4/20 is just around the corner, and while there is no shortage of stoner comedies to imbibe for the unofficial weed-based holiday, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better movie to watch on April 20th than Dazed and Confused. Especially with 2023 marking the film's 30th anniversary.
Following a stellar ensemble cast, director Richard Linklater's love letter to the 1970s was released in 1993, where the high school comedy became an instant classic for its wholly unique sense of humor and well-developed characters. Dazed and Confused's straightforward plot and premise make the great humor and characters even more impressive, following several teenagers celebrating the last day of school by drinking, smoking, and all-around partying.
Those who decide to watch Dazed and Confused for the very first time this April and aren't as familiar with it may notice that many of the film's cast members would go on to have some stellar careers. To learn more about who's in the film, who they play, and what they're doing now, consider this your comprehensive cast and character guide for Dazed and Confused, in order of appearance just like the credits.
Jason London as Randall 'Pink' Floyd
Dazed and Confused doesn't really have a main character, but if one were to choose one, it would probably be Randall 'Pink' Floyd (Jason London). Pink (whose nickname we can only assume is a reference to rock band Pink Floyd) is very much presented as the "straight" character, being the voice of reason whenever any of his high school peers act out of line, such as defending first-year students from tyrannical seniors like Fred O'Bannion (Ben Affleck). That's not to say that Pink doesn't have his own problems, as a choice he faces throughout the film is whether he will come back to play football next year or hang out and enjoy his teenage years with his friends.
Jason London plays Pink, and he's been consistently working in movies ever since Dazed and Confused, appearing in projects like the drag queen cult classic, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
Joey Lauren Adams as Simone Kerr
Even if you've seen Dazed and Confused a hundred times, you might not realize that Simone Kerr (Joey Lauren Adams) is Pink's girlfriend. She only appears in a handful of scenes and has even less dialogue, but really one of the few major details that even suggests Simone is dating Pink is when Pink and Jodi Kramer (Michelle Burke) are making out in the third act of the movie. Still, Simone is with Pink and the gang at the movie's end when they get their tickets to the Aerosmith concert.
Joey Lauren Adams would eventually star as the primary female lead in Big Daddy and have a reoccurring role in The L Word: Generation Q.
Milla Jovovich as Michelle Burroughs
Michelle Burroughs (Milla Jovovich) is another small character who utters barely a word of dialogue. However, Michelle is still a more than memorable presence even when, most of the time, she's doing nothing more than smoking pot and playing guitar.
Jovovich would later be launched into action stardom as the face of Paul W.S. Anderson's Resident Evil franchise, not to mention other big blockbusters like The Fifth Element and Hellboy (2019).
Shawn Andrews as Kevin Pickford
Kevin Pickford (Shawn Andrews) was primed to be the most popular high schooler in town on the last day of school, as he was supposed to be hosting the big end-of-year party. Everything seemed perfect and ready to go as his parents were about to leave the house unintended for a vacation, but things take a hard turn when a beer keg delivery shows up at the house earlier than expected. Seeing that his son was about to have a big ole party with drugs and alcohol, Kevin's dad unloads the car and decides that he and his wife won't be going anywhere that night.
Like many actors in Dazed and Confused, the film was Shawn Andrews' acting debut, but he would only go on to have a total of nine IMDB-credited roles, his most recent film being My Little Hollywood in 2012.
Rory Cochrane as Ron Slater
Perhaps the most recognizable character in Dazed and Confused is Ron Slater (Rory Cochrane). Almost every poster and trailer includes Ron and his signature hat and long hair, being the archetypal stoner guy in a movie filled to the brim with stoner characters. Most of Ron's screen time is taken up by him smoking pot with his friends and rambling about conspiracy theories about how aliens control every aspect of their lives.
Perhaps seeing his beloved performance as Ron Slater as a potential career path, Rory Cochrane has since become an accomplished character actor through the appearance of memorable roles in Black Mass, Antlers, and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Adam Goldberg as Mike Newhouse
While everyone else is partying without a care in the world, Mike Newhouse (Adam Goldberg) tries his damnedest to be a bit more mature and responsible. In many ways, he and his friends Tony Olson (Anthony Rapp) and Cynthia Dunn (Marissa Ribisi) go against the grain in thinking that their peers' hazing habits and tormenting other students are childish and immature. That being said, even Mike isn't immune to letting his emotions get the better of him and ends up picking a fight with Clint Bruno (Nicky Katt) by the end of the film.
Only a few years later, Goldberg would get another huge acting gig with the war epic Saving Private Ryan before also appearing in movies like A Beautiful Mind and shows like The Equalizer.
Anthony Rapp as Tony Olson
Mike's best friend Tony is probably the nicest person in the film. It's abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with the ridiculous and ultimately arbitrary societal rules that the other kids constantly impose on each other, instead just wanting to hang out with his friends and relax. Tony is much more interested in Sabrina Davis (Christin Hinojosa), and he proves that having a simple conversation with someone is usually better than acting like a pre-college frat kid.
Anthony Rapp would later go on to have a blossoming musical theater career, appearing in both the stage and film versions of Rent. Fans of science fiction television will also no doubt recognize Rapp as Lieutenant Commander Paul Tamets from Star Trek: Discovery. Rapp also became well known for being among the first to accuse disgraced actor Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct publicly.
