Whatever Happened To The Field Of Dreams Cast?
A quite-literally-out-of-left-field hit, 1989's "Field of Dreams" told the heartwarming story of a man (played by Kevin Costner) hearing a voice in his Iowa corn field. While much of what follows pertains to baseball, the Phil Alden Robinson flick is about so much more. Life, death, faith, rebelling against those who raised you, atoning for past sins and appreciating the beauty in a life well lived — for starters.
When the voice tells Costner's Ray Kinsella to build a baseball field, he risks his farm, family and reputation while doing exactly that. Along the way, with considerable help from a '60s revolutionary writer (James Earl Jones), a player who never got an at-bat (Burt Lancaster/Frank Whaley) and a legend banned from the sport (Ray Liotta), Ray becomes a quasi-Saint Peter, welcoming souls to the gates of heaven — or, to be more precise, Iowa.
Nominated for three Academy Awards, the sports fantasy earned more than five times its budget. "Field of Dreams" received critical acclaim for a balanced tone, its fairy tale plausibility, and a solid cast all swinging for the fences.
In the decades since, many "Dreams" stars have soared, others have faded away, and several have vanished beyond the corn, towards whatever awaits them on the other side. With appreciation for a job well done and a movie worth watching again and again, here's a look at the post-film lives of the "Field of Dreams" cast.
Kevin Costner (Ray Kinsella)
Costner brought a quiet dignity and intense passion to the role of Ray, a man who defies everyone's expectations while pursuing both his literal and figurative dreams.
"Field of Dreams" was not Costner's first baseball-related film, having starred in "Bull Durham" (as a catcher) the prior year, and it would not be his last as he starred in the Sam Raimi flick "For Love of the Game" (as a pitcher) in 1999. One of the biggest stars in the world in the late '80s/early '90s, Costner not only headlined blockbusters like Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" and the Whitney Houston phenomenon "The Bodyguard," but built his career through a unique mixture of beloved baseball and Western films.
In 1990, he produced, directed, and starred in "Dances with Wolves," which earned Costner a Best Actor nomination and a Best Director win at the Oscars. Over the years, he amassed a few failures like "Waterworld" and "The Postman," but had plenty of hits to balance things out, including "Open Range," and "Tin Cup."
As the years went by and Costner's age began to climb, he settled into a nice career as a character actor ("Hidden Figures," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "The Company Men") who would occasionally take on some heavier lifting ("Mr. Brooks," "Draft Day," "Swing Vote").
Costner came roaring back in 2018 with his first significant television role, playing John Dutton in the hit series "Yellowstone." As if that series didn't give him enough Western cred, he continues to tour with his country rock band Kevin Costner & Modern West. As part of an ongoing partnership with MLB celebrating the flick, Costner returned to the "Field of Dreams" cornfield in August 2021, leading the Yankees and White Sox (dressed like Joe Jackson's 1919 team) onto the field for a thrilling game won by a dramatic walk-off homer ... the sort of thing that could only happen in the movies.
Amy Madigan (Annie Kinsella)
Supporting Ray's vision of turning his cornfield into a baseball safe haven for ghosts is his spirited wife, Annie. Amy Madigan brought a fiery passion to the "Field of Dreams" character, particularly in the now-classic scene where she stands up and delivers an impassioned speech against book banning.
Prior to "Field of Dreams," Madigan had been nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Sunny Mackenzie-Sobel in 1985's "Twice in a Lifetime," and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Sarah Weddington in the 1989 television film "Roe vs. Wade." She went on to appear in films like "Uncle Buck," "Winter Passing," and "Gone Baby Gone." She has frequently appeared opposite husband Ed Harris, perhaps most memorably in his Oscar-nominated directorial debut "Pollock."
In 2020, Madigan appeared in a recurring role on "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels," then followed that up with a pair of horror films: 2020's "The Hunt" and 2021's "Antlers."
Gaby Hoffmann (Karin Kinsella)
Ray and Annie Kinsella's adorable daughter Karin not only brings youthful heart to "Dreams," but also a true moment of terror when she is involved in a life or death situation that results in a character needing to make a crucial choice to save her life.
Gaby Hoffmann's role as Karin Kinsella was her first feature film performance and earned her a Young Artist Award win. She would be nominated four more times throughout her childhood acting career, appearing in films like "This Is My Life," "The Man Without a Face," and "Now and Then." After taking a short break, she returned to acting as an adult, appearing in films like "Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus," "Veronica Mars," and "Wild."
