Released in 1986, Crocodile Dundee became a smash hit worldwide. The movie was the second highest grossing film of the US box office that year, only behind Tom Cruise's Top Gun. The Oscar-nominated movie was a landmark achievement in Australian cinema and transformed its star Paul Hogan from local celebrity to international superstar.
Writer and star of the film, Hogan, envisioned the picture to be "Australia's first proper movie... a real, general public, successful, entertaining movie". It may be surprising to hear that even making the film was a risky affair due to its relatively unknown cast and limited $10 million budget.
"Common-Sensical Rambo"
However, the risk paid off handsomely as it grossed $328 million worldwide after spending nine consecutive weeks atop the US box office. The film's success led to two, albeit less successful sequels. In its review, the New York Times described it as a "sort of sweet-tempered, common-sensical Rambo" and labeled it the "movie phenomenon of the year."
Curious to see what happened to your heroes and villains? Let's take a look at where the cast of Crocodile Dundee is today.
See what Crocodile Dundee is up to now:
Mark Blum As Richard Mason
Richard Mason, played by Mark Blum, is Sue's boyfriend and editor at the beginning of the movie. Sue works as a writer and is tasked with covering a story about some guy named "Crocodile" Dundee. Despite her on-screen boyfriend insisting she return, she refuses and falls for the subject of her story. Blum to his credit played his part as the obnoxious boyfriend/fiancé perfectly.
Mark Blum Now
Mark Blum has portrayed several characters both on television and in films, although never as the star. This means he generally goes unrecognized by most. The actor began his career in films alongside Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Bruce Willis, Kim Basinger, and Sean Connery.
He later moved to television and appeared on Frasier, NYPD Blue, and more recently Mozart in the Jungle and Coin Heist. The actor also features in Broadway productions from time to time.
Reginald VelJohnson As Gus
When Crocodile Dundee was released Reginald VelJohnson was a relatively unknown actor. Having played minor roles in a few films before, he was cast in the film as a policeman. This film was his big breakthrough as he played a vital role in helping Mick find his way around the city as well as crucially saving him after he's assaulted by a gang.
Reginald VelJohnson Now
To date, Reginald VelJohnson's most iconic role, however, is that of policeman Carl Winslow on the sitcom Family Matters best known for its quirky character, Steve Urkel and his wacky inventions. The show was on air for ten seasons and cemented VelJohnson's career.
The actor also appeared as a policeman in the first two Die Hard films, with guest appearances on many well-known television shows.
Aida Turturro As Jean Ferraro
Aida Turturro made her sole appearance in the Crocodile Dundee series in the third film, 2001's Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (also known as Crocodile Dundee III). In the film, she plays Jean Ferraro. Although a minor role, it did lead to bigger things as she was cast as the sister of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano in the hit television series, The Sopranos.
Aida Turturro Now
Aida Turturro played a key part in The Sopranos for seven seasons. Her 49-episode run from 2000 to 2007 ended with the show's final season. She has since played recurring characters on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Blacklist, as well as guest roles on shows such as ER, Medium, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Nurse Jackie, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Grey's Anatomy.
Gerry Skilton As Nugget O’Cass
Gerry Skilton plays Nugget in each of the Crocodile Dundee films. With permission from Paul Hogan, the actor later reprised his role in a pilot for an outback-adventure reality series titled Nugget Gets A Life. Despite Skilton self-financing the project himself, no studio picked it up. He has been heavily typecase and appeared in films such as Outback and Rough Diamonds.
Gerry Skilton Now
It seems Crocodile Dundee has been the highlight of Gerry Skilton's career as an actor as he failed to secure acting roles after the series conclusion. “I don’t know whether it’s a great or a bad thing, but since completing Dundee I’ve never been able to drop the handle Nugget because people just won’t let me,” he said.
Terry Gill As Duffy
Terry Gill plays Duffy in the original Crocodile Dundee film. He leads a team of kangaroo shooters whom our hero fights with at a bar. Later on in the story, we see Duffy use a kangaroo as cover to shoot at the shooters as a way to scare them. Gill appeared in many Australian movies and shows throughout his careers such as Prisoner, The Flying Doctors, Blue Heelers, and Neighbors.
Terry Gill Now
Unlike his colleagues, Terry Gill had no qualms about being typecast after Crocodile Dundee. The actor played a Detective Inspector, A Sergeant, and a Superintendent in consecutive television series. He also played Santa Clause at Australia's traditional Christmas Special Carols by Candlelight for 27 years. Gill passed away in 2015 after battling with lung cancer.
Ritchie Singer As Con
Ritchie Singer plays the role of Con in the original Crocodile Dundee movie. Before the film, Singer was virtually unknown, having appeared in two television shows The Story of Johnny O'Keefe, and Palace of Dreams, as well as a film named Bliss.
