The current Outlast Netflix cast consists of 16 contestants competing in Outlast: The Jungle. The group includes a dive master, a former federal agent, a commercial fisherman, an expedition leader, a wildlife educator, a former NFL player and several competitors with hunting, fishing, climbing and martial arts experience.
Unlike a scripted series, the “cast” of Outlast is made up of real participants. The most useful way to understand the lineup is by looking at the practical experience each person brought into the competition.
For more reality and competition lineups, see our Love Island Season 8 cast guide and Dancing with the Stars cast 2026.
Outlast: The Jungle cast list at a glance
| Actor | Character / role |
|---|---|
| Abby Chu | Dive master |
| Ben Orndorff | Former federal agent |
| Braxton Fish | Adventure vlogger |
| Brett Johnson | Commercial fisherman |
| Dave Cecchini | Expedition leader |
| Halle Cooley | Model and ranch-raised athlete |
| Leiya Pillitteri | Triathlete and permanent-makeup artist |
| Maddy Jones | Photographer and hunter |
| Marshall Strain | General contractor |
| Mary Wedell | Farmhand and forager |
| Morgan Colburn | Sales manager |
| Nikki Hru | Boxer and trapper |
| Pharaoh Gayles | Wildlife educator |
| Sarah Awad | Former rugby player |
| Sean Jacobs | Aid worker and animal rescuer |
| Wes Saunders | Former NFL player |
Abby Chu, Ben Orndorff, Braxton Fish and Brett Johnson
Abby Chu as Contestant and dive master
Abby entered the competition with a background in diving, rock climbing and martial arts. Her profile positioned her as a calm, physically capable competitor who could contribute both in water and on land.
Ben Orndorff as Contestant and former federal agent
Ben brought professional experience in reading people and managing information. His outdoor background included travel and white-water activities, while his strategic strength came from observation and discretion.
Braxton Fish as Contestant and adventure vlogger
Braxton had experience with solo skydiving, long-distance backpacking and off-grid living. His profile presented him as highly independent and willing to treat alliances as opportunities rather than permanent commitments.
Brett Johnson as Contestant and commercial fisherman
Brett grew up in the Louisiana swamps and entered with practical fishing, hunting and improvisation skills. His work as a commercial fisherman made him one of the cast members with an immediately useful food-gathering background.
Dave Cecchini, Halle Cooley, Leiya Pillitteri and Maddy Jones
Dave Cecchini as Contestant and expedition leader
Dave’s professional outdoor experience included leading wilderness expeditions. He also listed archery and the ability to carve fishing spears among his survival skills.
Halle Cooley as Contestant, model and ranch-raised athlete
Halle grew up riding horses, repairing fences and spearfishing on a Texas ranch. She also entered as a marathon runner with jiujitsu training, giving her one of the broadest athletic profiles in the cast.
Leiya Pillitteri as Contestant, triathlete and permanent-makeup artist
Leiya brought swimming, hand fishing and bamboo-building skills. Her ability to create shelters and tools from natural materials gave her a practical profile suited to the jungle setting.
Maddy Jones as Contestant, photographer and hunter
Maddy grew up hunting in West Virginia and learned to shoot and field dress deer at a young age. Her experience made her one of the cast’s strongest food-procurement competitors.
Marshall Strain, Mary Wedell, Morgan Colburn and Nikki Hru
Marshall Strain as Contestant and general contractor
Marshall’s construction background helped him work with limited materials. His profile emphasised shelter-building potential, direct communication and a strong respect for the natural environment.
Mary Wedell as Contestant and farmhand
Mary had lived in a van before working on a farm in California. She brought foraging, plant identification, sewing and fishing-net construction skills, making her one of the cast’s most versatile crafters.
Morgan Colburn as Contestant and sales manager
Morgan grew up around Florida swamps and credited her father with teaching her to fish and improvise tools. Her psychology background also gave her a social strategy beyond her outdoor skills.
Nikki Hru as Contestant, boxer and trapper
Nikki entered as a former lightweight boxing champion with trapping, knife and fire-making skills. Her profile combined physical endurance with the mental discipline expected from competitive fighting.
Pharaoh Gayles, Sarah Awad, Sean Jacobs and Wes Saunders
Pharaoh Gayles as Contestant and wildlife educator
Pharaoh was a five-time gator wrestling champion with experience tracking animals on land and underwater. His wildlife education background made environmental reading one of his clearest strengths.
Sarah Awad as Contestant and former rugby player
Sarah brought ten years of rugby experience and planned to use group leadership as a major part of her game. Her athletic background suggested toughness, while her stated strategy focused on building a strong alliance.
Sean Jacobs as Contestant, aid worker and animal rescuer
Sean had worked in refugee camps, wildlife rehabilitation centres and remote villages. His profile combined practical experience in difficult environments with a deliberately aggressive competition strategy.
Wes Saunders as Contestant and former NFL player
Wes, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, entered with professional-sports strength, determination and leadership experience. Fishing was his clearest traditional outdoor skill.
The Outlast: The Jungle cast was designed around contrasting forms of experience. Some participants arrived with direct wilderness careers, while others relied on athleticism, construction, psychology, intelligence work or team leadership. That variety is what makes the cast useful to compare even before the teams form.