Where is the Bad News Bears 2005 cast now? See what the former Little League stars are up to
Members of the Bad News Bears 2005 cast are now involved in various activities, with some still thriving in Hollywood, others having quit acting, and one meeting a tragic end. The 2005 remake of the 1976 classic starred Billy Bob Thornton as the coach of a misfit baseball team consisting of several child stars.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- What happened to the cast of Bad News Bears 2005?
- Billy Bob Thornton as Morris Buttermaker
- Greg Kinnear as Roy Bullock
- Marcia Gay Harden as Liz Whitewood
- Sammi Kane Kraft as Amanda Whurlitzer
- Ridge Canipe as Toby Whitewood
- Brandon Craggs as Mike Engelberg
- Jeffrey Davies as Kelly Leak
- Timmy Deters as Tanner Boyle
- Troy Gentile as Matthew Hooper
- Aman Johal as Prem Lahiri
- Tyler Patrick Jones as Timmy Lupus
- Jeffrey Tedmori as Garo Daragabrigadien
- Carter Jenkins as Joey Bullock
- Kenneth K.C. Harries as Ahmad Abdul Rahim
- Seth Adkins as Jimmy
- Pancho Moler as Kevin
- Where was Bad News Bears with Billy Bob Thornton filmed?
- Wrapping up
Key takeaways
- 'Bad News Bears' 2005 with Billy Bob Thornton in the lead was a remake of the classic 1976 film starring Walter Matthau as coach Morris Buttermaker.
- Sammi Kane Kraft (as Amanda Whurlitzer) died in 2012 in a tragic car crash, while Jeffrey Davies (as Kelly Leak) had to relearn to walk after a severe motorcycle accident in 2019.
- Several child stars from the sports comedy continued acting, including Troy Gentile and Carter Jenkins, while others, like Carlos Estrada and Emmanuel Estrada, left the industry.
- The child actors in 'Bad News Bears' 2005 were aged between 10 and 15 years old.
What happened to the cast of Bad News Bears 2005?
It has been two decades since director Richard Linklater reintroduced the ragtag group of misfits in the 2005 remake of Bad News Bears. Foul-mouthed coach Morris Buttermaker and his baseball team made an unforgettable impression at the box office, but what happened to them in real life? Here is all about the Bad News Bears 2005 cast then and now:
Billy Bob Thornton as Morris Buttermaker
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: August 4, 1955
- Age: 70 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
In Bad News Bears 2005, Billy Bob Thornton portrayed the central character Morris Buttermaker, a washed-up former pro baseball player who had a brief and unsuccessful career as a pitcher. Buttermaker becomes a Little League coach and tries to turn the Bears, a team of misfits, into champions.
Thornton was already a Hollywood star in 2005 with major roles in projects like Bad Santa and Friday Night Lights. As of 2025, he has a starring role as Tommy Norris in the Paramount+ series Landman. Billy is also the frontman of the rock band The Boxmasters.
Greg Kinnear as Roy Bullock
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: June 17, 1963
- Age: 62 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Logansport, Indiana, United States
Greg Kinnear portrayed Roy Bullock, coach of the Bears' rival team, the Yankees. Roy is a self-important character obsessed with winning and the main on-field rival to Thornton's Coach Buttermaker.
Kinnear has been in show business since the late 1980s with roles in films like Little Miss Sunshine, As Good as It Gets, and You Got Mail. The actor has a lineup of roles in upcoming projects, including Margo's Got Money Troubles (2026) on Apple TV+ and The Saviours.
Marcia Gay Harden as Liz Whitewood
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: August 14, 1959
- Age: 66 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: La Jolla, California, United States
- Social media: Instagram
Marcia Gay Harden portrayed the aggressive lawyer and single mother, Liz Whitewood, in Bad News Bears 2005. She sues to allow a team of less skilled players into an elite kids' baseball league. She then hires Morris Buttermaker as coach.
Harden is a veteran Hollywood star known for her roles in Trophy Wife, the Fifty Shades film series, and So Help Me Todd. She is set to appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Margot Got Money Troubles (2026) as Elizabeth.
Sammi Kane Kraft as Amanda Whurlitzer
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: April 2, 1992
- Place of birth: Livingston, New Jersey, United States
- Date of death: October 9, 2012
- Age at death: 20 years old
Sammi Kane Kraft's character, Amanda Whurlizter, was a star pitcher for the Bears. She was a real-life athlete with exceptional baseball skills and competed in the Junior Olympics. Bad News Bears 2005 was the only movie Sammi appeared in at the age of 12.
Kraft met a tragic end on October 2, 2012, in Los Angeles after being involved in a car accident. She was only 20 and a student at San Francisco State University.
Ridge Canipe as Toby Whitewood
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: July 13, 1994
- Age: 31 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Laguna Beach, California, United States
- Social media: Instagram
Ridge Canipe started acting at the age of five. In 2005, he portrayed Toby Whitewood in the Bad News Bears remake and played a young Johnny Cash in the biographical film Walk the Line.
He had recurring roles in the Supernatural series as young Dean Winchester and Desperate Housewives as Danny Farrell. Ridge Canipe took a break from acting in 2014 and mostly maintains a private life.
Brandon Craggs as Mike Engelberg
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: August 18, 1991
- Age: 34 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Social media: Instagram, Facebook
Brandon Craggs gained recognition for portraying Mike Engelberg in Bad News Bears 2005 at the age of 13. He played Casey in Fever Pitch (2005) and Oscar in Firehouse Dog (2007).
