Lauren Ambrose Is Perfectly Cast As Adult Van

When Yellowjackets first premiered on Showtime in November of 2021, it became an immediate hit with the fans. The first season ended with such a cliffhanger!

Series creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), and fellow showrunner Jonathan Lisco (Animal Kingdom, Halt and Catch Fire), gave a small clue about a second season. They hinted that more survivors were out there. Immediately, the fans weighed in on social media, hoping that Liv Hewson’s teenage Van would get an adult counterpart.

Today, Showtime announced that Van’s adult version will be portrayed by two-time Emmy and Tony nominee Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under, Servant). Ambrose will be a series regular.

In addition, Hewson (Santa Clarita Diet) has been upped to series regular in season two of the survival epic, psychological thriller and coming-of-age drama.

The story follows a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who survive a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness as they are forced to fend for themselves for more than 18 months.

The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to a savage clan. The story gets even more twisted as it flashes forward 25 years as each tries to move on with their lives. They learn that the past is never really left behind, and what began in the wilderness is far from over.

Yellowjackets explores the human psyche and its dark subject matter, which includes cannibalism, challenges the viewer. It became an immediate favorite with the viewers and critics. It was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress for Melanie Lynskey and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Christina Ricci.

Yellowjackets was also nominated for two writing Emmys and earned additional nominations for directing and casting. Season one averaged over 5 million weekly viewers across platforms and was the second-most streamed series in Showtime’s history.

The series has an incredible cast led by Emmy nominee and Critics Choice Award winner Melanie Lynskey (Candy), Oscar and Emmy nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping), Emmy nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) and Tawny Cypress (Unforgettable).

Ambrose starred for five seasons in the critically-acclaimed drama Six Feet Under, which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. She’s also known for her role in M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller, Servant, for which she received a Critics Choice Award nomination.

In an interview just after the premiere, Lyle, Nickerson and Lisco explained how this girls-gone-wild tale represents the complete destruction of society. Though it has been referred to as the female version of The Donner Party, the trio explained that they aimed to dissect the ferocious depth of female friendships and explore the darkest parts of the human mind.

The 10-episode first season also starred Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Samantha Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The Leftovers), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals) and Warren Kole (Shades of Blue).

Yellowjackets is set to go into production for season two later this month in Vancouver.