“Independence Day ”cast: See Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and their costars 30 years after saving the planet
“Independence Day ”cast: See Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and their costars 30 years after saving the planet
Maggie FremontFri, July 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
0
Life finds a way... wait, wrong movie, sorry. Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum get ready to do some ace piloting and some ace virus-uploading, respectivelyCredit: Everett
On July 3, 1996, Roland Emmerich’s disaster epic Independence Day paid off months of hype to become an instant box-office smash. It was not just the highest-grossing film of the year, but one of the defining summer blockbusters of the decade, if not of all time.
The sci-fi actioner, about humans coming together to defend Earth from a worldwide alien invasion, solidified the burgeoning career of Will Smith and provided us all with the kind of rousing movie speech we can all perform every Fourth of July for the rest of time.
On its way to an Academy Award for its state-of-the-art visual effects, Independence Day delivered more than just high-octane summer thrills. Ultimately, it was the cast that sold it all.
With that in mind, let’s take a look back at the stars of Independence Day and see what they did after saving the planet.
01 of 12
Will Smith (Captain Steven Hiller)
Will Smith as Stephen Hiller / Smith in Atlanta in 2020Credit: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Paras Griffin/Getty
Getting to punch an alien in the face and deliver the iconic line “Welcome to Earth!” would be the pinnacle of most people’s careers. But Will Smith is not most people, and his hotshot military hero Steven Hiller is only one of his many signature characters.
The Philadelphia native gained attention while still in high school as half of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. The pair won the first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
Riding this success, Smith accepted an offer from NBC to lead a sitcom. The result was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons and officially established him as an actor to watch. In fact, by the time it left the air in 1996, he was well on his way to becoming one of the biggest movie stars in the world.
His true big-screen breakthrough was Michael Bay's Bad Boys (1995), but Independence Day and Men in Black (1997) followed in quick succession. Within a few years, he landed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Cassius Clay in Ali (2001) and continued churning out hits like Hitch (2005), I Am Legend (2007), and Hancock (2008).
He’s since picked up two more Oscar nominations for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and for his turn as Venus and Serena Williams’ father Richard in King Richard (2021). He won for the latter — though his big night was marred by his infamous slap of host Chris Rock earlier in the broadcast, which resulted in the Academy banning him from attending its events for 10 years.
In recent years he’s headlined the third and fourth installments of the Bad Boys franchise and released his fifth studio album, 2025’s Based on a True Story.
Smith married Jada Pinkett in 1997 and they have two children, Jaden and Willow. He also has a son from a previous marriage.
02 of 12
Bill Pullman (President Thomas Whitmore)
Bill Pullman as President Whitmore / Pullman at the premiere of 'The Sinner' season 3Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock; Randy Shropshire/USA Network/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
As President Whitmore, Bill Pullman gives an all-timer inspirational speech, hops in a fighter jet, and destroys invading aliens. Real presidents could never.
Before he took office, Pullman was known especially for comedy, from Mel Brooks’ classic parody Spaceballs (1987) to the rom-coms Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and While You Were Sleeping (1995). His dramatic work — including the neo-noirs Malice (1993) and The Last Seduction (1994)— got a boost from the success of the alien blockbuster, leading to starring roles in David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997) and the indie Sherlock Holmes riff Zero Effect (1998).
The New York native has bounced around between film, television, and stage work in the years since. He’s been a go-to figure on the indie circuit, and a reliable supporting player in movies like The Equalizer (2014) and Battle of the Sexes (2017). He starred in all four seasons of crime anthology The Sinner and earned a SAG nomination in the process. Most recently, he joined the ensemble of Netflix’s short-lived sci-fi series The Boroughs.
He’s also taken the stage, both in the U.S. and overseas, and in 2026 will make his Royal Shakespeare Company debut in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, alongside Kenneth Branagh and Helen Hunt.
Pullman has been married to Tamara Hurwitz since 1987 and they have three children. The eldest, Lewis, will star alongside his father in the highly anticipated Spaceballs: The New One.
03 of 12
Jeff Goldblum (David Levinson)
Jeff Goldblum as David Levinson / Goldblum at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2020Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock; Frazer Harrison/Getty
Jeff Goldblum played David, the brains behind Earth's defense against the alien invasion.
By now an indelible American institution, Goldblum made his Broadway debut as a teenager before appearing in Death Wish (1974) at age 22. It wasn't long before he began making a name for himself with supporting roles in Nashville (1975), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and The Big Chill (1983).
He made us afraid (very afraid) in David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986) and immortalized himself as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park (1993). He took a more prominent role in the sequel, The Lost World (1997).
The Pittsburgh native forged a long-term collaboration with Wes Anderson starting with The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and continuing with The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Isle of Dogs (2018), and Asteroid City (2023). He joined the MCU as the delightfully villainous Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok (2017) before taking on the role of the Wizard himself in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).
Meanwhile, he’s got a side hustle as a jazz musician. His band, Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, released their fourth album, Night Blooms, in 2026.
