STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALSTRY BET+ FOR FREEWhere Are They Now? The Cast Of 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'
This classic was released 25 years ago today.
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How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) - Before the cougar phenomenon hit American pop culture, the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back tackled the taboo of older women loving younger men. Based on the novel by pioneering author Terry McMillan, the film, while having a star-studded cast, provided the sexy, breakout role for newcomer Taye Diggs. Twenty-five years later, we look back at the cast of this classic romantic comedy. (Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Films)
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Angela Bassett - Following her role as a battered-then-triumphant Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It, the Oscar-nominated actress was a perfect fit to play lead character Stella Payne, who romances a younger man while on a vacation in Jamaica. Bassett hasn't slowed her film roles. She continues to conquer the silver screen and, this year, she received a second Oscar nomination for her role as Ramonda in the Black Panther sequel. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Taye Diggs - As Winston Shakespeare, Bassett's strapping, 20-years younger Jamaican beau, Taye Diggs instantly became a star and one of Hollywood's sexy screen actors. Since then, Diggs had noteworthy TV and film roles. Most recently, he revived his role as Harper Stewart in The Best Man: The Final Chapters.
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Whoopi Goldberg - The Academy Award-winning actress played Bassett's best friend, Delilah Abraham, who humorously supported her cougar relationship. Goldberg, who currently co-hosts The View, still occasionally stars on the big screen. Last year, she played Emmett Till's grandmother in the critically acclaimed Till. Goldberg is currently in pre-production for the third installment of the iconic Sister Act franchise. (Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
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Regina King - King was hilarious as Bassett's sister, Vanessa. The former child star (remember 227?) continues an illustrious acting career. King is a two-time Emmy winner and, in 2019, she won an Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk. King ia in production for the Shirley Chisholm biopic, the first Black woman elected to Congress. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)ADVERTISEMENT
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Kevin Rodney Sullivan - After helming How Stella Got Her Groove Back, director Kevin Rodney Sullivan has built a stellar résumé directing episodes of hit TV shows including Modern Family, This Is Us and Snowfall. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for NAACP)
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Glynn Turman - Glynn Turman played Diggs's father, Dr. Shakespeare. The veteran actor, who starred in the classic film Cooley High (1975), is best known for his TV roles on classic TV shows like A Different World and The Wire. He continues acting and voice over work in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Suzzanne Douglas - As Bassett's sister Vanessa, Suzzanne Douglas kept a scene anchored. Known mostly for starring as Jeri Peterson, the mom from The Parenthood, the long-time actress maintains a low-key profile, making appearances on TV shows such as The Good Wife and Are We There Yet. Sadly, at 64 years old, she died on July 6, 2021, after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. (Photo: Facebook)
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Terry McMillan - How Stella Got Her Groove Back was adapted from the hit novel by Terry McMillan. Other works by the superstar author put to screen were Waiting to Exhale (1995) and the HBO movie Disappearing Acts (2000). McMillan also made headlines with her divorce from much-younger Jamaican ex-hubby, Jonathan Plummer, who admitted he was gay. How Stella Got Her Groove Back was loosely based on her relationship with Plummer. McMillan has continued a successful writing career. In 2020, she released It's Not All Downhill From Here, which was a New York Times bestseller. (Photo: huffingtonpost.com)
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