These Cinderella Cast Then Vs. Now Photos Will Make You Cling To The Magic Of 1997

Millennials will fondly remember Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella from 1997. This live-action version of Cinderella, which is now streaming on Disney+, was one of the first live-action remakes of its kind and made history for its casting.

Brandy, who played the titular character, and Paolo Montalbán, who co-starred as Prince Christopher, made headlines for being spectacularly cast. The film included the first Black Cinderella and Fairy Godmother (played by Whitney Houston) as well as a Filipino-American prince.

To mark the film’s 25th anniversary, ABC will air Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20 on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. ET, with the special available on Hulu after that. The reunion will include original cast members Brandy, Montalbán, Whoopi Goldberg, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Veanne Cox.

1997: Houston, who served as an executive producer on the film, handpicked Brandy for the lead role. She told Entertainment Tonight at the time, “I definitely wanted her to be Cinderella.”

2022: Since then, Brandy has starred in shows like The Game and made her Broadway debut in 2015 for a production of Chicago. Known foremost as a singer, she most recently teased her eighth studio album and performed with Jack Harlow at the BET Awards in June 2022.

2022: Paolo Montalbán has continued his acting career primarily in theater. Most recently, he starred as Captain Von Trapp alongside The Sopranos’ Jamie-Lynn Sigler in a production of Sound of Music.

1997: Whitney Houston, who played the Fairy Godmother, was originally slated for the titular role for an earlier version of the project, but she opted for a different role: “I got married and pregnant and stuff, and basically I didn’t feel like Cinderella anymore.”

2012: Houston focused mainly on her critically acclaimed music career for the remainder of her life, releasing My Love Is Your Love the year after Cinderella. Houston passed away in 2012.

1997: Whoopi Goldberg and Victor Garber starred as Prince Christopher’s parents, Queen Constantina and King Maximilian.

2022: Goldberg cut her teeth in comedy, but has been making a career as a host on The View since 2007.

2022: You may recognize Garber from his role opposite Jennifer Garner on Alias, the CW’s version of The Flash, and other TV shows.

1997: Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander played Lionel, Prince Christopher’s driver. The character was created specifically for the film to provide comedic relief and Alexander accepted a pay cut for the role, hoping it would change the future of movie musicals.

2022: Since the premiere of Cinderella in 1997 and the end of Seinfeld in 1998, Alexander has popped up on shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

1997: Broadway legend Bernadette Peters was the evil stepmother who tries to forbid Cinderella from attending the ball. But instead of being purely evil, Peters played the stepmother comedically with elaborate enunciations.

2022: Peters had a starring role on the Prime Video hit Mozart in the Jungle and has continued her successes on Broadway in productions of Gypsy and Hello, Dolly!

1997: Cinderella’s evil stepsisters Calliope and Minerva were played by Veanne Cox and Natalie Desselle. Cox told Entertainment Weekly that they “went into the audition room together, and we fell in love from the moment we met.”

2022: Since then, Cox played bit parts in shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and films like Erin Brockovich and You’ve Got Mail, but has primarily found her calling in theater.

Desselle starred opposite Halle Berry in the 1997 buddy comedy B.A.P.S. and in the 2011 ensemble film Madea’s Big Happy Family. She passed away in 2020.