Netflix released its latest film Incoming on Aug. 23, and if you’re into comedic films portraying a heightened reality of high school, trust me, you’re going to love this movie. Written and directed by Dave and John Chernin, Incoming follows a group of freshmen heading into their first year of high school. When they get invited to a massive party à la Sixteen Candles, the four main boys set out to make their high school dreams come true in one crazy, hectic, and totally unrealistic night.
As a chronically online Gen Z woman, Loren Gray immediately stood out to me in the cast. I considered myself a little too old to be invested in Musical.ly when she was dominating the app, but Gray has remained prominent in the digital zeitgeist ever since, so I was excited to see her show off her acting chops in Incoming. However, as I kept watching the film, I couldn’t help but notice a few other familiar Gen Zers that I couldn’t quite match their faces to names. If you’re wondering where you’ve seen the cast of Incoming, don’t worry, I’m here to dish on what projects you may have come across them in before now.
Mason Thames
Mason Thames plays the lead role of Benj Nielsen in Incoming, but before now, you may have seen him in Universal’s 2022 horror The Black Phone. He starred in the film alongside Ethan Hawke as Finney, a young boy who was kidnapped by The Grabber. Thames is set to star in the 2025 follow-up, The Black Phone 2, after his feature in Incoming.
Ramon Reed
Ramon Reed is hilarious throughout Incoming. He plays Eddie, one of Benji’s best friends who doesn’t actually make it into the first party of the school year. Before this movie, Reed had been featured in an episode of 9-1-1: Lone Star and Netflix’s 13: The Musical. After Incoming, I’m sure his career is going to explode, as he brought so much comedic relief to the story.
Raphael Alejandro
As a well-seasoned child actor, Incoming was surely not Raphael Alejandro’s first time in the spotlight. If you grew up watching Disney Channel, you may recognize him from Bunk’d where he portrayed Matteo Silva. He’s also been featured in plenty other projects, including Apple TV+’s Acapulco, Emmy-nominated series Once Upon a Time, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, and the 2017 comedy How to Be a Latin Lover.
Isabella Ferreira
If you were a big fan of Hulu’s 2020 series Love, Victor, you definitely know who Isabella Ferreira is. She starred in the romantic drama as Pilar Salazar. Before that, she was featured in a few episodes of the Emmy-winning series Orange Is The New Black. Ferreira’s most recent role was in MAX’s 2023 sci-fi thriller Gray Matter which she starred Mia Isaac. Like Reed, I’d expect her to emerge as one of Hollywood’s hottest up-and-coming actors after starring as Bailey in Incoming.
Bardia Seiri
In Incoming, Bardia Seiri plays an insecure freshman, but you may know him from Grey’s Anatomy. His guest role of Farouk on the hit medical drama earned him a Young Entertainment Awards nod for Best Guest Starring Young Actor 10 & Under. Seiri has also acted in a few episodes of the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces.
Ali Gallo
Before starring as Alyssa in Incoming, Ali Gallo appeared in the 2022 film Unhuman, a comedic teen horror, which spotlighted a group of high school kids who must band together against zombies after their bus crashes. Gallo has also been featured in an episode of MAX’s The Sex Lives of College Girls (which reminds me, I’m still patiently waiting for Season 3’s release).
Loren Gray
If you’re unsure where you’ve seen Loren Gray before Incoming, you probably recognize her from your FYP or Instagram Feed. She shot to prominence thanks to Musical.ly but has continued to be a social media star with over 23 million followers on Instagram and 53 million followers on TikTok.
Nowadays, Gray is releasing original music as she just dropped her debut album Guilty in April 2023.