What The Surviving Cast Of My Cousin Vinny Looks Like Today

We'd be happy to testify that courtroom dramas were a hit in the 1990s. Theatrically, the industry celebrated hits like "A Few Good Men" (1992), "A Time to Kill" (1996), and "The Rainmaker" (1997). On the small screen, "Law & Order" blew up in the early 1990s; if you remember watching an episode of "Judge Judy" while skipping school, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Jonathan Lynn's "My Cousin Vinny" (1992) isn't as serious as all the aforementioned projects, but make no mistake: it's a classic. The performances in "My Cousin Vinny" is a big reason why, and it should come as no surprise that most of the cast continues to stay busy all these decades later.

We've lost approximately half of the stars of "My Cousin Vinny" over the past 30-something years, including Lane Smith, who died in 2005, Fred Gwynne, who passed away in 1993, and Paulene Myers, who died in 1996. Luckily, a good chunk of the cast is still with us today. Here's what they look like today, plus what they've been up to since "My Cousin Vinny" blasted into theaters like a freight train at 5 o'clock in the morning. 

The 1990s treated Joe Pesci very well, at least professionally. Some of his biggest movies of the era, aside from "My Cousin Vinny," include showstoppers like "Home Alone" (1990) and "Casino" (1995). And of course, he earned the Oscar for best supporting actor for his work in "Goodfellas" (1990).  In "My Cousin Vinny," Pesci dominated (some may argue he stole the show) as Vinny Gambini, a very green lawyer who enthusiastically agrees to represent his cousin and his cousin's friend after they're wrongfully charged with murder.

Although Pesci announced his retirement from acting in 1999, it's really more like semi-retirement, as he last appeared in Jack Huston's "Day of the Fight" (2023). Before that, he starred in eight episodes of "Bupkis," portrayed Russell Bufalino in Martin Scorsese's epic biopic "The Irishman" (2019), and acted in "The Good Shepherd" (2006), a spy thriller directed by Robert De Niro. 

While Pesci rarely grants interviews and mostly keeps to himself, he shared positive memories of filming "My Cousin Vinny" on an episode of "Later With Bob Costas." "We shot that down South, and it was a lot of fun," Pesci told Costas. "We were in some small towns, and I had a lot of laughs with the people. I played golf all the time. ... I like light comedy like [the movie]."

It's objectively true that Ralph Macchio was also a household name by the 1990s, thanks to his breakout role as Daniel LaRusso in "The Karate Kid" (1984). In "My Cousin Vinny," Macchio played Bill Gambini, Vinny Gambini's cousin who goes from unassuming college student to suspected murderer in the blink of an eye. 

While there are a ton of '80s heartthrobs you may not recognize today, Macchio doesn't look all that different. His career is chugging along just fine, too: In 2026, Macchio played Colin Ripley in "The Girl in the River." From 2018 to 2025, Macchio reprised his "Karate Kid" role in the Netflix TV sequel "Cobra Kai." Before that, he appeared in 17 episodes of the HBO drama "The Deuce."

In 2025, People asked Macchio about a potential "My Cousin Vinny" sequel. While nothing has been greenlit just yet, Macchio confirmed he was on board with the idea. "I've had conversations with other writers about that. Yeah, that one's a beloved piece," "The Outsiders" actor said. "It's about finding the smart angle in. ... [Joe Pesci] could FaceTime it in here."

Mitchell Whitfield appeared in just three movies, one of which was "Dogfight" (1991), before he landed the role of Stan Rothenstein, Bill Gambini's co-defendant, in "My Cousin Vinny." Unlike Bill, Stan isn't too interested in being represented by Vinny Gambini at first and has serious doubts about the whole thing. Nevertheless, he starts to come around as the trial gets further underway. 

Outside of "My Cousin Vinny," Whitfield is perhaps best known for voicing Donatello in "TMNT" (2007); his co-stars included Patrick Stewart, Chris Evans, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Laurence Fishburne. Whitfield has been a part of plenty of TV shows as well. His long list of credits includes "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Suite Life of Zach & Cody," "The Legend of Korra," and "Sofia the First."

"This audition came up, and I remember reading the script and thinking, 'Oh, this is great, I love this,'" Whitfield reminisced on a 2025 episode of the "Reza Rifts Podcast." Whitfield explained that he had recently moved from New York to California at the time and was expected to lose about 35 pounds for his "My Cousin Vinny" role. "Every time I watch that movie, I'm like, 'Oh, so skinny!'"

There's a lot you may not know about Marisa Tomei, although her appearance in "My Cousin Vinny" remains an inarguable career highlight — she did end up winning the Academy Award for best supporting actress, after all. Tomei stars as Mona Lisa Vito, Vinny Gambini's tough-as-nails fiancé who, naturally, agrees to testify on Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein's behalf. 

Some years later, Marisa Tomei transformed into a fixture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as she first appeared as Aunt May in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War." Some of Tomei's other notable roles over the past decade include Margie Carlin in "The King of Staten Island" (2020), Miriam in "Hide Tide" (2024), and Tara in "The Mongoose" (2026). 

