Funny Story Movie Dream Cast: Who Could Play Daphne, Miles & More?

Funny Story dream cast

With Henry penning the script, hopes are high for Miles and Daphne’s love story! News of a small-screen adaptation of Henry’s Happy Place broke earlier in 2024, and now Funny Story is next up to get the feature film treatment. (Henry’s other novels, Beach Read and Book Lovers were confirmed for film adaptations in 2023, while a movie version of People We Meet on Vacation was announced in 2022.) As we eagerly await more movie news on Funny Story, we’re already dreaming up our perfect all-star cast, from Daphne and Miles to Ashleigh and more.

Daphne Vincent (Pauline Chalamet)

Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO.

Owner of cardigans galore, calendar-loving Daphne Vincent is described as having chestnut brown hair and a broken heart. The children’s librarian is settling into her new day-to-day post-Peter, and building a different life for herself. Some fan-casts see Emily In Paris star Lily Collins as Daphne, but we can see Sex Lives of College Girls star Pauline Chalamet taking on the protagonist role, with all the humor and heart needed for Daphne’s coming-to-terms-with-herself character.
Miles Nowak (Dylan O’Brien)

Image Credit: Gemma LaMana/©Samuel Goldwyn Films/courtesy Everett Collection.

Described as having chocolate brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a matching beard, Miles Nowak owns five and a half pairs of Crocs, and often has a lingering scent of weed emanating from his room. Navigating a personal heartbreak by watching plenty of rom-com movies and putting effort into his job at a local winery, he’s as magnetic as he is silly, smelling of gingersnaps, and always up for an adventure. We can see Dylan O’Brien playing the friendly, handsome, and wiry guy. The former Teen Wolf actor would embody the titular character, effortlessly offering up the same effusing warmth Miles gives off in the book.
Peter Collins (Jake McDorman)

Image Credit: Michael Parmelee/©CBS/courtesy Everett Collection.

Peter Collins is a TV handsome blond doorknob of a guy, and we think Aquamarine love interest Jake McDorman would play the 30-something-year-old perfectly, as he embodies the old-money aura and charming ex-love interest Peter brings to the story. Known as Daphne’s once-loving boyfriend, he’s complicit in breaking her heart, a role Jake McDorman played previously as Evan Chambers in the 2008 TV show Greek.
Petra Comer (Meghann Fahy)

Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO.

Most fan-casts have Meghann Fahy starring as Petra Comer. Described in the book as, “a perfect ten with a picturesque family and a well-padded bank account,” the White Lotus star is no stranger to playing a high-falutin character. While Peter and Petra are technically the “villains” of the book, we still want to like Petra, even if it is begrudgingly, and Meghann’s role in The Bold Type confirms she can play a multi-dimensional role, walking the lines of humble and unattainable at the same time.
Ashleigh Rahimi (Michelle Buteau)

Image Credit: Neon / courtesy Everett Collection.

Daphne’s coworker Ashleigh Rahimi is five foot tall with Disney princess eyes and a menacing scowl. Raven-haired actress Michelle Buteau would play the spitfire character with all the required sarcasm. Fiercely protective and strong, Ashleigh has a lot on her plate as a working single mom to Mulder. Known for roles in Survival of the Thickest and the 2024 comedy Babes, Michelle Buteau is an effervescent comedian who completely has the chops to play one of our favorite supporting characters.
Julia Nowak (Mikey Madison)

Image Credit: FX / Courtesy Everett Collection.

Julia Nowak sweeps into the story with a witty comment and a keen eye. Known as the impulsive little sister to Miles, she ends up bunking with the fake-but-maybe-not lovers for a while. While Emily Henry herself dream-cast Sugar’s Sydney Chandler in a recent interview with US Weekly, we’re picturing Better Things actress Mikey Madison pulling off Julia’s wavy French-girl bob, baby bangs, and carefree attitude with aplomb.
Additional characters

Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO.

For Daphne’s stepmom, Starfire, we can see Jennifer Coolidge taking on the kooky role. Wouldn’t Peter Gallagher, AKA Sandy Cohen from The OC fit the bill as Daphne’s dad? Finally, we would have Woody Harrelson play Gill, the regaling drinking mate our couple stumbled upon on a night out.