Tom Cruise (Lt. Daniel Kaffee)
Tom Cruise (Lt. Daniel Kaffee)
Cruise was 30 when “A Few Good Men” came out, but he still looked like the fresh-faced kid from “Risky Business” and “Top Gun,” especially since he was playing an inexperienced lawyer who was in over his head with the murder trial of two marines. After the film, Cruise continued to dominate the box office throughout the ’90s with “The Firm,” “MIssion: Impossible” and Jerry Maguire.” His split from wife Nicole Kidman, couch-jumping courtship of Katie Holmes and increased visibility of his Scientology faith lost him some fans, but his movies, including “Minority Report” and “War of the Worlds,” still made money. He had stumbles with “Lions for Lambs,” “Valkyrie” and this year’s “Rock of Ages,” but remains Hollywood’s highest-paid actor, according to <a href=”http://www.forbes.com/sites/dorothypomerantz/2012/07/03/tom-cruise-tops-our-list-of-hollywoods-highest-paid-actors/”>this year’s Forbes ranking</a>. His newest film, “Jack Reacher,” which <a href=”http://news.yahoo.com/tom-cruise-defends-role-jack-reacher-031110277–finance.html”>received criticism over his casting</a>, opens December 21.
Jack Nicholson (Col. Nathan R. Jessup)
Jack Nicholson (Col. Nathan R. Jessup)
Who else could deliver the courtroom speech and that unforgettable line: “You can’t handle the truth!” besides an intimidating acting powerhouse like Nicholson? “A Few Good Men” fell between his unforgettable 1989 performance as The Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman,” and his third Oscar for “As Good as It Gets” in 1997. The role of the corrupt commander of Guantanamo Bay earned him his tenth Academy Award nomination; he is currently the most Oscar-nominated male actor of all time, with 12 total nominations starting with “Easy Rider” in 1969 up through “About Schmidt” in 2002. Nicholson, who turned 75 this year, hasn’t been onscreen since 2010’s “How Do You Know?”
Demi Moore (Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway)
Demi Moore (Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway)
Moore was billed second, but played Cruise’s superior officer, and she’s the one <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r0kb3e–ZY”>who decides to put Jessup on the stand</a>. After the smash “Ghost,” Moore was one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood, continuing her reign with “Indecent Proposal” in 1993 and winning ShoWest’s Female Star of the Year in 1995. She showed off her killer physique in “Striptease” and “G.I. Jane” but soon the most award recognition she was getting were Razzies. Her villainous turn in 2003’s “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” was a comeback, but lately she’s been in the news more for her difficult split from husband Ashton Kutcher. She’ll next be seen as Elizabeth Olsen’s mother in the 2013 film “Very Good Girls.”
Kevin Bacon (Capt. Jack Ross)
Kevin Bacon (Captain Jack Ross)
In 1992, Bacon was still best known as the guy from “Footloose,” his breakout 1984 hit (which was actually his tenth film). In “A Few Good Men,” he plays the officer prosecuting the two soldiers accused of murder. He went on to roles in “Apollo 13,” “Wild Things” (which he executive produced) and the lead in “Hollow Man.” He received praise for his performance as a cop in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning drama “Mystic River,” and as a pedophile in the indie “The Woodsman.” Most recently, he starred as the evil Sebastian Shaw in “X-Men: First Class” and Steve Carell’s nemesis in “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” He won an Emmy for his role in 2009’s “Taking Chance” and in January, he’ll star in his first TV series, “The Following,” as an FBI agent on the trail of a diabolical serial killer.
Michael DeLorenzo (Pfc. William T. Santiago)
(CLIP: NSFW)
Michael DeLorenzo (PFC William T. Santiago)
DeLorenzo began dancing ballet at the age of 7 and went on to win scholarships from the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet. He danced beside Rudolph Nureyev at age 10 and Mikhail Baryshnikov at 14, but a knee injury forced him to give up a career in dance. He made the transition to acting with roles in a Broadway revival of “West Side Story” and the 1980 film “Fame.” His performance as murdered marine William Santiago in “A Few Good Men” is a brief but sympathetic one. From 1994-1998, he played NYPD Detective Eddie Torres on the Fox series “New York Undercover,” followed by a role on “Resurrection Blvd.” from 2000-2002. His most recent film was “The Employer” with Malcolm McDowell.
