Where cult film The Craft cast are now from film stardom to career as a psychic
The Craft was a 90s horror classic that launched the careers of its young stars, including Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True - here's what they're up to now
When The Craft premiered in cinemas back in May 1996, it was far from your typical teen horror movie. With its dark and edgy narrative infused with a touch of witchcraft, it quickly gained cult status.
The film starred Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, and Rachel True as high school misfits who form their own coven. The plot revolves around Sarah Bailey, a new student at a private Catholic school, who befriends three outcasts involved in witchcraft. Together, they use magic to better their lives, until things take a disastrous turn.
Fast forward nearly 30 years, and many of the cast members have traded in their teenage woes and spell-casting for unexpected new careers, ranging from directing award-winning series and voicing animated sitcoms to tarot reading. Here's a look at where they are now, according to the Mirror US..
Robin Tunney (Sarah Bailey)
Robin Tunney took on the role of Sarah Bailey, the newcomer whose natural magical talents make her an ideal fit for the coven. Before The Craft, Robin had already made a name for herself with parts in Encino Man in 1992 and Empire Records in 1995. Her performance in Niagara, Niagara in 1997 earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival.
After The Craft, Robin's career continued to thrive with significant roles in films such as the 1999 action thriller End of Days, and Vertical Limit in 2000. She also found success on the small screen, starring as Veronica Donovan in Prison Break from 2005 to 2006, and as Teresa Lisbon in The Mentalist from 2008 to 2015.
More recently, she graced the screen in Netflix's Horse Girl in 2020 and took the lead in ABC's The Fix in 2019, although the latter was axed after just one season. Robin has been romantically involved with interior designer Nicky Marmet since 2012, and the pair have two children together.
Fairuza Balk (Nancy Downs)
Fairuza Balk's depiction of Nancy Downs, the film's main villain, brilliantly portrayed a troubled teenager's spiral into insanity. Post-The Craft, Fairuza continued to gravitate towards unconventional roles, featuring in Almost Famous in 2000 as Sapphire, a role that bagged her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She also contributed her voice to animated series like Family Guy and Justice League.
In addition to acting, Fairuza is heavily invested in the arts, dabbling in music and visual art projects. She keeps a low profile, often giving fans a glimpse into her creative pursuits via social media.
Neve Campbell (Bonnie Harper)
Neve Campbell brought to life Bonnie Harper, a timid girl whose transformation following a beauty spell results in vanity. While The Craft showcased her acting prowess, it was her portrayal of Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise that cemented her status as a scream queen.
Neve returned to her iconic role in several Scream sequels, including the fifth chapter that hit cinemas in January 2022. Her portrayal in 1997's Scream 2 garnered her the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance.
Beyond the realm of horror, she featured in the drama series Party of Five and movies such as The Company in 2003 and Skyscraper in 2018. In her private life, Neve is mum to two boys, one of whom she adopted with her partner, fellow actor JJ Feild.
Rachel True (Rochelle Zimmerman)
In The Craft, Rachel True portrayed Rochelle Zimmerman, a character who navigated the challenges of racism and bullying, making her storyline one of the most poignant in the film. Post-The Craft, Rachel graced television series like Dawson's Creek and Better Things, while also exploring her interest in the esoteric world.
By 2017, she had embarked on a new path as a tarot card reader in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles. Speaking to Dazed Digital in 2019, Rachel opened up about the difficulties of being a black actress in Hollywood, which led her to establish her own tarot practice at House of Intuition in Los Angeles. She expressed how the industry typecast her, saying: "Hollywood made it clear I was not the leading lady but her quirky best friend."
Now an author, Rachel penned True Heart Intuitive Tarot, a tarot guidebook that comes with a 78-card illustrated deck and 22 essays reflecting on her "mystic-minded Hollywood life." She continues to act and secured a role in the second season of Harlem.
Skeet Ulrich (Chris Hooker)
Skeet Ulrich took on the role of Chris Hooker, a charming yet duplicitous love interest. That same year, he rose to fame as Billy Loomis in Scream, a character he reprised in 2022's Scream and Scream VI the subsequent year.
Between 2017 and 2021, Skeet was cast as Forsythe Pendleton 'F.P.' Jones II in The CW's Riverdale. His other notable TV roles include Johnston Jacob 'Jake' Green Jr. in Jericho, and LAPD Detective Rex Winters in the Law and Order series. Off-screen, Skeet is a father of two and continues to pursue acting in both film and television.
