What The Cast Of Dodgeball Looks Like Today

It's been more than 20 years since Rawson Marshall Thurber's "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" taught us all that, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." That's just one of several endlessly quotable lines from the classic sports comedy film that have lived on thanks to its many fans, who are still passionate about the picture to this day. 

For those who saw the movie in cineplexes when it came out, it's hard to believe that "Dodgeball" is over two decades old now, but it's true — it's been a very long time since we met the guys from Average Joe's gym and followed their journey to dodgeball glory. As the fandom ages, so do the actors who brought this hilarious tale to life. Let's take a look at what the cast looks like today and dive into what they've been up to.

Vince Vaughn may have already been well known for the likes of "Swingers" and "Old School" when he starred in "Dodgeball" as Peter LaFleur, the down-to-earth owner of Average Joe's Gym, but the film marked the beginning of a new phase in his career: Vaughn became a viable leading man in big budget, big screen comedies. The following year, he co-starred in "Wedding Crashers" alongside Owen Wilson, which solidified his status as an A-list comedy actor.

Vaughn's next movies included a number of films that he also wrote and produced, including "The Break-Up," "Couples Retreat," and "The Internship." Outside of projects he helped bring together behind the scenes, he also reunited with his "Dodgeball" co-star Ben Stiller in "The Watch" and appeared in "Delivery Man" and "Unfinished Business." It was around this time that Vaughn made the shift from comedy to dramatic roles.

Vaughn played a crooked casino owner in "True Detective" Season 2 and a drill sergeant in best picture nominee "Hacksaw Ridge." He went on to appear in "Brawl in Cell Block 99," "Dragged Across Concrete," and "Fighting with My Family," a movie about the rise of WWE star Paige. In 2024, he began starring in the Apple TV+ black comedy crime drama series "Bad Monkey," playing police detective-turned-restaurant inspector Andrew Yancy. That same year, Vaughn finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of his services to the industry.

While Ben Stiller was already famous for "Meet the Parents" and "Zoolander," 2004 was a huge year for the actor: He established himself as one of the biggest names in Hollywood with the films "Meet the Fockers," "Starsky & Hutch," "Along Came Polly," and, of course, "Dodgeball," in which he plays White Goodman. White, the eccentric and arrogant owner of Globo Gym, is trying to buy out Average Joe's so he can demolish it.

Stiller went on to front the "Night at the Museum" films, which are among his most successful in terms of box office takings, and he wrote, directed, and starred in "Tropic Thunder." He later appeared in Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories," which made its debut at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival with a standing ovation. He's since moved behind the camera, producing and directing the based-on-a-true-story prison break miniseries "Escape at Dannemora," which earned 12 Emmy nominations, as well as executive producing and primarily directing the hit Apple TV+ series "Severance."

Stiller hasn't forgotten his "Dodgeball" days, though. In 2017, he organized a charity fundraiser for his Ben Stiller Foundation focused around the film, bringing the cast back together. Talk of a sequel has been going on for many years now, though, according to actor Justin Long, Stiller is worried about ruining the original's legacy. "He's a little trepidatious about doing a sequel to something so beloved, something that people enjoy so much," Long told ComicBook.com.

Ben Stiller's wife Christine Taylor began her career as a child actor, playing lifeguard Melody Hanson in the Nickelodeon series "Hey Dude." She was then cast as Marcia Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie" and her career in comedy projects evolved from there. She had a number of memorable roles before joining the cast of "Dodgeball" as real estate agent and tax lawyer Kate Veatch (who ends up joining Average Joe's dodgeball team after White Goodman's actions leave her jobless), including parts in "The Wedding Singer" and "The Craft."

Since "Dodgeball," Taylor has kept mostly off the screen. She's appeared in films like "License to Wed" and "Little Boxes" and in TV shows like "Burning Love," "Search Party," and "Elementary," but her career slowed down after her turn as Kate. She's collaborated with Stiller on several other occasions over the years, including on "Zoolander" and "Tropic Thunder." The two were married in 2000 after meeting on the unaired pilot "Heat Vision and Jack," and had one of the most stable relationships in Hollywood — for a while. 

