The disaster film genre is one that generally attracts audiences a lot. This is even stronger if these films are inspired by real-life events, although there is still debate as to whether or not it is appropriate to portray real disasters on the silver screen. When talking about the disaster film genre, it is hard not to think of director, producer, and screenwriter Roland Emmerich, whose contributions to the genre have earned him the title of "master of disaster." Emmerich spearheaded some of the most popular disaster films in cinema, such as Independence Day, 2012, and Moonfall, his most recent production. Without a doubt, one of his most popular films to date is The Day After Tomorrow, the 2004 production based on the book The Coming Global Superstorm by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber.
The Day After Tomorrow features Jack Hall, a paleoclimatologist whose research on global warming yields alarming results and confirmation of an ice age approaching the Earth. When he tries to warn the world authorities about the issue, they all ignore him, and catastrophe soon follows, with strange climatic phenomena occurring all over the world. In this uncharted landscape, Jack sets off against the odds to a flooded New York City to try to save his son.
Dennis Quaid heads the cast of this production that, while receiving mixed reviews for its inaccuracy, became an absolute box-office hit. It also received, among other accolades, the BAFTA Award for Best Visual Effects. Over the years, all the cast members of this production have gone on to work on several projects across all genres. Here's a look at what they are doing now.
Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid stars in The Day After Tomorrow as paleoclimatologist Jack Hall, but before heading the cast of this production, he was already well-known for his role as Nick Parker, father of twins Annie and Hallie, in The Parent Trap, among other things. In recent years, Quaid has been active mainly in film, although he has also appeared in a few TV productions. His most recent film projects include the 2019 film Midway, which revisits the Battle of Midway, and Disney's Strange World, in which he once again shared the cast with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Quaid's 2023 promises to be a year full of projects: in the last few months, he has already starred in the films The Long Game, On a Wing and a Prayer, and he is also expected to appear in The Hill, Strays, and Reagan, a production in which he will play President Ronald Reagan. In addition, Quaid has two upcoming series in the pipeline that will also feature him in their casts, Full Circle and Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Sam Hall, the son of the film's main character who is stranded in New York City. A year after appearing in this production, the actor would become world-renowned and acclaimed for his role as Jack Twist in the romantic film Brokeback Mountain, co-starring alongside Heath Ledger. From then on, his career continued to rise until today, consisting mostly of film projects, but also taking on a few roles in TV and theater.
One of the highest profile projects Gyllenhaal took on in recent years had to do with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as he played supervillain Mysterio in Tom Holland's Spider-Man films from 2019. In addition, last April, he co-starred alongside Dar Salim in Guy Ritchie's action thriller film The Covenant. Just like Quaid, Jake has a busy year ahead of him: he is expected to star in the action film Road House and, additionally, in the upcoming miniseries Presumed Innocent, which will mark his first lead role on television.
Sela Ward
Sela Ward plays Lucy Hall, Jack's wife and Sam's mother. This actress, who made her industry debut in the 1983 film The Man Who Loved Women, continued to work in film and television after appearing in The Day After Tomorrow, although in recent years she has not been engaged in any projects. The latest films in her portfolio so far are Gone Girl, David Fincher's 2014 psychological thriller, and Independence Day: Resurgence, the sequel to the 1996 film in which she was also directed by Roland Emmerich. The last role she accepted on TV was Special Agent in Charge Dana Mosier in the first season of the CBS series FBI, which aired in 2018 and 2019.
Emmy Rossum
Emmy Rossum was just a teenager when she played Laura Chapman in The Day After Tomorrow, and a few years after that role she would rise to fame thanks to her part in the TV series Shameless, in which she participated until 2019. Over the years, Rossum continued to land roles in different film and TV productions, and also launched herself as director and producer of several projects.
In 2019, she took part in Hans Petter Moland's action film Cold Pursuit, joining Liam Neeson in the cast, and last year she stepped into the lead role in Angelyne, a Peacock miniseries in which she also served as executive producer. This June, she is expected to star opposite Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried in the upcoming miniseries The Crowded Room.
Arjay Smith
Arjay Smith plays Brian Parks, one of Sam and Laura's friends, who is also stranded in New York City, although this actor became known several years earlier for his leading role in the Nickelodeon series The Journey of Allen Strange. While Smith appeared in a few films after starring in The Day After Tomorrow, his work was mostly limited to cameos in different episodes of shows such as Criminal Minds, The Good Doctor, and Sacrifice. In 2021, Arjay joined the cast of the police procedural crime television series The Rookie, playing the recurring role of James Murray. Last April, the series was renewed for a sixth season.
Austin Nichols
Austin Nichols also plays another of Sam Hall's friends, and this was one of the first film roles in the actor's career. Over time, Nichols remained active in film and television, diminishing his presence in the industry in recent years. The latest film to date from the actor who became known for his roles in One Tree Hill and The Walking Dead is the 2021 thriller Masquerade, where he co-stars with Bella Thorne, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Mircea Monroe and Skyler Samuels. In 2022, Nichols landed a guest role on the Max TV series Minx, which was canceled after its first season and picked up by Starz. The show's second season is expected this July.
Dash Mihok
In The Day After Tomorrow, Dash Mihok plays one of Jack Hall's colleagues, although the role that made him most famous is Bunchy Donovan in the Showtime series Ray Donovan, which he reprised last year in the TV film Ray Donovan: The Movie. Throughout his career, Mihok has been part of a number of films and series, and continues to be active in the industry today. He has been spotted in the 2022 films Deep Water and Wildflower, and even made a few cameos in the TV series Law & Order: Organized Crime and the reboot of Gossip Girl.
Jay O. Sanders
Jay O. Sanders is also one of Jack Hall's colleagues, and although he has worked extensively in film and television, he is best known for his work in off-Broadway plays. Since his debut in the 1979 sitcom Starting Over, Sanders has been involved in a number of projects, slowing down in recent years but remaining active in the industry.
Among his latest TV shows, it is worth mentioning The Sinner, in which he had the recurring role of Chief Tom Lidell during its second season, and Manhunt: Deadly Games, Manhunt's second season that aired in 2020. After a few years away from films, Sanders returned to the silver screen in 2022 with the films When You Finish Saving the World, the comedy-drama that marked Jesse Eisenberg's directorial debut, and Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
Nestor Serrano
Actor Nestor Serrano launched his career in the 1970s, appearing in off-Broadway plays, and eventually made the transition to film and television. Although his portfolio is composed of a fair amount of films and even more TV shows, in recent years he has not been as active in the industry. His latest film appearance so far was in the 2017 Netflix horror thriller Clinical and, thereafter, he made guest cameos in a few episodes of the shows Love, Death & Robots and Walker: Independence. In The Day After Tomorrow, Nestor Serrano plays NOAA administrator Tom Gomez.
Tamlyn Tomita
Rounding out this list is Tamlyn Tomita, who in Roland Emmerich's film plays meteorologist Janet Tokada. This actress, who rose to fame for her role as Kumiko in the 1986 film The Karate Kid Part II is a well-known face in the industry, and has been part of hits of all kinds, mostly on TV. In 2017, Tomita joined the cast of The Good Doctor to play Allegra Aoki for the first three seasons of the show, and later landed a recurring role in The Man in the High Castle.
In 2021, she reprised her role as Kumiko in the TV series Cobra Kai, which serves as a sequel to The Karate Kid films. Tomita will also be part of the upcoming television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, a live-action of the animated show of the same name that will premiere on Netflix.
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