‘Reservoir Dogs’ Cast, Then and Now

Whatever happened to the cast of Quentin Tarantino's first film? You might be surprised where "Reservoir Dogs" stars are today.

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most influential filmmakers ever. His first movie, “Reservoir Dogs,” is the story of a heist gone wrong and introduced audiences to stylistic elements that have become Tarantino hallmarks.

Tarantino and the rest of the “Reservoir Dogs” cast went on to do many other great things. Here’s what they’re doing now and how much money they’ve made since the 1992 release of the legendary film.

Then: Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino as Mr. Brown in Reservoir Dogs

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. Brown

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 29

Bottom line: Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Torrance, California, Quentin Tarantino was a film buff from an early age. He wrote his first screenplay at 14 and began participating in community theater.

He dropped out of high school a year later and worked a series of odd jobs while attending acting classes where he would meet future collaborators.

One of the jobs he held was at Video Archives, a store in Manhattan Beach, California, where he sharpened his encyclopedic knowledge of film before making “Reservoir Dogs.”

Now: Quentin Tarantino

Vianney Le Caer / Invision / AP Photo

Age in 2023: 60

Net worth: $120 million

Career highlights: “Pulp Fiction,” “Jackie Brown,” “Hateful Eight,” “Django Unchained,” “Kill Bill,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

What they’re up to today: Tarantino’s 2019 film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was nominated for 10 Oscars and won two — for Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt) and Best Production Design.

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was the director’s ninth film, and he says he’s stopping at 10:

“I think it’s kind of easy, for the simple fact that most directors have horrible last movies. Usually their worst movies are their last movies. That’s the case for most of the Golden Age directors that ended up making their last movies in the late ’60s and the ’70s, then that ended up being the case for most of the New Hollywood directors who made their last movies in the late ’80s and the ’90s.”

Then: Harvey Keitel

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. White

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 53

Bottom line: Known primarily for his tough-guy roles and association with director Martin Scorsese, Harvey Keitel was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 13, 1939. At 16, he joined the Marines, and when he returned home, he began training at the famed Actors Studio and acting off-off Broadway and in community theater.

In 1967, Keitel met Scorsese, who cast him in his feature debut, “Who’s That Knocking at My Door?”

“Reservoir Dogs” was Tarantino’s directorial debut, and Keitel had a big hand in getting it made. When he signed on as co-producer, the budget increased considerably, from $1.2 to $3 million.

Now: Harvey Keitel

Charles Sykes / Invision / AP Photo

Age in 2023: 84

Net worth: $50 million

Career highlights: “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Last Temptation of Christ,” “Pulp Fiction,” The Irishman,” “Lansky”

What they’re up to today: At 83, Keitel has not slowed down. His most recent film was 2022’s “Lansky,” in which he plays the titular character, real-life gangster Meyer Lansky.

He recently appeared in “Mike,” a series about boxer Mike Tyson, on Hulu.

Then: Steve Buscemi

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. Pink

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 34

Bottom line: Steve Buscemi was born into a working-class family in Brooklyn and became interested in acting during his senior year of high school. After graduating, he moved to Manhattan to study at the John Strasberg School of acting. He was cast in his first lead role in 1986’s “Parting Glances.”

Buscemi was a New York City firefighter from 1980 to 1984 and volunteered with the NYFD at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks to search the rubble for survivors.

Now: Steve Buscemi

Charles Sykes / Invision / AP Photo

Age in 2023: 65

Net worth: $35 million

Career highlights: “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Sopranos,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo”

What they’re up to today: Steve Buscemi continues acting, but he also works behind the camera.

In 2021, he directed his fifth film, “The Listener,” starring Tessa Thompson of “Passing” and “Westworld” fame.

Then: Tim Roth

Tim Roth as Mr. Orange in Reservoir Dogs

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. Orange

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 31

Bottom line: Tim Roth was born on May 14, 1961, in London. He grew up in Dulwich, a middle-class area and had a talent for accents at an early age. Roth attended art college before dropping out to pursue acting.