The pair announced their separation in May 2017, with sources close to the couple saying that Stiller spent a lot of time focusing on his career, while Taylor was focused on being a mother to their two children. Luckily, they found their way back to each other during the COVID-19 lockdowns and have remained together since. Taylor has appeared in a few projects since the end of the pandemic, including the Apple TV+ comedy series "High Desert" and the Max Original rom-com "Sweethearts."

Rip Torn's Patches O'Houlihan is the source of the quote, "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." The retired dodgeball star is in a wheelchair in the movie, but that doesn't stop him from passing on his knowledge to the Average Joe's team as a coach. Torn had already enjoyed a long and successful career by the time he appeared in "Dodgeball." He made his debut in the 1956 film "Baby Doll" and would later earn an Oscar nomination for his turn as Marsh Turner in 1983's "Cross Creek," a career highlight. He also played Zed in the "Men in Black" franchise prior to "Dodgeball."

After his memorable turn as Patches, Torn played rock music producer Alan James in 2005's "Forty Shades of Blue" and French king Louis XV in 2006's "Marie Antoinette," though his career his a snag a few years later when he was arrested and charged with drunkenly breaking into a Connecticut bank. Among the charges were allegations that he was carrying a "loaded revolver" and was "highly intoxicated" when he was found; he was officially charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and weapons charges.

Torn eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a two-and-a-half year suspended jail sentence and three years of probation. His career was never the same following the incident, with the veteran actor only signing on to a few smaller films. He did, however, reprise his "Men in Black" role in an Air New Zealand safety video in 2015, featuring alongside members of the All Blacks rugby team. The veteran actor died at his home in 2019 surrounded by family. He was 88.

The part of Justin Redman (a high school student who frequents Average Joe's Gym) was written for Justin Long, hence the name. During an appearance on the podcast "Dinner's On Me," Long revealed that writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber saw him in an episode of the NBC series "Ed" and thought he'd be perfect for "Dodgeball," though there was some pushback from the studio due to his age. "They wanted somebody younger because I was way too old to play that part. I was, like I said, 24, 25," Long said.

Thurber stuck to his guns and the rest is history. Long starred opposite Lindsay Lohan in "Herbie: Fully Loaded" the following year and went on to establish himself in Hollywood with further roles in "The Break-Up," Idiocracy," "Live Free or Die Hard," "Drag Me to Hell," "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," and "Funny People." He also brought his voice to the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" film trilogy series as the titular troublemaking rodent.

Long has had a number of high profile celebrity relationships, dating Drew Barrymore from 2007 to 2008 and Amanda Seyfried from 2013 to 2015. He later started dating Kate Bosworth, and the two tied the knot in March 2023. That same year, Long starred in the first season of Disney's rebooted "Goosebumps" series as Nathan Bratt, an English teacher who inherits an old house and gets possessed by the spirit of a teen who died there.

Stephen Root unleashed his inner Hulk for his role as Average Joe's customer Gordon in "Dodgeball." He was best known for the role of Milton Waddams in the 1999 cult classic black comedy film "Office Space" prior to "Dodgeball" (and arguably still is to this day, thanks to Milton's memorable obsession with his red stapler), but he's played a myriad of roles since then, and in a number of different genres. 

Shortly after "Dodgeball" was released, Root appeared in the romantic comedy "Just Friends" and then lent his distinctive voice to "Ice Age: The Meltdown," playing the Aardvark dad. He went on to have small roles in "No Country For Old Men" and "Over Her Dead Body" before booking appearances in "Drillbit Taylor" and "Leatherheads." He also plied his trade in films like "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "J. Edgar," "The Lone Ranger," "Selma," "Trumbo," and Jordan Peele's horror hit "Get Out," playing one of the film's predatory villains.

