‘The Mighty Ducks’ Original Cast: Where Are They Now?
Ducks fly together! The original Mighty Ducks film quacked its way into movie lover’s hearts in 1992 and nearly three decades later, it still has a dedicated fanbase.
The Mighty Ducks, which starred Emilio Estevez as Coach Gordon Bombay, made hockey cool nationwide — and inspired some fans to quack in class when they didn’t get their way. After Gordon gets into legal trouble, he is ordered to coach a peewee hockey team — the Ducks — in a league against his former childhood team, the Hawks.
With the help of Minnesota hockey hopeful Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson), Gordon rounds up a motley crew to play on his team. Throughout the film, the players — including Goldberg (Shaun Weiss), who is a goalie that can’t stop falling down, ringer Fulton Reed (Elden Henson) and former Hawks player Adam Banks (Vincent LaRusso) — bond under the support and guidance of coach Bombay.
The ‘90s film’s success led to two sequels, D2: The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks. In the second movie, the Ducks represent Team USA in the Junior Goodwill Games and add a few new players, including Portman (Aaron Lohr), who helps make up the Bash Brothers with Fulton.
The third film, which hit theaters in 1996, followed the teammates as they went off to prep school and tried to one-up the varsity team. Over the years, the cast of the trilogy has shown its staying power during fan events and by sparking excitement whenever they reunite in person.
In 2014, the D2: Mighty Ducks stars got together to celebrate its 20th anniversary and recreated the team’s iconic “Flying V” formation on a tennis court. The gang posted photos from the hangout, including a snap of Marguerite Moreau, who played Connie in all three films, and Garrett Henson, who played her onscreen boyfriend, Guy Germaine.
Five years later, there was another Ducks reunion that took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, home of the NHL team the Anaheim Ducks. The cast donned their original movie jerseys while attending the hockey game and posing for photos.
“Spent the week reflecting on friendship and family. We came of age together under very special circumstances and are so appreciative of all the fans who have loved #TheMightyDucks #D2 and #D3,” Moreau wrote via Instagram alongside a series of photo of her former costars in February 2019. “
DUCKS FLY TOGETHER. Thank you @anaheimducks for having us. It was a great week.”
Fans got the ultimate reunion in 2021 when the hockey team’s legacy continued on Disney+’s The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. While the show will feature all new peewee hockey players, Estevez reprised his role as coach Bombay.
“I really appreciated Emilio. He had an incredibly positive impact on my life,” Elden told Us Weekly exclusively in April 2021. “As I got older and I worked with kids, I just thought, ‘Man, what a saint.’ He is, like, never in a bad mood. He was always so kind and he really engaged with each one of us individually. I’m still blown away by him.”
Scroll down to see what the OG Ducks have been up to since the film’s 1992 release.
Estevez played PeeWee hockey coach Gordon Bombay in all three films, before he reprised his role for the Disney+ spinoff series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers in 2021. The New York native also starred in The War at Home, Sand, Bobby, The Way and The Public. Estevez, who is the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of Charlie Sheen, is also a director, having worked on The Guardian, Cold Case and the upcoming Guns 3: Alias Billy the Kid, which he also wrote. The actor’s producer and writer credits include The Mighty Ducks TV series and The Way. The Breakfast Club star divorced Paula Abdul in 1994 after two years of marriage. He shares a son and daughter from a previous relationship with model Carey Salley.
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Jackson’s role as captain Charlie Conway in the Mighty Ducks franchise was his third acting gig. He has since starred in Andre, Urban Legend, Cruel Intentions, Lone Star State of Mind, Cursed, Bobby, Inescapable and Sky. The Canada-born actor played Pacey Witter on Dawson’s Creek, Peter Bishop on Fringe, Cole Lockhart on The Affair and Bill Richardson on Little Fires Everywhere before being cast as Christopher Duntsch on Dr. Death. Jackson married actress Jodie Turner-Smith in December 2019. They welcomed their first child, daughter Janie, in April 2020.
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Henson’s Fulton Reed was the ringer when it came to the slapshot on the Ducks’ team. The actor has since starred in She’s All That, Manic, Cheats, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Butterfly Effect, Spivak and played Pollux in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2. The Maryland native also played Marvel comics character Foggy Nelson in three seasons of Daredevil as well as The Defenders. He reprised his role as Fulton on the sixth episode of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. Henson split from actress Kira Sternbach in 2016 after two years of marriage. The exes share son Dodger.
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The New Jersey native portrayed Ducks’ goaltender Goldberg. Weiss then starred in Heavyweights, Pumpkin, Four Dogs, Mad and the short Netflix & Chill. He also had recurring roles on Here and Now, Mr. Rhodes, The Tony Danza Show and Freaks and Geeks and played himself on Why Not Weiss. The actor’s writer and producer credits include Encounters and What About Weiss.
Us Weekly confirmed in 2017 that Weiss was sentenced to 150 days in jail after he was arrested for petty theft for the second time. A year later, the star was arrested for public intoxication in California. He was arrested again in January 2020 after being found by police inside someone’s car in their garage displaying “symptoms of being under the influence or methamphetamine,” according to a press release. Eight months later, Weiss showed off a new smile after getting implants following his move into a sober living facility, TMZ reported. At the time, he was 200 days sober.
