If you grew up in the mid-90s, Now and Then wasn't just a movie. It was basically a personality test. You were either a Roberta, a Teeny, a Samantha, or a Chrissy. Honestly, looking back at that 1995 coming-of-age classic, it’s wild how well it captured that specific, sweaty, bicycle-riding nostalgia of a 1970s childhood. But what's even crazier is tracking the now and then actors who brought those characters to life. Some became Hollywood royalty. Others walked away from the camera entirely.
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. We see a grainy clip of Christina Ricci in a flannel shirt and suddenly we’re 12 again. But the industry is brutal. Most child stars don't make the jump to adult careers, yet this specific cast had a weirdly high success rate. Or, at least, a high "staying power" rate.
The Roberta Thorne Paradox: Christina Ricci and Rosie O'Donnell
Christina Ricci was already the "it girl" of dark, moody kids when she took the role of Roberta. She had The Addams Family and Casper under her belt. In Now and Then, she was the tomboy grieving her mother, taped-down chest and all. Ricci didn't just stay in the industry; she morphed. She went from indie darling in The Opposite of Sex to a literal Emmy nominee for Yellowjackets.
It’s rare. Usually, the industry eats kids like Ricci. But she survived the transition by choosing weird, difficult roles.
Then you have Rosie O'Donnell playing the adult Roberta. In 1995, Rosie was at the peak of her "Queen of Nice" era. Nowadays? She’s a political lightning rod and a seasoned character actress. She recently popped up in American Gigolo and the A League of Their Own series. Seeing the two Robertas side-by-side today is a trip. Ricci stayed in the prestige lane, while Rosie became a household name for her voice as much as her acting.
Thora Birch: The Mystery of the "Missing" Star
If you’d asked anyone in 1999 who the biggest star of the now and then actors would be, they’d say Thora Birch. She was the soul of the movie as young Teeny (well, Samantha in the younger years—wait, let's get the names right—she was young Teeny). No, hold on. Thora was young Teeny, the one who wanted to be a star. Then she did American Beauty. Then Ghost World. She was the indie queen.
And then... she kinda vanished.
Not really "vanished," but she stepped back. There’s been a lot of talk about her "disappearing" from Hollywood. Birch has been open about not wanting to play the Hollywood game. She didn't want to dress the part or flirt with the right producers. She took a long break, went to school, and eventually started directing. She was supposed to be in the Wednesday series on Netflix but had to leave for personal reasons. It’s a reminder that success isn't always a straight line up. Sometimes it's a circle. Sometimes it's a hard left turn into a completely different life.
The Gaby Hoffmann Factor
Gaby Hoffmann played young Samantha. Samantha was the one who was "into" the occult and dealt with her parents' divorce. Hoffmann’s career is maybe the most "human" of the bunch. She didn't go for the blockbuster roles. She didn't try to be a Marvel superhero.
Instead, she became the face of the HBO/prestige TV era. Girls. Transparent. She’s got this raw, unpolished energy that feels like a direct evolution of the kid we saw in 1995. She’s one of the few actors who looks like a real person on screen. No heavy fillers, no "Hollywood face." Just talent.
The Adult Counterparts: Where Are They?
We talk a lot about the kids, but the adult now and then actors were already icons in '95.
- Demi Moore (Adult Annie): She was the highest-paid actress in the world around that time. Now, she’s having a massive career resurgence with films like The Substance. She proved that the "expiration date" Hollywood puts on women is total nonsense.
- Melanie Griffith (Adult Teeny): The daughter of Hollywood royalty, she’s mostly stepped back from lead roles but remains a constant presence in the fashion and social world.
- Rita Wilson (Adult Chrissy): She’s basically a mogul now. Producing movies (like My Big Fat Greek Wedding), releasing albums, and being one-half of Hollywood's most stable power couple with Tom Hanks.
Why This Specific Cast Sticks With Us
There’s a reason we Google these names at 2:00 AM. Now and Then was released during the last gasp of the "monoculture." Before TikTok, before streaming, we all watched the same VHS tapes until they wore out.
The movie dealt with real stuff. Divorce. Death. Puberty. Body image. When we check in on these actors, we aren't just looking at celebrities; we're checking in on our own childhood friends. When we see Devon Sawa (who played the local heartthrob Scott Wormer) still acting in stuff like Chucky or Final Destination, it feels like a win for us.
The Devon Sawa Phenomenon
Can we talk about Devon Sawa for a second? He was the peak 90s crush. He had the hair. The smirk. Most teen heartthrobs from that era ended up on reality TV or doing car commercials. Sawa, however, leaned into horror and weird character work. He’s become a cult favorite. He’s active on Twitter, he’s funny, and he’s totally self-aware about his "90s boy" status. He’s the ultimate example of how to age gracefully in an industry that usually discards you the second you get a wrinkle.
The Actors Who Walked Away
Not everyone stayed. Ashleigh Aston Moore, who played young Chrissy, had a heartbreaking story. She left acting shortly after the film and tragically passed away in 2007 at the age of 26. It’s the dark side of the child star narrative that we often gloss over when we’re looking for fun "where are they now" galleries.
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Then you have someone like Danielle Harris (who played the bully, Tina Sansino). She didn't walk away; she just pivoted. She became a "Scream Queen." If you’re a horror fan, she’s a legend. She’s in the Halloween franchise, Hatchet, and dozens of others. She found her niche and she stayed there.
Assessing the Legacy of the 1995 Cast
If you look at the now and then actors as a group, the "success rate" is actually staggering.
- Longevity: Almost all the leads (Ricci, Moore, Wilson, O'Donnell, Hoffmann, Birch, Sawa) are still working or have had decades-long careers.
- Diversity of Roles: They didn't get pigeonholed. Ricci went from Wednesday Addams to a plane crash survivor. Sawa went from a ghost to a horror icon.
- Cultural Impact: The film was panned by critics when it came out. The New York Times wasn't kind. But the audience didn't care. The actors' performances created a cult classic that outperformed "prestige" films of the same year.
What Most People Get Wrong About Child Actors
There’s this myth that being a child actor ruins your life. We love a "downfall" story. But the Now and Then cast proves that’s not always the case. Most of these women (and men) grew up to be relatively well-adjusted, successful professionals.
The difference? Probably the work. They were actors, not just "celebrities." There’s a distinction. If you look at Gaby Hoffmann’s filmography, it’s filled with gritty, interesting choices. If you look at Christina Ricci’s, it’s a masterclass in reinvention.
Actionable Steps for the Nostalgia-Obsessed
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of these actors, don't just scroll through Instagram. Here’s how to actually appreciate their trajectory:
- Watch the "Transition" Films: To see how they broke out of the "child actor" mold, watch The Opposite of Sex (Ricci), Ghost World (Birch), or 200 Cigarettes (Hoffmann).
- Follow the "Indie" Path: Many of these actors stayed relevant by avoiding blockbusters. Check out the film C'mon C'mon to see Gaby Hoffmann’s modern brilliance.
- Check the Credits: You’d be surprised how many of these actors are now producing or directing. Thora Birch’s directorial debut, The Girl in the Shed, shows a completely different side of her talent.
- Listen to the Podcasts: Rosie O'Donnell and Rita Wilson are frequent guests on long-form interviews (like WTF with Marc Maron or SmartLess). They talk candidly about the '95 set and what it was like filming in the Georgia heat.
The story of the now and then actors isn't just a list of names. It’s a blueprint for how to survive a fickle industry. They moved from the bicycles of 1970 (via 1995) into the complex, multi-hyphenate world of 2026. They didn't just grow up; they evolved.