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Much like other adaptations of Stephen King’s 1974 horror novel, the 2026 Carrie series was criticized for having the titular character played by an actor who looks nothing like the book’s descriptions.
In the book, Carrie is described as a “chunky” girl with pimples who is constantly bullied over her appearance. In previous adaptations of the novel, including films released in 1976, 2002, and 2013, the character was played by actors Sissy Spacek, Angela Bettis, and Chloë Grace Moretz, all of whom are conventionally attractive.
And things are no different in 2026, with Canadian star Summer H. Howell playing the lead in Mike Flanagan’s Prime series.
This past weekend, one particular scene from the new show — which aired on Oct. 7 — went viral on X and drew more attention towards Summer’s casting as Carrie.
The scene in question features Carrie hitting back at one of her school bullies, Chris Hargensen, played by Alison Thornton.
Amazon/MGM Studios / Prime Video / Via x.com
Several internet users felt that the dynamic between Carrie and Chris felt unconvincing given that Summer and Alison are both conventionally attractive women who, to many, look somewhat similar in appearance. “American casting is a fucking joke, why does the girl bullying Carrie look exactly the same as her,” one viral tweet read, while another user said, “fun fact if you watch this without audio it's impossible to tell which character is Carrie.”
Amazon/MGM Studios / Prime Video / Via x.com
“Is this a one woman show??” someone quipped. “They have the same face,” another user wrote, while one more person suggested, “no one will cast anyone who isn't very conventionally good looking anymore. the refusal to let people, especially women, be ugly is hurting the storytelling.”
because no one will cast anyone who isn't very conventionally good looking anymore. the refusal to let people, especially women, be ugly is hurting the storytelling.
— kk (@ginghamburglar) October 10, 2026kk / Via x.com
Now, Summer has addressed some of the backlash around her casting in a chat with Pedestrian TV.
Admitting that she “completely” understands the criticism, Summer said, “At the end of the day, I trust Mike and his team who chose me and his vision for the story. Our version is quite different. It's an adaptation.”
“There's a lot of time with the characters, and you get to see why they make their choices. And I just think there's so much more that people aren't expecting, and I hope they give it a chance and like it, hopefully,” she added.
Meanwhile, Mike told People magazine that his version of the story is “very much a reinvention” of the famous novel.
“We’re very aware of what people were expecting. And as a super fan myself, as a lifelong Stephen King fanatic, it was really important for me that I try to anticipate what their reactions would be if I was just a fan watching,” he said, adding that he and his team built the OG story “into something new.”
“This isn’t the Carrie White we’ve seen before,” he added.
English (US) 