On Feb. 9, 1996, the dramedyBeautiful Girlsfirst opened in theaters. The film centers around Willie (Timothy Hutton), who returns home for his high school reunion in a small Massachusetts town. It’s funny and heartwarming and features one of the better ensemble casts of the 1990s. Head back down memory lane and see what the actors have been up since the film’s release.
Timothy Hutton as Willie Conway
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Years before his character, Willie, revisited his old stomping grounds in the fictional town of Knight’s Ridge, Hutton won Best Supporting Actor in 1981 for his performance inOrdinary People. At only 20 years old, he became (and has remained) the youngest male actor to win anOscar. It’s no surprise the star continued to prove his dramatic chops in the decades since playing everyone’s favorite sideburn-sporting jazz pianist.
Hutton has been featured in films likeThe General’s Daughter(1999),Kinsey(2004),The Good Shepherd(2006),Serious Moonlight(2009),Beautiful Boy(2018)andThe Glorias(2020) withJulianne MooreandAlicia Vikander.
Hutton and his now-estranged wife, Aurore Giscard d’Estaing – an illustrator and the niece of former French president Valery Giscard d’Estaing – tied the knot in 2000. Their son Milo was born the following year. He alsoshares a son, Noah, with ex-wife and actressDebra Winger, whom he was married to from 1986 to 1990.
Matt Dillon as Tommy “Birdman” Rowland
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After playing Tommy “Birdman” Rowland — the former jock who never met his full potential —Matt Dillonwas featured in a string of ’90s hits:In & Out(1997),There’s Something About Mary(1998) andWild Things(1998).
He continued acting throughout the 2000s, starring inCrash(2004),Factotum(2005),You, Me and Dupree(2006),Nothing but the Truth(2008),Takers(2010),Girl Most Likely(2012),Bad Country(2014) andAsteroid City(2023).
In 2018, he led the cast ofThe House That Jack Builtalongside hisBeautiful Girlscostar,Uma Thurman, and the gruesome flick made headlines when itprompted over 100 walkouts at Cannes. For his role as bigoted police officer John Ryan inCrash,Dillon received an Oscar nomination in 2006 for Best Supporting Actor.
Dillon is in a relationship with longtime girlfriend and Italian actress Roberta Mastromichele.
Natalie Portman as Marty
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Natalie Portmanwas only 15 when she played the girl next door who nurses a crush on Willie. Since then, Portman has starred in theStar Warsprequels,Garden State(2004),Closer(2004),V for Vendetta(2005),The Other Boleyn Girl(2008),Brothers(2009) andBlack Swan(2010), which earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.
Portman was also featured inNo Strings Attached(2011),Jackie(2016),Annihilation(2018) andLucy in The Sky(2019). Her performance asJacqueline Kennedyin the 2016 biopic earned Portman her third Oscar nomination. She joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying superhero Jane Foster in threeThorinstallments, includingThe Dark World(2013) andLove and Thunder(2022).
Portman has been married to Benjamin Millepied since August 2012; the two first met on the set ofBlack Swanin 2009 and started dating. Portman and Millepied sharetwo children: son Aleph and daughter Amalia.
Lauren Holly as Darian Smalls
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Holly never strayed far from the crime scene or courtroom on the small screen. She starred onNCISas Director Jenny Shepard and played the lead medical examiner on the Canadian proceduralMotive. Since then, she’s appeared on other series such asDesignated Survivor,Tiny Pretty Things,The LakeandFamily Law.
Holly sharesthree sons— Alexander, George and Henry — with ex-husband Francis Greco. She was previously married to actor and comedianJim Carreyfrom 1996 to 1997.
Rosie O’Donnell as Gina Barrisano
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She began her new chapter in 1996 withThe Rosie O’DonnellShow, which won 11 Daytime Emmys for outstanding talk show. The comedian followed six seasons ofThe Rosie O’Donnell Showwith a stint onThe Viewin 2006 (where she famously feuded withDonald Trump), the short-livedRosie Radioon SiriusXM and OWN’sThe Rosie Show.
O’Donnell was later cast as Rita Hendricks on ABC Family’sThe Fosters, made a cameo inPitch Perfect2(2015) and popped up on an episode ofEmpire.She even appeared on two episodes of the CBS sitcomMomasAllison Janney’s character’s ex-girlfriend.
The actress garnered critical acclaim for her role as Tutu on Showtime’sSMILFand appeared onAmerican Gigoloas Detective Joan Sunday andThe L Word: Generation Q. In 2022, she joined the cast of Prime Video’sA League of Their Ownrebootas Vi, the owner of an underground gay bar. O’Donnell also voiced the subway announcer throughout season 2 ofRussian Doll.
