Why Everyone on Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later Looks So Familiar

Netflix's TV series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, a prequel to the 2001 movie Wet Hot American Summer, has pulled off a rather amazing feat — it got nearly all of its original cast members to return for the follow-up series, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. The creators even managed to work around Bradley Cooper's unavailability by recasting the role of Ben with Adam Scott.

There are several other new faces as well, including a couple the show is pretending has been there the whole time, even going so far to edit them into old footage from the prequel and original film. So if you need a guide to the insanely funny ensemble cast, we're here to help.

Elizabeth Banks as Lindsay
Netflix

Elizabeth Banks as Lindsay

Ten years later, Lindsay is now a local news reporter who is tired of her "puff stuff" pieces, so she sets out to uncover a government conspiracy . . . that just may involve Camp Firewood.

Where you've seen her: 30 Rock, the Hunger Games movies

Michael Ian Black as McKinley and President George H.W. Bush
Netflix

Michael Ian Black as McKinley and President George H.W. Bush

McKinley is nervous about the camp reunion, so Ben hires a nanny to help them out, a nanny McKinley is convinced is out to get them and steal their baby, which is basically right on the money.

Where you've seen him: Ed, Burning Love

Sarah Burns as Claire
Netflix

Sarah Burns as Claire

Claire is one of two characters (the other is Mark) who have been retconned into the show — that is, edited into the old footage to make it look as if they've been around all along. She's now with Mark, but J.J. is holding a huge torch for her.

Where you've seen her: How to Get Away With Murder, Big Little Lies

Josh Charles as Blake
Netflix

Josh Charles as Blake

Blake is one of the counselors from the wealthy Camp Tiger Claw, rival to Camp Firewood, which is just so happening to have its 10-year reunion the same weekend as Camp Firewood. Blake and his cronies have always hated Firewood and its riff-raff.

Where you've seen him: The Good Wife, Sports Night

Mark Feuerstein as Mark
Netflix

Mark Feuerstein as Mark

Mark is busy pressuring Claire into marriage (despite the fact that he cheats on her all the time), but Claire just can't commit. Possibly because she's actually supposed to be with someone else . . .

Where you've seen him: The West Wing, Royal Pains

Janeane Garofalo as Beth
Netflix

Janeane Garofalo as Beth

Beth is Camp Firewood's backbone, having owned it for a decade now. But there's a dastardly plot afoot to buy it from her, and she just might take the offer, because being a camp director is hard work.

Where you've seen her: Reality Bites, The West Wing

Ken Marino as Victor
Netflix

Ken Marino as Victor

All teen movies need someone trying to lose his or her virginity, and Wet Hot American Summer's resident virgin is Victor Pulak. It's been 10 years and the guy still hasn't known the touch of a woman.

Where you've seen him: Party Down, Veronica Mars

Alyssa Milano as Renata
Netflix

Alyssa Milano as Renata

Another new character, Renata, is the nanny Ben hires for the weekend to look after his and McKinley's baby. McKinley immediately thinks she's got a total "Lifetime movie psycho killer babysitter" thing going on — and it turns out he's not wrong.

Where you've seen her: Charmed, Mistresses

Marguerite Moreau as Katie
Netflix

Marguerite Moreau as Katie

The camp It girl, Katie, takes time away from editing a Cosmo-like women's magazine to reunite with her camp friends. She still has the same animal magnetism draw with Andy, but her heart really belongs with lovable dork Coop.

Where you've seen her: Grey's Anatomy, Shameless, the Mighty Ducks movies

Zak Orth as J.J.
Netflix

Zak Orth as J.J.

J.J. is obsessed with two things in Ten Years Later: movies and Claire. He's an artsy film buff who works in a video rental store (it is 1991, after all) and is pining away for his friend Claire, who is unfortunately in a relationship with the douchey Mark, serial cheater.

Where you've seen him: Casual, Veep

Chris Pine, Jason Schwartzman, and Chris Meloni as Eric, Greg, and Gene
Netflix

Chris Pine, Jason Schwartzman, and Chris Meloni as Eric, Greg, and Gene

Helping Beth fight the sale of Camp Firewood she was duped into accepting are Eric (Pine), Greg (Schwartzman), and Gene (Meloni).

Where you've seen them: the new Star Trek films (Pine), Rushmore (Schwartzman), and Law and Order: SVU (Meloni)

Amy Poehler as Susie
Netflix

Amy Poehler as Susie

The camp's theater director is now a big-shot producer who shows up at camp with her young, hot actor boyfriend.

Where you've seen her: Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation

Paul Rudd as Andy
Netflix

Paul Rudd as Andy

Andy is Camp Firewood's king d-bag, and 10 years hasn't changed that one bit. He assumes Katie is going to fall back into his bed and he challenges a camper who is the new BMOC.

Where you've seen him: Clueless, Ant Man

Marisa Ryan as Abby Bernstein
Netflix

Marisa Ryan as Abby Bernstein

This camp's resident sexpot, Abby, is actually going to have sex with Victor in the original film, but he heroically chooses saving some kids from drowning in the rapids over sex. Good for you, Victor! Maybe you and Abby can find your way back together in this sequel series.

Where you've seen her: Major Dad, Sex and the City

Adam Scott as Ben
Netflix

Adam Scott as Ben

Bradley Cooper had scheduling conflicts for Ten Years Later, so Adam Scott took over the role of Ben, one half of Camp Firewood's closeted gay couple who is now out and married and have a baby daughter.

Where you've seen him: Party Down, Parks and Recreation

Michael Showalter as Coop and President Ronald Reagan
Netflix

Michael Showalter as Coop and President Ronald Reagan

In addition to creating and writing the Wet Hot American Summer film and series, Showalter plays Gerald "Coop" Cooperberg . . . and also President Ronald Reagan. Coop is a lovable nerd who just wants Katie to be with him and President Reagan is, well, a bit of an evil genius set on destroying the world. But Showalter's Reagan isn't half bad.

Where you've seen him: The State and he also created TBS's excellent mystery/dramedy Search Party

Kristen Wiig as Courtney
Netflix

Kristen Wiig as Courtney

Courtney is the Blair Waldorf to Blake's Chuck Bass, though the ingenious Wiig always puts her personal panache and sparkle on Courtney's snobbery, like with this insane one-woman concert at the 10-year reunion.

Where you've seen her: Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids

Jai Courtney as Garth MacArthur
Netflix

Jai Courtney as Garth MacArthur

Garth is Susie's hotshot client who she brings to the reunion — but is it more than just a working relationship? (Yes, yes it is.)

Where you've seen him: Suicide Squad, the Divergent series, various action franchises like Terminator Genisys and A Good Day to Die Hard