Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous hit theaters on September 13, 2000, and instantly became a cult classic.
The coming-of-age story follows teenager William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he attempts to write his first piece for Rolling Stone during the ‘70s. While following rock band Stillwater — focusing mainly on lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) — William finds himself.
In addition to meeting rock legends, getting away from his overbearing mother (Frances McDormand) and falling in love with Band Aid leader Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), William learns to use his voice. He also loses his virginity (thanks to two other Band Aids) and learns countless life lessons from his mentor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
The music-driven film won an Oscar for its screenplay in 2001 and has resonated with fans for decades. It helped launch the careers of many of its stars, including Zooey Deschanel, Jimmy Fallon, Anna Paquin and Jason Lee.
Crowe is still proud of the movie’s success to this day. “The movies that last are the ones that touch people, and that’s all they remember over time,” he said on a July 2020 episode of the “Origins: Almost Famous Turns Twenty” podcast from Cadence13. “Ultimately, the life it’ll have won’t be part of a box-office report.”
Scroll down to see what the cast of Almost Famous has been up to since 2000:
