Josie Bissett, Laura Leighton and Daphne Zuniga—who respectively played Jane Andrews Mancini, Sydney Andrews and Jo Reynolds on everyone’s favorite ’90s nighttime soap—are set to guest-star on Sept. 12 as a trio of girlfriends who travel to the island for a birthday blowout that threatens to turn them into frenemies by the end of their visit. “It’s, I think, maybe my favorite episode of television ever,” Fantasy Island reboot co-creator Sarah Fain gushed to Yahoo! in August 2021 about the special Melrose episode, which is fittingly titled “The Big Five Oh.” Intrigued? Keep reading as we dive into some crystal blue waters and find out all about the cast and guest stars of the new FantasyIsland.
Who is in the Fantasy Island 2021 cast?
Someone has to work around here: There’s a core trio who will take on the task of helping guests arrive and find their way each week. But part of the fun of Fantasy Island is meeting new guests on every episode, which means there’s a chance that almost anyone can show up (like those MelrosePlace stars we mentioned above; keep reading!). So far, the Fantasy Island reboot cast seems to be chock full of former soap stars, which means a lot of high drama and emotion. Here are some of the people who will be on the island each week.
Roselyn Sanchez as Elena Roarke
Sanchez has had success in so many fields, it’s hard to know where to start. She’s a former soap star (she was on As the World Turns) who appeared in Desperate Housewives and its spinoff, Devious Maids. She was in the film Rush Hour 2 and several others. She’s also a Latin Grammy nominee with a well-received album under her belt, and she’s a real-life beauty queen who was Miss American Petite in 2004. She’s also a model, making Maxim’s “Hot 100” and several other “sexiest women” lists. Sanchez will be the captain of the new Fantasy Island ship: She plays Elena Roarke, a grandniece of Montalban’s character from the original show. Turns out, the island has been in the Roarke family for years. But Elena may not really want to be there at first, says Sanchez. “She actually wanted to have a normal life. But it was her turn to take over, and she has. She was in love, she had a fiancé, she wanted to be married, she was going to go to grad school,” Sanchez explained to The Wrap. “And then, because of reasons that will be revealed if you watch the show, she didn’t have a choice… it takes her a little bit to actually realize that the love of her life might be the island and what she does for a living.”
Kiara Barnes as Ruby
Kiara Barnes is another former soap alum who recently ended a run on The Bold and the Beautiful. But here’s a surprising twist (mini-spoilers ahead!): She’s this show’s Tattoo. In the reboot’s premiere, Ruby comes to the island hoping to have a vacation free from pain and the ravages of her pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She and husband Mel find a literal fountain of youth on the island, and she gets a tattoo (get it?). Ultimately, she decides to stay on the island to help Elena. “Elena really sees her as someone who has an opportunity to live again in a whole new way. And there aren’t that many people who come to the island who could do that,” says Fain. “In our mythology, there is always a Roarke family member who is the custodian of the island,” Fain explains, “and that person always has a second. That second always has a very particular tattoo—which, yes, we took from the character Tattoo [from the original series].” She adds, “The island chooses the person that’s the right person for that particular Roarke. Ruby is the right person for Elena, and we’ll see their relationship grow over the course of the season in a beautiful way.”
John Gabriel Rodriguez as Javier
John Gabriel Rodriquez was also on a soap briefly, in an uncredited 2007 General Hospital role, but he’s also had recurring work on Vampire Diaries and NCIS. Javier is the handsome pilot who flies guests to the island each week, so viewers will be seeing a lot of him. Sparks are already flying between Elena and Javier; the two characters have hinted at a shared romantic past, so it will be interesting to see where the relationship goes.
Is there a MelrosePlace reunion on FantasyIsland?
Yep! Three Melrose Place castmates are getting back together to play all-new characters who show up at Fantasy Island’s titular locale on Sun., Sept. 12. Zuniga, Leighton and Bissett appear as part of a group of friends celebrating their 50th birthdays. Fain has also promised some Easter eggs for MelrosePlace fans during “The Big Five Oh” while teasing that Bissett’s character will be “having a new physical experience.”
When is the Melrose Place reunion on Fantasy Island?
Episode 6 of Fantasy Island’s first season, titled “The Big Five Oh,” will air Sun., Sept. 12 on FOX.
Who else will guest star on FantasyIsland 2021?
Like the original series, the 2021 FantasyIsland reboot focuses on two island visits per episode, resulting in a pair of parallel storylines. Here are the actors who have guest-starred so far—or will be soon!
Eric Winter as Brian
Winter, Sanchez’s real life husband, will be arriving on Fantasy Island in Episode 6; —the same episode as Zuniga, Bissett and Leighton. His character will be daring the island to put him through the “ultimate mental and physical challenge,” according to the episode’s official logline. Winter—who currently appears in The Rookie and was on Days of Our Livesfrom 2002 to 2006—can thank his wife for the gig. “I remember going up to the showrunner and saying, ‘Guys, Eric is on hiatus from his show and he’s gonna be here for five weeks so if there’s anything…’ I just said it as a joke,” Sanchez said in an interview. “Funny enough they were like, ‘There’s actually a part, see if he wants to do it.’” It’s only the second time the couple has worked together.
Leslie Jordan as Jasper
Emmy winner Leslie Jordan, best known for his character Beverly Leslie on Will and Grace, will also be visiting the island—and when he gets there, he’ll be dead tired. He’s playing the ghost of an arts dealer in Episode 8, who shows up to talk to someone whom he didn’t give good advice.
