What The Cast Of Zoolander Looks Like Today

Zoolander brought us everyone's favorite not so-smart-model in Ben Stiller's Derek Zoolander, a right-turning, Blue Steel-giving poser who just so happens to be able to save the Prime Minister of Malaysia from assassination. Derek's iconic lines, along with his back-up cast including Owen Wilson's Hansel and Will Ferrell's Mugatu, made Zoolander a minor hit when it debuted, with the film bringing in $60.7 million at the worldwide box office when it debuted in 2001. The movie has since become a classic, and it was popular enough to spawn a long-awaited sequel in 2016, bringing back much of the original cast.

Although Zoolander 2 was less well received than the original film, Zoolander's legacy as one of the best comedies of all time is well cemented. While some of the cast has built on that success to launch incredible careers in comedy, other stars have gone on to do other interesting things in the entertainment industry. Here's what the cast of Zoolander looks like today.

Ben Stiller pulled quadruple duty on Zoolander, starring, co-writing, directing, and producing the film. This isn't unusual for the actor, who has also stepped both behind and in front of the camera for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Tropic Thunder, The Cable Guy, Reality Bites, and the long-awaited Zoolander sequel Zoolander 2. 

Stiller doesn't always go quite that wild, though — sometimes he just stars in huge comedy favorites. The actor's other big screen roles since Zoolander include The Royal Tenenbaums, Along Came Polly, Starsky and Hutch, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Meet the Fockers, the Madagascar movies, the Night at the Museum franchise, Megamind, Little Fockers, Tower Heist, The Watch, The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and Brad's Status.

As if that didn't already make him busy enough, Stiller has also appeared in TV shows like Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Another Period, Workaholics, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He has also been busy as a producer through his Red Hour Films banner, helping out on shows like Escape at Dannemora, Another Period, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, and Burning Love. Stiller announced in 2016 that he had undergone successful surgery for prostate cancer and was now cancer-free.

Owen Wilson played Derek's nemesis-turned-friend Hansel in Zoolander, and he reprised his role for the sequel. The year after the original film was released, Wilson earned his first Oscar nomination for co-writing the screenplay for The Royal Tenenbaums alongside Wes Anderson. Wilson also starred in the film opposite his brother, Luke.

Wilson's other notable roles throughout the 2000s include Starsky and Hutch, Around the World in 80 Days, Meet the Fockers, and Wedding Crashers. He also voices the lead role of Lightning McQueen in Disney's Cars films, most recently reprising the part for 2017's Cars 3. The actor also appears in Stiller's Night at the Museum series, and has led films like You, Me and Dupree; The Darjeeling Limited; Drillbit Taylor; and Marley and Me.

Wilson has continued to book big hits over the years, including lending his voice to Marmaduke and Fantastic Mr. Fox and appearing in Little Fockers, Hall Pass, The Internship, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Mastermind, Wonder, and Father Figures. He also earned a Golden Globe nomination for starring in 2012's Midnight in Paris. Wilson has also become a father, having two sons in 2011 and 2014.

Christine Taylor married Ben Stiller the year before Zoolander debuted, and the two went on to star opposite each other in a number of films, including Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Tropic Thunder, and Zoolander 2. The pair, who started dating in 1999, have two children, a son and a daughter. They announced their separation after 17 years of marriage in May of 2017, saying that they planned to continue raising their children together as "devoted parents and the closest of friends."

Taylor's other acting roles include appearing on the cult hit Arrested Development and its modern Netflix reboot, and having guest starring roles on TV shows like Search Party, Elementary, Hannah Montana, Phineas and Ferb, American Dad, My Name is Earl, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the Yahoo! web series Burning Love, alongside Stiller.    

In film, Taylor, who prior to Zoolander was best known for paying Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel, has appeared in the thriller Room 6, the rom com License to Wed, the comedy Kabluey, the dramedy Dedication, the teen comedy The First Time, and the family drama Little Boxes.

Will Ferrell was already a huge star when he played the villain in Zoolander, and that hasn't changed at all since the film was released. Ferrell, who also returned for the sequel, has over 100 acting credits to his name, as well as dozens of producing credits and a fair number of writing credits as well.

