Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Evolution?

Movie buffs know who to call when their house is haunted, but who do they call when a hostile alien species threatens to take over the planet? Director and producer Ivan Reitman is best known for helming the 1984 supernatural comedy, "Ghostbusters," as well as the 1989 sequel, "Ghostbusters II." However, it may have escaped the notice of fans that Reitman also once dabbled in the sci-fi genre. The 2001 film, "Evolution," has an all-star cast under Reitman's direction. The sci-fi comedy is also rife with Reitman's trademark humor.

In "Evolution," scientists Ira Kane and Harry Block discover a threat to humanity in the form of extra-terrestrials who reproduce and evolve at an alarming rate. Their discovery is taken over by the U.S. Army, whose leaders are skeptical of the impending danger. The heroes are then forced to take matters into their own hands while recruiting a few amateurs along the way. It's been 22 years since "Evolution" came out, and though it may not have been a huge success critically or financially, it maintains a decent cult status. Members of the movie's cast are still recognizable today, and fans may be wondering what they are up to now.

"The X-Files" star David Duchovny plays Dr. Ira Kane in "Evolution," and it's not much of a stretch from his alien-hunting role. Ira is an instructor at a community college when he and his colleague, Harry, make a huge scientific discovery. Kane's reputation is unfortunately a big mark against him after he developed a vaccine for the army with devastating side effects. Nonetheless, he goes against the government's ruling and continues his research of the extra-terrestrial creatures.

Duchovny continued his acting career after "Evolution," including carrying on his role as Agent Fox Mulder for "The X-Files." In 2008, he and co-star Gillian Anderson returned to reprise their famous roles in the film "The X-Files: I Want To Believe." Both actors also appeared in the rebooted 10th and 11th seasons of the TV series in 2016 and 2018. From 2007 to 2014, Duchovny starred in the Showtime series "Californication," which earned him a Golden Globe for best actor in a television comedy or musical.

Besides appearing in numerous films and television series over the last two decades, Duchovny has also branched out beyond his acting career. In 2015, he published his first novel, "Holy Cow," and followed it up with five more novels in 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2022. Duchovny has also had an active career as a singer-songwriter, releasing three albums since 2015 and performing around the world.

Orlando Jones plays Harry Block, a Glen Canyon Community College professor and expert geologist. While studying the meteor at the crash site, he and fellow instructor Ira Kane discover an unusual alien species. Even more surprising, the alien organisms are evolving at an alarming rate. In a memorable scene, one of the creatures finds its way into Harry's hazmat suit, placing him in a very uncomfortable, albeit hilarious, situation.

Before "Evolution," Jones was a member of the sketch comedy troupe "MAD TV." He continued working on the series until 2007 while also appearing in various other movie and TV roles during that time. He acted in a number of high-profile films in the early 2000s, including "The Time Machine" and "Drumline" in 2002, "Runaway Jury" in 2003, and "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" in 2009. He's also had several guest appearances in TV shows over the years, including "House," "Black Dynamite," and "Sleepy Hollow."

In 2017, Jones took on a memorable role in "American Gods" as the African spider god, Anansi, also known as Mr. Nancy. His powerful performance included a speech during a scene in which he addresses African slaves on a ship headed for the New World. Most recently he had a guest role on the acclaimed series "Abbott Elementary," and will appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ show "Swagger."

When Dr. Allison Reed first introduces herself to Ira Kane and Harry Block, she trips and falls flat on her face. Despite being a bit of a klutz, she is an intelligent and strong-willed character, as well as the foremost epidemiologist researcher at the CDC. She's brought onto the meteor dig site by the U.S. Army, and has a very strong case against Ira Kane. Despite starting on opposite sides with the community college scientists, Allison eventually joins Harry and Ira in the fight against the rapidly evolving alien menace.

Actor Julianne Moore had already been established as a rising talent when she joined the cast of "Evolution." She may not have won any awards for her role in the sci-fi comedy, but she did succeed in demonstrating her wide range and comedic ability. Moore has continued to work steadily in the decades since the 2001 Reitman film was released, picking up a plethora of award wins and nominations along the way. She earned four major film awards for her role in the 2015 drama "Still Alice," and she was a big player in the "Hunger Games" franchise as President Alma Coin in "Mockingjay — Part 1" and "Mockingjay — Part 2."

In more recent years, Moore had her first singing role in the musical adaptation of "Dear Evan Hanson," as Evan's mother, Heidi. She was also the voice of Dr. Eliza Knight in the sci-fi podcast "Case 63" opposite Oscar Isaac in 2022, and in 2023 starred in the Apple Original "Sharper" as well as the Todd Haynes indie drama, "May December," with Natalie Portman.

Wayne is played by Seann William Scott, perhaps best known for his memorable role in the "American Pie" films as Steve Stifler, the crude teen with just one thing on his mind. In "Evolution," the one thing on Wayne's mind is becoming a firefighter. Unfortunately, his car is totaled by a meteorite crashing into it, which takes a toll on his ability to pass the exam. Wayne does find another way to be a hero, however, when he joins Ira and Harry against the alien attack on their little town.

