What The NeverEnding Story Cast Looks Like Today

The 1980s was a great decade for movies of all kinds, but one of the most dominant genres was fantasy. While the decade provided many memorable fantasy flicks, 1984's "The NeverEnding Story" is easily one of the best. The film tells a wonderful tale about a young boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver) who finds solace in the escape provided by books. One book in particular changes everything for him: Bastian becomes part of the story while reading the titular tome.

Throughout the film, its hero, Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), travels across Fantasia in search of a means of stopping The Nothing, a force wiping out his world. Along the way, he meets all kinds of fantastical creatures and people, each played by one brilliant actor after another. The film stars several talented performers, many of whom went on to have outstanding acting careers. Here's what each member of the cast did after the film wrapped.

Atreyu is something of a comeback kid in "The NeverEnding Story" — he endures the depressing death of his horse and still manages to battle back the forces of existential destruction. His real-life counterpart, Noah Hathaway, had already made something of a name for himself before he became the fabled hero of the movie. His prior credits included 1978's "Battlestar Galactica" and its TV follow-up, as well as appearances on a ton of then-popular shows like "Mork & Mindy," "CHiPs," "Eight Is Enough," and "Laverne & Shirley." However, he quit the business after starring in 1986's "Troll" because, he told The News Tribune, he "just wanted to drop off the radar and be a regular human being" for a while.

After his career as a child star, Hathaway worked in finance and tattoo artistry. He decided to return to the business in 2012 when he landed a role in "Sushi Girl." Hathaway's comeback didn't amount to many roles, but he did manage to reprise the one that made him famous. In 2016, Hathaway appeared in a Spotify commercial, reprising his role from "The NeverEnding Story." In the commercial, Falcor flies over the clouds as Atreyu rides upon his back in a more bearded form than fans may remember. As Limahl's theme from the movie plays, Atreyu remarks that he can't believe people still listen to the song, and Falcor agrees as they soar across the sky.

Deep Roy is one of those character actors who's appeared in dozens of movies and TV series, though most people didn't know his name for years. His career began in the 1970s, and the Kenyan-borne actor soon found himself playing characters in everything from "The Muppet Movie" and "Flash Gordon" to "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back" and "The Dark Crystal." He soon took on the role of Teeny Weeny in "The NeverEnding Story," nearly a decade after he began working in the business.

Roy has continued working in Hollywood since he appeared in "The NeverEnding Story," playing various characters on the sidelines or in the background while also working as a stunt performer. Eventually, people started noticing the actor's talent regardless of whatever makeup or costume he found himself in, and he's become a well-known and sought-after character actor.

Roy plays Keenser in the rebooted "Star Trek" franchise (his last feature film was 2016's "Star Trek Beyond"), but he is probably best known these days for portraying every Oompa-Loompa in Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." He learned how to play guitar for the movie's Queen homage, but it wasn't all fun and games. "They put me on a special diet," Roy told The New Yorker. "I love beer, but beer is full of carbs and all that. They measured me every week so that I didn't gain weight."

Gerald McRaney's turn as Bastian's dad in "The NeverEnding Story" was brief, but the actor has enjoyed a lot more screen time in his subsequent projects. McRaney had developed quite a small screen résumé before landing the small supporting role in the movie, and he's since continued to thrive on television. Most notably, he starred in "Simon & Simon" for eight seasons before becoming the titular father figure in the hit sitcom "Major Dad." He also enjoyed regular roles on "Touched by an Angel," "Promised Land," "Deadwood," and "Jericho."

McRaney continued expanding his small screen stature by appearing in various high-profile programs. He earned a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild for his work in "House of Cards" and took home a Primetime Emmy Award for playing Dr. Nathan Katowski on "This Is Us." It was his first nomination, but he had hosted at the Emmys before so he was familiar with how it all worked, McRaney told GoldDerby. "What I didn't expect was my wife's reaction to it," he said. "I've never seen anything like it. I refer to it as projectile crying."

By the time Sydney Bromley starred as the punchy gnome scientist Engywook and helped Atreyu pass the through the Riddle Gate to reach the Southern Oracle, he was already four decades into his career. The actor, who'd previously starred in "Dragonslayer," "An American Werewolf in London," and many, many other films and TV shows, would count "The NeverEnding Story" as one of his final film projects. Bromley passed away in 1987 at the age of 78. He was also mourned in the theater world, where he had a reputation "as a formidable interpreter of eccentric Shakespearian roles," said Classic Movie Hub, adding that he was "Always highly distinctive."

Actor Moses Gunn was already a critically acclaimed performer before he suited up as the empress' champion Cairon in "The NeverEnding Story." Gunn transcended genre to work in projects ranging from "Little House on the Prairie" to "Firestarter" and "Shaft." Perhaps his most acclaimed role was that of as Kintango (the leader of a secret African society) in "Roots," which led to him getting an Emmy nomination. His career continued to thrive until he passed away in 1993 at the age of 64.