'The First Wives Club' turns 25: Where are they now?

By Topher Gauk-Roger 2:10pm PDT, Sep 25, 2021

"The First Wives Club" became a surprise box office hit when it landed in theaters in 1996, grossing more than $180 million at the box office and revitalizing the careers of lead stars Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler. Despite mixed reviews at the time, it became the biggest success of all three stars' careers that decade and built a loyal following that can still recite Lesley Gore's classic tune "You Don't Own Me" to this day. The comedy also spawned both a stage musical and a television series. To celebrate the film's 25th anniversary on Sept. 20, 2021, join Wonderwall.com as we look back at the cast then and now to see how they've changed over the years…

Diane Keaton stars as Annie MacDuggan-Paradis, the film's central character. She's a slightly neurotic housewife who's attempting to save her marriage — much to her daughter's dismay. After her husband leaves her for their therapist, she decides to band together with her college best friends to form the First Wives Club and get even.

Academy Award winner Diane Keaton's schedule only got more hectic after the success of "The First Wives Club." First came acclaimed turns in the dramas "The Other Sister" and "Marvin's Room" (the latter of which earned her another Oscar nomination, for her work opposite Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio). She made her directorial debut with 2000's "Hanging Up," which she also starred in, and received a glowing response for her Oscar-nominated turn in the 2003 comedy "Something's Gotta Give" alongside Jack Nicholson. Next came parts in the popular holiday drama "The Family Stone" and the poorly received comedies "Because I Said So," "Mad Money" and "Morning Glory." The Los Angeles native spent the next decade continuing her run of romantic- and family-oriented films, such as "Darling Companion," "The Big Wedding," "And So It Goes," "Love the Coopers," "Book Club" and "Poms." She also lent her voice to the billion-dollar-grossing "Finding Dory" for Disney Pixar and appeared on the HBO drama series "The Young Pope." Diane has written three memoirs and made a side career of buying, renovating, redesigning and selling beautiful homes. The single star — who was romantically linked to Keanu Reeves in the mid-aughts — adopted daughter Dexter the same year "The First Wives Club" came out and son Duke five years later.

Bette Midler plays Brenda Morelli-Cushman, a wise-cracking Sicilian-Jewish single mother who helped set her husband on his feet financially before he left her for his younger money-obsessed and social-climbing employee. The painful end to their marriage leads Brenda to join her former best friends in the First Wives Club.

Bette Midler is a world-renowned singer, songwriter, actress, author and comedian with a career that spans more than five decades. The success of '90s favorites like "The First Wives Club" and "Hocus Pocus" kept that busy run going strong. Shortly after, she had an Emmy-winning turn in the 1997 HBO special "Diva Las Vegas" before releasing her ninth studio album, "Bathhouse Betty," then enjoyed a guest spot on "Murphy Brown" and lent her voice to the Disney animated musical film "Fantasia 2000." The Hawaii-born star then led her own short-lived CBS sitcom, "Bette," and appeared in the hit comedy "What Women Want" as well as films like "Isn't She Great," "Drowning Mona," "The Stepford Wives" and "The Women." She released a pair of tribute albums with Barry Manilow and toured the sell-out show "Kiss My Brass," leading right into a hit Vegas residency at Caesars Palace. Bette continued releasing albums while also taking parts in films like "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" and "Parental Guidance." She also made her Broadway return in the 2013 play "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers." In 2018, she won a Tony Award for her lead performance in the Broadway revival of "Hello, Dolly!" More recently, she was seen in the film "The Glorias" and the TV shows "The Politician" and "Coastal Elites." She's written several books including a 2020 children's book and will next be seen in a "Hocus Pocus" sequel for Disney+.

Goldie Hawn rounds out the main trio as Elise Eliot-Atchison, a former superstar actress who's now an alcoholic and a heavy smoker relegated to B-movies because of her age. Her husband leaves her for another woman and sues her for alimony, insisting that all of their joint assets be sold and the profits be divided between them. Elise's frustration is what leads her to join her friends in the First Wives Club.

Goldie Hawn ruled the box office in the '80s and '90s with hits like "Private Benjamin," "Overboard," "Bird on a Wire," "Death Becomes Her" and "Housesitter." But after "The First Wives Club," her career began to slow down and she took sporadic parts in films like "Everyone Says I Love You," "The Out-of-Towners," "Town & Country" and "The Banger Sisters." She also directed the TV movie "Hope." But the Washington, D.C. native stepped away from acting in 2002. Goldie published the autobiography "A Lotus Grows in the Mud" in 2005 and reappeared in 2013 when she lent her voice to an episode of the Disney Channel animated series "Phineas and Ferb." After 15 years, she made her long-awaited on-camera return opposite Amy Schumer in the big screen comedy "Snatched" in 2017. She followed it by starring as Mrs. Claus alongside longtime partner Kurt Russell in the hit Netflix films "The Christmas Chronicles" in 2018 and "The Christmas Chronicles 2" in 2020.

