Summary
The 1996 disaster filmTwisterfeatured an iconic leading cast. The action movie follows the story of two almost-divorced storm chasers who are attempting to track down extremely violent tornadoes. Though it has a somewhat goofy and over-the-top premise,Twisterhas remained one of the‘90s classic action moviesto this day.
Twisterbecame such a cult classic that it inspired the upcomingsequel filmTwisters. Set for release on July 19,Twistersups the stakes of the originalTwisterfilm by adding tornadoes that are bigger and more threatening than ever.Twistersfeatures a leading cast including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, and Katy O’Brian. As the sequel prepares for release, it is fascinating to look back on the originalTwisterteam and where they are now.
Twisters' MPA Rating Confirms It Will Surpass The Original Movie In 1 Way
Twisters is set to surpass the 1996 classic in terms of scale and action elements that could make it the must-see movie event of the summer.
Helen Hunt As Dr. Jo Harding
Date Of Birth: July 16, 2025
Actor:Helen Hunt played the female lead role of Dr. Jo Harding inTwister, who is a meteorologist who becomes obsessed with tracking down tornadoes. Paired up with her estranged husband, Bill, with whom she is on the precipice of divorce, it is hard to say whether it’s her crumbling marriage or the horrors of tornado-induced destruction that plague Jo most throughout the film. It is Hunt’s performance that groundsTwisterin some form of emotion, and the film stands out as one of the actor’s most iconic roles.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:The year afterTwister,Hunt went on to play Carol Connelly inAs Good As It Gets, for which she won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 1998. Hunt was later nominated for another Oscar forThe Sessionsin 2012. Hunt is still working as an actress today, with her most recent work including a few episodes ofHacksas well as episodes of the showBlindspotting.
1997
2000
Bill Paxton As Bill Harding
Date of Birth: June 15, 2025
Actor:Playing opposite Hunt, Bill Paxton stepped in to play Jo’s estranged husband, Bill. Like Jo, Bill is fascinated with storm chasing, and in fact is a TV weatherman himself. Coming to Oklahoma, he brings with him both meteorological knowledge and a host of drama as he brings his new fiance with him while he returns to Jo’s farm to serve her divorce papers. As Jo chases the storm, Paxton’s Bill takes Melissa in tow to chase after him.
Notable Movies & TV Shows: Paxton tragically passed away from a strokeat the age of 61 on August 18, 2025. In addition toTwister,Paxton will be remembered for his rolesAliens,Frailty, andApollo 13. Paxton’s final on-screen roles came in 2017’sThe Circleas well as the TV seriesTraining Day.Training Dayonly had one season, as it was a Paxton-led series that was intended to have the late actor in the main role.
2001
2014
Cary Elwes As Dr. Jonas Miller
Date of Birth: June 01, 2025
Actor:Bill and Jo are not the only avid storm chasers in the Oklahoma area. Elwes steps in to play Dr. Jonas Miller, who is a rival storm chaser who is also trying to track down raucous twisters. It is Jonas who attempts to steal the storm-warning system that Bill and Jo have named “Dorothy” in honor ofWizard of Oz. While Melissa’s role serves to heat up the interpersonal drama inTwister, Dr. Miller creates much more of a professional tension as he claims ownership over a design he didn’t create.
Notable Movie & TV Roles:By the time he was inTwister, Elwes was better known for playing the swoon-worthy princeWestley in the 1987 classicThe Princess Bride.He also played the lead inRobin Hood: Men in Tights, and has gone on to be in films such asSaw. Though he is less of a household name today than he was in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Elwes is still acting, with his recent work includingKnuckles, bothRebel Moonfilms,Sweetwater, andBlackBerry.
2004
2023
Jami Gertz As Dr. Melissa Reeves
Date Of Birth: June 20, 2025
Actor:Played by Jami Gertz, Melissa is the fiancé of Paxton’s Bill Harding. Like Jo, she is well-educated, but her profession is starkly different from that of the original Harding couple, as she is a therapist. Despite her supposed calm-inducing field, Melissa ends up whipping up problems on the Oklahoma farm as she causes tensions with the former Harding couple as the wife-to-be of Bill. Despite her distance from the field, Melissa still gets quickly wrapped up in the winds of storm-chasing chaos.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:Twisterremains Gertz’s most notable role to date. Prior to this film,she acted in ‘80s classics such asThe Lost BoysandSixteen Candles.Now 58 years old, Gertz seems to have largely retired from acting, as the rate at which she has been taking on roles has been significantly slowed. Since 2010, she has only had a handful of parts, including five episodes ofEntourage, an episode ofModern Family, an episode ofThis Is Us, and a role in the 2022 Prime Video filmI Want You Back.
