Black Hawk Down is an adrenaline-fueled action feature directed by Ridley Scott, that shows the real-life incident that happened in the Somalian War when two American helicopters were shot down and a fight started between Army Rangers, US Special Forces, and Somali gunmen in a long, and deadly gunfight. Scott has always known how to direct action films, although normally they involve more swords, horses, and period-style helmets, and here, he does it brilliantly, playing the action at full throttle for 144 minutes of stress and tension.

Other than being a great film, what’s most remembered about this movie is the incredible cast of actors it has, most of them in their first film ever, and before most of them hit it big. There are A-listers, prestigious TV actors, and even a comedic actor who you would have never thought you’d see in an action film, and playing a military man. Here’s where the cast of Black Hawk Down is today.

You can rent Black Hawk Down on Apple TV

Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett is the lead character in Black Hawk Down, as he plays Eversmann, proving he could be more than a teenage heartthrob, as before this movie, he had been part of The Virgin Suicides and The Faculty. This film was followed by Sin City and The Black Dahlia, making Hartnett one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. After passing on being Christopher Nolan’s Batman, the actor took a break from Hollywood and disappeared for a few years to spend time with his family. In the last three years, he has had a comeback, working with Guy Ritchie, and finally with Nolan, as one of the scientists in Oppenheimer.

Eric Bana

When people think of Eric Bana, they think of his career as a great actor who plays tough roles involving action somehow. That kind of career is in big part to this film, where he played Hoot. Before that, Bana was mostly known as a standup comedian in Australia. This film was his breakout in Hollywood, and he never looked back, becoming the Hulk, Hector in Troy, and the lead in one of Steven Spielberg’s more serious films, Munich. Since then, he has kept working steadily in action films, but also voicing characters and having some fun in comedies, especially in Funny People. His next lead role will be in Berlin Nobody, a movie about a cult.

Tom Sizemore

Tom Sizemore might have been one of the biggest and most known actors in the cast of Black Hawk Down, playing McKnight, as he had already been a supporting player in many great movies, including Heat, Saving Private Ryan, and Natural Born Killers. After this movie, he continued playing any role available, be it in movies, TV, or video games (he was one of the lead voices in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), spending most of his 2010s in straight-to-VOD films. His last big role was in Twin Peaks: The Return. Sizemore died earlier this year, leaving behind a unique career with more than 200 roles to his name.

Ewan McGregor

When Black Hawk Down was released, Ewan McGregor had already been young Obi-Wan Kenobi, but only for one film, Renton in Trainspotting, and Christian in Moulin Rouge, and yet, this might be the film that confirmed that the actor had arrived and would stay in Hollywood for the long haul. His performance as Grimes is one of the best in the movie, confirming all his talent and being one more step in becoming one of the industry’s biggest leading men, playing Obi-Wan for two more films, and being the lead in Big Fish, and The Island.

More than 20 years later, after this Ridley Scott movie, McGregor continues to be one of the most sought-after actors in the industry; he just came back as Obi-Wan in last year’s Disney+ TV series, won an Emmy for his lead role in Halston and has five projects lined up for next year, including the TV miniseries A Gentleman in Moscow.

Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom has a very small role with a tragic ending in Black Hawk Down as Blackburn, and the film would’ve been his breakout role if not for the fact that a few months before, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had already been released, making his performance here, a more surprising one for those who already knew him as Legolas, and though he was going to be one of the most important parts in Ridley Scott’s film. Bloom became a movie star thanks to the Lord of the Rings films, and the fact that he went from that franchise to another big one, in Pirates of the Caribbean.

He worked with Scott again, this time as the lead, in Kingdom of Heaven. In the last few years, Bloom has been playing a lot of supporting roles in The Hobbit franchise, where he was Legolas once again, before becoming the lead in the TV series Carnival Row. His last role released was in Neil Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo.

Jason Isaacs

Jason Isaacs had already been a villain in Hollywood thanks to his turn as William Tavington in The Patriot, so it was a surprise to see him in this movie as one of the good guys, and one who was more than respected by his squad. He played Captain Steele here, one of those characters you would always love to have by your side in a crisis, with an accent that fooled everyone into thinking he was American.

Isaacs went back to being the bad guy one year after this movie as he became Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, using all his charisma for evil. Isaacs has never stopped working, in movies, TV series, and voicing video games, becoming a great distant father figure in shows like The Great, Good Sam, or Sex Education, while also voicing heroes like Superman in Superman: Red Son.

Hugh Dancy

Although he had already had some small roles in British TV, Black Hawk Down was Hugh Dancy’s first feature film, as he plays “Doc” Schmid, in an almost unrecognizable role, both because of how young he looks, and how weird is to see him with a military hair cut. Dancy kept working until his big breakout role in 2007's The Jane Austen Book Club, where he used all his charm as the romantic interest.

After that, he kept playing romantic interest in other films like Confessions of a Shopaholic, until 2013, when he landed the role that proved that he could do much more than being charming and romantic, Will Graham in the TV series Hannibal in what’s still his most famous, and weird role ever. In the last two years, he’s been both in movies and television, being part of Downtown Abby: A New Era, and playing Executive ADA Nolan Price in Law & Order.

Ty Burrell

This might be the most shocking actor appearing in Black Hawk Down, as Ty Burrell has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role as Wilkinson. This was only his third role ever, after Evolution and a guest role in The West Wing, and it would take Burrell three more years before having another substantial role in Dawn of the Dead. He kept getting employed, even appearing as a rival romantic interest to the lead in both Hulk (Edward Norton version) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets before becoming a great award-winning comedy actor in Modern Family as one of its best characters, Phil. After that incredible run, which lasted 11 seasons and 250 episodes, and gave him all the recognition he deserved for his comedy chops, Burrell has been voicing the character of Jack Harris in Duncanville.

Tom Hardy

Another actor with a small and surprising appearance in this movie is Tom Hardy in what was his first film role (he was so new to the industry, that back then he went by Thomas Hardy), as the character of Twombly. Funnily enough, Hardy also appeared as a military man in a small role in Band of Brothers in the same year. The A-lister still needed a few more years until he made it big; he had a supporting role in Layer Cake, and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette before making it big in Bronson, and confirming he could be as charming as he is tough in Inception. Now, he has his own superhero franchise in Venom.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has a small but important role in the story as Gordon. This was a decade before he became Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones, and although he had already been working steadily for years in Denmark, this movie was his first Hollywood role. He tried to be a leading man in the TV series New Amsterdam, but the show only lasted eight episodes, and in 2011, he got the role for which he’s still most famous for. Since then, he hasn’t stopped working, even voicing a character in an episode of The Simpsons, led the survival movie Against the Ice, and was one of the most important parts in the TV series The Last Thing He Told Me, starring Jennifer Garner.