Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘The Brothers McCullen’?
What To Know
- Thirty years after The Brothers McMullen‘s Sundance success, Edward Burns has reunited much of the original cast for a sequel, The Family McMullen, premiering on HBO Max on December 5, 2025.
- The original film, made on a $25,000 budget, became a landmark of ’90s indie cinema and earned over $19 million at the box office.
- Connie Britton, who debuted in The Brothers McMullen, has since become one of television’s most acclaimed stars, with major roles in Friday Night Lights, Nashville, and The White Lotus. She returns for the sequel.
30 years after The Brothers McMullen won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, director and star Edward Burns is back with The Family McMullen, which premiered in theaters for one night on October 15, 2025, and arrives on HBO Max on December 5, 2025. The sequel reunites several stars from the original film, which was made for just $25,000, shot on weekends at Burns’ family’s Long Island home, and edited with Entertainment Tonight cameraman Dick Fisher. The film became part of the ’90s indie cinema boom, eventually earning more than $19 million worldwide. Today, a few of the original film’s stars are still performing — and one has become one of the most acclaimed TV stars of the past two decades.
Edward Burns (57)
Barry McMullen
20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection; Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
Burns wrote, directed, produced and starred in The Brothers McMullen. The film’s success launched him into a long directing career that included She’s the One, Sidewalks of New York, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas and several other New York-based relationship dramas that became his signature. As an actor, he appeared in movies like Saving Private Ryan, 27 Dresses, Man on a Ledge and the crime drama Public Morals, which he also created. Over the years, Burns occasionally hinted at returning to the McMullen world. The completed sequel features Burns stepping back into the role of Barry nearly three decades after the original.
Jack Mulcahy (71)
Jack McMullen
20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection; Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Modern Loft Films
Mulcahy has the most credits of any of the film’s stars when it was made, having already appeared in inPorky’s, Porky’s II: The Next Day, Awakenings, andCadillac Man. In the years after The Brothers McMullen, he performed in theater, and had guest spots on shows such as Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Sex and the City and Blue Bloods, and lead roles in smaller indie projects like The Jersey Devil. In the early 2000s, he appeared in Snickers commercials.
@vhs_vcr “Chocolate covered mountain tops and waterfalls of caramel.” #creatingremlezar #remlezar #redlettermedia #snickers #2001 #jackmulcahy #vintagecommercials #candy ♬ original sound – VHS VCR
Mike McGlone (53)
Patrick McMullen
20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Affairs Of State)
He reunited with Burns for She’s the One, appeared in The Bone Collector and worked steadily in both film and television. In addition to his on-screen work, he became widely known for his distinctive voice, narrating GEICO commercials for several years and contributing to other voiceover and audiobook projects.
He returned as Patrick in The Family McMullen.
Connie Britton (58)
Molly McMullen
Craig Blankenhorn/ABC/Everett Collection; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Britton made her film debut in The Brothers McMullen, and even though her role as Molly was small, it became the first step in one of the most successful careers to emerge from the film. Not long after, she began building a steady television résumé, eventually landing the role of Nikki Faber on Spin City, which helped introduce her to a national audience. Her breakthrough came with Friday Night Lights, where her performance as Tami Taylor earned widespread praise. She went on to star in several acclaimed series, including Nashville, American Horror Story, 9-1-1 and The White Lotus, earning multiple award nominations. Britton also continued working in film, appearing in projects such as This Is Where I Leave You, The To-Do List and Bombshell. She reprised Molly in the 2025 film.
Maxine Bahns (54)
Audrey
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
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Bahns followed The Brothers McMullen with a leading role in Burns’s next film, She’s the One, which introduced her to a broader audience. She was dating Burns during the filming of both ’90s movies. She continued acting steadily through the late 1990s and early 2000s, appearing in independent films such as Cutaway, The Elite and The Third Wheel. In addition to her film work, Bahns also appeared on television, including roles on series like CSI: NY and Conviction. Outside of acting, she became known for her endurance sports, competing in triathlons and marathons.
Jennifer Jostyn (57)
Leslie
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Jostyn kept a steady acting career going after her role as Leslie in The Brothers McMullen, appearing in both film and television throughout the late 1990s and 2000s. Her film credits include Wag the Dog and the comedy The Brothers Solomon. On television, she guest-starred on popular series such as ER, The Closer and Without a Trace — and, funnily enough, she had a small role in an episode of the first season of American Horror Story, which starred Connie Britton. Beyond acting, Jostyn expanded her creative work behind the camera. She wrote, produced and starred in the independent drama Dani & Alice, a film that screened at festivals.
Shari Albert (54)
Susan
Rob Kim/Getty Images
Albert continued working in both film and television, appearing in projects such as Girls5eva, Random Acts of Flyness, Royal Pains, A Little Help, Ugly Betty and video game titles including Alan Wake and Grand Theft Auto V. Alongside her acting, she built a significant screenwriting career; her writing credits include the series Good Medicine, the shorts Will You Take This Dog and She Ate That!, and the television series Quarantine. In 2022, she was selected to attend The Writers Lab, a program sponsored by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman that highlights women over forty working in screenwriting. Albert also returned as Susan in The Family McMullen.
Elizabeth McKay
Ann
McKay’s best-known film role remains Ann in The Brothers McMullen. However, before the 1995 film, she appeared on several television series, including As the World Turns, where she played Lee Washburn, and the Australian dramas Cody, G.P. and Police Rescue, credited variously as Elizabeth McKay and Elizabeth Mackay. She also appeared in the 1997 film Brokers. Along with her acting work, McKay has writing and producing credits. She produced the short films The Man and the Snake and The Return. It seems she has since led a private life.
Remind 
February 2021
1990s Rom-Coms
Pop some popcorn and cozy up to feel-good movies and TV shows from a generation ago.
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