(Image credit: Getty Images, Archive Photos)
By Andrea Park
published
in Features
When it debuted in theaters in May 1996,The Craft, a horror-fantasy film about a group of teenage girls dabbling in witchcraft, wasn't expected to make a huge splash. But seemingly overnight, the witchy tale cast a spell (sorry!) on moviegoers across the country, earning nearly quadruple its budget in box office earnings, cementing its status in cinematic history as a cult classic, and, just this year, spawning a soft reboot-slash-sequel,The Craft: Legacy. In the more than two decades sinceThe Craftpremiered, the movie has only grown in relevance, with many citing it as a seminal example of "female outsiderdom" and of the rarely-seen-onscreen phenomenon of young women coming into their power outside of the bounds of the patriarchy. The movie also helped launch the careers of many of its young stars—here's what the coven (and the targets of their spells) are up to now.
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Topics
FantasyHorror
(Image credit: Getty Images, Archive Photos)
Robin Tunney
Tunney played Sarah Bailey, the new girl at an L.A. private school who is recruited to join the coven of three aspiring young witches after they spot her showing off her supernatural abilities in class. Though her new friends end up turning on her after the effects of their spells take a turn for the worse, Sarah is the only one to keep her powers at the end of the movie.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Michael Tullberg)
Robin Tunney
Since starring inThe Craft, which was one of her earliest roles, Tunney has had a busy and varied career in Hollywood, with lead roles onThe MentalistandPrison Breakamong her most prominent. She has two children with her fiancé, interior designer Nicky Marmet.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Archive Photos)
Fairuza Balk
As Nancy Downs, Balk played the most power-hungry of the young witches, and the one who ultimately leads her friends in tormenting Sarah. After casting a spell for more power, Nancy leaves a trail of death and destruction in her wake (and suddenly gains the power to walk on water?!) before being stripped of her powers and placed in a psychiatric hospital.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Michael Tran)
Fairuza Balk
Balk went on to star in dozens more film and TV roles, many of them just as dark—American History X,The Island of Dr. Moreau, andRay Donovan, to name a few. She's also dabbled in music and art, and is the owner of anoccult shopin L.A. where she researched her role inThe Craft.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Archive Photos)
Rachel True
Upon gaining her occult abilities, True's Rochelle Zimmerman starts immediately by casting a revenge spell on the leader of a group of racist bullies. Though successful, Rochelle is then forced to contend with the effects of the spell and the unrest within the coven, eventually resulting in the loss of her powers.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Amanda Edwards)
Rachel True
Like her costars, True, too, has had a very successful Hollywood career since her breakout role inThe Craft, including a long stint as Mona onHalf & Halfand, most recently, a guest appearance onBetter Things. And, like Balk, she's also embraced her witchy side in the years since the 1996 film: As of 2017, she wasworkingas a tarot card reader in L.A.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Mirek Towski)
Neve Campbell
Campbell's Bonnie Harper was the only member of the coven who cast a spell that affected only herself—though that turned out to be her downfall, as her beauty spell eventually made her cripplingly narcissistic. Like Rochelle, though Bonnie first followed Nancy's orders and turned against Sarah, that plan quickly backfired and resulted in the loss of her powers.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Bruce Glikas)
Neve Campbell
WhenThe Craftpremiered, Campbellwas already a certified star thanks to her long-running role onParty of Five, and she cemented her status as a horror darling when she appeared inScreamlater the same year. More recently, she's had roles inHouse of Cardsand the Disney filmClouds. Campbell has two children with actor JJ Feild.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Mikel Roberts)
Skeet Ulrich
Ulrich played Chris Hooker, the object of Sarah's affections and the target of her love spell. After Nancy becomes jealous of his infatuation with Sarah, he taunts her, to which she responds by throwing him out of a window to his death. A totally reasonable response.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Jason Mendez)
Skeet Ulrich
The Craftwas Ulrich's first credited movie role, and he also joined Campbell inScreamlater that year. Though he's appeared consistently on the big and small screens over the years, he's now perhaps most recognizable as FP Jones onRiverdale. He has a twin son and daughter with ex-wife Georgina Cates.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Ron Galella)
Christine Taylor
Taylor's Laura Lizzie is the racist bully who becomes the object of Rochelle's spell. The spell causes her to start losing her hair, leaving her traumatized and forcing Rochelle to reconsider her actions.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Dia Dipasupil)
Christine Taylor
Taylor had already made a name for herself in Hollywood beforeThe Craftthanks to her role as Marcia Brady inThe Brady Bunch Movie—she's the face of the "sure, Jan" GIF!—and she went on to star in a stream of blockbuster comedy films and shows, includingThe Wedding Singer,Zoolander,Dodgeball, andArrested Development. She has two kids with ex-husband Ben Stiller.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Ron Galella)
Breckin Meyer
As Mitt, a friend of Chris, Meyer avoided the wrath of the four witches wreaking havoc on his school, though it's anyone's guess why, since his main personality trait is being a jerk to Sarah, their classmates, and their teachers.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Rodin Eckenroth)
Breckin Meyer
In the '90s and early 2000s, Meyer seemed to pop up in just about every teen/young adult/coming of age film:Clueless,Can't Hardly Wait,Josie and the puss*cats, and the list goes on. And he's continued to stay booked and busy, most consistently as writer, producer, and star of Adult Swim'sRobot Chickenfor the last 15 years. He also has two children (was that inThe Craft's contracts?)—two daughters with ex-wife Deborah Kaplan.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Walter McBride)
Nathaniel Marston
Marston played Trey, another friend of Mitt and Chris. Like his friends, he seems to thrive on harassing his female classmates, and also is shown to be a friend or boyfriend of notorious bully Laura Lizzie.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Mark Sullivan)
Nathaniel Marston
After appearing inThe Craft, Marston became a bonafide soap star, with contract roles onAs the World TurnsandOne Life to Live, playing two roles in the latter. Sadly, Marstondiedin 2015 due to complications from surgery following a car accident.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Sean Gallup)
Assumpta Serna
Serna had a small but powerful role inThe Craftas Lirio, a witch who owns an occult shop that the teen witches frequently visit. She's also the first one to suggest to Sarah that she might be a natural witch, and helps the girl out when her friends begin to torment her.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Pablo Cuadra)
Assumpta Serna
The Spanish actress has appeared in films around the world, written multiple books on acting technique, and taught communication and acting courses. She has been married to Scott Cleverdon, her costar inSharpe's Company, since 1993.
(Image credit: Getty Images, Ron Galella)
Helen Shaver
Nancy's mom, Grace, played by Shaver, is one of the sole benefactors of the girls' spells: After Nancy kills her abusive stepfather, Grace immediately cashes out his life insurance policy so she and her daughter can move into a luxury apartment. No red flags here whatsoever!
(Image credit: Getty Images, Albert L. Ortega)
Helen Shaver
Shaver has been working as an actress and director for decades, and has the Emmy noms to prove it. Directing has taken precedence in recent years, with Shaver at the helm of episodes ofWestworld,Snowpiercer, andLovecraft Countryjust in the last year alone. She has one son with Steve Smith, her husband of more than 30 years.
Andrea Park
Andrea Park is a Chicago-based writer and reporter with a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the extended Kardashian-Jenner kingdom, early 2000s rom-coms and celebrity book club selections. She graduated from the Columbia School of Journalism in 2017 and has also written for W, Brides, Glamour, Women's Health, People and more.
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