Then & Now: Road Trip Cast’s Wild Journeys

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How to top Jason Biggs doing it with a pie…?

In the wake of the blockbuster success of “American Pie”, I too found myself pondering, as a fellow movie enthusiast and director, about how to capitalize on this trend by creating comedies brimming with outrageous antics that would tickle the funny bones of audiences, particularly young men.

Todd Phillips refined that approach throughout the ’00s, beginning with the 2000 R-rated film “Road Trip”, a raunchy comedy that takes the concept of a typical college student (Breckin Meyer) to the extreme as he embarks on a journey to retrieve a sex tape involving him and a one-night stand (Amy Smart)—or is she?—which was mistakenly sent to his girlfriend (Rachel Blanchard) at another university.

Naturally, he wouldn’t set off on such a crucial journey by himself; so, Phillips, who collaborated with Scot Armstrong on the script, ensured that all elements were included. This included Stifler, a character destined to be part of the expanding American Pie series, as he was also invited along for the adventure.

Scott admitted to IGN in 2005 that, with movies like “American Pie” and “Road Trip,” his roles may have given off an impression of him being somewhat immature. However, he clarified that he didn’t choose acting as a career to make comedies exclusively. Instead, he has grown to appreciate the genre more over time. He doesn’t necessarily consider himself a naturally funny person, but he enjoys the challenge of trying something new and stepping out of his comfort zone.

At least these dudes know where their car is.

During this journey, there are instances of intimacy, medical examinations involving the prostate, French toast becomes tainted with nervous perspiration, and a mouse encounters Tom Green in an unpleasant manner.

Phillips defended his work in 2000 when he said to the BBC that the term ‘gross-out comedy’ feels dismissive. He believes it’s simple to be crude, but challenging to be amusing. According to him, what makes “Road Trip” successful isn’t the gross elements, but rather the well-developed characters.

The movie “Road Trip” earned nearly $120 million globally, establishing Phillips in the genre of bro-comedies. However, it is important to note that every group of bros in his films serves a distinct purpose, as he himself would emphasize.

25 years have given everyone quite a ride, with plenty of unexpected detours along the way. Here’s a glimpse at how these rogues have evolved, each carrying the weight of their life experiences:

*This is my personal interpretation, aiming to capture the essence of the original text while adding a touch of enthusiasm and first-person perspective as an obsessed fan.*

Following his notable performances as Travis Birkenstock in ‘Clueless’, Brendan Meyer went on to secure supporting roles in ‘The Craft’, ‘Go’, and ‘The Insider’. He then stepped into the lead role as Josh in ‘Road Trip’, a character who, despite being a cheater, was generally nice and normal among his peers. Subsequently, he appeared in the comedy ‘Rat Race’ and provided the voice for Jon in the ‘Garfield’ films alongside Bill Murray, who voiced the lazy, lasagna-loving cat. Known for his work in both film and television, Meyer has also starred in ‘Franklin & Bash’ with Mark-Paul Gosselaar and has recently been seen on ‘Designated Survivor’ and ‘The Fix’.

He has two daughters, one of whom he co-parents with his former spouse Deborah Kaplan. Deborah Kaplan is known for directing him in the 2001 film “Josie and the Pussycats.

In early 2024, he and television host Kelly Rizzo from Comfort Food announced their relationship to the public. Prior to this, she had been married to Bob Saget for many years, who tragically passed away in January 2022. Meyer has been instrumental in helping her cope with her grief following the death of the Full House star.

In an interview with Francesca Amiker from TopMob News last October 2024, Rizzo stated, “He has been incredibly supportive since the very beginning. This aspect of him has been quite significant. He understands my past struggles, values them, and often discusses his respect for Bob.

Initially, Seann William Scott portrayed Stifler in “American Pie,” and later reprised his role for three more instances as the slightly eccentric yet kind-hearted party animal. However, prior to these appearances, he assumed the role of Josh’s friend, a somewhat unstable but well-intentioned party animal named E.L., in “Road Trip.

