Checking in with the cast of the 1995 classic, three decades after escaping the board game.

Where is the original Jumanji cast today? See what Kirsten Dunst and other stars are doing 30 years later

Checking in with the cast of the 1995 classic, three decades after escaping the board game.

and Kevin Jacobsen

December 15, 2025 8:30 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Bonnie Hunt as Sarah Whittle, Bradley Pierce as Peter Shepherd, Kirsten Dunst as Judy Shepherd, and Robin Williams as Alan Parrish in 'Jumanji'. Credit:

Columbia TriStar/Courtesy Everett

*Jumanji* has entertained audiences with its high-stakes jungle thrills since its 1995 release. While the film has spawned a franchise — including a '90s animated TV series and a recent flurry of sequels starring Dwayne Johnson — you still can't beat the original's sense of adventure,

The cast is undeniable, too, with Robin Williams delivering one of his most treasured performances as Alan Parrish, a man who was sucked into the titular board game 26 years prior. Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce costar as young siblings who inadvertently unleash the game's various dangers, while the supporting cast includes such favorites as Bebe Neuwirth, David Alan Grier, Jonathan Hyde, and Bonnie Hunt.

Now, on the film's 30th anniversary, we're checking in on where the stacked cast of *Jumanji* is now.**

Robin Williams (Alan Parrish)

Robin Williams as Alan Parrish in 'Jumanji'; Robin Williams attends the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton hotel on Nov. 30, 2011, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

Robin Williams came to the *Jumanji *cast as a huge star. Kids knew Williams as Peter Pan in *Hook* (1991) and the Genie in *Aladdin *(1992), while their parents remembered him from *Mork & Mindy* and his stand-up career circa the '70s and '80s. In 1987, he notably starred in *Good Morning, Vietnam*, in which he played real-life radio DJ Adrian Cronauer. *Jumanji* was another hit for Williams, and his hot streak continued through the rest of the '90s with starring roles in feel-good movies like *Mrs. Doubtfire *(1993), *Flubber *(1997), and* Patch Adams* (1998).

Around the same time, Williams began exploring more dramatic roles as well. He won an Academy Award for playing supportive therapist Sean Maguire in *Good Will Hunting* (1997), and he received critical acclaim for his dark turn as a dangerously obsessive photo technician in *One Hour Photo* (2002). Williams continued alternating between family-friendly films and more satirical adult comedies — *Death to Smoochy *(2002) and *World’s Greatest Dad *(2009) are two of his edgiest roles — until 2014, when he died by suicide at his home in California.

The news of Williams' death shocked the world, and tributes to him poured in from his many colleagues, friends, and admirers. President Barack Obama issued a statement that read, in part: "Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in between ... He arrived in our lives as an alien — but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit." An area of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park has since been renamed Robin Williams Meadow in his honor.

He is survived by his wife, Susan Schneider, and three children, including Zelda Williams, who has followed in her father's footsteps through show business.

Kirsten Dunst (Judy Shepherd)

Kirsten Dunst as Judy Shepherd in 'Jumanji'; Kirsten Dunst attends the 94th annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

Kirsten Dunst is one of a handful of actors who successfully transitioned from child star to full-grown movie star. Judy Shepherd in *Jumanji *is just one of her iconic roles as a young performer. She had her breakout film the year prior by starring opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in *Interview With the Vampire *(1994) and as the youngest March sister, Amy, in the 1994 movie version of *Little Women*.

After* Jumanji*, Dunst appeared in a recurring role on* ER *and voiced the kid version of the title character in *Anastasia* (1997) before making a string of teen-oriented comedies like* Drop Dead Gorgeous* (1999) and *Bring It On *(2000)*.* (One notable exception from that era is her acclaimed performance in the drama* The Virgin Suicides*, which premiered in 1999.) Her role as Mary Jane Watson in *Spider-Man* (2002) brought even more fame in the early aughts, followed by more mature work in the 2010s with starring roles in *Melancholia* (2011) and *The Beguiled* (2017) — her third collaboration with *The Virgin Suicides* director Sofia Coppola. In 2025, she costarred with Channing Tatum in the crime dramedy *Roofman.*

While on the press tour for *The Beguiled* in 2017, she made a playful swipe at the producers behind *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle*, which was released the same year. "I honestly didn't even know they were making a *Jumanji *movie," she told *Entertainment Tonight*, joking, "I'm offended I haven't been reached out to be in it!"

