What The Cast Of Princess Bride Looks Like Today

"The Princess Bride" is a classic fantasy adventure tale, filled with brave heroes and loathsome villains, quests both noble and true, swooning romance, delightful set pieces, action, pirates, swordplay, death, resurrection, and Rodents of Unusual Size. 

Adapted from William Goldman's 1973 novel, the most memorable part of director Rob Reiner's rollicking 1987 film, apart from its eminently quotable screenplay (let's pause here to mutter "As you wish," "Inconceivable!" or "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!") are its wonderful characters. Nearly all are new and delightful spins on old bedtime story archetypes, and it took the perfect cast to pull it off. 

"The Princess Bride" represents the intersection of the careers of many legendary entertainment figures and rising stars. Some were finishing up prolific and interesting careers, while others were on their way to making their mark on Hollywood. While some of the movie's cast is no longer with us — including the film's director, Rob Reiner, who was tragically murdered in 2025– here's what the main cast of "The Princess Bride" has been up to in the years since the movie came out.

Cary Elwes started picking up steady film work with 1984's "Another Country," but the British actor really made American audiences' acquaintances as Westley, the stableboy-turned-suave adventurer with a heart of gold in "The Princess Bride." The part led Elwes to a long line of heroic characters in films like "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" and "Glory," while still making room for the occasional villainous foray in movies such as "The Jungle Book" and "Ella Enchanted." He's also known to horror fans through his recurring role as Dr. Lawrence Gordon in the cast of the "Saw" franchise.

Elwes has spent a lot of time as a guest star on shows like "Psych," "The X-Files," "Leverage," "Family Guy," and "Perception." He also starred on the Crackle series "The Art of More," was seen in the third season of "Stranger Things" as the villainous Mayor Larry Kline, and appeared in several episodes of Amazon's "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." He's also a writer, co-penning the script for the historic comedy "Elvis and Nixon," which debuted on Amazon in 2016 as its first feature. He also wrote a 2014 memoir about "The Princess Bride," titled "As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride."

In more recent years, Elwes has appeared in Christmas-centered TV and streaming films like "A Castle for Christmas" and "Last Train to Christmas," was Denlinger in "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning" and "Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning," and played the King in the "Rebel Moon" saga. His voice acting career has also continued apace, with Elwes voicing Pistol Pete Whipple in the Paramount+ series "Knuckles."

Robin Wright was a soap opera star before landing the role of Princess Buttercup in "The Princess Bride," beaming into living rooms as Kelly Capwell on NBC's "Santa Barbara" from 1984 to 1988. After making the leap to film, she displayed a terrific knack for choosing solid scripts; aside from "The Princess Bride," some of her credits include "Forrest Gump," "The Singing Detective," "Message in a Bottle," and "She's So Lovely," which she starred in alongside her then-husband Sean Penn.

Then she moved into dramas, with memorable roles in films like "A Most Wanted Man," "Moneyball," and David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" — the film that would eventually lead to her award-winning role as Claire Underwood on Netflix's "House of Cards." Wright hadn't made a full-time return to television since leaving "Santa Barbara," but Fincher knew he wanted her for the part in the streaming drama, which he executive produced.

The role was a boon for Wright creatively, resulting in a Golden Globe win in 2014 and a career resurgence which helped her land the part of Wonder Woman's aunt, General Antiope, in the big-screen adaptation of the heroine's origin story. She also appeared in Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049." Once her gig as Antiope wrapped up with the rebooting of the DC Universe, she continued to take on other prominent roles in big-name features and television series. She played Queen Isabelle in Netflix's "Damsel," co-starred with Tom Hanks once again in the Robert Zemeckis film "Here," and has led the Prime Video series "The Girlfriend."

Mandy Patinkin was already a well-known film, TV, and stage actor before starring as Inigo Montoya in "The Princess Bride." Patinkin had appeared in "Yentl" and had already won a Tony Award for playing Che in "Evita" when he took on the role of the revenge-minded swordsman.

Despite dealing with some health issues (he had two corneal transplants while fighting the eye disease keratoconus in the '90s and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004), Patinkin has continued to enjoy success. Shortly after "The Princess Bride," he earned himself an Emmy and multiple Golden Globe nominations for his role as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger on "Chicago Hope"; however, the actor quit because he had to spend so much time away from his family while filming in New York.

