‘Radio’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Radio is a film released in 2003 that tells the story of a man named James “Radio” Kennedy, who has an intellectual disability. He’s from Anderson, South Carolina, and was able to associate himself with T.L. Hanna High School football team after befriending head coach Harold Jones. Kennedy earned the nickname “Radio” from Jones as he would always carry a radio wherever he went. He became very popular with the students and became an unofficial 11th-grade student at the school in 1965. He was then considered a permanent high school student, which meant he would never graduate or have to leave. In 2006, a statue of Kennedy was unveiled at the high school, and he was inducted into the T.L. Hanna Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. He died in December 2019 at the age of 73.

“At that time, he was a teenager, with a transistor radio seemingly attached to his ear, who could barely speak and had never learned to read or write,” wrote former T.L. Hanna High Principal Sheila Hilton. “He was nicknamed Radio by the coaches and players. He became a fixture at football practices, standing passively and watching, until one day when he began to mimic the coaches’ signals and tried his hand at yelling out commands.”

In the film, Kennedy was played by Cuba Gooding Jr., and Jones was played by Ed Harris. Here’s a look at what Gooding, Harris and the rest of the cast is up to now.

Cuba Gooding Jr. James ‘Radio’ Kennedy

Gooding was already an established actor in Hollywood, winning an Academy Award for his performance in Jerry Maguire in 1996. He has continued to work consistently over the last 17 years, with his last film being Bayou Caviar, which was released in 2018. Gooding was also seen in the TV series American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson and American Horror Story: Roanoke. 

Ed Harris – Coach Harold Jones

Harris entered Radio as one of the more respected actors in Hollywood. At 69 years old, Harris shows no signs of slowing down, starting in Top Gun: Maverick, which will be released later this year. Fans can currently see Harris on the HBO series Westworld.

Debra Winger – Linda Jones

Winger gained popularity in her 20s as she is known for starring in the 1980s films An Officer and a Gentleman and Terms of Endearment. She was nominated for Academy Awards in both films and would continue to work steadily over the years. She was recently a series regular on the Netflix series The Ranch with Ashton Kutcher and Sam Elliott

S. Epatha Merkerson – Maggie Kennedy

Merkerson is known more for her TV roles as she was on Law & Order from 1993-2010. She has made appearances on various shows over the years and can be currently seen on the NBC series Chicago Med, playing the role of Sharon Goodwin. 

Sarah Drew – Mary Helen Jones

Drew is another star known more for his TV roles, appearing in Everwood and was the voice of Stacy Rowe in the animated series Daria. Most fans know her as Dr. April Kepner on Grey’s Anatomy, and she was on the show from 2009-2018. In 2019, Drew starred in the film Twinkle All The Way. 

Alfre Woodard – Principal Daniels

Woodard gained attention in Hollywood when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Cross Creek. She won multiple Emmy Awards for her work on TV and was recently on the Netflix series Luke Cage. She was in three movies last year including Clemency and will star in the film Fatherhood in 2021. 

Brent Sexton – Coach Honeycutt

Sexton has been acting in TV and movies since 1998 and has been working non-stop since. He will star in the upcoming film Irresistible, which will also feature Steve Carrell, Rose Byrne and Chris Cooper. His last TV appearance was in 2019, making appearances in three episodes in Unbelievable.