This is the cast and characters of The Last Five Years.
Cathy
Cathy Wellerstein née Hiatt
Played by: Sherie Rene Scott (2002 original off-Broadway production), Betsy Wolfe (2013 off-Broadway revival), Anna Kendrick (2014 film)
"He needed to take some time off. Focus on his career. He blew me off with a heartfelt letter, I thought I can do better than that!"
- Clingy Jealous Girl: At least Jamie thinks so, in "Nobody Needs to Know" where he statesJamie: All that I ask for
Is one little corner
One private room
At the back of my heart
Tell her I've found one
She sends out battalions
To claim it
And blow it apart - Deadpan Snarker: Most notably in "A Summer in Ohio", where she sings about her unhappiness while working in Ohio.
- Final Love Duet: For Cathy it's "Goodbye Until Tomorrow".
- Happily Married: Subverted. Cathy desperately wants to believe her married life is a happy one, but obviously in "See, I'm Smiling", she's starting to realize her marriage is falling apart.
- Hope Spot: "See I'm Smiling" for Cathy. She tries to cling on to any hope that her marriage with Jamie will get better.
- "I Am" Song: For Cathy, it's "Climbing Uphill", where she sings about her career, and her view on life.
- "I Want" Song: Cathy has this in "I Can do Better Than That", where she explains how she wants her relationship with Jamie to not be like the last one she was in.
- Long-Distance Relationship: When Cathy works in Ohio, and Jamie is living in New York.
- Motor Mouth: Cathy's song "Climbing Uphill", where she rambles on about her career choice as an actress. And could also be this in "See, I'm Smiling", when she rants about how Jamie never has time for her.
- Never My Fault: Cathy tends to think this, most notably in "Still Hurting", where she sings:Cathy: Jamie is over, and where can I turn?
Covered with scars I did nothing to earn? - Properly Paranoid: She thinks Jamie's cheating on her while she's in Ohio, and she's absolutely correct. In the movie, Jamie calls her "crazy" for even thinking that he would do such a thing.
- Shiksa Goddess: She's the titular character in the song Jamie sings about his love for her, because she's not Jewish.
- Stepford Smiler: Most notably in "A Part of That", and especially in "See I'm Smiling".
- Weight Woe: It's heavily implied that Cathy is insecure about her weight. It's even lampshaded in "I Can Do Better Than That", and "Climbing Uphill". It's never implied that Cathy is overweight, but simply that—as an actress—she needs to be extra skinny to fit into the industry's very strict beauty ideals.
- It could be incredibly jarring to watch Anna Kendrick in the 2014 film complain about her weight.
Jaime
Jamie Wellerstein
Played by: Norbert Leo Butz (2002 original off-Broadway production), Adam Kantor (2013 off-Broadway revival), Jeremy Jordan (2014 film)
" And since I have to be in love with someone. Since I need to be in love with someone. Maybe I could be in love with someone like you..."
- Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Subverted. Yes, Cathy is off touring in Ohio when he cheats on her during "Nobody Needs to Know", but her absence isn't why. The cause is their failing marriage; Cathy's physical absence is largely irrelevant.
- All Men Are Perverts: Explored in "A Miracle Would Happen", when Jamie laments about wanting to have sex with other women, while he's still married to Cathy.
- Book Ends: His book ends are in "Shiksa Goddess" and in "Nobody Needs to Know". In "Shiksa Goddess", he states that he could be in love with someone like Cathy. He says the same thing when he's cheating on Cathy with Elise, in "Nobody Needs to Know".
- Break Up Song: Given that the entire musical is one big break up song, his nail in the coffin is in "I Could Never Rescue You", where he divorces Cathy, through a note. Even though it could be even as early in "A Miracle Would Happen", where he fights the urge to cheat on his wife.
- BSoD Song: Jamie has this in "Nobody Needs to Know", where he cheats on Cathy, basically giving up on his marriage.
- Dark Reprise: Jamie gets this again in "Nobody Needs to Know" where he states "I could be in love with someone like you", just as he did to Cathy in "Shiksa Goddess".
- Drowning Our Romantic Sorrows: Explored in "A Miracle Would Happen", when Jamie laments about the struggles of being married, and having the urge to cheat on Cathy.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: What are the first lyrics he laughs/sings in "Shiksa Goddess"? "I'm breaking my mother's heart!" Also his grandfather. And he's ecstatic about it.Jamie: I'm breaking my mother's heart!
The JCCnote of Spring Valley is shaking,
And crumbling to the ground!
And my grandfather's rolling,
Rolling in his grave! - Final Love Duet: For Jamie, it's "I Could Never Rescue You", which is the very last song in the musical.
- "I Am" Song: For Jamie, it's in "Moving Too Fast" where he sings about his career as a writer, and his relationship with Cathy.
- "I Want" Song: He has this twice. Once in "Shiksa Goddess" where he talks about how he wants a girlfriend who's not Jewish. And he has this again in "Nobody Needs to Know", where he talks about how he wants "One private room at the back of his heart," and how he wants somebody to fill the crack that Cathy created.
- In Love with Love: Blatantly stated in "Nobody Needs to Know" where he says:Jamie: Since I have to be in love with someone...
Since I need to be in love with someone. - It's All About Me: Cathy tends to believe this, after Jamie's writing career takes off.
- Jerkass Has a Point: During "If I Didn't Believe in You." It's harsh—he says it in a moment of anger—and it hurts Cathy to hear it, but he's not wrong.Jamie: No one can give you courage.
No one can thicken your skin. - Kick the Dog: Jamie tends to be unnecessarily cruel towards Cathy. Special mention to the movie version of notably in "See, I'm Smiling", where he calls her "crazy" for thinking that he is cheating on her.
- Motor Mouth: Could be this in his song, "Shiksa Goddess", and in "A Miracle Could Happen."
- Pep-Talk Song: For Jamie, it's "The Schmuel Song," where he gives Cathy encouragement to continue her career as an actress.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Most notably after he gets married, has his literary success, and has the urge to cheat on his wife.
