Thirteen Ghosts, the 2001 supernatural horror from director Steve Beck, has a star-studded cast of household names taking top billing, but many didn’t achieve this status until after the film’s release. After inheriting a mansion from his uncle, widow Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) moves into it with his children and their nanny, only to find the house is haunted by ghosts. Thirteen Ghosts (2001) was a remake of the original of the same name, which was originally released in 1960.
At the time of release, the film got mostly negative critiques and was not well received by audiences, but over time became an unappreciated classic to many. In August 2023, it was announced that a television series adaptation inspired by the films was in development, but there has been no confirmation whether it will involve the 2001 film cast or not. However, it’s clear from their established careers, they may not need to return to the Thirteen Ghosts universe.
8 Matthew Lillard As Dennis Rafkin
Following Thirteen Ghosts, Matthew Lillard’s career boomed, thanks to his roles in Scream, and as Shaggy in the live-action Scooby-Doo in 2002, and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in 2004. He also took over the voice role of Shaggy in the animated version, after the original voice actor Casey Kasem retired in 2009. Although Lillard has primarily been a comedic actor, he did pursue more dramatic roles also, including Dean Boland in Good Girls, and made his directorial debut in 2012 with the coming-of-age drama Fat Kid Rules the World. He is also the co-founder of Quest’s End Whiskey, which is inspired by fantasy storytelling.
7 Embeth Davidtz As Kalina Oretzia
When Thirteen Ghosts was released in 2001, Embeth Davidtz already had an established career. She was known for her previous roles of Miss Honey in Matilda in 1996, and also played the role of Natasha Glenville in Bridget Jones’ Diary, released the same year as Thirteen Ghosts. Following her performance as Kalina Oretzia, Davidtz went on to play Mary Parker in the Andrew Garfield generation of Spider-man films, and Nancy Shepherd, the sister of one of the main characters Derek, in Grey’s Anatomy.
6 Tony Shalhoub As Arthur Kriticos
Tony Shalhoub joined the cast of Thirteen Ghosts with an already incredible backcatalog of roles. He was perhaps best known for his role as Antonio Scarpacci in the sitcom Wings, which earned him three Emmys. After taking a break from acting, Shalhoub returned to the TV screen in Monk, playing the title character, a detective living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and won a Golden Globe for his performance as Adrian Monk. In more recent years, Shalhoub is best known for his role as Professor Abe Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Tony Shalhoub also recently teased details of the Monk movie revival, which is yet to be given an official release date.
5 Shannon Elizabeth As Kathy Kriticos
Known for her role in American Pie and following the release of Thirteen Ghosts, Elizabeth become a recurring character on That ’70s Show and voice acted in the 2003 video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. In more recent years, Elizabeth has moved into producing and is credited as an executive producer of 2016’s Swing Away, where she also played the role of Zoe Papadopoulos. Elizabeth is also a passionate conservationist and animal activist, and in 2001, started Animal Avengers, a non-profit animal rescue organization.
4 JR Bourne As Ben Moss
The role of Ben Moss was one of JR Bourne’s earliest roles but led to an array of long-standing characters he’d play after the release of Thirteen Ghosts. Bourne is best known for his role of Chris Argent in Teen Wolf from 2011 to 2017 and as Russell Lightbourne VII and Sheidheda in CW’s The 100. Most recently, Bourne reprised his role as Chris Argent for Teen Wolf: The Movie, which was released in January 2013, and has been confirmed to be set 15 years after the final season of the show.
3 Rah Digga As Maggie Bess
Rah Digga first shot to fame in the year 2000 as a rap artist, both as a solo artist and as part of the hip-hop group Flipmode Squad led by Busta Rhymes. At the peak of her popularity, she was cast in Thirteen Ghosts, but this would be her first and last acting role for quite a while. Digga continued to grow her rap career, and over the following two decades worked on releasing two albums, as well as raising her daughter she shared with fellow rapper Young Zee. Digga returned to acting in the 2022 film Stars, as a struggling homeless woman obsessed with Oprah Winfrey.
2 F. Murray Abraham As Cyrus Kriticos
When cast in Thirteen Ghosts, F. Murray Abraham was already an Academy Award winner, having won Best Actor for his role in 1984’s Amadeus. Abraham continued to grow his already established career after Thirteen Ghosts was released, starring in films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014 and Isle of Dogs in 2018. Most recently, Abraham starred in HBO’s The White Lotus, which earned him nominations for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. He also recently starred in Apple TV’s Mythic Quest but was fired due to allegations of misconduct on set. Abraham released a statement apologizing for his actions (per Variety).
1 Alec Roberts As Bobby Kriticos
Alec Roberts played the youngest cast member of Thirteen Ghosts, playing the role of Bobby at just 7 years old. Prior to this, Roberts only had two other acting credits: Traffic and A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story, both of which aired in 2000. After starring in Thirteen Ghosts, Roberts retired from acting that same year and did not return to acting. As of recently, Roberts is an entrepreneur and CEO of his own company, Sensory Entertainment.
