Part coming-of-age story, part small-town drama, part murder mystery, Dare Me exposes the physical and psychological extremes that some young women are willing to endure in order to get ahead. It’s an unflinching exploration of teen angst, jealousy, loyalty and the dynamics of power in a small Midwestern town.
Peering behind the all-American facade, the series dives into the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading. It follows the fraught relationship between two best friends, Addy and Beth, after a new coach arrives to bring their team to prominence. While the girls’ friendship is put to the test, their young lives are changed forever when a shocking crime rocks their quiet suburban world.
THE CHARACTERS
- Beth Cassidy (Marlo Kelly) is a perfect pixie cheerleader on the outside, but on the inside a rebel who knows no limits. Her best friend Addy is the only person she truly cares about, the only one she’s ever been able to trust. But the more Addy seems in thrall to Colette, the more determined Beth is to bring their coach down and win Addy back, at all costs.
- Addy Hanlon (Herizen Guardiola) is a yearning, ambitious high school student who dreams of using cheer to secure a college scholarship and a ticket out of her Midwestern town. When Coach Colette French arrives, Addy is both inspired and tantalized, finding herself increasingly drawn into Colette’s complicated world.
- Once a star cheerleader herself, Coach Colette French (Willa Fitzgerald) is now a rising-star high school cheerleading coach with a reputation for building winning squads. Young, beautiful and charismatic, she exudes a deep, enigmatic movie-star cool, but she can’t stop herself from taking risks, with the squad and in her personal life.
- Sarge Will Mosley (Zach Roerig) is the head Marine recruiter stationed in Sutton Grove High School. Although strikingly handsome and intriguingly remote, he’s a haunted man, hiding secrets and a complicated personal history.
- Matt French (Rob Heaps) is the hardworking husband of cheerleading coach Colette French. After some hard times, his new job working for Burt Cassidy moves his family to Sutton Grove and offers the promise of the tide changing, at least as far as he knows.
- Tacy Cassidy (Alison Thornton) is a freshman member of Sutton Grove’s dazzling cheerleading squad who’s eager to step out of the shadows and secure a spot at the top of the pyramid.
- Bert Cassidy (Paul Fitzgerald) is a Sutton Grove real estate developer, father of two cheerleaders on the squad, and the number-one cheer booster.
The series is based on the acclaimed novel by Megan Abbott, who serves as writer and executive producer along with Gina Fattore (Dawson’s Creek, Gilmore Girls). Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) and Michael Lombardo of Film 44, Sarah Condon and Karen Rosenfelt executive produce. Academy Award®-nominated director Steph Green (The Americans) directed and executive produced the pilot. Netflix co-produces and has the first-run rights to the series outside of the U.S.
Starring Marlo Kelly (Home & Away), Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series), Herizen Guardiola (The Get Down), Zach Roerig (The Vampire Diaries), Rob Heaps (Imposters), Alison Thornton (Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce), and Paul Fitzgerald (Younger).
Dare Me premieres December 29th on USA Network.
