There have been a lot of great romantic comedies released over the years that make the most out of the conventional setup of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy and girl get married and live happily ever after. And although the new Amazon Prime Video original, I Want You Back, starts off on that path most traveled, it quickly diverts from its course and presents audiences with a setup that has the potential to work wonders.
If you recently went down that path and kept trying to figure out where you’ve seen Charlie Day, the versatile Jenny Slate and the rest of the I Want You Back cast, worry not, because we are about to take a little trip of our own through each of the stars’ respective careers up this point…
Charlie Day (Peter)
The first of the two leads, Peter, is portrayed in the I Want You Back cast by Charlie Day, who has continued to be one of the funniest (and hardest working) actors in show business since making a name for himself as Charlie Kelly on the long-running comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Outside of Paddy’s Pub, you’ve seen Day in various comedy movies like the Horrible Bosses franchise, heard his voice in multiple Lego movies, and even in action thrillers like Hotel Artemis and Pacific Rim. Day will next appear in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie alongside just about everyone else in Hollywood.
Jenny Slate (Emma)
Jenny Slate (who has some pretty amazing stories about her career) co-leads I Want You Back as Emma, the latest in a long-line of characters the former Saturday Night Live featured player has portrayed in romantic comedies.
Over the years, Slate has appeared in comedies like Obvious Child, My Blind Brother, and Landline while also diving into the world of drama with the likes of Gifted and The Sunlit Night. And then there are her animated features, including Despicable Me 3, The Secret Life of Pets, and The Lego Batman Movie.
Gina Rodriguez (Anne)
Taking on the role of Anne, Peter’s ex-girlfriend in I Want You Back, is Gina Rodriguez, who won a Golden Globe in 2015 for her star-making performance on Jane the Virgin.
Throughout her career, Rodriguez has given great performances in Annihilation and Miss Bala, as well as animated movies like Ferdinand, Smallfoot, and Scoob!, and animated shows like Big Mouth, Elena of Avalor, and Carmen Sandiego.
Scott Eastwood (Noah)
Stepping in as Noah, Emma’s physical trainer ex-boyfriend in I Want You Back, is Scott Eastwood, who shows off his comedy chops after making a career out of playing serious characters over the years.
The son of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has crossed paths with Dominic Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise, worked with Task Force X in Suicide Squad, and appeared in a number of his father’s movies, like Flags of Our Fathers and Gran Torino. He also popped up in Taylor Swift’s 2015 video for “Wildest Dreams,” portraying the singer-songwriter’s on-screen love interest.
Manny Jacinto (Logan)
Taking on the role of Logan, Anne’s new boyfriend in I Want You Back, is Manny Jacinto, one of the former mainstays of The Good Place cast.
Throughout his career, Jacinto has popped up in movies like Bad Times at the El Royale and Belle, and shows like Supernatural, Brand New Cherry Flavor, and Nine Perfect Strangers. Expect to see Jacinto in the long-awaited Tom Cruise summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which is slated for release in May 2022.
Clark Backo (Ginny)
Clark Backo shows up in the I Want You Back cast as Ginny, Noah’s new girlfriend after he breaks things off with Emma.
If you are one of those diehard fans of all things Letterkenny, then Backo will be immediately recognizable due to her portrayal of Rosie on the Canadian cult comedy series. She has also had recurring roles on Designated Survivor, 21 Thunder, and Supernatural, as well as one-off appearances on everything from Station Eleven to The Girlfriend Experience, and The Handmaid’s Tale to Hemlock Grove, to name just a few.
Jami Gertz (Rita)
Taking on the role of Rita, Peter’s boss in I Want You Back, is none other than Jami Gertz, who has been a memorable part of the film and television industry going back over 40 years at this point in her career.
