Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Ice Castles’?
What To Know
- Lynn-Holly Johnson, who played Lexie Winston, transitioned from competitive skating to acting, earned a Golden Globe nomination, retired in 1996 to focus on family, and has since overcome significant health challenges.
- Robby Benson, known for his role as Nick Peterson, continued a successful career as an actor, voice artist (notably as the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), director, professor, and heart health advocate after multiple surgeries.
- Tom Skerritt, who portrayed Lexie’s father Marcus Winston, was already an acclaimed actor at the time of Ice Castles and continued to have a prolific career in film and television over the decades.
With sports romances heating up pop culture with new shows like Heated Rivalry, we can’t help but remember some of the ones that paved the way, including 1978’s Ice Castles. The film told the emotional story of Lexie Winston, a gifted young figure skater whose Olympic dreams are derailed by a devastating accident, forcing her to rebuild her life. With the unforgettable theme song “Through the Eyes of Love,” the movie became a quiet box office success and a lasting cable and home-video favorite.
Nearly five decades later, it’s airing on MOVIES! on January 14, 2026, at 8pm EST. The film continues to draw in new viewers who discover it, and it begs the question: Where are the main cast members of Ice Castles today?
Lynn-Holly Johnson (67)
Alexis “Lexie” Winston
Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection; Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for EON Productions & Prime Video
Lynn-Holly Johnson was already an accomplished competitive skater before stepping into her breakout role as Lexie Winston in Ice Castles, earning a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance. Johnson won a silver medal at the novice level of the 1974 U.S. Figure Skating Championships before leaving competitive skating in 1977 to join the Ice Capades and pursue acting. She went on to star in Disney’s The Watcher in the Woods and appeared as Bibi Dahl in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only, followed by leading roles in Where the Boys Are ’84 and a steady run of television appearances throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Johnson retired from acting in 1996 to focus on her family, later returning briefly to the stage in a community theater production of It’s a Wonderful Life in 2007. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Kelly Givens, and their two children. In January 2010, Johnson suffered a stroke caused by an undiagnosed congenital heart defect and subsequently underwent open-heart surgery, a health challenge she has publicly discussed as part of her recovery journey.
Robby Benson (69)
Nick Peterson
Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Robby Benson rose to prominence as a teen idol in the late 1970s, and Ice Castles remains one of his most beloved films. He began acting young, made his film debut with an uncredited role in Wait Until Dark, and built momentum through projects including Ode to Billy Joe, One on One, The End and Ice Castles, where he learned to skate for the film despite never having ice-skated before. In 1991, he voiced the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and he continued voicing the character across sequels, spin-offs, and other Disney media. He also worked extensively as a television director, including directing six episodes of Friends, and he taught as a professor at multiple universities, including NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
In more recent work, he appeared in a recurring role as Dr. Mauer on Apple TV+’s Severance. Benson has been married to singer and actress Karla DeVito since 1982, and they have two children. In addition to his entertainment work, he is known for major health advocacy tied to his own medical history. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with a heart murmur caused by a bicuspid aortic valve defect, and he has undergone four open-heart surgeries since age 28 to address congenital aortic valve defects and related damage. He became active in fundraising and awareness for heart research, and he published a medical memoir in 2012 recounting his surgeries and recovery.
Tom Skerritt (92)
Marcus Winston
Columbia/Everett Collection; Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images
Tom Skerritt was already a well-established character actor when he played Lexie’s protective father, Marcus Winston. His early breakthrough came with M*A*S*H, followed by a long run of memorable roles in films including Alien, Top Gun, The Dead Zone, Steel Magnolias and A River Runs Through It. On television, Skerritt earned widespread acclaim for playing Sheriff Jimmy Brock on Picket Fences from 1992 to 1996, a role that earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as well as two Golden Globe nominations. He also appeared in recurring roles on shows such as Cheers and Brothers & Sisters, and later in projects including Leverage and numerous television films. Beyond acting, Skerritt has worked as a director and is the founder and chairman of Seattle-based digital media company Heyou Media.
Jennifer Warren (84)
Deborah Mackland
Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection; Indican Pictures/Everett Collection
Jennifer Warren played Deborah Mackland, one of several film roles she took on during a career that moved between stage, screen, and later directing. Warren made her Broadway debut in 1972 in 6 Rms Riv Vu, a performance that earned her a Theatre World Award. During the ’70s and ’80s, she appeared in films including Night Moves, Slap Shot, Mutant and Fatal Beauty. She also worked steadily in television, with guest appearances on series such as The Bob Newhart Show, Kojak, Cagney & Lacey, Hotel and Murder, She Wrote, and a featured role in the TV movie Paper Dolls and its 1984 series.
Warren later expanded her work behind the camera. She made her directorial debut with The Beans of Egypt, Maine, co-founded the Alliance of Women Directors, taught at multiple universities, and is an associate professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. In her personal life, she married producer Roger Gimbel in 1976, and they had one son, Barney, a writer and editor. Gimbel sadly died on April 26, 2011.
In Memoriam
Colleen Dewhurst (Beulah Smith) died of cervical cancer on August 22, 1991. She was 67 years old.
David Huffman (Brian Dockett) was killed in a homicide on February 27, 1985, after being stabbed during an altercation in San Diego. He was 39 years old.
Where to Watch Ice Castles
You can watch it on Tubi for free with ads, rent it wherever you rent movies or catch it on the MOVIES! channel.
Remind 
Hollywoods Golden Couples
February 2022
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