The cast of “Moonlighting”: Where are they now?
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Moonlighting captivated television audiences when it premiered on March 3, 1985. The series starred Cybill Shepherd as model Maddie Haynes, whose significant fortune is wiped out by an unfortunate embezzlement scheme. She's then forced to go and work for her only remaining venture, the Blue Moon Detective Agency, overseen by the irascible David Addison (Bruce Willis).
Despite the fact that the agency hasn't turned a profit in years (and Maddie desperately needs the money), she allows David to stay in business and even comes to work for him. Together, they take on a variety of crimes, big and small, over the course of five seasons.
The show was an instant hit with audiences and critics, securing over 40 Emmy nominations while making several incredible innovations in television storytelling, notably its use of fantasy sequences and fourth-wall-breaking devices. Even at its least focused, the show was always entertaining, giddily exuberant, and brimming with inspired references to classic films and literature.
After it ended on May 14, 1989, Moonlighting was more or less unavailable for decades. The previous releases consisted of only low-quality DVD transfers, and it's never before been available to stream — until now.
To celebrate its long-awaited streaming debut on Hulu, join EW as we catch up with the Moonlighting cast and see where they are now.
Bruce Willis (David Addison)
Outside of a few small movie roles and guest TV spots, Moonlighting was Willis' big break. It came just three years before he toplined Die Hard, a role which he almost lost because the film's producers didn't buy kooky David Addison as an action star.
After the smashing success of Die Hard, Willis' desire to be a part of the weekly series (as opposed to more profitable films) significantly diminished.
Willis went on to have one of the most prolific and enduring careers of any modern actor. He weathered flops like Hudson Hawk (1991) with aplomb and appeared in a string of indisputable classics: Pulp Fiction (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), and Sin City (2005), among others.
The star was married to Demi Moore from 1987 to 2000. Although the couple divorced, they remained close friends and were even neighbors for a time. He married his current wife, model Emma Heming Willis, in 2009. He shares daughters Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah with Moore, and daughters Mabel and Evelyn with Heming.
In March 2022, Willis' family announced he was diagnosed with aphasia and would be retiring from acting as a result. His condition progressed into frontotemporal dementia this year. His wife appeared on The Today Show last month and revealed that it was "hard to know" if Willis understands his current condition.
"No one else was ever considered for the part when he walked in the room," his Moonlighting costar Cybill Shepherd told Extra after news of his diagnosis. "I will always love Bruce."
Cybill Shepherd (Maddie Haynes)
After getting her start with memorable roles in The Last Picture Show (1971), Taxi Driver (1976), and The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Cybill Shepherd experienced an early downturn in her career. Moonlighting was somewhat of a comeback for her, arguably sending her star soaring higher than before. She followed up her Golden Globe-winning stint as Maddie Haynes with her own sitcom, Cybill, which is a lot funnier than people give it credit for.
In recent years, Shepherd had recurring roles on The L Word and Psych, along with appearances in lower-budget films and shows such as Franklin and Bash and Law & Order. Her most recent work is the television movie How to Murder Your Husband: The Nancy Brophy Story (2023).
Shepard married David M. Ford in 1978. They had one daughter before divorcing in 1982. She was later married to Bruce Oppenheim from 1987 to 1990. The two share twins who were born during the fourth season of Moonlighting, which led to her frequent absences from filming. This only feuled the on-set tensions that famously plagued the show, with showrunner departing Glenn Gordon Caron departing after season 4 after a lengthy conflict with Shepherd.
The actress also briefly shared an intimate moment with Willis. In her 2000 memoir Cybill Disobedience, Shepherd recalls how the on-screen chemistry spilled into real life. "'Are we going to do something about this or what?'" she recalls asking her costar. He arrived at her house, where they began to kiss "passionately." Shepherd feared this could complicate their relationship even further, though. "We never did finish what we started," she lamented.
Allyce Beasley (Agnes DiPesto)
Born in Brooklyn, Allyce Beasley booked memorable guest spots on sitcoms such as Taxi and Cheers before landing her signature role as David's quirky secretary. She later appeared in Legally Blonde (2001), the series Joan of Arcadia, and lent her voice to the cartoons Recess and Johnny Bravo. In the last few years, Beasley has also acted in shows like Gotham, Marry Me, Maniac, and New Amsterdam.
Beasley has been married three times: to Christopher Sansocie from 1970 to 1972; Vincent Schiavelli, with whom she shares son Andrea, from 1985 to 1988; and writer Jim Bosche, whom she wed in 1999. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998 but has been in remission since undergoing a procedure.
