Inherent Vice

Your Guide to All Those Hard-to-Spot 'Inherent Vice' Stars

Meriah DotyEditorOct 1, 2014

We know Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming Inherent Vice is filled to the brim with big-name performers. But though several members of its top-billed cast (which includes Joaquin Phoenix as private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello, as well as Josh Brolin and Reese Witherspoon), were visible in the new trailer, other stars weren’t inherently easy to spot. Here are a few cameos that caused us to do a double take: 

Jena Malone as Hope Harlingen
This Hunger Games star — also known for her role in that other weird movie, Donnie Darko — is perhaps the hardest to recognize in the film, which finds her as a widow on a mission.

Sasha Pieterse as Japonica Fenway

Best known for her role as the manipulative Alison DiLaurentis on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, Pieterse can be glimpsed quickly in a scene in which she dances with Martin Short. She plays a young runway model who comes from wealthy parents — and our hunch is that she’s just as calculating in Vice as she is on Liars. 

Michael K. Williams as Tariq Khalil

You may not recognize him under that mini-‘fro, but that’s Boardwalk Empire and The Wire star Williams, who plays an ex-con who seeks out Doc’s services in Vice.

Sam Jaeger as Agent Flatweed

To fans of NBC’s Parenthood, he’s the now-loathsome Joel Graham. But to Vice viewers he’ll be a straight-laced FBI agent. Update: The FBI agent on the left is none other than Timothy Simons, who plays White House liason Jonah Ryan on HBO’s Veep.

Update: Wilson Bethel as nameless blond stud

He plays Hart of Dixie's oft-shirtless bad boy on the CW network. And now Wilson Bethel is taking it off in Vice. (Hat tip to @filmystic for figuring this one out.)

Image credit: Warner Bros./Twitter