‘The Wedding Planner’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

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'The Wedding Planner' Cast: Where Are They Now?

“You saved my shoe. I mean, my life.” Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey proved they were a match made in rom-com heaven with The Wedding Planner. The fan-favorite movie, directed by Adam Shankman, follows Mary Fiore (Lopez), a career-driven wedding planner who’s at the top of her game. After scoring a major gig, she finds herself injured in an accident that leads her into the arms of Steve Edison (McConaughey) — who she later learns is the groom in the high-profile wedding she’s set to work. The heartwarming film hit theaters on Super Bowl weekend in 2001 — but that didn’t deter viewers from showing up in droves and helping make The Wedding Planner a No. 1 success. Two decades later, Lopez and McConaughey virtually reunited to reminisce on their time on set. “I love that movie,” the former American Idol judge told the True Detective alum in January 2021. “I can’t tell you how many people come up to me and tell me, you know, ‘The Wedding Planner was my favorite movie.’ After you’ve done so many films, that they bring that one up [is special].” [jwplayer Jgsm0Ltt-zhNYySv2] McConaughey echoed his former costar’s sentiment, adding that he still gets recognized for the movie “all over the world.” At the time, the Magic Mike star even predicted that there might be “a resurgence” of the romantic comedy genre in the coming years — and that Lopez might be the one to lead the charge. “Especially after [the coronavirus pandemic] … people are going, ‘Can you go and just give me 90 minutes of escapism, of pleasure? I know the couple’s gonna get together at the end, I just want to see how.’” The Interstellar actor went on to praise The Wedding Planner for its “lightness,” adding, “We don’t get as much of it anymore but … The Wedding Planner is buoyant for a reason. You’re dancing across the clouds and it feels a little like Saturday evening every day on set. It feels a little like Saturday when you’re watching those movies, for the entire movie, and you don’t want to feel like Monday.” Lopez and McConaughey had undeniable chemistry, but when the film marked its 20th anniversary, Shankman revealed that the two leads weren’t his first choice — and that Minnie Driver was up for the “Get Right” singer’s role. “I didn’t perceive [Jennifer] as a romantic comedy person; she seemed too tough to me, frankly. But my agency said, ‘You have to meet with her: She read the script and she really wants to do this,’” the filmmaker told Yahoo! Entertainment in January 2021, noting that he was “completely hypnotized” by Lopez after they were introduced. Though he didn’t realize it at first, the Hustlers actress ended up being a perfect fit. “She was ambitious and understood everything that was girly and feminine about the movie, but at the same time recognized the engine inside of it,” Shankman continued. “There were many factors about the real-life Jennifer that really spoke to what the character was.” The World of Dance alum, for her part, was always enchanted by the idea of a happily ever after. “Even though we’ve been through a tough year, it’s like, miracles still happen,” she told McConaughey during their January 2021 video reunion. “Love prevails. Things can go right. All of that stuff, for sure.” Scroll down to find out what the cast of The Wedding Planner is doing now: [podcast_block]

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Jennifer Lopez (Mary Fiore)

The New Yorker’s second studio album, J.Lo, dropped at the same time as The Wedding Planner, making her the first woman to ever have a No. 1 hit on the charts and at the box office. She went on to star in Maid in Manhattan (2002), Gigli (2003), Monster-in-Law (2005), Second Act (2018) and Hustlers (2019), for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination. Along with J.Lo, she has released seven popular records between 1999 and 2014.

Lopez shares twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony, from whom she split in 2011 after seven years of marriage. Their divorce was made final in 2014. The Grammy nominee was previously married to Ojani Noa from 1997 to 1998 and to Cris Judd from 2001 to 2002. In April 2021, she ended her two-year engagement with Alex Rodriguez before moving on with Ben Affleck, to whom she was previously engaged from 2002 to 2004.

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Matthew McConaughey (Steve Edison)

The Texas native was a rom-com staple in the 2000s, starring in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), Fool's Gold (2008) and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). He later began to take on more dramatic roles, including Mud (2012) and Dallas Buyers Club (2013), the latter of which scored him an Oscar nod for best actor. McConaughey was also nominated for an Emmy for HBO’s True Detective before releasing his memoir, Greenlights, in 2020.

