Whatever Happened To The Cast Of The Fifth Element?
In 1997, writer and director Luc Besson did something few creative types do these days: He created an entirely original science fiction movie that blew everyone away. Before "The Fifth Element" hit theaters, Besson was primarily known for his work in action thrillers, including "Le Femme Nikita" and "Léon: The Professional." "The Fifth Element" proved Besson's skills in an entirely new genre, and while the film was financially successful, these days, it's considered a veritable cult classic.
To create "The Fifth Element," Besson and his team brought on a lot of talent, and the film's cast includes some impressive names. While "The Fifth Element" boasts high-profile players like Bruce Willis and Ian Holm, it also brought several previously unknown actors to the limelight.
It's been more than a quarter-century since "The Fifth Element" first graced the silver screen, and the folks involved have gone on to work in other areas. It's highly unlikely a much-anticipated sequel will ever manifest, and getting the gang back together is no longer possible. Some became international superstars, knocking out one blockbuster after another. Sadly, a few have died since the film's premiere, and others still have retired from performing. Here's what happened to the major players in Luc Besson's immortal sci-fi masterpiece, "The Fifth Element."
Bruce Willis worked prodigiously until retiring in 2022
You can't have a great science fiction action film without an action star, and that's where Bruce Willis comes in. Willis was tapped to play the lead, Korben Dallas, a retired Major in Earth's Special Forces. He stumbles into the plot when Leeloo crashes into his cab, completely upending his plans for the day. Willis was already a well-established member of the action movie community when he was cast, having headlined the "Die Hard" franchise and dozens of other films since the 1980s.
After wrapping up his work on "The Fifth Element," Willis kept his winning streak going with "Armageddon," "The Sixth Sense," and "Unbreakable." Willis returned to the small screen in 2000, appearing in a handful of "Friends" episodes, which earned him his second Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series. Throughout his career, he's taken home numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe, People's Choice Awards, and more.
Willis remained popular throughout the 2000s and 2010s, though many of his later films were released direct-to-video and weren't well received. In March of 2022, Willis' family released a joint statement on their social media accounts, explaining the action star was retiring following a diagnosis of aphasia. Willis' aphasia was diminishing his cognitive faculties, making further work impossible. According to CNN, in May 2023, Willis' wife Emma Hemming updated fans on her husband's dementia, explaining that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the condition.
Gary Oldman jumped from one hot franchise to another
Gary Oldman is another high-profile actor to show up in "The Fifth Element," having already knocked it out of the park in the likes of "Bram Stoker's Dracula," "JFK," and "Immortal Beloved" a few years earlier. Additionally, Oldman played the big bad in "Léon: The Professional," so Besson probably didn't have to work too hard to get him onto the project. Oldman plays Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, the secondary antagonist responsible for all the action that plays out on screen.
Since wrapping "The Fifth Element," Oldman's work has been a master class in acting. He found his way onto several tentpole franchises, including a turn as James Gordon in "The Dark Knight" trilogy. On top of that, he played Sirius Black in the "Harry Potter" franchise and Dreyfus in "The Planet of the Apes." But Oldman didn't just deal in franchises: His most celebrated work has been in prestige dramas that have earned him most of his impressive accolades.
For his work in 2021's "Mank," Oldman was nominated for the Academy Award for best actor in a leading role. He earned that same honor in 2011's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and won it in 2018 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in 2018's "Darkest Hour." In 2022, Oldman jumped to television to play the leading role in Apple TV+'s "Slow Horses," and he portrayed President Harry S. Truman in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," so the man has certainly been busy.
Ian Holm became Bilbo Baggins and much more
Sir Ian Holm's impressive career began in 1957, and he spent the next six decades racking up one outstanding credit after another. Of his many excellent performances throughout the 20th century, some standouts include playing Ash in "Alien" and Sam Mussabini in "Chariots of Fire." Of course, it was the stage that started his career, and Holm's Shakespearean work in the theater — and later on film — distinguished him as one of the most talented actors of his generation.
Holm played Priest Vito Cornelius in "The Fifth Element," and he has a prominent role throughout. He hatches the plan to get Leeloo out to find the stones, which intersects with the President's scheme to use Korben Dallas to the same end. Holm had more statues on his mantle than his costars when he came onto the film, so he added plenty of gravitas to the production. When his time working on "The Fifth Element" came to an end, Holm appeared in dozens of high-profile films.
