‘Almost Famous’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Anna Paquin and More

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‘Almost Famous’ Cast: Where Are They Now? Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Anna Paquin and More

It’s all happening! Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous hit theaters in 2000 and instantly became a cult classic. The coming-of-age story follows teenager William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he attempts to write his first piece for Rolling Stone during the ‘70s. While following rock band Stillwater — focusing mainly on lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) — William finds himself. In addition to meeting rock greats, getting away from his overbearing mother (Frances McDormand) and falling in love with Band Aid leader Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), William gains his voice. He also loses his virginity thanks to two other Band Aids and learns numerous life lessons from his mentor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The music-driven film won an Oscar for its screenplay in 2001 and has resonated with fans for decades. It also launched the careers of many of its stars, including Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon, Anna Paquin and Jason Lee. Hudson’s portrayal of Penny Lane, however, is one of the most memorable performances. The Fabletics founder begged Crowe to let her read for the part, after being cast as William’s sister Anita, and convinced him she was Penny Lane. [jwplayer mfgKD2I6-zhNYySv2] “Here was somebody that just walks in the room and you’re like, ‘I love her!’ She was that character,” Crowe told James Andrew Miller on the "Origins: Almost Famous Turns Twenty" podcast from Cadence13 in July 2020. After the Bride Wars actress became Penny Lane, Deschanel was then given the role of Anita — which set their careers on fire. “It really ended up making so much sense because Kate was so brilliant in the Penny role — she was so perfect for that part,” Deschanel said during the podcast. “I look like Frances McDormand, I look like Patrick, we look like such a family that it really ended up being exactly the thing that was supposed to happen for Kate, and for me too. That just ended up being a total career-making part.” Twenty years after its release, Crowe is proud of its success. “The movies that last are the ones that touch people, and that’s all they remember over time,” the producer said. “Ultimately, the life it’ll have won’t be part of a box-office report.” Scroll down to see what the cast of Almost Famous has been up to since 2000. [podcast_block]

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Billy Crudup

After playing rock star Russell Hammond, Crudup starred in major films including Big Fish, Mission: Impossible III, Watchmen and Public Enemies. In 2010, he acted alongside Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love and then appeared in Blood Ties, Spotlight and Where’d You Go, Bernadette. The New York native has also been seen on TV in 2017’s Gypsy and played Cory Ellison on The Morning Show.

Crudup dated Mary-Louise Parker from 1996 to 2003 before welcoming their son, William, in 2004. The actor left Parker while she was pregnant and began dating Claire Danes, whom he was with from 2003 to 2006. He has been linked to Naomi Watts since 2017.

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Kate Hudson

Hudson’s role as Band Aid leader Penny Lane kicked off her film career. The California native went on to star in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Raising Helen, Bride Wars and Something Borrowed. She’s also appeared in Deepwater Horizon, Nine, The Skeleton Key and Rock the Kasbah. Hudson was a recurring guest star on Glee in 2012 as well. In 2013, the actress launched clothing company Fabletics. She released lifestyle books, Pretty Happy and Pretty Fun in 2016 and 2017, and in 2019 she launched the “Sibling Revelry” podcast with her brother, Oliver Hudson. She also founded King St. Vodka and In Bloom wellness company. 

Kate is the mother of three children: sons Ryder, whom she shares with ex-husband Chris Robinson, and Bingham, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Matt Bellamy, and daughter Rani, whom she shares with Danny Fujikawa. Hudson and Fujikawa announced their engagement in September 2021.

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Patrick Fugit

Three years after starting his acting career, Fugit landed the lead role of William Miller in the ‘00s rock film. He has since appeared in Saved!, We Bought a Zoo, Gone Girl, Queen of Earth and My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To. The Utah native has also had roles on Full Circle, Outcast and Treadstone. The actor has ventured behind the screen as well, as a producer on four films, including A Name Without a Place.

Fugit shares son Ryker with longtime love Jenny Del Rosario.

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Michael Angarano

The same year that Angarano played young William in the ‘00s cult classic, he starred in Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family as Chance Arno. His career highlights also include the lead in Sky High, Lords of Dogtown, Empire State and Wild Card. The New York native’s TV career has also been filled with big roles, including Dr. Bertie Chickering Jr. on The Knick, Elliot on Will & Grace and a young adult Nick Pearson on This Is Us.

Angarano has been dating Pen15 actress Maya Erskine since 2019. The couple announced in November 2020 that they were expecting their first child. They welcomed their son, Leon Frederick, in the spring of 2021.

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Zooey Deschanel

Deschanel’s role as William’s big sister, Anita, was her fourth acting credit. Since the 2000 film, the actress has played Will Ferrell’s love interest in Elf, a quirky BFF in Failure to Launch and voiced a penguin in Surf’s Up. She was also the star of 500 Days of Summer, and in 2015 she reunited with Hudson for Rock the Kasbah. Deschanel’s biggest TV role to date was playing Jess on New Girl from 2011 to 2018. The California native has been a part of the musical duo She & Him alongside M. Ward since 2008. They’ve released six albums. In 2011, she launched the lifestyle website Hello Giggles with friends Sophia Rossi and Molly McAleer.

