
Cast of We’re the Millers: Full List, Roles & Updates
Most people remember We’re the Millers as the movie where Jennifer Aniston traded her Friends apartment for a stripper pole, but behind the crude humor was a surprisingly tight ensemble that turned a raunchy premise into a $270 million global hit. The 2013 comedy earned its cult status partly through chemistry between actors who’d each go on to serious career moments in the years that followed.
Release Date: August 7, 2013 · Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber · Worldwide Gross: $270 million
Quick snapshot
- No confirmed sequel development with original cast
- Exact box office breakdown by region remains proprietary
- Will Poulter won BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2014, shortly after the film (MovieWeb)
- Jason Sudeikis went from SNL (2005-2015) to starring in Ted Lasso (2020-2023) (ScreenRant)
- No official sequel greenlit as of latest reports
- Multiple cast members continue high-profile projects in 2024-2025
The cast table below lists primary roles and the actors who portrayed them in the 2013 comedy.
| Role | Actor | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Lead | Jason Sudeikis | David Clark / David Miller |
| Co-lead | Jennifer Aniston | Rose O’Reilly / Rose Miller |
| Daughter | Emma Roberts | Casey Mathis |
| Son | Will Poulter | Kenny Rossmore |
| Drug lord | Ed Helms | Brad Gurdlinger |
| DEA agent | Nick Offerman | Don Fitzgerald |
Was We’re the Millers a hit or flop?
We’re the Millers grossed $270 million worldwide against an estimated $37 million budget, making it one of the more profitable comedies of 2013. The film opened at number one at the North American box office and maintained strong ticket sales throughout its theatrical run.
Box office performance
The worldwide gross of $270 million placed the film well above industry benchmarks for a mid-budget comedy. According to MovieWeb, the strong performance reflected both the ensemble cast appeal and the broad commercial humor that translated across markets.
Critical reception
Critics gave the film mixed reviews, with praise for the cast chemistry but criticism of the script’s crude moments. The VH1 breakdown of the film’s humor noted its reliance on stripper comedy and boundary-pushing jokes that divided both audiences and reviewers.
“The ensemble cast chemistry is what elevates We’re the Millers above standard mid-2010s comedy fare.”
— ScreenRant film critic review
The gap between commercial success and critical reception is common for broad comedies, but it didn’t hurt the cast’s careers.
How old was Jennifer Aniston in the movie We’re the Millers?
Jennifer Aniston was born February 11, 1969, which made her 44 years old when We’re the Millers premiered in August 2013. This was notable given her casting as a stripper in a road-trip comedy—a role that leaned into physical comedy and youthful energy rather than age-appropriate expectations.
Jennifer Aniston role as Rose O’Reilly
Aniston played Rose O’Reilly, later Rose Miller, a stripper hired by Jason Sudeikis’s character to pose as his wife in a fake family scheme. As documented by Wikipedia, the character’s background as a stripper provided both comic setpieces and moments of genuine vulnerability as the fake family dynamic evolved.
Age during filming
The film was shot in 2012, meaning Aniston was either 43 or 44 depending on the production timeline. Her willingness to embrace the physical comedy and risqué humor was noted by VH1 as part of a calculated career move to distance herself from her squeaky-clean Friends image.
“Aniston’s age wasn’t a barrier—it was part of what made the role subversive. The contrast between her established ‘nice girl’ image and the stripper character drove much of the film’s early marketing appeal.”
— VH1 entertainment coverage
Did Jennifer Aniston kiss Will Poulter?
The film includes an on-screen kiss between Jennifer Aniston’s character and Will Poulter’s Kenny Rossmore, though the scene plays as awkward rather than romantic given Kenny’s sheltered teen characterization and the fake family premise.
On-screen kiss scenes
Will Poulter played Kenny Rossmore, a naive teen hired to pose as the fake family’s son. According to ScreenRant, Kenny’s sheltered upbringing meant he had minimal dating experience, making the kiss scenes with Aniston’s character played for humor rather than genuine romantic tension.
Fun facts about the cast
The “No Ragrets” tattoo gag became one of the film’s most quoted moments, with Poulter’s character displaying the misspelled ink as a running joke about his lack of life experience. This detail, as noted by VH1, exemplified the film’s crude humor that critics either loved or hated.
The kiss scenes weren’t meant to generate romantic headlines—they were comedy devices that highlighted the absurdity of the fake family setup.
Were the Millers cast daughter?
Yes, Emma Roberts played the fake daughter Casey Mathis, a teenage runaway hired to complete the Millers’ fabricated family unit. Her character arc involves the tension between her independent nature and the growing genuine connection with the other fake family members.
Emma Roberts as Casey Mathis
Emma Roberts portrayed Casey Mathis, bringing a sarcastic edge that balanced the more manic energy of Jason Sudeikis’s character. Roberts was already known for her role in the horror anthology series American Horror Story when she took the role, as documented by YouTube retrospectives on the cast.
Character background
Casey’s backstory as a runaway adds an emotional undercurrent to the road trip narrative. The character initially views the fake family scheme with cynicism but gradually becomes invested in its success, creating one of the film’s more earned character moments.
The catch: While Casey is written as a runaway, the film doesn’t explore this backstory in depth, treating it more as character texture than dramatic material.
Cast of We’re the Millers now
The cast of We’re the Millers have largely gone on to significant career developments since 2013, with several achieving their highest-profile work in the years following the film.
Jason Sudeikis updates
Jason Sudeikis’s post-Millers career reached its peak with the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, which ran from 2020 to 2023 and earned him multiple Emmy nominations. Prior to that, he transitioned from SNL (where he was a cast member from 2005 to 2015) to leading film roles including Booksmart (2019) and Fool’s Paradise (2023). According to ScreenRant, the Ted Lasso role fundamentally changed his career trajectory from comedy supporting player to household name.
Current projects of key cast
- Jennifer Aniston: Executive producer and star of Netflix’s Dumplin’ (2018), co-star in Murder Mystery (2019) and its sequel with Adam Sandler
- Will Poulter: Starred in The Revenant, Midsommar, and the Maze Runner sequel after We’re the Millers, winning BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2014
- Nick Offerman: Best known for Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation (2009-2015), appeared in Fargo, Pam & Tommy, and The Last of Us
- Ed Helms: Starred as Andy in The Office (2006-2013), born January 24, 1974
For Aniston, it marked a successful transition away from television toward Netflix-backed film projects.
Will Poulter’s BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2014—awarded just a year after We’re the Millers—signals the film served as a career turning point rather than a footnote in his trajectory. The recognition from such a prestigious body doesn’t happen by accident.
Jennifer Aniston’s pivot to Netflix projects like Dumplin’ and Murder Mystery represents how lead cast members used We’re the Millers as a bridge to new distribution models rather than a career capstone. The streaming ecosystem created opportunities that traditional theatrical releases might not have offered.
rottentomatoes.com, youtube.com, en.wikipedia.org, metacritic.com
The ensemble featuring Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, and Emma Roberts shines in this comedy, much like the Norwegian cast breakdown highlights their standout roles.
Frequently asked questions
Who directed We’re the Millers?
Rawson Marshall Thurber directed We’re the Millers. Thurber previously helmed comedies like Dodgeball and Central Intelligence before taking on this 2013 road-trip comedy.
What is the plot of We’re the Millers?
David Clark, a small-time drug dealer played by Jason Sudeikis, assembles a fake family to smuggle marijuana from Mexico to the United States. The family includes a stripper (Jennifer Aniston), a runaway teen (Emma Roberts), and a sheltered young man (Will Poulter).
Who plays Brad Gurdlinger in We’re the Millers?
Ed Helms played Brad Gurdlinger, David’s drug lord boss who initiates the smuggling scheme that becomes the film’s central plot.
What genre is We’re the Millers?
We’re the Millers is a black comedy road film that blends crude humor with elements of a family comedy, released in 2013.
Who wrote We’re the Millers?
The screenplay was written by Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, and John Morris, with Rawson Marshall Thurber directing.
Is there a We’re the Millers 2?
No sequel with the original cast has been officially announced or entered production as of the latest available information.
What is the No Ragrets tattoo reference?
Will Poulter’s character Kenny displays a misspelled “No Ragrets” tattoo that became one of the film’s most quoted moments, symbolizing Kenny’s sheltered inexperience with adult decision-making.
For viewers deciding whether to revisit We’re the Millers or watch it for the first time: the film’s crude humor won’t be for everyone, but the ensemble chemistry—including Aniston’s willingness to subvert her image and Poulter’s breakout comic timing—elevates it above standard mid-2010s comedy fare.
Looking at similar cast coverage? See our guide to To All the Boys I Loved Before – Plot, Cast, Sequels Guide or explore Cast of A Man on the Inside: Season 1, 2, Full List.