Kiefer Sutherland (Lt Jonathan Kendrick)
Kiefer Sutherland (Lt. Jonathan Kendrick)
In “A Few Good Men,” Sutherland plays the unethical marine who, under Jessup’s orders, okays the hazing that lead to Santiago’s death. He played memorable villains in “The Lost Boys” and “An Eye for an Eye,” with the occasional nice-guy roles in “Young Guns” and “The Three Musketeers.” He also voiced the hilarious “General W.R. Monger” in “Monsters vs. Aliens.” He currently stars in the Fox drama “Touch” and is executive-producing the long-awaited “24” movie.
Kevin Pollak (Lt. Grade Sam Weinberg)
Kevin Pollak (Lt. Grade Sam Weinberg)
Before playing a wisecracking co-counsel in “A Few Good Men,” he’d appeared in “Avalon” and “LA Story.” He was one of the leads in 1995’s “The Usual Suspects,” and had roles in “Casino,” “Wayne’s World 2” and “That Thing You Do!” A skilled impressionist, he appeared in the comedy documentary “The Aristocrats.” Recent films include “Cop Out,” and “The Big Year.” In 2009, he started “Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show” online and in 2012 <a href=”http://www.talkinwalkin.com”>began the podcast “Talkin’ Walkin,'”</a> in which he conducts interviews as Christopher Walken.
J.T. Walsh (Lt. Col Matthew Markinson)
After his sudden death in 1998, the popular character actor inspired one site (<a href=”http://fametracker.com/hey_its_that_guy/”>the now-inactive Fametracker</a>) to start its “Hey! It’s That Guy” feature to help identify actors we see all the time but can’t quite place. Walsh specialized in playing untrustworthy types. He was so prolific, four of his films were released after his death, including “Pleasantville” and “The Negotiator.” But he’s one of the few good guys in “A Few Good Men,” whose character tries to have Santiago transferred, a move blocked by Jessup with tragic consequences. Prior to “A Few Good Men,” Walsh’s credits include “Hannah and her Sisters,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “The Grifters” and “Backdraft.”
James Marshall (Pfc. Louden Downey)
When he was cast as one of the marines on trial for murder (seen here at the 1:18 mark), Marshall was known as troubled, motorcycle-riding James Hurley on David Lynch’s cult series “Twin Peaks.” He reprised the role in the big-screen sequel “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” and co-starred with Cuba Gooding, Jr. in the 1992 boxing drama “Gladiator.” But his career was cut short due to health issues, which he blamed on the now-discontinued acne drug Accutane. He is now a guitarist and songwriter.
Wolfgang Bodison (Lance Cpl. Dawson)
Wolfgang Bodison (Lance Cpl. Dawson)
The role of a court-martialed marine was Bodison’s first: He was actually a location scout for the film when director Rob Reiner asked him to screen test for the pivotal role. Bodison went onto roles in “Freeway” (starring Kiefer Sutherland), “Most Wanted” and “Joe Somebody.” He played Akeelah’s father in the 2006 indie “Akeelah and the Bee,” and is set to star in the upcoming film “The Appearing,” opposite Dean Cain.
J.A. Preston (Judge Julius Alexander Randolph)
As the no-nonsense judge who insists that Jessup call him “judge or your honor” after Jessup’s demand to be addressed as “colonel or sir,” Preston presides over the film with a don’t-mess-with-me authority. He’d previously appeared in “Narrow Margin” and “Body Heat.” TV fans might remember him as Leo Daltry on the original “Dallas” or as Mayor Ozzie Cleveland on “Hill Street Blues.” Since then, he played a judge again on “Chicago Hope,” a general (uncredited) in “Air Force One” and a senator (also uncredited) in “Contact.” His last screen role was in 2006’s “Sweet Deadly Dreams.”