Most notably, Holm was cast to play Bilbo Baggins in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. He returned to play the character twice more, in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and its second sequel, "The Battle of the Five Armies." Sadly, that was his final film role, as Holm died in June 2020 at the age of 88. His health had been in decline since 2001 due to a bout with prostate cancer followed by a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.
Milla Jovovich headlined the Resident Evil franchise
Most movie fans know Milla Jovovich these days, but that wasn't necessarily true before "The Fifth Element." Before joining the cast, her two most notable roles were playing Mildred Harris in "Chaplin" and Michelle Burroughs in "Dazed and Confused." It was her role as Leeloo de Sabat in "The Fifth Element" that elevated Jovovich to superstardom. In the film, she plays the titular being: The Fifth Element, capable of defeating evil in its purest form. She's also the love interest of Korben Dallas and an impressive fighter to boot!
Leeloo showed Jovovich's potential as an action movie star. Before long, she was cast as the lead in Busson's next project, "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc." While that movie didn't turn many heads, Jovovich's most prominent casting came a few years later in 2002's "Resident Evil." The video game franchise kept Jovovich employed through six films from 2002 until 2016.
Jovovich didn't stick with working in a single franchise, booking jobs in nearly 30 films over the course of two decades. She played Vivienne Nimue, the Blood Queen, in the 2019 "Hellboy" reboot and took the lead in 2020's "Monster Hunter." While it's easy to see how Jovovich has kept herself gainfully employed in the decades following "The Fifth Element," it's difficult to imagine what her career would look like had she not been cast as Leeloo.
Chris Tucker killed it with Rush Hour and took some time off
Chris Tucker's career began on the small screen, but he didn't stay there for long. After appearing in an episode of "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" and two appearances on "Def Comedy Jam," Tucker started landing small parts in films. In the early 1990s, Tucker's breakout role was Smokey in "Friday," which inspired more than a few memes. He then played Skip in "Dead Presidents," but his performance as Ruby Rhod in "The Fifth Element" made Tucker a household name.
Ruby Rhod is such an outlandish character: The true peacock of the picture. He's impossible to overlook, and while he plays the comic relief to straight-man Korben Dallas, he's so much more than that. Throughout the entire film, Ruby Rhod keeps his radio show going, only choosing to sign off when the action dies down. Tucker's brilliant take on the character makes excellent use of the actor's charisma, and as a result, Ruby Rhod is arguably one of the best parts of the film.
After "The Fifth Element," Tucker landed the role of James Carter opposite Jackie Chan in the "Rush Hour" trilogy. The franchise quickly became one of the best buddy cop series of the century, and Tucker only matured as an actor from them. Tucker returned to stand-up in 2011 and spent much of his time in that arena, making sporadic film appearances. He spent most of his time traveling the world, working as a humanitarian and philanthropist.
Luke Perry continued acting off and on until his death in 2019
Luke Perry's acting career began in television, and that's where he made his mark. While he appeared in movies throughout the 1990s, he became a household name playing Dylan McKay in "Beverly Hills, 90210." That role made Perry a star, and it opened a lot of doors for the actor. He had a lead role in the 1992 film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and landed numerous roles voicing animated characters, including Sub-Zero in "Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm" and Rick Jones in "The Incredible Hulk."
While he only had a small role as Billy in "The Fifth Element," Perry's performance is heartfelt and demonstrative of his talent. He assists the professor as he uncovers the truth of the Fifth Element and has a run-in with the Mondoshawans, who kill his mentor. After the intro, Billy's contribution to the film is over, so Perry had plenty of time to keep working. He landed dozens of roles in movies and television throughout the late '90s and the 2000s.
After "The Fifth Element," Perry held both the titular lead in "Jeremiah" and Fred Andrews in "Riverdale," which he played for 47 episodes. His final role was Wayne Maunder in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." Sadly, the film was released posthumously, as Perry had a massive stroke in February 2019. After a second stroke soon after, his family made the difficult move to remove Perry from life support. He died on March 4, 2019, at the age of 52.
Brion James' long career kept him busy until his death in 1999
For most of his career, Brion James was one of those actors you always recognized but never exactly remembered who he was. That's because the man was a brilliant character actor who threw everything into each role. James' career began in the early 1970s when he landed roles in several television shows and feature films. He worked alongside the likes of Jack Nicholson, Charles Bronson, and Eddie Murphy, remaining busy throughout his career.
His most prominent film role before "The Fifth Element" was arguably Leon Kowalski in "Blade Runner," the Replicant who fails the Voight-Kampff test at the beginning of the film. After that, he continued playing interesting characters you've likely seen in dozens of movies, but he was never particularly memorable, as those weren't the type of roles James usually took. This changed a bit when he was cast to play General Munro in "The Fifth Element." The role is prominent, but also somewhat brief. Still, he's commanding as the man in charge, making this yet another of his incredible performances.