Ritchie Singer Now
Ritchie Singer's career, like several of his castmates, would largely remain stagnant even after the success of the film. The actor appeared in smaller television shows in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. These included a role in season three of Water Rats, and on the short-lived Crownies.
Recently, he appeared as Reverend Rick in Rapture-Palooza (2011), a Darwin hospital doctor in Charlie's Country (2014), and a magistrate on the Australian television series Home and Away.
John Snyder As Pimp
John Snyder plays a pimp in the first Crocodile Dundee movie. Rick, having arrived in New York and shocked by the way people behave in the Big Apple, he bumps into Snyder around the halfway mark of the film. Although only brief encounter, the scene is memorable.
John Snyder Now
John Snyder went on to appear in some well-known television shows and films in minor roles such as Knight Rider, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Babylon 5. However, the actor found his greatest success as a voice actor in film, television (especially anime), and video games.
Charles S. Dutton As Leroy Brown
Charles S. Dutton plays a street-smart stationary salesman named Leroy Brown who offers Rick a job in Crocodile Dundee II. Despite being mild-mannered, it he who ends up contacting a local street gang to assist our hero in retrieving his kidnapped girlfriend, Sue from a drug cartel.
Charles S. Dutton Now
Charles S. Dutton played Dillon in the film Alien 3, and Fortune in the film Rudy after the release of Crocodile Dundee II. Dutton also played the lead role in the television show Roc which ran for three seasons from 1991-1994. Throughout his career, Dutton has played supporting roles in both film and television.
Susie Essman As The Tour Guide
Susie Essman plays a minor role as a good-hearted tour guide who helps out Rick when he gets lost in Crocodile Dundee II. Given the passing moment, it's easy to miss the actress unless you look out for her. Surprisingly, despite Essman known for her acting, she is primarily a standup comedienne who has performed throughout the United States for more than two decades.
Susie Essman Now
After the release of the film, Susie Essman continued establishing a career in comedy and made guest appearances on several shows. Her most recognizable role to date is as Susie Greene in Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The show has been running since 2000 and is heading into its tenth season.
Kaitlin Hopkins As Miss Mathis
Katie Hopkins' only appearance in the series comes in the third film of the series, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles where she plays Miss Mathis, offering the audience plenty of laughs. Prior to and following the film, Hopkins continued to focus on her stage career.
Kaitlin Hopkins Now
Katlin Hopkins went on to appear in several films, and television series mainly in guest roles, such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, The Practice, Spin City, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The actress is more renown for her theater work.
Caitlin Clarke As Simone
The the first Crocodile Dundee film, Caitlin Clarke plays Simone, a simple girl Rick is able to relate to. Before this movie, she had previously played the role of Valerian in Dragonslayer. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards. Between the two movies, her career appeared to be slowing down.
Caitlin Clarke Now
Caitlin Clarke worked in several films and theater projects after the release of the film. The actress appeared in films such as The Big Picture starring Kevin Bacon and Blown Away starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. Clarke also played Charlotte Cardoza for two years in the Broadway musical adaptation of Titanic. She passed away in 2004 from ovarian cancer.
John Meillon As Wally Reilly
In the first two Crocodile Dundee films, John Meillon plays Rick's friend and business partner, Wally Reilly. Prior to the two movies, Meillon acted in Australian shows such as My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? and Skippy. He also worked on several other British, Australian, and American films, and lent his voice to various radio and voice acting projects.
John Meillon Now
John Meillon plays a bigger role in the Crocodile Dundee II as he helps Rick stop his pursuers by leading them on a wild goose chase. Meillon continued working in film and television after the first film but passed away shortly after the second film due to cirrhosis in 1989.
Steve Rackham As Donk
Unlike other cast members, Steve Rackham had never acted before, as he was a professional wrestler. Rackman's wrestling nickname was "Crusher" and among those he once faced in the ring was Andre the Giant in a cage match. Rackham got the role of Donk in Crocodile Dundee after answering a casting call looking for the “ugliest, most loud-mouthed, mongrel-looking wrestlers.”
Steve Rackham Now
Although Steve Rackham did return for the following two Crocodile Dundee sequels, the professional wrestler opened a couple of gyms with his friend Paul Graham and eventually retired from wrestling in 2010.
Maggie Blinco As Ida
In the first two Crocodile Dundee films, Maggie Blinco plays Ida, who works at the bar in Rick's hometown. She's present when Rick makes his grand entrance in the first film. True to his style, he orders a drink for himself and his friend (a stuffed up crocodile). Ida responds, "One for your mate! Ya mad bugger!"
Blinco previously acted in several films and television shows such as 1915, A Country Practice, and Return to Eden.
