Ever After is a 1998 retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella, with less fantasy and the addition of real-life historical figures to add to the realism of the story, offering a post-feminist interpretation of the story. The film was not only a box-office success, but received acclaim from critics, being deemed the best Cinderella film ever made. The film’s success prompted it to be made into a musical in 2012, which ran in 2015 on Broadway.
Considering that Ever After was released 25 years ago, a lot has transpired since the film’s initial release. As fans rewatch this masterpiece on its silver anniversary, many may have begun to wonder what exactly happened to the cast. Starring big Hollywood names including Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston, the cast deserves more attention for the outstanding performances given in the film. Here’s where the Ever After cast is today.
Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore plays the main character, Danielle, the child of the deceased Auguste de Barbarac, who is victimized by her stepmother and stepsisters and made to work as a servant despite her title. After the release of Ever After, Barrymore continued to star in popular films like Charlie’s Angels, 50 First Dates, and He’s Just Not That Into You.
Since 2020, the actress has been the host of her daytime talk show The Drew Barrymore Show. In March 2021, Barrymore announced an indefinite hiatus from acting before launching her own magazine in June of the same year.
Dougray Scott
Ever After does a phenomenal job of making the story of Cinderella more believable by adding in real historical characters like Prince Henry of France, the main love interest and Danielle’s Prince Charming. Prince Henry is portrayed by Dougray Scott, a Scottish actor who has starred in a few successful films including Mission: Impossible 2. However, more recently, Scott has been focusing his career on TV shows like Batwoman and Irvine Welsh’s Crime. That said, his career has not slowed down over the years, with his most recent film, A Town Called Malice, being released in 2023.
Anjelica Huston
The incomparable Anjelica Huston shows off her skills as an actress under the role of the evil stepmother, Baroness Rodmilla. After Danielle’s father died quite suddenly, the Baroness begins treating Danielle like a servant to keep her from straying too far and outshining her own daughters. Huston has had an active career since the 1980s starring in films like Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Grifters, The Witches and iconically playing Morticia Addams in The Addams Family films. While her work has slowed down over the years, Huston’s most recent memorable role is as the ballet headmistress in Jock Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Jeanne Moreau
The Grande Dame is the unnamed great-great-granddaughter of Danielle, who still lives in the palace and tells the story, acting as a framework narrator. The Grande Dame may not have a huge role, but Jeanne Moreau makes her memorable. Moreau may be an unfamiliar name to some, but she established herself as a lead actress in the Comédie-Française. Starring in French films like Elevator to the Gallows, La Notte, and Jules et Jim, she was once described by Orson Welles as the best actress in the world. Moreau continued to act up until her death in 2017.
Megan Dodds
One of the most irritating characters in the entire film is Marguerite, one of Danielle’s stepsisters who acts against her to make her life hell. Marguerite is portrayed by Megan Dodds, a British actress who has gone on to star in a number of films including The Contract and Chatroom. That being said, her stage presence is stronger than her on-screen career as she shows off her Julliard education. Dodds’ most recent role was in the TV series For All Mankind. It would appear that her career has slowed down some as she hasn’t had any new roles for two years.
Melanie Lynskey
Some may be shocked to hear that Melanie Lynskey, Charlie’s stalker from Two and a Half Men, portrayed Danielle’s other step-sister Jacqueline, who torments her even more than her sister does. Obviously, Lynskey has gone on to do great things, starring in a number of projects, including Shattered Glass, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Hello I Must Be Going. Most recently, she has starred in a number of popular TV series, including Yellowjackets and The Last of Us.
Patrick Godfrey
One of the real historical figures added to this fictional story is Leonardo da Vinci, who befriends Danielle and shows her his inventions. Da Vinci is portrayed by Patrick Godfrey, an English actor whose career is somewhat limited. He starred in a number of films before Ever After, including A Room with a View, and went on to star in some classic films including The Importance of Being Earnest, Oliver Twist, and Les Misérables. Godfrey’s last role was in the TV series His Dark Materials back in 2019. Considering that Godfrey is 90 years old, it’s safe to say that his acting career may have been placed on the back burner.
Lee Ingleby
Gustave is a peasant who is an artist’s apprentice and also serves as Danielle’s best friend. He is portrayed by Lee Ingleby, an English actor best known for Detective Sergeant / Detective Inspector John Bacchus in Inspector George Gently. Ingleby has gone on to star in a number of roles including Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Wind in the Willows and The A Word. His most recent roles include starring in The Serpent Queen and Crossfire.
Richard O’Brien
Pierre Le Pieu is an antagonist in Ever After who attempts to woo Danielle and buys off her father’s things to pay off Rodmilla’s debts. Danielle defends herself from Pierre’s attempted sexual advances and threatens to kill him, which scares him off permanently. Pierre is played by Richard O’Brien, known for writing The Rocky Horror Picture Show and starring in the motion picture as Riff Raff. Most recently, O’Brien voice acted in Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe. Considering he is over the age of 80, his priorities have shifted more towards retirement and away from taking on numerous roles.
Timothy West
Another real historical figure to appear in Ever After is King Francis, Prince Henry’s father and the King of France who wishes for his son to stop goofing off and settle down, so he will stop shirking his royal responsibilities. King Francis is portrayed by Timothy West CBE, who has appeared regularly on Coronation Street and EastEnders. From 1959 to 2016, West was active in theater.
Since Ever After, West starred in a number of roles in Endgame, Gentleman Jack and Dad’s Army: The Lost Episodes. West’s most recent role was back in 2019 and while no announcement of retirement has been made, it would seem West is enjoying his final years of life, taking things slow.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
