Long before vampires prowled the streets of Sunnydale, Forks, Bon Temps or Mystic Falls, they were skulking around Santa Carla, California, terrifying the populace in arguably one of the greatest vampire movies of all time. Joel Schumaker’s 1987 film The Lost Boys followed the story of two brothers who moved to a serene beachside town in California, only to discover that it was home to a vicious yet enticing gang of vampires. In many ways, The Lost Boys introduced viewers to the “young and hip” vampire that would come to dominate the genre in the later years. These vampires were a clear deviation from the vampire archetype that had been established by Bram Stoker’s Dracula: rather than embodying sophisticated poise, these vampires were all about youthful indulgence and recklessness. More so, this movie’s unique blend of horror and humor helped the movie quickly become a cult classic—and it didn’t hurt that the movie had a stellar cast, some of whom would become major movie and television stars while others, regretfully, would not.
So, where are the cast members now? Let’s take a look:
Kiefer Sutherland (David)
I wouldn’t say that The Lost Boys jump-started Kiefer’s career—prior to the premiere of this movie, he had already established himself as the Bad Boy of the 1980s with movies such as Stand by Me, which was his debut film—but being in The Lost Boys certainly served to demonstrate what a versatile actor he could be. Over the years, he has been involved with a plethora of television and film projects, earning himself a Golden Globe, an Emmy, two Golden Satellite Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Western Heritage Award, as well as an awe-inspiring 51 nominations. Probably his most notable projects post-The Lost Boys are: the films Young Guns I & 2, Flatliners, A Few Good Men, The Three Muskateers, and Phone Booth, and the television shows 24, which ran for nine seasons before ending in 2010, and Touched, which ran for only one season. His most recent project includes the Western film Forsaken, in which he stars alongside his father, Donald Sutherland, and Demi Moore.
Jason Patric (Michael Emerson)
As the son of Jason Miller and the grandson of Jackie Gleason, one could say that Jason Patric was destined for a career in acting. The Lost Boys, which was Jason Patric’s film debut, was the first of many big name films that Patric starred in. Over the course of two decades, he snagged roles in a number of big name films, including the movies Rush, Sleepers, The Alamo, My Sister’s Keeper, The Losers, The Outsider and The Abandoned. Fans can anticipate seeing him in the upcoming the action-adventure Lost & Found, which will be released later this year.
Corey Haim (Sam Emerson)
Corey Haim’s career began long before he starred in The Lost Boys as Sam. His first feature film role was at the tender age of 10, in the movie Firstborn, in which he starred alongside Robert Downey Jr. and Sarah Jessica Parker. From there, he claimed roles in a multitude of movies, most notably Lucas, Silver Bullet, A Time to Live, Murphy’s Romance, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream, as well as in a few TV shows, including Roomies and Big Wolf on Campus. In addition, he also returned as Sam in one of The Lost Boys sequels, The Lost Boys: The Tribe. Before his death in 2010 due to pneumonia, he had a reality show on A&E with real life BFF Corey Feldman called The Two Coreys. The movie Decisions, in which he played Det. Lou Andreas, was released a year after his death.
Corey Feldman (Edgar Frog)
Like Corey Haim, Corey Feldman’s acting career began early, with him playing extras in movies when he was just seven years old. In the 1980s, he played a multitude of eccentric characters, including “Mouth” in The Goonies and the troubled and unruly Teddy in Stand by Me. However, it was The Lost Boys which really propelled his career, getting him roles in bigger name movies. His film credits include: License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Blown Away, Maverick, The Lost Boys: The Tribe, The Lost Boys: The Thirst, Six Degrees of Hell, Exposure and The M Word. In addition, he has also claimed roles in a number of television shows as either a guest star or a recurring character, such as Married with Children, Burke’s Law, Tales from the Crypt and Dweebs. Most recently, he played Johnny Splatter in the television series Splatter, the character Thorn in Psyche and Slash for two seasons in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He can soon be seen in the upcoming movie JOB’s Daughter, in which he plays the character Agent Barnes.
Jamison Newlander (Alan Frog)
Jamison Newlander’s career began with The Lost Boys but, sadly, the movie didn’t launch his to the same extent as it did for his costars. He appeared in the 1987 remake of The Blob and in the TV movie Valerie, opposite Jason Bateman and Valery Harper. In addition, he returned as Alan Frog in both of The Lost Boys sequels: The Lost Boys: The Tribe and The Lost Boys: The Thirst. Most of his attention, however, was focused on establishing himself as a playwright. After getting his BFA in acting at NYU, he acted on stages in New York, Vermont, Kentucky and California throughout his 20s. While doing theater, he also began writing, becoming an award-winning playwright for his 1996 play, “Remember This.” In 2003, his movie Rooster, which he wrote, directed and starred in, made its debut on the film festival circuit. His most recent project is the first ever user-created soap opera on the web, WikisoapTM.
