What happened to the cast of The Princess Bride, cult film of the 80s?

'The Princess Bride' is a classic movie that is still remembered to this day. Year after year, fans of the movie rewatch it and are inspired by its characters. But what happened to the actors and actresses who played them?

Directed by Rob Reiner, script by William Goldman, and music by the brilliant Mark Knopfler, the movie was released in 1987. It tells the story of a brave knight who returns home after making a fortune to marry the woman he once swore his true love to. We discover the story through the words of a grandfather who is telling it to his grandson.

The young, brave, and sharp knight is Westley who is disguised as Pirate Roberts to pass undetected. However, he will have to fight a bunch of criminals and Prince Humperdinck who wants to marry his true love.

Son of a painter and a decorator, Cary Elwes was born in the UK but moved to the U.S. to study acting at Sarah Lawrence College. After his unknown role in the 1979 movie 'Yesterday's Hero', Elwes became famous thanks to 'The Princess Bride' (1987).

After playing this '80s knight, Cary Elwes had a very prolific career and was part of movies like 'Bram's Stoker Dracula' (1992), 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' (1993, 'Twister' (1996), 'Saw' (2004), 'The Adventures of Tintin' (2011), and many more.

The actor is still working on movies and appearing in TV shows. For example, he plays The King in the acclaimed series 'Rebel Moon' (2023-24).

The beautiful Buttercup is actually not a princess. She lives on her farm in the fictitious country of Florin and Westley is her loyal farmhand who always answers with "as you wish". They fall in love, but when Westley ventures to find fortune, he is captured and presumed dead. Buttercup is now forced to marry Humperdinck; however, a peculiar trio manages to kidnap her.

We may know her for her roles as Jenny Curran in 'Forrest Gump' and Claire Underwood in 'House of Cards', but Robin Wright has starred in many movies. Her first job as an actress was in the movie 'Hollywood Vice Squad' in 1986.

'The Princess Bride' was her second movie. Afterward, she played Kelly Capwell in the show 'Santa Barbara' and received a nomination for a Daytime Emmy. Her career kept growing with several films, including 'Moneyball' (2011) and 'Wonder Woman' (2017).

Image: House of Cards / Netflix

In 2021, we saw the actress in 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' and in 2023, in 'Devil's Peak'. She also directed an episode of the acclaimed crime series 'Ozark' in 2022.

As for her private life, it's worth mentioning her relationship with Sean Penn who she married in 1996. After 15 years together, the couple, who had 2 kids, divorced in 2010. In 2018, the actress married Clément Giraudet, her third husband, but they got divorced in 2022.

And who was the mastermind of the band of criminals that kidnapped Buttercup? A small, smart Sicilian guy called Vizzini. Along with his two henchmen, Vizzini was hired by an anonymous person to kidnap Buttercup and start a war between Florin and its neighboring realm.

The actor started his career in theater in 1970 but was introduced to the film industry in 1979 by playing Diane Keaton's ex-husband in Woody Allen's 'Manhattan'. Before his participation in 'The Princess Bride', Shawn was part of four other movies - a preview of the successful career he would have.

Vizzini was one of his most memorable characters along with Mr. Hall in 'Clueless' (1995). The actor also played colorful supporting roles in several films and series like 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Gossip Girl'.

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We not only recognize Wallace Shawn's face, but his voice has also been part of some incredible projects like 'Toy Story', 'The Incredibles' and 'Family Guy'.

Although he's past the mark of 80 years, Wallace Shawn still plays the occasional role. He starred in Woody Allen's 'Rifkin's Festival' as Mort Rifkin and also appeared in the TV shows like 'Evil' and 'Bubble Guppies' in 2022.

The Spanish swordsman Iñigo Montoya is the second member of the criminal band. He is obsessed with seeking revenge for his father's death, Domingo Montoya, and knows exactly what to say to his six-finger murderer: "Hello. My name is Iñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Just like Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin started his career in theater, but in 1979 he went straight to acting in films. With 'The Princess Bride' and Iñigo Montoya he made a big impact.

From that moment, his professional career would split in two: acting and music. As a professional actor, we have seen Patinkin in films like 'Alien Nation' (1988) and in series like 'Chicago Hope' and 'The Good Fight'. As a musician, he participated in 11 albums from 1978 until 2002.

Two important recent roles on TV have made him known to the current audience: 'Homeland', where he played Saul Berenson until 2020, and 'Criminal Minds,' where he's played Jason Gideon since 2005.

Finally, the last member of the odd criminal trio that kidnaps Buttercup is the giant Fezzik. An incredibly big Turkish wrestler that fights anyone he's told to do so... And Westley was one to suffer his rage.

Originally from France, André The Giant's real occupation was wrestling. He won 3 times the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Unfortunately, due to his posture, complicated lifestyle, André René Roussimoff (his real name) passed away in 1993 at just 46 years old.

He died three years after we saw him in 'The Princess Bride', but he had previously appeared in 'Conan the Destroyer' and 'I Like to Hurt People', as well as different TV episodes. However, his last film, 'Trading Mom' (1994) was released a year after his death.

In 2018, the documentary 'André The Giant' directed by Jason Hehir and distributed by HBO was released. A biographical piece where we could see André himself talking, as well as different images of his life.

