Boogie Nights cast: Where are they now?

Boogie Nights, then and now

Paul Thomas Anderson declared himself a major presence in cinema with his second feature film, Boogie Nights, a seedy tale of the golden age of the porn industry in Los Angeles during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Anderson earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, which established many of the hallmarks of his work—the use of the Los Angeles Valley as a setting; an exploration of greed and the corruption lurking in the souls of men; and an unflinching look at the influence of pornography, drugs, and money on the Hollywood and Los Angeles industry. He has a knack for writing and directing roles for actors that earn them accolades and a bigger platform. His Boogie Nights cast included a mix of established stars and up-and-comers. Decades later, where are they now?

Mark Wahlberg (Dirk Diggler/Eddie Adams)

Mark Wahlberg was struggling to transition into a career as a serious actor and away from his reputation as a singer headlining Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Portraying the rise and fall of adult film star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights put the young performer on the map as a force to be reckoned with.

He's continued to excel as an actor, earning praise for his turns in awards fodder like The Departed (2006), for which he earned an Oscar nomination, and The Fighter (2010). He's appeared in everything from comedies like Ted (2012) and Daddy's Home (2015)—and their sequels—to franchises like Planet of the Apes and Transformers. He even sent up his own image portraying an exaggerated version of himself on Entourage (which he executive produced).

While Wahlberg continues to act, he's also become a major force as a producer, helping to ensure some of his acting work in films like Lone Survivor (2013), Patriots Day (2016), Instant Family (2018), and Father Stu (2022) made it to screens. He's also executive produced television shows like Boardwalk Empire, Ballers, and In Treatment.

Julianne Moore (Amber Waves)

Julianne Moore had yet to earn her iconic status as one of this era's greatest actresses when she portrayed Amber Waves, a leading lady adult film star who is locked in a custody battle for her son and channels her maternal energy into Jack Horner's new charges. Boogie Nights earned Moore her first Oscar nomination.

Since then, she has gone on to become an awards darling in films like Far From Heaven (2002), The Hours (2002), The Kids Are All Right (2010), and her Oscar-winning turn as a woman dealing with early onset Alzheimer's disease in Still Alice (2014). She's played comedic and offbeat roles in projects like Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and a recurring role on 30 Rock as Bostonian Nancy Donovan.

Moore has also taken on blockbusters, portraying President Alma Coin in The Hunger Games franchise and appearing in 2017's Kingsman: The Golden Circle, as well as The Woman in the Window (2021) and Dear Evan Hansen (2021).

Burt Reynolds (Jack Horner)

Few actors are as associated with a single decade as Burt Reynolds is with the '70s, thanks to memorable turns in films like The Longest Yard (1974) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977) that captured the sensitive virility of the ideal 1970s man. Reynolds was reluctant to take on the role of Jack Horner, a porn magnate and director who discovers the young Dirk Diggler—the risk paid off though, earning him a Golden Globe and his only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

He didn't slow down at all in the years after, continuing a steady spate of film roles and returning to his television roots. He capitalized on nostalgia with roles in remakes of The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) and The Longest Yard (2005). He guest starred on TV shows as varied as The X-Files, The King of Queens, and My Name Is Earl, even playing himself in a voice cameo on FX's Archer. His last few film credits included The Last Movie Star (2017), Miami Love Affair (2017), and Henri (2017) before he died in 2018.

Don Cheadle (Buck Swope)

Don Cheadle had begun to make a name for himself in a string of television roles when he portrayed Buck Swope, an adult film actor who gets married and tries to change career paths, opening a stereo equipment store.

The actor earned a strong fan following when he played surgical resident Paul Nathan in the ninth season of ER. Since then, he has continued to alternate between prestigious award-season favorites and blockbuster franchises. He played Cockney munitions expert Basher Tarr in the Ocean's films and continues to hold a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as James Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, beginning with 2010's Iron Man 2 to Disney+'s planned spin-off series about his character.

In 2005, he earned an Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda (2004) with his portrayal of real-life figure Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed Tutsi refugees during the Rwandan genocide. Cheadle also has a strong presence on TV, headlining Showtime's House of Lies and Black Monday and narrating The Wonder Years, racking up double-digit Emmy nominations over the years.