Debbi Morgan as Eileen
Morgan is known to most people for her long run on the soap opera All My Children, where she portrayed Angie Baxter Hubbard. The actress guest-starred in Episode 4, playing a mom who hopes to fix a relationship with her daughter.
Bellamy Young as Christine
Bellamy Young’s character was one of the first guests to arrive on the island in the new show’s premiere episode. The actress is immediately recognizable from her role as Mellie Grant, the president’s wife, on the hit show Scandal. On Fantasy Island’s pilot, she played a TV newswoman who can’t wait to get to the island and enjoy guilt-free calories… with unintended results.
Dave Annable as Zev
Dave Annable is known for his work on the Paramount Network’s Yellowstone and Netflix’s What/If. He also appeared in the 2011 film What’s Your Number?Offscreen, he’s known for his 2018 viral social media post about failure. Annable appeared in the Aug. 17 episode of Fantasy Island alongside his wife, Odette, whom he met when they both worked on the show Brothers and Sisters.
Odette Annable as Daphne
Odette Annable was the lead in the films Cloverfieldand The Unborn. Her first role was at the age of 5 when she was in the film Kindergarten Cop. She appears with real-life husband Dave as a couple when they visit Fantasy Island. Variety reported about their roles, “On the surface, their characters, Zev and Daphne, have a great life. However, as they settle into their routines and habits, they’re just not connecting the way they used to. In an attempt to rekindle their spark, they travel to the titular Fantasy Island to seek out the ‘ultimate adventure.’ As usual, the island gives more than what’s expected.”
What is the show Fantasy Island about?
Guests show up on Fantasy Island hoping to live out one fantasy. The island has magical powers of some kind that allow that to happen, but not always in the way the guests might have expected. They usually leave the island a changed person. There will usually be two different sets of guests on the show.
How is Fantasy Island 2021 different from the original series?
The original incarnation of the hugely popular Aaron Spelling show, starring Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban) and his sidekick Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize), ran for seven seasons between 1978 and 1984, and producers have been hoping to recapture the same magic ever since: There was a short-lived attempt at a reboot in 1998, and last year, there was even a horror film version of FantasyIsland. But this time, the creative team has a few new tricks up their sleeve. The 2021 show “delves into the ‘what if’ questions… that keep us awake at night,” according to FOX, promising “emotional, provocative stories about people who arrive with dreams and desires and depart enlightened and transformed through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.” The Fantasy Island 2021 trailer also looks super luxurious and glamorous, so fans are in for a visual treat as well. Behind the scenes this time, girls run the world. “Eight out of our 10 directors were female, our showrunners [Liz Craft and Sarah Fain] are female, and even several of the department heads are female. I think it’s needed,” star Roselyn Sanchez told TVLine. She also promises more “compassion and sensitivity” this go-round and adds that while “the original was scary sometimes… this one is definitely a summer show.” Meanwhile, there’s a lot that’s the same between the original FantasyIsland and the reboot: Guests pay for the chance to go to Fantasy Island, where their wildest dreams can come true. They’re greeted in white by the island’s steward and her assistant, a.k.a. Elena Roarke and Ruby. Elena uses an updated ride to meet guests (a red Jeep) and this time some visitors arrive by helicopter and parachute, not just “the plane!” The executive producers also have plans to keep the show fresh and exciting for new and old fans alike. “I think our cast is so extraordinary that if we weren’t sort of building them out, we would be wasting opportunities because they’re just so good. Like, we want to see them just have more layers and have more to do because they’re so fun,” Fain told Yahoo! “In future seasons, we will definitely explore more of that mythology,” says Craft. “We love the idea that you can enjoy it if you just sort of see one episode, but that if you are a regular viewer, it pays off and that you learn more as it goes on.” We’ll also learn more about the relationship between Elena and the original Roarke. “There’s a very cool story in Episode 8 that involves him and also another Roarke relative. We tease it out and dabble in the Roarke family history a little bit,” says Fain. The showrunners also say that there will be time travel episodes, a Sliding Doors-like episode… and Javier will get his own “quite sexy” fantasy.
Where was Fantasy Island filmed?
The original show was shot on a lot in California, but this time, the cast and crew are mostly filming in Puerto Rico. “We’re dealing with the real beach, real nature, real wind, real everything. The premise is similar [to the old show], but you’re going to see a lot of visual changes,” Sanchez has said. Sanchez is a Puerto Rico native, and she was excited to show everyone around. “I went back home to work…” she said, “so I was surrounded by my family, and friends, and colleagues. To be able to host John, and Kiera, and all these guest stars, because I feel like they’re coming to my territory. I feel responsible for them to have an amazing time.”
Will there be more seasons of Fantasy Island?
It’s too soon to say whether there will be new seasons; that news should arrive later in the year after this season has had a chance to reach audiences.
How to watch Fantasy Island
The show has normally been airing Tuesdays on FOX at 9 p.m. ET. However, a couple special episodes are coming in September that will air on Sundays. Here’s when to catch the rest of Fantasy Island Season 1: Episode 6, “The Big Five Oh,” Sun., Sept. 12 Episode 7, “The Romance and the Bromance,” Tues. Sept. 14, 9 p.m. ET Episode 8, “Día de los Vivos,” Sun., Sept. 19 Next, Grey’s Anatomy Season 18 Is Officially Filming! Everything We Know So Far About What May Be the Final Season
