Cliffhanger is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The action-thriller directed by Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2) was released on May 28, 1993. Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, and Michael Rooker, Cliffhanger was a worldwide box-office hit and also received critical acclaim thanks to its thrilling action scenes (including a tense opening sequence), strong performances, and breathtaking scenery. Here’s a look at the cast of Cliffhanger three decades after the film’s debut.
Sylvester Stallone as Gabriel “Gabe” Walker
Sylvester Stallone stars as Gabriel “Gabe” Walker, a former mountain climber and rescue ranger who is haunted by the traumatic experience of a high-wire rescue mission gone terribly wrong, resulting in the death of the girlfriend of his best friend and fellow ranger, Hal Tucker. Returning to his Colorado home months later, Gabe is asked to help a still resentful Hal respond to a distress call from the mountains. When doing so, Gabe finds himself ensnared in a terrorist plot by a brutal gang of international thieves led by the psychopathic Eric Qualen.
Stallone has cemented himself as one of the premiere movie stars in Hollywood, beginning in the mid-1970s when the struggling actor penned and starred in one of the biggest films of all time: Rocky. Becoming a household name with an Oscar-winning picture under his belt, Stallone would increase his popularity with three successful sequels to Rocky throughout the 1980s. The Oscar-nominated actor would go on to star in another successful action franchise in the Rambo series, beginning in 1982 with the action drama First Blood. The 1990s saw Stallone continue to flex his action muscles with Cliffhanger, the sci-fi thriller Demolition Man alongside Wesley Snipes, and the disaster film Daylight. After ending the decade with a strong dramatic turn in Copland, a less in-demand Stallone struggled to find his way during the early 2000s yet would come back swinging with acclaimed sequels Rocky Balboa and Rambo. This would lead to another action franchise in The Expendables, which saw Stallone team up with the likes of Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Another Oscar nomination as Rocky Balboa in the legacy sequel Creed resulted in Stallone becoming an in-demand actor once again.
John Lithgow as Eric Qualen
John Lithgow stars as Eric Qualen, a psychopathic former British intelligence officer who is now the leader of a gang of international thieves. When Qualen’s attempt to steal $100 million from the U.S. treasury during a daring midair plane heist results in three suitcases full of bills falling into the Colorado Rockies below, Qualen takes mountain rescue rangers Gabe Walker and Hal Tucker hostage and forces them at gunpoint to track down the cases.
Lithgow boasts one of the most diverse and lauded careers in the entertainment industry. Beginning in the 1970s with acclaimed performances on the Broadway stage, Lithgow would make his mark in film throughout the 1980s with Oscar-nominated performances in The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment. Lithgow would also find acclaim in TV with Emmy-nominated turns in the Steven Spielberg anthology series Amazing Stories and the top-rated miniseries event The Day After. While the 1990s saw Lithgow embracing his villainous side in the likes of Ricochet opposite Denzel Washington and the Sylvester Stallone action hit Cliffhanger, he would also establish himself as a comedy star with his award-winning performance as Dick Solomon in the NBC sci-fi comedy sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun. The 2000s saw Lithgow win over a younger audience with his voice work as Lord Farquaad in the Oscar-winning animation film Shrek.
Michael Rooker as Harold “Hal” Tucker
Michael Rooker stars as Harold “Hal” Tucker, a mountain rescue ranger and former best friend of Gabe Walker, a former rescue ranger he blames for his girlfriend's death during a rescue mission gone tragically wrong. When Hal and Gabe respond to a distress signal from the mountains, they are taken prisoner by a gang of international thieves who force them by gunpoint to locate three cases filled with millions of dollars. Rooker first came to the attention of Hollywood with his chilling film debut in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Strong supporting performances throughout the 1980s would follow in Sea of Love opposite Al Pacino and Mississippi Burning starring Gene Hackman, and continued to do so during the early 1990s in Days of Thunder opposite Tom Cruise, JFK alongside Kevin Costner, and in Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone. After years of prolific film and TV work throughout the 2000s, Rooker would score his biggest roles yet in the first three seasons of AMC series The Walking Dead and the MCU film Guardians of the Galaxy where he played the role of Yondu Udonta.
