Cast
| Role | Role in story | Actor | Real-life counterpart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Truelove | Leader, the "alpha dog" | Emile Hirsch | Jesse James Hollywood (convicted July 8, 2009 of the kidnapping and murder of Nick Markowitz and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.); 20 years old at the time. |
| Frankie "Nuts" Ballenbacher | Johnny's right-man and best friend, who becomes friends with Zack when he is assigned to watch him | Justin Timberlake | Jesse Rugge (sentenced to life in prison, for the kidnapping of Nick Markowitz with the possibility of parole after seven years. His petition for parole was denied in 2006.); 20 years old at the time. |
| Elvis Schmidt | Member of the gang and shooter. At the beginning of the story he is in debt to Johnny. | Shawn Hatosy | Ryan Hoyt (currently on death row at San Quentin for the murder of Nick Markowitz); 21 years old at the time. |
| Jake Mazursky | Elder half-brother of victim | Ben Foster | Benjamin Markowitz; 22 years old at the time. Served three years in prison for robbery. Since released. |
| Zack Mazursky | Victim | Anton Yelchin | Nicholas Markowitz (murdered by Ryan Hoyt, a member of Jesse James Hollywood's crew.) Nick was 15 when he died. Hollywood has since been tried and convicted for the kidnapping and his role in the murder. |
| Olivia Mazursky | Mother of victim | Sharon Stone | Susan Markowitz |
| Keith Stratten | Friend of Frankie who digs Zack's grave and is in the car but not present for the murder | Chris Marquette | Graham Pressley; 17 at the Time. In July 2002 tried as a minor and October 2002 as an adult. Served five years in juvie for digging Nick's grave. Second degree murder. (Released from the California Youth Authority in 2007.) |
| Susan Hartunian | Friend of Frankie's who is concerned about Zack's well-being | Dominique Swain | Natasha Adams-Young (Given Immunity in Exchange for Her Testimony). Friend of Rugge, Graham, and Nick; 19 at the time. After reading in the paper that Nick was murdered, she confronted Rugge and asked if he had anything to do with it. Despite Rugge explaining that he didn't, she knew he was lying and she told her father, a lawyer, what happened; he in turn called police. |
| Bobby "911" Kaye | Drug dealer | Alex Solowitz | Brian Affronti joined Hollywood and the crew minutes after they had kidnapped Nick; 20 at the time. |
| Tiko 'TKO' Martinez | Member of the gang, muscle. | Fernando Vargas | William Skidmore Nine years in state prison for kidnapping and robbery out of a plea bargain; 20 at the time. Skidmore was released in April 2009. |
| Angela Holden | Johnny's girlfriend, arrested while on the run with him in New Mexico | Olivia Wilde | Michelle Lasher, Hollywood's girlfriend; 19 at the time. Arrested for harboring a fugitive (Hollywood). |
| Buzz Fecske | Johnny's childhood friend who drives him back to Los Angeles after he escapes the police in New Mexico. | Lukas Haas | Chas Saulsbury, Hollywood's friend. Last met during junior high. Tried to help Hollywood get out of the country. Arrested for harboring a fugitive. |
| Sonny Truelove | Johnny's father and marijuana supplier. Implied he has Mafia connections. | Bruce Willis | John "Jack" Hollywood Jesse James's father. Arrested in 2005, the same day son Jesse James was captured in Brazil, for manufacturing the illicit narcotic GHB, but the charge was later thrown out in court. Jack remained in custody on an outstanding 2002 warrant for a marijuana-related charge, and later received 18 months in an Arizona prison. Since released. |
| Wanda Haynes | Jake's girlfriend, waitress at a steakhouse. | Heather Wahlquist | Ben's fiancée. |
| Julie Beckley | Victim's girl | Amanda Seyfried | Jeanine, Nick's girlfriend; 17 at the time. |
| Pick Giaimo | Associate of the gang whose car was used in the murder | Vincent Kartheiser | Casey Sheehan, Hollywood's friend. His vehicle was used in the murder of Nick Markowitz. Arrested, then bailed out; 20 at the time. |
| Cosmo Gadabeeti | Johnny's godfather. Implied he has connections to the Mafia. | Harry Dean Stanton | John Roberts, Jesse James's godfather, and Jack's best friend. His van was used in the kidnapping of Nick Markowitz. |
| Detective Tom Finnegan | Holt McCallany | Officer looking for Hollywood; he arrested the crew as well as interviewed witnesses. | |
| Sabrina Pope | Charity Shea | Kelly Carpenter (given immunity in exchange for testimony), Rugge's girlfriend; 16 at the time. | |
| Alma | Amber Heard |
Read more about this topic: Alpha Dog
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