Hoffmann also successfully moved into television, earning Emmy nominations for her role as Caroline Sackler in "Girls" and Ali Pfefferman in "Transparent." She then appeared as Claire Rothman in "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty." From child actress to film and TV star, Gaby Hoffmann continues to work steadily — and presumably, has since learned what the phrase "southpaw" means.
James Earl Jones (Terence Mann)
In "Shoeless Joe," the 1982 W.P. Kinsella novel on which "Field of Dreams" is based, Ray seeks out reclusive author J.D. Salinger to join him on his supernatural baseball journey. In real life, the famously-reclusive Salinger was none-too-pleased with his appearance in the book and threatened to sue if they used him as a character in the film. Changing the character, then, to fictional author Terence Mann opened up the production to be able to cast James Earl Jones, in a role that feels impossible at this point to imagine anyone else playing so brilliantly.
The smooth-voiced Jones had already established a formidable career before "Field of Dreams." Imagine beginning your filmography with Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," becoming the voice of Darth Vader, and appearing in such classics as 1976's "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings," 1970's "The Great White Hope" and the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy classic "Coming to America."
Post-"Dreams," Jones got only hotter, appearing in films like "The Hunt for Red October" and "Sneakers" (reuniting with director Robinson) and lending his signature voice to everything from "The Lion King" to CNN to countless commercials. Like Costner, he created his own formidable baseball trilogy, following up "Bingo Long" and "Field of Dreams" with a beloved role in "The Sandlot."
Winner of three Emmy awards, three Tony awards, a Grammy, and an Oscar, Jones was most recently seen reprising some of his biggest roles. Proving once again that nobody could ever duplicate that voice, Jones played Mufasa in the 2019 reboot of "The Lion King," King Jaffe Joffer in 2021's "Coming 2 America" and once again voiced Darth Vader in 2022's "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Ray Liotta (Shoeless Joe Jackson)
The first ghost to appear on Ray's newly-built baseball field is Chicago White Sox pariah "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, whose real-life baseball career was cut short after the so-called 1919 "Black Sox" scandal, in which he and 7 teammates were accused of throwing the World Series for financial gain and subsequently banned from the game for life. Jackson, brought to life in all his agony and longing by Ray Liotta, brings an intensity to "Field of Dreams" that helps balance out some of the film's more sentimental moments.
Before "Field of Dreams," Liotta had been nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Ray Sinclair in 1986's "Something Wild," which was a big breakthrough for the actor. It was his lead role as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's 1991 gangster epic "Goodfellas," however, that made him a star.
In the years that followed, Liotta had a fascinating career filled with duds ("No Escape"), punchlines ("Operation Dumbo Drop"), underrated gems ("Identity"), solid supporting work ("Hannibal," "Smokin' Aces"), comebacks ("Narc"), attempts at dark comedy ("Observe and Report") and roles as everyone from himself ("Bee Movie") to Frank Sinatra ("The Rat Pack") to a voice in the controversial "Grand Theft Auto" videogame series.
Liotta appeared to critical acclaim in 2019's "Marriage Story" and played twins in the "Sopranos" prequel film "The Many Saints of Newark." On May 26th, 2022, Liotta passed away, leaving behind a legacy of great films with even more scheduled to be released posthumously.
Timothy Busfield as Mark
"Thirtysomething" star Busfield was perfectly cast as Ray's smarmy, condescending brother-in-law Mark, who can't see the ghostly baseball players and increasingly presses Ray to sell the family farm.
Before that turn in "Field of Dreams," Busfield had played one of the titular nerds in 1984's "Revenge of the Nerds" and its 1987 sequel, but his more mature turn as Elliot Weston on the 1987 television series "thirtysomething" earned him an Emmy in 1991. Though he went on to appear in films like "Sneakers" and "Quiz Show," he's probably best known for his television work, appearing in many Aaron Sorkin programs, most notably as Danny Concannon on "The West Wing."
Throughout much of his acting career, he would also step behind the camera to direct. He most recently oversaw episodes of "The Connors," "FBI," and "Chicago Med," in addition to starring as a former senator in the 2020 series "For Life."
