Hot Tub Time Machine Cast List: Actors and Actresses from Hot Tub Time Machine

When you hear a title like Hot Tub Time Machine, you already know you’re not signing up for a serious meditation on the nature of time. You’re here for something much better: an unapologetically silly, R-rated sci-fi comedy packed with 1980s nostalgia, wild party energy, and a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship. What really makes this 2010 movie stick in people’s memories, though, is its cast. From seasoned stars like John Cusack and Chevy Chase to then-rising names like Clark Duke, Lizzy Caplan, and Sebastian Stan, the Hot Tub Time Machine cast is a big reason the film ended up becoming a cult favorite.

Whether you’re trying to remember who played whom, hunting for the actors’ other movies and shows, or just enjoying a trip down memory lane, this Hot Tub Time Machine cast list will walk you through the main actors, supporting players, and what makes this ensemble such a perfect fit for a time-traveling hot tub.

Quick Overview of Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine is a 2010 American sci-fi comedy directed by Steve Pink. The story follows four guys stuck in various midlife ruts: Adam Yates (John Cusack), Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry), Nick Webber-Agnew (Craig Robinson), and Adam’s socially awkward nephew Jacob (Clark Duke). A disastrous, booze-soaked getaway to a once-beloved ski resort sends them back to 1986 via a malfunctioning hot tub. To get home, they have to relive (and possibly rewrite) the worst moments of their younger years.

The movie blends raunchy humor, 80s pop culture references, and a surprisingly sweet core about friendship and second chances. It earned moderate box office success and later built a loyal following on home video and streaming, helped in no small part by its memorable cast of actors and actresses.

Main Hot Tub Time Machine Cast List

Let’s start with the core four characters around whom all the chaos (and the time travel) revolves. These are the faces you probably picture the moment someone mentions Hot Tub Time Machine.

John Cusack as Adam Yates

John Cusack plays Adam Yates, the reluctantly responsible adult of the group. Adam is a workaholic who’s just been dumped and feels like life has somehow passed him by. He’s the guy booking the ski trip, trying to keep everyone alive, and quietly wondering how his future ended up so far from his teenage dreams.

Casting Cusack was a smart nod to audiences who grew up with him in classic 80s and 90s films. He built his career in coming-of-age and offbeat roles, including Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing, Say Anything…, and later cult favorites like Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, and High Fidelity. His presence gives Hot Tub Time Machine an extra layer of meta-nostalgia: here’s an 80s icon revisiting the era that helped make him famous.

As Adam, Cusack balances exasperated straight-man energy with just enough weirdness to fit the film’s tone. He grounds the story emotionally while still landing plenty of sharp, understated jokes.

Rob Corddry as Lou Dorchen

Rob Corddry plays Lou Dorchen, the out-of-control party animal who never really grew up. Lou is loud, reckless, wildly inappropriate, and secretly miserable. His near-death experience at the beginning of the movie is what pushes the group back to the ski resortand into the hot tub.

Corddry was already well known to comedy fans for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and for his edgy Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital. He’s also appeared in films like Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and What Happens in Vegas. In Hot Tub Time Machine, he goes all-in on the chaos, delivering some of the film’s most outrageous moments but also giving Lou a surprisingly vulnerable core.

Without Corddry’s fearless performance, Lou could have been unbearable. Instead, he becomes the broken, ridiculous, oddly lovable heart of the movie.

Craig Robinson as Nick Webber-Agnew

Craig Robinson plays Nick Webber-Agnew, a talented musician who traded his dreams for a dead-end job and a marriage that doesn’t feel particularly supportive. In the present, Nick is exhausted and resentful; in 1986, he gets a shot at rediscovering his love of performing.

Robinson is best known to many viewers as Darryl Philbin from the U.S. version of The Office. He’s also appeared in comedies like Pineapple Express and Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and he’s a real-life musician and singer. In Hot Tub Time Machine, he gets to show off both his comedic timing and his musical chops, performing memorable covers of 80s hits in the film’s concert scenes.

Nick is the character who most clearly wrestles with regret: he knows he once had momentum and let it slip away. Robinson plays that blend of frustration, sweetness, and pure comic panic perfectly.

Clark Duke as Jacob Yates

Clark Duke plays Jacob, Adam’s much younger nephew who spends his present-day life holed up in a basement, glued to video games and the internet. When the group goes back to 1986, Jacob technically shouldn’t exist yet, which leads to a running gag where he flickers in and out of reality anytime history gets shaky.

