Stories

It's been over 30 years since Rain Man, the exciting, feel-good film about a selfish yuppie, Tom Cruise learns to be a better person thanks to his autistic savant brother, Dustin Hoffman opened on December 16, 1988. Before looking at the cast of Rain Man Rain Man won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman. It was also nominated for cinematography, film editing, and score (Hans Zimmer's first in Hollywood). Even with the beloved New Yorker critic Pauline Kael calling it "a piece of wet kitsch," audiences ate it up. Rain Man was the highest-grossing film of 1988 at $172 million and in 2019 it's still ranked in IMDB's Top 250 films! Rain Man Movie Poster The film might have looked very different: Jack Nicholson and Robert De Niro both turned down the part and agents at CAA initially pictured Bill Murray as Raymond, with Hoffman as Charlie. Once cast, Hoffman spent time with the real savant who inspired Raymond, Kim Peeks. According to IMDB, Hoffman got to play Charlie anyway, since he and Cruise switched roles during rehearsal. The leads remain two of the busiest actors in Hollywood, but what's the rest of the Rain Man cast been up to in the last 30 years? 1. Tom Cruise ('Charlie Babbit') After 1986's "Top Gun," Cruise was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and the perfect guy to play impatient hot-shot Charlie in "Rain Man." The next year, Cruise went even more serious with "Born on the Fourth of July," for which he received his first Oscar nomination. He continued strongly in the '90s with "A Few Good Men" and "Jerry Maguire," then launched his lucrative and long-running "Mission: Impossible" series. His next film is "Edge of Tomorrow" and there are plans for him to return as Jack Reacher Tom Cruise AKA Charlie Babbitt | Getty Images 2. Valeria Golino ('Susanna') The Italian-born actress moved to Los Angeles in 1988 and that same year landed roles in "Big Top Pee Wee," and "Rain Man," as the girlfriend of Tom Cruise, still one of her best-known roles. She also appeared in both "Hot Shots!" movies and narrowly lost out on the leads in "Pretty Woman" and "Flatliners" to Julia Roberts. In 2013, she directed her first feature film, "Miele," which screened at Cannes. She most recently starred in the Italian TV series "In Treatment." Getty Images 3. Gerald R. Molen ('Dr. Bruner') Molen is primarily a producer, having worked on several of Steven Spielberg's films, including "Jurassic Park" and "Minority Report." He has only six acting credits to his name, including this film, as the doctor who's in charge of Raymond's money and custody. Getty Images 4. Michael D. Roberts ('Vern') Before playing Vern, Charlie's kindly caregiver, Roberts starred as Rooster on the '70s series "Baretta." He's guest starred on TV series from "MacGyver" to "Seinfeld," and most recently starred on "The First Family" series as Bernard. Getty Images 5. Bonnie Hunt ('Sally Dibbs') Her role as Sally Dibbs, the waitress whose phone number Raymond recites from memory, was her first film part. Her other films include "Only You," "Beethoven," and "Jumanji," and she re-teamed with Cruise for "Jerry Maguire." She's also hosted her own daytime talk show, and wrote and directed the 2000 romantic comedy "Return to Me." She's become a Pixar regular, voicing characters in "Monsters University" and the "Toy Story" films. Getty Images 6. Lucinda Jenney ('Iris') Jenny had the small but memorable role of Iris, the "very sparkly" hooker who tries to pick up Raymond in Vegas. She also appeared in "Wired," "Thelma & Louse," "Leaving Las Vegas," "G.I. Jane," and (with Hoffman again) "Mad City." She guest starred on "The Shield," "24," and in "Battlestar Galactica" as the late wife of Admiral Adama. She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for the 1992 film "American Heart." Getty Images 7. Kim Robillard ('Small Town Doctor') Robillard plays the small-town doctor who Charlie takes Raymond to, the one who first suggests Raymond has savant abilities. He's continued acting steadily, appearing in "Breakdown," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," and, most recently, as Sal Nutter in the TV series "Hart of Dixie." Getty Images 8. Dustin Hoffman ('Raymond Babbit') Hoffman won his second Best Actor, Oscar Award for his performance as the endearing but rule-bound Raymond Babbit, an autistic savant who can memorize phone books and is, of course, "an excellent driver." One of Hollywood's favorites since the '60s, he was Oscar-nominated again for 1997's "Wag the Dog." Since then, he's played Ben Stiller's dad in "Meet the Fockers," voiced Master Shifu in "Kung Fu Panda," and directed his first film, "Quartet." In 2014, he'll costar with Jon Favreau in "Chef." Getty Images Credits: moviefone.com Share this story on Facebook with your friends. Rain Man premiered in theatres in 1988