Dunst is married to actor Jesse Plemons, and they have two children together. The pair met on the set of *Fargo *season 2, and each received an Emmy nod. They later collaborated on Jane Campion's Oscar-winning film* The Power of the Dog *(2021), for which they also both earned acting nominations, and Alex Garland’s *Civil War* (2024).

Bradley Pierce (Peter Shepherd)

Bradley Pierce as Peter Shepherd in 'Jumanji'; Bradley Pierce on Dec. 13, 2016, in Los Angeles.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

A seasoned child actor, Bradley Pierce had appeared in more than a dozen films before landing the role of the younger Shepherd sibling, Peter, in* Jumanji*. Much of Pierce's work at that time was voice acting: He played miniature teacup Chip in* Beauty and the Beast* (1991) when he was 9 years old and voiced Tails on the* Sonic the Hedgehog *cartoon series.

One year after* Jumanji,* Pierce reunited with his onscreen sister Dunst to play siblings once again in the 1996 TV movie *The Siege at Ruby Ridge*. From there, he appeared in *The Borrowers* (1997) and continued doing voice work and one-off TV appearances. However, his depression diagnosis at age 16 caused him to pull back from acting.

Pierce spoke out about his experience with mental illness after Williams' suicide. "I really played it close to the vest until Robin died, actually," he told *TMZ* in 2014. "And then I decided, 'You know what, I'm going to go ahead and try to use his death and the tragedy that it was to open up to people and put it out there,' and so I did."

As an adult, Pierce still appears in the occasional film (he starred in 2018’s *Deacon* and has been in a handful of shorts, including 2025’s *Bi Cop*), but his passion is the nightlife business. He owns a consulting firm called Pierce & Luna, which provides bartending education and specialty cocktail recipes for businesses and events around Los Angeles.

He has three children with his ex-wife, Shari Holmes.

Bebe Neuwirth (Aunt Nora)

Bebe Neuwirth as Aunt Nora in 'Jumanji'; Bebe Neuwirth attends the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

Bebe Neuwirth began her career in show business as a ballerina before breaking out on Broadway in the '80s with roles in *A Chorus Line*,* Sweet Charity*,* *and* Chicago.* (She won Tonys for her work in the latter two.) She played Dr. Lilith Sternin on* Cheers* (winning two Emmys) and reprised the part as a recurring guest star on the spinoff series *Frasier* opposite her TV ex-husband, Kelsey Grammer. Neuwirth's notable movie roles include *Summer of Sam* (1999) and *How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days* (2003).

All the while, she continued to work on Broadway and express herself through dance. (She also appeared as herself in an episode of *Will & Grace *in 2004.) In addition to a starring role on the Max series *Julia*, Neuwirth played Lilith once more on the 2023 revival of *Frasier* on Paramount+, but it wasn't her first time reprising a famous role — she returned to the world of *Jumanji* as Aunt Nora in the 2019 film* Jumanji: The Next Level *and will return for its 2026 sequel*.*

Neuwirth spoke to *The New York Times* in 2017 about a certain prop she took from the set of the original *Jumanji*: "I have hippopotamus salt-and-pepper shakers. I don't remember how they fit into the story, but somehow I have them."

She is married to director/writer/producer Chris Calkins.

David Alan Grier (Carl “The Soleman” Bentley)

David Alan Grier as Carl 'The Soleman' Bentley in 'Jumanji'; David Alan Grier attends the 50th NAACP Image Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 30, 2019, in Hollywood.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

David Alan Grier is another actor who got his start on Broadway before making the transition to film and TV. He also had experience in comedy before appearing as eccentric inventor Carl in *Jumanji*.* *At the time *Jumanji *was filmed, Grier had just wrapped up a run on the popular series *In Living Color*. He's also made appearances on other sketch shows like *Comedy Bang Bang*,* A Black Lady Sketch Show*, and *Crank Yankers*.