He then landed a lead role on "Criminal Minds," but left the show after the second season, saying that he found the content too disturbing. The departure left him worried about whether or not he would ever go back to television again. However, Patinkin did eventually decide to go back to television, landing the role of CIA exec Saul Berenson on Showtime's "Homeland." The actor has earned multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for the role. After "Homeland" wrapped up, Patinkin recurred as Hal Wackner on "The Good Fight," then appeared in the short-lived TV series "Death and Other Details." More recently he's starred in "The Artist," a star-studded historical mystery series.

Going into his role as the villainous and vain Prince Humperdinck in "The Princess Bride," Chris Sarandon had already earned himself an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for his performance as Al Pacino's transgender wife in "Dog Day Afternoon." The actor enjoyed a fairly successful career throughout the 1980s and '90s, appearing in films like "Fright Night," "Child's Play," and "The Stranger Within." In 1993, he lent his voice to Jack Skellington in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," a role he reprised in "Kingdom Hearts" and other Disney video games over the 2000s. Other voice work includes the role of Count Dracula on the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" television series.

Sarandon's also booked a variety of guest-starring roles, appearing on shows like "Cold Case," "Psych," "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Orange is the New Black." He has also worked in theater, appearing in the musical "Preludes" at the Lincoln Center Theater in 2015, and he's appeared in indie films like "I Smile Back" and "Big Stone Gap." "I'm playing a lot of fathers — the march of time!" he told the Los Angeles Times in 2015.

Sarandon also continues to appear at fan conventions, and his resume has been mainly comprised of voice acting and podcast work in recent years. He runs and stars in "Cooking By Heart," in which he stirs up his favorite recipes for appreciative listeners, and you can also request a Cameo from him. Sarandon also continues to voice Jack Skellington for various Disney projects.

Christopher Guest entered his role as the six-fingered Count Rugen fresh off a season as a writer and performer on "Saturday Night Live," as well as a stint writing, composing and acting in Rob Reiner's mockumentary "This Is Spın̈al Tap." The star, who has been married to Jamie Lee Curtis since 1984, has continued to have a long career as an actor, writer, director, and composer.

Guest wrote, directed and starred in "Waiting for Guffman" in 1996 and then directed Chris Farley and Matthew Perry in 1998's Western comedy "Almost Heroes." His 2000 film "Best in Show," which he wrote, directed and starred in, earned a Golden Globe nomination for best comedy, while his 2003 film "A Mighty Wind" earned an Oscar nomination for best original song.

The actor, who became known for crafting his hilarious mockumentaries, was also the creative mind behind Netflix's "Mascots," which he created and starred in along with frequent collaborators Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, and Jennifer Coolidge. Guest largely retired from both directing and acting following 2016's "Mascots," but he did make an exception for "Spinal Tap II: The End Continues." In the 2025 film, he returns to where it all began and reprises his part as the titular band's beloved if confused guitarist, Nigel Tufnel.

It would be inconceivable for Wallace Shawn not to have a successful career after his memorable role in "The Princess Bride" — which is just another way of saying he's one of the most dependable, eclectic, and widely respected character actors in Hollywood. Some of Shawn's many credits include the part of Mr. Hall in the Alicia Silverstone classic "Clueless," a character he reprised on the short-lived Rachel Blanchard-led TV series. Over the years, he's also had memorable turns in "The Haunted Mansion," "Gossip Girl," and "Mozart in the Jungle."

If you haven't seen Shawn since "The Princess Bride," you've almost definitely heard him. The actor lent his voice to awkward dinosaur Rex in the "Toy Story" series and also provided vocals for "A Goofy Movie," "The Incredibles," and "Chicken Little." Modern audiences will remember him as Dr. John Sturgis, mentor for Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) on "Young Sheldon." But he's also been Father Frank in "Evil" and Charles Lester in "The Good Fight." He's also continued his work as a voice actor, and can be heard in "Amphibia," "Bubble Guppies" and "Krapopolis."

Shawn is also an accomplished writer, penning the screenplay for cult hit (and subject of a "Community" parody episode) "My Dinner with Andre," as well as a number of plays. He also released a collection of essays, aptly titled "Essays," in 2009. Although his work as a writer hasn't made many bestsellers' lists, he has said that he identifies more with writing than acting, and that he's prouder of his work as a writer than as an actor.

