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THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'The Sandlot' 28 years later

THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'The Sandlot' 28 years later

Pascale Mondesir

Patrick Renna in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right).20th Century Fox; Rick Kern/Getty Images

"The Sandlot" premiered 28 years ago with a cast of young stars and veteran actors.
Denis Leary and James Earl Jones still have stellar acting careers today.
Some of the younger actors are still working in Hollywood, but others have left the industry.

Smalls actor Tom Guiry continued acting after "The Sandlot."

Tom Guiry in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; Rick Kern/Getty Images

Tom Guiry's only credit before playing Scotty Smalls in "The Sandlot" was in the TV movie "A Place to Be Loved" (1993).

He continued to work steadily after, appearing in movies like "Lassie" (1994), "Black Hawk Down" (2001), and "Mystic River" (2003).

The actor also appeared on shows like NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and NBC's "The Black Donnellys."

Guiry reunited with his cast members for the 2018 documentary "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story," and his latest role was in the historical drama "Roe V. Wade" (2021).

Patrick Renna, who played Ham, continues to act today.

Patrick Renna in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; Rick Kern/Getty Images

Hamilton "Ham" Porter was Patrick Renna's first film credit.

He later guest-starred on several popular ABC shows, including "Boy Meets World" and "Home Improvement." He also appeared on Fox's "The X-Files" and TNT's "The Closer."

Renna acted in "The Secret Life of Girls" (1999), "Recess: School's Out" (2001), and "Fear, Inc." (2016).

The actor also appeared in "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story," and his most recent role was on Netflix's "GLOW."

Chauncey Leopardi had a few roles under his belt before playing Squints.

Chauncey Leopardi in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; Rick Kern/Getty Images

Before Chauncey Leopardi starred as Michael "Squints" Palledorous, he appeared on NBC's "LA Law" and in "Father of the Bride" (1992), among other roles.

After "The Sandlot," the actor appeared in movies like "Casper" (1995).

He also acted on several popular shows, including NBC's "Freaks and Geeks," CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," and The WB's "Gilmore Girls."

Leopardi appeared in "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story," and his latest acting role was in a music video for Logic's "Homicide."

Brandon Quintin Adams was a successful child actor when he played Kenny.

Brandon Quintin Adams in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2015 (right). 20th Century Fox; Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty Images

Brandon Quintin Adams had already appeared in Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" music video, on NBC's "A Different World," and in "The Mighty Ducks" (1992) before playing Kenny DeNunez in "The Sandlot."

The actor went on reprise his role in "D2: The Mighty Ducks" (1994). He also acted on NBC's "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," ABC's "Sister, Sister," and UPN's "Moesha."

Adams later did voice work on the "Kingdom Hearts II" video game, and he reunited with the cast for "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story."

Grant Gelt worked frequently as a child actor before leaving Hollywood soon after "The Sandlot."

Grant Gelt in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2013 (right). 20th Century Fox; Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Twentieth Century Fox/AP Images

Grant Gelt played Bertram Grover Weeks, but the bulk of his credits occurred before "The Sandlot."

His first role was on the miniseries "This Is America, Charlie Brown" in 1998, and he also appeared in "Avalon" (1990), on NBC's "Blossom," and in "Revenge of the Nerds" (1991).

After "The Sandlot," Gelt guest-starred on NBC's "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" and Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold!"

His last acting credit on IMDb was on the TV miniseries "The '60s" (1999), but he returned to the screen as himself for "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story."

Marty York has worked on and off in Hollywood since "The Sandlot."

Marty York in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2021 (right). 20th Century Fox; Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Marty York played Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan, which was his first professional acting role.

When the film wrapped, he picked up roles on ABC's "Saved by the Bell: The College Years," "Boy Meets World," and "Hey Arnold!"

York took a break from acting in the early 2000s, but he returned to the small screen for Adult Swim's "The Eric Andre Show" in 2015 and Showtime's "SMILF" in 2017.

More recently, the actor appeared in "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story" and on the reality-TV show "Paparazzi X-Posed."

Shane Obedzinski left Hollywood shortly after "The Sandlot."

Shane Obedzinski in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2013 (right). 20th Century Fox; Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Twentieth Century Fox/AP Images

Before landing the role of Tommy "Repeat" Timmons, Shane Obedzinski's starred in "My Girl" (1991) and "Matinee" (1993).

After, he appeared on Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains It All" and in "Hidden Fears" (1993).

Apart from appearing in "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story," Obedzinski seems to have retired from acting. He currently runs a pizza restaurant in Brandon, Florida.

Victor DiMattia worked regularly as a child actor prior to playing Timmy Timmons.

Victor DiMattia in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2020 (right). 20th Century Fox; Maury Phillips/Getty Images

Victor DiMattia played Tommy's older brother, Timmy Timmons.