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Doherty played the Ducks’ resident goofball Les Averman, who is best known for his witty remarks when asked a question by coach Bombay. The Illinois native has since appeared in So I Married an Axe Murderer, Graduation Night, Hollows Grove and South of Sunset. He also guest starred on Boston Public, Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Franklin & Bash and Rosewood. He will make an appearance on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. In 2012, Doherty wrote and directed his first short film, First Stone. The Northwestern University alum is active in the theater and runs a private workshop for writers in Los Angeles, where he moderates on the playwright’s panel for Antaeus Playwrights’ lab. He released his debut album, Dignity, in 2018. He reunited with his castmates for a cameo on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers in 2021.
YouTube; Courtesy of Matt Doherty/Instagram
Adams portrayed tough guy Jesse Hall in the first two movies. He then starred in The Sandlot, Ghost in the Machine, Beyond Desire, MacArthur Park and Stuck in the Corners. The Kansas native had a recurring role in Sister, Sister and Moesha. He also appeared in multiple Michael Jackson music videos, including “Smooth Criminal.”
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Henson played Connie’s (Moreau) boyfriend and Ducks’ teammate Guy Germaine. The California native, who is the real-life younger brother of costar Elden Henson, then appeared in Casper, Three Wishes, The Mannsfield 12 and Babes. He also had guest roles on NCIS, Melrose Place and Close to Home. He appeared on The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers in 2021. Behind the camera, Henson has worked as a gaffer and assistant cameraman on three projects. He is also a writer, producer and director, working on shorts The Run, Green Eggs and Shades of Yellow. In November 2020, he launched an Indie Gogo page to help fund his latest project, Last Time in This Place, which he cowrote and is directing.
Moviestore/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Marguerite Moreau/Instagram
Moreau played forward Connie, who dated Guy for all three films. She then starred in Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Wag the Dog, Wet Hot American Summer, Easy, The Uninvited, Wake, Caroline and Jackie, A Night to Regret and Monuments. She appeared on Amazing Grace, Life as We Know It, The O.C., Shameless and Grey’s Anatomy before reprising her role as Katie on Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. She was also a main character on The Unsettling and The Birch and reprised her role as Connie on the Disney+ Mighty Ducks series. The California native made her debut as a producer with Stress Position in 2013, which she also wrote additional dialogue for. Moreau married Canadian actor Christopher Redman in 2010. They share son Casper.
Moviestore/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Marguerite Moreau/Instagram
Smollett only appeared in the original film as Jesse’s little brother, Terry Hall. The California native then appeared on Cro and On Our Own before starring in The Skinny, Alien: Covenant and Marshall. Smollett played Jamal Lyon on Empire from 2015 to 2019. He was also a producer on Giants and America Divided. The actor wrote, directed and produced the upcoming B-Boy Blues. Smollett released an EP in 2012 and dropped his debut album, Sum of My Music, in 2018.
The star made headlines a year later when he claimed he was targeted in a racist and homophobic attack in January 2019. He was accused of staging the incident the following month and was charged with felony disorderly conduct for making a false police report. He was arrested and hit with 16 felony accounts, but the charges were dropped in March 2019. The legal trouble continued in February 2020 when he was indicted on six counts of disorderly conduct, which he pleaded not guilty to at the time.
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LaRusso’s role as Hawks turned Ducks player Adam Banks (known as Banks) was his first acting gig. He reprised his role in the two sequels and then appeared in Superhero Movie and George and Sofia. He has continued to take part in Mighty Ducks reunions and fan events as well. The Boston University alum has retired from acting and now works on the business side for an international theater organization, but he returned to his roots for a cameo on the Disney+ series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers in 2021. LaRusso split from wife Kathryn Elizabeth Everard in 2018 after three years of marriage.
Courtesy of Marguerite Moreau/Instagram
Plank appeared as a Christmas caroler in Jingle All the Way after playing ice skater turned hockey player Tammy in the 1992 film. She left acting in 1996 to pursue a career in music. She is a singer, songwriter and composer. The Minnesota native also cofounded Plank Books with her wife, Katelyn Plank, which are a series of stories that help spread the importance of sharing with those in need.
YouTube; Courtesy of Jane Plank/Facebook
Tamberelli played Tammy’s younger brother Tommy in the original Mighty Ducks movie. The same year, he began starring as Little Pete Wringley on The Adventures of Pete & Pete. The New Jersey native then appeared on The Magic School Bus, All That, 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd and Filmore! Tamberelli started the “Adventures of Danny & Mike” podcast with former Adventures of Pete and Pete costar Michael C. Maronna in 2013. He is also a founding member of the sketchy comedy group Manboobs and the lead singer of Jounce. The Nickelodeon alum married Katelyn Detweiler in 2018 and they welcomed their first child, son Alfred, a year later.
YouTube; Courtesy of Marguerite Moreau/Instagram
Ackland portrayed Gordon’s mentor Hans, who was also a hockey supply store owner, in all three films. The English actor has starred in Giorgino, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, Surviving Picasso, Milk, No Good Deed, Asylum, Moscow Zero, Flawless, Lethal Weapon 2 and Decline of an Empire. He has also narrated The Stain and The Boy With Chocolate Fingers. The BAFTA nominee was married to actress Rosemary Kirkcaldy for 51 years before her death in 2002. They welcomed seven children, 30 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren during their long relationship.
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Kling played Charlie’s mom Casey in both The Mighty Ducks and D3: The Mighty Ducks. She was also Gordon’s love interest. The Wright State University alum later starred in Turbulence and appeared in one episode of Murder, She Wrote and Brimstone before walking away from acting in 1999. She married actor David Berón in 1994 and they share one child.
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