What The Cast Of Training Day Is Doing Now

It's hard to believe, but Training Day hit theaters all the way back in 2001. The world was a simpler place then, but director Antoine Fuqua's crime thriller about the corrupt world of Los Angeles detective Alonzo Harris still feels remarkably relevant. 

But while the plot and writing of Training Day certainly are compelling, it's the tremendous cast that helps elevate it beyond many of the other "bad cops doing bad things" movies out there. A few of the film's actors were already big stars in 2001. However, many of the actors were still making names for themselves, and this gritty drama let them flex their acting chops in ways that we still talk about today.

And now, we're combing through the cast of Training Day to see what these actors and entertainers are up to today. Here are some of the projects they've done in the years since the dirty cop drama was first released.

Like Denzel Washington, actor Ethan Hawke was already a well-known commodity when he landed his role as Officer Jake Hoyt in Training Day. Also like his co-star, Training Day significantly raised Hawke's stock in Hollywood. He was nominated for his first Oscar for the film, though he still hasn't taken home an Academy Award as of this writing. Considering the attention he receives, it seems doubtful that he'll be shut out for too much longer, especially as he's been nominated for four — twice for acting and twice for writing.

One of Hawke's biggest claims to fame is the incredibly long-running Before trilogy. He appeared in Before Sunrise in 1995, Before Sunset in 2004, and Before Midnight in 2013. He also co-wrote the second and third films, and the screenplays for both those films account for his Oscar nods. As for his acting, some of Hawke's most recognizable roles since Training Day include horror films like Sinister and The Purge, as well as Richard Linklater's 12-year epic, Boyhood.

Hawke's most recent roles seem like they were chosen more for being interesting than making him a star. For example, he played John Brown in the miniseries The Good Lord Bird, and he's added some indie films to his resume. He's also set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Moon Knight, alongside Oscar Isaac.

Tom Berenger is an extremely versatile actor, which actually works in his favor when he's cast in something like Training Day. Since he has experience in comedy, as an action hero, and as a villain, you have no idea which side of the fence his character, Stan Gursky, will fall on. Berenger has been acting on a professional level since the 1970s, and he continues to land interesting and major roles today.

Berenger's heyday was in the 1980s, when he had roles in huge films like Major League, The Big Chill, and Platoon -– the last of which got him his only Oscar nomination to date. Training Day kind of helped breathe some fresh air into his career, and one of his most recognizable roles came about a decade afterwards in Inception, where he played Browning, an executive who's impersonated by Tom Hardy's Eames. Other notable roles include Jim Vance in the miniseries Hatfields & McCoys and continuing to appear as Thomas Beckett in the Sniper films. He's appeared in six of the eight films in that franchise, including as recently as 2020 with Sniper: Assassin's End!

One of the most memorable scenes from Training Day involves Jake's visit to Smiley's house. As the young cop plays cards with Smiley and the other gathered criminals, he learns more about Alonzo and eventually realizes that he's not supposed to leave the house alive. Lucky for Jake, he saved Smiley's sister earlier in the film, so the would-be killer spares Jake's life. 

Smiley is played with charming nastiness by veteran actor Cliff Curtis, a man who's had success in TV and film. Curtis had regular roles on network television series like Trauma and Missing, and he also played Travis across multiple seasons of Fear the Walking Dead. Curtis can play intimidating and introspective alike, which has served him well in his film roles. You may have caught him over the years in Live Free or Die Hard, Risen, Sunshine, The Fountain, and many others.

After his time on Fear the Walking Dead, Curtis landed a number of high-profile roles. In recent years, he appeared in The Meg and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, and he starred alongside Ewan McGregor in Doctor Sleep. He's also been cast in the Avatar franchise as Tonowari.

Some actors find their niche and just run with it, and Noel Gugliemi is well aware of his typecasting. In a 2017 interview, he told Ditch the Label, "If you believe Google and search 'that Mexican guy in every movie,' you find me." He's exaggerating ... but not by much. Despite the fact that he only started acting professionally in 1999, Gugliemi has over 200 film and television credits to his name! 

Gugliemi appears as Moreno in Training Day, part of the gang that's tasked with killing Jake. But it's hard to pinpoint Gugliemi's most memorable roles, as he's appeared in so many things. He appears as Hector in several of the Fast and Furious films, Hector in the television series Fresh Off the Boat, Hector on the television series Retail, and Hector in multiple films that are currently in production. Essentially, if there's a character named Hector in something you're watching, it's probably Gugliemi.

Gugliemi also pops up in things as characters not named Hector (allegedly). Recent roles put him alongside actors like Clint Eastwood in The Mule and in director Rob Zombie's horror sequel 3 from Hell.

Snoop Dogg isn't the only rapper who appears in Training Day. Andre Young, better known as Dr. Dre, also shows up in the film, playing a character named Paul. He's one of the crooked detectives who has the standoff with Jake when he tries to stand up for himself against Alonzo.

Dr. Dre does most of his work behind the scenes, as Training Day is one of his few on-screen appearances (not counting music videos). Other than his work as a rapper, Dre is probably best known as a music producer and entrepreneur. In 2014, he became "the richest man in hip hop" after Apple purchased the Beats headphone line that he created. He's also won seven Grammy Awards, some as a producer and some as a performer.

In 2015, Dr. Dre was a producer for the film Straight Outta Compton, and he also released an album tied to the film. He claims that it's his final album as a recording artist, though he's also said that about previous albums. Expect Dre to continue to be a major influencer as a producer, both in music and other media, in the coming years.

Peter Greene isn't even credited in Training Day, but he's definitely a memorable part of the film as Detective Jeff. He shows up in the standoff scene, where Jake steals Alonzo's gun and threatens to shoot him. He's the one bleeding on the floor during this particularly intense moment.

If you were watching a lot of movies in the 1990s, then Greene's villainous turns probably still stick with you. He played Zed in Pulp Fiction, one of the men who keep Marsellus Wallace prisoner in the basement of the pawn shop, and he also appeared as Dorian, the antagonist of The Mask. In more recent years, you may have caught Greene in any number of guest roles in shows like Chicago P.D., Hawaii Five-O, and Justified. Plus, he has a recurring role as Wild Bill in the series For Life. Finally, he still gets plenty of movie work, with his recent films including Tesla, Assassin's Vow, and City of Lies.