It's been 20 years since "The Big Lebowski" first opened in theaters on March 6, 1998. In honor of the Coen brothers' cult comedy — which loosely centers around an alleged kidnapping and ransom plot — Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the cast and how they've changed over the years. Keep reading to catch up with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman and more stars of "The Big Lebowski."
Jeff Bridges starred as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a stoner-slacker with an affinity for marijuana and White Russians who's mistaken for a millionaire with the same name.
In 2001, Jeff Bridges earned his fourth Oscar nomination and his third Golden Globe nomination for his performance in "The Contender." He took home both awards in 2010 for his work in "Crazy Heart" and has since earned Academy Award nominations for "True Grit" and "Hell or High Water." He also earned an Emmy nomination in 2010 for his work on the HBO made-for-TV movie "A Dog Year." His other biggest hits include "K-PAX," "Seabiscuit," "The Door in the Floor," "Iron Man," "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "TRON: Legacy," "R.I.P.D.," "The Giver," "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" and "Only the Brave." He wed Susan Geston, with whom he shares three adult daughters, in the late '70s.
John Goodman starred as Vietnam veteran Walter Sobchak, one of The Dude's two best friends.
John Goodman went on to appear in films like "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "Coyote Ugly," "One Night at McCool's," "Evan Almighty," "Speed Racer," "Confessions of a Shopaholic," "The Artist," "Argo," "Trouble with the Curve," "Inside Llewyn Davis," "Flight," "The Hangover Part III," "The Internship," "Trumbo," "10 Cloverfield Lane," "Patriots Day," "Kong: Skull Island" and "Atomic Blonde." He also voiced characters in "The Emperor's New Groove," "Monsters, Inc.," "The Princess and the Frog" and "ParaNorman" and had stints on "The West Wing," "Treme," "Damages," "Community" and "Alpha House." In 2007, he won an Emmy for his work on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." He earned another Emmy nomination in 2010 for his performance on the HBO biopic "You Don't Know Jack." John, who's made headlines for his impressive weight loss in recent years, has been married to Annabeth Hartzog, with whom he shares an adult daughter, Molly, since the late '80s. next up, he'll return to the role of Dan Conner on the upcoming "Roseanne" reboot.
Steve Buscemi starred as Donny, The Dude and Walter's other best friend.
Steve Buscemi went on to score Emmy nominations for his work on "The Sopranos," "30 Rock," "Boardwalk Empire" — for which he earned a Golden Globe in 2011 — and "Portlandia" before finally taking home a statue in 2016 for his short-form variety series, "Park Bench with Steve Buscemi." His other biggest hits include "Armageddon," "28 Days," "Ghost World" (for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination), "Big Fish," "The Island," "Paris, je t'aime," "I Think I Love My Wife," "On the Road" and "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone." He's also collaborated on several films with Adam Sandler since 1998, including the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise, voiced characters in countless animated films — from "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" and "Monsters, Inc." to "Charlotte's Web" and "The Boss Baby" — and directed episodes of "Oz," "Nurse Jackie," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and more. He's reportedly been married to Jo Andres, with whom he shares adult son Lucian, since the late '80s.
David Huddleston starred as Jeffrey "The Big" Lebowski, a wheelchair-bound millionaire for whom The Dude is initially mistaken.
David Huddleston (pictured in 2011) went on to appear in the 2005 remake of "The Producers." He popped up on episodes of "The Practice," "Judging Amy," "Gilmore Girls," "The West Wing," "Jericho" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" before his death due to advanced heart and kidney disease at the age of 85 in 2016. The Emmy nominee and Broadway star was survived by Sarah Koeppe, his wife and partner of 32 years, and son Michael.
Julianne Moore starred as artist Maude Lebowski, The Big Lebowski's eccentric adult daughter.
The same year "The Big Lebowski" debuted, Julianne Moore earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her performance in "Boogie Nights." She earned Academy Award nominations for "The End of the Affair," "The Hours" and "Far from Heaven" before finally taking home top honors for her work in "Still Alice." She also won an Emmy in 2012 and a Golden Globe in 2013 for her portrayal of Sarah Palin on "Game Change." Her other biggest hits include "Magnolia," "Hannibal," "Children of Men," "A Single Man," "The Kids Are All Right," "Don Jon" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Additionally, she had a six-episode stint on "30 Rock," portrayed President Coin in the "Hunger Games" franchise and wrote the "Freckleface Strawberry" series of books. Julianne was pregnant with Caleb, her son with director Bart Freundlich, when she shot "The Big Lebowski." Their daughter, Liv, arrived in 2002, the year before they tied the knot.
