L.A. Confidential cast: Where are they now?

L.A. Confidential, then and now

Based on the James Ellroy novel of the same name, L.A. Confidential tells the story of three LAPD detectives with widely differing methods who team up to uncover corruption and fight for justice in the titular town. Drawing upon actual headlines from the 1950s and depicting the push and pull between Hollywood glamour and its underlying seediness, the 1997 film earned nine Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. Overseen by writer-director Curtis Hanson and marked by evocative, atmospheric design and crisp writing, L.A. Confidential secured a place in history with its deep cast, combining the efforts of established talents (Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito) and then-rising stars (Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe). Decades after L.A. Confidential brought the streets of midcentury Los Angeles to life, let's catch up on what the cast members have been up to.

Kevin Spacey (Jack Vincennes)

When Kevin Spacey took on the role of celebrity crime-stopper Jack Vincennes, he was already well on his way to being known as one of the premier actors of his generation. He'd delivered masterful and varying performances in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Seven (1995), and The Usual Suspects (1995), winning an Oscar for the latter. As Vincennes — a snappy-dressing cop more concerned with his public image than his arrest record until the death of an innocent precipitates a change of heart — Spacey turned out another career highlight.

Since then, he has continued to make unexpected choices: winning his second Oscar for American Beauty (1999); playing Lex Luthor in Superman Returns (2006); and channeling his inner Shakespearean villain as Frank Underwood on Netflix's House of Cards. An acolyte of the stage, he also served as the artistic director of London's Old Vic Theatre for 12 years. In 2017, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of making sexual advances toward him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26. Spacey was subsequently removed from the final season of House of Cards and replaced by Christopher Plummer in the 2017 film All the Money in the World. Further allegations have come out since, with Spacey facing multiple lawsuits and claiming to be not guilty.

Russell Crowe (Bud White)

Russell Crowe was still an up-and-coming Australian actor with only two American films to his name when he scored the role of Bud White, a cop who is unafraid to use violence to get a confession and has a soft spot for survivors of domestic abuse. L.A. Confidential brought him Stateside recognition, and many felt he deserved an Oscar nomination for his subtle work as a quiet enforcer who falls for sex worker Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger).

Crowe soon went on to Oscar recognition, earning three consecutive nominations for The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000), and A Beautiful Mind (2001), winning for Gladiator. He once again played a tough-guy detective in 2016's crime comedy The Nice Guys, and won a Golden Globe for playing Roger Ailes in the Showtime miniseries The Loudest Voice. Crowe's blockbuster work includes Man of Steel (2013), The Mummy (2017), Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), and Kraven the Hunter (2023).

Guy Pearce (Edmund Exley)

English-born, Australian-raised actor Guy Pearce was also a fresh-faced newcomer in Hollywood when he was cast as Exley, an ambitious young detective so obsessed with justice and proving himself that he's willing to break codes of brotherhood within the police force to uncover corruption. Pearce had his breakout performance as a drag queen in 1994's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but Exley marked his first major role in an American film.

Since then, he has gone on to feature in both awards contenders (2000's Memento, 2008's The Hurt Locker, and 2010's The King's Speech) and blockbusters (2012's Prometheus, 2013's Iron Man 3, and 2017's Alien: Covenant). Pearce revisited the noir genre with his Emmy-winning turn as Monty Beragon in the 2011 miniseries adaptation of James M. Cain's Mildred Pierce. A lifelong lover of music, he released his first album, Broken Bones, in 2014. His additional TV work includes Dustin Lance Black's 2017 miniseries about the gay rights movement, When We Rise; the award-winning 2021 limited series Mare of Easttown, where he reunited with his Mildred Pierce costar Kate Winslet; the MGM+ miniseries A Spy Among Friends, costarring Damian Lewis; and Disney+'s eight-episode psychological thriller series The Clearing.

James Cromwell (Dudley Smith)

Since his television debut in 1974, which included a recurring role on All in the Family, James Cromwell has not wanted for work. His most memorable role is perhaps that of Farmer Hoggett in the Babe movies (1995, 1998), but many cite his layered performance as the conniving, duplicitous Capt. Dudley Smith in L.A. Confidential as his best work.

Cromwell's résumé since then has featured a multitude of television credits, including recurring roles on Six Feet Under, 24, American Horror Story (for which he won an Emmy), Boardwalk Empire, Succession, and Julia. His film roles have also remained abundant, with appearances in Oscar winners like The Queen (2006) and The Artist (2011), as well as tentpoles such as Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). He has also made headlines for his work as an activist, including being sentenced to jail time for his participation in a New York power plant protest and rescuing a baby pig, naming it Babe.

