'Twister' 1996 cast: Where are the actors from the original movie now? (2024)

Helen Hunt (Jo Harding)

Helen Hunt played Jo Harding, a driven scientist who puts herself in harm's way to study the twisting paths of tornadoes.

Hunt began her career as a child actress in the 1970s, booking a role in The Swiss Family Robinson (1975–76) and popping up in episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1977) and The Bionic Woman (1978). By the late ’80s, she was playing major roles in Project X (1987) and the Patrick Swayze thriller Next of Kin (1989).

In 1992, Hunt had her big break alongside Paul Reiser in the NBC sitcom Mad About You, which ran for seven seasons and earned Hunt four consecutive Emmys. After starring in Twister, she won a Best Actress Oscar for the rom-com As Good as It Gets (1997), opposite Jack Nicholson.

After her hit sitcom came to an end in 1999, Hunt returned to the big screen by co-headlining Nancy Meyers’ rom-com What Women Want (2000) before playing the love of Tom Hanks’ life in Cast Away (2000) and launching a new catchphrase with Pay It Forward (2000). She later went behind the camera, directing the films Then She Found Me (2007) and Ride (2014), as well as episodes of This Is Us and House of Lies. In 2012, she received her second Oscar nomination, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for her playing a sex surrogate in the indie drama The Sessions.

In 2019, Hunt and Reiser reprised their Mad About You roles for a 12-episode revival. Recently, Hunt had a recurring role on the Starz comedy-drama Blindspotting (2021–2023) and a guest arc on Hacks (2024).

Hunt was briefly married to actor Hank Azaria from 1999 to 2000. She then started a relationship with producer Matthew Carnahan. They had a daughter, Makena, in 2004 and broke up in 2017.

Bill Paxton (Bill Harding)

The late Bill Paxton played Bill Harding, an ex-storm chaser trying to start a new life with his fiancee, Melissa.

Early in his career, Paxton was a scene-stealer in The Terminator (1984), Weird Science (1985), and Aliens (1986). He graduated to major roles in Kathryn Bigelow’s cult classic Near Dark (1987), One False Move (1991), Tombstone (1993), and True Lies (1994). From there he took on prestige projects like Apollo 13 (1995) and James Cameron’s Oscar-winning epic Titanic (1997), playing treasure hunter Brock Lovett in the film’s present-day frame story After acclaimed work in A Simple Plan (1998) and U-571 (2000), Paxton tried his hand behind the camera, directing the religiously themed serial killer drama Frailty (2001).

He found a small-screen home in the lead role of HBO’s acclaimed polygamy drama Big Love (2006–2011), earning three Golden Globe nominations. He also received an Emmy nomination for the History Channel miniseries (2012).

Paxton soon played Tom Cruise’s drill sergeant in Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Jake Gyllenhaal’s rival in Nightcrawler (2014), and Emma Watson’s dad in The Circle (2017), which was his final film appearance.

Paxton died of complications from heart surgery in 2017 at age 61. He is survived by his wife Louise, whom he married in 1987, and their two children, James and Lydia. James notably makes a cameo in the new Twisters movie, telling EW, "I did this one for Dad."

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Dusty Davis)

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman played Dusty, the most boisterous member of the rowdy team.

Hoffman's first major film role was in the Al Pacino film Scent of a Woman (1992), playing a private school student —but Twister was the film that got him noticed by a wide audience. (It would be almost impossible not to notice Dusty.)

Starting with Hard Eight (1996), Hoffman developed a long working relationship with Paul Thomas Anderson, starring in his Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2004), and later The Master (2012). During this time, he became one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation, from major roles — in Happiness (1998), Synecdoche, New York (2008), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) — to scene-stealing smaller parts in The Big Lebowski (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), 25th Hour (2002), and Almost Famous (2000).

He finally garnered attention from the Academy with his performance as Truman Capote in Capote (2005), taking home Best Actor. Hoffman received three more Oscar nominations for Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Doubt (2008), and The Master (2012). He also played Plutarch Heavensbee in three Hunger Games films.

