American Graffiti: Where Are They Now
A love letter to pre-Vietnam Americana, director George Lucas' 'American Graffiti' (1973) captured one life-changing night for four young men in 1962 Modesto, California. Its success helped launch the acting careers of up-and-comers such as Harrison Ford and Richard Dreyfuss and gave Lucas the clout to get his next project -- a little "space opera" entitled 'Star Wars' -- off the ground. As 'Graffiti' turns 35, Moviefone checks in with the ensemble cast. --By Mickey O'Connor
Everett Collection (4)
Ron Howard
Then: The child star ('The Andy Griffith Show') initially doubted his chances to land a role in 'Graffiti,' since his agent told him it was a musical and he couldn't sing. Playing Steve, a straight-arrow high-school senior heading for college on the East Coast the next morning, prepped him to play squeaky-clean Richie Cunningham on the popular sitcom 'Happy Days.'
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Ron Howard
Now: He's since moved behind the camera to direct a slew of box office hits, including 'Splash,' 'Apollo 13,' 'A Beautiful Mind' (for which he won an Oscar) and 'The Da Vinci Code.' He recently wrapped the Watergate drama 'Frost/Nixon,' and will next helm the 'Da Vinci' prequel 'Angels & Demons.' Fun fact: He also narrated the critically beloved sitcom 'Arrested Development.'
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Richard Dreyfuss
Then: Dreyfuss was a fresh-faced TV actor when he was cast as Curt, the college-bound kid who goes looking for a mysterious blonde (Suzanne Somers) in a T-Bird and ends up finding DJ Wolfman Jack. Dreyfuss followed up the role with Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' in 1975 and a Best Actor Oscar for 1977's 'The Goodbye Girl.'
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Richard Dreyfuss
Now: Dreyfuss nabbed another Oscar nomination for 1995's 'Mr. Holland's Opus' and last graced the big screen in Wolfgang Petersen's epic flop 'Poseidon.' He'll next co-star with Nia Vardalos ('My Big Fat Greek Wedding') in 'My Life in Ruins,' a comedy about a woman who gives tours of ancient sites in Greece.
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Paul Le Mat
Then: Le Mat was an amateur boxer when Lucas hired him to drive the film's signature banana-yellow deuce coupe (Lucas paid homage to the car with a yellow speeder in Attack of the Clones'). Le Mat won a Golden Globe for his turn as Milner, a drag racer whose tough-guy image is compromised when he has to baby-sit 12-year-old Carol for the evening.
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Paul Le Mat
Now: Although Le Mat continues to act (he showed up in two 'Lonesome Dove' TV series and 1998's 'American History X'), he also makes personal appearances relating to his role in 'American Graffiti.' Fun fact: Most of his 'Graffiti' co-stars are listed as friends on his official MySpace page.
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Mackenzie Phillips
Then: A 12-year-old Phillips owns all her scenes as Carol, a precocious little sister who improbably ends up cruising the streets with Milner. Two years after 'Graffiti,' she became a household name playing Julie Cooper on the TV sitcom 'One Day at a Time,' opposite Valerie Bertinelli, before drug addiction derailed her career.
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Mackenzie Phillips
Now: With her drug problems behind her, Phillips starred in the Disney series 'So Weird' from 1999-2001 and has since found a home on crime procedurals, with guest spots on 'Crossing Jordan,' 'Without a Trace,' 'NYPD Blue' and 'Cold Case.' The cast of 'One Day at a Time' recently reunited on the 'Today' show.
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Charles Martin Smith
Then: The bumbling "Toad" lures "bitchin' babe" Debbie into his friend Steve's '58 Chevy Impala because she loves its tuck-and-roll upholstery. The mismatched pair's comedy-of-errors evening ends in an unexpectedly touching love connection.
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