Ferrell's most notable credits include two Golden Globe nominations for his appearances in the musical The Producers and the dramedy Stranger Than Fiction, as well as Emmy nods for executive producing Comedy Central's Drunk History and writing and producing the special You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush.

Ferrell also starred in and penned the screenplays for Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and Step Brothers. His long list of impressive film roles also includes Old School, Elf, Kicking and Screaming, Bewitched, Wedding Crashers, Curious George, Blades of Glory, Semi-Pro, The Other Guys, Megamind, The Campaign, Daddy's Home, and The Lego Movie. 

Throughout all of that, Ferrell still somehow managed to find time to appear in TV shows like The Office, Eastbound and Down, and 30 Rock. As a producer, Ferrell has been the mind behind Funny or Die, and has helped to shepherd forward shows and films like No Activity, LA to Vegas, Ibiza, The Boss, Sleeping With Other People, Tammy, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters.

Milla Jovovich was already well known for her roles in Dazed and Confused and The Fifth Element before she played the villain in Zoolander, but she would really break out the year after the film was released with her starring role in Resident Evil. Jovovich would go on to star in five more films in the action franchise, which has made more than $1.2 billion worldwide.

Although she's been busy with those films, Jovovich has still found time to star in some other big hits, including .45, The Fourth Kind, A Perfect Getaway, and the 2011 remake of The Three Musketeers, in which she played Milady de Winter. Jovovich also returned for Zoolander 2 and has had cameo roles in Barely Famous and Robot Chicken.

Resident Evil didn't just launch Jovovich's career. She also met her husband Paul W.S. Anderson on the set of the film; the pair went on to get married in 2009 after having their first child, a daughter, in 2007. They had another daughter in 2015. In addition to managing her growing family, Jovovich also has a role as the villain in the upcoming Hellboy remake.

Jerry Stiller was probably cast as Derek Zoolander's agent Maury Ballstein in Zoolander because he's the father of director, co-writer, and star Ben Stiller. But he had the comedy bona fides, having worked in show business since the 1950s, notably as one half of the popular comedy duo Stiller and Meara alongside his late wife Anne Meara, and in the '90s as George's father Frank on Seinfeld. Stiller returned for the Zoolander sequel and animated spinoff, which turned out to be his final credited roles. Up until that point, Stiller stayed very active in TV and film. He continued his role as Arthur Spooner on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens, which predated Zoolander and wrapped up in 2007 after nine seasons. Stiller also appeared in Hairspray, with his son once more in The Heartbreak Kid, and lent his voice to Teacher's Pet, The Lion King 1 1/2, and Planes: Fire and Rescue. Meara, Stiller's comedy partner and wife of 61 years, passed away in 2015, and Stiller died in 2020 at the age of 92.

David Duchovny played a hand model in Zoolander, and although he was the world's greatest, he wasn't great enough to return for Zoolander 2. Duchovny should land on his feet, though, as the actor has been busy with a number of projects in recent years, including rebooted seasons of his popular Fox series The X-Files.

Duchovny's co-star Gillian Anderson has said she's done with The X-Files, so it's unlikely that the show will go on any further. However, Duchovny did earn a Saturn Award nomination for reprising his role in the sci-fi series for both seasons of Fox's reboot. The actor already held a Golden Globe and three other nominations for the show before signing on to Zoolander.

Although Duchovny has made other film appearances, including roles in Things We Lost in the Fire, The Secret, and The Joneses, he is still best known for his work in television, most notably as the struggling writer Hank Moody in the Showtime drama series Californication, which ran for seven seasons. Duchovny won a Golden Globe for the first season and earned three further nominations for the series. After the show ended, Duchovny led the NBC series Aquarius, which was canceled after two seasons.

Jon Voight had a small role as Derek's father in Zoolander, although the Oscar-winner did not return for the sequel. Although he was already a big name before the film came out, his profile rose even further after his cameo, with the actor booking appearances in National Treasure,  Holes, and The Manchurian Candidate, and even earning his fourth Oscar nod for his supporting role in 2001's Ali. 