Christine Taylor (Laura Lizzie)
Christine Taylor portrayed Laura Lizzie, a racist bully who becomes the subject of Rochelle's revenge spell. Christine is perhaps best known for her parts in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel, as well as being the wife of actor and director Ben Stiller.
In 1998, Christine landed the role of Holly Sullivan in The Wedding Singer. A few years later, she starred alongside her husband in Zoolander. She has since appeared with her spouse in films such as Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder, and Zoolander 2.
The couple, parents to two children, parted ways in 2017 after a 17-year marriage. However, Ben revealed in 2022 that they had rekindled their love during the pandemic, having moved back in together. He shared that the separation gave them a newfound appreciation for their union, while Christine echoed that the time apart allowed them to grow individually, ultimately fortifying their relationship.
Breckin Meyer (Mitt)
Breckin Meyer took on the role of Mitt, one of Chris Hooker's friends who ridicules the coven. Following his breakout performance as Travis Birkenstock in Clueless in 1995, Breckin's acting career has continued to thrive.
His notable filmography includes appearances in Road Trip, Rat Race, and Garfield: The Movie, with his most recent role in Unpregnant. Additionally, he has lent his voice to Robot Chicken since 2005.
Cliff DeYoung (Mr Bailey)
Cliff DeYoung brought to life the character of Sarah's father, a doting yet clueless parent oblivious to his daughter's magical powers. Cliff boasts an impressive resume with more than 80 film and television credits, including Harry and Tonto in 1974, The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case in 1976, Centennial and Blue Collar both in 1978, Shock Treatment in 1981, Glory in 1989, Suicide Kings in 1997, and Wild in 2014.
He has made guest appearances on popular shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The West Wing, and The Young and the Restless. Cliff has been happily married to his wife, Gypsy DeYoung, since 1970.
Assumpta Serna (Lirio Santana)
Assumpta Serna took on the role of Lirio Santana, a mystical shop owner who provides guidance to Sarah. With a career spanning 20 countries and six languages, Assumpta has been honoured with more than 20 international awards.
In addition to her acting career, Assumpta is also an accomplished educator and author, having penned two books on acting techniques and offering courses on communication and leadership. Together with her husband, actor Scott Cleverdon, she pioneered the first university Master's course for actors focusing on Screenacting. Through their Fundación First Team, they have educated more than 4,000 students across six countries.
Helen Shaver (Grace Downs-Saunders)
Helen Shaver played the part of Grace Downs-Saunders, Nancy's mother. Helen transitioned into television directing in the mid-1990s, helming more than 50 shows.
Her directorial prowess earned her three Directors Guild of Canada Awards, one Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Miniseries or TV Film, two Canadian Screen Awards, and three Women's Image Network Awards.
She received an Emmy nomination for directing the 1999 TV movie Summer's End and made her big screen directorial debut in 2020 with the drama film Happy Place. In 2004, Helen was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
F1 the Movie to Squid Game: the week in rave reviews
Disney+; full series available now Summed up in a sentence The Bear isn't the chaotic 'Yes, chef!' drama it used to be – but that's no bad thing, as it is beautiful to watch this urban family grow. What our reviewer said 'Payoffs big and small ping in every scene as narrative seeds carefully sown – including in that bad third season! – burst into bloom and these people we have come to adore are rewarded.' Jack Seale Read the full review Further reading 'Shh, chef!' The agonising, joyful power of silent TV episodes Netflix; full series available now Summed up in a sentence The Korean dystopian thriller is now much less pointed than its first stellar series, and it has become ludicrous even by its own standards – but fans simply must know how it all ends! What our reviewer said 'If you can get on board with the new contestant twist – and that is a big if – then the final two episodes have a nicely grand and operatic feel to them, and ultimately, Squid Game does its job. But it leaves the impression, too, that it has become a more traditional action-thriller than it once was.' Rebecca Nicholson Read the full review Further reading 'People like happy endings. Sorry!' Squid Game's brutal finale ramps up the barbarity BBC One/iPlayer; available now Summed up in a sentence As he grieves his beloved father, the atheist broadcaster sets off on a pilgrimage that takes him on a surprisingly glorious spiritual adventure. What our reviewer said 'What Amol Rajan Goes to the Ganges expresses most powerfully of all, certainly to this fellow bereaved Hindu, are the irresolvable particularities, and commonalities, of second-generation grief.' Chitra Ramaswamy Read the full review Channel 4; both series available now Summed up in a sentence The second