Kim Basinger (Lynn Bracken)

Kim Basinger — who began her career as a model and portrayed a Bond girl in Never Say Never Again (1983) and Vicki Vale in Batman (1989) — was the perfect choice to play the mysterious Lynn Bracken, a character modeled after classic femme fatales. Basinger won an Oscar for her portrayal of Bracken, a sex worker who uses her uncanny resemblance to Veronica Lake to attract customers. It was her first film after a two-year absence from the screen following the birth of her daughter with Alec Baldwin.

Since then, she has gone on to feature in many films, often taking a year or two off between projects. She memorably portrayed Eminem's mother in 2002's 8 Mile, also directed by L.A. Confidential helmer Curtis Hanson. In 2016, she reunited with L.A. Confidential love interest Russell Crowe in The Nice Guys, another tale of detectives and corrupt law enforcement. She was also featured as Elena Lincoln, Christian Grey's (Jamie Dornan) former lover in Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

Danny DeVito (Sid Hudgens)

Danny DeVito had already amassed a formidable list of credits by 1997, including an Emmy-winning, career-making role as hot-headed dispatcher Louie DePalma on Taxi. His reputation for playing mean-spirited crooks made him an ideal choice for mercenary gossip rag editor Sid Hudgens.

That same year, he earned a new generation of fans as the voice of satyr Phil in Disney's animated take on Hercules, and, since then, he has appeared in countless films, including Death to Smoochy (2002) — which he also directed — Big Fish (2003), and Be Cool (2005). His production company with wife Rhea Perlman, Jersey Films, has produced numerous hits, and DeVito earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination for 2000's Erin Brockovich. Since 2006, he has shown off his comedic chops as curmudgeon Frank Reynolds on FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, in addition to lending his voice to the title role in The Lorax (2012) and taking live-action parts in Wiener-Dog (2016), Dumbo (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and Haunted Mansion (2023).

David Strathairn (Pierce Patchett)

David Strathairn is another of the stalwart character actors populating the cast of L.A. Confidential. He plays Pierce Patchett, a millionaire developer who dabbles in citywide corruption and runs a high-class prostitution ring with women who resemble movie stars. Strathairn rose to fame in the films of John Sayles, particularly the baseball drama Eight Men Out (1988), and he also had another memorable baseball role as women's league manager Ira Lowenstein in A League of Their Own (1992).

Since 1997, he has widened his profile, earning an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of tenacious journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck (2005). He also won a 2010 Emmy for his work in the HBO TV movie Temple Grandin and has appeared in other awards-friendly films like Lincoln (2012), Nomadland (2020), and Nightmare Alley (2021). Action fans will recognize him as CIA deputy director Noah Vosen from two films of the Bourne franchise (2007, 2012), while TV viewers have seen him on The Sopranos, The Blacklist, Billions, and The Expanse.

Ron Rifkin (Ellis Loew)

Ron Rifkin's turn as morally bankrupt District Attorney Ellis Loew is one of his most memorable roles, but he's become a television favorite in the years since. Just before L.A. Confidential, he had a recurring role on ER.

Many viewers will remember him as defense attorney Marvin Stan Exely on Law and Order: SVU, a role he reprised often from 2011 to 2014. Perhaps most famously, he portrayed ruthless intelligence agent Arvin Sloane on Alias and Sally Field's business partner Saul Holden on Brothers & Sisters. He took on recurring roles on Limitless and New Amsterdam and appeared in the 2018 version of A Star Is Born.

Matt McCoy (Brett Chase)

Matt McCoy sent up the image of the archetypal TV detective as L.A. Confidential's riff on Dragnet's Joe Friday (just the facts!).

He'd already become a fan favorite for his recurring role as Lloyd Braun on Seinfeld, and continues to make a splash on television in a string of guest roles. His memorable roles include disbarred lawyer Pete Monahan on Silicon Valley and Dr. Nadler on Amazon's Jack Ryan series.

Simon Baker (Matt Reynolds)

Simon Baker, then known as Simon Baker Denny, made his film debut as Matt Reynolds, a naïve young actor caught in the web of Jack Vincennes and Sid Hudgens' flashy celebrity arrests. His role was small but memorable, with his character's fate inspiring a crucial turning point in the film's twisty plot.

Since then, he's become a far more prominent star, tempting Anne Hathaway's Andy in The Devil Wears Prada (2006); leading CBS' crime procedural The Mentalist for seven seasons; and appearing in films like Here and Now (2018), High Ground (2020), and Limbo (2023). He made his feature directorial debut with the 2017 independent film Breath.