Fans of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion were delighted to find out this week that a sequel is in the works – with all the major stars set to return.
Work has officially begun on the highly-anticipated follow up to the 1997 cult classic comedy, with lead stars Lisa Kudrow (Michele Weinberger) and Mira Sorvino (Romy White) sharing a photo of themselves on set in their iconic quirky style.
If the series is released in 2027 as anticipated, that would mark Romy and Michele’s 40th high school reunion.
And a lot has happened to the cast in the years that have passed since the first film – with the likes of Lisa, 62, going on to have stratospheric success with Friends and subsequent movie roles.
There are plenty of crossovers between Friends and the film too – with stars from the movie like Vincent Ventresca and Janeane Garofalo going on to star in the hugely-successful sitcom.
Elsewhere others have expanded their careers into other avenues such as Mia Cottet – who played one of the high school elites named Cheryl. She is now a top real estate broker.
Meanwhile Mira, 58, has gone on to have an incredible Hollywood career, despite claims that convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein attempted to blacklist her from roles when she reported that he tried to sexually harass her.
So let’s take a look at where they all are now…
Fans of Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion were delighted to find out this week that a sequel is in the works – with all the major stars set to return
Work has officially begun on the highly-anticipated follow up to the 1997 cult classic comedy, with lead stars Lisa Kudrow (Michele Weinberger) and Mira Sorvino (Romy White)
Leading lady Lisa is now arguably the most famous from the cast after starring as the beloved Phoebe Buffay in Friends from 1995 to 2004
Lisa Kudrow – Michele Weinberger
Leading lady Lisa is now arguably the most famous from the cast after starring as the beloved Phoebe Buffay in Friends from 1995 to 2004.
She starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, the late Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc in the sitcom.
After Friends she went on to star in the HBO mockumentary series The Comeback, and huge films like P.S. I Love You and Easy A.
She is married to advertising executive Michel Stern and the pair have one son together, Julian who was born in 1998.
Back in April, Lisa left fans stunned after revealing the eye-watering sums she and her Friends co-stars still pocket every year in residuals.
The cast famously negotiated their salaries together, skyrocketing from $22,500 per episode in the first season to a staggering $1million each by the final two seasons.
They later reunited for a one-off special on HBO Max in 2021, reportedly earning a cool $2.5million apiece for the nostalgic return.
But according to Lisa, even those astonishing paydays pale in comparison to the steady stream of income the cast continues to receive from the show’s global syndication.
Speaking to The Times, the actress revealed the cast still rake in an astonishing $20million a year in residuals.
In the same interview, she reflected on why the series continues to generate such enormous residual income, suggesting its enduring success is more than justified.
‘After Matthew died I watched the show again. Before, I only saw what I did wrong or could have done better, but for the first time I truly appreciated just how great it was,’ she explained, referencing the tragic passing of Perry, who died on October 28, 2023, at the age of 54 from the acute effects of ketamine.
‘Because there was a genius at work. And whatever any of us do in the future, we will never experience something like that again.’
Last year Lisa gave a promising update on the Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion sequel while appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show after Mira told People that they had signed their deals.
‘She said it perfectly. We’re as close as we have ever been. There’s a script that’s really good. [Original screenwriter] Robin Schiff wrote it,’ Lisa spilled.
‘So it’ll happen! I mean, we’ll see. Because having a close friend it’s about you know friends that love each other – which is funny because I was on a show that was like that too – but that is basically what it is.’
Mira Sorvino – Romy White
Mira starred as Romy in the hit series and has gone on to have a successful career in TV and film
Mira starred as Romy in the hit series and has gone on to have a successful career with parts in psychological thriller Look Away, Netflix series Lady Dynamite and as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago in the West End.
Filming Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion came at the pinnacle of her career after her role in Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite in 1995 won her an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
But Mira has had some struggles over the course of her life, after claiming she was ‘blacklisted’ from certain roles by Harvey Weinstein.
In 2024, she tearfully recalled how she stopped getting major studio film offers in 1998 shortly after rejecting his sexual advances ‘for the third time.’
‘For a time, I had a lot of wonderful offers and then, my career was stifled by Harvey Weinstein. So, I stopped doing [major] studio movies after 1998,’ the Oscar winner lamented to People editor-in-chief Wendy Naugle during 90s Con.
‘I stopped being a viable movie actress. I still did indies and I still did television, but that was very hard…I didn’t know at the time what was happening. It became, you know, a sort of feeling like fate was just not going on my side but it was going to be just a matter of time until I was gonna get back my status.’
It was 2017 when Mira first publicly accused the disgraced producer of smearing her as ‘difficult’ as punishment to filmmakers like Peter Jackson, who had been considering her for a role in The Lord of the Rings.
Harvey, who has always denied Mira’s allegations, is currently held at Rikers Island prison in New York City, serving a 16-year sentence from his 2022 Los Angeles sexual assault and rape conviction.
