“The Man in the Moon ”Cast: Where Are They Now?
- - “The Man in the Moon ”Cast: Where Are They Now?
Virginia ChamleeJanuary 1, 2026 at 8:00 AM
0
Everett
THE MAN IN THE MOON -
The 1991 film The Man in the Moon introduced the world to Reese Witherspoon, who was just 14 when she starred in it
It was also the final movie to be directed by Robert Mulligan (who also directed To Kill A Mockingbird in 1962) before his death in 2008
Here, we detail what the cast has been up to in the decades since
The 1991 film The Man in the Moon was notable for many reasons — it was well-reviewed (Roger Ebert called it "a poem" of a film) and was the final movie to be directed by Robert Mulligan (who also directed To Kill A Mockingbird in 1962) before his death in 2008. But the coming-of-age drama also introduced the world to Reese Witherspoon, who was just 14 when she starred in the film.
Set in a small Louisiana town in the 1950s, the movie chronicles teenage girl Dani (Witherspoon), who shares a room with her 17-year-old sister Maureen (played by Emily Warfield) and lives next door to handsome 17-year-old boy, Court Foster (played by Jason London).
When Court and Dani meet at a local swimming hole, sparks fly — but then Court meets Maureen and sparks fly again, leading to a fracture between the sisters.
Here, find out what happened to the cast in the years since the movie's debut.
— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Reese Witherspoon as Dani Trant
Elliott Marks/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock; Sam Simpson/Dave Benett/Getty
Reese Witherspoon
Following her turn as a 14-year-old girl in The Man in the Moon, Witherspoon's career took off. Today, the 49-year-old actress is best known for her roles in films like Legally Blonde (2001), Sweet Home Alabama (2002) and Walk the Line (2005), the latter of which garnered her a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter Cash.
Witherspoon's notable film credits also include Water for Elephants (2011), Wild (2014), — which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination — Home Again (2017) and Your Place or Mine (2023), among many others. Her small screen credits include starring and executive producing Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere. Since 2019, she's played opposite Jennifer Aniston as Bradley Jackson on The Morning Show, for which she received two Emmy nominations for outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
From 1999 to 2007, Witherspoon was married to Phillippe, with whom she shares two children: daughter Ava Phillippe and son Deacon Phillippe. In 2011, she wed talent agent Jim Toth, and they welcomed son Tennessee James in 2020. The couple announced their divorce in 2023. Witherspoon began dating private equity financier Oliver Haarmann in 2024.
Witherspoon also launched her clothing line, Draper James, in 2015, and founded the production company Hello Sunshine, which has produced projects including Daisy Jones & The Six, Big Little Lies and The Morning Show.
Witherspoon has been confirmed to reprise her role as Elle Woods in the upcoming Legally Blonde 3.
Sam Waterston as Matthew Trant
Everett; Michael Tullberg/Getty
Sam Waterston
Waterston, who played Dani's stern father Matthew in the film, has had a prolific career in film and television.
Over the course of his career, the 85-year-old has won a Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award and has been nominated for a Tony Award, two BAFTA Awards, and an Academy Award.
Waterston's most notable role came as District Attorney Jack McCoy in Law & Order, in which he starred beginning in season 5 in 1994 until its finale in 2010, earning three Emmy Award nominations for his performance in 1997, 1999 and 2000, as well as a Golden Globe nod in 1995.
He returned to the role later and, in 2024, Waterston wrapped his 19-season run on the NBC series paving the way for Tony Goldwyn to take over in the coming weeks as a new to replace his character.
Waterston married his first wife, Barbara Johns, in 1964. The couple share a son, actor James Waterston, and divorced in 1975. Waterston married his second wife, former model Lynn Louisa Woodruff, in 1976. The couple share three children.
Tess Harper as Abigail Trant
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty; Jerod Harris/Getty
Tess Harper
Harper portrays Dani and Maureen's mother – who also happens to be pregnant with another child — in the film.
Now 75, Harper has also had a successful entertainment career, having been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role (1983's Tender Mercies) and for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1986 film Crimes of the Heart.
Harper also appeared in the Oscar-winning film No Country for Old Men, playing the wife of Tommy Lee Jones's character, and had a recurring role on Breaking Bad, portraying Mrs. Pinkman in the first three seasons of the series, as well as the sequel Netflix movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
Emily Warfield as Maureen Trant
Snap/Shutterstock; Emily Warfield/Facebook
Emily Warfield
As Dani's older sister, Warfield played a character competing with her sibling for love.
In real life, Warfield is now 53 and has had a lengthy career appearing in a variety of television roles including guest spots on Doogie Howser, M.D. and L.A. Law. Warfield also appeared in two of NBC's early 1990s Bonanza television movies, portraying Sarah, a member of the Cartwright family.
Per IMDB, Warfield's husband encouraged her to pursue her dream of getting back into acting, and she "is now actively working towards rebuilding her career and can think of no greater legacy to leave her children than to inspire them to live their lives to the fullest and without fear."
Jason London as Court Foster
THA/Shutterstock; Bobby Bank/Getty
Jason London
London appeared as rebellious football star Randall "Pink" Floyd in 1993's Dazed and Confused, a cult classic that followed a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, as they celebrate the last day of high school in 1976, and starred several now-famous actors — including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Renée Zellweger and Milla Jovovich
After Dazed, London appeared in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Out Cold (2001) and several direct-to-video entries in the Dracula and The Prophecy series, among many other films and television appearances. He also starred in the short-lived ABC Family series Wildfire.
London, 53, married actress Sofia Karstens in 2011.
In 2021, Page Six reported he had been arrested for public intoxication in Ocean Springs, Miss., after police "discovered him behind the wheel of a 2010 Nissan Maxima that was stuck in a ditch and on fire."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