Root has also had an extensive career in television, appearing in the likes of "True Blood," "24," "Boardwalk Empire," "Pushing Daisies," "Justified," and "The Newsroom." In 2018, he landed the role of Monroe Fuches, handler of the titular character on Bill Hader's pitch-black hitman comedy "Barry." For his work in the show's second season, Root received his first-ever Emmy nomination. He's been doing a lot of voice work in recent years, playing characters in the likes of "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

Joel David Moore's Owen Dittman, an employee at Average Joe's Gym, has an adorable love affair with a member of the rival team in "Dodgeball," and since then, he has continued to use his sweetness to charm audiences across the board. "Dodgeball" was one of Moore's earliest roles, but he quickly followed it up with parts in comedies like "Grandma's Boy," "American Hustle," and "Wieners."

His career began to take off in 2009 when he appeared as Dr. Norm Spellman in James Cameron's "Avatar," a role he reprised in 2022's "Avatar: The Way of Water." He's due to play Norm again in the upcoming installments. "We shot two and three at the same time," the actor told People in 2023. "And I've read four and I'm telling you there is so much joy to come in the world of Avatar. I can't say too much about the actual storylines, but Norm has a really fun, lovely journey ahead of him."

Moore has also been a consistent television guest star, appearing on multiple episodes of "Bones" and "Medium" and starring in the short-lived ABC drama series "Forever." He has also popped up on shows like "Chuck," "House," "My Name is Earl," "Last Man Standing," and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." In the latter show, he played a Chronicoms (an advanced race of synthetic, semi-robotic beings) called Noah who was sent to Earth to study humans.

Chris Williams was already an established actor when he took on the part of Average Joe's Gym employee Dwight in "Dodgeball," and he has continued to be a popular comedy star since the movie was released. Williams followed up the film with guest starring appearances on shows like "Reno 911!," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Weeds," and "Monk," at the same time lending his voice to a number of video games, including "Saints Row," "Spider-Man 3," and "Open Season." 

Williams also went on to land recurring roles on shows like "Californication," in which he played Todd Carr, and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," playing the memorable part of rapper Krazee-Eyez Killa (the episode named after his character is one of the best "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episodes ever). Williams was among the regular cast of the CBS sitcom "The Great Indoors," but it was canceled after just one season. Luckily for Williams, he still had a recurring role on "Silicon Valley" as Hoover, the loyal and sycophantic assistant to evil tech boss Gavin Belson (Matt Ross).

Williams' most recent recurring roles are that of Dave Antony (the father of Nora Antony, Nathan's handler in his afterlife) in Amazon's sci-fi comedy drama "Upload" and Larry in the Netflix sitcom "The Upshaws." He also recently returned to the world of video games to voice several characters in the critically acclaimed game "Marvel's Spider-Man 2."

Perhaps the most memorable character in "Dodgeball" is Steve the Pirate, played by Alan Tudyk. He was already known in sci-fi circles thanks to his work as Hoban "Wash" Washburne in the cult series "Firefly," and a sequel to "Firefly" provided one of Tudyk's early "Dodgeball" follow-ups, with the actor coming back to tear everyone's hearts out in "Serenity." Other film credits include "3:10 to Yuma," "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "42," "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials," and "Trumbo."

You also heard (but didn't see) Tudyk as the droid K-2SO in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and this isn't the only time Tudyk has lent his star power to a film off screen, either. The actor has some prolific pipes, lending his voice to huge films like "Wreck-It Ralph," "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," "Zootopia," and "Moana." He is also a popular voice actor on TV, having worked on episodes of "Young Justice," "American Dad!," and the ongoing series "Harley Quinn," in which he voices both Clayface and The Joker.

Other recent voice roles include the sentient robot Cosmo in the Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt-led Netflix film "The Electric State" (which sadly failed as a sci-fi blockbuster) and middle school teacher-turned-criminal Dr. Rufis Pentos in Fox's animated sitcom "Grimsburg." The actor loves doing voice work because of the freedom that comes with it. "You can play around and have fun, and the process is drawn out because it then gets animated, new ideas come up, and you get to have a second bite at the apple, and I love apples," he told The Nerds of Color.