After "The Fifth Element," James kept himself busy by continuing to appear in multiple movies every year. In fact, James worked so much, he had several films released posthumously. James had a heart attack on August 7, 1999, at the age of 54. He had an impressive 103 film and 55 television credits to his name at the time of his death. Additionally, James voiced numerous animated characters throughout his career in Hollywood.
Tom Lister Jr. worked all over Hollywood until his death in 2020
Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. spent much of his career making money off his impressive size and scope of talent. He is probably best known for his role as Deebo, the neighborhood thug from "Friday," though he'd been acting steadily for over a decade before landing that role. Lister often played bad guys, taking advantage of his imposing stature. Not only was he tall at 6 feet, 5 inches, but he was muscular and had a massive frame — the man was an intimidating figure when he wanted to be.
Lister was also a professional wrestler, having joined the WWF in 1989, so he definitely took advantage of his size throughout his career. When he was cast as President Lindberg in "The Fifth Element," it was a different type of role for the actor. He never had trouble playing an authority figure, but most of his parts were more enforcer types than political leaders. He plays the character with a sort of diplomatic intimidation that never separates him from his acting roots, making Lindberg one of his most memorable characters.
Lister continued working steadily for decades after filming wrapped on "The Fifth Element." While he had numerous roles, many were in shorts or direct-to-video films. Lister's health began to decline in his 50s, and he had a bad case of COVID-19 in 2020. He recovered but was found dead in his home on December 10, 2020. While COVID-19 was suspected, Lister's official cause of death was heart disease.
John Bluthal continued playing fascinating characters until his death in 2018
John Bluthal began acting in the late 1950s, working primarily on television until landing his first film role in 1963. Still, television is where he blossomed, landing popular roles on "Home Sweet Home," "The Vicar of Dibley," and "The Benny Hill Show." Bluthal had primarily minor roles in film, playing a blind beggar in "The Return of the Pink Panther" and a vendor in "Superman III." Despite having small parts, he appeared in many high-profile movies throughout the 1970s and '80s.
By the time Bluthal was cast as Professor Pacoli in "The Fifth Element," he was nearing the end of his impressive six-decade career. Like Luke Perry, Bluthal's part is brief but memorable. He is best remembered for uttering "This is really amazing" at each discovery he makes before the Mondoshawans surprise and kill him. When he was finished filming his part for "The Fifth Element," Bluthal's career somewhat slowed down. This was likely more due to his age than anything else, but he appeared in fewer films and television series during this time.
His most prominent roles after "The Fifth Element" came from playing another professor in "Hail, Caesar!" and Uncle Nissim in "Jungle," which was his final film credit. Bluthal died on November 15, 2018, at the age of 89. His family revealed that his death came following complications from a fall, and he died peacefully in the hospital, surrounded by his family.
Maïwenn Le Besco expanded her repertoire and remains active in front of and behind the camera
Maïwenn Le Besco began working as a child, notably playing Elle in "L'été meurtrier," also known as "One Deadly Summer." She continued acting for years, first working with her husband Luc Besson in "Léon: The Professional," where she had a minor role. Her next project was also with Besson, playing Diva Plavalaguna in "The Fifth Element." Although the character is a performer, Le Besco did not sing her part in this role: The singing voice came from Inva Mula, a famous Albanian opera singer. In the film, Diva Plavalaguna's performance comes to a chaotic end when a fight breaks out, mortally wounding her. She tells Korben Dallas that she has the stones inside her, and after he retrieves them, she dies.
Le Besco hasn't been confined to just acting — she's also worked as a director, screenwriter, and producer. As her career progressed, she leaned more heavily into directing, having received much acclaim for her 2011 film "Polisse," which won the coveted Jury Prize at Cannes that year.
La Besco has also worked in comedy, creating a one-woman show detailing her life in the entertainment industry. Her experiences of getting into acting at an early age, meeting her future husband when she was 12, and the beginning of their relationship three years later clearly influence her work. Her latest directing effort paired La Besco with Johnny Depp in "Jeanne du Barry," with Depp taking on the role of Louis XV. La Besco continues to act in films, including her own.
John Neville remained active until retiring in 2006
John Neville found his way into acting via the theater, where he appeared in just about every production of a Shakespeare play performed throughout the 1950s and '60s in London. He switched gears and moved to Canada in 1972, where he continued performing in theatrical productions. Neville also worked in film, television, and TV movies, and he accumulated dozens of minor roles throughout the course of his career.