Curtis Armstrong (Herbert Viola)
Before his stint as the office temp who became the object of Agnes' affection, Curtis Armstrong appeared in classic '80s comedies like Risky Business (1983), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Better Off Dead (1985), and One Crazy Summer (1986). Post-Moonlighting, he enjoyed roles on television shows like Felicity and Supernatural, as well as the movies Ray (2004), National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002), Smokin Aces (2006), and Southland Tales (2006). You might also recognize his voice work as Schmuley "Snot" Lonstein on American Dad.
In a 2015 interview with A.V. Club, Armstrong addressed the enduring rumors of on-set tensions. "Were things as bad as everyone said they were? Not initially, but they got worse," he confided. Beyond series creator Glenn Gordon Caron constantly rewriting scripts, there was also conflict between the two stars. "It was just Cybill and Bruce were personalities that didn't get along… It happens, you know. If you work at a car lot, you may have the same kind of issues with somebody you work with on the car lot. Nobody writes about it. It's just personalities."
Armstrong married Elaine Aaronson in 1994. They share a daughter, Lily, who was born in 1996.
Jack Blessing (MacGillicuddy)
The late Jack Blessing made his feature film debut in the notorious flop Heaven's Gate (1080) before appearing in a string of guest television roles in shows like MASH and Family Ties. He joined the cast of Moonlighting in the third season as MacGillicuddy, who swiftly became a prime foil for Viola and troubled the temp for Agnes' affection.
On television, Blessing reteamed with costar Cybill Shepherd on her sitcom Cybill. He also guest starred on The X-Files, CSI, Mike and Molly, George Lopez, and appeared in blockbusters like Thirteen Days (2000) and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006).
Curtis Armstrong later told A.V. Club about the fun cameo he and Blessing made on the pilot episode of Cybill. The producers thought, "'...wouldn't it be funny if we had Viola and MacGillicuddy on for the opening scene, the cold open of the show?' So we went in and did it. Coincidentally, my wife was an executive producer on Cybill's show, which they didn't know at the time."
Blessing died of pancreatic cancer in 2017 at age 66, leaving his wife, Lora Blessing, and their two sons in his wake.
Charles Rocket (Richard Addison)
Prior to his time playing David's brother on Moonlighting, Charles Rocket was a cast member on the sixth season of Saturday Night Live, where he served as an anchor on the Weekend Update. He later appeared in the classic films Hocus Pocus (1993), Short Cuts (1993), and Dumb and Dumber (1994).
Rocket married his college girlfriend, Beth Crellin, in 1972. Their son Zane was born in 1976. Crellin and Rocket remained married until his death by suicide in 2005 at age 56.
Eva Marie Saint (Virginia Hayes)
At age 99, legendary actor Eva Marie Saint stands as the oldest living Oscar winner,and one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. She rose to prominence in films like On the Waterfront (1954) and North by Northwest (1959), followed by cinematic turns in Exodus (1960), The Sandpiper (1965), and Loving (1970), among others. More recently, she's appeared in the films Superman Returns (2006) and Winter's Tale (2014).
On Moonlighting, she played Maddie's mother in six episodes across three seasons. The part was a welcome feather in the veteran performer's cap, who admitted to The Los Angeles Times in 1990 that, "As I got older, there weren't that many roles. I segued into TV and am perfectly happy."
Saint married television director Jeffrey Hayden in October 1951, and the two remained together until Hayden's death on Christmas Eve in 2016. She survives him with their two children, Darrell and Laurette, as well as four grandchildren.
Brooke Adams (Teri Knowles)
Prior to her guest role in season 5 as David's Lamaze class partner, Brooke Adams starred in a wide variety of movies such as Days of Heaven (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and The Dead Zone (1983). In addition to her turn on Moonlighting, she's appeared on the shows Touched by an Angel, Frasier, and in four separate roles on Monk.
Adams has been married to actor Tony Shalhoub (Monk, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) since 1992. They share two daughters, whom they adopted.
Virginia Madsen (Lorraine Anne Charnock)
Oscar winner Virginia Madsen enjoyed a recurring role in season 5 as a cousin of Maddie's (and a brief romantic infatuation of David's). Moonlighting was one of her first major television appearances, though she previously had memorable roles in movies like David Lynch's Dune (1984) and Modern Girls (1986). She later starred in Candyman (1992), won an Oscar for her role in Sideways (2004), and went on to appear in A Prairie Home Companion (2006), The Haunting of Connecticut (2009), and Joy (2015).
Madsen was married to actor Danny Huston from 1988 to 1992. She then dated Antonio Sabàto Jr., with whom she shares one son, from 1993 to 1998. Her brother is Reservoir Dogs star Michael Madsen.
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