2002-2006
2009-2010
2012-2014
Philip Seymour Hoffman As Dustin Davis
Date Of Birth: August 08, 2025
Actor:Referred to as “Dusty,” Dustin Davis is a recurring character inTwister. Like many of the leads, Dusty is fascinated with tornadoes and will do anything to help track them down and also to help the residents of Wakita. In what was Phillip Seymor Hoffman’s typical fashion, Dusty is a scene stealer, alluring audiences with his likable and goofy personality.
Notable Movies & TV Shows: Hoffman tragically passed away from a drug overdose in 2014,a few years before co-star Paxton died. Hoffmann had struggled with drug addiction in his young adult years and had been sober for an extended time before relapsing in 2012 and eventually passing away. After his death,Hoffman’s career and best moviesare still recognized as the most prolific of his era. He won an Oscar in 2006 for his starring role inCapote, and was nominated three more times — forCharlie Wilson’s War,Doubt, andThe Master.
1999
2005
Lois Smith As Meg Greene
Date Of Birth: July 17, 2025
Actor:Also known as Aunt Meg, Smith plays protagonist Jo’s aunt inTwister. She is involved in somewhat meddling in Bill and Jo’s relationship, as she heavily implies that the pair still have feelings for each other. She is also nearly a victim of a major tornado, as a storm headed towards Wakita eventually flattens her house, and she is just barely saved by Bill, Jo, and their team.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:Born in 1930, Smith has now been in the acting business for over six decades. In addition toTwister, her notable work includes roles inMinority ReportandLady Bird. Now93 years old, Smith is still acting,with her most recent work including three episodes ofLaw & Order: Organized Crimeand the filmThe Uninvited. In 2025, Smith is also set to star in the filmThe Gettysburg Address, an upcoming biographical drama.
2002
2008-2014
2021
Alan Ruck As Robert “Rabbit” Nurick
Date of Birth: June 24, 2025
Actor: Alan Ruck steps in to play Robert Nurick, the Harding’s navigator, who is better known as “Rabbit.” He is another tornado-obsessed individual, as he is a storm chaser in the area of Oklahoma. He helps Jo and Bill with trying to deploy their “Dorothy” technology to track storms.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:Acting since he was a teen, Ruck has been in the business for years at this point. He is perhaps best known for playing thesidekick character Cameron Frye inFerris Bueller’s Day Offwhen he was 20 years old. He is also known for his work inSpeedandStar Trek: Generations, and most recently, for playing Connor Roy in the hit HBO seriesSuccession.
1986
1994
2018-2023
Jeremy Davies As Brian Laurence
Date of Birth: August 14, 2025
Actor:Like Ruck, Jeremy Davies plays another storm chaser inTwister. Brian Laurence is a student at Muskogee State College in Oklahoma. He assists the team in running Dorothy, and is seen when Bill first arrives in Wakita with Melissa.
Notable Movies & TV Shows: Born in 1969, Davies has been acting for just over three decades. He got his breakout role in 1998, when he had a supporting role inSaving Private Ryan. Since then, he has appeared in a number of other notable roles, including inSolaris,Secretary,and the television seriesLost.
1998
Twister
Cast
In Twister, Bill and Jo Harding, advanced storm chasers on the brink of divorce, must join together to create an advanced weather alert system by putting themselves in the cross-hairs of extremely violent tornadoes. Jo’s childhood was stricken by the trauma of losing her father to a deadly F5 tornado, setting her on the path of a storm chaser. Having developed a new technology with her team named “Dorothy,” Jo seeks to make Tornadoes more predictable to give people a chance to make it to safety. Jo’s obsession created a rift between her husband, but new breakthroughs may bring them back together as the two pursue their greatest challenge yet - an incoming system that will produce yet another F5.