The actor appeared in a 2022 episode of Mayday as a Junior Investigator and has been active in Canadian theatre productions. Brandon Craggs is also a comedian and online content creator, and often posts funny skits on Instagram and Facebook.
Jeffrey Davies as Kelly Leak
Source: UGC
- Date of birth: August 6, 1989
- Age: 36 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Orlando, Florida, United States
Jeffrey Davies was 16 years old when he appeared on the 2005 remake of Bad News Bears as Kelly Leak. He had a minor role in The Daily Buzz series the same year before leaving the spotlight.
In May 2019, Jeffrey Davies was involved in a severe motorcycle accident that left him with serious head injuries. He was left nearly paralysed and had to relearn to walk, according to TMZ. His family started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his medical bills.
Timmy Deters as Tanner Boyle
Source: UGC
- Date of birth: April 30, 1994
- Age: 31 years old (as of September 2025)
- Social media: Instagram
Timothy Deters played Tanner Boyle in Bad News Bears 2005 when he was 10 years old. He had a series of minor roles in films and TV shows such as Awkward (2012), Spy School (2008), and That '70s Show (2003).
Deters' last known acting role was in the 2017 film Limelight as Trant Chance. He describes himself as a writer, producer, and director on Instagram.
Troy Gentile as Matthew Hooper
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: October 27, 1993
- Age: 31 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Boca Raton, Florida, United States
- Social media: Instagram
Troy Gentile made his screen acting debut in Bad News Bears 2005 as Matthew Hooper at the age of 11. He later landed the main role of Barry Goldberg in the ABC series The Goldbergs (2013-2023).
The actor portrayed younger versions of Jack Black's characters in Nacho Libre (2006) and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006). Troy gentile is still active in Hollywood with his latest role as Mason Kelly in the film A Breed Apart (2025).
Aman Johal as Prem Lahiri
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: July 21, 1993
- Age: 32 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
Aman Johal was 11 years old when he portrayed Prem Lahiri in Bad News Bears 2005, which was his first movie project. The Indo-Canadian actor later portrayed Vijay in the 2007 film Vijay and appeared in Jennifer's Body in 2007 as Ahmet from India. Aman's last acting credit was in the 2014 short film Preach as Will's Friend.
Tyler Patrick Jones as Timmy Lupus
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: March 12, 1994
- Age: 31 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: California, United States
- Social media: Instagram
Tyler Patrick Jones started acting at the age of six in a 2000 episode of Family Law, and was 11 years old when he played Timmy Lupus in Bad News Bears 2005. He later portrayed the recurring role of Ned Banks in the CBS series Ghost Whisperer. Tyler is currently involved in behind-the-scenes work as a producer for music videos and short films, according to his Instagram content.
Jeffrey Tedmori as Garo Daragabrigadien
Source: UGC
- Date of birth: May 20, 1993
- Age: 32 years old (as of September 2025)
- Social media: Instagram
Jeffrey Tedmori portrayed Garo Daragabrigadien in Bad News Bears 2005 at the age of 11. He went on to appear in a 2007 episode of Psyche and featured in his last onscreen role in 2008 in the film The Accidental Husband as Ajay. Jeff is now involved in ocean protection advocacy. He also sells different types of fish and seafood at his E-Fish market.
Carter Jenkins as Joey Bullock
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: September 4, 1991
- Age: 34 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Tampa, Florida, United States
- Social media: Instagram
Carter Jenkins was 13 years old when he played Joey Bullock in Bad News Bears 2005. He has since featured in numerous films and shows, including Aliens in the Attic, Valentine's Day, Famous in Love, and Women of the Movement.
Jenkins is still active as an actor. His latest major role was as Robert Freeman in the 'After' film series, including After We Fell (2021), After Ever Happy (2022), and After Everything (2023).
Kenneth K.C. Harries as Ahmad Abdul Rahim
Source: Instagram
Kenneth K.C. Harries had few on-screen acting roles after portraying Ahmad Abdul Rahim in Bad News Bears 2005. He was a sound operator in the 2015 short film No Greater Love and co-wrote the 2020 short film Going Up alongside Kyle Dancy. He had a minor role as Wayman's Bar Patron in the 2020 movie Miss Juneteenth.
Seth Adkins as Jimmy
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: October 30, 1989
- Age: 35 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Seth Adkins started acting as a child in the mid-1990s with minor roles in Titanic, Small Talk, and ER. He was 15 when he played Jimmy in Bad News Bears 2005. He later transitioned to grown-up roles in Let Me In (2010), 12 Strong (2018), and Better Call Saul (2020). Adkins is still active as an actor.
Pancho Moler as Kevin
Source: Getty Images
- Date of birth: August 7, 1976
- Age: 49 years old (as of September 2025)
- Place of birth: Santiago, Chile
- Social media: Instagram
Pancho Moler was the first professional little person skateboarder, but switched to an entertainment career after a back injury. He has appeared in numerous films and shows like Breaking Wind, 31, My Trip Back to the Dark Side, and 3 From Hell.
His latest roles were in the 2025 films 'Infernal' as Dirty Merle and 'The Last Gunfight' as Timothy Mandrake. Pancho Moler is also active as a stand-up comedian.
Where was Bad News Bears with Billy Bob Thornton filmed?
The Billy Bob Thornton baseball movie was filmed entirely in and around Los Angeles, mostly within the San Fernando Valley. The baseball scenes were shot at Franklin Fields and Mid Valley Fields.
Source: Getty Images
Wrapping up
The members of the Bad News Bears 2005 cast may now be on different paths, but their antics on the baseball diamond are still a classic. The little leaguers did not work together after the film, as some built on their childhood fame and others left the spotlight.
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