In Wet Hot American Summer, Gene Jenkinson (Christopher Meloni) is a shell-shocked Vietnam vet who finds his calling as a summer camp chef. With the help of his friend, a talking can of vegetables, he’s able to help Coop win over his crush Katie.

Beth (Janeane Garofalo) is the head camp counselor at Camp Firewood. It’s her job to make sure things run smoothly but unfortunately things aren’t going her way. Not only does she have to deal with saving the camp from toxic waste and from a falling space station headed their way, but she also has to cope with the loss of her boyfriend, Mitch, who gets turned into a can of mixed vegetables.

Susie (Amy Poehler) is theater co-counselors with Ben, who is also her boyfriend. But as we all know, camp romances can change quickly. At least her passion for theater will keep her going through any possible heartaches.

Blake McCarthy (Josh Charles) is a Camp Tigerclaw counselor who’s dating Katie, a counselor at neighboring Camp Firewood. He starts spying on her though after he sees Andy hitting on her. He wears not just one or two popped polo collars but three, all of which are looking particularly popped.

Lindsay (Elizabeth Banks) is a journalist for Rock & Roll World magazine who goes undercover at Camp Firewood to find out what teenagers are up to. She’s able to pull off looking like a 16-year-old teen just by pulling her hair to the side. While at the camp, she develops a relationship with Andy, despite the fact that he’s dating Katie. She also has a particular love for barbecue sauce.

At Camp Firewood, Ben (Bradley Cooper) is theater co-counselors with Susie, who also happens to be his girlfriend. Ben’s a man with many talents. He’s a triple threat who’s able to act, sing, and dance, plus he can keep a party going with his skills as DJ Ski Mask. During the course of the summer, he learns from McKinley that he’s not just talented but he’s creative too.