Back in 2006, audiences got a taste of how to play a player. While teen comedies are a dime a dozen, John Tucker Must Die managed to elevate itself to guilty pleasure status even a decade after its release. Everyone knows a John Tucker, the guy who flirts with everyone, always has a backup date, and will definitely steal your girl. Part of the appeal of John Tucker Must Die is seeing girls who are always one step ahead, coming together despite their differences to unite against a common enemy. While it’s all tied up with a neat, “just be yourself” bow, the pranks, basketball thongs, and general shenanigans are still worth a watch.
As the film turns a decade old, let’s take a look at what the cast has been up to since getting their revenge on the serial womanizer who ruled the halls of his school.
Brittany Snow — Kate
Every teen movie needs a “good girl” to root for, and Brittany Snow‘s Kate never lost her charm despite getting in over her head. She may have gotten taken in a bit by John Tucker’s charms, but she never forgets who she is. Following the success of John Tucker Must Die, Snow managed to find a steady place in Hollywood with a diverse set of roles in horror films like Prom Night and Would You Rather, and dramas like The Vicious Kind,. Snow also had supporting and guest appearances on shows like Harry’s Law, Ben and Kate, and Workaholics. However, she is definitely best known for her musical comedies, playing mean girl Amber Von Tussle in the film adaptation of Hairspray and the endearing airhead Chloe in the Pitch Perfect trilogy.
On top of her acting work, Snow also co-founded the organization, Love is Louder, which works to end bullying in schools. Awww.
Ashanti — Heather
Heather was the queen bee, John Tucker’s public girlfriend and the captain of the cheerleading squad. Following the teen comedy, Ashanti dabbled in acting, co-starring in Resident Evil: Extinction the following year. She had an extended arc on the show Army Wives and had roles in a few television movies. She also appeared on the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in 2010, assisting the crew with building a home for a family in need.
Ashanti’s biggest claim to fame, though, is as one of the queens of R&B, releasing two studio albums since 2006 with another set to be released later this year. She joined many other artists to record “Just Stand Up!” to raise money for cancer research, with the live telecast raising over $100 million. She is also actively involved with charities like The Boys and Girls Club of America and the Jumpstart reading program.
Lately, Ashanti is sticking to her musical roots. She is currently prepping for a tour with Ja Rule, previously titled “Natural Born Killers.”
Sophia Bush — Beth
Checking off the next box of high school stereotypes, Sophia Bush‘s Beth is vegan protester who also happens to be a bit promiscuous. Bush was in the middle of her run on the teen classic One Tree Hill, which would run until 2012. Bush would do a few films following John Tucker, including The Hitcher and The Narrows, but has found the most success on television. Following her time at Tree Hill, Bush joined the short-lived sitcom Partners, but would find her next big job as Erin Lindsay on NBC’s interwoven Chicago shows, starting out on Chicago Fire before spinning off to Chicago P.D.
Sophia Bush is very active on social media and uses her celebrity presence for a number of charitable organizations. She is focused specifically on empowering women, partnering with programs like I AM THAT GIRL and The Girl Project, while also launching the cosmetics line i smell great.
Arielle Kebbel — Carrie
Arielle Kebbel‘s Type A Carrie is the brains of the operation, and as is the case in teen films, she learns to let go a bit and have some fun before the movie is over. Sure, homework is important, but what about friendship? Since John Tucker, Kebbel has been working steadily in the industry. She’s been a part of films like The Grudge 2, The Uninvited, I Melt With You, and Think Like a Man. However, fans are more likely to see her on television, as she’s had guest arcs on a number of shows, including The Vampire Diaries, Life Unexpected, 90210, and UnREAL. She is currently starring alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in HBO’s Ballers and has joined the cast of Fifty Shades Freed, the final installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy.
Jesse Metcalfe — John Tucker
John Tucker is the lynchpin of this entire operation, and Jesse Metcalfe brought the right amount of charm to the sleezy role to make his constant lady killing believable. John Tucker Must Die was his first film role, although he was known as the home wrecking gardener on Desperate Housewives previously, a role which he continued to play until 2009. He starred in a few more films, including The Other End of the Line and Beyond Reasonable Doubt, but his next big role came with the TNT reboot of Dallas.
Most recently, he starred in the controversial film God Is Not Dead 2 and in Crackle’s Dead Rising films.
Penn Badgley — Scott
Penn Badgley brought a certain kind of hipster appeal as “The Other Tucker,” John’s younger brother Scott who is constantly in the shadow of his popular brother. Right after John Tucker, the CW launched Gossip Girl, with Badgley starring as Lonely Boy Dan Humphrey, which ran until 2012. Badgley has also done the movie thing a bit, with The Stepfather, Easy A (another modern classic in the teen genre), Margin Call, and Greetings from Tim Buckley.
On top of playing a convincing Jeff Buckley, Badgley also makes music with the band MOTHXR, and yes, they hate the band name, too.
Jenny McCarthy — Lori
Movies tend to pit mother against daughter in small ways, and John Tucker Must Die is no exception. Due to her poor dating habits and general bad choices, Jenny McCarthy‘s Lori is often more immature than her teenaged daughter, Kate. Following John Tucker, McCarthy didn’t do much acting of note, starring in the Hallmark Santa Baby movies and having a guest arc on Two and a Half Men. McCarthy went a different route, with The Jenny McCarthy Show (a talk show) and as a host on The View.
Lately, McCarthy stays in the news due to her marriage to Donnie Wahlberg, their current reality show, Donnie Loves Jenny, her anti-vaxxer promotion, and her hilarious feud with Tara Reid.
