, alongside Sam Shepard and Tom Hanks. Since then, the 25-year-old star has been in USA's Colony, American Woman, Low Tide and more.
7. Amy Morton as Jenny Bloom
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What else he’s been in: Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Blue Bloods
Amy Morton is Lily's mother (and proud foodie) Jenny Bloom, who plays a significant role in Hoover's novel.
Morton is known for playing Trudy Platt on Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire. However, you may also recognize the 64-year-old actress from her many guest roles, including Nancy Chore on The Bear, Sissy on Girls and Amanda Harris on Blue Bloods.
8. Isabela Ferrer as Young Lily Bloom
What else she’s been in: Evil, Fire Burning
Isabela Ferrer was cast as the young version of Lily Bloom. After the news was announced via Deadline, she wrote on Instagram, "Really still can’t comprehend that I’ve been working on this, and I am so excited to finally share it. I am so unbelievably grateful for this project, for everything it has given me already, and to be working with such a phenomenal cast and crew."
The Irish-Puerto Rican actress graduated from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, where she earned a BFA in drama and music theater. In her final semester of school, she played Helene in the play Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. And according to her IMDB page, Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us marks her film debut.
