The Shawshank Redemption Cast Then And Now

Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding - THEN

Image source: Reddit

"Red" Redding is a long time inmate at Shawshank and he narrates the Stephen King novel.  He is an expert at smuggling stuff in and he has great influence over the prison guards.  In the movie we don't get to find out who he murdered and how he did it.  This is so the audience don't judge him from his crime.

Morgan Freeman - NOW

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We would be here for a week if we were to go through all Morgan Freeman's appearances on television and on the big screen.  A particular favorite with audiences was when he portrayed Lucius Fox in "The Dark Knight Trilogy" from 2005 to 2012.  Freeman enjoys directing and is in joint partnership with the production company "Revelations Entertainment."

Warden Norton - THEN

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Warden Norton is the heartless and corrupt warden at Shawshank State Prison. His character does not soften at all during the movie and he is seen as being a ruthless thug with no conscience whatsoever. However, that all changes at the very end of the film. We won't give it away!

Bob Gunton - NOW

Image source: Rotten Tomatoes

After The Shawshank Redemption, Gunton landed various roles in a selection of films and TV programs.  He had recurring parts, as Noah Taylor in "Desperate Housewives" in 2004 up to 2006 and then as Ethan Kane from 2007 to 2010 in "24."  Gunton starred in Netflix's "Daredevil series as Leland Owlsley and had guest spots in "The Cool Kids" and "The Blacklist."

Heywood - THEN

Image source: Reddit

Heywood is the third tritagonist, besides Brooks Hatlen and Tommy Williams in The Shawshank Redemption.  He is first seen in 1947 as a member of Red's Gang.  He is taking bets on which of the new prisoners will break on their first night in prison.  He, himself, bets on inmate "Fat Ass."

William Sadler - NOW

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Image source: All Star Bio

Following Shawshank, William Sadler starred as the good guy, sheriff Jim Valenti in the television series "Roswell" in 1999 up to 2002.  More recently he played President Ellis in "Iron Man 3" and the tv series "Agents of SHIELD."  You will recognise his voice from the Showtime series "Our Cartoon President" and you may have seen him in the horror movie "Grudge."

Captain Hadley - THEN

Image source: Villains Wiki-Fandom

Byron Hadley is Warden Norton's second in command and is the corrupt Captain of the Jail. Hadley has been working in the prison for many years and by the 1940s, he is promoted to Captain.  He is wicked, corrupt, cruel and sadistic and takes pleasure in abusing his authority.

Clancy Brown - NOW

Image source: Entertainment Weekly

Since the film, Clancy Brown has starred in movies like "Starship Troopers" and "Flubber." He has done lots of voice acting for cartoons such as "Avatar: The Last Airbender", "Phineas and Ferb", "The Spectacular Spiderman and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."  Recently, Brown has had recurring role in both "The Goldbergs" and "Schooled", where he played Mr Crosby..

Tommy - THEN

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Tommy arrives in 1965 on a 2 year sentence for breaking and entering after he was caught stealing a television and refusing to put up his hands while holding the tv.  He thinks if he lets the tv go, he will be charged with destruction of property.  His wife is desperate for im to become a better person as he has a baby daughter.

Gil Bellows - NOW

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Gil Bellows went on to star in "Ally McBeal in 1997, for five years and followed this with various programs and movies including playing Lawrence Lacroix in "Patriot" on Amazon.  Bellows is also a successful producer scooping a Primetime Emmy in 2010 for the tv movie "Temple Grandin."  His last major role was in the horror film "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark".

Bogs Diamond - THEN

Image source: CNN

We don't know how Bogs Diamond ends up at the prison but we can assume he is on a life sentence like Andy.  It is thought he joined a gang of rapists or even formed one at Shawshank and they named themselves the Sisters.  They were very brutal and set about a reign of terror amongst the inmates!

Mark Rolston - NOW

Image source: IMDb

Mark Rolston had earlier starred in "Aliens" before Shawshank as well as providing the voices for Warner Brothers "Zorro" series.  Rolston voiced DC supervillain Lex Luthor and also voiced several DC animated shows and numerous video games.  He often worked alongside his Shawshank co-star Clancy Brown.

Andy Dufresne - THEN

Image source: Reddit

Andy is sentenced to not one but two life sentences for the murder of both his wife and her lover, a crime he DIDN'T commit.  The first couple of years are so hard for him as he is targeted by the Sisters. He does manage to build up a relationship with Red and uses his skills to help turn around his life.

Tim Robbins - NOW

Image source: Hollywood in Toto

The year after Shawshank, Tim Robbins was nominated for an Oscar for directing "Dead Man Walking."  He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for "Mystic River" where he played the role of Dave Boyle in 2003. At the moment he is starring as Reginald "Pop" Merrill in "Castle Rock."