Goldblum and his wife, Emilie Livingston, have been married since 2014 and have two children.
04 of 12
Mary McDonnell (Marilyn Whitmore)
Mary McDonnell as the First Lady / McDonnell at the 'For All Mankind' premiere in 2019Credit: Claudette Barius/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock; Rachel Luna/FilmMagic
Years before she got promoted to the presidency on Battlestar Galactica, Mary McDonnell was Independence Day’s ill-fated First Lady.
The longtime stage actress broke through in the mainstream with her Oscar-nominated performance in Dances With Wolves (1990). She scored another nod from the Academy for John Sayles’ Passion Fish (1992), alongside Alfre Woodard, in addition to meaty roles in Sneakers (1992) and Blue Chips (1994).
Not long after playing the title character’s mother in cult classic Donnie Darko (2001), McDonnell got cast as Galactica’s President Laura Roslin, earning a generation of devoted fans for what may be her most recognizable role to date.
It was also the start of a fruitful run on the small screen that endures to this day. She had an Emmy-nominated stint on The Closer before headlining a spinoff, Major Crimes, for six years. She earned critical acclaim for her role in Netflix’s horror miniseries TheFall of the House of Usher and will soon appear in Marvel’s VisionQuest.
The Pennsylvania native has two children with Randle Mell. The couple separated in 2021.
05 of 12
Judd Hirsch (Julius Levinson)
Judd Hirsch as Julius Levinson / Hirsch at the 'Uncut Gems' premiere in 2019Credit: Everett; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Storied actor Judd Hirsch played Daniel’s lovably neurotic father, who finds himself unwittingly along for the top-secret ride.
Though he's a two-time Tony winner and two-time Oscar nominee, many people will always remember him first as Alex Rieger on Taxi. He led the classic sitcom for each of its five seasons and picked up a pair of Emmys for it.
During the show’s run, he earned an Oscar nomination for Robert Redford’s Best Picture-winning Ordinary People (1980) and went on to star in Teachers (1984) and Sidney Lumet’s Running on Empty (1988). The veteran actor maintained a small-screen presence as well, headlining the sitcom Dear John, for which he won a Golden Globe.
In addition to a consistent diet of guest appearances, the native New Yorker still occasionally took a full-time TV gig. For six years, it was the CBS procedural Numb3rs, then Superior Donuts for two seasons.
Meanwhile, major directors have continued calling, leading to appearances in Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems (2019), and as the granduncle in Steven Spielberg’sThe Fablemans (2022).
Now 91, Hirsch has been married to Kathryn Danielle since 2020. He has three children from previous marriages.
06 of 12
Advertisement
Vivica A. Fox (Jasmine Dubrow)
Vivica A. Fox as Jasmine / Fox in West Hollywood in 2020Credit: 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Everett Collection; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Vivica A. Foxlanded her breakthrough big-screen role as Jasmine, our hero’s girlfriend and the mother of his child — not to mention the woman who rescues the First Lady.
The actress had been working in soap operas and sitcoms for close to a decade by that point, but the movie roles eventually started rolling in. In fact, just a few months after Independence Day, she made another splash in the heist thriller Set It Off (1996), alongside Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, and Kimberly Elise.
The next few years brought Soul Food (1997), Booty Call (1997), Batman & Robin (1997), and Two Can Play That Game (2001). And then, of course, she joined the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad as Vernita Green, a.k.a. Copperhead, in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003).
Her varied career took her into Larry David's orbit with a recurring role as Loretta on Curb Your Enthusiasm, another recurring role on Empire, and a return to soaps on The Young and the Restless. Most recently, she was the driving maternal force behind the revenge thriller Is God Is (2026).
07 of 12
Robert Loggia (General Grey)
Robert Loggia as General Grey / Loggia at the Hoboken Film Festival in 2011Credit: Everett; Bobby Bank/WireImage
Robert Loggia was the grizzled Marine Corps heavyweight, General Grey — hardly a stretch for an actor long known for his tough-guy screen persona.
Of course, his career showed off many different shades. He became a familiar face, primarily on television, throughout the 1960s and ’70s before starting to make his mark as a big-screen character actor with An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) and Scarface (1983).
He went on to star in Prizzi’s Honor (1985) and earned an Oscar nomination for the neo-noir Jagged Edge (1985) before winning over audiences with his avuncular side in Big (1988).
The New York native reunited with his Independence Day Commander in Chief, Bill Pullman, in Lost Highway and continued to work steadily for years afterward, including guest spots on The Sopranos, Monk, and Malcolm in the Middle, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination.
Loggia died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, closing out a career that lasted six decades. He was survived by his wife of 33 years, Audrey O’Brien, and four children.
08 of 12
Randy Quaid (Russell Casse)
Randy Quaid as Russell Casse / Quaid at Fan Expo Chicago in 2025Credit: 20th Century Studios; Daniel Boczarski/Getty
Randy Quaid played the tipsy Vietnam vet and former alien abductee Russell Casse, who ultimately delivers righteous vengeance upon Earth’s otherworldly invaders.
