‘Coyote Ugly’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

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'Coyote Ugly' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Can't fight the moonlight! Coyote Ugly was released in theaters on August 4, 2000, and bar life was never the same. The film followed small-town singer Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo) who leaves her dad (John Goodman) and best friend (Melanie Lynskey) in New Jersey to try to hit the big time as a songwriter in New York City. In order to make money, she applies for a job at the famous Coyote Ugly bar where she learns to bartend alongside Cammie (Izabella Miko) and Rachel (Bridget Moynahan) after Zoe (Tyra Banks) quits. However, it doesn't take long for her to find love and conflict in the city. David McNally, who directed the film, opened up about the casting of the hit movie — and admitted that Jewel and Jessica Simpson were up for the leading role ... until he and the producers met Perabo. [jwplayer tOgxXIYc-zhNYySv2] "Toward the end of the process, Piper walked in," he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "She was actually from New Jersey and seemed to get it. ... Everyone loved [her screen test], that was the end of that." Maria Bello, who played the role of the no-nonsense boss Lil, has a feeling that the strong women in the movie are the reason people still love it. "It was one of the first films ever that showed young women who were in charge of their own sexuality, and they weren't being used for their sexuality, but they were deciding how to dress and how to act and what to do," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "And they weren't objectified — they were benefiting just from being authentic in themselves." Perabo hinted at a potential sequel to the musical comedy-drama during a November 2021 appearance on The Talk. “Tyra wants to do it,” she said. “So, when Tyra gets something in her head, you can’t really shake it loose. So, she is pushing and she is pushing with all her might.” Banks told Entertainment Tonight in October 2020 that she and her Coyote Ugly costars had a meeting to discuss what a reboot would look like. “We're like, 'Is it a movie? Is it a series? Is it our kids? Are our old asses dancing on the bar still?'" the America's Next Top Model creator said at the time. During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show that same month, the model said she thought she could still do her bar-top dance moves “as long as no one choreographs me and tells me exactly how to dance.” Keep scrolling to see what Perabo, Banks and the rest of the cast are up to now: [podcast_block]

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Piper Perabo

After starring as Violet, Perabo appeared in numerous big movies and TV series, including Cheaper by the Dozen, Loper, Covert Affairs and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. In 2021, she joined the cast of Yellowstone as animal rights activist Summer Higgins.

She has been married to Stephen Kay since 2014. 

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Maria Bello

Bello, who played the bar owner in the film, went on to star in The Cooler, A History of Violence, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Lights Out, among others. She joined the cast of NCIS in 2017. Bello got engaged to Dominique Crenn in 2019. She shares one son, Jackson, with ex Dan McDermott.

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John Goodman

The iconic actor's career continued following Coyote Ugly, starring in The Artist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Argo, Patriots Day and dozens of other movies. In 2018, he reprised his role of Dan Conner in the Roseanne revival, later renamed The Conners. Goodman has been married to Annabeth Hartzog since 1989. They have one child, Molly.

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Adam Garcia

After playing Violet's love interest, the Australian actor went on to star in many movies and TV series and returned to the stage, appearing in Wicked and Kiss Me, Kate. He married Nathalia Chubin in 2015 and the pair have two children.

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Izabello Miko

The Polish actress and dancer went on to land recurring roles on Deadwood, The Cape and Chicago Fire. She launched a sustainable candle line called EkoMiko Candles, and runs an eco foundation, EkoMiko.

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Tyra Banks

Three years after the film, the supermodel created America's Next Top Model, which ran for 24 seasons. She hosted her own talk show from 2005 to 2010. In 2009, she cocreated ABC's True Beauty, which aired for two seasons. The businesswoman later founded a cosmetics line, Tyra Beauty, and wrote three books. In 2020, she was named the new host of Dancing With the Stars. In 2016, Banks welcomed a son, York, via surrogate with then-boyfriend Erik Asla.

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Bridget Moynahan

After making her feature film debut in Coyote Ugly, the New York native appeared in multiple movies including Serendipity, I, Robot, Grey Matters, John Wick and The Journey Home. In 2010, she joined the main cast of Blue Bloods.

Moynahan welcomed a son, John, with ex Tom Brady in 2007. She married Andrew Frankel in 2015.

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Melanie Lynskey

The actress has starred in dozens of films and TV shows over the years, including Hello I Must Be Going, Sweet Home Alabama and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. From 2003 to 2015, she starred on Two and a Half Men. She has landed leading roles in many other TV shows including Togetherness, Castle Rock, Mrs. America and Candy.

In 2017, she got engaged to Jason Ritter. The pair welcomed a daughter in December 2018.