If you grew up in the 1980s or 90s, chances are that you remember the formative coming-of-age flick ‘Now and Then” which was released in 1995. Chronicling the lives of four friends becoming young women in the 1970s, topics like divorce, death and hormones all come up in this epic, celebrity-filled movie. Many people refer to it as the female “Stand by Me” with both fans and critics giving it high ratings across the board. In 2022, let’s take a look back at where they were then, and where they are over two decades later.
1. Christina Ricci
Playing a young Roberta Martin, Ricci was previously known for playing a morbid Wednesday Addams in the “Addams Family” franchise. In “Now and Then” she played a tomboy whose mother passed away when she was younger. As she got older, she started to work on edgier sets like “Prozac Nation” and “Buffalo ’66”. With supporting roles in “Monster” and “Black Snake Moan” that the critics praised, she’s consistently been churning out high-quality movies for decades now. Although she still loves a good edgy flick, she also does more family-friendly roles now, like a voice acting role for “The Smurfs 2”.
2. Rosie O’Donnell
Playing the grown-up Roberta, Rosie O’ Donnells character becomes a doctor and lives with her boyfriend ‘in sin” since they’re not married. At the time, O’Donnell starred in heavy hitters like “A League of Their Own” and “The Flintstones.” She also hosted “The Rosie O’ Donnell Show” for several years and would go on to have recurring roles on shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” In 2007, she left “The View” to attempt her own comeback with “The Rosie Show”, but it wasn’t very successful. Instead, she’s been making cameos and guest appearances on shows like “Web Therapy” and “The Fosters” as well as a current role on “American Gigolo.”
3. Thora Birch
Playing the role of young Tina “Teeny” Tercell, Thora Birch had plenty of experience as a child actress in movies like “Hocus Pocus” and “Money Trouble.” In this, she placed the girly and feminine Tina, who has wealthy parents and dreams of becoming a movie star. In 1999, Birch landed the role of her career as Jan Burnham in “American Beauty,” moving on to play another indie role in “Ghost World.” Today, she doesn’t have a very illustrious acting career, and much of that is due to her refusal to conform to mainstream roles.
4. Melanie Griffith
Although she played the adult Tina Tercell , Griffith was already known for her leading role in “Working Girl.” She went on to star in big Hollywood films like “Mulholland Falls” and “Lolita”, but also showed a quirky indie side of herself in ‘Cecil B. Demented.” Afterward, she made a transition to TV acting with guest roles on popular shows but starred in “Automata” with her ex-husband Antonio Banderas. Today, she’s currently writing a memoir about her life.
5. Demi Moore
Playing the role of adult Samantha Albertson, Moore played an ambitious young woman who would go on to become a sci-fi author. In the 80s, she was known for movies like “St Elmo’s Fire” and before “Now and Then” she starred in famous flicks like “Ghost” and “Indecent Proposal.” She would continue to make blockbuster movies like “Striptease” and “G.I. Jane” as well as voicing animated characters. Recently, her acting career has slowed down a little, but she still makes the odd appearance in movies and even modelled in the 2020 Savage X Fenty Show Vol2, as well as recently appearing in “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent“.
6. Ashleigh Aston Moore
The role of Chrissy DeWitt was Moore’s first major on-screen debut, and she played the naive good girl of the group. Later on, she would go on to star in films like “The Grave” and TV movies, but in 1997 she quit acting and returned to Canada, where she’s originally from. The next decade of her life is a bit of a mystery, but in December of 2007, she passed away from a tragic accidental drug overdose at the young age of 26.
7. Rita Wilson
Playing adult Chrissy, Rita’s character played a mother-to-be who still remained in her childhood home with the girls’ famous treehouse still remaining in the backyard. Wilson was already an A-lister at this point, appearing in “Sleepless in Seattle” with co-star Rosie O’Donnell and hubby Tom Hanks. She would go on to do many collaborations with her husband Tom Hanks, to whom she’s still married today. Besides collaborations with her hubby, she has producer credits under her belt as well, having worked on Nia Vardolos films like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Mamma Mia!”.
8. Devon Sawa
Playing Scott Wormer, he was the eldest brother who tormented the ladies, although he and Roberta ended up being into each other. The native Canadian also starred with Ricci in “Casper” and the two even dated for a short time. Afterward, he starred in flicks like “SLC Punk” and “Slackers” ad had a comeback in the CW series “Nikita”. IN 2016, they went on to make an SLC Punk sequel. Most recently, he starred in the TV show “Chucky”.