John C. Reilly (Reed Rothchild)

John C. Reilly has long made a career toeing the line between outrageous comedy and subtle dramatic work, but he began squarely in dramatic roles. He had already partnered with Paul Thomas Anderson on his directorial debut, Hard Eight (1996), when he took on the role of adult film star (and Dirk's best friend) Reed Rothchild.

He earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Roxie Hart's hapless husband Amos in Chicago (2002). His dramatic work has continued in films like Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), The Lobster (2015), and The Sisters Brothers (2018).

However, he is largely known for his work in over-the-top comedies alongside Will Ferrell in projects like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Step Brothers (2008), and Holmes & Watson (2018). He also earned a younger generation of fans voicing the title character in Disney's animated Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). Reilly has had success in television, landing principal roles on Moonbase 8 and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

William H. Macy (Little Bill)

William H. Macy was fresh off an Oscar nomination for Fargo (1996) when he played assistant director and jealous husband "Little Bill" Thompson in Boogie Nights.

He recurred as Dr. David Morgenstern for seasons 1–4 and 15 of ER, as well as featured on Aaron Sorkin's short-lived Sports Night (which also showcased his wife, Felicity Huffman). He paired with Anderson again on Magnolia and has appeared in a wide array of films from Jurassic Park III (2001) and Thank You for Smoking (2005) to The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) and Cake (2014).

He's most known for starring as Frank Gallagher on Shameless, which aired for 11 seasons. His performance earned him six Emmy nominations and three Screen Actors Guild awards.

Heather Graham (Rollergirl)

Heather Graham already had a memorable run on Twin Peaks and in several films when Anderson cast her as "Rollergirl," a high school-age adult film starlet who always wears roller skates.

Graham has often revisited variations of the sensitive, beautiful young woman—for example, as Felicity Shagwell in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and Jade the stripper in The Hangover (2009).

She's also done a sizable amount of television work, portraying Dr. Molly Clock on Scrubs, doing a season 7 arc on Californication, and leading the one-season sitcoms Emily's Reasons Why Not and Bliss. She's also been seen on Angie Tribeca, Flaked, and The Stand, and portrayed Judalon Smyth—an unstable mistress who has a key role in the Menendez murder case—in the 2017 miniseries Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.

Nicole Ari Parker (Becky Barnett)

Boogie Nights was Nicole Ari Parker's third feature film, in which she portrayed Becky Barnett—an adult film star whose career ends when she gets happily married.

Parker has continued to work steadily, portraying Denzel Washington's wife Carol Boone in Remember the Titans (2000) and earning series regular roles on numerous television shows, including Rosewood, Empire, Chicago P.D., and And Just Like That. She received five consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for her performance as Teri Joseph on Soul Food.

Parker is married to fellow actor Boris Kodjoe.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Scotty J.)

Philip Seymour Hoffman scored a major breakout role as Scotty J., a boom operator who nurses an ill-concealed crush for Dirk Diggler.

He went on to become one of the most celebrated actors of his generation, first with a series of unforgettable supporting roles in films like The Big Lebowski (1998), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Almost Famous (2000). In 2006, he won an Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Capote (2005), the first of four career nominations—others were for Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Doubt (2008), and The Master (2012).

He dedicated much of his career to intriguing and complex roles in lower-budget films and prestige pictures, as well as spending a lot of time onstage in productions like an acclaimed 2012 Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman. He also portrayed secret rebel Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games franchise. Hoffman tragically died from a drug overdose in 2014.

Luis Guzmán (Maurice TT Rodriguez)

Luis Guzmán has worked steadily in film and television since the early-1980s. In Boogie Nights, he portrays Maurice Rodriguez, the owner of the rundown nightclub where Dirk Diggler—then Eddie Adams—is discovered as a busboy.

In the years that followed, he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his performance in The Limey (1999) and reunited with Anderson on Magnolia (1999) and Punch-Drunk Love (2002).

Guzmán has also featured in films like Anger Management (2003), the remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Keanu (2016), and The Birthday Cake (2021).

However, his biggest impact has come on television, landing major roles on Oz, Code Black, Perpetual Grace, LTD, and Wednesday, and having arcs on Narcos, Shameless, and Hightown.