Duke had been building a career on quirky, offbeat roles in projects like Sex Drive, the web series Clark and Michael, the college dramedy Greek, and later films such as Kick-Ass and the animated hit The Croods. He also appeared as Clark Green in The Office. His dry delivery and awkward charm make Jacob the perfect “modern kid” thrown into an aggressively analog 1980s world.

Jacob’s confusion about the 80sand about his own existencegives the movie a fresh perspective and plenty of running jokes for younger viewers who didn’t grow up with cassette tapes and leg warmers.

Supporting Actors and Actresses You’ll Recognize

Beyond the main four, the Hot Tub Time Machine cast list is stuffed with supporting actors who bring a lot of personality to their scenes. Many of them are people you’ve seen in other movies and TV shows, even if you don’t immediately know their names.

Lizzy Caplan as April Drennan

Lizzy Caplan plays April, a music journalist Adam meets in 1986. She’s independent, sharp, and has a taste for live shows and risky choices. April becomes Adam’s romantic interest and represents the path not taken in his life.

Caplan was already known for roles in projects like Mean Girls and the series Party Down, and she later starred in Masters of Sex, Cloverfield, and Now You See Me 2. Her grounded, slightly cynical vibe helps balance the movie’s more absurd elements, and her chemistry with Cusack gives the story a surprisingly earnest emotional thread.

Crispin Glover as Phil Wedmaier

Crispin Glover appears as Phil Wedmaier, the bellhop at the ski resort whose future physical condition becomes one of the film’s running gags. Glover is legendary among 80s movie fans for his role as George McFly in Back to the Future, and his offbeat screen presence is instantly recognizable.

In Hot Tub Time Machine, he leans into that eccentric energy, turning a relatively small role into one of the movie’s most memorable characters. Every time Phil appears, viewers are bracing for something wild to happenand the film fully delivers on that expectation.

Chevy Chase as the Repairman

Chevy Chase plays the mysterious hot tub repairman, a cryptic figure who appears just often enough to nudge the plot along and drop ominous hints about time travel rules. His character feels like a cross between a handyman and a low-key time wizard.

Chase, of course, is comedy royalty thanks to his work on Saturday Night Live, the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies, and Caddyshack. Casting him as the guy who understands the mechanics of a time-traveling hot tub is the kind of meta joke that fits perfectly with the film’s tone.

Sebastian Stan as Blaine

Before he was the Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sebastian Stan played Blaine, the smug, bullying ski patrol leader who torments the guys in 1986. He’s the kind of 80s villain who looks like he was born wearing a neon ski jacket and a permanent smirk.

Stan’s later career includes major roles in Marvel films, prestige TV, and award-nominated performances, but his work here shows how good he is at playing a punchable antagonist. Fun fact: he has credited the residual income from Hot Tub Time Machine as a financial lifeline early in his career, just before his big Marvel break.

Other Notable Supporting Roles

The cast is rounded out by a range of talented performers who help bring both 2010 and 1986 to life:

• Collette Wolfe as Kelly Yates, Adam’s sister and Jacob’s mom, whose 1986 storyline becomes crucial to the time-travel puzzle.
• Lyndsy Fonseca as Jenny, Adam’s ex-girlfriend, who represents the kind of messy young love you only fully understand in hindsight.
• Kellee Stewart as Courtney Agnew, Nick’s wife, whose future relationship with him hinges on how he handles his 1986 choices.
• Charlie McDermott as Chaz, a hilariously rude teenager in the present timeline who contrasts sharply with the older guys’ nostalgia.
• Crystal Lowe as Zoe and Jessica Paré as Tara, both adding to the film’s party-heavy atmosphere at the resort.

Even the younger versions of the main charactersplayed by Jake Rose (young Adam), Brook Bennett (young Lou), and Aliu Oyofo (young Nick)help sell the idea that these middle-aged men are reliving their most chaotic teenage days.

Why This Ensemble Cast Works So Well

On paper, Hot Tub Time Machine sounds like the kind of high-concept comedy that could easily fall apart. But the cast keeps it grounded enough to care, and wild enough to keep you laughing. Each actor brings something specific to the table:

• John Cusack adds emotional weight and nostalgic credibility.
• Rob Corddry brings unfiltered, no-safety-net chaos.
• Craig Robinson provides warmth, musical fun, and deadpan reactions.
• Clark Duke injects modern, geeky humor and generational contrast.
• The supporting cast layers in physical comedy, 80s caricatures, and surprising heart.

The result is a movie where you can enjoy stupid jokes about energy drinks and hot tubs and still find yourself weirdly invested in whether these guys get a second chance at life. For many fans, the cast is the reason they keep rewatching the movie years later.