series of Bridget Christie's whimsical and wonderful menopause story is life-affirming – with cracking comedy moments. What our reviewer said 'The Change is ambitious, surreal, moving, and above all hysterically funny. It is unlike anything else on TV.' Chitra Ramaswamy Read the full review Further reading Bridget Christie on brain fog, flirting, and why she won't be taking a lover: 'My heart is full. I am open to it, but I'm not looking for it' In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Brad Pitt stars as a supercool old-school driver returning 30 years after a near fatal crash to break all the rules of Formula One racing. What our reviewer said 'Motor racing is a sport in which constituent team members seem to be competing against each other as much as against the opposition, and so it ought to be an ideal subject for a movie treatment. There's a fair bit of macho silliness here, but the panache with which director Joseph Kosinski puts it together is very entertaining.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading Brad Pitt in the paddock: how F1 the Movie went deep to keep fans coming In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Heart-wrenching true story about anti-Nazi activist Hilde Coppi, a dental assistant who is arrested while pregnant What our reviewer said 'Hilde's story, told here by interspersing scenes of her grim prison life and the first summer of her love affair with Hans, is comparable to that of iconic anti-Hitler activist Sophie Scholl, but this is a more adult, passionate drama.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Documentary that draws on director Hind Meddeb's on-the-spot experience in 2019 as protesters rose against the 30-year rule of Omar al-Bashir. What our reviewer said 'Meddeb finds among the protesters a vivid, vibrant artistic movement: an oral culture of music, poetry and rap which flourishes on the streets. There is also a kind of subversive, surrealist energy: the camera finds a mock traffic roadworks sign reading: 'Sorry for the Delay – Uprooting a Regime'.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review In cinemas now Summed up in a sentence Thirtieth anniversary rerelease of Amy Heckerling's high-school romcom coming-of-age classic starring Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy, composed entirely of quotable funny lines, remains a sophisticated pleasure. What our reviewer said 'Silverstone is amazingly innocent and charming and her sublimely weightless screen presence has a kind of serenity and maturity that belongs to an instinctive comedy performer.' Peter Bradshaw Read the full review Further reading Alicia Silverstone to reprise Clueless role in TV sequel Prime Video; out now Summed up in a sentence Gory horror franchise returns with a hugely entertaining sixth instalment which sets up an entire family tree for the slaughter. What our reviewer said 'The most entertaining kills, which this time around involve everything from lawn tools to an MRI, have a Buster Keaton-esque flair for physical comedy. These sequences, along with the plot as a whole, tend to include little callbacks to the past: buses, barbecues, ceiling fans and logs make cameo appearances, thrilling little reminders of the havoc they can wreak in a Final Destination.' Radheyan Simonpillai Read the full review Reviewed by Marcel Theroux Summed up in a sentence A black comedy about endangered snails and Ukraine's marriage industry is disrupted, in both narrative and form, by Russia's full-scale invasion. What our reviewer said 'Rather than feeling distracting or tricksy, the author's intervention heightens the impact of the story, giving it a discomfiting intensity and a new, more intimate register. We all have skin in the game at this point.' Read the full review Reviewed by Lara Feigel Summed up in a sentence A flamboyant tale of fakery and forgers that delights in queering the Victorian era. What our reviewer said 'In book after book, Stevens is showing herself to be that rare thing: a writer who we can think alongside, even while she's making things up.' Read the full review Reviewed by Christopher Shrimpton Summed up in a sentence The perfect lives of wealthy New Yorkers are shattered by a violent act on a birthday weekend. What our reviewer said 'A bracingly honest and affectingly intimate depiction of abuse, family dynamics and self-deceit … it upends its characters' lives so ruthlessly and revealingly that it is hard not to take pleasure in a false facade being finally smashed.' Read the full review Reviewed by Joe Moran Summed up in a sentence Behind the scenes at the Guardian, 1986-1995. What our reviewer said 'Few events in these years, from the fatwa on Rushdie to the first Gulf war, failed to provoke fierce disagreements in the newsroom.' Read the full review Reviewed by Kathryn Hughes Summed up in a sentence How animals have shaped British identity. What our reviewer said 'Hedgehogs were reputed to sneak into human settlements at night and steal eggs (true) and suck the udders of sleeping cows (almost certainly false).' Read the full review Reviewed by Alex Clark Summed up in a sentence Life on the women's wards of Iran's infamous prison. What our reviewer said 'It is unclear how many of these dishes are materially realised within the confines of the prison, and how many are acts of fantasy, a dream of what life might be like in the future.' Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence After her 2021 album Solar Power embraced switching off, the New Zealand musician returns to pop's fray to revel in chaos and carnality. What our reviewer said 'Virgin is haunted by a very late-20s kind of angst, born of the sense that you're now incontrovertibly an adult, regardless of whether you feel like one – and despite the euphoric choruses, the sound of Virgin is noticeably unsettled and rough.' Alexis Petridis Read the full review Further reading Girl, so inspiring! Lorde's 20 best songs – ranked Out now Summed up in a sentence The mysterious new Sheffield-based artist's thrillingly complete sound world is glitchily complex but beguilingly light on its feet. What our reviewer said 'You can find affinities with other artists and styles here: the bookish but playful minimalism of another Sheffield musician, Mark Fell; Objekt's trickster vision for bass music and techno; the white-tiled cleanliness of some of Sophie's work; Jlin's paradoxically static funk. But the way it's all pulled together is totally NZO's.' Ben Beaumont-Thomas Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence The US singer's seventh album takes his meta-theatrical style almost into showtune territory as he confronts being abused by a camp counsellor as a child. What our reviewer said 'Christinzio's inventive, infuriating writing often packs three extra songs into every single track – but this time for good reason. When the chatter falls away on instrumental closer Leaving Camp Four Oaks, he achieves a hard-won, sun-lit sense of peace.' Katie Hawthorne Read the full review Out now Summed up in a sentence The US saxophonist pulls back the vocals of his last record to present a new ensemble and all-original repertoire, resulting in an ideal balance of ingenuity and rapport. What our reviewer said 'He has introduced a terrific new young road band on an all-original repertoire … the result is an album that feels more like an ideal balance of Redman's own ingenuity and his ensemble rapport.' John Fordham Read the full review On tour this week Summed up in a sentence The US singer-songwriter debuts some songs from her long-awaited new album The Right Person Will Stay on her first stadium tour. What our reviewer said 'Lana Del Rey is crying real tears next to plastic weeping willows, momentarily overcome by the size of the audience. This sort of tension, the push-pull between genuine vulnerability and an exploration of aesthetics, has always been there in her music, and her wonderfully ambitious first stadium tour runs on it.' Huw Baines Read the full review
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Concerns for Dick Van Dyke, 99, as Hollywood legend drops out of event
Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke will turn 100 in December but he is still working and says that and going to the gym keeps him young Dick Van Dyke had to drop out of a event last minute, sparking concerns from fans. The 99-year-old was due to host a music fundraising event in Malibu on Saturday. But his 53-year-old wife Arlene Silver was forced to step in when her husband - star of legendary films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - could not attend due to illness. Addressing the audience Arlene said she was 'not the Van Dyke you were expecting'. She went on to say that Dick - who will turn 100 on December 13 - was not having a good day. Offering her apologies, Arlene explained: ''I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I'm sorry. 'When you're 99-and-a-half years old, you have good days and bad days. And unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he's sick that he can't be here.' READ MORE: Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke shares his secret to staying youthful at 99 It comes weeks after the Hollywood icon - who is still working - revealed the curse of what living to almost 100 is. In a recent Q& A with fans, the nonagenarian said that although "life's been good to me" the sad thing about living to the age he has is losing his loved ones, particularly his peers. He revealed how he and good friend Ed Asner were set to do a remake of the 1970s American sitcom The Odd Couple before Ed's death at the age of 91 in August 2021. Dick said: "That would have been such fun - and we lost it. I've lost a lot of friends." His wife Arlene previously said: "He's outlived everybody. That's the curse of living to 100." Asked what the secret to a long life is, Dick said his work and continuing to perform keeps him young because it "energises" him - as well as regularly working out. Sharing his secrets to staying youthful as he approaches his centenary, Dick shared he follows a strict regime of regular workouts. He likes to workout for an hour, swim laps in the pool, then take a nap at home. And, his famous all-singing and all-dancing act even shines through at the gym - because he 'literally' dances between weight machines instead of walking. He said: "I've always exercised. Three days a week we go to the