Over the years, Gertz has gone from appearing in classic ‘80s sitcoms like Square Pegs, The Facts of Life, and Family Ties, to shows like Ally McBeal, The Neighbors, and Still Standing in the first two decades of the 21st Century. Her film contributions range from Sixteen Candles to Twister, and The Lost Boys to Less Than Zero, with multiple other projects before and since.
Dylan Gelula (Lisa)
Dylan Gelula shows up in I Want You Back as Lisa, one of Emma’s two college-aged roommates, the latest in a healthy series of appearances in film and television comedy projects.
Starting with the TV side of her career, Gelula has had recurring or major roles on Chasing Life, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Filthy Preppy Teens, Casual, and most recently, Shameless, where she played Megan near the end of beloved comedy’s run on Showtime. Her film credits include Lady in the Water, Under the Eiffel Tower, Her Smell, and Horse Girl
Mason Gooding (Paul)
Taking on the role of Emma’s other roommate, Paul, in I Want You Back, is Mason Gooding, who has been on an absolute tear since breaking out with a three-episode run on the HBO sports comedy series, Ballers, back in 2018.
Since then, the son of Cuba Gooding Jr. has appeared on shows like The Good Doctor, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Star Trek: Picard, and Love, Victor, on which he plays Andrew. Gooding’s film work is just as impressive, if not more, with movies like Booksmart, Let It Snow, and the 2022 continuation of the Scream franchise. He’s next set to appear in the upcoming sci-fi romantic comedy, Moonshot.
Isabel May (Leighton)
Showing up briefly as Leighton, one of partygoers who take Peter and Noah on a ridiculous adventure in I Want You Back, is Isabel May, who has an absurd success rate with the shows on which she has appeared the past few years.
May’s career really took off in 2018 when she earned the role of Katie Cooper on the Netflix comedy series, Alexa & Kate. She followed that up with a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on Young Sheldon. If neither of those ring a bell, then maybe May’s most recent project, the Yellowstone prequel, 1883, might ring a bell. Bell leads the Paramount+ original series as the tough-as-nails Elsa Dutton.
Giselle Torres (Chloe)
Giselle Torres shows up in I Want You Back as Chloe, another one of the partiers who pick up Peter and Noah on their night of adventures.
Prior to joining the cast of the new Amazon original romantic comedy, Torres appeared in a number of short films like Momo, The Descendants, and Island Dreams before landing roles on shows like Speechless, Solve, and The Big Show Show (which I watched all in one sitting), and movies like The Princess Cut 2 (with a sequel on the way), Misfit, and South Beach Love.
Luke David Blumm (Trevor)
Luke David Blumm appears in the I Want You Back cast as Trevor, a troubled youth who gives Emma a new purpose in life after she meets him at Logan’s school.
Although his career only goes back a few years at this point, Blumm has already put together a surprisingly rich filmography with appearances in some of the biggest shows and well-received movies in recent memory. Starting with this TV contributions, the young actor has appeared on The Walking Dead, The Sinner, and Watchmen. On top of that, Blumm has popped up in The King of Staten Island. He’ll soon appear in Where the Crawdads Sing and Lola James. Expect more in the coming years.
Pete Davidson (Jase)
And, last but certainly not least, is Pete Davidson who portrays Jase, the dealer (he's featured in one of the movie's trailers) who opens Peter’s mind to the world of designer drugs in I Want You Back. You could be blind, deaf, and live under a rock and you would still know about Davidson at this point, even if you actively avoid all the headlines he makes.
A mainstay of Saturday Night Live since 2014, Davidson has been viewed as one of the funniest and most charismatic members of the cast for most of his run on the sketch comedy program. In addition to SNL, Davidson has appeared on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Guest Book, The Real Bros of Simi Valley, and The Freak Brothers, to name only a few. His film credits include Trainwreck, The Dirt, the semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island, and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.
Well, this about wraps up the I Want You Back cast and the biggest projects where you've seen the main cast before they showed up in Jason Orley's romantic comedy. If you are looking for something else to watch without changing platforms, take a look at our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime.
