'The Fifth Element' cast: See the stars of the cult classic sci-fi film, then and now (2025)

Bruce Willis (Korben Dallas)

Bruce Willis played Korben Dallas, whose life changed when an unintelligible, barely dressed woman crashed through the roof of his car.

At the time, Willis was a well-paid star who was too expensive for this strange French experiment, but after Willis met Besson, he eagerly accepted a reduced salary. "I just liked Luc — I liked the story, I liked the idea,” He told Entertainment Weekly in 2017. “I thought it would be fun to go to France and make a movie."

Willis first broke out as a wisecracking private detective in Moonlighting (1985–1989), but it was his role as NYPD cop John McClane in Die Hard (1988) that propelled him to superstardom — and gave him a signature franchise. He went on to headline a string of big-budget thrillers, including The Last Boy Scout (1991) and Armageddon (1998), in addition to critically acclaimed efforts like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994), time-travel twister 12 Monkeys (1995), M. Night Shyamalan’s thrillers The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000), and Sin City (2005).

In addition to the ongoing adventures of John McClane, Willis launched a new franchise with RED (2010) and joined another in G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). He showed a sensitive side in two of the most lauded performances of his career, Rian Johnson’s Looper (2012) and Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012). After reuniting with Shyamalan and Samuel L. Jackson for Glass (2019), Willis began working primarily on low-budget action vehicles.

In 2022, Willis' family announced that he was retiring from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, which has affected his cognitive faculties. The condition later progressed into frontotemporal dementia.

Willis tied the knot with actress Demi Moore in 1987, and the pair welcomed three daughters: Rumer, Scout, and Tallulah. They divorced in 2000 but remained good friends. Willis married model Emma Heming in 2009; they share two daughters, Mabel and Evelyn.

Gary Oldman (Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg)

Gary Oldman played industrialist Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, who plotted to steal the four elemental stones and destroy life on Earth.

Oldman took the role as a favor after Besson helped him produce another film, Nil by Mouth. Together, they refined his eccentric character. "It took some time to get the voice of the character, because he's so extreme, Zorg,” Besson told EW in 2017. “Finally he proposed this sort of half-Texan accent and it was very funny."

After first turning heads as punk rocker Sid Vicious in Sid and Nancy (1986), Oldman spent the ’90s specializing in villainous roles, including Lee Harvey Oswald in JFK (1991), the titular count in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), a dreadlocked drug dealer in True Romance (1993), and a Russian terrorist in Air Force One (1997). He also had a prior collaboration with Besson, starring as a corrupt, psycho cop in Léon: The Professional (1994).

Long considered a darker, outsider figure in Hollywood, he lightened up with two major franchise roles — first as Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), then as Commissioner Gordon in the Dark Knight trilogy. Not long afterward, the Academy started taking notice. He earned his first Oscar nomination for the spy thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and won for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour (2017).

The English actor earned another Oscar nod for Mank (2020) and made a one-scene cameo as President Truman in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023). He is currently starring in AppleTV+’s acclaimed spy series, Slow Horses (2022–present).

Oldman has been married five times, first to actress Lesley Manville from 1987 to 1990. They share a son, Alfie. Oldman wed Uma Thurman in 1990 and they divorced in 1992. His marriage with model Donya Fiorentino lasted from 1997 to 2001; they had two more sons, Gulliver and Charlie. He wed Alexandra Edenborough in 2008 and they split in 2015. Finally, he tied the knot with writer and curator Gisele Schmidt in 2017.

Milla Jovovich (Leeloo)

Milla Jovovich was Leelo, the reconstructed perfect being with a language all her own, and an Ace-bandage costume designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Jovovich required months of preparation to play the character. “Where normally I would have been reading a book or talking on the phone or hanging out with my friends, I was at the zoo at the animal cages, like, imitating the lions and the birds and the wolves,” she told EW in 2017. “I spent months in this kind of seclusion, going from one lesson to another — acting and movement and dance and fight choreography.”

After smaller parts in Chaplin (1992), as Charlie Chaplin’s first wife Mildred Harris, and the teen classic Dazed and Confused (1993), Leeloo was the former model’s acting breakthrough. Following her supporting turn opposite Denzel Washington in He Got Game (1998), Jovovich played the title role in Besson’s The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999).

A few years later, she showed off her martial arts training in the video game adaptation Resident Evil (2002), directed by her future husband, Paul W.S. Anderson. The film established a franchise that kept her employed for five more installments. More recently, Jovovich played the villainous Blood Queen in the 2019 Hellboy reboot.

Jovovich was previously married to Besson from 1997 to 1999. She and Anderson tied the knot in 2009. They have three daughters: Ever, Dashiel, and Osian.

Ian Holm (Vito Cornelius)

Ian Holm was Vito Cornelius, the priest who helped carry the legend of the five elements through history.

The classically trained Shakespearean actor and stage veteran won a Tony in 1967 for Harold Pinter's The Homecoming and reprised the role in the 1973 film. But it was his terrifyingly tranquil performance as the android Ash in Alien (1979) that put him on the mainstream radar. Not long afterward, he snagged an Oscar nomination for the inspirational sports drama Chariots of Fire (1981).

