Steel Magnolias cast: Then and Now
Are you ready to get the tissue box out?
Steel Magnolias graced our screens in 1989 and absolutely filled us with joy, and then struck us down, piece by piece.
Featuring an all-star and women-led cast, that features legends including Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine and Dolly Parton, this film delivers – and delivers big.
So, with the world now 33 years since Steel Magnolias hit the box office, let’s take a look at where the cast is now.
Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton: Then
Sally Field played the Eatenton family matriarch, M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias.
Her performance is probably one of the most memorable in recent cinema history – who can forget the iconic “I don’t think I can take this” scene?
If you’re not yet convinced, Field earnt a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in 1990 for the role.
In fact, it proved quite contentious that Field wasn’t nominated at the Oscars, with many critics and fans thinking a nomination was well-deserved. Some critics even claimed she was “snubbed”.
Though the star had just recently won her second Oscar, so perhaps the Academy was just trying to share the awards around.
Sally Field: Now
Two Oscars, three Emmies and two Golden Globes later, Sally Field is doing incredibly well.
At 75, the Hollywood star is still very much in the acting scene, with her most famous recent role being in TV series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Field is currently single, having divorced her second husband, David Greisman in 1994. She has three adult children, Samuel Greisman, 34, and Eli Craig, 50, and Peter Craig, 52, who she shares with her first husband, Steven Craig.
Julia Roberts as Shelby Eatenton: Then
Who can forget Julia Roberts as the gorgeous blushing bride, Shelby Eatenton?
Roberts’ performance was perhaps the one that elevated her to superstardom, and gained her multiple award nominations, including an Oscars nod for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
Most notably, however, she bagged the Golden Globe in 1990 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.
Julia Roberts: Now
These days, Julia Roberts is still domination our screens.
She’s just recently ended a fun and very cheeky promotion period with friend and co-star George Clooney for their film Ticket to Paradise.
At 54, Roberts is settled down with husband Danny Moder, who she married back in 2002.
After 20 years of marriage together, the pair seem incredibly smitten, and are raising three gorgeous teenagers, 17-year-old twins Hazel and Phinnaeus and 15-year-old Henry. Dolly Parton as Truvy Jones: Then
The film wouldn’t be nearly as legendary if Dolly Parton hadn’t been a part.
Parton played the big, bright and beautiful neighbour and hairdresser, Truvy Jones in the film. And if there was one thing her character was good at, it was diffusing the tension between hot-heads Ouiser and Clairee.
Dolly Parton: Now
Parton was a well-affirmed star at the time of Steel Magnolias, and it seems her stardom has only grown since.
Now 76, the country music singer has a 5.4 million following on Instagram and regularly posts and engages with fans online.
While she’s not doing too much acting, Parton does take to the stage every now and the, for special occasions.
Shirley MacLaine as Ouiser Boudreau: Then
Shirley MacLaine played the incredibly fiery, and a little eccentric Ouiser Boudreau.
At the time of the film, MacLaine was perhaps the film’s most golden star, having built a decades-long career in Hollywood, starring in some of the most high-profile, old Hollywood films.
Her performance as Ouiser saw her nominated for a BAFTA, Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and a nomination for the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
Shirley MacLaine: Now
At 88, MacLaine lives almost completely out of the public eye.
MacLaine separated from her husband Steve Parker in 1982, and is relatively estranged from her daughter, Sachi Parker, who is now 66.
Though the actress is still acting! Her most recent appearances came in TV series Only Murders in the Building and the film American Dreamer. She also has two films in post-production, according to IMDb.
Olympia Dukakis as Clairee Belcher: Then
Olympia Dukakis played the very chic and cheeky Clairee Belcher in Steel Magnolias.
Like her co-stars, she also got an award nomination for her now-iconic performance, receiving a nom for Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the American Comedy Awards in 1990.
Olympia Dukakis
Dukakis sadly died on May 1 last year, “after a period of ill health”. She was 89.
Her death prompted a wave of tributes from those that loved her most, including her Steel Magnolias castmates.
Dolly Parton said in a statement to US TV show Today: “I was so sorry to hear that Olympia Dukakis had passed away. She has been one of my favourite people that I have ever known or worked with. I really got very close to her and felt like we were good friends.”
Daryl Hannah as Annelle Dupuy Desoto: Then
Who could forget Daryl Hannah as the soft-spoken and gentle Annelle Dupuy Desoto.
Steel Magnolias was in no way Hannah’s first major motion picture, having grown to fame for her roles in films like Blade Runner and of course, The Fury.
Daryl Hannah: Now
At 61, Daryl Hannah is perhaps in the peak of her life.
She is reasonably recently married to American rocker Neil Young, who she wed in 2018.
Some of her most notable films since Steel Magnolias include Kill Bill, The Job and Diplomatic Siege.
Dylan McDermott as Jackson Latcherie: Then
Dylan McDermott played the very handsome groom to Shelby Eatenton’s bride in Steel Magnolias, as Jackson Latcherie.
With only a handful of roles under his belt at the time, the film was certainly one of his bigger roles early in his career.
Dylan McDermott: Now
These days McDermott is 61, and a lot more famous than he was back in 1989!
Thanks to longstanding roles in TV show The Practice, circa 1997, McDermott was able to cement himself as a reputable actor in the business.
Now he’s probably better known for his performances in American Horror Story, Criminal Minds, and Hostages.
Tom Skerritt as Drum Eatenton and Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (1989).
Our final cast mate is of course, the patriarch of the Eatenton house, Drum Eatenton, played by Tom Skerritt.
Tom Skerritt as Drum Eatenton and Sally Field as M’Lynn Eatenton in Steel Magnolias (1989).
Our final cast mate is of course, the patriarch of the Eatenton house, Drum Eatenton, played by Tom Skerritt.