He maintained a successful stage presence, too, winning Tony nominations for True West (2000), Long Day's Journey Into Night (2003), and Death of a Salesman (2005).

Hoffman died of a drug overdose in 2014 at age 46. He is survived by his three children with partner Mimi O'Donnell: daughters Tallulah and Willa, and son Cooper, who starred in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza (2021).

Cary Elwes (Jonas Miller)

Cary Elwes played Jonas Miller, Jo and Bill's well-paid rival who tries to pass off their innovative storm-tracking system as his own.

Elwes first generated attention as the sword-swinging hero Westley in the swashbuckling fairy tale The Princess Bride (1987) before going to war in the Oscar-winning epic Glory (1989). He played Tom Cruise's rival in the racing drama Days of Thunder (1990), then portrayed a parody of Cruise’s Top Gun rival — the Val Kilmer to Charlie Sheen’s Cruise — in the fighter pilot farce Hot Shots (1991). After an appearance in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), he became Mel Brooks’ leading man in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) and took on another villainous role in a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book (1994).

After Twister, Elwes appeared in Liar Liar (1997) and the serial killer thriller Kiss the Girls (1997) before joining the ensemble cast of the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998). He had a recurring role as an FBI director in the final season of The X-Files (2001–2002).

Elwes famously endured self-inflicted foot trauma in the original Saw (2004), as Dr. Lawrence Gordon. That same year, he played serial killer Ted Bundy in the TV movie The Riverman and the evil would-be king in Ella Enchanted.

After detouring to co-write the screenplay for the film Elvis & Nixon (2014), about the pair's 1970 meeting at the White House, Elwes has enjoyed a small renaissance. He booked key guest roles in two beloved series, first as the mayor of Hawkins in season 3 of Stranger Things (2019) and then as an over-the-top Broadway star in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2019). On film, he’s become a go-to elder statesman in the likes of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning (2023), BlackBerry (2023), Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon films, and Guy Ritchie’s globetrotting action films Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023) and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024).

Elwes and actress/photographer Lisa Marie Kurbikoff got married in 2000. They have one daughter, Dominique.

Jami Gertz (Melissa Reeves)

Jami Gertz played Melissa Reeves, Bill's fiancee, who feels out of place when she's introduced to his ex-wife Jo and her enthusiastic storm-chaser crew.

Gertz's first TV role was in the CBS high school sitcom Square Pegs (1981–82). She had a major role alongside Robert Downey Jr. in Less Than Zero (1987) and a pivotal supporting turn as a half-human, half-vampire in The Lost Boys (1987). In 1992, she starred opposite Dylan McDermott in the rom-com Jersey Girl.

After Twister, Gertz primarily worked in television, including recurring roles on ER (1997) and Ally McBeal (2000–2002). She starred in the CBS sitcom Still Standing (2002–2006) and most recently The Neighbors, an ABC sitcom about a family living in a neighborhood of extraterrestrials (2012–2014).

Since then, Gertz has mostly stepped away from acting. She and her husband, Tony Ressler, became the owners of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks in 2015. They have three sons: Oliver, Nicholas, and Theo.

Lois Smith (Aunt Meg)

Lois Smith played Jo's spirited Aunt Meg, who supports her niece's storm-chasing activities but is personally threatened by a sudden twister.

Smith's lengthy career in film, television, and the stage dates back to 1952, when she made her Broadway debut in Time Out for Ginger. She first appeared on television in 1953 via the anthology show Kraft Television Theatre, and her earliest film role was in East of Eden (1955).

Over the following decades, she had roles in numerous movies, including Five Easy Pieces (1970), Fatal Attraction (1987), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Falling Down (1993), and Dead Man Walking (1995).