But Grier is most recognizable as a sitcom star, having led *DAG* and *The Cool Kids*. Additionally, he made an impression in the ensemble casts of *Martin*,* The Carmichael Show*, and* Life With Bonnie*, which reunited him with his *Jumanji* costar Bonnie Hunt. He played Pops Dixon on the Jamie Foxx-led Netflix series *Dad Stop Embarrassing Me* and appeared in 10 episodes of the Paramount+ series *Joe Pickett*. His guest-star roles are too numerous to name here but include *Saturday Night Live*,* Pinky and the Brain*,* Happy Endings*,* The Cleveland Show*,* *and *The Eric Andre Show*. As of 2024, he plays Ron on the NBC hospital comedy *St. Denis Medical.*

All the while, Grier has maintained his theater roots. In 2015, he notably played the Cowardly Lion in the TV movie musical *The Wiz Live* and won his first Tony in 2021 for *A Soldier's Play*. He also had a supporting turn as Reverend Avery in the film version of the musical *The Color Purple *(2023)*.*

Grier is a father of one, sharing a daughter, Luisa Danbi Grier-Kim, with his ex-wife Christine Y. Kim. He was previously married to actress Maritza Rivera.

Dwayne Johnson reveals tribute to Robin Williams in next 'Jumanji' movie: 'A show of respect'

Kirsten Dunst shares the important lesson late 'Jumanji' costar Robin Williams taught her

Bonnie Hunt (Sarah Whittle)

Bonnie Hunt as Sarah Whittle in 'Jumanji'; Bonnie Hunt attends the 75th Directors Guild of America Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Feb. 18, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

A comedic actress known for her warm and relatable screen presence, Chicago native Bonnie Hunt plays Alan Parrish's long-lost love, Sarah Whittle, as an adult in *Jumanji.*

"When I read the script, it reminded me a lot of *The Wizard of Oz*," Hunt told *The Oklahoman* of *Jumanji *at the time of the film’s release. "I was so involved in it; my imagination was going crazy reading it. I thought it'd be nice to be involved in a film that's nice for the whole family to see."

Early in her career, Hunt worked as a nurse while performing improv on the side. That all changed when she nabbed a role in* Rain Man *(1988) opposite Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. In the early '90s, Hunt co-created a sitcom called* The Building* with her friend David Letterman. Although the show was praised by critics, it never took off in the ratings and was canceled after five episodes. Another project, *Bonnie*,* *suffered a similar fate. *Life With Bonnie* fared better and aired on ABC from 2002 to 2004. In 2008, Hunt launched a talk show,* The Bonnie Hunt Show*, which aired for two seasons in syndication.

She also continued appearing in family flicks, often playing mothers in movies like *Beethoven *(1992)* *and *Cheaper by the Dozen* (2003).* *Her other notable films include *Jerry Maguire* (1996), *The Green Mile* (1999), and *Red One* (2024), but she's probably best known for her voice work in Disney and Pixar movies, lending her talents to *A Bug's Life* (1998), *Monsters, Inc.* (2001),* Cars *(2006), *Toy Story 3* (2010), *Zootopia* (2016), and their sequels.

Jonathan Hyde (Sam Parrish/Van Pelt)

Jonathan Hyde as Van Pelt in 'Jumanji'; Jonathan Hyde arriving at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in central London on April 7, 2019.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Australian-English actor Jonathan Hyde plays a dual role as Alan's father, Sam Parrish, and the diabolical big-game hunter Van Pelt in *Jumanji*. Since then, he's continued to combine his love of Shakespeare (playing Hamlet's uncle Claudius on stage in London in 2021) with film and TV work.

His dignified aura and classical training make Hyde a frequent presence in period pieces. In fact, kids who grew up watching him in *Jumanji* may also recognize him from other beloved films of that era. He played Herbert Arthur Runcible Cadbury in *Richie Rich* (1994) Bruce Ismay — the mustachioed manager whose impatience dooms the RMS *Titanic* — in the 1997 mega-blockbuster *Titanic*, the ill-fated Warren Westridge in *Anaconda* (1997), and the greedy British Egyptologist Dr. Allen Chamberlain in *The Mummy** *(1999). Hyde's later credits include main roles on shows like *The Strain* and *Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia*, as well as a small role in 2024's *The Brutalist*.

He has been married to opera singer Isobel Buchanan since 1980; one of their two daughters is actress Georgia King.