Fred Savage is well-known for his time as a child actor, which began with his role as the sick kid whose grandfather reads him "The Princess Bride" in the classic film. Shortly thereafter, he landed his most famous role as Kevin Arnold on "The Wonder Years," earning multiple Golden Globe and Emmy nominations during the hit dramedy's run.

After graduating from Stanford University in 1999, Savage moved behind the camera, picking up directing credits on shows like "Boy Meets World," "Even Stevens," "Zoey 101," "Phil of the Future," and "Hannah Montana," before shifting to more adult-oriented fare such as "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Party Down," "Modern Family," and "2 Broke Girls." Savage switched back into acting on Fox's "The Grinder," opposite fellow former child actor Rob Lowe. The show did well with critics, but was canceled after one season. Savage's next series, the Netflix production "Friends from College," lasted two seasons. On the big screen, he appeared opposite Deadpool in an edited rerelease of "Deadpool 2," playing himself in framing scenes lampooning his work in "The Princess Bride." 

Savage's Hollywood career slowed down in 2023, due to a combination of that year's SAG-AFTRA strike and allegations of inappropriate conduct on the set of the rebooted version of "The Wonder Years," on which he served as a producer and director. His last acting projects were "The Afterparty" and "Three Women." Savage has since busied himself by becoming a part of the watch collecting community, and opened Timepiece Grading Specialists, which grades watches, in 2025.

One-time perennial Oscar host Billy Crystal was almost unrecognizable in his "Princess Bride" role as Miracle Max, the potion master tasked with bringing Westley back to life. The role was one of Crystal's early famous parts, which also included a stint on "Saturday Night Live" and in the buddy-cop comedy "Running Scared." The late '80s and early '90s boasted a string of cinematic hits for Crystal, including "When Harry Met Sally..." and "City Slickers." He's also done pretty well for himself with voice work, playing Mike Wazowski in "Monsters Inc." and its prequel, "Monsters University," a part which made him beloved with children everywhere.

Crystal has stayed active in recent years in both in the theater –he opened the musical "Mr. Saturday Night" on Broadway in 2022 — and as a film and TV actor. He continues to voice Mike Wazowski for Disney — most recently in the Disney+ show "Monsters at Work" — and appeared as Eli in "Before." Crystal continues to show up in films as well, including 2021's "Here Today."

A longtime baseball fan, Crystal used to be a part-owner of MLB team the Arizona Diamondbacks and was with the club during their winning 2001 World Series run. He spent one day playing in the MLB in 2008, going to bat for the New York Yankees against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although he did hit one foul, he struck out after six pitches.

Carol Kane played Miracle Max's wife Valerie, showing off the comedic skills that have served her well throughout a distinguished career. Before appearing in "The Princess Bride," Kane was already an Oscar nominee for "Hester Street" and a Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner for the "Taxi" TV series. She also had a memorable part in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall."

For most of the 2000s, Kane stuck mostly with guest-starring parts and small roles in films, appearing in "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," "The Pacifier," "Two and a Half Men," "Monk," "Ugly Betty," and more. While she was keeping her appearances minimal onscreen, Kane remained prolific, starring as headmistress Madame Morrible in "Wicked" on Broadway and in tours of the show from 2005 to 2014. She also appeared in the 2012 Broadway revival of "Harvey" and in the West End revival of "The Children's Hour" alongside Keira Knightley, Elisabeth Moss and Ellen Burstyn. Kane was in Netflix's Tina Fey-produced sitcom "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and also had a recurring role on "Gotham."

Kane is perhaps best known these days from her stint on "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," where she plays the Enterprise's nearly immortal Lanthanite chief engineer, Pelia. But the actress continues to work regularly in Hollywood, having stints on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Happy's Place." She was also part of the casts of the short-lived "Dinner with the Parents" and "Hunters," and has popped up in movies like "Caught Stealing."

In the mid-1980s, when the WWF was at its most popular, visible, and culturally dominant, André the Giant towered over all the wrestlers — quite literally. The 7'4", 520-pound French athlete struck an imposing and memorable presence in the ring, dressed in his trademark black singlet and sporting long sideburns. André was part of the WWF's most memorable moments of the era, like ending Hulk Hogan's four-year reign as WWF champion in 1988 and squaring off against Hogan at WrestleMania III.

