By Wonderwall.com Editors
9:30pm PDT, Jul 2, 2023
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After saving the world in "Armageddon," Bruce Willis starred in a number of blockbuster action flicks including "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," "Sin City," "Red," "The Expendables 2" and "Looper." The two-time Emmy winner also reprised his role as John McClane in 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard" and 2013's "A Good Day to Die Hard." He made his Broadway debut in 2015 in "Misery" and continued to act in various films the rest of the decade before his family announced his retirement in 2022 following a diagnosis of aphasia; in 2023 he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Just a few days before "Armageddon" opened in 1998, Bruce and Demi Moore announced their split after more than a decade of marriage and three daughters together. In 2009, he married model Emma Heming, with whom he had two more daughters.
MORE: Child stars: Where are they now?
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Ben Affleck starred as A.J. Frost, the hot-headed drill operator and Independence shuttle crew member who's dating Harry's daughter, "in Armageddon."
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Ben Affleck was still a relative (Academy Award-winning) newcomer when "Armageddon" was released in 1998. Today, he's a certified movie star and respected director with two Oscars, three Golden Globes, two BAFTA Awards, two SAG Awards and a long list of successful films to his name. Over the last two decades, Ben's starred in well-received projects including "The Sum of All Fears," "Gone Girl" and "The Accountant" and directed several critically acclaimed movies including "Gone Baby Gone," "The Town" and "Argo."
Ben also took on the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in multiple DC Universe flicks such as "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Justice League" and "The Flash." More recently, he starred in, directed and produced 2023's "Air," a film about the launch of the Air Jordan shoe.
The star has also made headlines for his high-profile relationships — and two marriages — since the late '90s. After ending a three-year romance with Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben dated and proposed to Jennifer Lopez. But Bennifer called off their wedding in 2003 and split in early 2004. The same year, he began dating Jennifer Garner, whom he married in 2005. They broke up after 10 years of marriage, three kids and allegations of infidelity. In 2017, Ben revealed he'd returned to rehab for his addiction issues and that summer went public with "Saturday Night Live" producer Lindsay Shookus, though the relationship ended in 2019. He dated actress Ana de Armas in 2020 before reuniting with J.Lo in 2021. The couple wed in 2022.
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Liv Tyler starred as Grace Stamper, Harry's daughter and A.J.'s love interest, in "Armageddon."
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Post-"Armageddon," Liv Tyler gained international recognition when she starred as Elf maiden Arwen Undómiel in the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy. After wrapping up the series in 2003, Liv went on to star in a number of films including "Jersey Girl" with "Armageddon" co-star Ben Affleck, "Reign Over Me," "The Strangers" and "The Incredible Hulk." She made the transition to TV beginning in 2014, starring on the HBO series "The Leftovers," the BBC miniseries "Gunpowder" and the Hulu period drama "Harlots." More recently, she did a season of "9-1-1: Lone Star" in 2020. Next up? The actress will appear in 2024's "Captain America: Brave New World."
Liv shares a son with her ex-husband, rocker Royston Langdon — the two divorced in 2008 after five years of marriage — and two children with former fiancé David Gardner. She and the British sports and entertainment agent, who's David Beckham's longtime best friend, split in 2021 after seven years together.
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Billy Bob Thornton played Dan Truman, the NASA project director who has to transform the drillers into astronauts, in "Armageddon."
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Three-time Academy Award nominee (and one-time winner) Billy Bob Thornton has had an amazing ride in Hollywood. The actor starred in "A Simple Plan," "Monster's Ball," "The Man Who Wasn't There," "Friday Night Lights," "Bandits," "Intolerable Cruelty," "Bad Santa," "Eagle Eye" and "Faster." Billy Bob also made a name for himself in television, winning Golden Globes for his performance on the first season of "Fargo" in 2014 and his work on the Amazon series "Goliath" in 2016. More recently, he's been 2022's "The Gray Man" and 2023's "Devil's Peak."
Billy Bob has also lived his personal life on the wild side. He's been married six times (perhaps most famously to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003) and has four children with three women. He's currently married to Connie Angland, with whom he shares a daughter.
Will Patton (right, with Bruce Willis) starred as Charles "Chick" Chapple, Harry's best friend and a Freedom shuttle crew member, in "Armageddon."
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After "Armageddon" came out in 1998, Will Patton appeared in "Remember the Titans," "Gone in 60 Seconds," "The Punisher" and "Brooklyn's Finest." He also had recurring roles on "24," "Numbers," "The Good Wife" and "Shots Fired." More recently, he starred on the hit Paramount+ series "Yellowstone" from 2020 to 2022 and followed that up with a role on the Amazon Prime Video series "Outer Range." Will is famously quiet about his personal life and not much is known about his romantic history.
