Today's dose of nostalgia comes courtesy of The Parent Trap. The film (a remake of a 1961 Disney classic) follows identical twins who were separated at birth, reunite by accident at a summer camp and decide to switch places to reunite their unsuspecting parents, and premiered on July 20, 1998.
The film introduced us to a young Lindsay Lohan, then just 12, who earned rave reviews for her ability to convincingly play both characters — one with a British accent! — but also had a stacked cast that included Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson and Lisa Ann Walter.
Dust off your secret handshake, grab some Oreos and peanut butter, and see what the cast of The Parent Trap has been up to since the film's premiere 25 years ago.
01of 06
Lindsay Lohan: Hallie & Annie Parker
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(398x247:400x249)/lohanparenttrap-9625a6ebf196439db2b6fdf20e640ace.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (1)")
Lindsay Lohan — whose film debut playing two characters, twins Hallie and Annie, in the 1998 remake, made her an instant star — told Vanity Fair that if she could say anything to her younger self, it would be to "put yourself first and just breathe." She continued, "Be happy and always be grateful for the moment you have in front of you. Be here, now."
Lohan's superstardom had its ups and downs, but in recent years she has taken a step back from Hollywood to move to Dubai and start a family; the now-37-year-old and her husband Bader Shammas welcomed their first baby, a son named Luai. She has also recently returned to the small screen, starring in Netflix's Falling for Christmas in 2022.
02of 06
Dennis Quaid: Nick Parker
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(717x357:719x359)/dennis-quaid-parent-trap-071923-cfc1b8f8cdd64a13a8810c54af89799a.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (2)")
Dennis Quaid played the twins' dad, Nick Parker, who raised Annie in California. He recently shared fond memories of working with Lohan on The Parent Trap. "I think she was the smartest, most precocious 11-year-old I ever met," he recalled to The Today Show. "She just had this confidence about her."
The 69-year-old Hollywood veteran and father of three married his third wife, Laura Savoie, in 2020, and continues to act, most recently in On a Wing and a Prayer.
03of 06
Natasha Richardson: Elizabeth James
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/natasha-richardson-2000-a77ae4a470824866a55044793f8f8de0.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (3)")
Natasha Richardson played Hallie and Annie's mom, who raised Annie in England and ran her own eponymous fashion line.
Richardson continued to act, memorably in Maid in Manhattan, for more than a decade. Tragically, the actress died of blunt force trauma after falling while skiing at Quebec's Mont Tremblant in 2009. She is survived by husband Liam Neeson and their two sons Michéal and Daniel.
04of 06
Elaine Hendrix: Meredith Blake
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(748x303:750x305)/elaine-hendrix-parent-trap-071923-cb27918f073a42c6b8fdb484844e004f.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (4)")
Every movie needs a villain and Elaine Hendrix's Meredith Blake — who was after the twins' dad and his fortune — had that honor in The Parent Trap. And though she now embraces the role's iconic status (and plays into it on her social media!) she admits at first she tried to distance herself from it.
"Right after the film came out, I [misguidedly] got it in my head that I didn’t want to be 'stereotyped,' so I turned down a lot of chances to play other roles like [Meredith]—even though I did play some," Hendrix admitted to Backstage. "That was a silly move. Now I wish I had taken every single role like her I could and cornered the market on 'bitch,' which is so fun to play. Live and learn."
05of 06
Lisa Ann Walter: Chessy
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(784x303:786x305)/lisa-ann-walter-parent-trap-071923-1aa9538246ad420c9554609a3c3deeed.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (5)")
Not only was Lisa Ann Walter's Chessy the Parkers' longtime trusted housekeeper, but she also served as everyone's confidante, including the twins' as they conspired to get their parents together again.
(And if you're looking to get your mind blown, get this: Walter and Hendrix — who played Nick Parker's horrid love interest— are real-life BFFs.)
Since starring in the fan-favorite role, Walter has appeared in Bruce Almighty and Netflix's Glow. Most notably, the 59-year-old actress plays the spunky Mellisa Schemmenti on the Emmy-award-winning Abbott Elementary.
06of 06
Simon Kunz: Martin
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/simon-kunz-2000-e8bec4a868f04c6a8d014b6a58c4e427.jpg "'The Parent Trap' Turns 25: Where Is the Cast Now? (6)")
Elizabeth James' butler Martin (Simon Kunz) had Annie's back as much as Chessy (Walter) had Hallie's, so it came as no surprise when Martin and Chessy eventually fall in love, providing every '90s kid watching The Parent Trap with the ultimate relationship goals.
Since Kunz's Martin and Annie taught us the proper way to greet someone, the actor has transitioned to TV work. He appeared in Requiem (2018), This England (2022) and Queen Cleopatra (2023).