gym, still. Three days a week. And I think that's it - why I'm not stove up like my equals." Fellow actor Ted Danson, 77, who is known for Cheers and more recently in Netflix series A Man on the Inside, recalled seeing Dick at the gym in Malibu. He shared: "If I got there early enough I would see you literally workout on some weight machine and then - almost like you were doing circuit training - you would not walk to the next machine, but dance. You literally danced to the next machine and I watched that for a couple of weeks." His wife Arlene said: "He still does that." Despite his age, Dick still regularly performs with his musical group, barbershop quartet The Vantastix and says still working also keeps him youthful. He said: "I'm a ham. I love it. I get a jolt of energy from an audience." And though he's been in some of the best musicals ever made, Dick says he's not really a singer. Opening up on what it was like to work with co-star Dame Julie Andrews, 89, in the classic 1964 film Mary Poppins, he shared: "I'm not a real singer, so I tend to be under, fighting to get up there and sing on top of the note. Just took me forever in the recording. "Julie was just patient as could be and kept helping me, saying, 'Think high. Think up there.' And it turned out great. She was wonderful. We had a wonderful time together."
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Lee Jung-jae reveals moment he knew Squid Game would ‘define his career'
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae is now one of the most recognisable people on the planet. Before the dystopian Netflix series launched in 2021, he'd starred in An Affair in a breakthrough role, the 90s South Korean TV drama Sandglass, and films including Deliver Us From Evil and The Face Reader. Then, when he was cast as Seong Gi-hun, aka Player 456, in Squid Game, his career reached stratospheric new heights. The actor knew – he told Metro – that the character had the potential to be a 'career-defining role' for him. And he was right. The third and final season of the survival drama is now out on the streaming platform, bringing Gi-hun's story to a close in six gripping episodes that have left fans in floods of tears. When Gi-hun's journey began, he was a man facing financial ruin, separated from the mother of his child and trying to earn a buck by gambling. At a desperate moment, he's approached by the Recruiter (Gong Yoo) and invited to join the game… the deadly game that he'll eventually win, with a cash prize of 45.6 billion South Korean won (£24.4million). Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Even though creator Hwang Dong-hyuk had originally conceived of Squid Game as a one-season show, the final episode was left on a cliffhanger, with Gi-hun vowing for revenge against the person in charge of the game, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), a mission that fuelled his purpose in seasons two and three. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'Player 456, Gi-hun was put on an emotional rollercoaster in season one,' Jung-jae told us while we were sitting opposite him in a hotel in London, a day after the red carpet premiere. 'When I was reading the scripts for seasons two and three, I knew that he would be put on another rollercoaster, and even more so. So I thought, wow, if I just play this character very well, it's going to be a very amazing, career-defining role for me.' One can only imagine what it was like when the actor finally discovered what would happen to Gi-hun by the end of the show. And if you haven't watched it already, trust us… the ending is truly mind-blowing. 'When I read the very last page of the script for season three, it just exceeded all the expectations that I had,' the 52-year-old said. 'It really took me by surprise, and I remember having a lot of conversations with director Hwang about the finale.' The day before our sit-down interview, Metro also attended the premiere at London's Barbican Centre, where we asked Jung-jae how he hopes fans of Squid Game would feel by the time they reach the final episode of the series. 'I hope that after viewers watched the last episode, they will have been left with a sense of hope,' he said. More Trending 'It is not violence that we want to talk about, but it is really throwing the question, 'How do we as human beings want to live among ourselves and in harmony?' So I hope we can all try to find our own answers to that question.' Yes, Squid Game is an extremely violent show, one of the most graphically violent on TV without question. But it's true what the actor said – the main theme of the series isn't about physical acts of brutality, but questions of morality. Even if it spawned copycat shows that focus on the competition element of the programme, one would hope that people would reach the end of Squid Game feeling a greater sense of empathy for others and that key word – hope. Squid Game is available to stream on Netflix. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: WWE fans in awe as 'freakish' star finally debuts after 12-month wait MORE: WWE star breaks 40-year record with controversial Night of Champions win MORE: 'It's a hell of a ride!' Your favourite shows like Squid Game
