:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1044x276:1046x278)/coyote-ugly-cast-080125-74f2ddd836c64a75aa65b57f5df243cf.jpg?ssl=1 "Where Is the ‘Coyote Ugly’ Cast Now? See the Stars Today")
NEED TO KNOW
- Coyote Ugly premiered 25 years ago on Aug. 4, 2000
- The film starred Piper Perabo, Maria Bello, Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan and Melanie Lynskey, among others
- Over the years, many of the Coyote Ugly cast members have expressed interest in returning for a sequel
It’s been 25 years since Coyote Ugly first rocked the big screen.
Directed by David McNally, Coyote Ugly follows Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo), an aspiring songwriter who trades her quiet New Jersey hometown for the bright lights of New York City. Struggling to break into the music industry, she takes a job at Coyote Ugly, a high-energy bar known for its fearless, dancing bartenders.
The film, which also starred Maria Bello, Tyra Banks, Bridget Moynahan and Melanie Lynskey, premiered on Aug. 4, 2000, and grossed more than $113 million globally, per Box Office Mojo.
Ever since, fans have been clamoring for a Coyote Ugly sequel — and the cast members are more than ready to saddle up for round two.
“There has been some discussion about [a sequel],” Perabo told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2025. “I will say that people that were integral to making it are in communication about how to do something more.”
No official announcements have been made, so until then, here’s everything to know about where the Coyote Ugly cast is now.
Piper Perabo as Violet Sanford
Perabo burst onto the scene as wannabe singer Violet Sanford, who moves from New Jersey to N.Y.C. to pursue her dreams — and ends up joining the Coyote Ugly crew.
After the movie hit theaters, Perabo found steady film work before scoring her role on Covert Affairs, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. In 2021, she joined the cast of Yellowstone as Summer Higgins, an animal rights activist.
In 2014, she wed director-producer Stephen Kay.
Tyra Banks as Zoe
Already one of the world’s most famous models when Coyote Ugly came out, Banks made her mark in the film as bartender Zoe.
In a 2018 interview with PEOPLE, she shared she’s “dying” to do a sequel. “I want to produce it — I just need to get the rights from Mr. Jerry Bruckheimer or work with him.”
Since Coyote Ugly, Banks helmed her show, America’s Next Top Model, for 15 years. She was also the host of Dancing with the Stars from 2020 to 2023.
Banks is currently dating businessman Louis Bélanger-Martin.
Maria Bello as Lil
As the bar’s tough — but fair — owner, Bello’s Lil gave Violet her chance, then took it away and gave her another opportunity.
Best known for her work on ER, Bello has also appeared in films such as A History of Violence (2005), Grown Ups (2010) and Lights Out (2016) as well as TV series Goliath and NCIS.
The actress, who shares a son with ex-boyfriend Dan McDermott, wed chef Dominique Crenn in April 2024 and filed for divorce a year later.
Izabella Miko as Cammie
Coyote Ugly marked Izabella Miko‘s first role in Hollywood.
“A year before Coyote, I was selling batteries in Times Square and going to AA meetings. I didn’t have a drinking problem, but I wanted the free cookies and milk in the back,” Miko, who played Cammie, said at the May 2025 Coyote Ugly 25th anniversary screening in L.A.
The film opened doors for the Polish actress, and she went on to land parts in Save the Last Dance 2 (2006) and Step Up: All In (2014). She also appeared on the TV series NCIS: Hawai’i in 2022.
Bridget Moynahan as Rachel
Coyote Ugly was also Moynahan’s first major film role, hitting theaters right around the time she joined the cast of Sex and the City as Mr. Big’s wife, Natasha.
She’s since starred on series such as Six Degrees and Blue Bloods.
Moynahan shares son Jack with her ex Tom Brady. In 2015, she married N.Y.C. businessman Andrew Frankel.
John Goodman as Bill Sanford
A huge name in Hollywood, John Goodman starred as Violet’s loving (but overprotective) father, who discouraged her new career path after seeing a racy photo of her in the newspaper.
Goodman’s career hasn’t slowed down, with roles in a myriad of TV shows and movies, including Argo (2012), Flight (2012), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and The Conners.
He’s been married to Anna Beth Goodman since 1989. They share one daughter.
Adam Garcia as Kevin O’Donnell
Adam Garcia played Violet’s boyfriend, Kevin.
The actor, who was asked to audition after the casting director saw him in the Saturday Night Fever musical on London’s West End, went on to appear in films like Death on the Nile (2022).
He’s been married to Nathalia Chubin since 2015. They share two children.
Melanie Lynskey as Gloria
Melanie Lynskey had a handful of roles under her belt before Coyote Ugly, in which she played Violet’s New Jersey-based BFF, Gloria.
The New Zealand-born actress has appeared in multiple films and on TV series, including Two and a Half Men, Togetherness, Mrs. America and Candy.
Since 2021, she’s starred on the hit Showtime series Yellowjackets, which earned her Emmy nominations in 2022 and 2023 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She also appeared on The Last of Us in 2023 as the brutal Kathleen, which earned her another Emmy nomination.
She’s been married to actor Jason Ritter since 2020, and the pair share one daughter.