Maggie Blinco Now
Maggie Blinco continued working in films following the second movie. She appeared in the hit film Flirting alongside Nicole Kidman and Thandie Newton, as well as the short film Cheek to Cheek. The actress also played a co-plaintiff in the cult-classic Billy Connelly film The Man Who Sued God. The actress has steadily appeared in film, television and on stage throughout her career.
Jonathan Banks As Miloš Drubnik
Jonathan Banks had been part of several successful films by the time he was cast as Miloš Drubnik in Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles as one of the film's villains. The actor began his career as far back as 1974 and been part of notable films such as Airplane!, Gremlins, and Beverly Hills Cop before this movie.
Jonathan Banks Now
Jonathan Banks is best recognized for his role as Mike Ehrmantraut, a former police officer turned hitman, in the television series Breaking Bad, as well as its spin-off Better Call Saul. The actor is also known for his role as Frank McPike in the crime drama series Wiseguy. Banks has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
David Gulpilil As Neville Bell
One factor which helped make Crocodile Dundee a hit was its inclusion of not only experienced actors but also untrained Australian Aborigines. One of these was Aborigine actor David Gulpilil. When Gulpilil was cast in the movie as Neville Bell he was already well-known in his native country as he had starred in films such as Walkabout, Storm Boy, and The Last Wave.
David Gulpilil Now
Following the release of the first two Crocodile Dundee movies, David Gulpilil acted in several more films such as The Tracker and Rabbit-Proof Fence. The actor is further known for his traditional dancing and has also written text for two children's stories which are based on Yolgngu beliefs.
Gulpilil was charged in 2007 for angrily waving a dangerous weapon and later sentenced to a year in prison for assaulting his wife.
Ernie Dingo As Charlie
Ernie Dingo appears as Charlie in the second film of the series as Charlie. Before Crocodile Dundee II, the actor as making steady progress in the industry, having had major roles in films such as Until the End of the World, Blackfellas, and Somewhere in the Darkness, as well as being the lead role in Dead Heart.
Ernie Dingo Now
Ernie Dingo has made the most of his career since his role in the second Crocodile Dundee film. He appeared in several television series such as Blue Heelers, The Flying Doctors, Heartbreak High, and Rafferty's Rules. The actor also hosted the television show The Great Outdoors during its entire run from 1993 to 2009.
Luis Guzman As Jose
Although Luis Guzman might be an easily recognizable actor today, he was only just beginning his career in the 1980s when he was cast as Jose in Crocodile Dundee II. The Puerto Rican actor had featured in just two minor roles of note before this film, which was in Short Eyes and Heartbeat.
Luis Guzman Now
After Crocodile Dundee II, Luis Guzman's career began to take off as he acted in several successful films and television shows. His role in Boogie Nights alongside Mark Wahlberg showcased his ability as a dramatic actor.
Hechter Ubarry As Luis Rico
Hechter Ubarry plays Rico, the chief antagonist of Crocodile Dundee II. As the main villain in the story, producers were careful to cast an actor capable of fulfilling the role's big shoes. As Ubarry's background was in Broadway, he was their choice. The movie was only his second ever, with his first being The Cross and the Switchblade released 18 years prior.
Hechter Ubarry Now
Although the movie was considered a blockbuster, Ubarry surprisingly didn't pursue a film career, as he preferred working in theater. Some of the productions he has appeared been part of include Chu Chem, West Side Story, and Gone With The Wind. The unusual spelling of his name is due to someone else already performing under his birth name, Hector Mercado.
Juan Fernandez de Alarcon As Miguel
Before his role in Crocodile Dundee II, Juan Fernandez de Alarcon played small roles in films such as Salvador and Wildfire. When the actor was cast as one of the film's main villains in the movie, it was easily Alarcon's biggest role to date. The Dominican actor seemed to have a knack for playing bad guys in films it seems.
Juan Fernandez de Alarcon Now
Apart from working as an actor, Juan Fernandez de Alarcon also worked as a model in his younger years. He modeled for designers such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Ossie Clark in between acting jobs. After Crocodile Dundee II he appeared in a number of lesser-known films, including Liquid Dreams, A Man Apart starring Vin Diesel and The Collector in which he stars as El Gallo.
Paul Hogan As Crocodile Dundee
Before the release of Crocodile Dundee which he co-wrote and stars, Paul Hogan was a virtual unknown outside of his native Australia. Following the release of the film, Hogan won the award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the 1986 Golden Globes. He further received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for the movie.
Apart from being professionally lucrative, Hogan also found love with his co-star and one-time wife, Lina Kozlowski, who stars as his love interest, Sue Charlton, in all three movies. Hogan and Kozlowski divorced in 2014, after 24-years of marriage. They have one child together, a boy named Chance.