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Michael Clarke Duncan (far right) starred as Bear, an oil driller and Independence shuttle crew member, in "Armageddon."
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Michael Clarke Duncan made a name for himself in Hollywood after his breakout role in "Armageddon" with standout appearances in a number of blockbuster films. The Chicago native played John Coffey in 1999's "The Green Mile," a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination. Next, he starred in "The Whole Nine Yards," "The Scorpion King," "Daredevil" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." Michael also tried his hand at voice acting, lending his baritone to "Brother Bear," "Kung Fu Panda" and "Green Lantern." Sadly, the celebrated actor died in September 2012 after suffering a heart attack. He was engaged to reality TV star-turned-President Trump political aide and White House staffer Omarosa Manigault at the time of his death and posthumously appeared in "From the Rough," "A Resurrection" and "The Challenger."
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Steve Buscemi played Rockhound, a geologist on the Freedom shuttle, in "Armageddon."
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Steve Buscemi remains an acclaimed actor today. He's enjoyed major roles in films including "The Grey Zone," "Ghost World," "Big Fish" and "The Death of Stalin." He also provided the voice of Randall Boggs in the "Monsters, Inc." film franchise. Steve received major recognition for his performance as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson on the critically acclaimed HBO series "Boardwalk Empire," which earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations. More recently, in 2020, he appeared opposite Pete Davidson in "The King of Staten Island" and teamed up with him again in 2023 for an episode of the comedian's series "Bupkis." The former New York City firefighter lost his wife of more than 30 years, visual artist Jo Andres — with whom he had a son — to encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis in 2019.
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Peter Stormare played Lev Andropov, a Russian cosmonaut who oversaw the Russian Space Station, in "Armageddon."
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Swedish actor Peter Stormare has had a long and fruitful career in Hollywood. After "Armageddon" premiered in theaters, he appeared in "Chocolat," "Minority Report," "Bad Boys II," "22 Jump Street" and "John Wick: Chapter 2." Peter has also achieved notoriety for his TV work, having previously starred as John Abruzzi on the FOX drama "Prison Break" and Milos Kirchoff on "The Blacklist." More recently, he appeared on an episode of Paramount+'s wildly popular "1923," the prequel series to "Yellowstone." He's also lent his voice to a variety of children's shows like "Teen Titans Go" and "Animaniacs." Previously married to actress Karen Sillas, he shares a daughter with his current wife, Toshimi.
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Owen Wilson (far right) played Oscar, a geologist on the Independence shuttle, in "Armageddon."
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Audiences might not have known who Owen Wilson was when "Armageddon" debuted in 1998, but they sure do now! The actor went on to star in a number of successful films including "Shanghai Noon," "Zoolander" and its sequel, "Starsky & Hutch," "Wedding Crashers," the "Meet the Parents" trilogy, the "Night at the Museum" trilogy and "The Grand Budapest Hotel." He also voiced Lightning McQueen in the "Cars" franchise. Next up? He'll appear in the 2023 Disney flick "Haunted Mansion." The actor shares a son, Robert Ford, with ex-girlfriend Jade Duell and another son, Finn Lindqvist, with friend Caroline Lindqvist, a personal trainer. He also has a daughter with ex-girlfriend Varunie Vongsvirates.
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William Fichtner played Colonel Willie Sharp, the Freedom shuttle commander, in "Armageddon."
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Since "Armageddon," William Fichtner has starred in hit films including "The Perfect Storm," "Crash," "Blades of Glory," "Black Hawk Down," "Nine Lives," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "The Dark Knight," "Date Night," "Elysium," "Independence Day: Resurgence" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." He achieved widespread recognition for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on the ABC series "Invasion" and Alexander Mahone on the FOX series "Prison Break." More recently, he re-teamed with "Armageddon" co-star Ben Affleck for the 2023 film "Hypnotic." He also stars on the ABC series "The Company You Keep." The father of two has been married to his second wife, actress Kymberly Kalil, since 1998.
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Keith David (left) played General Kimsey, a U.S. government official who proposes bombing the asteroid, in "Armageddon."
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Keith David has had a long and successful career in show business since the '90s. He's appeared in films and TV shows including "Crash, "There's Something About Mary," "Barbershop," "Requiem for a Dream," "ATL," "Community" and "The Princess and the Frog." From 2016 until 2020, Keith starred as Bishop James on the hit OWN drama series "Greenleaf." Next up, he'll appear on the J. J. Abrams Max series "Duster" and the 2023 supernatural-horror film "Shelby Oaks." Keith has been married to Dionne Lea Williams, with whom he has two daughters, since 2001. He also has a son from his first marriage.