Tara Reid portrayed former porn star Bunny Lebowski, The Big Lebowski's allegedly kidnapped trophy wife.
A year after Tara Reid appeared in "The Big Lebowski," she popped up in "Cruel Intentions" and debuted as Vicky in the "American Pie" franchise. She then landed roles in "Dr. T & the Women," "Josie and the Pussycats" and "My Boss's Daughter," portrayed Danni Sullivan on "Scrubs" and starred on the MTV reality show "Taradise." After that, she transitioned to primarily B-movies as her reputation as a party girl began to overshadow her career (there were also stints in rehab and botched experiences with plastic surgery). The former "It" girl, who ended her engagement to Carson Daly in 2001, has headlined the "Sharknado" franchise — but not much else — since 2013. (She's also reportedly had flings with Devon Sawa, Fred Durst, Tom Brady and many party boys of the aughts.) In 2011, she concocted a fake marriage to a Bulgarian financier, and in 2016, she faked a relationship with Dean May so that they could appear on VH1's "Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars." In September 2017, the New York Post reported that Tara was casually dating tech entrepreneur Ted Dhanik.
Philip Seymour Hoffman portrayed Brandt, The Big Lebowski's uptight assistant.
Philip Seymour Hoffman went on to win an Emmy in 2005 for his work on the miniseries "Empire Falls." The following year, he won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his performance in "Capote." He then earned Academy Award and Globe nominations for "Charlie Wilson's War," "Doubt" and "The Master." His other greatest hits include "Patch Adams," "Magnolia," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Almost Famous," "Red Dragon," "Cold Mountain," "Mission: Impossible II," "Moneyball" and the "Hunger Games" franchise, which he was midway through filming when he died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 46 in 2014. The esteemed but troubled actor, who suffered from drug (specifically heroin) and alcohol addiction, was also a three-time Tony nominee and accomplished theater director. (He also directed and starred in the 2010 movie "Jack Goes Boating.") He met costume designer Mimi O'Donnell while they were working together on a play he directed in 1999. They had a son in 2003, a daughter in 2006 and another daughter in 2008 but had separated just months before he died.
John Turturro portrayed sex offender Jesus Quintana, a flashy bowler who competed against The Dude and his bowling pals.
John Turturro went on to star in the "Transformers" franchise and four films with Adam Sandler: "Mr. Deeds," "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," "Anger Management" and "The Ridiculous 6," as well as "Rounders," "Cradle Will Rock," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "Collateral Damage," "Secret Window," "She Hate Me," "The Good Shepherd," "Margot at the Wedding," "What Just Happened," "Miracle at St. Anna," "The Taking of Pelham 123," "Exodus: Gods and Kings" and so many more. He also voiced Francesco Bernoulli in "Cars 2," won an Emmy for his work on "Monk" in 2004 and earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his performance on 2017's "The Night Of." On top of that, he's directed three feature films (two he wrote himself) since 1998. Most excitingly, he plans to bring a spin-off of "The Big Lebowski" centered around his character, Jesus Quintana, to the big screen in 2018. (He wrote, directed and stars in it.) John met his wife, actress Katherine Borowitz, while attending Yale drama school during the '80s. Their two sons arrived in the years following the debut of "The Big Lebowski."
Sam Elliott portrayed The Stranger, who narrates the film and makes a brief appearance in the bowling alley at the end of the movie.
Sam Elliott went on to star in "We Were Soldiers," "Hulk," "Thank You for Smoking," "Ghost Rider," "The Golden Compass," "Up in the Air," "The Company You Keep," "Draft Day" and "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" He also voiced characters in "Marmaduke," "The Good Dinosaur" and "Rock Dog" and had stints on "Parks and Recreation," "Justified" and "Grace and Frankie." He currently stars alongside Ashton Kutcher on the Netflix comedy "The Ranch," which he also produces. Sam, who earned an Emmy nomination (his second overall) for working as a voice actor on "Robot Chicken" in 2013, has served as the voice of Smokey Bear since 2008. He married actress Katharine Ross in 1984. They have one daughter, Cleo.
Ben Gazzara portrayed Jackie Treehorn, a porn mogul and loan shark to whom Bunny owes money.
