TV & Movies
The cast features a mix of up-and-comers and seasoned stars.
Zinesters and riot grrrls, take note: Netflix's Moxie, which premieres March 3, seems dead set on weaving a story about heady, meaningful teenage rebellion through protest and one of the most indie of art forms, zines. Naturally, who better to write and direct (and co-star in) such a film than Amy Poehler, whose past roles include many notable feminists and fighters of the status quo. But what about the rest of the Moxie cast? Who is in the comedy-drama and how do they stack up?
Moxie tells the story of Vivian (Hadley Robinson), a young woman in a small-ish town who attends a high school running rampant with misogynist students. Every year, a "ranking" goes out, placing the girls in the school based on aesthetics and looks, and it happens right under the faculty's noses. Sick of dealing with the creepy toxicity, Vivian turns to her mother, Lisa (Amy Poehler), whose riot grrrl, zinester past inspires the teen to start a zine of her own: Moxie.
Through the zine, Vivian fights back against the misogynistic principles propped up by nearly every student and faculty, and she finds allies to her cause in the unlikeliest of places. There's one catch, though: She's doing it all anonymously. Like a superhero with a secret identity, she watches it all play out and fights alongside her newfound allies against the toxicity ruling her school.
As with many films set in high school these days, the cast is loaded with a bunch of fresh, new faces, plus a few recognizable ones, including a popular reality show alum and the son of a legendary action star.
Hadley Robinson As Vivian Carter
Vivian is fed up with the state of things at her high school. Looking to strike back at the intensely misogynistic behavior of not just her peers but her teachers as well, she anonymously creates Moxie, a zine that speaks out against the inequality between students at her school. Robinson has more than a few prestige credits under her belt and might be familiar to folks who have seen the Greta Gerwig-directed Little Women (2019) reboot. She was also in Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), and Hulu's Utopia.
Amy Poehler As Lisa Carter
Lisa is Vivian's mother and it's her old collection of zines and riot grrrl memorabilia that inspires Vivian to create Moxie. She's an old-school feminist, sharing her past as an activist and protester with her daughter. Poehler is a prolific actress, whose many roles include unabashed feminists who fight the status quo. You may recognize her from her roles in Parks and Recreation, Wet, Hot American Summer, and Saturday Night Live, to name just a few titles.
Josephine Langford As Emma Cunningham
As a cheerleader and the popular girl in school, Emma Cunningham often gets voted "most bangable" by the student body's "ranking" system. Langford's past work includes After We Collided (2020), After (2019), and Hulu's Into the Dark.
Lauren Tsai As Claudia
Claudia is one of Vivian's friends and is yet another student sick of the misogynistic behavior of her fellow students. Tsai might be recognizable to Terrace House fans as an alum from the Aloha State season of the show. She also played Switch in FX's X-Men spinoff, Legion.
Nico Hiraga As Seth Acosta
Seth is one of the male allies in support of Moxie, as evidenced by the stars and hearts he draws on his hands following a call from within the zine to show support in that fashion. He's also a bit goofy and endearing in his attempts to support Vivian. Hiraga was most recently in North Hollywood (2020), Booksmart (2019), and HBO's Ballers.
Patrick Schwarzenegger As Mitchell Wilson
Mitchell is, arguably, the figurehead for a lot of the more toxic, misogynistic behaviors carried out by the young men at Vivian's high school. As a football star and faculty darling, he seems to get away with whatever he wants, including but not limited to being a total creep. Schwarzenegger's previous work includes Midnight Sun (2020), Echo Boomers (2020), and Daniel Isn't Real (2019).
Ike Barinholtz As Mr. Davies
Mr. Davies is a somewhat clueless teacher who doesn't quite get what Moxie's all about and, frankly, steers clear of trying to understand at all, according to the trailer. Barinholtz, a MADtv alum, has numerous titles under his belt, including Suicide Squad (2016) and The Neighbors (2014), as well as TV roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the Twilight Zone reboot.
Marcia Gay Harden As Principal Marlene Shelly
Principal Shelly turns out to not be as helpful as she should be in dealing with the rampant misogyny at school, choosing instead to defend Mitchell and his toxic behavior. Harden is another prolific actress, and many of her notable titles include roles in BoJack Horseman, The Morning Show, and How to Get Away With Murder. She's also famous for her roles in the Fifty Shades film series, Into the Wild (2007), and Mystic River (2003).
If you think Moxie's got moxie and want to learn more about it, you need not wait much longer. Moxie premieres on Netflix on March 3.
