‘The Sixth Sense’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Credit: Hollywood Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock

‘The Sixth Sense’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

A cultural phenomenon. After filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan debuted The Sixth Sense in August 1999, it became an instant hit. The supernatural thriller garnered an instant fanbase as it scared up a massive $672.8 million at the box office worldwide. Starring American treasure Bruce Willis, The Sixth Sense follows a young boy — Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) — who is visited by spirits. He is unable to communicate his problem until he confides in Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Willis), a therapist who aims to help determine the truth behind the child’s full capabilities. What has allowed The Sixth Sense’s legacy to live on is not just the stellar performances given by stars such as Willis and Osment, but the film’s spectacular twist ending. The conclusion’s strong execution arguably makes it one of the best movie endings of all time. (Spoiler alert: Willis’ Malcolm was dead the whole time!) The film resonated among voters within The Academy as it nabbed an impressive six Oscars nominations in 2000, including one for Best Picture and another for Best Director. A then-11-year-old Osment additionally scored an Oscar nod within the Best Supporting Actor category, making him one of the youngest nominees of all time. [jwplayer Cfa9agDf-l3ahXupL] “I was at an age where I knew it was a bigger movie than I had done before, but we didn’t have the expectations for it that it would become a big hit or be part of awards season,” Osment told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2019. “We all just had this sense that we had this great story on our hands, and if we all just worked well together as a team, it would turn out to be something special.” Osment applauded Shyamalan’s ability to cultivate a realistic environment on the set when asked how he mastered his performance at such a young age. “You really felt like you were in that world,” he noted. Willis, for his part, delighted in playing a character that fans were not used to seeing from him at the time. “He’s the guy who didn’t have the gun. When [Donnie Wahlberg’s] character shows up in the beginning, he doesn’t know what to do. He loved playing somebody who didn’t know what to do,” Shyamalan told The Hollywood Reporter in August 2019. “I think that just kind of launched us into a more vulnerable, complicated version of Bruce that’s so lovely.” The Sixth Sense celebrates its anniversary on August 6 — which also happens to be Shyamalan’s birthday. Scroll down below to see what the film’s cast has been up to since the movie’s debut!

Credit: Hollywood Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock; Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images

Bruce Willis (Malcolm Crowe)

Willis, a New Jersey native, was well into his acting career when he appeared in The Sixth Sense. He was starring in movies such as The Fifth Element, Pulp Fiction and the Die Hard franchise. He won his first Golden Globe and Emmy in 1987 for Moonlighting. After chaos ensued on the production of his now-canceled film The Broadway Brawler, he was still contractually required to appear in two more Disney movies and one of them ended up being The Sixth Sense.

Since the 1999 flick, Willis has continued to appear in dozens of movies. Moonrise Kingdom, Red and Looper are among his many post-Sixth Sense credits. He won his second Golden Globe in 2000 for his guest-star role on Friends. From 1987 to 2000, he was married to fellow actress Demi Moore. The former couple share three daughters: Rumer, Tallulah and Scout. He remarried in 2009 after finding love again with model Emma Heming Willis, and the pair share daughters Evelyn and Mabel.

In March 2022, Rumer announced via Instagram that her father was retiring from acting after he was diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder that affects how you communicate. “As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him,” the Dancing With the Stars alum wrote in her post.

Credit: Patrick Riviere/Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Toni Collette (Lynn Sear)

Before playing Osment’s mother, Lynn Sear, in Shyamalan’s 1999 movie, Collette made her acting debut nine years prior with a guest-star role in the TV series A Country Practice. The Australian actress starred in films such as Emma, The Pallbearer and Muriel’s Wedding. After landing the part in The Sixth Sense, she claimed she didn’t realize it was a horror flick until after wrapping production. She later earned her first and only Oscar nomination for this role.

Collette has continued along a movie star path, starring in films such as Shaft, In Her Shoes, Little Miss Sunshine and Hereditary. She also starred on TV shows, including United States of Tara from 2009 to 2011 and Unbelievable in 2019. She is a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy winner and she has been nominated for multiple BAFTA Awards as well. She married musician Dave Galafassi in 2003, and the couple share daughter Sage and son Arlo.