Scott may not have been in the spotlight over the last 20 years or so, but he has continued to hold a steady acting career. After "Evolution," he reprised his role as "The Stifmeister" in 2001's "American Pie 2," "American Wedding" in 2003, and "American Reunion" in 2012. He also took on a new kind of role as the voice of the opossum Crash in the animated "Ice Age" franchise. Scott appeared in many other comedies in the 2000s, including "Dude, Where's My Car?", "Old School," "The Dukes of Hazard," and "Role Models."

In 2018, Scott joined the cast of Fox's "Lethal Weapon" for its third season alongside Damon Wayans. The show was canceled shortly thereafter, though likely due to poor ratings, and not because of Scott's involvement. Most recently, Scott can be seen in the Fox comedy series "Welcome to Flatch," as well as the indie action thriller, "The Wrath of Becky."

General Woodman is the main antagonist of "Evolution," played by Ted Levine. He and Ira Kane are well acquainted, since he knew Ira back in his army days, and knows all about Ira's failed vaccine. Like many military men in the movies, Woodmen's solution against the aliens is to kill them with fire. This promptly backfires (no pun intended), as fire seems to cause the extra-terrestrial beings to grow larger.

Levine is perhaps best known for his haunting portrayal of serial killer Buffalo Bill in the 1991 thriller "The Silence of the Lambs." However, he has continued a very steady and successful career acting in both TV and film over the last two decades. In the same year as "Evolution," Levine had a role in 2001's "The Fast and the Furious" as Sergeant Tanner. Over the years, he has appeared in various films in the 2000s, including "Ali," "The Manchurian Candidate," and "Memoirs of a Geisha." From 2002 to 2009, Levine co-starred alongside Tony Shalhoub on the critically acclaimed USA series "Monk," playing Captain Leland Stottlemeyer.

Ted Levine has stayed in high demand for his acting talents with very few breaks in between. Most recently, he appeared in the Hulu miniseries "Tiny Beautiful Things" in 2023, and has a role in the upcoming animated project, "Starbright."

Deke is one of a pair of seemingly unintelligent brothers in Ira Kane's class at Glen Canyon Community College. The audience is introduced to him and his brother Danny when they object to the C- they both received on their papers. It seems that the subject of the paper was about cells, but the brothers misunderstood the assignment and wrote about their uncle's prison cell. An easy mistake, surely.

Actor Ethan Suplee plays Deke in "Evolution," and he's gone on to perform in a variety of roles over the decades, both dramatic and comedic. He continued to act in films in the 2000s, including appearances in "The Butterfly Effect," "Cold Mountain," "Without a Paddle," and "Clerks 2." In 2005, he co-starred with Jason Lee in the hit NBC series "My Name is Earl" for four seasons. Suplee played the dim but thoughtful Randy Hickey, who joined his brother Earl's (Lee) quest to make the world a little bit brighter through a series of good deeds.

He has roles in three indie films released in 2023, including "Manodrome," "Blood For Dust," and "God is a Bullet."

Danny is the brother of Deke, played by Michael Bower. The two brothers may not seem to be the brightest pair, but it's their ingenuity and knowledge of hair care products that ends up saving the day. When Ira figures out that the chemical selenium is harmful to the aliens, it's Danny and Deke who recall that the prime ingredient in Head and Shoulders shampoo is selenium sulfide.

Michael Bower (also credited as Michael Ray Bower) has stayed active in film and television over the years. After "Evolution," Bower made guest star appearances in several TV shows in the 2000s, including "Dark Angel," "Becker," "Jack and Bobby," "Monk," and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." He also has voice credits in a number of video games, including "Halo 3: ODST" in 2009, "Red Dead Redemption" in 2010, and "Star Wars: The Old Republic" in 2011.

Though he does still take on acting jobs from time to time, Bower has been very active these days on social media. He has his own YouTube channel, HeyBower, where he makes videos discussing everything from movies and TV to gaming and '90s nostalgia.

Behind every great man is a great lackey holding onto the coattails. In "Evolution," that lackey is Flemming, General Woodman's right-hand man. Flemming is a Yes-Man who delights in making smug smiles and offering smarmy comments to their rivals, Ira and Harry. He's also responsible for stealing the scientists' key data from their research lab — which he later denies, of course. Things don't turn out well for Flemming or Woodman in the end, though, when Ira and Harry's theory proves true and the aliens are much sturdier than predicted.

Fans will likely recognize actor Ty Burrell in his very first film role as Flemming in "Evolution." In the years since the sci-fi comedy's release, Burrell had guest roles on TV shows such as "The West Wing," "Law and Order," and "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit." In 2004, Burrell had a supporting role in Zack Snyder's acclaimed "Dawn of the Dead" remake. He was in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" in 2007 and briefly joined the MCU in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk."