Where You’ve Seen the Hot Tub Time Machine Cast Before and After

One of the fun parts of revisiting Hot Tub Time Machine is recognizing how much of this cast has shown up in other corners of pop culture:

• John Cusack went from 80s teen movies to acclaimed 90s and 2000s projects like Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, and High Fidelity, and continues to work in both film and TV.
• Rob Corddry expanded his comedy footprint with Childrens Hospital, its spin-off Medical Police, and supporting roles in series like Ballers and The Unicorn.
• Craig Robinson leveraged his popularity from The Office into stand-up specials, film roles, and starring turns in shows such as Ghosted and Killin’ It.
• Clark Duke continued mixing acting, voice work, and directing, appearing in projects like Kick-Ass, The Croods, and his own crime film Arkansas.
• Lizzy Caplan became a go-to actor for smart, edgy roles in series like Masters of Sex and in genre films and thrillers.
• Sebastian Stan transformed from ski-patrol villain to Marvel mainstay as Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier, while also taking on acclaimed dramatic roles.
• Chevy Chase enjoyed another pop-culture wave with his role on Community, reminding a new generation why he’s a comedy legend.

Rewatching Hot Tub Time Machine now feels a bit like opening a time capsule of actors at different stages of their careerssome already icons, some right on the edge of becoming huge names.

Fan Experiences: Why the Cast Still Resonates (Bonus Deep Dive)

More than a decade after its release, Hot Tub Time Machine still pops up in movie-night rotations, streaming queues, and “underrated comedies” lists. A big part of that staying power comes from the cast and how people connect with their performances.

For many viewers, their first encounter with the film was not in theaters, but on cable, late-night TV, or a streaming platform. It’s the kind of movie you stumble across halfway through, think “What on earth is this?”, and then suddenly realize you’ve watched the whole thing and laughed way more than you expected. The cast makes that happen. Even if you jump in mid-scene, the chemistry between the actors is strong enough that you immediately understand the dynamics: Adam is exasperated, Lou is unhinged, Nick is stressed but lovable, and Jacob is confused by literally everything.

Fans often talk about how the movie became a social experience. It’s an easy choice for group watch nights because different people latch onto different cast members:

• Friends who grew up with 80s and 90s movies are there for John Cusack.
• Office fans show up for Craig Robinson and Clark Duke.
• Comedy nerds are delighted by Rob Corddry’s fearless commitment to the bit.
• Marvel fans get a kick out of seeing a pre–Winter Soldier Sebastian Stan.

Over time, the cast also becomes a gateway into other projects. After watching Hot Tub Time Machine, people end up exploring the actors’ filmographies: finally checking out Say Anything…, binge-watching The Office or Childrens Hospital, or discovering Lizzy Caplan’s dramatic work and Sebastian Stan’s indie performances. The movie is silly, but the careers attached to it are often surprisingly rich and varied.

On a more emotional level, the cast taps into something that feels very relatable: the fear of peaking too early, the embarrassment of past mistakes, and the fantasy of getting to fix “that one night” that still haunts you. Cusack, Corddry, Robinson, and Duke all play versions of people we recognizefriends who didn’t quite end up where they thought they would. The supporting cast amplifies that feeling by embodying the exaggerated 1980s world they left behind: the bullies, the crushes, the random strangers you once thought were the center of the universe.

Because the actors commit so fully, the movie’s most absurd moments land emotionally as well as comedically. Lou’s reckless behavior hides real pain. Nick’s meltdown over his music career and marriage feels oddly sincere. Adam’s reluctance to take risks makes sense when you see how hard he’s tried to be “the responsible one.” Jacob’s glitchy existence is a funny sci-fi gag, but it also raises questions about how our parents’ choices shape who we become. None of that would work without a cast willing to lean into both the ridiculous and the real.

For longtime fans, rewatching Hot Tub Time Machine can feel like catching up with old friends. You know the jokes are coming, but you still laugh at them. You notice new background details, appreciate small reaction shots you missed the first time, and see how the actors were already hinting at the careers they’d go on to build. The film becomes less about the mechanics of time travel and more about the joy of seeing this particular group of people share the screen.

In the end, that’s the magic of the Hot Tub Time Machine cast. The movie might be built on a wild premise, but it’s the actors and actressesfrom the headliners to the smallest supporting roleswho make it worth revisiting. Their performances remind us that sometimes the best kind of time travel isn’t about changing history; it’s about hanging out with characters (and the actors behind them) who make you want to press “play” one more time.