Credit: Moviestore Collection/Shutterstock; Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty Images

Haley Joel Osment (Cole Sear)

Osment was no stranger to the business before appearing in The Sixth Sense. The former child star racked up several TV credits, including The Jeff Foxworthy Show and Murphy Brown, and movies such as Forrest Gump and For Better or Worse. He would later land the part of Cole Spear, which Michael Cera also went up for and Liam Aiken wound up turning down. Playing Cole Spear truly catapulted the young star’s presence in Hollywood, especially when he earned an Oscar nomination for his troubles.

While not necessarily the main attraction in his subsequent projects, the Los Angeles native has maintained a steady career since The Sixth Sense. Beyond appearing in front of the camera, he has also dabbled in voice acting with guest roles on Family Guy and American Dad. He also graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2011. In recent years, he has appeared in TV shows such as Future Man and movies like the Zac Efron-led Ted Bundy flick, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/AMA2016/WireImage/Getty Images

Donnie Wahlberg (Vincent Grey)

Prior to playing Vincent Grey, Wahlberg was a member of the popular ‘80s boy band New Kids on the Block. He began trying his hand at acting in the late ‘90s, starting in Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur’s 1996 movie, Bullet. While the part he landed in The Sixth Sense was small (but still important), Wahlberg proved his commitment to the role by dropping a whopping 43 lbs.

Wahlberg returned to his musical roots for a joint New Kids on the Block-Backstreet Boys tour, also known as the NKOTBSB Tour, in 2011. He continued to act and has appeared as Eric Matthews in the Saw franchise, plus TV roles on Big Apple and Boomtown. The Boston native launched the dining chain Wahlburgers with his brothers Paul and Mark Wahlberg. An A&E reality series based on the brothers’ family life and experience running the restaurant aired from 2014 to 2019. He currently stars as Danny Reagan on Blue Bloods. He was married to Kimberly Fey from 1999 to 2010 and he later married Jenny McCarthy in 2014. Wahlberg and Fey share sons Xavier and Elijah.

Credit: Ron Phillips/Hollywood/Kobal/Shutterstock; Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Olivia Williams (Anna Crowe)

Williams was beginning to establish herself in the industry before Shyamalan’s film, having appeared in movies like The Postman and Rushmore. The University of Cambridge graduate later landed the role of Willis’ onscreen wife, Anna Crowe, in The Sixth Sense.

After starring in the horror flick, the British actress continued to have a long and impressive acting career. Most of her work resides within the film realm as she appeared in Anna Karenina, Hanna and An Education. She additionally made her rounds on television, with credits including Dollhouse and Counterpart. She married actor-comedian Rhashan Stone in 2003. They have two daughters, Esmé and Roxana.

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Mischa Barton (Kyra Collins)

While Barton appeared on the TV series KaBlam! and in the film Notting Hill early on in her career, playing Kyra Collins in The Sixth Sense was what truly put her on the map. As audiences may recall, the British-born actress played a young dead girl who spit up green vomit. (Fun fact: the “vomit” was comprised of a breakfast cereal mix.)

Barton’s career skyrocketed after The Sixth Sense largely due to her leading role as Marissa Cooper on The O.C. When she chose to exit the show on her own terms, her character was dramatically killed off by season 3’s end. She went on to star in movies, like Assassination of a High School President and I Will Follow You Into the Dark.

The actress chose to step away from the spotlight after living a fast-paced life in Hollywood, but she made her return to the industry after being cast on MTV’s revival series The Hills: New Beginnings in 2018. Us Weekly broke the news in March 2020 that she would not return for season 2 of the show. 

Credit: Robin Marchant/Getty Images; Walter McBride/Getty Images

Bruce Norris (Stanley Cunningham)

Norris became a working actor after graduating from Northwestern University in 1982. While he landed roles on TV shows from The Popcorn Kid to Law & Order, he was also building up his Broadway credits.

After appearing in Shyamalan’s movie, he went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2011 for his play, Clybourne Park. His play also won a Tony Award. He continued to land acting roles on TV and film, including a role in Ryan Gosling’s movie All Good Things. However, his last IMDb credit — The Sea of Trees — is listed in 2015.