What The Cast Of Half Baked Looks Like Today

Blame it on the memory loss, but it seems impossible that it's already been 20 years since the classic stoner comedy Half Baked came out. The film stars Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, and Jim Breuer as three buddies who need to raise money fast to bail their friend out of jail. They get the bright idea to start stelling a high-powered strain of weed stolen from a pharmaceutical lab — putting them in danger after a rival drug dealer gets wind of their new business.

Half Baked wasn't particularly successful when it was released in January 1998, earning just $17 million at the box office. However, the film went on to gain legions of new fans on DVD, particularly after Dave Chappelle's rise to fame. Let's take a look back at the extremely funny cast that helped make Half Baked into a comedy cult classic, and see what they look like and are up to today.  

Dave Chappelle - Thurgood Jenkins/Sir Smoke-a-Lot

Comedian Dave Chappelle stars in Half Baked as Thurgood Jenkins, a marijuana aficionado and "master of the custodial arts" who turns to selling stolen weed in order to raise the money to bail his friend Kenny out of jail. Chappelle also appears in the film as the rap star "Sir Smoke-a-Lot."

After starring in Half Baked, Chappelle's career really took off. He recorded his first stand-up special for HBO in 2000, and had small roles in the films Blue Streak (1999) and Undercover Brother (2002). In 2003, his sketch comedy series Chappelle's Show premiered on Comedy Central, making him a household name. After three seasons, he left the series (and, briefly, the United States) over concerns about the direction the show had taken; he largely stayed out of the limelight until 2013, when he returned to stand-up touring. Chappelle filmed four comedy specials for Netflix in 2017, and won a Grammy Award in January 2018 for his comedy album The Age Of Spin & Deep In The Heart Of Texas.

Guillermo Díaz - Scarface

In Half Baked, Guillermo Díaz plays Scarface, the resident "tough guy" among Thurgood's circle of friends. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Scarface quits his dead-end job at a burger joint with a profanity-laced tirade directed at his coworkers and customers, except that one little old lady—she's cool.  

Since his appearance in Half Baked, Díaz has been seen in dozens of other movies and TV shows. After a few appearances on Chappelle's Show, he landed a prominent guest-starring role in the hit Showtime series Weeds as tough drug dealer Guillermo García Gómez from 2007 to 2012. Díaz has also had recurring roles on the TV shows Mercy, Poor Paul, and No Ordinary Family. Since 2012, he's starred as Diego "Huck" Muñoz on the popular ABC political thriller series Scandal.

Jim Breuer - Brian

Comedian Jim Breuer delivers a memorable performance in Half Baked as Brian, a dim-witted and cheerful stoner with a penchant for tie-dye. Although Breuer really looks like he was high as a kite throughout the film, he later explained in his stand-up routines that his "drug face" is actually just what he looks like all the time.

Since his performance in Half Baked, Breuer has made only occasional movie or TV appearances as an actor. You may have spotted him in a couple of Chappelle's Show episodes reprising his role as Brian, or on the short-lived MTV series The Jim Breuer Show in the late '90s. From 2016-2017, Breuer appeared in a recurring role on the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait. In recent years, the comedian has mostly focused on his stand-up career — touring regularly, recording specials for television, and guesting on radio shows like The Howard Stern Show and Opie and Anthony. Since 2009, Breuer has hosted his own weekly radio show for SiriusXM on its "Raw Dog Comedy" channel.

Harland Williams - Kenny Davis

For happy-go-lucky Kenny (Harland Williams), a munchies-inspired trip to the store turns disastrous when he accidentally kills a diabetic police horse by feeding it junk food. When Kenny is charged with murder and locked up with hardened criminals, Thurgood and his friends must come up with the bail money to spring him from jail.

Since his appearance in Half Baked, comedian Harland Williams has continued to act regularly. He's been in films like Superstar (1999), Freddy Got Fingered (2001), and Employee of the Month (2006), and starred in TV shows including the Canadian sitcom Package Deal from 2013-2014. These days, Williams tours regularly with his stand-up routine, hosts a weekly podcast, and frequently provides voice talent for animated shows like Skylanders Academy.

Clarence Williams III - Samson Simpson

For drug lord Samson Simpson (Clarence Williams III), Thurgood's "Mr. Nice Guy" weed delivery service presents a major problem. With Thurgood's superpowered weed taking the streets by storm, Samson's profits start to tank — so he threatens to kill Thurgood and his friends if they don't start paying him $20,000 a week. The cops coerce Thurgood into wearing a wire to his next meeting with Samson, setting the stage for a final showdown with the kingpin and his army of female bodyguards.

