Hot off the heels of the success of the slasher Scream, writer Kevin Williamson found himself another hit with I Know What You Did Last Summer, which hit theaters twenty years ago.
After a night of hard partying in honor of the Fourth of July, a group of teens heads home with a drunk driver at the wheel, only to hit and supposedly kill a stranger on the side of the road. Thinking no one saw the event and that the man was dead anyway, they attempt to dispose of the body.
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The following summer, with the friends now having drifted apart, they reunite to reveal that they’re being stalked by someone with the ominous note that revealed “I know what you did last summer.” One by one, the teens are taken out, eventually revealing the identity of the killer.
The film only earned mixed reviews when it was initially released, not finding quite the same success as Scream, but with the film having brought together a cast of young stars on the rise, it ended up being a financial success, spawning two sequels.
The already successful stars of the film became some of the most sought-after talent of their generation, going on to star in a variety of projects throughout their career.
Scroll down to see what the stars of I Know What You Did Last Summer have been up to since the film’s release!
Jennifer Love Hewitt – Julie
Hewitt’s career started at a young age, starring in TV commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated. Her breakthrough role was on Party of Five as Sarah, which helped her score the starring role in I Know What You Did Last Summer.
The actress went on to star in the film’s sequel, as well as the teen comedy Can’t Hardly Wait in addition to portraying Audrey Hepburn in The Audrey Hepburn Story.
In the mid-2000s, Hewitt returned to TV for the series Ghost Whisperer and the TV movie The Client List, which earned her a nomination for a Golden Globe Award. She then went on to star in the series upon which the film was based, in addition to taking on guest roles in shows like Criminal Minds and Hot in Cleveland.
Sarah Michelle Gellar – Helen
Much like Hewitt, Gellar also got her career started at a young age, taking on roles in commercials and TV series, even earning herself a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance on All My Children.
1997 proved to be an incredible year for the performer, as she also starred in the film Scream 2 and began her career-defining performance as Buffy Summers in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The actress continued to take leading roles in films, including Cruel Intentions, the Scooby-Doo films, and The Grudge.
Gellar also turned to TV later in her career, starring in the series Ringer, The Crazy Ones, and even returned briefly to All My Children.
Freddie Prinze Jr. – Ray
Son of actor Freddie Prinze, the actor was connected to Hollywood from the moment he was born. However, it wasn’t until he graduated high school that Prinze Jr. officially began pursuing acting, with one of his first appearances being in the sitcom Family Matters.
After starring in the horror hit, Prinze Jr. starred in teen comedies like She’s All That and Summer Catch, in addition to the video game adaptation Wing Commander.
Prinze Jr. starred alongside Gellar in the Scooby-Doo films, having begun dating only a few years after meeting on I Know What You Did Last Summer. The couple are still together and have two children.
Most recently, Prinze Jr. can be heard on the animated series Star Wars Rebels in which he plays Kanan, a Jedi Master.
Ryan Phillippe – Barry
Similarly to Gellar, Phillippe got his start in the world of soap operas, having starred in One Life to Live before his role in I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Phillippe continued his string of hits by starring in films like Cruel Intentions, 54, Gosford Park, and Flags of Our Fathers. After finding success in the acting world, Phillippe began to switch gears and focus more on producing and directing, but has recently been starring in the TV series Shooter, inspired by the movie of the same name.
Later this summer, Phillippe returns to the world of horror with the film Wish Upon, in which he plays the father of a girl who discovers a box that grants all of her wishes, with each wish bringing with it a terrible consequence.
Johnny Galecki – Max
Having previously starred in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and with a small role in the sitcom Blossom, Galecki was most well-known for his TV roles before joining the cast of the thriller, most notably Roseanne.
In addition to trying to break into the world of film with I Know What You Did Last Summer, Galecki also starred in films like Suicide Kings and The Opposite of Sex, with none of these leaving as much of an impact as his role in Roseanne.
Galecki returned to TV and did so quite successfully, starring as Leonard on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Since its premiere in 2007, the show has gone on to be one of the most popular shows on television, with its ninth season having wrapped earlier this year. The sitcom will be returning for a tenth season this fall, with neither the show nor its fanbase showing any amount of fatigue.
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