Jami Gertz (Star)
In the 1980s, Jami Gertz was in a plethora of iconic movies, including Sixteen Candles, Crossroads and Less Than Zero, so she was well on her way to becoming a Hollywood starlet by the time that The Lost Boys rolled around. Since then, she’s starred in several television shows and movies, most notably as Dr. Melissa Reeves in Twister, Dr. Nina Pomerantz in ER, Kimmy Bishop in Ally McBeal, Judy Miller in Still Standing, Marlo Klein in Entourage, Laura in Modern Family and Debbie Weaver in The Neighbors. Fans can expect to see her in ABC’s NBA Comedy project, which does not yet have a release date.
Dianne Weist (Lucy Emerson)
The extraordinarily talented Dianne Weist, who played Michael and Sam’s mother in The Lost Boys, was already an Oscar-winning actress before the movie was released. She won her first Oscar for her role in 1986’s Hannah and the Sisters, which was followed by another win for her role in 1995’s Bullets Over Broadway. Over the course of her three decades long career, she’s won an astounding 35 awards for her acting, with 20 more nominations. Some of her most memorable roles include Peg in Edward Scissorhands, Helen Sinclair in Bullets over Broadway, Louise Keeley in The Birdcage, Aunt Jet in Practical Magic, The Evil Queen in the TV miniseries The 10th Kingdom, D.A. Nora Lewin in Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Law and Order: SVU, Dr. Gina Toll in the TV series In Treatment, for which she won an Emmy, and Ms. Bernice Crudstaff in The Odd Life of Timothy Green. She recently completed filming the comedy Sisters, in which she stars alongside Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.
Edward Herrmann (Max)
It’s hard to believe that the man who played the head vampire in The Lost Boys is also the man who played the loving and amiable Richard Gilmore on Gilmore Girls, but they are one in the same. After The Lost Boys, Edward had many roles on television and in the movies, including the shows The Practice, Oz, Gilmore Girls, Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order and Drop Dead Diva, and movies such as My Boyfriend’s Back, The Aviator and I Think I Love My Wife. Sadly, he passed away December 31, 2014, but fans can expect to see him in his last project, which has not yet been released: the movie Coach of the Year.
Barnard Hughs (Grandpa)
Ah, Grandpa, that eccentric man who uttered one of the movie’s most memorable quotes: “One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach: all the damn vampires.” His real life counterpart, Barnard Hughs, was an Emmy and Tony award-winning actor whose career really took off when he was middle-aged. His most notable roles include Max Merlin in the TV series Mr. Merlin, Dr. Walter Gibbs/Dumont in 1982’s Tron, Francis “Pop” Cavanaugh in the TV series The Cavanaughs, Father Maurice in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Beaumont in The Odd Couple II, and Judge Panicio in the TV series Deadline. He passed away in 2006, at the ripe old age of 91.
Brooke McCarter (Paul)
After starring as the vampire Paul in The Lost Boys, Brooke McCarter’s career didn’t really go anywhere. He played a Punk Rocker in the 1989 movie Wired and had a few odds and ends roles here and there, but nothing substantial. His most recent project, The Emerging Past Directors Cut, which he produced and acted in, is slated for release on November 4, 2015.
Billy Wirth (Dwayne)
Billy Wirth’s career post-The Lost Boys flourished a little better than Brooke McCarter’s. In 1995, he starred in the sci-fi movie Starlight, alongside Rae Dawn Chong and Willie Nelson. He also snagged some guest roles on television shows such as Charmed, Sex and the City, CSI, Law and Order: CI, Summerland and Chicago P.D. His most recent role was Oleg in the drama Cats Dancing on Jupiter, and he is currently filming the movie One Week in Hollywood, which is described as “a dark, satirical comedy about a writer’s week in Hollywood.”
Alex Winter (Marko)
While Alex Winter snagged a few roles in the 90s after The Lost Boys, including the role of Bill S. Preston, Esq. in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures, his career never really took off; in 1993, he co-wrote, co-directed and acted in the film Freaked before he disappeared from acting for several years. Then, he returned in 2007 with a guest spot on Bones, as King Mole Man in Saul of the Mole Men, and as Constantine Jacobs in the TV movie Ben 10: Race Against Time, and is currently working with Keanu Reeves on the third installment in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures.
Chance Michael Corbitt (Laddie)
The Lost Boys’ littlest vampire snagged a few roles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as Zeke in the television show Beauty and the Beast, Jeffrey Craig in the television show Major Dad, and Kyle Buchanan in Baywatch before he too disappeared from acting. In 2005, he returned to acting after an eleven year break with the movie Marilyn Hotchkiss’s Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, which was followed by a role in Hallow’s Eve in 2013, but since then, nothing.
Alexander Bacan Chapman (Greg)
Last and…maybe least, we have Alexander Bacan Chapman, who’s career went nowhere after the movie ended. In 1989, he played Con in the TV special What’s Alan Watching, which was followed by the short film The Fire Ahead in 2013, but that’s pretty much it.