Sasha Jenson as Don Dawson
Don Dawson (Sasha Jenson) is an interesting beast. We first see him hanging out with the more protagonist group with Pink and Ron, but we also see him hanging around with Fred O'Bannion and his gang of bullies. All in all, Don is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy, even if that flow takes him on a path that involves hitting first-year students with paddles.
Sasha Jenson would later appear in a few major films in the horror genre, such as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.
Marissa Ribisi as Cynthia Dunn
Cynthia Dunn is the third member of the trio consisting of Mike and Tony as a part of the "teenagers are immature losers" crew. She certainly isn't given nearly as much to do as Mike and Tony do, but there are hints that she may have a bit of a crush on David Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey).
Marissa Ribisi would stick with nineties comedies with Pleasantville and The Brady Bunch Movie. She's also the sibling of Giovanni Ribisi, best known as one of the main antagonists from the Avatar films.
Deena Martin as Shavonne Wright
One of the many generic popular girls at the school, Shavonne Wright (Deena Martin) is one of several older students who try to dominate the newer batch of first-years.
Deena Martin has only appeared in a handful of feature films, but fans of Swingers will likely recognize her as the person that Mikey (Jon Favreau) calls in that infamously awkward scene.
Michelle Burke as Jodi Kramer
Jodi Kramer (Michelle Burke) is essentially the female equivalent of Pink. Where Pink looks out for the younger kids at the school, Jodi is also doing the same thing, especially regarding her little brother, Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), who just started attending the school. She thanks Pink for looking out for her little brother and letting him tag along by kissing him, but she also acknowledges that they shouldn't have done that since Pink is already dating Simone.
The same year Dazed and Confused was released, Michelle Burke starred in another cult comedy with The Coneheads.
Cole Hauser as Benny O'Donnell
While Pink is just trying to relax and enjoy the start of his summer vacation, a grating voice in the back of his head comes in the voice of Benny O'Donnell (Cole Hauser). Benny is one of Pink's football teammates, and he's trying his damnedest to make it so that the quarterback comes back for another season and won't just give up to become a stoner. His brutish approach to the subject ultimately does very little to sway Pink.
Cole Hauser can be seen reuniting with his on-screen friend and co-star Ben Affleck when he plays Billy in Good Will Hunting. Hauser is also known for his role as Rip Wheeler in Taylor Sheridan's smash-hit series Yellowstone.
Christine Harnos as Kaye Faulkner
Kaye Faulkner's (Christine Harnos) biggest contribution to Dazed and Confused is when she talks about how Gilligan's Island is the ultimate pornographic fantasy. The sequence has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, but it's still such a weird exchange that we must mention it.
As far as we know, Christine Harnos never showed up on a deserted island, but she would later come to tv as a supporting cast member in ER.
Wiley Wiggins as Mitch Kramer
Mitch Kramer has the great misfortune of being one of the many new kids at school, and he quickly gets the unwanted attention of Fred O'Bannion. Even though his sister Jodi tries to get the others to go easy on her kid brother, that does little to sway Fred, who wails at Mitch with his paddle. Thankfully Pink is there to take Mitch under his wing and treat him to a damn fun night on the town.
Wiley Wiggins did appear in other films after starring in Dazed and Confused, and he still has an interest in the industry as he's reportedly pursuing an MFA at UCLA.
Ben Affleck as Fred O'Bannion
The closest thing that Dazed and Confused has to a villain is Fred O'Bannion, the typical school bully who gives all older students a bad name. He walks around virtually every scene with his signature paddle, even chasing some students to their houses, so he can wail on them. Thankfully karma ultimately bites Fred in the behind, as he gets publicly humiliated when some of his potential paddle victims pour paint on the school bully.
Affleck has since played two superheroes in Daredevil and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and has also become a more than accomplished writer and director, with the recently released Air becoming a massive critical hit.
Christin Hinojosa as Sabrina Davis
The love interest for Tony is a younger student named Sabrina Davis. Sabrina is just following what the older popular girls are doing and is going through the uncomfortable hazing process like everyone else. This includes having to "propose" to Tony, but the awkward moment does lead to the two getting together.
Dazed and Confused remains the first and only feature film that Christin Hinojosa ever starred in, though she did have brief television appearances in Pride & Joy and the Clueless series.
Parker Posey as Darla Marks
Darla Marks (Parker Posey) fulfills the standard mean girl archetype, who spends most of the movie bossing around and belittling the younger students. Some would argue that she's doing this all in the name of good fun, but Darla clearly gets some satisfaction from tormenting those lower than her. She can last be seen harassing Sabrina and Tony as she says she can't wait to make Sabrina's life at school next year a living hell.
Parker Posey made a big name for herself as an excellent improvisational actor in the films of Christopher Guest like Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman. She's also expecting to take a turn into the dramatic with Ari Aster's highly anticipated nightmare, Beau is Afraid.
Matthew McConaughey as David Wooderson
No cast and character guide for Dazed and Confused could possibly be complete without Matthew McConaughey as David Wooderson, arguably the most popular character in the movie, even though he doesn't have that big of a role in the film. David is a former student at the high school, and while he may prefer to live the life of a drifter, he's still beloved and well-liked by all currently attending the school. Some parents may argue he's not a positive influence, but they also probably haven't heard his infectious catchphrase.
Matthew McConaughey has repeatedly stated that he has fond memories of his feature debut in Dazed and Confused, even repeating his famous quote of "Alright, alright, alright" when he accepted an Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club.