Noah Wyle (Cpl. Jeffrey Owen Barnes)
In his second screen role, Wyle <a href=”http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsW/18779-6196.gif”>played a jeep driver who is grilled over “Code Reds”</a> by Kevin Bacon’s character during the trial. In 1994, he landed his breakthrough role as Dr. John Carter on “ER,” a role he would play until 2005. For a time, Wyle was the highest-paid actor on TV; he stayed with the series longer than any of his rotating cast mates. He memorably embodied Steve Jobs in the 1999 TV movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley” and played the lead in the Indiana Jones-ish “Librarian” TV movies. In 2011, he joined the TNT sci-fi series “Falling Skies.”
Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Corporal Carl Hammaker)
Gooding, Jr. already had his breakout role in 1991’s “Boyz n the Hood,” and has only a small role in the film. Four years later, he re-teamed with his “A Few Good Men” co-star Cruise in “Jerry Maguire” a role that would earn him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar (his acceptance speech is still considered one of the most memorable — and enthusiastic — in Academy history). After “A Few Good Men,” he was on a roll with parts in “Outbreak,” “Men of Honor” and “As Good As It Gets,” but hit a rough patch with duds like “Boat Trip” and “Daddy Day Camp.” He bounced back with more prestigious roles in Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” and George Lucas’s “Red Tails.” He will play “El Camaleon” in the 2013 action film “Machete Kills.”
Xander Berkeley (Capt. Whitaker)
The busy Berkeley has had roles in “Heat,” “Apollo 13” and “Taken.” He was a traitor in “Air Force One,” a doctor in “Gattaca” and John Connor’s short-lived foster father in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” In “A Few Good Men,” he plays the captain who informs Cruise’s character of his assignment and Santiago’s death (you can watch the clip <a href=”http://xanderberkeley.net/?ac=movies”>here</a>). Berkeley also played CTU head George Mason on “24” and currently stars as Percy on “Nikita.”
Joshua Malina (Jessup’s clerk, Tom)
<a href=”http://mavieenrows.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/afgm3-malina.png”>Malina plays Jessup’s “Yes, sir!” clerk</a>. He was also in Sorkin’s original “A Few Good Men” play. The writer would go on to cast Malina in “The American President,” and played key characters on Sorkin’s series “Sports Night” and “The West Wing.” He currently plays David Rose on “Scandal.”
Christopher Guest (Dr. Stone)
Guest <a href=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2_BzV9WcGZE/Tcwvq1dzHdI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/6muNLMm1iGg/s1600/guest-a-few-good-men.png”>plays the Navy doctor who testifies that Private Santiago ingested poison</a>. It’s a rare straight role for an actor best known for his comedic performances in the mockumentary “This is Spinal Tap” and the film “The Princess Bride,” both of which were directed by Reiner. Guest went on to become a director himself with his own mockumentaries, “Waiting for Guffman,” “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind.” His most recent films (that he didn’t direct himself) are “The Invention of Lying” and “Mrs. Henderson Presents.”
Aaron Sorkin
Sorkin originally wanted to be an actor, but found his true talents lay in writing. He began his career by writing plays including “A Few Good Men,” which was inspired by a real incident told by his sister during her time with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Sorkin also adapted the play for the screen and appears in a cameo as a lawyer in one of the bar scenes, a trademark in all his projects. He and Reiner worked together again on “The American President” and Sorkin went on to create the award-winning TV series “The West Wing.” His screenplay for 2010’s “The Social Network” earned him an Oscar and he was nominated again for his work on “Moneyball.” His current HBO series “The Newsroom” is another awards magnet.
Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Reiner grew up in the biz (his father is Carl Reiner from “The Dick Van Dyke Show” fame). After a successful run as an actor (he starred as “Meathead” on “All in the Family” from 1971-1978), Reiner turned to directing with “This is Spinal Tap” in 1984, beginning a career as one of America’s most beloved hitmakers with films including “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally…” Although he’s known more for comedy than drama, “Stand by Me” and “Misery” were excellent precedents for “A Few Good Men.” He reunited with Sorkin for “The American President” and with Nicholson for “The Bucket List.” He’s currently prepping “You Belong to Me” with Harrison Ford and Zac Efron, and will return to acting in “The Wolf of Wall Street” for Martin Scorsese. He’s yet to be nominated for a directing Oscar, but has been nominated three times by the Directors Guild of America.
