While high school girls may stay the same age, the cast of the iconic 1993 film Dazed and Confused are certainly getting older.
In the 22 years since the coming-of-age flick hit theaters, many of the (fictional) Lee High students left the Emporium for (actual) bigger and better things but while you surely haven’t lost track of Matthew McConaughey (he’s chest pounding and waxing philosophical about luxury cars, among other things), there are some folks whose doings you may be a little vague on. So, let’s take a look at what the cast of Richard Linklater’s ’70s-set movie (which has long been a staple on numerous “best of” lists) have been up to. Alright? Alright. Alright!
Jason London — Randall “Pink” Floyd
Jason London has kept busy since his 1993 breakout role as Pink, despite a dueling career with his twin brother Jeremy, best known from Party of Five.
Quick highlights include 2003 skater flick Grind, a role as the titular character in the 2000 miniseries version of Jason and the Argonauts, a recurring part on ABC family series Wildfire and appearances on everything from Grey’s Anatomy and Criminal Minds to Scandal and NCIS.
Despite some troubles back in 2013, the Dazed star has a ton of movies set for 2016, including an Ashley Judd flick called Trafficked about kidnapped women that are sold into sexual slavery.
Rory Cochrane – Ron Slater
Now 43, Cochrane’s luscious locks are long gone. After Dazed the actor played Lucas in Empire Records, re-teamed with co-star Adam Goldberg for 2000’s Sunset Strip, and portrayed Charles Freck in A Scanner Darkly.
He’s best known, however, to procedural cop drama fans as Tim Speedle. Cochrane played CSI: Miami‘s trace and expressions expert until he was killed in the third season, although he briefly reprised the part in 2007.
Cochrane was also in the weekly rotation for season seven of 24, and most recently appeared on the big screen in Argo and, in 2015, Black Mass.
Matthew McConaughey – David Wooderson
Congratulations are always in order for Mr. McConaughey: it’s been a while, but we still can’t get over his remarkable transition from the rom-com dregs to Oscar winner.
After sweeping the awards circuit for 2013’s Dallas Buyer’s Club, the McConaissance continued with an epic turn on HBO’s True Detective, a memorable role in The Wolf of Wall Street and the lead part in Chris Nolan’s 2014 space flick Interstellar. Yes, Wooderson has hit it big.
The actor is currently packing on the pounds while filming Gold, a mining drama, and he’s also got Gary Ross’ Civil War flick The Free State of Jones and two animated movies slated for next year.
Recent news also indicates that McConaughey might take on a key role in the upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower: The Man in Black.
Adam Goldberg – Mike Newhouse
While Goldberg stole laughs as Mike, it was his part as Mellish in Saving Private Ryan that solidified his place in Hollywood.
Many will recall his 1996 turn as Joey’s crazy (temporary) roomie on Friends, and Goldberg has also popped up in everything from A Beautiful Mind to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Zodiac and The Hebrew Hammer.
He joined Vinny Chase’s posse as Nick Rubenstein in 2007, and played Mr. Numbers for Fargo‘s first season. Goldberg currently portrays Dave on the hilarious Jim Gaffigan Show.
Goldberg also fancies himself a photographer and a dedicated user of vintage cameras – including those meant for 20th century filmmaking. You can check out his work on his personal Instagram. Or, if still life isn’t for you, see Goldberg, himself, in one of his three upcoming 2016 feature films: Going Under, The Force, and Rebirth.
Anthony Rapp – Tony Olson
While Anthony Rapp has made a name for himself in Hollywood, his true dominance is over the world of theater.
Just three years after Dazed, Rapp originated the role that’s perhaps his best known: Mark Cohen in Broadway’s Rent, a part he later reprised in the movie adaptation of the musical. He’s also starred as iconic Peanuts character Charlie Brown in Broadway’s You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, and as (“Suddenly”) Seymour on the national tour of Little Shop of Horrors. Rapp also released a full-length solo album of original music called Look Around, in 2000.
In 2014, the actor re-joined former Rent castmate Idina Menzel for musical If/Then on the Great White Way, and now sometimes plays his role in select performances on the show’s national tour.
Milla Jovovich – Michelle Burroughs
After sporting bohemian braids as pothead Michelle, the former model, now 39, put on that iconic, barely-there white jumpsuit for The Fifth Element.
Then came He Got Game and Zoolander, before Jovovich took on the role of her career as Alice in the Resident Evil franchise. She’s currently hard at work filming the series’ sixth installment, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
The films led to more than just Hollywood success for Jovovich – she’s actually married to the series director Paul W.S. Anderson. But it still doesn’t hurt to have a chart-topping money factory under your belt.
Joey Lauren Adams – Simone Kerr
Adams’ breakout moment came shortly after Dazed when she teamed with London’s brother for Mallrats. She then worked with director Kevin Smith again for the Jay and Silent Bob flick, Chasing Amy. Adam Sandler fans will also remember her as the star’s love interest Layla in ’99s Big Daddy.
Now 47, Adams has appeared on multiple TV shows, including a recent arc on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth. She briefly joined Grey’s Anatomy‘s eleventh season (really, 11) as Bailey’s competition for hospital chief, and now has her own upcoming series.
Set for 2016, the actress will play the female lead opposite Billy Ray Cyrus (Miley‘s dad) on CMT’s single-camera comedy series Still the King. Adams will be a single mom who gets the surprise of a lifetime when her daughter’s father, a washed up musician (Cyrus), shows up after 15 years.
Ben Affleck – Fred O’Bannion
Four years after terrorizing teens as O’Bannion, Affleck became a household name with Good Will Hunting, an Oscar-winning script he penned with biffle Matt Damon.
Blockbuster success followed: Armageddon, Shakespeare in Love and Pearl Harbor, to name a few.
After a few big flops (Daredevil and Gigli) the actor tried his hand at director – a gamble that first paid off with 2010’s The Town, and then, in 2012, with Best Picture-winner Argo.
In 2014 he portrayed a crummy husband in the big screen adaptation of Gone Girl before signing on to take a turn as the caped crusader.
Affleck’s much debated but highly-anticipated Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is set for March 25, 2016.
Parker Posey – Darla Marks
Parker Posey has been a staple in movie theaters for over two decades. After a busy 1994, the actress appeared in Basquiat and Linklater’s SubUrbia before nabbing the lead role in quirky drama The House of Yes in 1997.
Later came You’ve Got Mail and Scream 3 before a career defining role in the Christopher Guest helmed dog show mockumentary, Best in Show.
In recent years the 47-year-old has appeared on a variety of hit TV shows, like The Big C, The Good Wife, and Louie.
The actress, who told The Daily Beast that she nearly left acting after watching the indie film genre “go away from her,” last starred in Woody Allen’s latest movie, Irrational Man, which hit theaters over the summer.
Despite a poor reception, Posey will re-team with the famed director on his next, yet-untitled movie which has already begun shooting.
Wiley Wiggins – Mitch Kramer
The 39-year-old has shifted gears, moving away from film to work, according to his online CV, as a multimedia artist. Wiggin’s visual work is mainly focused on “psychophysics, perception, and compression.”
His interactive exhibitions have been shown across Texas and in California, one of which included a pop-up arcade featuring community-made video games he co-created.
https://twitter.com/wileywiggins/status/573379928072171520
A fixture in the independent gaming world, Wiggins also designed several iPad apps, including popular game Thunderbeam.
While his work in Hollywood is sporadic, he last appeared on the big screen in well-received 2013 film Computer Chess from Andrew Bujalski.
This is an update of a post that originally ran in December of 2015.