In 2007, Voight appeared in the first ever Transformers film, which went on to become a huge box office hit. Later that year, he also appeared in the sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and followed it up with a cameo as himself in Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder. He also appeared on Fox's hit 24 and had a role in the short-lived but critically acclaimed Fox series Lone Star. 

Voight started playing a supporting role on the Showtime series Ray Donovan in 2013, and he has earned a lot of awards attention for the series, including a Golden Globe win in 2014 and another nomination in 2015. He has also received two Emmy nominations. Voight's other recent roles include a part in the big blockbuster Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Judah Friedlander had a small role opposite Vince Vaughn as Derek's brothers in Zoolander, which marked one of his earliest onscreen credits following appearances in Wet Hot American Summer and Meet the Parents. Friedlander continued to book smaller roles in big films throughout the 2000s, including Along Came Polly, Starsky and Hutch, The Darwin Awards, and The Wrestler. 

His big breakout during those years, though, was landing the role of TGS writer Frank Rossitano in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock, which ran for seven seasons. Friedlander, along with the rest of the show's cast, was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Comedy Ensemble every year from 2008 to 2014.

After the show wrapped, Friedlander booked guest starring appearances on Childrens Hospital, Fresh Off the Boat, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, American Dad!, and Bob's Burgers. He had a voice role in Seth McFarlane's Fox animated series Bordertown, which was canceled after one season. He also appeared in Syfy's cult hit Sharknado 2: The Second One, and even had a cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. 

Nathan Lee Graham had a memorable role as Mugatu's assistant Todd in Zoolander, and he returned for the 2016 sequel. Zoolander marked Graham's first credited onscreen acting role, and he quickly followed it up with appearances in Sweet Home Alabama, Hitch, and the critically acclaimed Lisa Kudrow HBO series The Comeback.

Graham's career throughout the 2010s included appearances in the comedies Bad Actress and Trophy Kids, as well as a number of notable TV guest starring roles, including Scrubs and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. He most recently starred on the Fox sitcom LA to Vegas, which was canceled after one season.

Graham is also very active in the theater community, appearing on Broadway in The Wild Party and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He was also nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for The View Upstairs, and has appeared in regional productions of Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Once on This Island.

Alexander Skarsgard had a small role in Zoolander as one of Derek's model friends, with the role marking the Swedish actor's first American film. Although he says that he didn't work for two and a half years after the film was released, he's since done pretty well for himself, starring in huge franchise films and big TV shows.

Skarsgard's career really kicked off in 2008, when he landed the role of mysterious vampire Eric Northman on HBO's True Blood. The vampire series wound up running for seven seasons, and Skarsgard earned a Saturn Award nomination in 2010 for his work. He, along with the rest of the cast, also earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Drama Ensemble that same year.

The year the show wrapped, Skarsgard starred in the literary adaptation The Giver, along with Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges. Two years later, he returned to the Zoolander universe for Zoolander 2, appearing to Derek in a vision. That same year, he also starred in The Legend of Tarzan as the title character. 

Skarsgard's biggest role to date, though, was in the HBO series Big Little Lies, in which he played the abusive husband to Nicole Kidman's character. Skarsgard received widespread critical acclaim for the role, winning a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a SAG Award. The actor is set to return for the show's second season, which is due out in 2019.

Justin Theroux had a cameo as a DJ in Zoolander, but he wound up playing a much more important part in the Zoolander universe, co-writing the script for the long-awaited sequel alongside John Hamburg, Ben Stiller, and Nicholas Stoller. Theroux also reprised his role in the film, which he said he and Stiller got the idea to write as they finished up Tropic Thunder. 

Theroux's other work as a writer includes the screenplays for Tropic Thunder, Iron Man 2, and Rock of Ages. However, he is best known as an actor, appearing in lots of big screen hits, including Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Miami Vice, Megamind, The Girl on the Train, The Lego Ninjago Movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and The Spy Who Dumped Me. 

Theroux has also done some impressive work in television, including recurring guest starring roles on shows like Parks and Recreation, Six Feet Under, and Alias. He also had a role on the critically acclaimed series The Leftovers, which ran for three seasons on HBO. Theroux was in the news for his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, with the pair announcing that they were parting ways in February of 2018.