‘The Grinch’ Cast Then & Now: See Taylor Momsen All Grown Up & More After 23 Years
‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ is one of those holiday movies you have on repeat every year. It’s been 23 years since the hit film was released, so we’re taking a look back at the 2000 movie cast then and now.
The love for the Grinch spikes every year during the holiday season. How the Grinch Stole Christmas hit theaters on November 17, 2000, and became an instant classic. The fan-favorite green creature has never been more popular than he is 23 years later. Dr. Seuss’ beloved children’s book has been adapted a number of times over the years, but there’s nothing quite like Jim Carrey’s iconic Grinch.
All this love for the Grinch, including the constant airings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Grinch makeup tutorials on YouTube, has us wanting to catch up with our beloved Grinch and the Whos of Whoville in honor of the 2000 holiday classic’s 23rd anniversary.
Taylor Momsen was just a tiny little Who when she starred as Cindy Lou Who, and now she’s a full-blown adult! See the cast then and now below.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey starred as the one and only Grinch in the 2000 film. Jim completely transformed into the iconic holiday character, spending 2 hours in the makeup chair at the start of the day, and one hour after filming was over. The Grinch remains one of Jim’s most beloved roles.
In the years after How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jim starred in notable films like Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and more. He starred in the hit film Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020 and reprised the role of Dr. Robotnik in the sequel.
Jim returned to television for the Showtime series Kidding, which ran for 2 seasons. Jim was nominated for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2019. He portrayed Joe Biden during SNL season 26.
Jim dated Jenny McCarthy from 2005 to 2010. He met Cathriona White in 2012. Cathriona died by suicide in 2015. Jim was a pallbearer at her funeral. He dated Ginger Gonzaga for less than a year.
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen was just 7 years old when she starred as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She went on to appear in other films in the years after playing Cindy Lou, but her big break wouldn’t come until 2007 when she was cast as Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl.
Taylor ended up leaving the series after season 4 in 2011. That same year, Taylor announced she was quitting acting to focus on her music career. She did return for the Gossip Girl series finale in 2012. In 2023, Taylor reunited with her Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley for an episode of his Podcrushed podcast.
The former actress is currently the frontwoman for the rock band The Pretty Reckless. The band has released 4 studio albums, with the most recent, Death by Rock and Roll, released in February 2021.
Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski starred as Martha May Whovier in the classic holiday film. Following How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christine appeared in films like Chicago, A Bad Moms Christmas, as well as Mamma Mia! and its sequel.
Her most high-profile role has been playing Diane Lockhart. She played the character on The Good Wife from 2009 to 2016. She earned 6 Emmy nominations for her performance. She reprised the role of Diane in The Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight.
Christine starred in the Netflix holiday film Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square. She currently stars in the HBO series The Gilded Age, which recently wrapped its second season.
Christine’s husband, Matthew Cowles, died in 2014. They have two daughters together.
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor played Mayor Augustus MayWho, the Grinch’s nemesis. His other notable roles include Tom Manning in the Hellboy movies and Sid Garner in The Hangover trilogy.
Jeffrey starred in the Amazon Prime Video series Transparent as Maura Pfefferman, a divorced transgender woman. The actor won a Golden Globe and 2 Emmys for his performance. Following allegations of sexual misconduct, Jeffrey was fired from the show and did not return for its fifth season.
The actor starred as George Bluth Sr. in the series Arrested Development. The show originally ran from 2003 to 2006. Netflix picked up the show for a fourth season in 2013. Jeffrey returned for the fifth season of Arrested Development in 2019 despite the allegations against him.
Jeffrey married his wife Kasia Ostlun in 2001. They have 4 children together.
Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon played Betty Lou Who, Cindy Lou Who’s mom. Molly was already a famous comedian when she was cast in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In the year after the holiday film was released, Molly left Saturday Night Live.
Molly has starred in movies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Private Life, and more. Molly has balanced both comedic and dramatic roles. She’s also voiced the role of Wanda in the Hotel Transylvania film series and starred in the HBO comedy series Divorce, which ran for 3 seasons. Recently, she starred in The White Lotus, The Other Two, and I Love That For You.
The actress married Fritz Chestnut in 2004. They have two children together.
Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin starred as Lou Lou Who, Cindy’s father. Bill went on to recur on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He’s best known as Mr. Noodle, who appears in the “Elmo’s World” segments on Sesame Street.
His notable film roles include Interstellar, Across the Universe, and Rachel Getting Married. Bill also starred in the FX series Legion, which ran from 2017 to 2019. The actor recently appeared in the TV series The Dropout and films like Spoiler Alert and Rustin.