Paul Hogan Now
Although the success of the first Crocodile Dundee film catapulted Paul Hogan to Hollywood fame, it didn't necessarily help the actor establish a Hollywood career. On his character, in the Crocodile Dundee films, Hogan stated, " a good role model. There's no malice in the fellow and he's human. He's not a wimp or a sissy just because he doesn't kill people."
Hogan's two films after the first two Crocodile Dundee movies, Lightning Jack, and Almost an Angel didn't resonate with audiences the same way. He famously passed on the starring role in the hit film Ghost which went to Patrick Swayze and became the highest grossing film of 1990. The actor sparingly appeared in films afterward.
Linda Kozlowski As Sue Charlton
Before the blockbuster success of Crocodile Dundee, actress Linda Kozlowski had acted on Broadway in productions which included How It All Began and Death of a Salesman. After her breakout role, she starred in Pass the Ammo alongside Bill Paxton, as well as in the television mini-series Favorite Son.
Linda Kozlowski Now
By the time Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles was released in 2001, Linda Kozlowski has largely given up on her acting career. The actress shares custody of her son Chance with Paul Hogan following the couple's divorce in 2014 following 24 years together.
Kozlowski stated of her career, "These straight-to-video, schlocky films I was getting were giving me an ulcer, basically because I was the only one on the set that cared about anything... Between that and my biological clock, I decided to give it all away."
The Man Who Inspired Crocodile Dundee
The character of Crocodile Dundee is reportedly based on Australian cattle grazer and buffalo hunter, Rodney Ansell. The Australian became famous in 1977 after he was stranded for 56 days in the remote Northern Territory of Australia after a "something big" had caused his boat to capsize while fishing. He survived with limited supplies of a rifle, a knife, some canned food, and bedding.
During his ordeal he survived on wild cattle and buffalo, sometimes substituting cattle blood for water. He also followed bees to their hive to retrieve honey and slept in a tree fork out of reach of crocodiles, even killing one and keeping it as a souvenir. Ansell's interview and curious city antics sparked Paul Hogan's interest, inspiring him and co-writers to create the iconic character.
INXS's Michael Hutchence Invested In The Film
There were a total of 1,440 investors who helped finance the original film. One of these was Michael Hutchence, lead singer of the Australian band INXS. Hogan himself put some f his own money in order to make the film happen. The gamble paid off as the picture made over $300 million at the box office, with the profits split among the investors.
Real Bowie Knives?
The film set included steel, rubber, and aluminum versions of Rick's famous Bowie Knife. The prop designer, John Bowring was asked tasked by Hogan to create a stainless steel version of the knife. When Bowring questioned Hogan saying he couldn't find any mention of the knife in the script, Hogan replied it hadn't been written yet.
The "Knife" Line Was Almost Out
One of the scriptwriters, Ken Shadie, said of the famous knife line, "It wasn't funny on paper." He revealed the "That's not a knife" quote from the attempted robbery scene has no real father as it was a collaboration between the three writers, Paul Hogan, John Cornell and himself.
Locations Included Australia And New York
Several locations in Australia were chosen for the shooting of the film. This included the Kakadu National Park, which alone is roughly the size of Germany. The park became so famous after the release of the film that it began to offer "Crocodile Dundee" tours later.
In New York City, the Vazak's Horseshoe Bar (AKA The 7B) in the East Village was previously used in The Godfather Part II (1974) and later Rent (2005). Nowadays the 7B is a dimly lit bar with a jukebox and pinball machine.
Hogan Was Not A Bridge Painter
The now-famous Sydney Harbor Bridge photo shows Hogan from the view of a hotel window appearing to be painting the steel structure. However, Hogan was a rigger and never a painter on the bridge. His primary job was to keep painters safe by building safety rigs and platforms. In the movie, we see the famous bridge as Sue looks out through her hotel window.
Rumors circulated that Hogan was a painter on the bridge at one time, however, he shot down these rumors, as he revealed in an interview, ''Look, if I had been a painter—and you'd turn up every day and say, 'What color are we going to do today boys?' 'Ah, Battleship Grey'—I'd have jumped off." The picture was taken while he was playing around with some paint one day.
The Cast And Crew Slept In Huts
Due to the size of the Australian bush, finding accommodation during filming was problematic, to say the least, given the remote nature of the shoots. The cast and crew thus stayed in dilapidated huts with a guard stationed to keep them safe from wild animals. In true Australian style, the staff always had beers handy so that the crew could enjoy themselves.
The Crocodile Wasn't Real...
For those of you wondering if the crocodile attacking Sue was real, well, we can reveal that the actors were safe as the crocodile wasn't real. The animal was a mechanical one and cost the crew $45,000. Hogan wanted a real crocodile for close-ups apparently.
...But The Buffalo Was
