The Faculty cast: Where are they now?

The Faculty, then and now

In Robert Rodriguez's 1998 cult classic, The Faculty, a group of students are forced to fight against their teachers who have been infected by an alien parasite. Inspired by the sci-fi classics Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Puppet Masters, the film managed to gather a massive ensemble cast of Hollywood heavy hitters, up-and-coming actors who would soon become household names, and veterans of the horror genre, creating one of the most unique movies in horror history.

In the years since the film's release, the cast and crew have gone on to a multitude of other projects. Click through to find out who went on to star in blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings, The Fast and the Furious, and more.

Josh Hartnett (Zeke Tyler)

Zeke is The Faculty's ultimate bad boy. He sells crushed caffeine pills to other students in the bathroom, drives a loud sports car, and couldn't care less about his schoolwork. But, once he discovers the town is in danger, he quickly becomes the hero. Zeke was portrayed by Josh Hartnett who, just a few months earlier, made a big splash in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later.

After The Faculty, he had lead roles in big-budget films like Black Hawk Down (2001), Pearl Harbor (2001), and Sin City (2005). Hartnett went on to star on the acclaimed Showtime series Penny Dreadful and the 2021 action film Wrath of Man. He portrays real-life scientist Ernest Lawrence in Christopher Nolan's 2023 biopic Oppenheimer, about the creation of the atomic bomb.

Jordana Brewster (Delilah Profitt)

Delilah, played by Jordana Brewster, is both brains and beauty, serving as the editor of the school's newspaper and the head cheerleader. But her talents also make her vain and selfish...until she realizes that her popularity means nothing if the human race is overtaken by aliens.

After The Faculty, Brewster went on to star as Mia in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Up until 2021, Brewster was married to horror producer Andrew Form, whom she met while filming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in 2006. She is now married to ValueAct Capital CEO Mason Morfit.

Brewster also appeared on the Dallas reboot and the TV adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Clea DuVall (Stokely Mitchell)

Brooding, angsty, a bit goth, and incredibly smart, Stokely embodies '90s grunge and Hot Topic emo. Clea DuVall played the role and gave a performance that felt surprisingly relatable to many viewers.

Since her days fighting off aliens, DuVall has taken on a multitude of projects, including acting in Girl, Interrupted (1999) and the queer classic But I'm a Cheerleader (1999).

She had supporting roles in the Oscar-winning film Argo and on the comedy series Veep. In 2015, DuVall decided to try her hand behind the camera, writing, directing, and producing The Intervention. She followed that up with the LGBTQ+ holiday rom-com Happiest Season (2020), which starred Kristen Stewart.

DuVall voices Elsa on the animated Fox comedy HouseBroken (a series that she also helped create), and there has even been talk of a Happiest Season sequel.

Laura Harris (Marybeth Louise Hutchinson)

A southern belle or an alien monster? Laura Harris played Marybeth, the new girl in town…who turns out to be the queen alien intent on taking over the human race.

After morphing into a giant monster in The Faculty, Harris starred on Bryan Fuller's Showtime dramedy about grim reapers, Dead Like Me, taking over for Rebecca Gayheart. Harris also had a recurring role on 24, and appeared on Women's Murder Club, Defying Gravity, and Netflix's Scaredy Cats.

Elijah Wood (Casey Connor)

Elijah Wood was already an established child star well before portraying the shy and slightly-nerdy Casey, a photographer for the school newspaper who is the first to realize something is wrong. Wood's early work included Avalon (1990), Radio Flyer (1992), The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), and The Good Son (1993).

But his career really exploded a couple years later thanks to his starring role as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also voiced the character in multiple LOTR video games and later reprised his role in 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

In 2011, he made the leap to television, starring on the bizarre and meta FX series Wilfred. Wood is also a massive horror fan and in recent years he's spent his time behind the camera, serving as a producer for numerous indie horror hits like Mandy (2018) and Daniel Isn't Real (2019). He is also starring in the reboot of the dark comedy superhero flick The Toxic Avenger alongside Kevin Bacon and Peter Dinklage, as well as the second season of Yellowjackets.

Shawn Hatosy (Stan Rosado)

Shawn Hatosy's character, Stan, is a football player who secretly wanted off the team. Luckily, he quits just in time, before the entire team is infected by the alien parasite.

In the years following The Faculty's release, Hatosy had roles in films like John Q (2002), The Cooler (2003), and Alpha Dog (2006). After making the switch to television, Hatosy's career finally found steady ground with starring roles on Southland and Animal Kingdom.

Salma Hayek (Nurse Harper)

Before portraying the totally-over-it Nurse Harper in The Faculty, Salma Hayek was already a Hollywood darling thanks to her work in Desperado (1995) and From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), both of which were also helmed by The Faculty's director, Robert Rodriguez. After becoming good friends with Rodriguez during their time working together, Hayek signed on for The Faculty.

Hayek maintained her A-list status over the years, being nominated for an Oscar for her role as Frida Kahlo in Frida (2002) and starring in hits like Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). Hayek has also appeared in Eternals (2021), House of Gucci (2021), Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021), and lent her voice to Kitty Softpaws in the Puss in Boots franchise. She joined Channing Tatum in 2023 for Magic Mike's Last Dance, the final film in the series.

