Snakkle Catches Up with the Stars of Fatal Attraction, 25 Years Later

Anne Archer gave the sympathetic wife gravitas as the gentle-until-you-catch-her-in-the-bath Beth Gallagher. Tortured by Michael Douglas’s philandering and Glenn Close’s bunny grudge, Archer played the victim of circumstance to critical raves. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal.

Archer went on to appear as another scrappy wife in the 1992 blockbuster Patriot Games and its sequel, Clear and Present Danger. She’s since acted in a number of films and TV spots, including shows such as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2006) and Ghost Whisperer (2008). Archer, who is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, will next be seen in the film Lullaby.

As family sidekick Hildy, Ellen Foley was the supportive friend to the beleaguered Gallaghers. (And someone Glenn Close’s Alex could have used in her corner.) A star of Broadway, Foley is also well known for her singer career and frequent collaborations with The Clash and Meat Loaf. She is, in fact, the female singer on Meat Loaf’s instant classic “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.”

Foley, who spent some serious time in TV in the 1980s as Billie Young on Night Court, went on to appear in several more films and TV spots after Fatal Attraction. She followed up with roles in Cocktail (1988) and Married to the Mob (1988). Foley will next be seen in the film, Lies I Told My Little Sister.

Poor little Ellen Gallagher. First she’s woken up at all hours of the night by strange phone calls. Her bunny gets boiled. Then one night, after a lot of screaming, she gets up to find police all over the house and her mother holding a gun. Left to her own devices, she kicks her father square in the nether regions and grows up to become an icon of feminist discourse after making millions fronting the punk rock band Bringing Back Bunny. (Or so many of us wished for the daughter of Beth and Dan Gallagher, the pint-sized pawn of Fatal Attraction.)

While Ellen Hamilton Latzen may not be fronting a band while brokering peace between the sexes, she is still living a happy life. After appearing in a few more roles on film and TV, including National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and a spot on The Equalizer (1989), she left Hollywood at age 15 to attend school in Vermont. Today, Hamilton Latzen is happily married and works as an account executive.

Will there ever be another screen heroine who strikes fear into the hearts of men with just one line? (If you doubt the greatness that is Glenn, check this out.) Don’t worry; we’re not going to just ignore Close’s iconic performance as the psychotic yet desperately sad Alex Forrest. Close made a crazy character sympathetic, or at the very least understandable, and was awarded a Best Actress nomination from the Academy for her efforts. (Did you know Close is still Oscar-less after several nominations? Get this woman a gold statue!)

Glenn Close continued to build on her success following Fatal Attraction, appearing in a number of hit films. Her credits include Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Reversal of Fortune (1990), Mars Attacks! (1996), as well as roles on TV including The Shield (2005) and Damages (2007-2012). She was recently nominated for Best Actress yet again for her nuanced portrayal of a tragic transsexual in Albert Nobbs (2011). Close originally fought the ending of Fatal Attraction, where her character ends up dead by Beth Gallagher’s hand. Believing Alex was a “disturbed woman” but not a “psychopath,” she felt she would have killed herself as originally intended in the script. In the end, she agreed with Alex’s bloody end. As she told Entertainment Weekly via The Daily Mail in 2011, “We gave the audience my blood. It worked.”

Need a mousy secretary who knows how to stay silent while giving the best judgmental looks outside of church? Lois Smith brought a subtly awesome performance as Martha, Dan Gallagher's beleaguered assistant, who probably got carpal tunnel from all the messages she took for her philandering boss. (Seriously, is every woman in Dan’s life doomed to be terrorized by phone?)

Lois Smith, national treasure, went on to appear in several successful films after her turn in Fatal Attraction, including Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Dead Man Walking (1995), Minority Report (2002), and most recently The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012). She’s also made her mark on TV, most recently appearing on ER (2007) and True Blood (2008-2011). She’ll next appear in the TV movie Dark Horse.

Michael Douglas (ahem) nailed it in his portrayal of thoughtless adulterer Dan Gallagher, the man who destroys the lives of his loved ones in pursuit of a casual fling. He brought depth and understanding to a character who could easily have been written off as a buffoon who equated “wife in the country” to “she practically forced me to cheat on her.” Douglas has nothing but fond memories of working with Glenn Close. “With you, Glennie, it was such a treat and a joy and made this whole experience such a pleasure,” he told Close on Oprah in 2010. “To sit here 22 years later and look back at what we accomplished and still be able to call you a friend, it means a lot.”

After Fatal Attraction, Douglas went on to cement his status as an iconic leading man in Hollywood. In 1987, he also appeared as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. He’s also starred in The War of the Roses (1989), Basic Instinct (1992), The American President (1995), Traffic (2000), and more. He’ll next be seen as Liberace in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra.

As Dan’s slimy-yet-harmless friend and confidant Jimmy, Stuart Pankin was the comic relief to Dan’s wanton sexiness. The first to hit on a seemingly confident Alex, Jimmy repelled her right into Dan’s waiting arms. Lucky for Jimmy, wife Hildy (Ellen Foley), and any pets they might keep, Alex preferred Dan and his epic '80s hairstyle to Jimmy’s less pleasing visage.

After Fatal Attraction, Pankin continued on to a flourishing career. He appeared on Who’s the Boss? (1989), Falcon Crest (1989-1990), Knots Landing (1991), Ally McBeal (1998), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2005),  and most recently Desperate Housewives (2012). Pankin is also a prominent stage actor and has a prolific career in voice-over work.