Ruthless People (1986) Cast Then and Now: Where Are They Today?

In 1986, a husband celebrated his wife's kidnapping. That twisted premise turned Ruthless People into one of the decade's most profitable comedies—$71.6 million on a $13 million budget, earning Disney's highest-grossing film status and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Danny DeVito despised Bette Midler so convincingly that audiences roared. Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater played kidnappers too decent for their own good. Anita Morris smouldered as the scheming mistress. Bill Pullman made his film debut as the world's most incompetent blackmailer.

Nearly 40 years later, some became Hollywood royalty. Others we've lost. One vanished into academia. Here's where they are now.

The Leads Who Became Legends

Danny DeVito as Sam Stone

Then (1986): At 41, DeVito was already established from Taxi (Emmy and Golden Globe winner) and Romancing the Stone. As Sam Stone—the husband so thrilled by his wife's kidnapping that he sabotages ransom negotiations—he made despicable characters hilarious.

Now (2024): At 80, DeVito shows zero signs of slowing. He's been playing Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia since 2006.

His Jersey Films produced Pulp Fiction, Erin Brockovich, and Garden State. He's directed Matilda and The War of the Roses. Though separated from Rhea Perlman since 2017, they remain close friends and parents to three children.

The man stands 5 feet tall but casts a shadow across five decades.

Bette Midler as Barbara Stone

Then (1986): At 40, Midler was rebounding from flops following her Oscar-nominated The Rose (1979). Down and Out in Beverly Hills earlier in 1986, followed by Ruthless People, resurrected her film career.

As Barbara Stone, she transformed from shrill trophy wife to empowered force during captivity. That weight-loss montage whilst imprisoned became comedy gold.

Now (2024): At 79, Midler remains the Divine Miss M. Recent work: The Fabulous Four (2024), and Hocus Pocus 3 is coming. Her 2022 Hocus Pocus 2 proved she's lost nothing.

Beyond acting, her New York Restoration Project has planted over one million trees. She's won four Golden Globes, three Grammys, three Emmys, and two Tony Awards. Married to Martin von Haselberg since 1984.

Sixty years in entertainment. Over 30 million records sold. Still going strong.

The Supporting Stars

Judge Reinhold as Ken Kessler

Then (1986): At 29, Reinhold had already scored with Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Beverly Hills Cop. As Ken Kessler, the earnest kidnapper whose moral compass keeps interfering, he provided the film's heart.

Now (2024): At 67, Reinhold just experienced a major resurgence. He reprised Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F—Netflix's biggest summer 2024 film with 41 million viewers.

The 1990s were brutal. Vice Versa (1988) flopped, tanking his leading-man status. But he rebuilt through The Santa Clause franchise and television. His Seinfeld "Close Talker" earned an Emmy nomination.

Now living in Little Rock, Arkansas, with wife Amy and daughter Haley Rose (born 2013). Surviving Hollywood sometimes means redefining success.

Helen Slater as Sandy Kessler

Then (1986): At 22, Slater was recovering from Supergirl (1984), which had bombed despite her strong performance. Ruthless People offered redemption—Sandy Kessler was sweet, determined, and morally conflicted. Slater made her completely believable.

Now (2024): At 61, Slater took Hollywood's most unexpected pivot. After steady 1990s work (City Slickers, Lassie), she chose a different path.

She earned a B.A. in Humanities, then a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute (defended October 2023). She's released six albums, including three children's albums based on mythology. She co-founded The Naked Angels theatre company with Gina Gershon.

The beautiful full circle: Slater returned to Supergirl's universe. She played Superman's mother in Smallville, then Supergirl's adoptive mother in the CW's Supergirl (2015-2022).

Married to editor Robert Watzke since 1990, mother to daughter Hannah. There's more than one way to build a legacy. Read her full story.

Bill Pullman as Earl Mott

Then (1986): This was Pullman's film debut at 32. As Earl, the dimwitted boyfriend who records the wrong conversation, Pullman created comedy gold from sheer incompetence.