Jon Stewart (Edward Furlong)

One of the most memorable scenes in The Faculty is when the students realize the alien parasite needs water to survive. They figure this out with the help of their science teacher, Mr. Furlong, played by Jon Stewart.

The year after appearing in The Faculty, Stewart took over hosting duties on The Daily Show, turning the series into a massive, Emmy-winning success. He remained the show's host until 2015, offering a satirical take on pivotal events like 9/11, Obama's presidential victory, and the legalization of same-sex marriage. He has also dipped his toe into directing, helming the films Rosewater (2014) and Irresistible (2020).

In late 2021, Stewart returned to host a new topical series on Apple TV+, The Problem With Jon Stewart. Stewart has also become a huge advocate for New Yorkers who were exposed to deadly toxins during the 9/11 attacks, and even spoke before congress in 2019 to urge the passing of a bill that would provide aid to victims.

Famke Janssen (Miss Burke)

Miss Burke, played by Famke Janssen, is the school's English teacher. She is a shy, timid pushover who students regularly mock and ignore. After being infected, however, she turns into a badass femme fatale, hellbent on infecting every student at the school.

Already a professional model and a "Bond girl" before making The Faculty, Janssen went on to score the biggest role of her career, portraying Jean Grey in the X-Men franchise. Janssen also starred in the Taken movies, and held numerous starring and recurring roles on television series like Nip/Tuck, Hemlock Grove, How to Get Away With Murder, and The Blacklist: Redemption. She also had a recurring role on the short-lived BET basketball drama Long Slow Exhale.

Usher (Gabe)

Usher had a small part in The Faculty, playing Gabe, one of the football players who gets infected early on in the film. Though he was barely in the movie, Usher was prominently featured on the poster, VHS/DVD cover, and promotional materials — because his multi-platinum album, My Way, had just been released and he had become one of the biggest names in R&B.

In the years since, Usher has continually released hit albums and, in 2006, he even starred in Chicago on Broadway. His onscreen work didn't stop with The Faculty, appearing in She's All That (1999), Light It Up (1999), Scary Movie 5 (2013), Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), and Hustlers (2019). He also had a stint as a coach on The Voice.

In 2022, Usher began headlining his Las Vegas residency, My Way, named after the album that solidified his career.

Robert Patrick (Coach Willis)

Coach Willis is the first to be infected by Marybeth. Aggressive, dominant, and with complete access and control over the school's most popular and influential students — the football team — Coach Willis is the perfect target to ensure ultimate control of the school. Willis was played by Robert Patrick, probably best known for his role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

After The Faculty, Patrick went on to star on numerous TV series, taking over for David Duchovny in the final seasons of the original run of The X-Files, and series like The Unit and Scorpion. In 2022, Patrick scored a gig alongside John Cena on HBO Max's superhero comedy series Peacemaker.

Piper Laurie (Mrs. Olson)

Piper Laurie played Mrs. Olsen, the school's drama teacher. In the pre-opening credits teaser scene, she's the second member of the faculty to be taken over by aliens and stabs Principle Drake to death before inserting the parasite into her. Going into The Faculty, the actress had already been nominated for three Oscars for her work in The Hustler (1961), Carrie (1976), and Children of a Lesser God (1986), and had won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. She also costarred as Catherine Martell on Twin Peaks.

After The Faculty, Laurie appeared in various guest roles on TV shows, even reuniting with costar Laura Harris in an episode of Dead Like Me. Laurie appeared in Hesher (2010) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and White Boy Rick (2018) starring Matthew McConaughey.

Bebe Neuwirth (Principal Valerie Drake)

Principal Drake has a lot on her plate in The Faculty, from juggling a nonexistent school budget to drugs in the classroom, and a school board that refuses to help. One night, while staying late to finish up work, she's attacked, becoming the third member of the faculty to get infected. Principal Drake was portrayed by the always-fabulous Broadway legend Bebe Neuwirth, who was already a famous face thanks to her time on stage and her prominent role as Dr. Lilith Sternin on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier.

After the movie, Neuwirth returned to Broadway, starring in shows like Chicago, Fosse, and The Addams Family. In 2021, Neuwirth joined other Broadway legends in the Netflix musical Tick, Tick...Boom!, which was based on the life of Jonathan Larson, the playwright-composer-lyricist who wrote Rent. She has a role on HBO Max's Julia, based on the life of TV chef Julia Child, and will reprise her role as Lilith on the Frasier revival.

Robert Rodriguez (Director)

Following the success of Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn, Robert Rodriguez got to work on The Faculty, developing a reputation as a filmmaker who loved horror and sci-fi.

After its release, he continued to direct hit movies, often also serving as writer and producer, including the Spy Kids franchise, Machete, and Sin City. Rodriguez continues to develop new projects including a new Spy Kids film and the sci-fi epic Hypnotic, about a secret government program tied to a string of mysterious crimes, starring Ben Affleck.

Kevin Williamson (Writer)

Kevin Williamson is sometimes credited with single-handedly rebooting the horror genre in the '90s. Before writing The Faculty, Williamson wrote blockbuster hits Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

He also created, wrote, and produced some of TV's biggest series, including Dawson's Creek and The Vampire Diaries. Williamson created the thriller anthology series Tell Me a Story and served as the executive producer for the 2022 Scream reboot/sequel as well as Scream VI (2023).