Burt Lancaster (Dr. Archibald Moonlight Graham)
At one point in "Field of Dreams," Ray finds himself transported to 1972. There he meets elderly Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, who he believes to be a sad old man who never even got an at-bat in his one major league game.
The part was initially offered to James Stewart, but wound up going to Burt Lancaster in what would be his last acting role.
Nominated for Academy Awards for "From Here to Eternity," "The Birdman of Alcatraz," and "Atlantic City" and winning a Best Actor Oscar for "Elmer Gantry," Lancaster had an amazing film career that spanned over four decades. Lancaster frequently co-starred with Kirk Douglas, starred in the smash hit "Airport," and was so politically active he made his way onto President Nixon's enemies list.
Lancaster retired from acting after having a stroke following the release of "Field of Dreams." On October 20th, 1994, at the age of 80, Lancaster died due to a heart attack.
Frank Whaley (Young Archie Graham)
When Ray and Terence make their way back to Ray's home in Iowa, they stop to pick up a hitchhiker. That hitchhiker turns out to be a young Archie Graham, who will finally get his chance at bat on the titular field of dreams. The character as played by Frank Whaley brings a youthful energy that wonderfully complements the content, older version of Moonlight Graham seen earlier in the film in the person of Burt Lancaster.
Whaley built a substantial career after "Field of Dreams," with the eternally-baby-faced actor appearing in films like "Career Opportunities," "Pulp Fiction" "The Doors" and "Broken Arrow." He became a favorite of the indie film movement, starring in the criminally-forgotten "Swimming with Sharks" opposite Kevin Spacey, among others.
Whaley went on to appear in films like "Born on the Fourth of July," but he might be best remembered for his role as Brett, the rattled victim of Samuel L. Jackson's interrogation techniques in "Pulp Fiction." In addition to acting in countless films and television series, Whaley has also written and directed four films himself: "Joe the King" with Val Kilmer, "The Jimmy Show" with Ethan Hawke, "New York City Serenade" with Freddie Prinze Jr., and "Like Sunday, Like Rain" with Leighton Meester.
In recent years, Whaley has landed recurring roles on "Luke Cage," "Interrogation," and "Power Book II: Ghost" and turned in memorable work in films like "Hustlers."
Dwier Brown (John Kinsella)
The final player to come onto Ray's field of dreams is undoubtedly the most important to him. After the ghostly catcher removes his mask and introduces himself, they both head out onto the field and Ray gets to have one more game of catch with his father, John Kinsella.
Dwier Brown, the actor portraying Ray's father, went on to appear in a number of films and television series including "Gettysburg," "Red Dragon," and an episode of "Firefly." His most recent role was as a priest in a pair of "Rizzoli & Isles" episodes that aired in 2016.
In 2014, Brown wrote a book called "If You Build It..." about his experience making "Field of Dreams" and how his brief five minute scene went on to touch millions of fans and even helped him examine his own relationship with his father.
Lee Garlington (Beulah Gasnick)
Ray and Annie Kinsella attend a PTA meeting where Beulah Gasnick (played to disgusting small-minded perfection by Lee Garlington) wants to ban and burn the works of Mann for their "controversial" topics. Annie stands against Beulah, and through a rousing speech, convinces nearly everyone else at the meeting to stand up as well.
Prior to her role in "Dreams," Garlington had appeared as Myrna in "Psycho II" and "Psycho III" and as Nancy Stalk in the Sylvester Stallone classic "Cobra." She went on to feature in numerous films like "Sneakers," "Dante's Peak," and "The Sum of All Fears." She appeared even more frequently on television with recurring roles on "Everwood," "The Killing," and "Mistresses," as well as guest spots on shows like "Friends," "The Golden Girls," and "The Magicians." Garlington even appeared as a waitress in the pilot episode of "Seinfeld," and was initially intended as a main character — though this was dropped in favor of bringing in Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Elaine Benes.
Most recently, Garlington appeared alongside Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto in 2021's "The Little Things" and in the 2021 Discovery+ original film "Candy Coated Christmas."
Michael Milhoan (Buck Weaver)
After Kinsella builds his baseball field, ghostly White Sox champions walk out of the corn stalks to play baseball for the first time since they were banned after being accused of fixing the 1919 World Series. One of the players, Buck Weaver, is played in "Field of Dreams" by the comedically talented Michael Milhoan.
Milhoan went on to feature in a string of popular films after the release of "Field of Dreams" including "The Rocketeer," "Pearl Harbor," and "She's All That." He even teamed up with "Field of Dreams" star Kevin Costner for another sports film, 1996's "Tin Cup." Milhoan also made multiple guest spots on television series, usually as coaches, most notably as Coach Strickland on "3rd Rock from the Sun."
After taking a nearly decade-long acting break after 2008's "The Spirit," Michael Milhoan returned; his most recent film appearance was a small role in the 2021 psychological thriller "Mind Games."
Steve Eastin (Eddie Cicotte)
Another of the eight famous banned Chicago White Sox baseball players to walk out onto Ray Kinsella's field of dreams is pitcher Eddie Cicotte, played by character actor Steve Eastin.
Eastin's career began in 1972 when he appeared uncredited in the 1972 Clint Eastwood western "Joe Kidd," a role that soon flourished into five decades worth of film and television work. With appearances in films like "Con Air," "Catch Me If You Can," and "The Black Dahlia" to recurring characters on "Days of Our Lives," "Gilmore Girls," and "Dexter," Eastin has nearly 150 credits to his name, with his most recent being 2022's Bruce Willis film "Gasoline Alley," and more on the way.
These many years of experience were instrumental in establishing his own school of acting, The Steve Eastin Studio, in 1999. He continues to teach his methods to aspiring actors to this very day.
Art LaFleur (Chick Gandil)
Joining Shoeless Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver, and Eddie Ciccotte on Ray Kinsella's homemade baseball diamond was fellow Chicago White Sox player Chick Gandil, played with bossy perfection by strong-jawed character actor Art LaFleur.
Gandil wasn't the only real-life baseball player LaFleur would personify as a ghost during his nearly 40 years of acting; he later played Babe Ruth in "The Sandlot." LaFleur also featured in other sports films, including 1992's "Mr. Baseball," 1998's "The Garbage Picking Field Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon," and 2000's "The Replacements." Aside from sports roles, he also appeared in "WarGames," "First Kid," and as the Tooth Fairy in "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause."
Art LaFleur's last acting role was in the 2017 short film "Dive," playing lead actor Paul Prado's father. On November 17, 2021, the 78-year-old Hollywood veteran died due to Parkinson's Disease.
Anne Seymour (Chisolm Newspaper Publisher)
When Ray and Terence Mann decide to find out more about "Moonlight" Graham after seeing a vision of his statistics on the Fenway Park scoreboard, they are helped by a Minnesotan newspaper publisher, who quickly produces the obituary she wrote for Graham. This small town writer was played by accomplished 79-year-old actress Anne Seymour.
Starting her career on the radio in 1932, Seymour eventually made her way to television on the soap operas "Follow Your Heart" and "The First Hundred Years," as well as series like "The Tim Conway Show." She also appeared in many feature films including "Pollyanna," "Misty," "Trancers," and "Big Top Pee-Wee."
"Field of Dreams" would turn out to be Anne Seymour's final film role as she passed away on December 8th, 1988, only four months before its release.
Matt Damon & Ben Affleck (as Fenway Park Extras)
When Ray meets Terence Mann, he convinces him to join him for a game at Fenway Park. Surrounded by thousands of cheering fans, they notice that the scoreboard briefly changes into the statistics of a 1920's game. What even the most eagle-eyed viewer likely won't notice, however, is the presence of a couple of teenage spectators who would go on to become A-list Hollywood actors and filmmakers.
A young Ben Affleck and Matt Damon jumped at the chance to be extras for the scene, as they both wanted to be at Fenway Park. They got even more than they bargained for, when they also got to have a five-minute chat with Kevin Costner who spent some time socializing with the large group of background actors.
"There were maybe 3000 extras in the big crowd scene, when Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones are at the baseball game," Damon recalled during a 2021 interview. "Costner came out, hung out with the extras, and Ben and I struck up a conversation with him; he probably gave us like 5 minutes. He was incredibly generous with his time. We knew we wanted to be actors — I was 17 and Ben was 15 ... [Costner] was great."
Affleck and Damon would go on to appear together in the 1992 film "School Ties" before shooting to stardom when they co-wrote/starred in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," an Oscar winner for best screenplay. They would team up again for 1999's "Dogma," the HBO series "Project Greenlight," both Jay & Silent Bob films, and most recently 2021's "The Last Duel," in which they also collaborated on writing the script.