His first big break was in a British TV movie, “Made in Britain,” in 1982, and he debuted on the big screen in 1984’s “The Hit” before coming stateside to work with Quentin Tarantino.

Now: Tim Roth

Joel C Ryan / Invision / AP Photo

Age in 2023: 62

Net worth: $8 million

Career highlights: “Pulp Fiction,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Rob Roy,” “The Listener”

What they’re up to today: Roth continued working with Tarantino in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Hateful Eight” and was to appear in the director’s 2019 film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” but his scenes were cut.

He’s also made his mark on Marvel Cinematic Universe as Emil Blonsky/Abomination in 2008’s “Incredible Hulk,” and played the villain again on the Disney+ series, “She Hulk: Attorney at Law” in 2022.

Then: Michael Madsen

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. Blonde

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 34

Bottom line: Michael Madsen, whose sister is Oscar nominee Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”), was born in Chicago, Illinois, on Sept. 25, 1957.

He began acting in Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company as an apprentice under John Malkovich. One of Madsen’s first roles was in the 1983 film, “War Games.”

Now: Michael Madsen

Charles Sykes / Invision / AP Photo

Age in 2023: 65

Net worth: $5 million

Career highlights: “Thelma and Louise,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Kill Bill,” “Sin City”

What they’re up to today: Madsen was briefly in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” but had fallen on hard times due to the pandemic and losing his house in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

His son committed suicide in early 2022, and he was arrested a month later at the Malibu home he was renting for misdemeanor trespassing. He was issued a $500 citation and released.

Despite all this, he appears to have several films in production.

Then: Chris Penn

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Nice Guy Eddie

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 27

Bottom line: The brother of Sean Penn, Chris Penn was born on Oct. 10, 1965, in Los Angeles.
He followed in his parents’ footsteps (both were in the industry) and started acting on stage at 12 years old.

He made his film debut in the 1979 film “Charlie and the Talking Buzzard” before catching director Francis Ford Coppola’s eye for “Rumble Fish.”

Now: Chris Penn

Paramount Pictures / YouTube

Age in 2023: Deceased

Net worth: $5 million

Career highlights: “Footloose,” “True Romance,” “Rumble Fish”

What they’re up to today: On Jan. 24, 2006, Penn was found dead at his home in Santa Monica. He was just 40 years old.

An autopsy revealed the primary cause of death was heart disease.

Then: Eddie Bunker

Eddie Bunker as Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Mr. Blue

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 59

Bottom line: Eddie Bunker was born on Dec. 31, 1933, in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. He had been involved in numerous crimes (robberies and assaults) since childhood and had been in and out of state prison for decades before turning to writing and acting.

He wrote several books about crime and imprisonment, a few of which were turned into films.

Now: Eddie Bunker

Wikimedia Commons

Age in 2023: Deceased

Net worth: $1.5 Million

Career highlights: “Runaway Train,” “Heat,” “Animal Factory”

What they’re up to today: Bunker died in 2005 after complications from surgery. He was 71 years old.

Then: Lawrence Tierney

Lawrence Tierney as Joe Cabot in Reservoir Dogs

Miramax Films / YouTube

Reservoir Dogs character: Joe Cabot

Age when Reservoir Dogs was released: 73

Bottom line: Long before Lawrence Tierney’s turn in “Reservoir Dogs,” he was a B-movie leading man in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s. He was destined for greatness, but had a drinking problem — he was in multiple brushes with the law for barroom brawls. His reputation preceded him, and he lost work.

At times, homeless and jobless, Tierney’s career resurgence came about in the 1990s with “Reservoir Dogs.”

Now: Lawrence Tierney

Wikipedia

Age in 2023: Deceased

Net worth: $1.5 million

Career highlights: “Dillinger,” “Born to Kill,” “Seinfeld” (as Elaine’s dad)

What they’re up to today: During the making of “Reservoir Dogs,” Tierney amused and terrified the crew — Tarantino even got in a fight with him and fired him from the movie. After the firing, Tierney shot at his nephew at his Hollywood apartment and was arrested.

Tierney died in 2002 in a Los Angeles nursing home at 82 years old.