There's nothing like a classic coming-of-age [1] movie, and for many of us, Now and Then was our go-to choice. The female-centreed film was for '90s girls what Stand by Me was for boys growing up in the '80s. The iconic film may be over 20 years old, but the movie's messages about family troubles and the importance of friendship still ring true today.
It wasn't just the touching plotline that made the film a cult classic [2]; who can forget the killer soundtrack [3] and the star-studded cast that portrayed both the young and older versions of Roberta, Samantha, Chrissy, and Teeny? If you're wondering what happened to the actresses since the film's 1995 release, click through for a peek into what the cast of Now and Then have been up to.
Demi Moore as Older Samantha
Demi Moore Now
Demi Moore [4] was already a household name prior to playing Samantha, thanks to her roles in St. Elmo's Fire, Ghost, and A Few Good Men. After Now and Then's release, her career kept soaring. In fact, Moore was Hollywood's highest paid actress in 1995, which help her land $12.5 million for her starring role in Striptease.
She later went on to star in G.I. Jane and in the HBO miniseries If These Walls Could Talk before taking a self-imposed career hiatus to focus on raising her three daughters, Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah, with then-husband Bruce Willis [5]. Moore returned to the screen with small roles in movies like Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle before famously marrying Ashton Kutcher [6] in 2005. The couple called it quits in 2011, but Moore continues to act. You can currently watch her on Empire, where she has a recurring role.
Gaby Hoffmann as Young Samantha
Gaby Hoffmann Now
Prior to her role as the young Samantha, Gabby Hoffman had a budding career as a child actor already, starring in films like Sleepless in Seattle and Field of Dreams. After Now and Then was released, Hoffman continued to act with roles in 200 Cigarettes and Volcano before giving film a rest to focus on theatre work.
More recently, she made a comeback with a recurring role in the HBO series Girls and is currently a series regular on Amazon's critical darling Transparent.
Rosie O'Donnell as Older Roberta
Rosie O'Donnell Now
When Rosie O'Donnell [7] took on the memorable role as the older Roberta, she was already a Hollywood star on the rise. Since then, she has had an extremely successful career in movies and TV (you may remember her talk show The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which ran for over six years, or maybe her role in Harriet the Spy).
After a while, O'Donnell took time off to raise her five children and focus on her charity work, but still acted in guest starring roles and memorably cohosted The View. In 2017, she returned to television full time as a cast member in the show SMILF.
Christina Ricci as Young Roberta
Christina Ricci Now
Christina Ricci [8] already had roles in The Addams Family and Casper under her belt before portraying role of young Roberta. After Now and Then, she left her child acting days behind her and started taking on more mature roles in films like The Ice Storm, The Opposite of Sex, and Monster.
Ricci has acted steadily since then with roles in movies and TV shows alike and has a new film called Distorted coming out later this year.
Melanie Griffith as Older Teeny
Melanie Griffith Now
Melanie Griffith — who will always be known as the ultimate Working Girl in our books — was already a Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee prior to her role as the older Teeny. Since Now and Then's 1995 release, her résumé is filled with popular films like Mulholland Falls and RKO 281.
The A-lister continues to act today and is often seen spending time with her three children, including 50 Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson [9].
Thora Birch as Young Teeny
Thora Birch Now
Following the success of Now and Then, Thora Birch continued her budding acting career with starring roles in films like Alaska and American Beauty. Her role in Ghost World earned a Golden Globe nomination, while her work in the made-for-TV movie Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story earned her an Emmy nominee.
Birch's career is still going strong, with three films — The Etruscan Smile, Above Suspicion, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco — set to be released within the next two years.
Rita Wilson as Older Chrissy
Rita Wilson Now
Rita Wilson's role as the older Chrissy is just one in a long Hollywood career. The actress has since starred in films such as Jingle All the Way, Runaway Bride, and It's Complicated. Wilson has guest starred on shows like Girls and The Good Wife and produced hit films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mamma Mia!
When she is not acting or producing on her own, Wilson can also be found supporting husband Tom Hanks [10] with his projects.
Ashleigh Aston Moore as Young Chrissy
Ashleigh Aston Moore already had some movie and TV roles under her belt by the time she portrayed Chrissy, but sadly her career slowed down after the release of Now and Then. She had a handful of guest starring roles before she retired from acting in 1997.
Tragically, Moore died in 2007 [11], in British Columbia, Canada, from an accidental overdose.
Devon Sawa Now
Chances are strong that you had a crush on Devon Sawa at some point in the '90s. The actor already had roles in Little Giants and Casper (with Now and Then costar Christina Ricci [12]!) under his belt when he appeared in the film. He went on to star in classics like Wild America, SLC Punk!, Idle Hands, Final Destination, and Slackers.
He moved to TV in 2010, playing Sam Matthews on three seasons of Nikita. His most recent roles include the (presumed cancelled) Somewhere Between on ABC along with a few yet-to-be-released movies: Moose, Escape Plan 3: Devil's Station, and Disturbing the Peace.