Stockard Channing portrays Cynthia Swann-Griffin, a college friend of the three women who dies by suicide after her husband leaves her and marries his young mistress three days after their divorce is finalized. Her tragic, untimely passing is what reunites the trio, inspires them to get even with their respective cheating husbands and eventually found the First Wives Club.

Stockard Channing has worked steadily since "The First Wives Club" came out, appearing films like "Practical Magic," "Where the Heart Is," "The Business of Strangers," "Life or Something Like It," "Le Divorce" and "Must Love Dogs." The "Grease" alum made an even bigger splash on TV in the late '90s with Emmy-nominated turns in the movies "An Unexpected Family" and "The Baby Dance" before landing a role as the first lady of the United States on "The West Wing" in 1999. Her seven-season run on the historic drama series won her an Emmy before she left to star on the short-lived sitcom "Out of Practice" in 2005. She also nabbed Emmy statuettes for her work in the TV films "The Matthew Shepard Story" and "Jack" before joining "The Good Wife" in a recurring role as Julianna Margulies' character's mother from 2012 to 2016. The New York City-born actress has also built a solid theater resume, hitting the stage for productions of "The Lion in Winter," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Pal Joey," "Other Desert Cities" and "Apologia."

Leading the villainous husbands is Victor Garber as Bill Atchison, a successful film producer who rises to fame through his wife Elise's connections and eventually leaves her for a young starlet. Bill sues Elise for alimony and insists that all of their joint assets be sold and the profits divided between them — that is, until she liquidates them all and gives them to Annie to buy the majority share in her ex's company.

Victor Garber began his career in the theater, receiving acclaim for a variety of performances before moving into film and television. Shortly after "The First Wives Club," he had memorable turns in the blockbusters "Titanic" and "Legally Blonde" as well as the TV films "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella," "Annie," "The Music Man" and "Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows." Then came a starring role opposite Jennifer Garner on the popular spy drama series "Alias" for five seasons, which earned him three Emmy nominations. Next came parts in the acclaimed films "Milk" and "Argo" as well as runs on TV shows like "ReGenesis," "Eli Stone," "Web Therapy," "Power," "The Flash," "Legends of Tomorrow" and "The Orville." The Canadian star also returned to the stage in productions of "Art," "A Little Night Music," "Follies," "Present Laughter" and "Hello, Dolly!" He was more recently seen in the 2020 Hulu holiday film "Happiest Season" and in 2021 began starring on the Canadian drama series "Family Law." In 2015, he wed his longtime partner, artist Rainer Andreesen.

Dan Hedaya stars as Morton "Morty" Cushman, Brenda's ex-husband who takes advantage of her having signed an out-of-court settlement in order to finance his new girlfriend's extravagant tastes. The electronics tycoon is later blackmailed into giving Brenda a substantial amount of his money when she obtains proof of his criminal activity.

Respected supporting actor Dan Hedaya had a slew of hit films on his resume before taking on "The First Wives Club." That run continued with popular movies like "Daylight," "Marvin's Room," "Alien Resurrection," "A Civil Action," "A Night at the Roxbury," "The Hurricane," "Shaft," "Swimfan," "Robots," "Strangers with Candy" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." The New York City-born star has also stayed busy on the small screen with parts on shows like "ER," "Yes, Dear," "The Book of Daniel," "Gotham," "Blue Bloods" and "The Mindy Project."

Rounding out the cheating exes is Stephen Collins as Aaron Paradis, Annie's conflicted husband who leaves her for their therapist. The advertising agency CEO is eventually left on his own when his new girlfriend runs off and Annie refuses to take him back. She eventually buys out the partners at Aaron's company without his knowledge and becomes the majority owner.

Stephen Collins had a lengthy run of film and television roles before landing a place in "The First Wives Club." Shortly after, he starred as Eric Camden on the hit WB drama series "7th Heaven" from 1996 to 2007. The Iowa native continued working in films like "Drive Me Crazy," "Blood Diamond," "Because I Said So" and "The Three Stooges." After "7th Heaven" came to an end, he had roles on shows such as "Private Practice," "No Ordinary Family," "Falling Skies," "Devious Maids" and "Revolution." Stephen separated from his wife of 30 years, actress Faye Grant, in 2012 and they divorced in 2015; the former couple share a daughter. In 2014, his acting career came to an end when an audio tape of a male voice — reportedly his — admitting to past sexual abuse of a minor under 14 was leaked to the media. In a People magazine interview later that year, he admitted to "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors" in 1973, 1982 and 1994. Stephen has not worked since making the shocking revelations.