Scott enthusiastically delved into his subsequent acting roles, featuring in movies such as the romantic comedy hit “Dude, Where’s My Car?” with Ashton Kutcher, and the thriller series-starter “Final Destination“, all released in 2000. He also appeared in “The Dukes of Hazzard“, “Mr. Woodcock“, “Role Models“, and had cameo roles in “Old School” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back“. Additionally, he lent his voice to the character Crash in four “Ice Age” films. Other smaller films he’s been part of include the sci-fi comedy-thriller “Southland Tales“, which didn’t resonate with many viewers, and the film “Just Before I Go“, directed by Courteney Cox.

Despite not appearing much on TV, his films have cumulatively earned nearly $5 billion since then. In 2018, he was chosen for Fox’s Lethal Weapon to step into the role previously held by Clayne Crawford, known for his electric performances. However, the blend of action and comedy, Lethal Weapon, was unfortunately canceled at the end of its third season.

2025 saw my thrill at the resurgence of Scott’s captivating blend of humor and darkness, as he graced the final season of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones with his exceptional arc.

He has a daughter named Frankie Rose, whom he shares with his former wife Olivia Korenberg. They parted ways in 2024, ending their five-year marriage.

In the end, it was Beth who proved to be the right match for Josh, despite the questionable beginning to their portrayed romance on screen.

Following her role in “Road Trip”, which was preceded by appearances in “Varsity Blues” and “Felicity”, as well as Ruby, she teamed up with Breckin Meyer again in “Rat Race”. She also co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in “The Butterfly Effect”. Over the years, she has been featured in numerous films such as “Win a Date With Tad Hamilton”, “Starsky & Hutch”, “The Best Man”, “Just Friends” (where she was the recipient of Ryan Reynolds’ long-standing affection), “The Town”, and the ABC Family holiday classic “12 Dates of Christmas”. Later on, her television roles included “Maron”, “Law & Order: SVU”, “MacGyver”, and the DC Universe web series “Stargirl” alongside Luke Wilson.

In the year 2011, Carter Oosterhouse, who is well-known for his appearances on HGTV, tied the knot with his partner. Their beautiful daughter, Flora, was born through a surrogate in 2016.

It was Rubin, Josh’s friend with a mischievous streak, who made the road trip happen, as he accidentally sent the incorrect video to Josh’s girlfriend, Tiffany, instead of the intended innocent messages that Josh had recorded before the advent of FaceTime and Snapchat.

Paolo Costanzo subsequently appeared alongside Josh Hartnett in the movie “40 Days and 40 Nights,” followed by securing a notable role as Joey’s nephew, Michael Tribbiani, in the brief-lived spin-off of “Friends.” A more consistent job opportunity emerged when he became a main cast member on the USA dramedy “Royal Pains” for eight seasons. After that, he played a crucial part in the HBO series “The Night Of,” and later joined the cast of “Designated Survivor” during its second season.

Tom Green, himself, isn’t part of the road trip, but his character, Barry Manilow, takes on the roles of narrator and troubadour. The year 2000 was quite significant for the host of The Tom Green Show: he shared his triumphant battle against testicular cancer on his widely-watched MTV program, and later, he acted as The Chad in Charlie’s Angels, alongside his then-girlfriend Drew Barrymore. They were married for eight months in 2001 before filing for divorce that December.

Following the release of “Road Trip”, his most notable film was the 2001 production “Freddy Got Fingered”. Over the years, he has been involved in a variety of projects, both behind and in front of the camera, such as Tom Green’s House Tonight, an innovative talk show filmed in his living room, and Tom Green Live. Additionally, he has made appearances in numerous productions, provided voice-overs, and done cameos.

In 2021, Green returned to his homeland of Canada. Currently, he resides on a vast farm, which is shared with numerous animals and his partner, Amanda Nelson.

In an interview with the New York Times in January 2025, he stated, “I’m not much of a Hollywood type,” expressing that he began to question his alignment with his genuine self.

On their own, the skinny and shy Kyle was quite a comical figure. Despite experiencing some difficult moments, such as eating tainted French toast, he also managed to obtain Rhonda’s leopard-print undergarments, making it a memorable highlight and arguably the best night of his life so far.

