Josh Hutcherson and McKenna Grace lit up the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, hosted at the TCL Chinese Theatre, where the mood swung between earned chills and a fan-packed celebration. Around them, the evening carried a touch of cult slasher energy thanks to the gathering of several Scream alumni, including Matthew Lillard, Jenny McCarthy, and Skeet Ulrich, who came to toast this bloody new chapter of the FNAF saga alongside the rest of the cast. Here are a few snapshots from this horror-powered night.
Josh Hutcherson
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Josh Hutcherson returns as Mike Schmidt, the former security guard still haunted by Freddy Fazbear’s nightmare. The story picks up a year after the first film: as the town turns the events into legend, Mike tries to protect Abby and keep buried what he knows about the animatronics, but new incidents pull him back to the heart of the mystery and to William Afton. On the career front, Hutcherson started very young (Zathura, Bridge to Terabithia), exploded worldwide as Peeta in The Hunger Games, and then bounced around with a more eclectic slate of choices up to this broad horror return to the mainstream.
McKenna Grace
New to Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, McKenna Grace plays Lisa, a key teenager at Fazfest and the reopening of Freddy Fazbear’s: curious, nervous, she leads the group of teens who inadvertently reignite the nightmare machine. A devoted fan of the saga, she’s even reputed to have sent in a self-audition tape for the role. On the career side, Grace has moved from child prodigy to a reliable genre standout: Gifted, The Haunting of Hill House, and Annabelle Comes Home, followed by Phoebe in the latest Ghostbusters films. She’s also pursuing a music career in parallel, in addition to joining the cast of Scream 7 (2026).
Skeet Ulrich
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Skeet Ulrich steps into the universe as Henry Emily, a pivotal figure in the FNAF mythology: the father of Charlotte (the soul tied to the Marionette) and a character with a tragic past, intimately linked to the origins of the tragedy haunting Freddy Fazbear’s. His role adds a powerful emotional charge to the narrative, a direct counterpoint to William Afton and the secrets that resurface around Fazfest. A horror icon from the 1990s, Ulrich became a breakout with Scream (as Billy Loomis), then balanced television and film roles (Jericho, Riverdale), maintaining an aura as the slasher’s ultimate boss. His return in a big-budget horror blockbuster, alongside Matthew Lillard, nicely completes the circle.
Elizabeth Lail
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Elizabeth Lail reprises Vanessa Shelly, a tormented cop and the daughter of William Afton. One year after the events of the first film, she assists Mike in protecting Abby and keeping the truth under wraps, but her family legacy comes back to haunt her: Vanessa becomes one of the emotional fulcrums of the story, caught between guilt, loyalty, and fear of what her father set in motion. Before FNAF, Lail rose to prominence on TV with Once Upon a Time, then left a mark in You and Dead of Summer, followed by a string of thriller and drama roles where her performances blend tenderness with intensity.
Matthew Lillard
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Matthew Lillard returns as William Afton, the killer at the heart of the saga’s mythology. Though the first film left him in a compromised position, the sequel confirms his return as the central threat, now in an even more unsettling guise tied to Freddy Fazbear’s bloody past and the chaos of Fazfest. A genre-film staple, Lillard broke out with Scream (as Stu Macher) and Scooby-Doo (as Shaggy), before weaving through drama, comedy, and voice work in games and animation. This horror comeback solidifies his status as a fan-favorite icon.
Jenny McCarthy
At the Hollywood premiere of Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Jenny McCarthy drew flashes of attention as a guest who is rarely seen on the red carpet. A pop icon of the 1990s and 2000s, she first rose as a Playboy model and then as the iconic MTV host of Singled Out, before moving into film and television. She’s been seen in the comedy BASEketball, the horror Scream 3, and numerous US shows, later serving as a judge on The Masked Singer.
Piper Rubio
In Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Piper Rubio returns as Abby Schmidt, Mike’s younger sister, a year after the carnage of the first film. Still fascinated by the animatronics, Abby finds herself at the heart of danger again when Fazfest and the restaurant’s reopening awaken old secrets—and force her to confront the troubling link she shares with Freddy and the others. Discovered by the public thanks to FNAF (2023), Rubio has also acted on television (For All Mankind) and in film (The Crater), establishing herself as one of the genre’s rising young stars.