The Sing actor shares three children with wife Camila Alves, whom he wed in 2012. He is a partial owner of the Austin FC soccer team and briefly considered running for governor of Texas in 2021.

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Bridgette Wilson-Sampras (Fran Donelly)

Before trying her hand at acting, the Oregon native was crowned Miss Teen USA in 1990. She appeared on the soap opera Santa Barbara from 1992 to 1993 before going on to star in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), House on Haunted Hill (1999) and Shopgirl (2005). The singer shares two children with her husband, Pete Sampras, whom she wed in 2000.

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Justin Chambers (Massimo)

Chambers is best known for playing Dr. Alex Karev on the ABC hit Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2020. The Ohio native previously modeled for brands including Calvin Klein, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana, which is how he met his wife, Keisha Chambers, a former modeling agency booker. The pair tied the knot in 1993 and share five children: Isabella (born December 1994), twins Maya and Kaila (born June 1997), Eva (born March 1999) and Jackson (born January 2002). 

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Judy Greer (Penny Nicholson)

Along with The Wedding Planner, Greer has appeared in What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), 27 Dresses (2008), Love & Other Drugs (2010), Carrie (2013), Ant-Man (2015), Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021). On the small screen, she’s nabbed roles in Archer, The Big Bang Theory, Arrested Development and Kidding. The I Don’t Know What You Know Me From author married Dean E. Johnsen in 2011 and is the stepmother of his two children from a previous relationship.

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Alex Rocco (Salvatore Fiore)

The late actor was most widely recognized for his work as Moe Greene in The Godfather. He also earned an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the ‘80s series The Famous Teddy Z. In July 2015, Rocco died after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 79.

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Joanna Gleason (Mrs. Donelly)

Along with her appearances on Friends, The West Wing, The Good Wife and The Affair, the Canadian star had roles in Boogie Nights (1987), Sex and the City (2008) and The Skeleton Twins (2014). She won a Tony Award in 1988 after originating the Baker’s Wife in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. The Newsroom alum has been married three times: to acting coach Paul G. Gleason from 1975 to 1982, to Michael Bennahum from 1984 to 1990 and to Chris Sarandon, whom she wed in 1994. She shares son Aaron David Gleason with her first husband.

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Charles Kimbrough (Mr. Donelly)

The Minnesota native was nominated for an Emmy for playing Jim Dial on the ‘80s TV series Murphy Brown and for a Tony after starring in Sondheim’s Company in the ‘70s. Kimbrough also was an original cast member of Sunday in the Park with George. He has since lent his voice to animated roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Land Before Time VII: The Stone of Cold Fire and more. The Ally McBeal alum has been married twice: to Mary Jane Wilson from 1961 to 1991 and to Beth Howland from 2002 until her 2015 death.

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Fred Willard (Basil St. Mosely)

The late Anchorman star made a name for himself in fan-favorite comedies both in film and on TV, from Best in Show to Modern Family. Willard died in May 2020 at the age of 86 after going into cardiac arrest. His final role was on Netflix’s Space Force.

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Lou Myers (Burt Weinberg)

The NAACP Image Award winner worked on both stage and screen until his 2013 death. Myers was 77 years old when he succumbed to pneumonia.

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Frances Bay (Dottie)

The late character actress began her career on the radio in the 1930s, later moving to film and television. To many, she’s recognized as Happy’s grandmother in Happy Gilmore (1994), which starred Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald and Julie Bowen. Bay was inducted in Canada's Walk of Fame in 2008, three years before she died from pneumonia at age 92.

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Kevin Pollak (Dr. John Dojny)

Pollak has been featured in more than 80 films including A Few Good Men (1992), That Thing You Do! (1996), She's All That (1999) and The Big Year (2011). In 2017, he began his tenure as Moishe Maisel on Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The Billions alum split from comedian Lucy Webb in 2005 after 10 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in 2008.

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Kathy Najimy (Geri)

From Sister Act to Hocus Pocus, the California native has a diverse resume that even includes voice work on Fox’s King of the Hill. Outside of acting, the Veep alum is a dedicated activist who has spoken out about LGBTQ rights, AIDS awareness, domestic violence, gender equality and civil rights. In 2021, she began production on the highly anticipated Hocus Pocus sequel, set to debut in fall 2022.