These classic princess tales would be nothing without the bad guys. In this story, the most important of all is Prince Humperdinck, the heir to the throne of Florin, who has decided to marry the beautiful Buttercup and is not taking no for an answer. In fact, Humperdinck was already engaged to Princess Guilder from the rival realm, but when he discovers she is bald, the Prince sends Count Rugen to look for a beautiful woman... who turns out to be Buttercup.

The Beckley (Virginia) actor started acting after college thanks to his passion for theater. He would later move to New York where starred in his first film, 'Dog Day Afternoon,' in 1975. In the movie, he played the trans wife of Al Pacino, a performance that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Before becoming Prince Humperdinck, Chris Sarandon was known for his role as Jerry Dandrige in the film 'Fright Night' (1985). Another classic in his repertoire came in 1993: 'The Nightmare Before Christmas.' Afterward, he continued with appearances in big shows and movies: 'Judging Amy', 'Charmed', 'Law & Order', and 'The Good Wife' are among them.

The actor has also triumphed in his first passion, theater, when in 2006 he played the role of Signor Naccarellien in the six-time Tony-award-winning Broadway musical 'The Light in the Piazza'.

In 'The Princess Bride' the most evil of all is Count Rugen, the six-fingered man who works for the Prince and is destined to encounter Iñigo Montoya.

The actor began in the 70s with roles such as Reilly in 'Death Wish'. He also appeared in TV movies like 'This is Spinal Tap' (1984) where he played the guitar player Nigel Tufnel — one of the most memorable roles of his career.

Christopher Guest has some famous movies apart from 'The Princess Bride' on his resume: 'A Few Good Men' (1992), 'Night at the Museum' (2009), and 'Mascots' (2016) are among them.

His personal life is very much attached to the industry as well. Since 1984, he has been married to actress Jamie Lee Curtis and the couple has two sons together.

This miraculous healer helps Westley after Iñigo Montoya and Fezzik rescue him from the torture chamber of Count Rugen. Luckily, (spoiler alert) Miracle Max is able to bring Westley back to life to continue his search for his beloved Buttercup.

While few people were able to recognize him in 'The Princess Bride', this actor was no rookie. He had been working as an actor for 12 years when the movie came out. At the time, we had seen Crystal in 'Rabbit Test' (1978), 'Running Scared' (1986), and 'This is Spinal Tap' (1984) where he shared the screen with Christopher Guest.

After 'The Princess Bride', Billy Crystal focused on his comic side and participated in some of the most iconic comedy movies of Hollywood, such as 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989). For his role in the movie, starring Meg Ryan, Crystal was nominated for a Golden Globe.

The actor has starred in countless of movies and has been the voice of iconic characters in films like 'Cars', 'Howl's Moving Castle', and 'Monsters Inc.' He's also won several Emmy Awards for hosting live galas like the Oscars and the Grammys.

Billy Crystal presented the Oscars in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, and 2012, making him one of the people who have hosted the award show the most —after Bob Hope.

In 'The Princess Bride,' Carol Kane plays Valerie, the wife of Miracle Max. She is the one who hears what Westley whispers when he appears dead. His husband believes Westley has said "to blave" which means "to bluff," but she knows he said "true love".

Carol Kane became known for her role in 'Hester Street' (1975) for which she was nominated for an Oscar. But the actress would mostly be recognized for her role as Simka Dahblitz-Gravas opposite Andy Kaufman in the TV show 'Taxi' (1981-83); a role that got her two Emmys.

The successes of the past, along with her secondary role in 'The Princess Bride', add to a resume of more than 80 titles. We highlight among them her role in the comedy 'Scrooges' (1988) starring Bill Murray, and the series 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' in which she played Lillian Kaushtupper for 42 episodes.

The actress' career continues. She was in the series 'Hunters' in 2022 and 2023, and in 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' in 2023.

The beautiful story of 'The Princess Bride' is told by a grandfather who is taking care of his sick grandson. As he explains at the beginning, the tale was told to him when he was sick, too.

Peter Falk's most famous role was Columbo. The show of the same name was the peak of his career. It aired from 1971 to 1978 and has had many reruns. However, the actor had worked movies since the 1950s, such as 'Wind Across the Everglades' in 1958.

Before becoming the famous Columbo, Peter Falk starred in Frank Capra's movie 'Pocketful of Miracles' (1961) and was the chosen actor in the independent movies of John Cassavetes.

After 'The Princess Bride', the actor could be seen in several movies and series until he passed away in 2011.

It was not an easy part of his life, the last, because he had personal issues with his daughter about money and properties while suffering from alzheimer. The best memories of Peter Falk are undoubtedly those of his 'Columbo' years and the 80s.

Back to 'The Princess Bride' for the last, huge actor of its cast. Engaging a little bit more with every step of the story, the grandson, played by Fred Savage, is always interrupting and impatient during the telling of the tale.

'The Princess Bride' was one of the first projects of the young actor, who also appeared in the show 'The Boy Who Could Fly' (1986) and other TV shows. You may not even remember him from 'The Princess Bride,' because a much bigger project came right after it...

He is most known for his role of Kevin Arnold in 'The Wonder years' (1988-93). Fred Savage was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Comedy Show at just 13 years old.

But what happened to him after his early success? Since 1999, Savage has mostly worked behind the screen. He was the director of some episodes in shows like 'Boy Meets World', 'Drake & Josh', 'Hannah Montana' and 'Modern Family'.

Fred Savage was the center of controversy at work several times. He was fired from the set of the 'Wonder Years' remake in 2022 due to alleged misconduct. It remains to be seen what's next in store for this iconic actor.

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