As far as Neville's film work goes, he's arguably best known for playing the lead in Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen." While he continued working in TV and film, his next noteworthy role didn't come until 1997's "The Fifth Element." In the movie, Neville plays General Straedert, the commander who first encounters the ultimate evil in space. He fires everything he can at it before succumbing to its influence, resulting in the destruction of his ship.
Neville remained busy after filming his role in "The Fifth Element," though he continued to appear in minor parts. As he got older, Neville's workload declined, as did his health. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and eventually died surrounded by his family on November 19, 2011, at the age of 86. While Neville's cause of death wasn't made public, it was likely the result of complications from Alzheimer's disease, which often causes aspiration pneumonia.
Charlie Creed-Miles landed dozens of brief appearances in television and film
Charlie Creed-Miles started acting on television in the late 1980s, and it didn't take long for him to add film roles to his repertoire. Throughout the '80s and early 1990s, he had several prominent roles in television, appearing as Danny McColl in "Press Gang" and Al in "The Upper Hand." Around this time, he also played notable roles in "Let Him Have It" and "London Kills Me": Creed-Miles was pretty busy right out of the gate.
In 1997, he landed the role of David in "The Fifth Element," and his performance is both funny and relatable. He's a kid thrust into responsibility he continuously insists he's not ready to meet. Fortunately, he's wrong (for the most part) and manages to carry the story along through his ineptitude and devotion to duty. "The Fifth Element" was one of many significant film roles Creed-Miles landed throughout his career, and he's been working steadily ever since.
After "The Fifth Element," he had a standout performance in Gary Oldman's critically acclaimed writing and directorial debut "Nil by Mouth," which he followed with "Essex Boys," "King Arthur," "Harry Brown, and "Wild Bill." Creed-Miles continued working in television throughout his career, mostly showing up in small parts in projects like "Peaky Blinders," "The Frankenstein Chronicles," and "Giri/Haji."
Lee Evans worked in numerous areas before retiring in 2017
Lee Evans was already a well-established stand-up comic by the time he found his way to the set of "The Fifth Element." Evans' comedy took him all over his native U.K., and he built up quite a reputation for his energetic and witty performances. While he's a comic at heart, Evans has dabbled in just about every aspect of the entertainment industry. His first major role was as Jack Parker in "Funny Bones," and his next project was "The Fifth Element" two years later.
In the film, Evans plays Fog, the only one left in charge aboard the yacht when the aliens attack. He happily cedes control to Korben Dallas and stands by doing the best he can. It's a minor role, to be sure, but memorable nonetheless. After "The Fifth Element," Evans showed up in "Mouse Hunt" and had a key role in "There's Something About Mary" the following year. He continued working in television as well, appearing in an episode of "Doctor Who" and other notable series.
Evans transitioned to theater and appeared in numerous productions throughout his career, working primarily as a director and choreographer. In 2014, Evans retired from touring following the sudden death of his manager from a heart attack. He devoted most of his time to his family and only returned to the theater a few years later for a fundraiser. Nowadays, he's mostly unretired, spending his days directing theatrical productions all over the world.
Tricky acted a bit but never strayed far from music
Tricky's entry into the entertainment industry began in the mid-1980s via hip-hop. He picked up the name "Tricky Kid" when he was 18 and belonged to several rap groups. In the 1990s, Tricky had a solo breakthrough after leaving Massive Attack. His debut album, "Maxinquaye," was a hit, and before long, Tricky was an international star. Throughout this time, Tricky appeared in numerous music videos, but didn't get into acting until Luc Besson cast him as Right Arm in "The Fifth Element."
In the film, Right Arm is ... well, he's the right arm of Zorg, and he does everything the man asks of him. He fires one million cab drivers when only half are needed, and he attempts to board the yacht as Korben Dallas but fails. This earns him an immediate termination from Zorg, who detonates a bomb, killing him. Tricky's acting career has been sporadic since "The Fifth Element," only appearing in four episodes of "Girlfriends," and that's pretty much it, aside from an uncredited role as Senior Monk in "Ghost in the Shell" in 2017.
Of course, acting was never Tricky's primary interest, and despite giving a memorable performance as Right Arm, he's a musician at heart. Since the film premiered, Tricky has continued to record albums. He's toured the world performing and is considered a pioneer of hip-hop. As his career progressed, Tricky became a record producer and remains an important figure in the hip-hop community.