André the Giant was such a popular wrestler and unique physical specimen that a side career in Hollywood was inevitable. In addition to bit roles as toughs and villains on shows like "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Fall Guy," and "The Greatest American Hero," André's biggest role was that of Fezzik, a gentle giant (unless provoked) in "The Princess Bride."

The man born Andre Roussimoff kept wrestling through December 1992. In January 1993, shortly after attending his own father's funeral, André the Giant suffered a fatal heart attack in Paris. He was 46.

The storybook adventure of "The Princess Bride" is presented via the film's framing device of an exceedingly kind and charming grandpa reading the S. Morgenstern volume (but only "the good parts") to his grandson. Like the grandson, portrayed by Fred Savage, Peter Falk is primarily known for his television work — he was instantly recognizable as TV's Columbo to the millions who saw the film on its initial release. 

One of the most famous roles in TV history, and one of the few closely associated with a particular actor, Falk portrayed a seemingly scatterbrained and disorganized police detective who always solved the case, disarming the chief suspects by fooling them into thinking he was incompetent, his rumpled trench coat and dazed appearance belying a shrewd and brilliant mind. "Columbo" aired on NBC and ABC off and on from 1968 to 2003, and Falk won four Emmy Awards for his work.

Falk also had plenty of time to pursue movies, appearing in dramas such as "A Woman Under the Influence" and classic comedies like "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "The In-Laws," and "The Great Muppet Caper." After appearing in the 2009 indie movie "American Cowslip," Falk, diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, retired. He died in 2011 at the age of 83.

The officiant of the ill-fated and untoward wedding between Prince Humperdinck and Buttercup is a high-ranking church official in Florin, officially listed in "The Princess Bride" credits as "The Impressive Clergyman." That might be because it's one of the great one-scene performances in film history. 

The character isn't in the film long, but one of his lines is arguably the movie's most quoted: "Mawwage," he begins his speech about the sacred bond between husband and wife, affecting an Elmer Fudd-esque speech impediment. Or perhaps he's just impressive because he's portrayed by one of the most iconic British comedians of the 20th century. Peter Cook turns in a great cameo, capping a career of many memorable comedic turns.

Alongside Dudley Moore in a troupe called Beyond the Fringe, he helped launch a fruitful period of satirical and anarchic comedy in '60s England. Cook starred in stage and televised sketch comedy shows along with films like "Bedazzled," and also made several top-selling comedy records. After a smattering of additional roles following his appearance in "The Princess Bride," Cook died in January 1995 at age 57.

The character known by the now outdated and somewhat improper term "The Albino" isn't in "The Princess Bride" for all that long, but managed to make a lasting impression. In serving the wicked Count Rugen, The Albino guards the Pit of Despair, where he restores Westley's health so that he might be tortured. To save Westley, Inigo and Fezzik overpower the large, fearsome, and wordless Albino, with a blow to the head from the mighty Fezzik doing the trick.

And like the guy who played the Impressive Clergyman, the guy who played the Albino is a well-known British entertainer. Mel Smith was part of the cast of the 1979-1982 satirical sketch series "Not the Nine O'Clock News," among the many projects he appeared in with comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones. In 1985, he made a memorable cameo as a slovenly hotel clerk in "National Lampoon's European Vacation." Among many other character parts, Smith co-starred in the acclaimed miniseries "Dancing on the Edge" in 2013, the same year he passed away from a heart attack at age 60.

Yellin is the Chief Enforcer of Florin, who heads up the kingdom's espionage network and serves Prince Humperdinck loyally, up to and including acting on a tip that the rival nation of Guilder plans to assassinate Buttercup before her forced wedding to that very prince. It's not true, but he's duped into executing the plan, thereby locking the castle gates and putting guards in place, which keeps Westley, Inigo, and Fezzik out of the way (for a while). Yellin is an underling, a patsy, a Smithers, ably played by English character actor Malcolm Storry.

Well before "The Princess Bride," Storry was one of the most prolific stars of the British stage, appearing in productions on both the West End (London's Broadway) and with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company. He's also a veteran of English TV, showing up for an episode or two in dozens of dramas, notably popular-in-America exports like "Midsomer Murders" and "Doc Martin." Storry has done a little film work, too, notably playing General Ironside opposite Gary Oldman's Oscar-winning portrayal of Winston Churchill in "Darkest Hour." Storry has continued to act both onscreen and on the stage; he's appeared in "Beyond Paradise," "The English" and "Temple."