The Only Major Actors Still Alive From Carrie
Brian De Palma's "Carrie" was the film that defined a generation. Its blend of coming-of-age themes, fantastical magic, and slasher-style bloodshed makes it a genre-bending film that time just can't seem to forget.
The 1976 horror tells the story of a sheltered girl who lives under her obsessively religious mother's tyrannical rule, a dictatorship made all the worse by the onset of Carrie's period. Her mother's frenzy combined with a cruel prank at the prom pushes the shy young girl to a mental break, complete with telekinetic powers. The Stephen King adaptation launched some incredibly notable careers, including John Travolta, who plays high school bully Billy Nolan. Sadly, not all of the cast has lived to see the end of 2023, including Piper Laurie, whose performance as Carrie's mother earned her one of three Oscar nominations in her lifetime.
Laurie passed away in October of 2023, but many of the other main cast members are alive, and most of them are still working today. As for which ones are still with us, I did the digging so you don't have to.
Sissy Spacek (Carrie)
Sissy Spacek was a certified it-girl of New Hollywood. After starring in Terrence Malick's BAFTA-nominated "Badlands" opposite Martin Sheen, she became a household name with her unforgettable performance in De Palma's quirky horror film. The 1976 slasher even earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role, her first nomination of many. She went on to earn an Academy Award for her role in "Coal Miner's Daughter" just a few years later and was subsequently considered for her performances in "Missing," "The River," "Crimes of the Heart," and "In the Bedroom." Still, the titular lead in "Carrie" remains her most memorable character to date.
Spacek is still alive in 2023 at age 73 and continues to work as an actress. Most recently, she starred in the family dramedy "Sam & Kate" opposite Dustin Hoffman, Hoffman's son, and her own daughter, Schuyler Fisk. In the 2022 film, the acclaimed actress plays Tina, a woman suffering from Diogenes' syndrome whose daughter sets her up on a date. She also had a recurring role in the Hulu series "Castle Rock" in 2018, a return to her horror roots. As far as we know, the actress has no plans to retire and continues to thrive on set.
"I'm getting to do all kinds of things and I'm having a really wonderful time and I love the creative process so much that it would be hard to let go of it," she told Rolling Stone in 2018.
Amy Irving (Sue Snell)
Her unforgettable performance as Sue Snell in "Carrie" is a huge highlight of Amy Irving's long and accomplished career. It was a major role for her when she landed it in the mid-70s — the young actress had small roles on a few TV shows before starring in de Palma's movie, including a two-episode stint on the long-running sitcom "Happy Days," but the blood-soaked high school horror film propelled her into success.
Irving went on to earn an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in the Barbra Streisand-led musical "Yentl" in 1984. In the 2000s and onward she has primarily starred in dramas like "Tuck Everlasting" and "Adam." The California-born actress is just 70 years old as of 2023, making her one of the younger major cast members. Her most recent work was released in 2021, including a supporting role in the Amanda Seyfried-led drama "A Mouthful of Air."
John Travolta (Billy Nolan)
He might be a household name in 2023, but in 1976, John Travolta was just getting started. He was one season into his starring role as Vinnie Barbarino in the four-season sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" when "Carrie" was released. From there, he quickly followed up his first success with starring roles in the smash hit musicals "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease" in '77 and '78 respectively. This quick succession of roles launched Travolta into stardom and he quickly became as Americanly ubiquitous as blue jeans.
Travolta's career continued to ebb and flow, from a few certified flops to critically acclaimed masterpieces like "Pulp Fiction." He has also continually proven that he isn't afraid to take risks, from his drag performance in "Hairspray" to his cameo as a caricature of himself in "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
The 69-year-old actor is the youngest living "Carrie" cast member and is still working as an actor in 2023. Just this year he starred as Ron Wilcox in Kevin Hart's auto-fictional action series "Die Hart," and last year he led the action movie "Paradise City" along with "Die Hard" star Bruce Willis. He is slated to star in Randall Emmett's "Cash Out" and "Cash Out 2," which are both reportedly in post-production. However, Emmett has been in hot water lately and might not be able to finance their release any time soon.
William Katt (Tommy Ross)
Katt was also a rising television star before being cast in "Carrie," having appeared in an episode of "M*A*S*H" in 1972. He plays the unlucky hero in the prom-gone-wrong who tries to save the day by taking a bullied girl to the dance. He went on to lead the sci-fi series "The Greatest American Hero," which ran for a respectable 44 episodes. Katt continues to find successful work as a character actor, appearing for one-episode stints in many successful series from hard-hitting dramas like "House" to Disney sitcoms like "The Thundermans."
The actor is still working in 2023. His most recent work includes a supporting role in the 2022 crime film "Pursuit," opposite Gen X heartthrob John Cusack.
Nancy Allen (Chris Hargensen)
"Carrie" was only Nancy Allen's third movie role, although she did get off to a great start with the very first one — the Jack Nicholson-led Hal Ashby film "The Last Detail," which was nominated for three Oscars.
She may have played one of the villains in "Carrie," but she wasn't pigeonholed as an antagonist. After de Palma's '76 slasher, Allen went on to star as the final girl in his 1980 thriller "Dressed to Kill," in which she plays a high-priced call girl who becomes an unlikely hero — and prime suspect — in a murder mystery. The role earned her a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture. She then went on to star in the cult classic film series "Robocop."
Allen is age 73 today and seems to have retired from acting, at least in film and television. Her last film was the 2008 dystopian indie "My Apocalypse," and her last role before that was a single-episode appearance in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 2003.
Betty Buckley (Miss Collins)
Carrie's gym teacher was one of the few compassionate guiding forces in her life, although perhaps a bit slow to punish her bullies. Miss Collins was Betty Buckley's first role in film or television, but it launched a decades-long career that hasn't ended yet. She's a Tony Award winner, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. She was even inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2012, and returned to her "Carrie" roots when she originated the role of Margaret White in the Broadway musical version of the story.
Buckley is still working as an actress at age 76 having recently been featured in "Law & Order: SVU" and "Supergirl." She also had a major role in the hit M. Night Shyamalan film "Split" in 2016, less than a decade ago. This was one of the most notable roles of her latter career, well into her 60s. Buckley's best days as an actress may not be behind her just yet, as she's slated to appear in the horror film "Imaginary," due out sometime in 2024 through Blumhouse.