Before starring in the film, DiMattia appeared on Fox's "Married ...With Children," NBC's "Family Ties," and CBS' "Superman."

He also appeared in hit movies like "Oliver & Company" (1988) and "Turner & Hooch" (1989).

After "The Sandlot," DiMattia lent his voice to various episodes of the family audio drama "Adventures in Odyssey."

The actor then seemed to take a break from Hollywood before returning for "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story," "Get Married or Die" (2018), "Paparazzi X-Posed," and "Death Rider in the House of Vampires" (2021).

Mike Vitar retired from acting and became a firefighter.

Mike Vitar in "The Sandlot." 20th Century Fox

Before starring as Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, Mike Vitar appeared in "Diplomatic Immunity" (1991) and "Sunset Grill" (1993).

After the film, he went on to act in "D2: The Mighty Ducks" and "D3: The Mighty Ducks" (1996). His last acting role was on CBS' "Chicago Hope" in 1997.

Vitar then left Hollywood and later became a firefighter in Los Angeles.

In 2015, he was charged with felony assault while off-duty after officials said he attacked a man.

According to court records accessed by the Los Angeles Times, Vitar pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and received three years of probation and 90 days of community service.

Vitar returned to the fire department after a six-month unpaid suspension.

Marley Shelton, who played Wendy, still acts in movies and on TV today.

Marley Shelton in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2018 (right). 20th Century Fox; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Marley Shelton made appearances on ABC series like "Family Matters" and "Camp Wilder" before playing Wendy the lifeguard in "The Sandlot."

After the film, she starred in several hit movies, including "Pleasantville" (1998), "Never Been Kissed" (1999), "Uptown Girls" (2003), and "Scream 4" (2011).

She joined the cast of NBC's musical series "Rise" in 2018 and appeared in "Legends Never Die: The Sandlot Story."

Most recently, Shelton lent her voice to the sci-fi podcast "Tomorrow's Monsters" alongside stars like John Boyega and Darren Criss.

James Earl Jones already had a legendary career before appearing in "The Sandlot"

James Earl Jones in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; John Atashian/Getty Images

James Earl Jones appeared as Mr. Mertle in "The Sandlot," but he was already a big name for his work voicing Darth Vader in "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope'' (1977) and the following sequels.

He also starred in "The Comedians" (1967), "The Great White Hope" (1970), "Coming to America" (1988), "Field of Dreams" (1989), and "The Hunt For Red October" (1990).

Jones later voiced Mufasa in the 1994 and 2019 versions of "The Lion King," and he lent his vocal talents to shows like NBC's "3rd Rock From the Sun" and Fox's "The Simpsons."

He continues to voice Darth Vader across the "Star Wars" franchise, and he recently reprised his role in "Coming 2 America" (2021).

Karen Allen, who played Smalls' mother, was acting before "The Sandlot."

Karen Allen in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2020 (right). 20th Century Fox; LUCAS JACKSON/Reuters

Karen Allen was working steadily in Hollywood before landing her role in"The Sandlot."

Her first credit was in "National Lampoon's Animal House" (1978), and she went on to star in "The Glass Menagerie" (1987), "Scrooged" (1988), and "Malcolm X" (1992).

After the film, the actress appeared on NBC's "Law & Order," in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008), and on CBS' "Blue Bloods."

Her latest role was in "Things Heard & Seen" (2021).

Denis Leary continues to cultivate a prolific career in Hollywood.

Denis Leary in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP

Playing Smalls' aloof stepfather was one of Dennis Leary's first professional acting credits. He appeared in "Strictly Business" (1991) and "Loaded Weapon 1" (1993) before joining the cast of "The Sandlot."

After, he took on roles in movies like "A Bug's Life" (1998), the "Ice Age" series, and "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012).

He also earned Emmy nominations for the FX series "Rescue Me" and starred on FX's "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll."

Leary is an accomplished writer, penning several episodes for his FX series and other popular shows.

The actor's latest role was on Fox's "The Moodys."

Art LaFleur is an accomplished character actor who continues to work today.

Art LaFleur in "The Sandlot" (left) and in 2019 (right). 20th Century Fox; Bobby Bank/Getty Images

Art LaFleur played Babe Ruth in "The Sandlot."

Before that, he'd been acting professionally since 1978, with credits like ABC's "Charlie's Angels," CBS' "MASH," NBC's "The A-Team," "The Blob" (1988), and "Field of Dreams."

After the film, the actor continued to work on series such as NBC's "ER" and ABC's "The Practice."

He also appeared in "The Santa Clause 2" (2002), "A Cinderella Story" (2004), and "Speed Racer" (2008).

His latest role was in the TV movie "Dive" (2017).