Burrell became a household name in 2009 when he joined the ensemble cast of "Modern Family" as Phil Dunphy. His famous portrayal of the fun-loving dad whose good intentions often fall short earned Burrell a number of Primetime Emmy Award wins and nominations. Since then, Burrell has been in fairly high demand. He played Jean Pierre Napolean in 2014's "Muppets Most Wanted," and has also done a number of voice-acting roles for family films such as "Peabody and Sherman," "Finding Dory," and "The Penguins of Madagascar." He recently voiced the character of Jack Harris in the animated comedy "Duncanville," created by Amy Pohler.

Comedian Sarah Silverman makes a brief but memorable appearance in "Evolution" as Ira's ex-girlfriend, Denise. When the two run into each other at a diner, Ira is surprised to find that she is dating one of the officers from the crash site, Johnson. When Ira points out that Denise is wearing one of his old shirts, she proceeds to remove it in an outraged public display, but her new beau stops her before she goes too far.

Silverman began her career as a stand-up comedian, which she continues to this day. Yet she has also found great success with acting, and has taken on numerous roles since "Evolution." In the 2000s, she is credited with appearing in such film and TV titles as "School of Rock," "Frasier," "Entourage," "Rent," and "Monk." From 2007 to 2010, she produced and starred in her own series, aptly named "The Sarah Silverman Project."

In 2012, Silverman starred with John C. Reilly in the animated film "Wreck-It Ralph" as the adorable and plucky Vanellope von Schweetz. She reprised the role in 2018 with the sequel "Ralph Breaks the Internet." Currently, Silverman has a regular spot on the animated series "Bob's Burgers" as Ollie, along with her sibling, Laura Silverman, who plays Ollie's twin, Andy. She is due to appear in the 2023 Netflix film, "Maestro," as Shirley Bernstein.

When Ira and Harry first arrive at the crash site of the meteorite, they discover that the local police have been doing their own investigation. They find the officers taking photos in front of the giant extra-terrestrial rock, treating it more like a tourist site than a valuable scientific find. One of them is Officer Johnson, the most professional of the group, played by "MAD TV" alum, Pat Kilbane.

Kilbane continued acting through the 2000s, appearing in several TV shows and movies. He had guest spots on "Spin City" and "My Name is Earl," and appeared in the films "Eurotrip," "Semi-Pro," "Day of the Dead," and "Meet Dave." In 2011, he had a voice-acting role in the video game "Dino D-Day" as Jack Hargrave.

These days, Kilbane hasn't been seen doing much in front of the camera. However, it seems he is still active in certain avenues of the entertainment industry. As recent as 2022, he has contributed to the podcast Game Sack, where he appeared in two episodes discussing his love for Dungeons and Dragons.

One of the police officers posing with the meteorite when Harry and Ira arrive is Officer Drake, whom some fans may recognize as Tenacious D member Kyle Gass. "Evolution" is just one of many film and TV roles for the musician and actor, who has continued a successful entertainment career over the last two decades. After his brief appearance in "Evolution," Gass went on to do many more roles in the early 2000s. Some of his most notable credits include "Elf," "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "Year One," and "2 Broke Girls."

While it's true that Kyle Gass has had multiple acting gigs, he is best known for Tenacious D, the comedic rock duo that includes Gass and noted actor Jack Black. While Black is the frontman of the group, Gass has considerable talent providing backup vocals and guitar. Tenacious D has released five albums since 2001, winning a Grammy in 2015 for Best Metal Performance. Gass also started a side project known as the Kyle Gass Band in 2011. Currently, he and the band are performing regular tours between Gass's work with Tenacious D.

The governor in "Evolution" is played by none other than former "Ghostbuster" star, Dan Aykroyd. Governor Lewis wants quick solutions to the alien problem in his state and expects General Woodman to take care of it with one swift strike. Unfortunately, quick solutions inevitably lead to bigger problems.

Aykroyd has been a household name in comedy for decades, and has had no trouble finding work since his role in "Evolution." Along with over 100 acting credits to his name in both TV and film, the comedian has also written and produced several projects over the years. His most famous role in 1984's "Ghostbusters" as Ray Stantz has made him a cultural icon for fans of the franchise. He had a cameo in the 2016 "Ghostbusters" reboot, and reprised his role as Stantz in the 2021 sequel, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife."

Most recently, Ayroyd has appeared in the Canadian series "Workin' Moms." The show stars Ivan Reitman's daughter, Catherine Reitman, who created the show. He is also featured in the 2023 horror comedy, "Zombie Town."

Though Wayne has big dreams of being a firefighter, his actual job sees him cleaning up after the wealthy and privileged at the local country club. The owner is a man named Cartwright, who makes Wayne's job a living nightmare on a daily basis. Cartwright meets his end when he is attacked by one of the reptilian aliens during a party at the club.

Gregory Itzin plays Cartwright in "Evolution." Itzin made a career as a character actor, playing various baddies in movies and TV. Following his role in "Evolution," he appeared in numerous well-known titles over the decades, including "Friends," "Boston Legal," "The OC," "Crossing Jordan," and "Star Trek: Enterprise." One of his most notable roles was playing President Charles Logan in the series "24" from 2005 to 2010.

Itzin continued acting throughout the 2010s and 2020s in several movies and TV shows. In 2022, Itzin died during an emergency surgery, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.