Meet The Ruins cast: who's who in the gory horror that's Netflix UK's No. 1

The four main cast members from The Ruins
(Image credit: DreamWorks)

If you subscribe to Netflix UK, then you've probably seen teasers for The Ruins, because the 2008 horror movie was recently added to the streamer and quickly hit the top spot in its most-watched movies ranking.

The Ruins tells the story of a group of 20-somethings on holiday in Mexico, who leap at the chance to venture into a recently discovered Mayan ruin. However, upon getting there, they find that a malevolent force is pretty miffed at their intrusion.

So it's a gory horror movie, the likes of which we enjoyed plenty of in the noughties. And sure enough, some recognizable stars from the era are in The Ruins. So let's look at the main characters in the movie now, to see where you know them from.

Jonathan Tucker as Jeff

Jonathan Tucker in The Ruins

Jonathan Tucker in The Ruins (Image credit: DreamWorks)

Jeff is a doctor-in-training who's dating Amy. He's a bit nerdier and less daring than the others, but finds the horrors of his new situation really bring out a different side of him.

Jonathan Tucker has been in plenty of big-name TV shows recently, with credits including Westworld, Snowfall, Justified, Kingdom and Parenthood. However his career also includes film: he was in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Virgin Suicies, Hostage and the remake of Charlie's Angels from 2019.

Jena Malone as Amy

Jena Malone in The Ruins

Jena Malone in The Ruins (Image credit: DreamWorks)

Amy is Jeff's girlfriend. She's worried that they'll break up when he goes to medical school after the summer. She's a fan of photography and binge drinking.

Jena Malone is likely the biggest-name actor in The Ruins. Her filmography includes all but one of The Hunger Games movies as Johanna Mason, as well as Nocturnal Animals, The Neon Demon, Antebellum, Into the World, Sucker Punch and Pride & Prejudice. She's also set to feature in the upcoming Netflix and Zack Snyder blockbuster Rebel Moon.

She's been in fewer TV shows, but that list includes Hope, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Bastard out of Carolina, which again netted her a nomination, this time for the SAG Awards.

Laura Ramsey as Stacey

Laura Ramsey in The Ruins

Laura Ramsey in The Ruins (Image credit: DreamWorks)

Every ill-fated horror-movie friendship group needs a blonde and Stacey fits the bill here. Her boyfriend is Eric and their relationship is firmer than the other couple's.

Laura Ramsey has been in quite a few movies and TV shows over the years. Her biggest roles are in She's the Man and The Covenant, from before The Ruins came out, but since the movie in question she's been in My Generation, No One Lives and Are You Here.

Shawn Ashmore as Eric

Shawn Ashmore in The Ruins

Shawn Ashmore in The Ruins (Image credit: DreamWorks)

Eric is Stacy's boyfriend, and their relationship is a little more solid than Jeff and Amy's.

If you recognize Shawn Ashmore from anything, it's likely the X-Men series of movies, as he plays Iceman in the first three movies as well as Days of Future Past. He's also been in loads of TV shows including The Boys, Animorphs and The Following.

Video game fans might also recognize him for his voice work as the main character in Quantum Break and Man of Medan.

Joe Anderson as Matthias

Joe Anderson in The Ruins

Joe Anderson in The Ruins (Image credit: DreamWorks)

Matthias isn't a part of the group of friends, however he bumps into them in their resort in Cancun. He's about to head over to the ruins his brother ventured into, and when the four friends hear about this, they want to join in too.

Despite playing a German in The Ruins, Joe Anderson is an English actor. He's perhaps best known for his roles in The Grey, The Crazies and the final Twilight movie, but he's also been in TV shows like Outsiders, Hannibal, The River and The Divide.

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Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Writer

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.