Mira found serenity in raising four children – daughter Mattea, 21; son Johnny, 19; son Holden, 16; and daughter Lucia, 13 – from her 19-year marriage to Christopher Backus, whom she met in 2003.
‘I got married. I became a mother,’ the Sound of Freedom star has previously said.
‘I became a UN Goodwill Ambassador in Human Trafficking, [which has] just been a huge part of my life. It’s a position I’ve held since 2009, officially.
‘But yeah, my family. My family is my everything and I don’t see my worth as being a famous actress. I see my worth as being a good person.’
Mia Cottet – Cheryl Quick
In Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Mia, now 57, played Cheryl Quick – a member of the A-group
In Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Mia, now 57, played Cheryl Quick – a member of the A-group.
The actress went on to appear in Bad Boy, Gilmore Girls, Intolerable Cruelty and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics.
However she is currently a real estate agent operating in Hollywood after making a huge career change.
She is currently listed as an agent at Sotheby’s and her bio reads: ‘From Oscar winners to first-time buyers, Mia loves fulfilling her clients’ real estate dreams- from prepping a property for listing to winning in a multiple offer climate.
‘Buying, selling, investing, flipping, building, out of area vacation homes- Mia does it all!’
While her Instagram bio describes her as a ‘movie star mommy’ and ‘movie star real estate agent’.
She is a single mother to her son Javier with a mystery ex partner.
Plans for the follow-up film were first discussed after Lisa and Mira returned to their characters in 2022 to present the Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series prize at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
Asked what she wants from the sequel, Mira said: ‘I just still want [Romy and Michele] to be as relatable, but also as dumb and lovable as they ever were.
‘Like, I don’t think they’ve learned that much in the time in between, but they still have that unstoppable spirit and that friendship and that idiocy that makes everybody kind of love them.
‘And so, that essential nature of them and the heart that’s at the centre of that, that heart has to stay there.’
Janeane Garofalo – Heather Mooney
Janeane, now 61, played played the sarcastic, chain-smoking Heather in the cult film
Janeane, now 61, played the sarcastic, chain-smoking Heather in the cult film.
She went on to appear in Sweethearts, Wet Hot American Summer, Asking for It and The God Committee.
Janeane was heavily considered for the role of Phoebe Buffay in Friends but turned it down, with the role eventually going to Lisa.
It has been widely misreported over the years that she passed on the role of Monica Geller. Janeane later clarified that this was inaccurate.
She now primarily working primarily as a stand-up comedian.
Janeane married Robert Cohen, then a writer for The Ben Stiller Show, in Las Vegas in 1991.
She later explained it was intended as a joke, the pair thinking that the marriage was not binding unless it was filed at a local courthouse. Their union was dissolved in 2012.
In 2019, she came out as asexual.
The new Romy and Michele movie will be helmed by Tim Federle, while Robin Schiff – who created the characters and wrote the original – will pen the script for the sequel.
The nostalgic comedy barely broke even at the box office, earning $29.2M after a $20M budget, but became a beloved cult classic in the years since.
Alan Cumming – Sandy Frink
Alan, 61, played Romy and Michele’s nerdy classmate Sandy in the film
Alan, 61, played Romy and Michele’s nerdy classmate Sandy in the film.
He has gone on to portray characters ranging from James Bond tech-villain Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye to the fan-favorite mutant Nightcrawler in X2.
He also hosted the hit reality competition The Traitors US.
Most recently Alan hosted the BAFTAs but said that he would never do it again after the Tourette’s racial slur scandal that plagued the ceremony.
At the BAFTAs in February, John Davidson, who has severe Tourette’s syndrome and was attending to support a film about his life, involuntarily shouted the N-word while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award.
Scandal erupted when the BBC failed to omit the slur from the broadcast and left the clip online for over 12 hours and while Alan had issued a warning about John’s tics, he did not hear the racial slur due to his earpiece.
Alan then spoke to The Times about the scandal and lamented how ‘poor John’ struggled with the scrutiny and poorly-handled situation.
While vowing to never host the show again, Alan said: ‘[It was] bad people who weren’t doing their jobs properly, who really had not prepared and let people down.’
John, 54, was appearing at awards in honour of the film I Swear, which details his life and how he was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at a time when little was known about the condition.
Prior to the ceremony, Alan issued a warning about the tics that may be heard however the extremity of his language was not emphasized.
Following the moment when Michael and Delroy were on-stage, Alan issued an apology to viewers from the teleprompter for the uttering of the word – however he has now explained he did not know why he was apologising.
Addressing the shots, Alan told the crowd: ‘You may have heard some strong offensive language tonight, but if you’ve seen the film I Swear, it’s about the experience of a person with Tourette syndrome…
‘It is a disability and the ticks you have heard tonight are involuntary that means the person who has Tourette syndrome has no control over their language and we apologise if it has caused offence.’
