Inspired by the 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter, Easy A tells a dramatic teenage story of a romantic misunderstanding. When Olive, played by Emma Stone, finds herself having to explain losing her virginity to her entire school, she comes up with a white lie that manifests into a deep hole that she has to work her way out of.
As if high school wasn’t already hard enough, having to keep up with a lie has made the hallways a daunting walk of shame for Olive. Though she wanted to impress her experienced best friend, Rhiannon, played by Aly Michalka, the feeling of superiority that Olive sought quickly turned into a combination of stress and embarrassment when Marianne, played by Amanda Bynes, gossips about overhearing Olive telling Rhiannon about sleeping with an older guy for the first time.
When Olive receives judgmental stares after the rumor spreads to her entire school, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Olive then decides to dress and act the part of the “tramp” that everyone thinks she is. She also allows guys to pay her to say she's slept with him, making quite the stir around school. Ironically, Olive was realistically anything but that. She’s wholesome, smart, respectful, and close with her family whom she confides in about the immoral rumors.
Emma Stone
As the lead role of Olive, Emma Stone portrayed her character as a kindred teenager who has rumors spread about her with incredible confidence. To manage the rumors, she takes on the persona that she is being blamed for, a “tramp.” Olive also allows several guys to pay her in exchange for her to tell people at school that she slept with them. She eventually reclaims who she really is and ends up with the guy she has had a crush on since 8th grade.
Stone has done exceptional work in film. She began acting in the early 2000s and has since been awarded many accolades including an Oscar and Golden Globe. Stone was also named as 2017’s highest-paid actress and was featured in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. Some of her most popular roles in film are in Superbad, The Amazing Spider-Man as well as its sequel, Birdman, La La Land, and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Her upcoming work will reprise her role as Cruella de Vil in a Cruella sequel. She will also work with director Yorgos Lanthimos on a variety of short films, one of which, Poor Things, will star Mark Ruffalo and William Dafoe.
Penn Badgley
Playing the ‘too cool for school’ role as Todd, Penn Badgley epitomizes the true essence of a high schooler who knows everything but is involved with nothing. He acts as Olive’s crush of many years and knows right away that the rumors about Olive aren’t true. By the end of the film, he finally decides to take things further with Olive.
Badgley is most well known for his recent recurring role as Joe Goldberg in the thriller Netflix series, You. The show will air its fifth and final season in 2024 and likely surpass all expectations of its sign-off. He began acting in 1999 with a role in Will & Grace. His first role in film was in the 2000 independent film, The Fluffer. Some of his popular films are John Tucker Must Die as well as the thriller The Stepfather, and drama-comedy, Here Today.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes was in her prime while playing the stuck-up religious schoolgirl, Marianne who spreads the rumors about Olive being a “tramp.” It was her last film before taking a step away from acting, but her role portrayal was spot-on. Bynes first debuted as an actress in the sketch comedy series All That. She then went on to have her own comedy show, The Amanda Show.
Bynes hasn’t acted since her role in Easy A, as she’s been under strict conditions called a conservatorship for her mental state. Her conservatorship began in 2013 after she set fire to a neighbor’s driveway, and was recently reinstated after its termination in August 2021. She has no upcoming films, however, Bynes has not officially retired from acting.
Stanley Tucci
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Playing one of films’ coolest dads, Dill, Stanley Tucci exceptionally nails the role of a carefree and spirited father to Olive and her adoptive brother. He shows nothing but support to Olive when she opens up to him and her mother about the gossip at school and acts as a caring role model for her.
Tucci has worked in a multitude of films of all genres. He’s won five Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards. Some of his popular films are The Devil Wears Prada, Burlesque, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Tucci was also a part of The Hunger Games franchise. Tucci's next role in film will be in the 2024 science fiction adventure movie, The Electric State. The film will also star Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, Chris Pratt, and Millie Bobby Brown.
Lisa Kudrow
Though Lisa Kudrow plays the school guidance counselor, Mrs. Griffith, she ends up in an affair with a student, leaving Olive to take ownership of the rumor being about her so that she doesn't get fired. Olive eventually tells the truth about Mrs. Griffith, leaving her marriage to Mr. Griffith in shambles and her job up for question.
Kudrow has played plenty of roles in film since 1983. Some of her work includes Dr. Dolittle 2, P.S. I Love You, and Like a Boss. She was also a part of The Boss Baby and Neighbors franchises. Aside from film, Kudrow has also had her fair share of time in television, starring as Phoebe in the sitcom Friends. Her next role in film will be the upcoming horror-comedy, The Parenting. The film will be about a group of friends who come across an ancient evil entity while on a getaway. The release date has yet to be determined.
Thomas Haden Church
"Chill" is seemingly the vibe of Easy A, as everyone who supports Olive is cooler than the normal parent or teacher. One the most relatable characters is Mr. Griffith played by Thomas Haden Church. Mr. Griffith offers Olive moral support. Though his marriage to the school’s guidance counselor was destroyed due to her affair with a student, it hardly fazes him.
Church is most prominently known for his role as Sandman in the Spider-Man franchise. He first began acting in the '90s sitcom Wings and was part of Ned & Stacey for two seasons between 1995 and 1997. He then went on to star in George of the Jungle as the lead antagonist. Some of his other work in film includes Spanglish, We Bought a Zoo, John Carter, and Daddy’s Home. He has two upcoming films — a comedy-drama, Chocolate Lizards, which premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival this April. The worldwide debut date has yet to be released. Church’s second upcoming film, Horizon, is a Western classic and is currently filming.
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Clarkson plays Rosemary, Olive’s understanding, funny, and carefree mother. Though she knows Olive is lying about her intimate encounters, she offers up “the talk” to Olive in humorous ways on multiple occasions.
Clarkson began her acting career in the 1997 film The Untouchables. She won a Golden Globe for her role in the series Sharp Objects as well as two Emmys for her role in the series Six Feet Under. She’s featured in plenty of films like The Green Mile, Pieces of April, Shutter Island, Friends With Benefits, and more. Her range varies from genre to genre, as her latest roles were in the 2018 psychological thriller, Delirium and the 2022 drama, Monica.
Dan Byrd
Dan Byrd plays Brandon, Olive’s gay friend who pays her to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to keep his LGTBQ+ affiliation a secret. Their fake affair lasts for a good portion of the film until Brandon decides to come forward about being into men. He was the first person to use Olive’s lies to their advantage, leading to many more fake relationships for Olive to keep track of.
Byrd has had his fair share of time in both film and television, having worked in nearly 50 roles throughout his career. Some of his most popular films are A Cinderella Story, Are We There Yet?, and The Hills Have Eyes. As for television, Byrd has had recurring roles in the 2002 drama series Any Day Now and Cougar Town from 2009-2015. His most recent work has been in the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon where he features as a Pastor.
Aly Michalka
Though Rhiannon, played by Aly Michalka, is supposed to be a supportive friend to Olive, she barely pays any mind to how Olive’s life is unraveling. She ends up becoming jealous that Olive is being talked about more than her, leading to a rift in the relationship between the two friends.
Michalka first began her acting career for Disney in the show Phil of the Future. She reprised her role every season between 2002 and 2004. Other television features of hers include Two and a Half Men, iZombie, and The Good Doctor. Some of her most popular roles are the psychological thriller, The Roommate, Crazy Kind of Love, and Grown Ups 2. Michalka’s next role in film will be in the upcoming movie Killing Winston Jones. However, the film has been halted due to criminal charges pressed against lead actor Danny Masterson, as filmmakers anticipate bad press, causing an undetermined release date, if any.