Honestly, if you grew up in the early 90s, you probably have a vivid memory of a tiny girl with massive hair and a surprisingly sharp right hook. That was Curly Sue. Released in 1991, it was the final film John Hughes ever directed, which is a wild fact when you realize he’s the guy behind The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Out. But while the movie is a staple of rainy-day cable TV, the journey of the curly sue film cast since then has been anything but a Hollywood fairytale.
Some of these actors became massive sitcom stars. One won a reality singing competition decades later. Another became a United States Senator. Seriously.
The Star Power: Jim Belushi and Kelly Lynch
Most people remember Jim Belushi as the grumpy but lovable dad from According to Jim, but back in '91, he was trying to fill the massive shoes of his brother, John Belushi. In Curly Sue, he played Bill Dancer, a homeless con artist with a heart of gold. It was a weird pivot for him—less "slapstick comedy" and more "sentimental drifter."
Belushi’s career stayed incredibly busy after the film. He basically lived on TV for the better part of the 2000s. These days, he’s actually pivoted again; he spends most of his time running a massive legal cannabis farm in Oregon, which was even the subject of a Discovery Channel reality show called Growing Belushi. It’s a far cry from sleeping in Chicago alleyways with a precocious nine-year-old.
Then you’ve got Kelly Lynch. She played Grey Ellison, the high-powered attorney who goes from cold-hearted to "I’m adopting this child" in about 90 minutes. Lynch was already famous for Road House by the time she did this, and she’s managed to have one of the most consistent "character actor" careers in the business. You might have spotted her in The L Word or more recently in Mr. Mercedes. She’s stayed working, stayed cool, and unlike a lot of child-star stories, she’s been a vocal advocate for the people she worked with on that set.
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Alisan Porter: From Child Star to The Voice
The absolute heart of the curly sue film cast was, of course, Alisan Porter. She was only nine when she got the role. She wasn't just a "cute kid" hire; she had this weirdly mature timing that made the scams she pulled with Belushi actually believable.
But Hollywood is a meat grinder.
After the movie, Porter didn't stay in the spotlight. She actually stepped away from acting because, as she’s said in interviews, it just wasn't fun anymore. She went to high school, did theater, and lived a relatively normal life—until things got dark. Porter has been incredibly open about her battle with alcoholism and drug addiction, which started in her late teens as the spotlight faded.
She’s been sober since 2007, which is an incredible feat.
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The real "wait, that’s her?" moment for most people happened in 2016. Alisan Porter walked onto the stage of NBC’s The Voice, sang a powerhouse version of "Blue Bayou," and got a four-chair turn. She ended up winning the whole thing on Christina Aguilera’s team. Today, she’s a successful singer-songwriter and a mom of three, proving that the "child star curse" isn't a life sentence.
You Probably Missed This: Steve Carell’s Debut
Here is a piece of trivia that usually wins bets: Curly Sue features the film debut of Steve Carell.
He isn't a lead. He doesn't even have a lot of lines. He plays a waiter named Tesio. If you blink, you’ll miss him, but he’s there, credited as "Steven Carell." It’s bizarre to see him in a John Hughes movie before he became the face of The Office or an Oscar nominee. It just goes to show how much talent Hughes could sniff out even for the smallest bit parts.
The Rest of the Crew
The supporting cast was a "who’s who" of that specific era of Chicago filmmaking.
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- Fred Dalton Thompson: He played Bernard Oxbar. Thompson is the only person I know who went from being a character actor in movies like Die Hard 2 and Curly Sue to being a real-life U.S. Senator for Tennessee and a presidential candidate.
- John Getz: He played Walker McCormick, the "villain" boyfriend. He’s the guy you’ve seen in everything from The Fly to Social Network. He basically specialized in playing guys you’re supposed to dislike.
- Ralph Foody: He played a drifter in this movie, but you definitely know him as the "Keep the change, ya filthy animal" gangster from the fake movie in Home Alone.
Why This Cast Still Matters in 2026
Looking back at the curly sue film cast, it’s a snapshot of a very specific moment in cinema. It was the end of the 80s-style "heartwarming comedy" and the beginning of the more cynical 90s. The movie was filmed all over Chicago—from the Music Box Theatre to the Hilton—and it used the city as a character just as much as the actors did.
People still search for these actors because the movie hits a nostalgic nerve. It’s a "comfort food" film. Seeing Alisan Porter overcome her struggles and find her voice (literally) gives the movie a happy ending that happened in real life, not just on the screen.
If you're looking to revisit the magic or see where these folks ended up, here's the best way to do it:
- Watch the 2016 Season of The Voice: It’s honestly the best "sequel" to Curly Sue you could ask for. Seeing "Sue" grow up and command a stage is genuinely moving.
- Check out Growing Belushi: If you want to see what Bill Dancer is up to now, Jim Belushi's life on the farm is a fascinating look at a Hollywood veteran finding peace in a very different industry.
- Support Indie Music: Alisan Porter still releases music independently. Following her on social media or catching a live show is a great way to support an artist who refused to let her childhood role define her entire existence.