Smith was in her mid-60s when she appeared in Twister, and she’s kept busy since. She was the regretful creator of Precrime in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002) and played Sookie's grandmother in the first season of HBO’s vampire series True Blood (2008). In recent years, she’s appeared in acclaimed films like The Nice Guys (2016), Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird (2017), Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch (2021), and in the title role of Marjorie Prime (2017).

Smith has maintained a busy Broadway career as well, earning three Tony nominations. In 2020, she won her first Tony for The Inheritance at age 90, becoming the oldest actor to win.

The actress married her college sweetheart Wesley Dale Smith in 1948. They had one daughter, Moon, and later divorced in 1970.

Alan Ruck (Rabbit Nurick)

Alan Ruck played Rabbit, Jo and Bill's assistant who obsesses over the team's maps.

Ruck appeared on Broadway with Matthew Broderick in 1985, co-starring in Neil Simon's play Biloxi Blues. A year later, the pair were cast in the iconic teen film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), with Ruck playing Ferris' depressed best friend Cameron.

Ruck continued acting in movies, including as a bus passenger in Speed (1994) and a starship captain in Star Trek: Generations (1994) before he found a home in the ABC sitcom Spin City (1996–2002) as the sleazy, sarcastic Stuart Bondek. He also appeared in guest roles on Scrubs (2002), Cougar Town (2009), and Psych (2008–2014).

Recently, Ruck hit a new career-high in HBO’s Succession (2018–2013) as Connor Roy, the clan's often-overlooked eldest son who harbors unrealistic presidential ambitions. The role earned Ruck his first Emmy nomination.

Ruck tied the knot with actress Claudia Stefany in 1984, and they had two children, Emma and Sam. The pair split in 2005. He wed actress Mireille Enos in 2008, and they share two children, daughter Vesper and son Larkin.

Sean Whalen (Allen Sanders)

Sean Whalen played Sanders, another member of Jo and Bill's tornado-hunting crew.

If you were watching TV in 1993, then you might remember Whalen as the "history buff" in the first "Got Milk?" commercial, who couldn't manage to say the name "Aaron Burr."

Whalen has appeared on many television shows, including Grace Under Fire (1993), Friends (1994), and Star Trek: Enterprise (2003). He later played Coach Pearson on Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous (2004–2007) and was a castaway, “Frogurt,” on the hit drama Lost (2009–2010). He appeared in four episodes of Superstore (2015–2016) and had a two-episode run on The Righteous Gemstones (2023). He has plenty of big-screen credits to his name as well, including The People Under the Stairs (1991), The Cable Guy (1996), and Men in Black (1997).

Whalen married his second wife, Sheena Fink, in 2021.

Jeremy Davies (Laurence)

Jeremy Davies played Laurence, one of Jo's graduate students who manned the camera during the group's activities.

Davies’ breakout was the lead role in David O. Russell's indie comedy Spanking the Monkey (1994). Following Twister, he landed roles in Saving Private Ryan (1998), Ravenous (1999), Secretary (2002), and Solaris (2002), then played Charles Manson in the TV movie Helter Skelter (2004).

He later joined the cast of Lost (2008–2010) in season 4, playing physicist Daniel Faraday, followed by a celebrated role as Dickie Bennett on FX's neo-Western crime drama Justified (2011–2015). He received two Emmy nominations for the latter, winning in 2012.

In 2015, Davies reunited with Twister costar Bill Paxton in the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising. He’s since popped up in everything from the Arrowverse to Hannibal (2014), Sleepy Hollow (2017), and American Gods (2017).

Todd Field (Beltzer)

Todd Field played Beltzer, one of Jo and Bill's associates.

Field is now a well-known filmmaker with six Oscar nominations, but he began as an actor with a small part in Woody Allen's comedy Radio Days (1987). He soon moved on to leading roles in the action film Full Fathom Five (1990) and the drama Ruby in Paradise (1993) opposite Ashley Judd. He starred in Nicole Holofcener’s acclaimed indie Walking and Talking (1996) and landed a key role as piano player Nick Nightingale in Stanley Kubrick's psychological drama Eyes Wide Shut (1999).

