Actress Betty Gilpin lands a role in the upcoming action thriller The Hunt. She was first offered a part in January, and now officially joins the cast. Gilpin is best known for portraying Debbie Eagan on the Netflix series GLOW.

Directed by Craig Zobel, The Hunt will reportedly explore the political tensions in America, with a narrative premise resembling Battle Royale. Few details have been revealed about who is chasing who in The Hunt, though we do know the film has nothing to do with Jordan Peele’s nazi hunter series of the same name. Blumhouse will produce The Hunt in collaboration with Damon Lindelof, who co-created the iconic ABC series Lost, and also co-created the HBO series The Leftovers. Earlier this month, Ike Barinholtz was cast in The Hunt, joining Emma Roberts, Justin Hartley, and Glenn Howerton. The Hunt began filming last month in New Orleans and will be released theatrically this October through Universal Pictures.

Per Deadline, Gilpin has been cast in The Hunt, though specific details haven’t been revealed about her character. Gilpin landed her first TV role while still in college, as she appeared in a season 6 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and later portrayed a different character in the series’ 2009 season 8 premiere. Gilpin’s big break arrived in 2013 when she was cast as Dr. Carrie Roman on the Showtime series Nurse Jackie, in which she had a recurring role during season 5 before earning a main role for the final two seasons. After receiving smaller character arcs on Elementary, Mercy Street, Master of Sex, and American Gods, Gilpin landed a lead role on Netflix's GLOW opposite Alison Brie.


In 2019, Gilpin has taken a giant leap forward with her feature film career. After appearing in only a handful of films over the previous decade, she’s thus far appeared in A Dog’s Journey and the comedy Isn’t It Romantic starring Rebel Wilson and Liam Hemsworth. In addition, Gilpin has a main role in the action comedy Stuber, which premiered earlier this month at SXSW. Next year, she’s set to co-star in the supernatural psychological horror film Grudge, which will be co-produced by Sam Raimi and be based on the original Japanese franchise, along with the subsequent American reboot.

With The Hunt, Gilpin has landed yet another coveted feature film role. So, what does this mean for GLOW? Last August, the Netflix series was renewed for season 3, so Gilpin will have even more momentum as her big screen career progresses. Moving forward, we’ll have to see whether she leans more towards comedies or thrillers. If The Hunt becomes a box office hit, along with the upcoming Grudge, then Gilpin may indeed become a formidable action horror star.