He had stolen scenes in everything from Brazil (1985) to Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V (1989) but was best known to contemporary audiences as Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

Holm was married four times: to Lynn Mary Shaw (1955–1965), Sophie Baker (1982–1986), actress Penelope Wilton (1991–2002), and artist Sophie de Stempel in 2003. He had five children: Harry, Jessica, Barnaby, Lissy, and Sarah-Jane. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2007 and died in 2020, at age 88.

Chris Tucker (Ruby Rhod)

Chris Tucker went all-out as eccentric talk-show host Ruby Rhod, who helped to save the world while dressed in over-the-top evening wear.

Besson originally hoped Prince would play the part, but the rock star couldn't find dates during his tour when he would be available. Instead, Besson turned to a young Tucker, who was understandably nervous to take on such an ostentatious character. “They were really protective of the script,” he told EW in 2017. “They didn't let anyone know what the part was, so I was always asking, 'What is the movie about?' I'm this young kid, real scared. Like, I don't know if I can do this."

The former stand-up comedian broke through as a movie star thanks to lead roles in the classic stoner comedy Friday (1995) and post-Vietnam crime thriller Dead Presidents (1995). An unforgettable one-scene performance in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown (1997) followed before he hit peak fame with buddy comedy Rush Hour (1998) alongside martial arts legend Jackie Chan.

The smash hit spawned two sequels, but Tucker’s acting roles have been few and far between since. He took a five-year break before reappearing for Silver Linings Playbook (2012), though he returned to his stand-up roots in the interim. Most recently, he had a supporting turn in Ben Affleck’s Air (2023) alongside Matt Damon.

Tucker was married to Azja Pryor from 1997 to 2003; they have a son, Destin.

Luke Perry (Billy Masterson)

Luke Perry played Billy Masterson, an early 20th-century archaeologist who got up close and personal with the Mondoshawan aliens at an ancient Egyptian temple.

Perry became a household name as Dylan in the teen soap Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000). He parlayed that success into a lead role in the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) film, though his most recognizable work was mostly on the small screen.

He had a recurring role on HBO’s prison drama Oz (2001–2002) before snagging the lead in Showtime’s post-apocalyptic Jeremiah (2002–2004). His guest roles over the years include (2005), Criminal Minds (2008), and Community (2013).

His TV career eventually came full circle with a paternal role in a popular teen soap, playing Archie’s father in Riverdale (2017–2019). His final film credit was in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) as the now-obscure, real-life actor Wayne Maunder.

Perry was married to Rachel “Minnie” Sharp from 1993 to 2003 and had two children, Jack and Sophie. He died from a stroke in 2019, at age 52, at which point he was engaged to Wendy Bauer.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. (President Lindberg)

"Tiny" Lister Jr. played President Lindberg, the leader of the Federated Territories.

The 6 foot 5 inch Lister made an indelible impression as Deebo, the bicycle-riding neighborhood heavy who terrorizes Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in the comedy Friday (1995). He reprised the role in the sequel, Next Friday (2000). Lister was Robert Forster’s business partner in Jackie Brown (1997) and the second son of Satan in Adam Sandler’s Little Nicky (2000). Many audiences may remember him as the prisoner on the boat in The Dark Knight (2008) who tosses the detonator into the ocean.

Towering "Tiny" also booked regular gigs on TV for years, including roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991), Martin (1995), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), and Key and Peele (2012).

In 2020, Lister Jr. died of heart disease. He was 62 years old. He was survived by his wife, Felicia Forbes, whom he married in 2003, and their son, Thomas.

Brion James (General Munro)

Brion James played General Munro, a leader in the Federated Army.

James was a prolific character actor and bit player for decades, often playing villains. Many will recognize him as the replicant who (quite violently) fails the Voight-Kampff test in Blade Runner (1982). He also played a dirty cop in 48 Hrs. (1982) and appeared in Red Heat (1988), Enemy Mine (1985), and The Player (1992).

His TV guest spots included The A-Team (1983–1985), The Dukes of Hazzard (1982–1984), Miami Vice (1988), and Dynasty (1986).

James died from a heart attack in 1999, at age 54.

Lee Evans (Fog)

Lee Evans played Fog, the security guard left in charge during the final alien attack.

For many years, Evans was a popular stand-up comedian in the U.K. As for his occasional acting gigs, he booked a lead role opposite Nathan Lane in Gore Verbinski’s Mouse Hunt (1997) before appearing in There's Something About Mary (1998) as a pizza delivery guy who pretends to be an architect to pursue Cameron Diaz's Mary.

Evans later teamed up with Jackie Chan in the buddy comedy The Medallion (2003) and played a UNIT scientific advisor on an episode of Doctor Who (2009). He retired from stand-up in 2014 to spend more time with his family.

Evans married his childhood sweetheart, Heather Nudds, in 1984. They have one daughter, Mollie.

Charlie Creed-Miles (David)

Charlie Creed-Miles played David, a jittery apprentice monk thrust into a situation he wasn’t prepared for.

The actor has long been active in British television, with roles in Press Gang (1989), Peaky Blinders (2013), and Ripper Street (2014–2016).

Creed-Miles has one daughter, Esmé, with Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton. Esmé has picked up the family trade, starring in the TV adaptation of Hanna (2019–2021) and the recent Western The Thicket (2024), opposite Peter Dinklage.