In 2001, Field made his directorial debut with the family drama In the Bedroom, starring Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson, and Marisa Tomei. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, with Field picking up nods for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. His follow-up film, the sardonic suburban melodrama Little Children (2006), starred Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, and Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley. Field earned an additional nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Most recently, Field helmed Tár (2022), an extraordinary film about an orchestral conductor (Cate Blanchett) who is accused of abusing her power. Tár received six Oscar nominations with Field earning three for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. In addition to his movies, Field is one of the most sought-after commercial directors in the business.

Field married costume designer Serena Rathbun in 1986. They have four children.

Alexa PenaVega (Young Jo)

Alexa PenaVega played a younger version of Jo, Helen Hunt's character, in the film's opening sequence.

Twister was PenaVega's first major screen role, filmed when she was 7 years old. She followed this film with supporting roles in true-story courtroom drama Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) and the Michelle Pfeiffer weepie The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), before striking gold as Carmen Cortez, the star of Robert Rodriguez's hit film Spy Kids (2001). The film launched a franchise, and PenaVega reprised her role in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002) and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003).

In addition to her onscreen work, PenaVega also performed songs for the second and third installments. She then landed the lead role in the teen comedy Sleepover (2004), starring alongside future stars Brie Larson and Evan Peters and comedy vets Steve Carell and Jane Lynch.

PenaVega headlined the ABC Family sitcom Ruby & the Rockits (2009) before appearing in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011), the franchise’s fourth entry. She worked with Rodriguez again in his action parody Machete Kills (2013) and competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2015. Since then, she’s booked roles in many Hallmark Channel films, including Picture Perfect Mysteries (2019) with her husband Carlos, and its 2020 sequel.

She married film producer Sean Covel in 2010, but the couple split in 2012. She later wed actor and singer Carlos Pena Jr. in 2014, with both using PenaVega as their married name. They have three children: sons Ocean and Kingston, and daughter Rio.

Anthony Rapp (Tony)

Anthony Rapp played Tony, a member of Jonas Miller's rival storm-chasing team.

Rapp's early screen roles include the “one crazy night” teen comedy Adventures in Babysitting (1987), the future-star-studded drama School Ties (1992), the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused (1993), and Six Degrees of Separation (1993).

Around the same time as his blink-and-you-miss-it role in Twister, he was on the verge of Broadway stardom by playing Mark in the original cast of the 1996 rock musical Rent. Rapp went on the production's national tour a year later and opened in London's West End in 1998. He returned to Broadway in 1999 to play the lead in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

He continued to split his time between theater and film, appearing on the big screen in the Oscar-winning biopic A Beautiful Mind (2001), the raunchy college comedy Road Trip (2002), and the film adaptation of Rent (2005). On the small screen, he appeared in the musical episode of Psych (2013) and three episodes of Steven Soderbergh’s historical medical drama The Knick (2015). He then booked his first regular TV role on Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024), playing Lt. Commander Paul Stamets for its entire five-season run. He also recently appeared Off-Broadway in his one-man show, Without You, based on his 2006 memoir.

Rapp got engaged to his partner Ken Ithiphol in 2019; the pair share two children, Rai and Keony.

Wendle Josepher (Haynes)

Wendle Josepher played Haynes, the bucket hat-wearing member of Jo and Bill's team.

Josepher has carried supporting roles throughout her career, appearing in Last Action Hero (1993), Ron Howard’s proto-reality TV satire EDtv (1999), and the Coen brothers’ screwball comedy Intolerable Cruelty (2003), as well as episodes of Party of Five (1995–1998), Seinfeld (1998), Roswell (1999–2000), Glee (2013), and Alias (2002).

Her most recent screen role was an episode of Showtime’s Emmy-winning family tragicomedy Shameless (2021). In addition to her acting work, Josepher is a watercolor artist who specializes in paintings of cats.