Sarah Jessica Parker plays Shelly Stewart, Morty's dim-witted and manipulative fiancée. She uses her new partner to finance her extravagant tastes and fuel her social-climbing attitude as the First Wives Club exploit her desire to join high society in their revenge efforts.

Not long after "The First Wives Club" hit theaters, Sarah Jessica Parker landed the defining role of her career: sex columnist Carrie Bradshaw on the long-running HBO comedy "Sex and the City." The groundbreaking series won the star multiple Emmys, SAG Awards and Golden Globes and remains one of the most popular shows in television history. It also spawned two films, both of which grossed hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. The Ohio-born actress continued working in movies when "Sex and the City" wrapped, starring in "The Family Stone," "Failure to Launch," "Smart People," " Did You Hear About the Morgans?," "I Don't Know How She Does It" and "New Year's Eve." In 2012, she returned to television with a recurring part on the hit musical series "Glee" before taking on her first lead role in a series in more than a decade with the HBO dramedy "Divorce," which ran for three seasons. Outside of acting, SJP has built a career as an entrepreneur, launching lines of fragrances, clothes, shoes and wine. In 2021, she began shooting a sequel series to "Sex and the City" titled "And Just Like That…," which will air on streaming platform HBO Max. In 1997 — the year after "The First Wives Club" came out — the star married actor Matthew Broderick, with whom she has three children.

Bill's new girlfriend, Phoebe LaVelle, is played by Elizabeth Berkley. The up-and-coming actress lives with Bill and initially makes Elise jealous before the veteran actress befriends her ex's new partner and discovers she's actually a 16-year-old high school dropout. Elise then uses that information as blackmail to get what she wants out of her ex-husband.

"The First Wives Club" came on the heels of Elizabeth Berkley's star-making turn as Jessie Spano on the hit teen sitcom "Saved by the Bell." However, she soon starred in the infamous box office bomb "Showgirls," which made it a struggle for her to secure big acting gigs for the rest of her career. Yet the Michigan native has remained busy despite the hurdles, taking roles in films like "The Real Blonde," "The Taxman," "Roger Dodger," "Any Given Sunday" and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion." In the '00s, she made her Broadway debut in the comedy "Sly Fox" and has enjoyed guest parts on numerous shows such as "CSI: Miami," "NYPD Blue," "Without a Trace," "The L Word," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Titus" and "New Girl." Elizabeth also hosted the Bravo dance competition series "Step It Up and Dance" and starred in a number of TV movies like "Student Seduction," "Black Widow" and "Lucky Christmas." In 2013, she appeared on the 17th season of "Dancing with the Stars," finishing sixth. More recently, she reprised her "Saved by the Bell" role on a reboot of the series for streaming platform Peacock. It received rave reviews and has been renewed for a second season. She married artist and actor Greg Lauren in 2003; the couple have one son.

Dame Maggie Smith plays Gunilla Garson Goldberg, a wealthy New York City socialite who helps the First Wives Club with their schemes because she was once a first wife herself. Annie eventually reveals that Gunilla has also been a second, third and fourth wife and understands the trio's need to get even with their exes.

Maggie Smith was more than 40 years into her legendary film, stage and television career when she signed on for "The First Wives Club." Her scene-stealing part came on the heels of her work in the hit movies "Hook" and "Sister Act," and she hasn't stopped working since, closing out the '90s with the dramas "Washington Square," "Tea with Mussolini," "The Last September" and "Curtain Call." The English actress kicked off the '00s with international recognition for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the beloved "Harry Potter" movies, appearing in seven of the blockbusters between 2001 and 2011. Also in 2001, she had an Oscar-nominated appearance in the period drama "Gosford Park." That success led to more films like "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," "Keeping Mum," "Becoming Jane" and "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." She also dominated the small screen, winning an Emmy for her work on "My House in Umbria" and receiving nominations for "David Copperfield" and "Capturing Mary." Starting in 2010, she drew raves for her turn as the Dowager Countess of Grantham on the acclaimed drama series "Downton Abbey." Over the show's six-season run, she won three Emmy statuettes. Maggie also starred in the hit 2019 film continuation of the series and will return for its sequel. She'll also star in the upcoming drama "A German Life" playing a part she originated on stage in a 2019 one-woman show. Sadly, she lost her husband of almost 23 years, playwright Beverley Cross, in 1998. In the late aughts, the actress — who in the '80s had been diagnosed with Graves disease — was successfully treated for breast cancer.