What The Cast Of Underworld: Evolution Is Doing Today
Back in 2003, director Len Wiseman launched a new movie franchise with "Underworld." The film combined Gothic horror aesthetics with 21st-century kinetic gunplay and a complex werewolf/vampire mythology, several years before the launch of the first "Twilight" novel. "Underworld" was a financial success, grossing more than $95 million, well over its budget of $22 million. Naturally, the film inspired a sequel, 2006's "Underworld: Evolution."
With a bigger budget and more ambitious scope, "Underworld: Evolution" is the film that turned "Underworld" into a bona fide franchise. Thanks to the success of "Underworld: Evolution," studio Screen Gems churned out three more films, with rumors consistently pointing towards a sixth film. At this point, it seems inevitable that Kate Beckinsale is destined to don her tight leather pants one last time to give Selene a proper send-off. The only question is: when?
"Underworld: Evolution" is 16 years old in 2022. Let's take a look back at the cast of the movie and see what they're up to these days.
Scott Speedman
Before the release of the first "Underworld" movie in 2003, Scott Speedman was best known for his role in the cult TV series "Felicity," an early hit for producers J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves. Although he would appear in movies like "Duets" and "Dark Blue," a gritty crime thriller starring Kurt Russell, "Underworld" marked Speedman's first major Hollywood movie. Speedman reprised his portrayal of Michael Corvin in the sequel, but further movies drastically reduced his role, relegating the character to being played by a stand-in, Trent Garrett.
In the years since his retirement from the "Underworld" franchise, Speedman has appeared in many movies, like "The Strangers" and "Citizen Gangster," but is mostly known for his television work. After starring in the short-lived military thriller "Last Resort" in 2012, Speedman appeared in the first three seasons of "Animal Kingdom" on TNT. He currently stars in "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC, and played a supporting role in the third season of Netflix's "You." His latest film projects include the provocative new David Cronenberg movie, "Crimes of the Future," and Lena Dunham's latest effort, "Sharp Stick."
Bill Nighy
Bill Nighy started out in the theatre in his native England, with credits dating back to 1969 when he made his debut in Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite" at the Watermill Theatre. By the time he appeared in "Underworld," Nighy was a natural for the elder statesman role in the story. He plays Viktor, a cunning and manipulative vampire elder. Nighy returned for the sequel, "Underworld: Evolution," and the prequel, "Rise of the Lycans."
After his "Underworld" debut, Nighy joined another major Hollywood series, playing Davy Jones in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels. He also appeared in 2014's "I, Frankenstein," which was created by the same screenwriter behind the "Underworld" franchise. As for less action-oriented fare, he starred in both "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and its 2015 sequel.
More recently, Nighy starred in 2019's "Detective Pikachu" and Autumn de Wilde's 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma." Nighy can currently be seen on "The Man Who Fell to Earth," a Showtime series based on both the 1963 novel by Walter Tevis and the 1976 cinematic adaptation starring David Bowie. In fact, Nighy plays the same character as Bowie, making the show a direct sequel to the events of the prior adaptation.
Tony Curran
In the universe of "Underworld," the first vampire was Markus Corvinus, the son of the immortal Alexander Corvinus. When bitten by a bat, he mutates into a vampire, beginning a legacy that will last all the way to the present day. Unfortunately for him, he meets his end when he comes face-to-face with a vengeful Selene, who literally chops him to pieces via a conveniently-placed helicopter rotor.
Before appearing in "Underworld: Evolution," actor Tony Curran was working hard to make a name for himself as a hard-working actor, often playing small roles in big movies. His pre-"Underworld" credits include "Blade II," "Gladiator," "Pearl Harbor," and the 2004 remake of "Flight of the Phoenix."
After "Underworld," he's continued to act in movies, sometimes taking on larger roles like a menacing human trafficker in the claustrophobic horror thriller "Shuttle." More recently, he appeared opposite Chris Pine in Netflix's "The Outlaw King," and played Despero, the otherworldly villain of the five-part Arrowverse crossover event, "The Flash: Armageddon."
Derek Jacobi
In "Underworld: Evolution," Derek Jacobi plays Alexander Corvinus, the immortal father of Markus, the first vampire. He initially refuses to help Selene in her battle against Markus, but his estranged son isn't grateful for this display of paternal loyalty and mortally wounds his own father. Before he dies, Alexander passes some of his power to Selene, who becomes strong enough to engage Markus in one-on-one combat.
Derek Jacobi got his start as a Shakespearean theatre actor, starring in "Henry IV, Part 2" back in 1959. Likewise, he made his film debut in 1965's "Othello," playing Cassio opposite Laurence Olivier in the title role. By the time he was cast in "Underworld: Evolution," Jacobi had established himself as a British icon. These days, supporting roles in movies like "Tomb Raider," "Cinderella," and "Murder on the Orient Express," as well as television appearances on "Good Omens" and "The Crown" have kept him busy while introducing his work to new generations of fans.
Jacobi's career shows no signs of slowing down, as he has multiple movies releasing in the near future, including "Allelujah," based on the play by Alan Bennett, "A Bird Flew In," a quarantine-set drama about filmmakers who lose their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, and "Lead Heads," with Tom Felton and Rupert Everett.
Steven Mackintosh
"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" is a prequel to the first "Underworld" movie, but utilizes many elements and characters from the first two films. Bill Nighy, Michael Sheen, and Kate Beckinsale all reprise their roles for the prequel, but so does Steven Mackintosh, who plays Andreas Tanis, a cowardly and opportunistic arms dealer who nevertheless proves to be a valuable source for information that drives the plot forward. It's interesting to see the prequel version of Tanis, a somewhat more dignified figure than the strung-out hedonist of "Underworld: Evolution."
Steven Mackintosh's acting career dates back to the 1980s, during which he appeared on numerous episodic TV shows and made-for-TV films, including a 1985 episode of "Doctor Who." By the time he appeared in "Underworld: Evolution," he had racked up an impressive list of credits under his belt, including "The Muppet Christmas Carol," "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels," and "The Mother," opposite Daniel Craig and Anne Reid.
Always a staple of British television, Mackintosh followed his "Underworld" tenure with roles on shows as varied as "Luther," "The Halcyon," "Wanderlust," and "Stan Lee's Lucky Man." He also appeared in the 2019 Elton John biopic, "Rocketman," while his most recent cinematic credit was the mystery thriller "The Postcard Killings."
Zita Görög
Seeing as how most of the entire "Underworld" series is set in the vicinity of Budapest, Hungary, it's ironic that there's only one main character actually played by a Hungarian actor. That honor belongs to Zita Görög, who plays Amelia, one of the vampire elders. Görög appeared in the first two films, and is frequently alluded to in the fifth film, "Underworld: Blood Wars," which revolves around her backstory and secret heir.
Zita Görög began her career as a model before becoming a television host and actor. Some of her early credits include oft-forgotten low-budget thrillers like "Den of Lions" and "8mm 2," a direct-to-video, in-name-only sequel to the 1999 Nicolas Cage vehicle. Following her turn in "Underworld: Evolution," Görög seemed to retire from acting. However, in 2021, she made an appearance on the Hungarian show, "Oltári történetek." It remains to be seen if this one-off acting credit is the start of a new phase in Zita's career.
Michael Sheen
Michael Sheen starred in the first entry in this "vampires vs. werewolves" saga, but only had a brief cameo in the sequel, since his character, Lucian, is killed off in the original "Underworld." However, he did reprise his role for the third film, "Rise of the Lycans," a prequel about the events leading up to the conflict of the original "Underworld."
Sheen and Beckinsale were in a romantic relationship when they were cast in "Underworld," and they had previously starred together in a 1995 production of the play, "The Seagull." However, they broke up shortly after working together on "Underworld," and Beckinsale went on to marry her director, Len Wiseman, with the marriage lasting 15 years. Even so, Beckinsale and Sheen are said to remain close friends to this day.
Following his final "Underworld" performance in "Rise of the Lycans," Sheen's star rose significantly across both film and television with his roles in "30 Rock" and the "Twilight" sequels, as well as a David Bowie-inspired role in 2010's "Tron: Legacy." From 2013 to 2016, he starred on Showtime's provocative hit series, "Masters of Sex," and currently stars on the Starz network's "Good Omens," an adaptation of the 1990 novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. During the coronavirus lockdown, Sheen and his "Good Omens" co-star, David Tennant, starred in "Staged," a comedy series about two actors trying to rehearse a play over Zoom.
Richard Cetrone
In addition to handling stunts on the first two "Underworld" movies, Richard Cetrone appeared in the small but memorable role of Pierce, who appears via flashbacks in "Underworld: Evolution." The character is frequently seen alongside his partner, Taylor (Mike Mukatis), serving as thugs fighting against Selene and her allies. Eventually, they meet an unceremonious fate when they are blown to bits by a silver grenade.
Even after his character was killed off in the first movie, Cetrone was able to return to the series in the 2015 revival, "Underworld: Awakening," in which he played an unnamed Lycan warrior. In the years since then, he's acted as a stunt performer in many movies, including blockbusters like "Captain America: Civil War," "Wonder Woman," and "The Book of Eli." He's also proven to be a favorite of director Zack Snyder, having acted and performed stunts in all of his live-action movies dating back to 2011's "Sucker Punch." He notably served as Ben Affleck's stunt double during Affleck's entire tenure as Snyder's dark and gritty take on Batman.
Brian Steele
While viewers never get to see Brian Steele's face in the "Underworld" movies, they couldn't miss his performances in the saga's first three entries. In all three movies, he plays monstrous werewolves who are only subtly enhanced with minimal CGI assistance. His performance in "Underworld: Evolution" is particularly noteworthy, since he gets to portray a key character, William Corvinus, the first werewolf and counterpart to his twin brother, Markus, the first vampire.
Brian Steele has been an in-demand creature performer for decades, frequently donning heavy suits and extreme prosthetics in order to properly portray an inhuman character. His career dates back to the 1990s, when he portrayed the title character in the final season of "Harry and the Hendersons." Soon after, he made his feature film debut in the cult horror film, "The Relic," playing the ghastly Kothoga monster.
After "Underworld," Steele became a creature performer on par with Doug Jones. He even appeared in multiple films alongside his fellow creature actor, including "Hellboy," "Doom," and "Lady in the Water." Most recently, Steele co-starred in Netflix's adaptation of the classic TV series, "Lost in Space," playing The Robot. No matter the advances in CGI technology, there should always be room in Hollywood for a performer in a creature suit.
Kate Beckinsale
The face of the franchise, Kate Beckinsale starred in all but one of the five "Underworld" films, with her role reduced to a surprise cameo in the prequel, "Rise of the Lycans." Prior to her debut as Selene, Beckinsale rose through the Hollywood ranks in unique dramas like 1999's "Brokedown Palace" before hitting the jackpot with Michael Bay's World War II epic, "Pearl Harbor."
While the film is remembered today for its egregious use of artistic license and trying to replicate the romantic melodrama of 1997's "Titanic," it was a huge hit in 2001, grossing an impressive $449 million worldwide. The movie led to more big-budget roles for Beckinsale, including "Underworld" and its spiritual cousin, "Van Helsing." She also starred in 2009's "Whiteout," a critical and commercial bomb that nevertheless remains a cult classic due to its distinct visual style and murder mystery storyline.
Following the release of 2016's "Underworld: Blood Wars," Beckinsale returned to the action genre with 2021's "Jolt," released by Amazon Studios. In the near future, she's set to appear in Charlie Day's upcoming comedy, formerly called "El Tonto," and she's attached to "Prisoner's Daughter," directed by Catherine Hardwicke of "Twilight" and "Lords of Dogtown" fame.
Director Len Wiseman
"Underworld" marked the feature directorial debut of Len Wiseman, who quickly established himself as one of the best action directors in Hollywood. In 2007, he revived the long-dormant "Die Hard" franchise with "Live Free or Die Hard," an action spectacular featuring incredible stunt sequences accomplished with minimal CGI work.
Alas, his career hit a snag with his 2012 remake of "Total Recall." Despite its impressive visuals and bombastic action, the film was criticized for lacking the original's R-rated sensibilities and for taking itself way too seriously. As a result, the film failed at the box office and Wiseman moved to television directing for a while, helming episodes of shows like "Hawaii Five-0," "Lucifer," and "Swamp Thing."
Fortunately, Wiseman is set to make his big screen return with "Ballerina," the long-awaited "John Wick" spin-off starring Ana De Armas. The "John Wick" series is known for its visceral gun battles, so Wiseman should be well within his wheelhouse in this corner of the universe.
John Mann
John Mann is best remembered as the frontman and co-founder of Spirit of the West, a Canadian rock band. Their song, "Home for a Rest," is a bona fide Canadian rock classic. In addition to his work as a musician, Mann also pursued an acting career. He landed roles in TV and film, including the straight-to-video cult thriller "Turbulance 3: Heavy Metal," as well as big-budget Hollywood fare like "The Chronicles of Riddick" and "Catwoman." His role in "Underworld: Evolution" is small, but action-packed. He plays the leader of the Cleaners, Alexander Corvinus's private army. He gets to fight against both the werewolf William and Selene.
Mann survived a 2009 cancer diagnosis, being declared cancer-free in 2010 following treatment. However, he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2014, having complained of memory issues for years. Mann continued performing as long as he could, reading his lyrics from an iPad because it was the only way he could remember them. A documentary film chronicling his plight was made in 2016, entitled "Spirit Unforgettable." Sadly, John Mann passed away in 2019, at the age of 57.