Deschanel was married to Ben Gibbard from 2009 to 2012 and Jacob Pechenik from 2015 to 2020, when their divorce was finalized. She and Pechenik share two children, daughter Elsie and son Charlie. The actress has been dating Property Brothers’ Jonathan Scott since September 2019.

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Frances McDormand

Following her role as William’s overbearing mother in Almost Famous, McDormand starred in Burn After Reading, Moonrise Kingdom and This Must Be the Place. In 2011, she returned to the stage in David Lindsay-Abaire play Good People, which earned her a Tony Award. In 2018, the actress won her second Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her part in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She won two more Oscars in 2021 for Nomadland, taking home trophies for best lead actress and Best Picture, as she was a producer on the film. The Illinois native also appeared on State of Grace for two seasons, Oliver Kitteridge (which she was a producer on and won an Emmy Award for) and Good Omens in 2019.

She’s the 12th actress in history to achieve the “Triple Crown of Acting,” receiving an Oscar, Tony and Emmy Award. The actress has been married to Joel Coen since 1984 and they share one child, Pedro.

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Jason Lee

Lee portrayed Stillwater’s lead singer, Jeff Bebe, in the film. The following year, he appeared in Vanilla Sky and then Dreamcatcher before voicing Syndrome in The Incredibles. In 2007, Lee played Dave in Alvin in the Chipmunks, which he reprised in its 2009 and 2011 sequels. Lee’s biggest TV success thus far has been playing the lead on My Name Is Earl from 2005 to 2009. He was later seen on Up All Night and Raising Hope before voicing Charlie on We Bares Bears from 2015 to 2019. The actor is also a published photographer, releasing a photo book through Refueled Magazine in 2016. He co-owns the Texas restaurant Barley & Board as well.

Lee has four children, son Pilot Inspector with his ex Beth Riesgraf, and daughters Casper and Alberta and son Sonny, whom he shares with wife Ceren Alkaç.

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Anna Paquin

Paquin followed up her role as Band Aid member Polexia Aphrodisia with a series of box office roles. She appeared in four X-Men films, Blue State, The Romantics, The Good Dinosaur and The Irishman in 2019. TV-wise, she starred on True Blood from 2008 to 2014 (where she played lead Sookie Stackhouse), Bellevue, Alias Grace and The Affair. She was a producer on Flack from 2019 to 2020, in addition to playing the lead character, Robyn.

The Oscar-winning actress has been married to True Blood costar Stephen Moyer since 2010. They share twins Poppy and Charlie.

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Fairuza Balk

After portraying a Band Aid named Sapphire, Balk acted in Deuces Wild, Don’t Come Knocking, Humboldt County, August Falls and Trespassers. The Craft actress also had a recurring role on Ray Donovan and played Lizzie Thomas 2021’s Paradise City. The California native released her first single, “Stormwinds,” as a part of Armed Love Militia in 2010 and has since dropped an EP. She has also exhibited her artwork over the years, including shows in L.A. and New York.

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Jimmy Fallon

Fallon portrayed Stillwater’s touring manager, Dennis Hope, in his third acting gig. He went on to star in Fever Pitch alongside Drew Barrymore, Factory Girl and Whip It. The Saturday Night Live alum hosted Late Night With Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014 and took over The Tonight Show in 2014. Fallon also hosted the Emmy Awards in 2010 and The Golden Globes in 2017. He has also written more than five children’s books, including 2022's Nana Loves You More.

In 2007, Fallon married Nancy Juvonen, and they later welcomed two daughters, Winnie and Frances.

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Noah Taylor

The year after playing Stillwater’s manager, Dick Roswell, Taylor appeared in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Vanilla Sky. He reprised his role as Bryce in the Lara Croft sequel in 2004 before starring in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Lawless. His TV credits include Locke on Game of Thrones, Darby Sabini on Peaky Blinders and Adolf Hitler on Preacher from 2017 to 2019. Taylor is also an artist and musician. In 2011, he released an EP with this group, Noah Taylor & the Sloppy Boys.

The actor has been married to Dionne Taylor since 2012. He is also the father of daughter Martha from a previous relationship.

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Mark Kozelek

Playing Stillwater’s bass guitarist, Larry Fellows, in Almost Famous is one of Kozelek’s four acting credits to his name; the others include Vanilla Sky, Shopgirl and Youth. The Ohio native has remained in the entertainment world as a musician. In 2001, Kozelek released his first solo album and has since dropped 12 more records, including 2020’s All the Best, Isaac Hayes. The singer is also a record producer and has written and performed songs on multiple film soundtracks.

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Philip Seymour Hoffman

After playing William’s mentor, Lester Bangs, Hoffman had a lengthy film career until his 2014 death. He was best known for roles in Capote, which he won an Oscar for, Magnolia, Charlie Wilson’s War, The Ides of March, Doubt and the Hunger Games series, where he played Plutarch Heavensbee. The New York native died at age 46 of a drug overdose.

He is survived by partner Mimi O’Donnell and their three children, son Cooper and daughters Tallulah and Willa. Cooper has since followed in his father's acting footsteps, making his film debut in the 2021 movie Licorice Pizza.