The longtime character actor debuted on film in the classic The Last Picture Show (1971), and not long afterward earned an Oscar nomination for Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail (1973), alongside Jack Nicholson.
Quaid remained a steady force as a big-screen character actor for many years, arguably becoming most popular as Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) and three of its sequels, including Christmas Vacation (1989). He also had meaty roles in Bill Murray’s Quick Change (1990) and Days of Thunder (1990), not to mention a brief stint on Saturday Night Live.
Just weeks after Independence Day landed, the Houston native starred in the Farrelly brothers’ cult classic Kingpin (1996). Nearly a decade later, he had key supporting roles in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and The Ice Harvest (2005) while earning his third career Emmy nomination as Col. Tom Parker in the TV miniseries Elvis (2005).
He and his younger brother, Dennis Quaid, have appeared in just one movie together, Walter Hill’s The Long Riders (1980).
The elder Quaid has been married to Evi Motolanez since 1989. The two have been involved in several legal issues, including arrests for fraud and burglary. He has one daughter from a previous marriage.
09 of 12
Margaret Colin (Constance Spano)
Margaret Colin as Constance Spano / Colin at MOMA in 2024Credit: Everett; Cindy Ord/Getty
Margaret Colin played Daniel’s ex-wife Constance, now working in the White House as President Whitmore’s comms director.
The actress began as a soap opera star on The Edge of Night and As the World Turns before booking supporting parts in movies like Something Wild (1986) and Three Men and a Baby (1987).
Today, she’s best known to younger generations as Blair Waldorf’s (Leighton Meester) fashion designer mother Eleanor on Gossip Girl, but she has also had recurring roles on Veep and Shades of Blue.
The New York native has been married to Justin Deas since 1988 and they share two children.
10 of 12
Mae Whitman (Patricia Whitmore)
Mae Whitman as Patricia Whitmore / Whitman in Beverly Hills in 2021Credit: 20th Century Fox; Amy Sussman/Getty
Mae Whitman, who plays President Whitmore’s daughter, was just 8 years old when Independence Day came out — but that wasn’t her only hit 1996 film. She also appeared as George Clooney’s daughter in the rom-com One Fine Day.
Following a successful start as a child actor, highlighted by ABC Family's State of Grace, Whitman landed a recurring role as Egg (sorry, Ann) on the cult hit Arrested Development. She later reunited with her Bluth boyfriend Michael Cera as one of the seven evil exes in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010). She soon joined the main cast of Parenthood, which became a six-season hit.
After starring in high-school gems like The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and The DUFF (2015), the actress joined Christina Hendricks and Retta in the crime dramedy Good Girls. Over the years, she has also put together an extensive career as a voice actor in TV, film, and video games.
Whitman had her first child with partner Carlos Valdes in 2024.
11 of 12
Brent Spiner (Dr. Okun)
Brent Spiner as Dr. Okun / Spiner in Las Vegas in 2016Credit: Everett; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Although Brent Spiner has been on Broadway, released two albums, and boasts a long list of TV series and films, he’s best remembered for his two alien-related roles.
Here, he was a scene-stealer as Area 51’s enthusiastic Dr. Okun, who famously has his mind and vocal cords overtaken by one of his extraterrestrial friends. (Don’t worry, he somehow survived and made it into the 2016 sequel.)
Before that, of course, the veteran actor was beloved for his portrayal of android Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Spiner has reprised the role in several Star Trek films and series, most recently joining the recurring cast of Star Trek: Picard for three seasons.
The Houston native has also booked supporting parts in Phenomenon (1996) and Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004) over the years, in addition to guest spots on Friends, Ray Donovan, and The Blacklist.
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.
12 of 12
Harry Connick Jr. (Captain Jimmy Wilder)
Harry Connick Jr. as Jimmy Wilder / Connick Jr. on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'Credit: Everett; Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty
When Harry Connick Jr. was cast as Jimmy, Steven’s best pal and fellow fighter pilot, he had a long musical history, but his onscreen resume was still a work in progress.
The New Orleans native had been performing and recording jazz since childhood, with his career truly taking off in the late 1980s. He finally took the acting plunge for the WWII drama Memphis Belle (1990) before surprising audiences as a sadistic serial killer in Copycat (1994).
He eventually upgraded to leading man status with romances like Hope Floats (1998) with Sandra Bullock, and New in Town (2009) with Renee Zellweger. Will & Grace fans know him as Grace’s husband, and he’s had acclaimed runs on Broadway, including the 2006 revival of The Pajama Game with Kelli O’Hara.
But Connick Jr. remains a household name because of his music. He’s sold over 30 million albums, has a string of chart-topping jazz albums, and has won three Grammys.
He and former model Jill Goodacre have been married since 1994 and have three children.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