After making his film debut with “Road Trip”, DJ Qualls went on to star in his own brand of bro comedy, titled “The New Guy” in 2002. However, he is most recognized for his supporting roles in productions such as “Hustle & Flow” and various television series like “Lost”, “Criminal Minds”, “My Name Is Earl”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “Breaking Bad”, “Supernatural”, “Fargo”, and “The Man in the High Castle”. He was a series regular on “The Man in the High Castle” for three seasons.

He also reprised the role of Kyle in 2009’s direct-to-DVD sequel Road Trip: Beer Pong.

In 2013, during one of his friend Jim Jeffries’ stand-up performances (where Qualls starred in the sitcom ‘Legit’ that same year), Qualls publicly declared that he is gay. Later in January 2020, he expressed this on Twitter, stating at around 11:20 pm, “I just came out on stage at a @jimjefferies show in San Diego. Yes, I am gay. I’ve been gay all along. Tired of worrying about others’ opinions of me. Tired of worrying about how it might affect my career.

His most recent credit is a few episodes of Chuck Lorre‘s HBO comedy Bookie.

None of Rhonda’s unforgettable sexual encounter, followed by Kyle’s friends mocking him, has held up over time, but Mia Amber Davis stood out as the self-assured, incredibly seductive girl whom Kyle loses his virginity to during their journey.

After establishing herself as a model and actress, she later transitioned into a role as a motivational speaker and fashion advisor before passing away at the age of 36 in 2011 due to a pulmonary embolism following knee surgery. She was married to comedian Mike Yard from 2008 until her demise.

In the end, Tiffany remains blissfully unaware of Josh’s infidelity when the videotape turns out to be something other than he believed, and they part ways peacefully.

Rachel Blanchard, once a popular child actor (The Kids of Degrassi Street, Are You Afraid of the Dark?), who portrayed Cher during Clueless’s brief stint as a sitcom, has since collaborated with numerous esteemed actors. However, her most identifiable work after Road Trip is the widely acclaimed cult classic Snakes on a Plane. She also starred in Adrian Lyne’s thriller Deep Water, a film that momentarily united costars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas off-screen.

She has appeared on various TV shows such as “7th Heaven,” “Peep Show,” “Psych,” “Fargo” (on the Audience Network), and “You Me Her.” Additionally, she can be seen in Amazon’s popular adaptation of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.

In 2014, Blanchard clarified to ABC News that claims she was married to Adrian Brown with two children were false. She described these assertions as a rumor, stating that she believes an online stalker created the story and keeps reposting it despite her efforts to remove it. However, Blanchard confirmed that she is not married and does not have two kids.

She has since married composer Jeremy Turner and they have a daughter, Maxine.

The leading actor on stage and screen, Anthony Rapp, who initially played Mark in the musical Rent and Lucas in If/Then on Broadway, is capable of delivering a spine-tingling portrayal of villainous characters. In the series Road Trip, he takes on the role of Josh, a former teaching assistant who becomes a cult leader with an obsession.

Ever since, his film roles have spanned from indie productions to more prominent ones like the 2002 Best Picture Oscar winner “A Beautiful Mind” and the 2005 adaptation of “Rent”. His television appearances encompass “Psych”, “The Knick”, “The Good Fight”, “13 Reasons Why”, and he played Lt. Commander Paul Stamets throughout the entire run of “Star Trek: Discovery” for five seasons.

2017 saw Rapp accuse Kevin Spacey of a sexual advance when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26 during an interview. This allegation sparked a chain reaction of accusations, ultimately leading to Spacey’s dismissal from the series “House of Cards.” Despite claiming he had no recollection of the incident if it occurred while intoxicated, Spacey expressed deep regret. However, in 2022, Rapp sued Spacey for battery, but at trial, Spacey was found not liable.

In 2018, Rapp expressed sympathy for the numerous individuals involved in the show, as he observed how quickly Spacey’s career fell apart following his revelation. Reflecting on the situation, the actor admitted to feeling “relieved” when House of Cards resumed production without Frank Underwood’s character.

Back in November 2019, Rapp revealed that he was set to marry his long-time companion, Ken Ithiphol. Together they have two kids who were born through a surrogacy process.

The before-and-after of the prominent character actor never gets old.

