'Reality Bites' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Winona Ryder as Lelaina Pierce

Winona Ryder had already become a household name, thanks to her star-turning roles in the 1998 films Beetlejuice and Heathers. Like those characters, her performance as Lelaina Pierce — the college grad and budding filmmaker who falls in love with Troy Dyer (Ethan Hawke) — would also win audiences over. Months after Reality Bites was released, Ryder starred in Little Women and earned her second Oscar nomination. She followed up with appearances in How to Make an American Quilt (1995), The Crucible (1996), Girl, Interrupted (1999) and Mr. Deeds (2002), among others.

After her infamous arrest for shoplifting in 2001, Ryder returned to the big screen in Star Trek (2009), Black Swan (2010), Experimenter (2015), Destination Wedding (2018) and Gone in the Night (2022). She received her third Golden Globe nomination in 2017 for her portrayal of Joyce Byers on Netflix's Stranger Things.

Ryder has been in a relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn since 2011.

Ethan Hawke as Troy Dyer

As one of the film's more experienced actors, Hawke was revered for his roles in 1989's Dead Poets Society and 1991's White Fang before portraying Troy, the guitarist who makes a living playing at coffee houses and with part-time jobs.

Since Reality Bites, Hawke has remained a mainstay in Hollywood, even amid a painful divorce, appearing in films like Before Sunrise (1995), Gattaca (1997), The Newton Boys (1998), Taking Lives (2004), Lord of War (2005), Daybreakers (2009), The Purge (2013), Regression (2015), First Reformed (2017), Juliet, Naked (2018), The Black Phone (2021), Raymond & Ray (2022) and Glass Onion (2022).

His performances in 2001's Training Day and 2014's Boyhood earned him Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He also received two Oscar nods for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2004's Before Sunset and 2013's Before Midnight. After starring as Michael Bakunin in The Coast of Utopia play trilogy, he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2007 for best featured actor.

Beyond the big screen and stage, the actor was a regular on the Showtime limited series The Good Lord Bird, which he wrote and produced, and the Disney+ superhero show Moon Knight.

Hawke wed actress and producer Ryan Shawhughes in 2008, with whom he shares two daughters, Clementine and Indiana. Hawke was previously married to Kill Bill franchise star Uma Thurman from 1996 to 2005. They have two children, Maya and Levon.

Ben Stiller as Michael Grates

In addition to his portrayal of Michael Grates, the TV exec Lelaina starts working with and dating, Ben Stiller made his feature directorial debut with Reality Bites.

Stiller followed the film's modest success with roles in There's Something About Mary (1998), Meet the Parents (2000), Zoolander (2001), Along Came Polly (2004), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Night at the Museum (2006), Tropic Thunder (2008), Little Fockers (2010), Tower Heist (2011), The Watch (2012) and Lockdown (2021) to name a few. Stiller also made guest appearances on shows like Friends and Curb Your Enthusiasm and had a recurring role on Arrested Development.

He's continued to work behind the camera, writing and directing many of his projects, including The Cable Guy (1996), Zoolander (2001), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) and Zoolander 2 (2016). Stiller's work on Showtime's Escape at Dannemora earned him two Emmy nominations in 2019 and another two nods for the Apple TV+ series Severance in 2022.

After they first met on set of the unaired 1999 TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack, Stiller and actress Christine Taylor tied the knot in Hawaii in 2000. Though the frequent collaborators split in 2017, Stiller and Taylor reconciled in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have two children, a daughter, Ella Olivia, and a son, Quinlin Dempsey.

Janeane Garofalo as Vickie Miner

Janeane Garofalo starred as Lelaina's friend, Vickie, who — through a series of one-night stands — becomes concerned she could have contracted HIV.

As a comedian, Garofalo was a cast member of The Ben Stiller Show, Saturday Night Live and The Larry Sanders Show, earning back-to-back Emmy nominations in 1996 and 1997 for outstanding supporting actress on a comedy series.

Her film credits include The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Sweethearts (1997), Mystery Men (1999), The Independent (2000), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Flora & Ulysses (2021) and The Apology (2022), among many independent films.

Garofalo had a recurring role on shows like The West Wing, 24, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. She guest appeared on Broad City, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Younger and Billions. Garofalo also voiced Sally Reardon, Felicity Porter's mentor on the hit show Felicity.

Steve Zahn as Sammy Gray

Steve Zahn played Sammy Gray, a friend of Lelaina and Vickie who lived as a closeted gay man before coming out to his conservative parents.

Like many of his costars, Zahn's career took off after Reality Bites. His prolific list of film credits includes Crimson Tide (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Out of Sight (1998), You've Got Mail (1998), Joy Ride (2001), Daddy Day Care (2003), Sahara (2005). Rescue Dawn (2006), A Perfect Getaway (2009) and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series. The actor received critical acclaim for his roles in 2013's Dallas Buyers Club and 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.

Zahn was also a series regular on Treme, Mind Games, Mad Dogs and The Crossing, in addition to the National Geographic docuseries Valley of the Boom and Showtime's George & Tammy.

In 2022, he earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Mark Mossbacher on HBO's The White Lotus. Zahn can also be seen in the 2023 films Your Place or Mine — starring Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher — and Gringa featuring Roselyn Sanchez and Judy Greer.

Zahn married actress and author Robyn Peterman in 1994, with whom he shares two kids.

John Mahoney as Grant Gubler

Veteran actor John Mahoney starred as TV host Grant Gubler, Lelaina's obnoxious and rude boss.

Mahoney was best known for portraying the blue-collar patriarch Martin Crane on the sitcom Frasier, for which he received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations.

Following Reality Bites, he had roles in The American President (1995), Primal Fear (1996) and Dan in Real Life (2007). Mahoney also appeared on In Treatment, Burn Notice and Hot in Cleveland. He had a prolific career as a voice actor in several animated films, including Antz, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and The Iron Giant.

Mahoney's last TV appearance was in 2015 on Foyle's War before his death in February 2018 at 77. He was never married and did not have any children.

Renée Zellweger as Tami

Future Hollywood star Renée Zellweger had her first credited role in Reality Bites as Tami, who has a one-night stand with Troy.

Zellweger's career skyrocketed after her appearance, with the actress earning Oscar nominations for 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary and 2002's Chicago. She would later take home a statuette in 2004 for Best Supporting Actress for Cold Mountain and was named Best Actress in 2020 for her performance in Judy.

Other notable film credits include Jerry Maguire (1996), Nurse Betty (2000), Me, Myself & Irene (2001), Miss Potter (2006), Leatherheads (2008), Case 39 (2009) and Here and Now (2018). Zellweger starred on Netflix's neo-noir thriller What/If throughout 2019 and NBC's The Thing About Pam in 2022.

Zellweger and TV personality Ant Anstead started dating in 2021 after meeting on Celebrity IOU Joyride.