"It was only my second movie, so I didn't really have that much experience at the time. I never went on location anywhere before that. My mother sent me with a lasagna that I carried on the plane," Tomei said of making "My Cousin Vinny" at Fan Expo Philly in 2024 (via Popverse). "We had a great time. It was a great script, but also Joe Pesci was really generous. He comes off like such a tough guy. ... [B]ut he's really a very caring person, so he really looked after me."

Actor, director, Broadway performer, playwright, Tony Award nominee —  Austin Pendleton is an entertainer in virtually every sense of the word. Pendleton appears in "My Cousin Vinny" as John Gibbons, the public defender Stan Rothstein brings on after Vinny's lack of courtroom experience becomes apparent. When Gibbons delivers his opening statement, however, he struggles to get through the speech due to a stutter.

Pendleton starred in seven on-screen projects between 2024 and 2026, with three being shorts: "When I Hear Birds" (2025), "A King's Curtain" (2025), and "When Robert Met Judith" (2026). Off-screen, Pendleton directed his most recent show, a rendition of "Between Riverside and Crazy," in 2022. He previously originated the roles of Mr. Oldfield in "The Minutes" (2022) and Choir Boy in "Choir Boy" (2019). 

Given his own history with stuttering, Pendleton was reluctant to take the part. As he shared with Rolling Stone for a 2022 oral history of the movie, "I stuttered since childhood and it never completely went away, despite a lot of hard work. I called up Jonathan [Lynn, the director] and said, "What kind of joke is this? I'm not doing it." He walked away with a negative experience that temporarily affected his career. "It was traumatic to make it," he told Broadway World in 2021. "And I thought, 'It's going to be a cult film.' It's a great script. But for years I could not get another movie."

Bruce McGill's career kicked off in the 1970s with roles in the comedy movie "National Lampoon's Animal House" and the sitcom "Delta House" (no relation); by the 1980s, he had portrayed Ernest Hemingway in "Waiting for the Moon" and starred in the original "MacGyver." McGill appears in "My Cousin Vinny" as Sheriff Farley, who provides crucial information as the trial comes to a close. 

McGill is far from retired, as he is part of the Taylor Sheridan universe — and no, it's not a "Yellowstone" show. He has portrayed Monty Holler on the TV series "Lioness" since 2023; Season 3 premiered in August 2026. He previously appeared in three episodes of "Love & Death," seven episodes of "Reacher," and four episodes of "The Crew."

"There's a cumulative effect to getting good parts as a freelance actor, because you're only as good as your last job, and you have to keep going out and getting them," McGill told A.V. Club in 2012. Looking back at landing his role in "My Cousin Vinny," McGill gave credit to the movie's casting director, David Rubin, as well as its titular star. "I think I got the part from the read with David Rubin, but the first thing Joe Pesci said — and I knew Joe from New York, and I see Joe a lot out here on the golf course — and in a very 'Godfather'-ly manner, 'Yeah, y'know, I approved you for that role.' I said, 'Oh, thank you, Godfather, thank you!' I'm sure he did, and I'm glad he did."

Raynor Scheine already had a pretty lengthy resume before he joined the cast of "My Cousin Vinny" — highlights include roles in the movies "Nothing Lasts Forever" (1984) and "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991), as well as an episode of "The Cosby Show" in 1989. Scheine appears in the 1992 cult classic as Ernie Crane, a witness for the prosecution that Vinny Gambini cross-examines.

As of this writing, Scheine's last onscreen appearance was in 2024 when he portrayed Hermit in "Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1." Before that, his previous roles were in "Lincoln" (2012) and the unrelated TV movie "Killing Lincoln" (2013). By all accounts, he seems to have retired from acting. 

As of this writing, Scheine reportedly lives in Virginia. He appears to have given an interview to WRIR 97.3 FM in 2023, although no clips or transcript of it seem to be available online. If Scheine has any social media profiles or any other tidbits about him floating around the internet, we haven't been able to uncover them. 

Chris Ellis only had one theatrical movie on his resume, "Days of Thunder" (1990) — the project that kickstarted Tom Cruise's relationship with Nicole Kidman, of course — before he was cast in "My Cousin Vinny." In the latter, Ellis appears as J.T., a local pool player who refuses to pay Mona Lisa Vito $200. It should come as no surprise that Vinny Gambini gets involved in the dispute. 

Ellis' most recent movie credits are "Silo" (2019) and "The Ghost Trap" (2024), and he also appeared in dozens of popular TV shows after "My Cousin Vinny." Honorable mentions throughout the years include one episode of "Criminal Minds," one episode of "The Office," one episode of "Political Animals," and 12 episodes of "Sequestered."

It turns out that Ellis retired from acting after filming "The Ghost Trap," though. According to a 2024 interview with Harpswell Anchor, Ellis now lives a quiet life in Maine, pursuing hobbies in lieu of working. "I'm somebody who was fit to swell a scene or two, but I was never in the spotlight," Ellis said as he reflected on his career. "I was the guy behind the guy in the spotlight. I was the guy whose elbow you see."