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"Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth. That's what they tell you, anyway." In the case of "L.A. Confidential" -- which was released 15 years ago this week (on September 19, 1997) -- the City of Angels resembled nothing like its given nickname. Instead, the town was filled with police corruption, drugs and murder.Based on the James Ellroy book of the same name, Curtis Hanson's 1950s noir crime drama is now considered a classic flick, one that garnered both critical and commercial praise for its veteran A-listers (Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito) and its two up-and-coming Australian actors (Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce, both of whom were relatively unknowns at the time). It also went on to win two Academy Awards, for Best Adapted Screenplay (going to director Curtis Hanson and his co-writer Brian Helgeland) and Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger as Veronica Lake-lookalike Lynn Bracken).
In the decade-and-a-half since it was in theaters, the cast of "L.A. Confidential" have all had varying degrees of success in the entertainment industry. Some have become bona fide stars, whereas others... well, as Danny DeVito's gossipmonger character Sid Hugens would say, their careers have gone on the "hush-hush."
In honor of its 15th anniversary, let's find out what happened to the stars of "L.A. Confidential."
Gallery | 'L.A. Confidential' Cast: Where Are They Now?
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Kim Basinger (Lynn Bracken)
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Kim Basinger (Lynn Bracken)
Basinger was already a major star by the time she portrayed Veronica Lake-lookalike Lynn Bracken in "Confidential," having starred in films including "The Natural" (which got her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress), "Never Say Never Again" and as Bruce Wayne's love interest in Batman (she was also married to Alec Baldwin, from 1993-2002). However, her role as Bracken managed to give her something she didn't yet have: an Oscar. After "Confidential," Basinger's star power would drop off a bit. She would go on to portray Eminem's mom in the semi-autobiographical flick "8 Mile" (which reunited her with her "Confidential" director Curtis Hanson) and would star alongside Chris Evans and Jason Statham in "Cellular." Her last film was 2010's "Charlie St. Cloud." -
Kevin Spacey (Jack Vincennes)
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Kevin Spacey (Jack Vincennes)
By the time "L.A. Confidential" came around, Spacey was a hot commodity in Hollywood, having won an Oscar for his jaw-dropping role as Verbal Kint in "The Usual Suspects." In Curtis Hanson's film, Spacey played Jack Vincennes, a hot-shot LAPD officer who preferred arresting A-list movie stars in order to get his name (and photo) in the paper. After "Confidential," Spacey would go on to star in what is arguably his most critically acclaimed role, as Lester Burnham in "American Beauty" (a role that helped him nab a second Oscar). Today, Spacey continues to star in big studio flicks, including last year's successful comedy, "Horrible Bosses." -
Russell Crowe (Wendell "Bud" White)
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Russell Crowe (Wendell "Bud" White)
It's hard to imagine Russell Crowe as anything but A-list, but in 1997 he was. His most famous role before "L.A. Confidential' was SID 6.7 in "Virtuosity." While "Confidential" -- where he played hot-head cop Wendell "Bud" White -- helped increase his visibility, it was his roles in "The Insider," "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind" (the second of which won him an Oscar for Best Actor) that helped Crowe cement his place in Hollywood. Today, Crowe continues to make a name for himself -- both on- and off-screen. He can be seen in this year's adaptation of "Les Miseralbles" as Inspector Javert and next summer as Superman's father in Zach Snyder's "Man of Steel." He's also set to star as the titular character in Darren Aronofsky's biblical flick, "Noah." -
Guy Pearce (Edmund Jennings "Ed" Exley)
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Guy Pearce (Edmund Jennings "Ed" Exley)
Before "L.A. Confidential," Pearce was best known for his drag queen role in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." But as the know-it-all cop Edmund Exley in "Confidential," Pearce showed that he had range. After that, the Australian actor would continue to star in both cult flicks ("Memento") and Oscar nominees ("The Hurt Locker"). In 2011, he won an Emmy for his role in the TV movie "Mildred Pierce." Pearce can be seen next in the highly anticipated Marvel film "Iron Man 3" as Aldrich Killian. -
Danny DeVito (Sid Hudgens)
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Danny DeVito (Sid Hudgens)
DeVito was already an established star by the time he played paparazzo/gossip editor Sid Hugens in "L.A. Confidential," having starred in "Twins," "Batman Returns" (as the villain the Penguin) and "Ruthless People." After "Confidential," DeVito would continue to act on both the big and small screen, including his very memorable recurring role as Frank in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Next up, the 67-year-old actor is set to appear in "Triplets," a sequel to "Twins." -
James Cromwell (Dudley Liam Smith)
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James Cromwell (Dudley Liam Smith)
James Cromwell was a successful TV and movie actor by the time 1997 rolled around (including an Oscar-nominated turn as Farmer Arthur Hoggett in "Babe"). In "Confidential," Cromwell played Dudley Liam Smith a (SPOILER!) crooked LAPD Captain. Since then, the actor has continued to act in films both big and small, from "The Green Mile" to "The Queen" to the straight-to-DVD "Tortured." In 2008, he portrayed George H. W. Bush in Oliver Stone's "W," and last year appeared as Clifton in the Best Picture winner "The Artist." Cromwell can be seen next on the second season of "American Horror Story." -
Ron Rifkin (Ellis Loew)
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Ron Rifkin (Ellis Loew)
After getting his start on both the stage and TV, Rifkin would have several supporting roles on the big screen, including Ellis Loew in "L.A. Confidential," who gets hung out of a skyscraper by Crowe's White. Rifkin's most famous role would come a few years later, when he starred as villain Arvin Sloane in the Jennifer Garner-starring series "Alias." Since then, the actor has continued to appear on screen. His latest film was this year's commercial dud "The Words." -
David Strathairn (Pierce Morehouse Patchett)
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David Strathairn (Pierce Morehouse Patchett)
Strathairn had spent nearly two decades as a character actor when he was cast as Pierce Patchett, who runs the scandalous hookers-dressed-as-stars business, Fleur de Lys. Since then, Strathairn found success on both the big and small screen, including his most critically acclaimed role, as newscaster Edward R. Murrow in "Good Night and Good Luck" (which nabbed him an Oscar nod for Best Actor). Next up for Strathairn is the highly anticipated Steven Spielberg biopic "Lincoln," which sees him playing Secretary of State William Seward. -
Curtis Hanson
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Curtis Hanson
Though Hanson had experienced box-office success with his two previous films, "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle" and "The River Wild," it was "L.A. Confidential" that gave him his first taste of critical acclaim, getting nominated for nine Oscars (the film won two, with Hanson sharing the Best Adapted Screenplay award with his co-writer Brian Helgeland). Though he never reached the same heights as "L.A. Confidential," Hanson has continued to direct critically successful films since then, including "Wonder Boys" and "8 Mile" (though he was also responsible for the critical and commercial bomb "In Her Shoes").