She is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ and adoption rights, and in 2003, she co-created Rosie’s Theater Kids, a charity that aims to provide free music and dance education to New York City public school students.
O’Donnell has five children:Parker,Chelsea,Blake,VivienneandDakota. She was married to Nickelodeon executive Kelli Carpenter until 2004 and wed her second wife,Michelle Rounds, in 2012. The twofinalized their divorcein March 2016 before Rounds died of apparent suicide in 2017.
Mira Sorvino as Sharon Cassidy
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Naturally, Hutton and Portman aren’t the only ones in the cast with an Oscar.Mira Sorvino, who played Tommy’s girlfriend, Sharon, won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1996 for her role inWoody Allen’sMighty Aphrodite, the same yearBeautiful Girlswas released.
Off-screen, Sorvino is an anti-human trafficking activist and, in 2009, was appointed United Nations Goodwill ambassador. The actress has been involved with Amnesty International since 2004.
Sorvino has been married to actorChristopher Backussince 2004. Together,they share four children— Mattea, Johnny, Holden and Lucia. Sorvino is the daughter of lateGoodfellasandLaw & OrderstarPaul Sorvino, who died on July 25, 2022, at 83.
Uma Thurman as Andera
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Beautiful Girlswas Thurman’s third feature film after starring in 1994’sPulp Fiction— for which she was nominated Best Supporting Actress — and 1995’sA Month By the Lake. In the following years, she was cast inThe Truth About Cats and Dogs(1996),Batman & Robin(1997) andGattaca(1997), where she met actorEthan Hawke, whom she married in 1998 beforefiling for divorcein 2004. Since then, she’s built a lengthy résumé and solidified her status as a Hollywood icon.
Thurman was featured in the HBO adaptationHysterical Blindnessin 2002, winning her first Golden Globe. The model-turned-actress would go on to team up withQuentin Tarantinoas the deadly leading woman in theKill Billmovie franchise, where she earned two back-to-back Golden Globe nominations in 2004 and 2005.
BeyondKill Bill, Thurman’s other film credits includePaycheck(2003),Be Cool(2005),The Producers(2005),My Super Ex-Girlfriend(2006),Motherhood(2009),The War with Grandpa(2020),Hollywood Stargirl(2022) and theNymphomaniacfilm series. The actress is set to appear in the 2023 comedy thrillerThe Kill Roomopposite formerPulp FictioncostarSamuel L. Jacksonand her daughter,Stranger ThingsactressMaya Hawke.
Thurman received an Emmy nomination for her guest starring role onSmashin 2012 andmade her Broadway debut inThe Parisian Womanin 2017. She has also had recurring roles on shows likeThe Slap,Imposters,Chambers,SuspicionandSuper Pumped. Off-screen, Thurman advocates for gun control and LGBTQ and animal rights.
In addition to daughter Maya, Thurman shares sonLevonwith ex-husband Hawke. Shewelcomed her second daughter, Luna (her full nameis Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson), in July 2012 with ex-fiancé and French businessmanArpad Busson.
Martha Plimpton as Jan
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The Goonies' Martha Plimpton was all grown up when she played Jan in 1996. In the years afterBeautiful Girls,the actress appeared in flicks likePecker(1998),200 Cigarettes(1999),Company(2011)andMass(2021).
The actress is a veteran of the stage, too. She’s appeared on Broadway inThe Coast of Utopia,Top GirlsandPal Joey, all of which earned herTony Awardnominations.
Plimpton is a lifelongadvocate for abortion rights. She co-founded and is on the board of directors for the nonprofit organization A Is For, which provides essential information and support for abortion-seekers and service providers.
She famously dated late actorRiver Phoenixin the ’80s, with the twoattending the Academy Awards togetherin 1989.
Michael Rapaport as Paul Kirkwood
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As no-nonsense Paul,Michael Rapaportwas responsible for the quote that gave a nod to the film’s title: “A beautiful girl is all-powerful, and that’s as good as love.”
Since 2014, Rapaport has hostedI Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast, where he shares his spicy takes on life, sports, music and film. The self-proclaimed sports fanatic pennedThis Book Has Ballsin 2017, sharing his rants and unpopular opinions on athletes and teams.
The actor married actress Kebe Dunn in 2016. Rapaport shares two sons, Julian Ali and Maceo Shane, with ex-wife and producer Nichole Beattie.
Annabeth Gish as Tracy Stover
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The actress supports the humanitarian and emergency relief agency CARE International and Students Rebuild program, which encourages students and teachers to participate in collective action through art and philanthropy.
In 2003, Gish married Wade Allen, a stuntman she met on the set ofThe X-Files. They have two children, Cash Alexander and Enzo Edward.
source: people.com
