 It's hard to believe that it's been almost 25 years since Independence Day was released in theatres. Back in 1996 this movie became the ultimate summer blockbuster when it grossed over 800 million dollars at the box office and would go on to earn an Academy Award for visual effects. But as memorable as all those many many explosions are, the reason why Independence Day has lasted as long as it has in our collective consciousness has more to do with its all star cast than it does with its trailblazing special effects. For a movie made in the 90s, it's got the type of cast that could still sell a movie today with a diverse group of talent, including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman in the lead roles and rounded off with supporting players like Vivica A. Fox, Mary Mcdonald May Whitman, Randy Quaid and Harry Connick Jr. Despite all of these recognisable names, not one of them was the star of the film. Instead, Independence Day was far more of an ensemble cast without one main character taking the spotlight away from anyone else, enabling its audience to form connections with multiple characters. We got to see Will kicking some alien butt out in the desert, Randy sacrificed himself to take out the mothership and Bill delivering one of the most unforgettable presidential speeches of all time. Each character and actor had their chance to shine, so today we're going to take a look back at the cast of this cherished film to see where they were in their career when they made the movie and where they would wind up as a result of it. In this new series we're calling then and now. How's it going guys and girls, it's Kara here for you with a brand new series. We all love nostalgia, that's why things like Pokemon and Barbie will never fall out of fashion. But few things get our nostalgia flowing better than our favorite movies and TV shows that we used to watch as kids. So in this series we're going to take a look back at some of the Alzheimer's to see how they shaped the celebrity landscape and impacted our lives. Today in the spirit of America coming together to choose their president for the next four years, we thought we'd look at one of the most patriotic movies of all time, Independence Day. Alright, let's get into this video. We'll kick things off with the Fresh Prince himself, Will Smith. Back in 1996, Will was just wrapping up his transition from rap musician to TV star and he was coming off his first movie as a co-lead, Michael Bay's equally unforgettable Bad Boys. He'll never say I wasn't there for you. Despite the success of that film, it was far from a guarantee that he could pull off the action hero role of Stephen Hiller in Independence Day, but Will's unbelievable charisma shined through in every scene of this film and helped transform him into one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. He followed up the success with another sci-fi gem, Men in Black, which also allowed him to flex his comedic chops and then he'd go on to earn himself Academy Award nominations for his work in film like Ali and the Pursuit of Happiness. To this day, he remains one of Hollywood's biggest stars even if he's not the box office guarantee he once was, after Earth. But earlier this year, A Bad Boys for Life showed that Will still got it when it became the highest-grossing film in North America for 2020. Although if we're being honest, the pandemic had more than a little to do with that result. Phil Pullman's president of the United States, Thomas J. Whitmore, is probably his most infamous role, thanks to his rousing speech towards the end of this film. I mean, besides Will Smith, he's probably the character and actor most people associate this movie with. Despite his stoic nature in this film, Bill Pullman first came to prominence thanks to his comedic work in films like Roofless People, Casper, and Spaceballs. Since telling all of us that July 4th is the day the entire world celebrates our Independence Day, Bill has worked steadily, often showing up in supporting roles in other movies and television series like that time he fought a giant crocodile in Lake Placid. And he even played the president of the United States again, not once but twice. First in the television series, 1600 Pen, and then more recently in the sequel to Independence Day, Independence Day Resurgence. But the less we talk about that movie, the better. From everyone's favorite president to everyone's favorite actor, Jeff Goldblum is next. Prior to this film, Jeff had just finished proving that life finds a way in the hit film Jurassic Park, where he played the sexiest scientist ever, Ian Malcolm. Bah, he was probably best known for his creepy and disturbing performance in David Cronenberg's The Fly. After Independence Day, Jeff would go on to lead the Jurassic Park sequel, The Lost World, which unfortunately wasn't as big of a hit as the prior film. After that, he started to gravitate towards television for a while, including a lead role for one season of Law and Order Criminal Intense. But these days, if there's a Wes Anderson film about to be released, then you can bet that Jeff will be making an appearance. He might not be the leading man he once was, but there isn't a movie out there that doesn't benefit from Jeff Goldblum's presence. Back when Independence Day first came out, Vivica A. Fox made an impression on a whole lot of young boys with one scene in particular. She played Will Smith's wife, Jasmine, in the film. Prior to this role, Vivica had bit roles in projects like Born on the Fourth of July, and she even had a guest appearance on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Did you think you could sample the milk without putting a down payment on the cow? But Independence Day would be her first decent-sized role in a film. After this film's release, Vivica would continue to work steadily. Her most noteworthy role was probably her performance as Bernita Green in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, where she had one of the most badass fight scenes of all time. But she's also had guest spots on popular television series like Empire. Unlike Will, Vivica actually came back for the Independence Day sequel, and what must have been one of the most impressive off-screen glow-ups in film history. She went from being a dancer at a gentleman's club to a full-blown doctor in the sequel. I guess she was working her way through med school in that first movie. Now we come to the most lovable lug in the whole film, Randy Quaid's Russell Kass, the everyman character. He wasn't rich and he wasn't important, though he wasn't even all that smart. But if it wasn't for him, we'd all be alien slaves right now. And when you need an actor to pull off dumb but lovable, there's one man and one man only you can call on Randy Quaid. Randy is probably best remembered as the buffoon of a brother-in-law to Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. But after successfully saving his family and the entire world from alien invaders and independence day, Randy's career took a bit of a nosedive. He appeared in films like Brokeback Mountain and The Ice Harvest, but legal problems stemming from a burglary charge in California would bring his career to a grinding halt. For a period of about 5 years he was also hiding out in Canada, seeking refugee status because he was afraid of being assassinated. And then there was the whole posting some inappropriate tapes to the internet thing. Seriously, it hasn't been a great time to be Randy Quaid. Google him at your own discretion. In Independence Day, Mary McDonnell plays First Lady Marilyn Whitmore and prior to this film, she was probably best known for the series of Oscar nominations she scored for her work in Dances with Wolves and Passion Fish. After Independence Day, Mary would go on to star in another sci-fi classic as the president in television's Battlestar Galactica. Seriously, if you've never seen that series, she gives even Bill Pullman a run for his money as the leader of the free world, but this time in actual space. Alright, up next is Mae Whitman. Wait, who does she play? Oh, her? Yes, her. Mae Whitman might have just been a child in Independence Day but one day she grew up to start in the greatest sitcom of all time, Arrested Development, and then co-lead her own series in Good Girls. Hey, good for her. You might forget that Harry Connick Jr. was in Independence Day, after all, he doesn't survive the first act of the film. I can't breathe! Will's wingman Jimmy Wilder, but despite dying super early on in the film, he was arguably one of the most recognizable names at the time of the film's release, thanks in large part to his singing career. Harry has dabbled in acting over the years, including playing a serial killer in copy cavities, probably best known now as a judge on American Idol. Alright guys, I think we'll bring this look back at the cast of Independence Day to an end there. I mean, we could look at what the aliens did next after they reappeared in the sequel, but any film that's willing to kill a Will Smith character off-screen is probably not worth the time and effort, which is just too bad. Because a sequel to this film with the entire cast returning could have been really great. Oh well. Think of the cast of Independence Day then and now. Who would you say has had the best career since the release of the film? And most importantly, which one of these actors was the best part of this movie? Let me know your thoughts down below. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram if you feel like chatting and leaving ideas for another entry in this series. I'll see you guys all in the next video. Bye!