Celebrity

All Grown Up: Ron Howard's 'Parenthood' Cast 25 Years Later

It's time to check in on the Buckman family

Published on August 2, 2014 04:00 PM

Family: You can’t live with ’em, you can’t live without ’em – so you might as well make a movie about them. That’s exactly what Ron Howard did with Parenthood, which hit theaters on August 2, 1989.

The story of four siblings working to raise their children right and keep their sanity at the same time, this movie was (and still is) relatable to moms and dads of all generations. Since its release, Parenthood has gone on to inspire two different TV shows, and it serves as an adorable archive of big stars in their early years. In fact, one of Bryce Dallas Howard’s first on-screen roles was an uncredited bit in her dad’s ensemble comedy.

What about the other billed stars of Parenthood? Sadly, not all the actors are still with us today. Jason Robards, who played Parenthood‘s patriarch Frank, passed away in 2000, but most of the Buckman clan is still working in showbiz.

To celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, we put together a family reunion to see what Parenthood‘s main players are up to right now.

Steve Martin (Gil Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

Over the past quarter-century Martin wrote three novels, won a Grammy for best bluegrass album and starred in numerous films. Currently, the multi-talented man is working on his musicalBig Star, which will premiere in San Diego, California, on September 13.

Mary Steenburgen (Karen Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

Steenburgen has stayed in the biz, repeatedly playing attractive, brunette mothers in movies like Life as a House and Step Brothers. She is set to appear as Jeannie in 2015’s A Walk in the Woods, an adaptation of Bill Bryson’s travel book of the same name.

Dianne Wiest (Helen Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

Wiest is done raising kids and has moved on to saucier stories. Fans can see the actress in 2014’s upcoming erotic drama The Humbling, opposite Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig.

Rick Moranis (Nathan Huffner)

Where Are They Now:

Moranis retired from acting in 1997, six years after his wife died of cancer, to focus on raising his two children. The former actor kept a low profile until he granted an interview to Empire in June 2013, where he expressed interest in reprising his Ghostbusters role for the franchise’s third installment. We want you back, Rick!

Tom Hulce (Larry Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

Hulce started to step away from the camera in the ’90s to focus on production. The Amadeus actor has turned his focus to the stage, serving as the lead producer for Broadway shows Spring Awakening and American Idiot.

Martha Plimpton (Julie Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

An experienced stage performer, Martha Plimpton is returning to the Great White Way in October 2014 to play Julia in A Delicate Balance with Glenn Close and John Lithgow.

Keanu Reeves (Tod Higgins)

Where Are They Now:

Reeves has been busy taking red pills, becoming a meme and celebrating Speed‘s 20th birthday, but he still finds time to make movies. His next excellent on-screen adventure will be as the titular character in the action thriller John Wick.

Joaquin Phoenix (Garry Buckman)

Where Are They Now:

Parenthood

was just the tip of the emotional iceberg for Phoenix (then known as “Leaf”). From Walk the Line to Her, the actor has gone on to play a host of intense characters. Up next is the lead role in Inherent Vice, the newest movie from The Master director Paul Thomas Anderson.