Patricia Clarkson (Carol Parrish)

Patricia Clarkson as Carol Parrish in 'Jumanji'; Patricia Clarkson attends the photocall for 'Monica' at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 3, 2022, in Venice, Italy.

Columbia TriStar; Getty Images

A New Orleanian who attended the prestigious Yale School of Drama, Patricia Clarkson had yet to find fame when she played the small supporting role of Carol Parrish in* Jumanji.* Three years later, she broke out in the movie* High Art* (1998), in which she gave a harrowing performance as an actress struggling with drug addiction. Other notable movie roles from around this time include *The Green Mile* (1999) and *Far From Heaven* (2002).

The early-2000s were a busy time for Clarkson. She recurred on the acclaimed HBO series *Six Feet Under*, an early example of "prestige TV" that earned her two Emmys. She also appeared in a series of celebrated independent films. In 2003, she was in four Sundance showcases: *The Baroness and the Pig*, *The Station Agent*, *All the Real Girls*, and *Pieces of April *— the latter for which she received an Oscar nomination. Since then, she's done a wide variety of movies and shows, from *Shutter Island* with Leonardo DiCaprio, to *Easy A *with Emma Stone, to *Sharp Objects* with Amy Adams. Clarkson also starred as activist Lily Ledbetter in 2024’s *Lily*.

A well-respected figure in the cinematic community, she served on the jury of the 2023 Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic.

Adam Hann-Byrd (Young Alan)

Adam Hann-Byrd as Young Alan in 'Jumanji'; Adam Hann-Byrd.

Everett Collection; Adam Hann-Byrd/X

His role as a young Alan Parrish in *Jumanji *wasn't Adam Hann-Byrd's biggest achievement as a child actor. That would be *Little Man Tate*, which he starred in opposite Jodie Foster in 1991. And while Hann-Byrd continued to appear in supporting roles in movies like *The Ice Storm* and *Halloween H20: 20 Years Later *throughout the '90s, he never really topped the success of his earlier works.

That's not to say that he has left Hollywood behind. Hann-Byrd has since transitioned into a successful career as a writer for TV and video games. He got in on the ground floor at Hulu as a writer on the satirical series *The Morning After *from 2012 to 2013. He also worked in the writers' rooms of *Fringe* and* The Librarians* in addition to co-writing the games *Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery* and* Signs of the Sojourner*.

He recalled his experience working with Robin Williams to *The New York Times *in 2017. "Robin was such a gentle soul," Hann-Byrd said. "He had this larger-than-life manic persona, but he could turn that off when he wanted to. He was a complicated guy."

Hann-Byrd has been married to his wife, Dara Epstein, since 2017. He is currently working as a designer at Series Entertainment Inc.

Laura Bell Bundy (Young Sarah)

Laura Bell Bundy as Young Sarah in 'Jumanji'; Laura Bell Bundy attends 'The Cottage' Broadway opening night at the Hayes Theater on July 24, 2023, in New York City.

Everett Collection; Getty Images

Laura Bell Bundy, the actress who plays a younger version of Sarah Whittle in flashback scenes, was 14 years old when *Jumanji *hit theaters. It wasn't her first movie role — she had previously appeared in* The Adventures of Huck Finn* and *Life With Mikey*, both in 1993 — but it is her most famous. She also portrayed Sweetheart in *Dreamgirls* (2006) and Becky in five episodes of *How I Met Your Mother* and a pair of episodes of *How I Met Your Father*. Today, however, Bundy is best known as a Broadway star.

Among her theater credits, Bundy originated the roles of Amber Von Tussle in the musical *Hairspray*, Elle Woods in *Legally Blonde: The Musical*, and Romy White in *Romy & Michele: The Musical.* Her turn in *Legally Blonde* earned her a Tony nomination for Best Actress, and she continued to play Elle in a touring production. Bundy also made a name for herself on TV — she starred as Dr. Jordan Denby on the sitcom adaptation of *Anger Management *— and in music. So far, she's recorded six albums as a country singer. Her latest LP,* Women of Tomorrow*, was released in 2021.

Bundy is married to TV executive Thom Hinkle, with whom she has a son.

- Movie Reviews & Recommendations

- Children & Family Movies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Children”