Brooks Hatlen - THEN

Image source: YouTube

Brooks Hatlen was an inmate at Shawshank from 1905 to 1955. Red says Brooks killed his wife and daughter.  Hatlen is the librarian at the prison and he often assisted Red smuggle goods to the other prisoners. Brooks dies in 1955 by hanging himself and committing suicide.

James Whitmore - NOW

Image source: The Mirror

After Shawshank, James Whitmore was in "Planet of the Apes" and "Them."  He won an Emmy in 2000 for playing Raymond Oz in "The Practice."  Whitmore worked until 2007 and passed away at the age of 87 from lung cancer. He had worked on screen for over four decades.

1946 District Attorney - THEN

Image source: Looper

The 1946 District Attorney appears in the opening scenes of he Shawshank Redemption.  He is the one responsible for prosecuting Andy Dufresne through his murder trial where he is framed for killing his wife and her lover and sentenced to two life sentences.  For the first couple of years Dufresne struggles to cope in jail.

Jeffrey DeMunn - NOW

Image source: Wikipedia

Jeffrey DeMunn has appeared in "Law & Order", "The Walking Dead" "The X Files" and "Billions."  He had moved to the UK in 1970 to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theater School and then returned to the States.  DeMunn starred in "Death of a Salesman" at The Old Globe Theater in San Diego.

Elmo Blatch - THEN

Image source: Looper

Elmo Blatch has a habit of bragging to his cellmates about all the people he's murdered as well as the women he has slept with.  He even once got a job bussing tables at a selective country club. He would look at the regulars who came to the club and work out which ones he could easily rob. He is always bragging about his crimes and shows no remorse.

Bill Bolender - NOW

Image source: Ranker

Bill Bolender has appeared in "The Adventures of Brisco County", "Jr Walker", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Desperate Housewives."  He also has a recurring role in "JAG" as Captain Ross. Going way back, Bill appeared in the hugely successful "Dallas" in the 1980s.

Morgan Freeman's Son - THEN

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Many viewers of The Shawshank Redemption might have missed this very sneaky cameo! When Red get his parole rejected, the guy in the mugshot is actually Morgan Freeman's son, Alfonso. Although not a character, this is a cool cameo that I bet you didn't recognize!

Alfonso Freeman - NOW

Image source: Looper

Alfonso Freeman is best known for his roles in movies which also star his famous father, Morgan Freeman.  Before he decided to pursue a career in acting, the Compton native studied art at California State University. He was not encouraged to follow in his dad's footsteps but was drawn to follow his heart which was to act.

Skeet - THEN

Image source: Ranker

Skeet (pictured in the center) is one of the prisoners who keeps a low profile as he is very scared of the others. He is a bit of a coward and they are brutal. Dufresne is admired by the other inmates for his accounting skills and Skeet wishes he could be more like him.

Larry Brandenburg - NOW

Image source: Looper

Larry Brandenburg has been in numerous television shows and movies.  Besides The Shawshank Redemption, he has been in "Fargo", "The Untouchables" and "The Santa Clause."  Larry has starred in "The West Wing", "Monk" and "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service."

Guard Trout - THEN

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Guard Trout is a prosecutor who is not as honest as he should be.  He is well aware of where his bread is buttered and soon realises that if he treats the prisoners well, they will not give him a hard time or worse still, beat him up.  He overlooks situations or puts himself away from trouble.

Paul McCrane - NOW

Image source: Fandango

Paul McCrane is talented.  He is a film, tv and theater actor as well as a singer and television director.  He played Montgomery MacNeil in "Fame", Emil Antonowsky in "Robo Cop" and starred in the medical drama E.R. as Robert Romano.  McCrane starred in the movie "The Hotel New Hampshire."

Guard Deakins - THEN

Image source: Insider

Guard Roger Deakins often has heated conversations with Captain Hadley over the prisoners, especially Andy Dufresne.  They can turn into full scale, nasty arguments with raised voices but no conclusion.  Dufresne is an intelligent (and innocent) man and he tries to keep quiet and be clever.  He gets asked for financial advice.

Brian Delate - NOW

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Brian Delate is probably best known for playing Kirk Burbank in the hugely successful "The Truman Show."  He got the part when attending Bucks County Community College.  He transferred to Rider University and got a degree with a theater track for acting and directing.

Snooze - THEN

Image source: IMDb

Snooze, pictured in the center of this image, is one of the inmates at Shawshank.  He, like all the other prisoners, are in there for the long haul, serving at least one prison service.  He's not as aggressive as some of the others but can be quite sarcastic.  He doesn't pose a threat but can give as good as he gets.

David Proval - NOW

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David  Proval played Siegfried in "Four Rooms", and Richie Aprile in "The Sopranos." He also starred in the cult film "UHF", playing the head thug.  In 2004 he played both twin brothers Edward and James Talley in "Murder Without Conviction", a Hallmark Channel movie.