Gary Cole played the straight man of the "Dodgeball" commentating duo as Cotton McKnight, turning in a performance good enough for any sports commentating reel. Cole went on to appear in films like "Pineapple Express," "Tammy," "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," and "The Bronze."

While you've likely seen Cole elsewhere on the big screen, you're more likely to have seen him on the small screen, where he's had a prolific career as a guest star on TV shows like "Supernatural," "Psych," "Chuck," and "30 Rock." He's also had recurring roles on "Entourage," "The Good Wife," "Suits," and "Veep," for which Cole earned an outstanding guest actor in a comedy series Emmy nomination in 2014 for his role as inscrutable presidential strategist Kent Davison.

These days, Cole is best known for having taken over the lead role from Mark Harmon on "NCIS," playing Supervisory Special Agent Alden Parker. Cole appreciates the way the writers were able to integrate his character into "NCIS," as stepping into Harmon's shoes was never going to be easy. "The writers were very smart when they had [Parker] arrive during a conflict among the other characters," the actor told TV Insider. "They collided in the middle of a case so there was immediate conflict and animosity."

People often forget that Jason Bateman was in "Dodgeball," as he plays against type in a minor role. He got the chance to deliver some of the most memorable lines as the co-commentator Pepper, an outlandish character who was a huge departure from his most notable role at that point as the straight man Michael Bluth on "Arrested Development."

Of course, while he does tend to play similar roles, Bateman has more than proven himself as a talented actor in the years since he popped up in "Dodgeball." He went on to appear in the likes of "Juno," "Hancock," "Up in the Air," "Couples Retreat," "The Switch," "Horrible Bosses," "The Change-Up," "Identity Thief," "Office Christmas Party," and "Game Night," and that's just on the big screen.

Bateman's most memorable role is that of financial advisor Marty Byrde, who becomes increasingly entangled in the world of money laundering in the hit TV show "Ozark." He was nominated for 10 Emmy awards for his work on the show, scooping one for directing — Bateman helmed nine episodes in total, and he plans on working behind the camera a lot more in the future. "I still love acting, but I think I may love directing even more," he told Variety when "Ozark" wrapped. "A lot of that has to do with everything that I've been able to absorb as an actor over 40-some years."

Even if you've seen "Dodgeball" hundreds of times, you probably wouldn't be able to pick Missi Pyle out of a line-up. The actor underwent a huge transformation for the part of Globo Gym player Fran, going from blonde to dark brunette and adding in a unibrow, some fake teeth, and an intense glare for good measure.

Pyle came up with the look of the character herself, even drawing on some thick eyebrows and a fake mole for her audition. "I was driving to this audition just praying it wasn't in a building where I had to sign in, and there was the elevator or a valet. I looked so ridiculous," she told AV Club. "Fortunately, it was a strip mall where you just park and walk up some stairs. I didn't run into anybody, but I walked through the door, and the casting assistant was like, 'Oh my God.'"

Since "Dodgeball," Pyle has appeared in a bunch of big films. She played Violet's overbearing mother in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and later appeared in "Captain Fantastic," "Gone Girl," "Just My Luck," "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," and "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." More recently, she appeared in the 2024 drama "All That We Love" and the 2025 comedy "For Worse," both of which scored rave reviews.

The late Rip Torn portrayed the old, crotchety version of Patches O'Houlihan in "Dodgeball," but Hank Azaria played the character as a younger man, seen in all his glory in a black-and-white training video. Azaria is a comedy journeyman and gifted actor who's been a major part of some of the biggest and funniest shows and movies of the past three decades. He's best known for the stellar voice work he's done on "The Simpsons" over the decades, portraying the likes of Chief Wiggum, Moe Szyslak, and Comic Book Guy, to name but a few.

