‘Runaway Bride’ Cast 25 Years Later: Catch-Up With Julia Roberts and the Rest
Getting cold feet right before the wedding is common, but very few actually cancel the wedding — unless your name is Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) and you’re in the hit 1999 rom-com Runaway Bride. In that film, not only did Maggie leave three men at the altar, but now journalist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) is convinced she is going to do it again. But as the two begin to spend more time together, Maggie begins to wonder if leaving her fourth fiance for Ike might not be the worst thing in the world.
To celebrate the film turning 25, we found out what the cast has been up to since then. Keep scrolling for more!
Julia Roberts
CHARACTER PLAYED: Maggie Carpenter
BEST KNOWN FOR: Steel Magnolias (1989), Pretty Women (1990), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), Hook (1991), My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), Stepmom (1998), Erin Brockovich (2000), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Closer (2004), Eat Pray Love (2010), Wonder (2017) and Leave the World Behind (2023).
PERSONAL: Roberts has been married to Daniel Moder since 2002, and they have three children together. Roberts also famously dated the late Matthew Perry in the 1990s.
THOUGHTS ON RUNAWAY BRIDE: When asked what she thinks happened to Maggie and Ike, Roberts said, “They stay together. He doesn't die in this one. They're going to stay together.”
FUN FACT: Just like her character, Roberts also canceled a wedding. A few days before she was supposed to marry Kiefer Sutherland in 1991, the actress called it off. It is unclear why.
Richard Gere: 'Runaway Bride' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Ike Graham
BEST KNOWN FOR: Days of Heaven (1978), An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Pretty Woman (1990), The Jackal (1997), Chicago (2002), The Hunting Party (2007), Arbitrage (2012) and Longing (2024).
PERSONAL: Gere has been married three times and has three children. He is currently married to Alejandra Silva, whom he wed in 2018.
THOUGHTS ON RUNAWAY BRIDE: Says Gere on his friendship with Roberts, “We loved each other immediately. So it was a nice thing.”
FUN FACT: Roberts and Gere worked together nine years prior in Pretty Women.
Christopher Meloni
CHARACTER PLAYED: Coach Bob Kelly
BEST KNOWN FOR: Dinosaurs (1991 to 1993), Oz (1998 to 2003), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999 to 2023), Wet Hot American Summer (2001), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Man of Steel (2013), Underground (2016 to 2017), Happy! (2017 to 2019), Snatched (2017) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021 to 2024).
PERSONAL: Meloni has been married to Sherman Williams since 1995, and they have two children.
THOUGHTS ON RUNAWAY BRIDE: “[I remember] marveling at Julia being able to just kind of do it effortlessly. It was really fun to be a part of.”
FUN FACT: This is the first movie in which the female love interest chooses Gere’s character over Meloni’s.
Joan Cusack: 'Runaway Bride' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Peggy Flemming
BEST KNOWN FOR: Hero (1992), In & Out (1997), Toy Story 2, 3 & 4 (1999, 2010 and 2019), School of Rock (2003), Ice Princess (2005), My Sister's Keeper (2009), Shameless (2011 to 2015), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) and Klaus (2019).
PERSONAL: Cusack has been married to Richard Burke since 1993. They have two children together.
FUN FACT: Cusack appeared with actor Paul Dooley before in Sixteen Candles (1984)
Héctor Elizondo
CHARACTER PLAYED: Fisher
BEST KNOWN FOR: Born to Win (1971), The Flamingo Kid (1984), Overboard (1987), Pretty Woman (1990), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Chicago Hope (1994 to 2000), The Princess Diaries 1 & 2 (2001/2004), Valentine’s Day (2010) and Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023).
PERSONAL: Elizondo has been married three times and has one child. Currently, he is with Carolee Campbell and has been ever since 1969.
FUN FACT: Elizondo was also in Pretty Woman (1990) with Roberts and Gere.
Rita Wilson: 'Runaway Bride' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Ellie Graham
BEST KNOWN FOR: Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Now and Then (1995), Jingle All The Way (1996), Old Dogs (2009), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and Asteroid City (2023).
PERSONAL: Wilson has been married to Tom Hanks since 1988. They have two children together.
THOUGHTS ON RUNAWAY BRIDE: "When I was making Runaway Bride I had Botox, because Botox was new and everyone was getting Botox, and I got it in my forehead, but then I saw this movie and there’s this emotional scene where I’m firing Richard Gere and my forehead didn’t move. I thought, 'Well, that’s not working!'”
FUN FACT: Wilson was 43 when the movie debuted in theaters.
For more on 1990's rom-coms, keep scrolling!
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