Kathryn Merteuil
| Kathryn Merteuil | |
|---|---|
| Cruel Intentions character | |
Kathryn Merteuil as portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions. | |
| First appearance | Cruel Intentions (1999) |
| Last appearance | Cruel Intentions 2 (2000) |
| Created by | Pierre Choderlos de Laclos |
| Adapted by | Roger Kumble |
| Portrayed by | Sarah Michelle Gellar (1999) Amy Adams (2000) Katie Stevens (musical; 2015) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | High school student (at Manchester Prep; departed) |
| Family | Unnamed father (father) Tiffany Merteuil (mother) Edward Valmont (stepfather) Sebastian Valmont (maternal stepbrother; deceased) Cassidy Merteuil (cousin) |
| Religion | None (Atheism, fakes being Christian publicly) |
| Nationality | American |
| Residence | Upper East Side Manhattan, New York |
Kathryn Merteuil is a fictional character from the Cruel Intentions franchise, created for it by Roger Kumble based on the Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.
Merteuil serves as the primary antagonist of the franchise. The character was first portrayed by Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions (1999). Gellar briefly reprised the role in 2016 in an unaired pilot for a potential sequel television series that was passed on by NBC. A younger version of the character was portrayed by Amy Adams in the direct-to-video prequel film Cruel Intentions 2 (2000). Merteuil is also one of the protagonists in the jukebox musical adaptation of the first film, a role originated by Katie Stevens and later portrayed by various actresses over time.