By then, Ethan Suplee had already made a name for himself in both comedy (the one who fails to notice the optical illusion in “Mallrats”; a high school bully’s strongman in “Boy Meets World”) and drama (portraying Edward Norton’s racist friend in “American History X”). He later appeared in a minor role as Ed in “Road Trip” around the same time. In 2000, he played a high school football player in “Remember the Titans”, followed by co-starring in “My Name Is Earl” from 2005 to 2009.

His filmography encompasses titles such as “The Butterfly Effect”, “Cold Mountain”, “Unstoppable”, “The Wolf of Wall Street”, “Deepwater Horizon”, and the film “Motherless Brooklyn” directed by Norton, among others. For television, his work features roles in Hulu’s “Chance”, the latest iteration of “Twin Peaks”, Netflix’s “The Ranch” as well as “The Santa Clarita Diet”.

2020 found me, a lifelong rollercoaster rider of diets, finally stepping out to reveal my metamorphosis—a chiseled body that bore the fruits of decades spent in pursuit. Five years later, I proudly stood before the world, showcasing my astounding 200-pound transformation, a testament to my unwavering dedication.

He has been married to Brandy Lewis since 2006 and is a father of four.

In a short appearance, the charismatic actor known from News Radio displayed his unique charm while playing an oddly peculiar motel desk clerk.

Through numerous arrests over time, some related to indecent exposure and inappropriately touching men, Andy Dick has been candid about his ongoing battle with substance abuse, which has led him in and out of rehabilitation centers. Yet, despite exhibiting harmful behavior, he has managed to keep himself occupied. He had his own sketch show, The Andy Dick Show, on MTV for a couple of years; became a regular at celebrity roasts; put out several comedy albums; and made numerous appearances as an eccentric character in shows like Community, Maron, Workaholics, and Netflix’s Sense8.

Dick is the father of a child from his marriage to Ivone Kowalczyk, and has another son and daughter with partner Lena Sved. In 2018, Lena obtained a restraining order against Dick after he reportedly became aggressive in front of their son, who subsequently locked his intoxicated father out of the house.

As “French Toast Cook,” Horatio Sanz cheerfully consented to prepare a fresh batch of French toast without powdered sugar for Kyle. In various entertaining ways, he then eliminated the sugar from the dish and returned it to him.

In 1998, Sanz became a cast member of Saturday Night Live and remained until 2006. During this period, he amassed an impressive list of minor but notable roles in films such as Boat Trip, School for Scoundrels, Lucky You, Step Brothers, Year One, and Bachelorette. He is also the voice behind Duncan in Wreck-It-Ralph and Ralph Breaks the Internet. His small-screen acting credits include 30 Rock, House of Lies, Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Modern Family, Scorpion, GLOW, and The Mandalorian.

Back in 2008, I made a significant transformation by shedding approximately 100 pounds, and later, I proudly shared this journey on The Tonight Show. To achieve this change, I increased my workout frequency and eliminated alcohol from my lifestyle.

Sanz is quiet about his personal life, but he married his wife Jenn Schatz in 2015.

Mary Lynn Rajskub, who later became the tech-savvy Chloe O’Brian on “24,” previously made a brief appearance in “Road Trip” as Blind Brenda, the school bus dispatcher whose intuition and a handy middle finger served her just fine.

She has a son named Valentine with the personal trainer, Matthew Rolf. In 2019, she initiated divorce proceedings, marking the end of their 10-year long marriage.

Initially, Phillips gained recognition by directing documentaries, particularly the one titled “Frat House” which brought him into the limelight. Later, he made his first original feature film, “Road Trip”.

In an interview with the BBC back in 2000, Phillips shared that he was working on another comedic piece. However, he wanted to clarify that it had nothing to do with teen movies at all.

Negative, that film focused on grown-ups establishing a fraternity. Following the success of “Old School”, he produced “Starsky & Hutch”, “School for Scoundrels”, “The Hangover” (including “Part II” and “Part III”), “Due Date”, and “War Dogs”.

Additionally, he collaborated with his longtime friend Bradley Cooper on the film “A Star Is Born.” Interestingly, Cooper was a co-producer on the movie “Joker,” which garnered 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director (for Phillips). Joaquin Phoenix took home the Best Actor award (alongside several other major prizes), while Hildur Guðnadóttir won for Best Original Score.

The 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux won two Razzies.

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2025-05-11 20:18