He's still working on "The Simpsons" today, but he often lends his voice to other projects. Like his fellow "Dodgeball" star Alan Tudyk, he voiced a character in the Netflix film "The Electric State." He played Perplexo, described by the streaming giant as "a mechanical magician robot whose showmanship is more impressive than his sleight of hand." His most recent live-action roles include music manager Chaim in Sam Levinson and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye's "The Idol" and Eddie Nichols, a salesman who is trouble with some gangsters due to his gambling debts, in the Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy-drama "Hello Tomorrow!"

Football player-turned-actor Jamal Duff played Globo Gym team member Me'Shell Jones in "Dodgeball," which was his third film following small roles in the action movies "S.W.A.T." and "Welcome to the Jungle." Duff is a dodgeball monster in the movie and he strikes an imposing figure in real life, too. The 6'7" actor played as a defensive end and defensive tackle for three years in the NFL in the 1990s. And in the 2000s, he decided to give acting a shot. 

After "Dodgeball," Duff booked dozens of roles in movies and TV shows, often playing large and in charge characters such as a bouncer in "This Is Us," security guards on "Future Man" and "Raven's Home," and a character simply credited as Huge Inmate in "Better Call Saul." He's also played some named characters on TV shows such as ex-military assassin John Bruno in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and Agent Sanders in the reboot of "Night Court," his most recent appearance.

Duff's most high-profile work to date is probably his recurring role on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." Fellow football player-turned-actor Terry Crews co-starred on the show as Terry Jeffords, and Duff plays Zeke, Terry's bullying, belittling, and much bigger brother-in-law. He popped up three times during the first three seasons of the hit show and is arguably one of the best "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" guest stars.

Like her on-screen "Dodgeball" love interest Justin Long, Julie Gonzalo was well into her 20s when she portrayed a teenager in the film. She plays a cheerleader named Amber who needs Justin's help for her important cheerleading routine — but at the expense of the Average Joe's dodgeball squad. Around the time of the movie's release, Gonzalo played a lot of teens, appearing in the likes of "Freaky Friday" and "A Cinderella Story."

In 2006, Gonzalo got her big break as the outgoing Hearst College student Parker Lee on the third and final season of the cult classic "Veronica Mars." Gonzalo reprised the role for an installment of the 2019 "Veronica Mars" revival. And, speaking of reboots, Gonzalo is also well-known for her role as Pamela Rebecca Barnes on TNT's 2012-2014 "Dallas" sequel series.

Along with guest star gigs on series ranging from "Castle" to "CSI: Miami" to "Grey's Anatomy," Gonzalo landed one other major role on a short-lived show, playing attorney Maggie Dekker on the fantastical legal dramedy "Eli Stone." In 2019, she joined the cast of "Supergirl," playing Andrea Rojas in over two-dozen episodes across Season 5 and Season 6. She's been plying her trade in TV movies over the past few years, appearing in "A Novel Noel," "Happy Holidays from Cherry Lane," and "My Argentine Heart," to name a few.

While dodgeball isn't a real professional sport (or at least it wasn't when "Dodgeball" hit cineplexes in 2004; some leagues have popped up since then), filmmakers managed to keep the playing sequences as realistic and above board as possible. Portraying "Tournament Referee" in the film's climactic showdown between Globo Gym and Average Joe's is Al Kaplon, an actor and real-life minor league baseball umpire.

Kaplon called strikes, balls, safes and outs for a decade as an official in the Pacific Coast League. Upon his release in 1986, he moved into acting, sort of, portraying an umpire in the baseball movie "Talent for the Game." He followed that up with small parts on episodes of "The X-Files" and the sports-themed sitcom "Inside Schwartz," as well as appearances in commercials for Toyota, Nike, and Viagra.

He's made a successful career from playing referees and umpires, but which project does he remember most fondly? "Dodgeball," of course. "That was my favorite part," he said during an interview with MILB. "What an experience." Kaplon most recently appeared in Netflix's "Colin in Black & White," a miniseries about the life of athlete-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick.