The Cast of Gremlins: Where Are They Now?
How have Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, and the rest of the cast handled being terrorized by little green monsters in the 1984 classic?
Forty years ago, someone didn’t follow the very strict and clear instructions about their new pet, resulting in chaos.
Director Joe Dante’s 1984 horror comedy Gremlins saw a horde of frighteningly hilarious little monsters take over a small town at Christmastime, enchanting audiences worldwide — but hopefully not after midnight! The film came in second at the box office on its opening weekend (right behind Ghostbusters), and over the decades, it has become a cult favorite and an off-beat holiday staple.
In 1990, the film spawned an even more wild sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. More recently, Netflix revived the franchise in an animated series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
On the 40th anniversary of Gremlins’ release, let’s catch up with the film’s cast to see what they’ve been up to since their run-in with the little green ghouls.
Zach Galligan as Billy
In recent years, Zach has revisited the Gremlins universe. He appeared alongside his furry mogwai companion Gizmo in a 2021 Mountain Dew commercial and voiced a supporting character in Netflix’s animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai last year.
Galligan married Ling-Ling Hu Ingerick in 2005, but the couple divorced five years later.
Phoebe Cates as Kate
After making a splash in an iconic bikini scene in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Phoebe Cates stole the spotlight in the role of Billy’s love interest Kate in Gremlins. She delivered a chilling monologue about why she hates Christmas — a moment later spoofed in Gremlins 2.
Cates continued to work steadily throughout the ’80s and ’90s, appearing in comedies like Date with an Angel (1987) and Drop Dead Fred (1991), and dramas like Bright Lights, Big City (1988).
While auditioning for a role in The Big Chill, Cates met future husband Kevin Kline. The couple married in 1989 and appeared together in films like 1990’s I Love You to Death and 1994’s Princess Caraboo. Cates stepped away from acting after Princess Caraboo to raise their two children, making a brief return in 2001’s The Anniversary Party. In 2015, she reprised her Gremlins role in the video game Lego Dimensions.
Howie Mandel as Gizmo
Already a star of NBC’s St. Elsewhere in 1984, Howie Mandel lent his voice to adorable mogwai Gizmo in Gremlins. He created the character’s distinctive coos and squeals. Mandel went on to star in ’80s comedies like A Fine Mess, Walk Like a Man, and Little Monsters, while also voicing several characters in Muppet Babies. Mandel reprised his role as Gizmo in Gremlins 2 and created and starred in the animated series Bobby’s World, which aired from 1990 to 1998.
Over the past two decades, Mandel has frequently appeared as himself in films and TV series. More recently, he’s become a popular game show host and reality competition judge, notably on Deal or No Deal and America’s Got Talent. Last year, he even competed as the Rock Lobster on The Masked Singer.
Mandel met his wife Terry while they were teenagers. The couple married in 1980 and have three children. Mandel has openly discussed his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a condition he shares with his eldest daughter, Jackelyn.
Corey Feldman as Pete
Playing Billy’s kid sidekick Pete in Gremlins, Corey Feldman went on to star in iconic ’80s films like The Goonies, Stand by Me, and The Lost Boys. He was one of the biggest child stars of the decade and appeared with fellow teen star Corey Haim in License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream. The pair became known as “The Two Coreys.”
Like Haim, however, Feldman struggled with addiction and faced controversy. In 2020, Feldman released a documentary alleging both he and Haim were sexually abused as child stars. Feldman himself has faced sexual misconduct accusations.
Feldman has also released several albums since 1992 and most recently appeared on The Masked Singer as the Seal.
He has been married three times: to actress Vanessa Marcil (1989-1993), Susie Sprague (2002-2014), and Courtney Anne Mitchell (2016-2023). He shares one son with Sprague.
Hoyt Axton as Billy’s Dad
A prolific singer-songwriter and actor in the ’60s and ’70s, Hoyt Axton was the perfect fit for Billy’s father in Gremlins, bringing an earthy warmth to the role.
Following Gremlins, Axton continued to act in shows like Diff’rent Strokes, Murder, She Wrote, and Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. In the ’90s, he returned to music, releasing three albums between 1990 and 1998.
Axton married and divorced three times before marrying his wife Deborah. He was the father of five children, including musician Max Axton. He passed away at the age of 61 in 1999.
Keye Luke as Mr. Wing
As elderly antiques dealer Mr. Wing in Gremlins, Keye Luke had a long Hollywood career beginning in the 1930s with roles in the Charlie Chan films and as Kato in the Green Hornet film serials.
Already in his 80s during Gremlins, Luke continued to work throughout the ’80s, appearing in The A-Team, Miami Vice, MacGyver, and The Golden Girls. He returned for a cameo in Gremlins 2 and appeared in his final role in Woody Allen’s Alice in 1990.
Luke was married to his wife Ethel from 1942 until her death in 1979. He passed away at the age of 86 in 1991.
Dick Miller as Mr. Futterman
Character actor Dick Miller played Murray Futterman in Gremlins and appeared in many other films directed by Joe Dante, including The ‘Burbs and Small Soldiers.
In 2014, he was the subject of a documentary, That Guy Dick Miller. His final film, 2019’s Hanukkah, was released following his passing that same year. Miller was married to his wife Lainie from 1959 until his death at the age of 90. The couple had one daughter.
Polly Holliday as Mrs. Deagle
Best known as the sassy waitress Flo in CBS’s Alice (1976-1980), Polly Holliday played the sinister Mrs. Deagle in Gremlins.
Holliday continued with guest roles on shows like The Golden Girls and Home Improvement in the ’80s and ’90s and appeared in beloved films like Mrs. Doubtfire and the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. She was last seen in 2010’s Fair Game, playing CIA officer Valerie Plame’s mother.
Judge Reinhold as Gerald
Phoebe Cates’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High costar Judge Reinhold appeared in Gremlins as Billy’s rival both at work and for Kate’s affection. The same year, he starred as Detective Billy Rosewood in 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop, a role he would return to in the film’s two sequels.
A decade later, Reinhold landed another recurring role in 1994’s The Santa Clause, returning for that film’s two sequels. His memorable appearance as “the close talker” in a 1994 episode of Seinfeld earned him an Emmy nomination. In the 2000s, Reinhold appeared in guest roles on series like Monk, Arrested Development, and The Detour.
Later this year, Reinhold will return to the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, reprising his role in the fourth installment, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Reinhold was married to Carrie Frazier in the ’80s but later divorced. He married film director Amy Miller in 2000, and their daughter Haley was born in 2013.
Jonathan Banks as Deputy Brent Frye
Jonathan Banks has brought his gruff, no-nonsense vibe to film and TV roles for decades. He appeared as a local cop in Gremlins and alongside Judge Reinhold in Beverly Hills Cop that same year.
Today, he is perhaps best known to Breaking Bad fans as cop-turned-drug cartel enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut. Banks has reprised the role in both Breaking Bad prequel series Better Call Saul and the Netflix film El Camino, earning five of his six Emmy nominations for his performance. His first Emmy nod came in 1989 for his role in the CBS crime drama Wiseguy.
Banks was married to his first wife Marnie from 1968 to 1970. They share one daughter. Banks has twins and a stepdaughter with his second wife, Gennera.
Recently, Banks starred opposite Noomi Rapace in this year’s AppleTV+ sci-fi series Constellation. He’ll next voice a character in Max’s Harley Quinn spin-off series Kite Man: Hell Yeah!, coming later this year.