On the apology, he said: ‘I watched myself back. I was very smiley, I didn’t do it with the gravitas and tone I would have used had I known. That p***ed me off.’
Justin Theroux – Clarence the Cowboy
Actor Justin, 54, made his major studio film debut in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, playing the minor but memorable character Clarence, the Cowboy
Justin was married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston from 2015 and 2018 (pictured) before tying the knot with Nicole Brydon Bloom last year. They welcomed their first child earlier this year
Actor Justin, 54, made his major studio film debut in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, playing the minor but memorable character Clarence, the Cowboy.
He has gone on to have an impressive Hollywood career with roles in Miami Vice, The Girl on the Train, Running Point and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
He was married to Friends star Jennifer Aniston from 2015 and 2018 before tying the knot with Nicole Brydon Bloom last year. They welcomed their first child earlier this year.
On April 18, the pair shared a joint Instagram post announcing the arrival of their newborn baby.
The couple shared a black-and-white, close-up photo of their baby boy sleeping on Justin’s chest.
‘He’s here,’ the pair wrote in their joint caption alongside the emoji of a white dove. ‘We are so in love.’
They previously revealed they were expecting their first child together in December 2025.
Less than a year earlier, in March 2025, the couple also confirmed they had tied the knot after two years of dating.
They were first romantically linked in early 2023, got engaged in August 2024 and held their wedding in Mexico that following March.
Julia Campbell – Christie Masters
Julia, now 63, played mean girl Christie in the hit film
Julia, now 63, played mean girl Christie in the hit film.
She has gone on to star in Herman’s Head, Martial Law, Still Standing and Dexter.
Julia is married to The Shield’s Jay Karnes and has two kids.
The new Romy and Michele movie will be helmed by Tim Federle, while Robin Schiff – who created the characters and wrote the original – will pen the script for the sequel.
Alongside Lisa and Mira, a whole host of stars from the original movie are returning.
The stellar cast is rounded out by Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Patrick Warburton and Nathan Lee Graham who are joining in as yet unrevealed parts.
Some producers and executive producers from the original film, including Laurence Mark and Barry Kemp, will also be involved again, alongside the original film’s costume designer Mona May.
May told Deadline: ‘I’m so excited to be a part of this amazing project to keep the DNA of the characters and design the fashions to be as fun and fabulous as the original film.
‘Romy and Michele are forever fashionistas, and I’m so excited to be working with Lisa and Mira again.’
David Mirkin directed the original film that saw two dim-witted, aspiring fashion designers take a road trip to Arizona to attend their high school reunion posing as sophisticated businesswomen who had ‘invented’ Post-it notes.
Elaine Hendrix – Lisa Luder
Elaine, 55, played Lisa in the film. She had a flourishing career in the 1980s that made her one to watch
She is best known for playing Meredith Blake in the romantic comedy film The Parent Trap alongside Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid
Elaine, 55, played Lisa in the film but is certainly best known for playing Meredith Blake in the romantic comedy film The Parent Trap alongside Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid.
She had a flourishing career in the 1980s that made her one to watch.
The blonde beauty was the meanie in 1998’s The Parent Trap opposite Lindsay Lohan.
And she had a role as another baddie, Evian, opposite Molly Shannon in 1999’s Superstar.
The Tennessee native more recently starred as Alexis Colby on the popular Dynasty reboot that aired from 2017 until 2022.
And last year the Los Angeles-based actress is competed on season 34 of Dancing With The Stars.
She recently reunited with Lindsay for a cameo in Disney’s smash hit ‘Freakier Friday.’
On stage, she has starred in Designing Women, Steel Magnolias and A Streetcar Named Desire.
In 2022, she said she did not want a reboot of The Parent Trap.
The actress played gold digger Meredith Blake in the 1998 Disney comedy – which starred Lindsay as long-lost twins Hallie James and Annie Parker – and explained that because her version was a remake of the 1961 classic with Hayley Mills, she thinks it should be ‘left alone’ but would hope to be involved any potential reboot.
Speaking alongside co-star Lisa Ann Walters – who played housekeeper Chessy – she told ExtraTV: ‘We were already a reboot and so I’m biased in that I think it should be left alone, but if it’s going to be rebooted, then yeah, I think we absolutely should be a part of it.’
Vincent Ventresca – Billy Christianson
Billy Christianson was Romy’s love interest in the comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
Billy Christianson was Romy’s love interest in the comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.
He went on to star in The Thin Pink Line, Can’t Stop Dancing, Love & Sex, The Learning Curve, Dead & Breakfast and Mammoth.
But he is probably best known for starring as Fun Bobby in Friends where he played the role of Monica Geller’s boyfriend.
He made his debut in Season 1, Episode 10, The One With The Monkey, and later returned in Season 2, Episode 10, The One With Russ.
