Over the years, many movies have inspired attractions at Walt Disney's theme parks. However, this has also happened the other way around. One of the company's most popular productions based on a Disney ride is The Haunted Mansion, the 2003 horror-comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff. This movie stars Eddie Murphy as Jim Evers, a real estate agent who tends to prioritize his job over his family and his own life. When this eventually drains his wife and children, Jim arranges a vacation for everyone, but along the way, he pays a quick visit to a mansion he plans to sell. After a terrible storm breaks out, the Everses are stranded in this mansion oblivious to the place's deepest secret: it is haunted and filled with paranormal entities.
At the time of its release, The Haunted Mansion was poorly reviewed by critics, but performed quite well at the box office. However, as years went by, it became more and more popular with audiences, to the point of becoming a beloved cult classic. It was this delayed popularity that prompted Haunted Mansion (2023), another film adaptation of the Disney ride, to hit theaters 20 years after the original movie's premiere. This new production, released in July 2023, is directed by Justin Simien and stars LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto.
The actors who starred in The Haunted Mansion back in 2003 went on to work on many exciting projects in both film and television. Here's a look at what they are doing today.
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy stars in The Haunted Mansion as Jim Evers, the real estate agent who has a hard time juggling his work and family. By the time the actor joined the cast of this production, he was already a well-known figure in the industry, making a name for himself back in the 1980s thanks to his performances on Saturday Night Live and subsequent roles in comedy films.
In recent years, Murphy has not been as active as he used to be, but he did take part in some very interesting projects. In 2019, he both starred in and produced the Netflix comedy film Dolemite Is My Name, which earned him critical acclaim and numerous accolades. Furthermore, he reprised his iconic role as Prince Akeem Joffer in Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 film that stands as one of the best pieces of his portfolio. He was also spotted co-starring with Jonah Hill, Lauren London, David Duchovny, Nia Long, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in this year's rom-com You People.
Despite not taking part in so many productions in recent years, Murphy's future looks packed with projects: this December, he is expected to appear in Candy Cane Lane, a Christmas comedy by Reginald Hudlin. In addition, he is working on a fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop film series, the franchise that propelled him to fame so many years ago.
Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp plays Ramsley, the ghost of the mansion's butler, who was involved in Elizabeth's death. This is one of the many villain roles played by this actor, whose career kicked off with a bang in 1962, when his debut in the film Billy Budd earned him an Academy Award nomination.
After starring in The Haunted Mansion, Stamp went on to appear in projects of all kinds, such as the films Yes Man, Wanted, and Tim Burton's Big Eyes. However, in the last few years, he has not been particularly active in the industry. His latest projects so far include the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston comedy Murder Mystery and Last Night in Soho, the 2021 film starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Nathaniel Parker
Nathaniel Parker is the ghost of Edward Gracey, the owner of the mansion who has been mourning the death of the love of his life for years. Throughout his career, this English actor has excelled in film, theater, and television, focusing his efforts on the latter two. A few years before joining the cast of this 2003 Haunted Mansion film, Parker landed the lead role in the BBC show The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, which to this day remains among his most popular projects.
Just like Stamp, Parker reduced his appearances in the industry over the last few years. His latest film roles came in 2019 and 2021 with the historical dramas The Warrior Queen of Jhansi and The Last Duel, respectively, the latter in which he co-starred alongside Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck. His most recent TV role so far was in the Spanish show The Vineyard, premiering in March 2021.
Marsha Thomason
In The Haunted Mansion, Marsha Thomason plays a double role as Sara, Jim Evers' wife, and the ghost of Elizabeth, Edward Gracey's lover. This 2003 film became one of the most popular ones in the actress' career, and soon after, she decided to focus her efforts on TV projects. Her latest film production to date is the 2009 film Into the Blue 2: The Reef.
On TV, Thomason has been involved in several popular shows, including the series Las Vegas, Lost, and White Collar. Currently, she is a main cast member of the British political thriller COBRA, and also plays the lead role in the crime show The Bay, which is currently developing its fifth season.
Jennifer Tilly
The actress who played the legendary Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion not only made her mark in the artistic field, but also enjoys a successful career as a poker player that is still going strong today. Jennifer Tilly launched her career in the 1980s, and has starred and voice-acted in a number of projects, such as Monsters, Inc. and Family Guy, among others.
However, the biggest role of her career, and the one that earned her widespread acclaim, is Tiffany Valentine, Chucky's girlfriend in the eponymous horror franchise. Tilly has reprised the role of Tiffany in several installments of the film series, and she is currently reprising it in Don Mancini's TV show.
Wallace Shawn
With a career spanning over 50 years, actor and playwright Wallace Shawn has been involved in some of the industry's most popular projects in both film and television. His portfolio is made up of films such as The Princess Bride and Clueless and shows such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Gossip Girl, to name just a few. Shawn has worked consistently in the industry over the years, and continues to do so to this day.
His most recent projects include the animated film Toy Story 4, where he reprised his voice role as Rex, Woody Allen's comedy Rifkin's Festival and The Addams Family 2, the 2021 production starring Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Nick Kroll. In The Haunted Mansion, Wallace plays Ezra, one of the ghosts of Gracey Manor.
Dina Spybey
Dina Spybey plays Emma, another one of the ghosts trapped in Gracey Manor. Shortly before joining the cast of The Haunted Mansion, she landed one of the best-known roles of her career as part of HBO's Six Feet Under.
After appearing in the Disney film, Spybey significantly decreased her roles in the industry. She was seen in the 2005 Reese Witherspoon film Just Like Heaven, and then again in 2019's Chasing Molly. While she did take on a few other TV projects, she was last seen as part of the pilot episode of the ABC sitcom Speechless back in 2016.
Aree Davis
Aree Davis plays Megan Evers, the eldest daughter of Jim and Sara, and this became the most iconic role of her career. Shortly after starring in The Haunted Mansion, Aree moved her focus to TV projects, and was spotted in the shows ER, Everybody Hates Chris, and the 2008 Fox sitcom 'Til Death. The latter became her final appearance in the industry, as she decided to retire from acting altogether after the show.
Marc John Jefferies
In The Haunted Mansion, Marc John Jefferies plays Michael, the Evers' youngest son. Unlike his fictional sister, Jefferies continued to star in films and TV series after appearing in this 2003 movie, and he is still involved in the industry today, although he has significantly decreased his involvement. His most recent role on television was as QDubs in the second season of the crime drama show Power, and he was last spotted on the silver screen in the 2022 sports movie 13th and Pine.
Rachael Harris
Rounding out this list is Rachel Harris, who plays Mrs. Coleman, a client of Jim Evers. While Harris has starred in a huge number of productions throughout her career, she is particularly known for her role as Dr. Linda Martin, Lucifer's therapist in Lucifer, which aired until 2021.
In recent years, she has been mainly focused on television, and besides her role in the series starring Tom Ellis, she has appeared in the shows Ghosts and Fantasy Island. Harris' future looks very promising, as in the next few months she is expected to star in the films Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story and Old Dads, as well as in the horror comedy show Goosebumps.