Ben Gazzara (pictured in 2011) went on to star in "Summer of Sam," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "Dogville" and "Paris, je t'aime," as well as several Italian productions. The Tony-nominated theater actor, who starred as Brick in the original Broadway production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," also won an Emmy in 2003 for his work on the HBO made-for-TV movie "Hysterical Blindness." But he had major health issues between the time he appeared in "The Big Lebowski" in 1998 and when he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 81 in 2012: He was treated for oral cancer in 1999, had a stroke in 2005 and suffered from depression. Ben, who once romanced Audrey Hepburn, shared a daughter, Elizabeth, with his second wife. He also adopted his third wife's daughter from a previous relationship, Danja. He and the former model, Elke Stuckmann, were still married when he died.
David Thewlis popped up as video artist Knox Harrington, an eccentric friend of Maude's.
David Thewlis scored a major breakthrough in 2004 when he debuted as Remus Lupin in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." That led to roles in "Kingdom of Heaven," "The New World," "Basic Instinct 2," the 2006 remake of "The Omen," "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," "War Horse," "RED 2," "The Theory of Everything," "Wonder Woman" and "Justice League" and more. He also starred on the third season of "Fargo," for which he earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations, in 2017. The English actor was briefly married to actress-director Sara Sugarman during the early '90s. He then spent nearly a decade with actress Anna Friel. They welcomed a daughter, Gracie, in 2005 but called it quits in 2010.
Jack Kehler portrayed The Dude's landlord, Marty, an interpretive dancer.
Jack Kehler went on to appear in films like "Lethal Weapon 4," "Forces of Nature," "True Crime," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," "Dudley Do-Right," "Men in Black II," "Under the Tuscan Sun," "Fever Pitch," "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" and "Pineapple Express." In 2015, he had a six-episode stint on "The Man in the High Castle."
Peter Stormare (right) portrayed Uli Kunkel, Bunny's friend and former porn co-star, while Flea (left) and Torsten Voges portrayed his fellow Nihilists, who claim to have kidnapped her.
Peter Stormare went on to star in films like "Mercury Rising," "Armageddon," "8MM," "Chocolat," "Bad Company," "Spun," "Windtalkers," "Minority Report," "Bad Boys II," "Constantine," "The Brothers Grimm," "Nacho Libre," "Premonition," "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "Pain & Gain," "22 Jumpstreet," "John Wick: Chapter 2" and so many more. He also had stints on "Prison Break," "The Blacklist," "Graceland," "Manahattan," "American Gods," "Get Shorty" and "Longmire" and currently stars on "LA to Vegas." The Swedish actor, who's also a musician and founded the record label StormVox, reportedly welcomed a daughter, Kaiya, with his wife, Toshimi, in 2011. He also has an adult daughter, Kelly, from a previous relationship. According to a Swedish outlet, Peter and Toshimi have been together since the early '90s.
Flea is best known for his work as the bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he's released five studio albums since appearing in "The Big Lebowski" in 1998. He's also been surprisingly active as an actor over the years, appearing in films like the 1998 "Psycho" remake, the 2014 Joe Albany biopic "Low Down," which he also executive produced, and "Baby Driver." Additionally, he voiced characters on "The Wild Thornberrys" from 1998 to 2004 and had a role as a voice actor in "Inside Out." In 2005, Flea and model Frankie Rayder welcomed a daughter, Sunny. He also has an adult daughter, drummer-photographer Clara Balzary, from his first marriage. Though he and Frankie got engaged around the time their daughter was born, it's unclear whether or not they ever made it down the aisle.
Torsten Voges went on to appear in films like "8MM," "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "Funny People" and Netflix's "The Do-Over," as well as several German productions. He also had a stint on "Eastwick" in 2009. He's reportedly married and has an adult daughter.
Mark Pellegrino and Philip Moon portrayed Jackie Treehorn's thugs, the latter of whom urinates on The Dude's rug after they mistake him for The Big Lebowski.
Mark Pellegrino (pictured) went on to appear in films like "Drowning Mona," "Say It Isn't So," "Mulholland Drive," "National Treasure," "Capote" and "The Number 23." He's also had stints on "Dexter," "Lost," "The Closer," "Being Human," "The Tomorrow People," "The Returned," "Quantico" and "13 Reasons Why" and has built up a loyal fan base thanks to his role as Lucifer on "Supernatural," on which he's appeared since 2009. Mark reportedly married actress-director Tracy Aziz Pellegrino in 2008. His "The Big Lebowski" cohort Philip Moon, who isn't active on social media and hasn't been photographed at a Hollywood event in more than a decade, has worked less frequently over the years. He's best known for a six-episode stint as Lee on "Deadwood" in 2005. He also popped up on a 2015 episode of "True Detective."