Although he plays a drug lord in Half Baked, Clarence Williams III's most widely remembered as undercover cop Lincoln Hayes in the 1960s TV series Mod Squad. He continued to act after Half Baked, and his Hollywood career now spans five decades of film and TV appearances. You may have spotted him in the Mystery Woman series of TV movies or as Harlem mob boss Bumpy Johnson in 2007's American Gangster with Denzel Washington (and the rest of the star-studded cast). More recently, Williams appeared as Huey Jarvis in a 2016 episode of the Fox music drama Empire.

Rachel True - Mary Jane Potman

Thurgood's personal life takes a turn for the better when he meets the beautiful Mary Jane Potman (Rachel True) and falls for her immediately. There's one big problem, however: Mary Jane hates marijuana because it ruined the life of her drug-dealer father. Thurgood's relationship with her starts to fall apart when she finds out he's selling weed, despite his good reason for doing so.

After back-to-back prominent roles in The Craft (1996) and Half Baked, Rachel True continued her successful Hollywood career with more appearances on TV and in films. True had parts in Groove (2002) and Once and Again (1999-2000) before landing a starring part in the UPN series Half & Half, playing music-industry executive Mona Thorne from 2002 to 2006. These days, True occasionally works as a tarot card reader in Los Angeles, but she isn't done acting. Along with several roles in 2017, True has been cast as legendary 19th century New Orleans spiritualist Marie Laveau for an upcoming biopic about the Voodoo Queen's life.  

Laura Silverman - Jan

When Brian gets fired from the record store where he works, Jan (Laura Silverman) shows solidarity with the stoner by walking out with him. The clueless Brian immediately asks her to be his girlfriend, which Jan politely declines because she's a lesbian. This doesn't hurt their budding friendship, though — and Jan joins Brian as an unofficial member of Thurgood's stoner crew for the rest of the film.

Although you might be more familiar with her younger sister, comedian Sarah Silverman, Laura Silverman is an accomplished talent in her own right. Along with appearances on her sister's show The Sarah Silverman Program, Laura has had roles in State and Main (2002), The King of Queens (2005-2006), and the HBO comedy series The Comeback (2005-2014) alongside Lisa Kudrow. Silverman is also a busy voice actor, providing voices for characters in everything from Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist to Metalocalypse. Since 2011, she's voiced several different characters on the popular Fox animated sitcom Bob's Burgers.

Tommy Chong - Squirrel Master

Marijuana activist and comedian Tommy Chong makes a cameo in Half Baked as "Squirrel Master," a prisoner with a pet squirrel who takes a liking to Kenny and protects him from the other inmates. When Squirrel Master reveals that he's getting out of jail in a matter of days — removing Kenny's only protection from "Nasty Nate" — it gives Thurgood and his friends a new sense of urgency in raising the bail money to spring Kenny from the slammer.

For Tommy Chong, his cameo in Half Baked was just the latest in a long career of weed-themed roles. Chong and his frequent collaborator Cheech Marin became famous in the '70s for their Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies, which often focused on cannabis and the hippie counterculture movement. From 1999-2006, Chong guest-starred on the popular Fox sitcom That '70s Show, but his role on the show was interrupted briefly when a controversial court case involving his son's glass pipe business landed Chong in jail for nine months in 2003. Although he's now well into his 70s, Chong hasn't slowed down a bit. In recent years, he competed on Dancing With the Stars (even making it to the semifinals), voiced characters in Zootopia and Uncle Grandpa, and appeared in a 2017 episode of Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park.

Willie Nelson - Historian Smoker

One of the most memorable parts of Half Baked involves Thurgood discussing the different kinds of weed smokers he encounters while running the Mr. Nice Guy business. Among these is the historian, or "you should've been there smoker," played by legendary country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. Nelson regales Thurgood with tales of the '60s, back "when weed was grass" and even the cops were getting high. He isn't too pleased to learn that Thurgood's weed costs $60, launching into another story about the glory days "when a dime bag still cost a dime."

After Half Baked, Nelson continued to appear occasionally in films and TV shows — usually in minor roles or cameos as himself, such as in 2016's Zoolander 2. He's continued his acclaimed music career, releasing his 72nd studio album God's Problem Child in 2017. He's also a prolific author and has released a number of autobiographical and fiction books over the last 20 years. A longtime social activist and marijuana enthusiast, Nelson used the recent wave of marijuana legalization laws in different states to launch his own brand of weed called Willie's Reserve in 2015, and a chain of cannabis stores to sell it.  

Jon Stewart - Enhancement Smoker

Comedian Jon Stewart makes his cameo in Half Baked as the "enhancement smoker," the type of person who smokes weed because he "thinks it makes every activity better." This is illustrated when Stewart asks Scarface if he's ever seen the Al Pacino movie Scent of a Woman "on weed?" Or what about the back of a twenty-dollar bill? Ever seen one of those "on WEED?!?" According to Stewart, there's some really "weird s***" on there—but we'll just have to take his word for it.  

