NEED TO KNOW
It’s been 25 years since fans were introduced to the wild cast of characters of Almost Famous. And in those 25 years, most of them have become, well, pretty famous.
The 2000 coming-of-age comedy starred Patrick Fugit as a high school outcast in 1973 who gets chosen to write a Rolling Stone profile for an up-and-coming rock band called Stillwater. As he joins them on tour, he gets a crash course in sex, drugs and rock-and-roll from guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and “band aid” Penny Lane (Kate Hudson).
“I was 16 when we made that movie,” Fugit told 7News in July 2020. “People would tell me that we’re making a classic movie right now, but I had no real perception of what that was going to be like.
He added, “I was just trying to not mess up my part in the whole thing.”
Following the success of the classic movie — which won an Academy Award, two Golden Globes and a Grammy — the film’s stars went on to have successful careers in entertainment.
Here’s everything to know about where the Almost Famous cast is now.
Patrick Fugit as William Miller
Paramount+
After his breakout role as 15-year-old William Miller, Fugit has appeared in a number of other films like Gone Girl, We Bought a Zoo and Babylon. He also starred in the supernatural series Outcast from 2016 to 2017 and had recurring roles in series like Treadstone and Love & Death.
During a 2020 cast reunion with Rolling Stone, the actor joked that anytime he’s near a jukebox, someone inevitably puts on Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” as an homage to the film’s iconic scene.
Outside of acting, Fugit also played in the folk rock band Mushman. He’s been in a relationship with actress Jennifer Del Rosario since 2019.
Kate Hudson as Penny Lane
Paramount+
Hudson’s Golden Globe-winning performance in Almost Famous was far from the only iconic role she had. The A-list actress became the queen of rom-coms with films like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Bride Wars, Something Borrowed, and Fool’s Gold.
In 2024, she released her debut album, Glorious, and starred in her first-ever TV series, Running Point, the following year.
The actress has welcomed three children over the years. She shares Ryder Russell Robinson with ex-husband Chris Robinson, Bingham Hawn Bellamy with former fiancé Matt Bellamy and Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa with Danny Fujikawa, whom she got engaged to in 2021.
Billy Crudup as Russell Hammond
Paramount+
Playing a “golden god” in Almost Famous put Crudup on the map, and he’s since gone on to act in a wide variety of projects. His big screen credits include the adventure epic Big Fish, the dystopian superhero flick Watchman and the spy drama The Good Shepherd.
In 2019, Crudup took his talents to the small screen to star in Apple TV’s hit drama The Morning Show alongside Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell.
Off-screen, he’s been married to actress Naomi Watts since 2023, and shares one son with his ex-partner, actress Mary-Louise Parker.
Frances McDormand as Elaine Miller
Paramount+
Frances McDormand had already enjoyed a storied Hollywood career prior to playing William’s strict, anti-rock-n-roll mother. After Almost Famous, the Academy Award-winning actress starred in films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Nomadland and earned a Tony Award for her 2011 performance in Good People.
On the small screen, she’s best known for playing Hannah Rayburn in the series State of Grace and voicing God in Good Omens. McDormand also won an Emmy for her role in the 2014 miniseries Olive Kitteridge.
She’s been married to screenwriter Joel Cohen, who has directed several of her films, since 1984. The couple welcomed a son, Pedro McDormand Coen, in 1995.
Jason Lee as Jeff Bebe
Paramount+
After portraying the lead singer of Stillwater, Jason Lee appeared in multiple early 2000s cult classics like Vanilla Sky, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II. He’s also lent his voice to animated films like The Incredibles, Monster House and Peter Rabbit.
But outside of Almost Famous, Lee is probably best known for starring as Earl Hickey in the sitcom My Name Is Earl, which ran from 2005 to 2009. He returned to the small screen once again for the 2025 mini series The Residence, alongside Uzo Aduba.
Lee shares two children, Casper Lee and Sonny Lee, with his wife, Ceren Alkac. He is also a father to his child, Pilot Inspektor Lee, from a previous relationship.
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs
Paramount+
While Almost Famous was far from Philip Seymour Hoffman’s biggest role, the late actor stole any scene he was in playing real-life rock journalist Lester Bangs.
After the 2000 comedy, the Oscar-winning actor starred in some of his most notable projects, including Capote, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and The Master.
Hoffman died in 2014 of a drug overdose. He left behind his longtime partner, Mimi O’Donnell, and their three kids: Cooper Hoffman, Tallulah Hoffman and Willa Hoffman.
Zooey Deschanel as Anita Miller
Paramount+
One of Zooey Deschanel’s earliest film credits was playing William’s supportive older sister, Anita Miller. That small, but impactful role led her to breakout moments in films like Elf, Yes Man and 500 Days of Summer.
But she’s probably best known for starring as the quirky Jessica Day on the hit Fox series New Girl, which ran from 2011 to 2018.
Outside of acting, Deschanel is also one-half of the musical duo She & Him.
In her personal life, she got engaged to Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott in 2023. The actress also shares two kids, Elsie Otter Pechenik and Charlie Wolf Pechenik, with her ex-husband, Jacob Pechenik.