Now (2024): At 71, Pullman became President of the United States in Independence Day (1996) and delivered cinema's most iconic presidential speech. That alone secured his legacy.

Recent work: The Sinner (2017-2021), Murdaugh Murders (2023), and he's reportedly attached to reprise Lone Starr in the developing Spaceballs 2.

His son Lewis Pullman is now a major star (Top Gun: Maverick). Married to Tamara Hurwitz since 1987, three children. Owns a cattle ranch in Montana.

From debut to icon—hell of a trajectory.

Those We've Lost

Anita Morris as Carol

Then (1986): At 43, Morris was a Broadway powerhouse. Tony-nominated for Nine (1982), she brought sultry danger to Carol. Her increasingly desperate blackmail schemes drove crucial plot momentum.

Legacy: Morris died from ovarian cancer on 2nd March 1994, twelve days before her 51st birthday. Diagnosed in 1980, given five years to live, she fought privately for 14 years whilst continuing to work.

Broadway credits: Jesus Christ Superstar, Seesaw, The Magic Show, Sugar Babies, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Films included The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Absolute Beginners (1986) with David Bowie, Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) with Madonna.

Her son James Badge Dale (born 1978) became a successful actor (The Departed, Iron Man 3, 24). Radioland Murders (1994) was her final film.

Art Evans as Lt. Bender

Then (1986): At 44, Evans brought gravitas to Lt. Bender, the weary detective dealing with Sam's suspicious behaviour. A character actor's character actor—his presence elevated every scene.

By 1986, he'd appeared in Christine (1983), Fright Night (1985), and A Soldier's Story (1984).

Legacy: Evans passed away on 21st December 2024, at 82. Over 120 film and television credits across five decades.

His most famous role: Leslie Barnes in Die Hard 2 (1990), the airport engineer who helps John McClane. That performance cemented his action cinema legacy.

Other notable work: School Daze (1988), Tales from the Hood (1995), plus M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues, The X-Files, Monk. Final role: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022-2023).

A practicing Buddhist with SGI-USA, junior Olympic diver, accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and Vietnam veteran. Played Blind Lemon Jefferson in Leadbelly (1976).

His passing a year ago is a stark reminder that we're losing the people who made this film special.

Additional Cast Members

William G. Schilling (Police Chief Benton): Character actor who appeared in over 100 productions. Born 1939, died 2019 at 80.

Clarence Felder (Lt. Walters): Still working at 80, with 150+ credits since Broadway debut. Recently appeared in Emancipation (2022).

You Might Remember This If...

You watched Ruthless People on cable during the late 1980s and early 1990s, when it aired constantly. Essential viewing for anyone learning dark comedy.

You can still quote DeVito's "I'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED BY K-MART!" scene, or the moment he realises the kidnappers are actually helping him.

You remember Midler's transformation from garish trophy wife to slim, vengeful force. That basement aerobics montage subverted every kidnapping film convention.

Final Thoughts

Nearly 40 years later, Ruthless People still holds up. Not because of 1980s nostalgia, but because it's genuinely brilliant—meticulous plotting, pitch-perfect performances, and the audacity to make everyone awful and somehow loveable.

DeVito and Midler called each other after the premiere, both convinced their careers were over. Instead, they'd created one of 1986's biggest hits—a $13 million gamble that earned $71.6 million and changed Disney's trajectory forever.

Summer 1986 gave us Ferris Bueller, Top Gun, and this twisted masterpiece about celebrating your wife's kidnapping. Only one proved audiences wanted smart, mean comedy that trusted them to laugh at morally compromised characters. It paved the way for Heathers, The War of the Roses, and the Coen Brothers' entire dark comedy playbook.

This was the ZAZ trio's final collaboration—the directors behind Airplane! and The Naked Gun, working together one last time. Released by Disney's Touchstone Pictures—created just two years earlier so Disney could make adult films without tainting the family brand—it proved the strategy worked. The moment Hollywood learned dark comedy could be box office gold.

The cast's paths tell the complete industry story—legends, redemptions, unexpected pivots, heartbreaking losses. We're still laughing at what they created. And we're losing them one by one.

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