Like Willie Nelson, Stewart usually appears as himself when he shows up in a TV show or movie. Along with his long-running stint on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 1999 to 2015, Stewart has appeared in Death to Smoochy (2002), Evan Almighty (2007), and on TV shows like Robot Chicken and Phineas and Ferb. After retiring from The Daily Show, Stewart served as the executive producer on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Most recently, Stewart has focused on animal rights activism, opening two different animal sanctuaries with his wife, Tracey.

Snoop Dogg - Scavenger Smoker

Rapper and music producer Snoop Dogg appears in Half Baked as the "scavenger smoker," that one guy that never seems to have weed of their own, "but as soon as you smoke it, here they come." Thurgood and Brian reluctantly share their joint with Snoop, who proceeds to selfishly bogart the rest of it before making a hasty exit when Thurgood suggests he just buy some from them.

He may be best known for his work as a musician, but Snoop Dogg also has an obvious passion for performing onscreen. Since Half Baked, he's appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, both as himself and in other roles. Most notably, he had parts in Baby Boy (2001), Starsky & Hutch (2004), The Big Bang (2010), and Meet the Blacks (2016). Since 2011, Snoop has hosted his own parody news webseries, GGN: Snoop Dogg's Double G News Network. In 2017, he released his 15th studio album, Neva Left, and started hosting a reboot of the game show The Joker's Wild for TBS. He's slated to appear in the James Franco sci-fi film Future World in 2018.

Stephen Baldwin - MacGyver Smoker

Actor and producer Stephen Baldwin — youngest of the famous "Baldwin brothers" — appears briefly in Half Baked as what Thurgood calls the "MacGyver Smoker." This type of smoker is a handy guy to have around when it comes to weed, because of his ability to fashion a useful smoking implement out of just about anything — like a toilet paper roll, a corkscrew, and tin foil, or even an avocado, an ice pick, and a snorkel. Don't doubt him for a moment — he's made bongs with less.

Following his cameo in Half Baked, Baldwin has continued to enjoy a successful Hollywood career with roles in dozens of films and TV shows. Along with starring roles in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) and The Flyboys (2008), Baldwin is a frequent cast member on celebrity reality TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother and The Apprentice. A born-again Christian, Baldwin also works extensively on projects for various ministries and is a regular guest on various Christian and political talk shows.

Janeane Garofalo - I'm Only Creative When I Smoke Smoker

Comedian and actress Janeane Garofalo makes an uncredited cameo in Half Baked as the "I'm only creative when I smoke smoker," an eccentric artist type Thurgood meets in her dimly-lit warehouse loft. Surrounded by piles of books and nervously petting her fluffy lap dog, Garofalo performs some of her strange freeform poetry for a reluctant Thurgood, who urges her to seek therapy for her obvious emotional issues.   

Along with her successful stand-up comedy career, Garofalo has continued to act regularly since her cameo in Half Baked. She's had significant roles in Felicity, Wet Hot American Summer, The West Wing, 24, and many other TV shows and films. Most recently, Garofalo reprised her role as Beth from Wet Hot American Summer in the Netflix series Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later.

Bob Saget - Cocaine Addict

Actor and comedian Bob Saget shed his squeaky-clean Full House image in a big way during his uncredited cameo in Half Baked, playing a cocaine addict at a rehab meeting. When Thurgood tells the group he's addicted to weed, they nearly laugh him off the stage. In the audience, Saget stands up and angrily tells Thurgood, "Marijuana isn't a drug — I used to suck d**** for coke. That's an addiction, man."

Since his cameo in Half Baked, Saget has appeared in dozens of movies and TV series, including parts in the shows Raising Dad, Surviving Suburbia, and Entourage. Saget also served as the voice of "future" Ted Mosby on the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother from 2005 to 2014. In recent years, Saget returned to standup, releasing a comedy album in 2014, and reprised his Full House role as Danny Tanner on the Netflix revival series Fuller House.

Steven Wright - The Guy on the Couch

Stand-up comedian and actor Steven Wright has a small but hilarious cameo in Half Baked as "the guy on the couch," who just showed up on Thurgood's couch one day and never left. Throughout the movie, this "guy" of unknown origin is a permanent fixture sleeping on the couch, only getting up once to use the bathroom and ask what month it is before giving Thurgood and his friends the idea to rob the pharmaceutical lab the next day.

Known for his lethargic tone of voice and deadpan humor, Wright hasn't done much acting since Half Baked, although he has landed a few occasional roles on shows like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Louie. Along with his active stand-up career, Wright is also an accomplished writer and producer — he has two Emmy nominations to his name for producing Louie from 2010 to 2015. Most recently, Wright provided the voice of "Mel Meh" in 2017's The Emoji Movie and had a recurring role on the dramedy web series Horace & Pete with Louis C.K., Alan Alda, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, Laurie Metcalf and Jessica Lange.