Janine Turner as Ranger Jessica “Jessie” Deighan
Janine Turner stars as Jessica “Jessie” Deighan, a helicopter pilot for the mountain rescue service and the girlfriend of former mountain ranger Gabe Walker, who has become distant since a rescue mission turned fatal several months earlier. When fellow ranger Hal Tucker and Gabe do not return after responding to a distress signal, Jessie’s investigation results in her joining Gabe in a game of cat and mouse against a gang of ruthless thieves who are searching for three suitcases filled with millions scattered somewhere over the Colorado Rockies. Turner was a teen model before she began acting with appearances in the hit CBS show Dallas. This led to landing the role of Laura Templeton in the soap opera General Hospital. After taking a break from her career with which she felt dissatisfied, Turner would go on to be cast as Maggie O’Connell in the CBS comedy-drama series Northern Exposure, for which she would be nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. Turner would next star with Sylvester Stallone in the action thriller Cliffhanger, followed by a succession of TV movies and a recurring role in the NBC sports drama Friday Night Lights.
Rex Linn as Richard Travers
Rex Linn stars as Richard Travers, a U.S. Treasury Agent who is a double agent working for Eric Qualen, the leader of a violent gang of international thieves who, with Travers, steals $100 million from the U.S. Treasury during a midair heist. When the money – packed in three large suitcases – falls into the Colorado Rockies below, the equally untrustworthy Travers and Qualen attempt to find the money if they don’t kill one another first. Linn is an American actor who is most well known for his role of Sargent Frank Tripp in CSI: Miami. Linn’s film debut saw him play a serial killer alongside Roy Scheider in the crime thriller Night Game. Varied TV and film products would for the prolific actor before snagging his first recurring role in the military drama series JAG. Linn would also have recurring roles in Better Call Saul and Young Sheldon.
Caroline Goodall as Kristel
Caroline Goodall stars as Kristel, the companion of British terrorist Eric Qualen and the helicopter pilot for his international gang of thieves. Kristel is just as diabolical and violent as any of her fellow men in the gang. Goodall is a British actor who appeared in several stage and TV productions before being cast by Steven Spielberg in Hook opposite Robin Williams. Roles would follow in Schindler’s List and Disclosure before starring in Australian shows The Silver Brumby (alongside Russell Crowe) and Hotel Sorrento, for which she was nominated for an AFI award. Goodall recently wrote and produced the thriller The Bay of Silence, starring Brian Cox and Olga Kurylenko.
Leon Robinson as Kynette
Leon Robinson (then known simply as Leon) stars as Kynette, the second in command to Qualen, whose brutal and violent methods perhaps make him the most feared of the gang. American actor Leon Robinson starred in several movies and TV series throughout the 1980s and the controversial Madonna music video “Like a Prayer.” Many high-profile roles would follow, including the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Cliffhanger and the sports comedy box-office hit Cool Runnings. Roles would follow in the basketball drama Above the Rim alongside Tupac Shakur and NBC music biopic miniseries The Temptations.
Craig Fairbrass as Delmar
Craig Fairbrass stars as Delmar, an ex-English football player-turned-henchman for Qualen who proves to be the most sadistic of the gang. Fairbrass is an English actor who is primarily known for his role as violent gangster Pat Tate in the Rise of the Footsoldier series. After making his film debut opposite Denzel Washington in For Queen and Country, Fairbrass would star in the first two seasons of the police procedural series Prime Suspect that Helen Mirren headlined. After landing his first Hollywood role in the Sylvester Stallone action thriller Cliffhanger, Fairgrass returned to the UK to star in the popular UK soap opera EastEnders, where he played Dan Sullivan for two years. Along with headlining acclaimed British crime indies Muscle and Villain, Fairgrass would voice various roles in the Call of Duty game series.