The love for The Grinch always spikes during the holiday season — and this year marks a major milestone. How the Grinch Stole Christmas hit theaters on November 17, 2000, making it 25 years since Jim Carrey first brought Dr. Seuss’ classic story to life on the big screen. The green grump has only become more beloved with time, continuing to dominate holiday TV schedules, TikTok makeup tutorials, and endless meme culture.
Dr. Seuss’ tale has been reimagined many times over the decades, but there’s still nothing quite like Carrey’s iconic take on the Christmas curmudgeon. In honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at the Whos of Whoville and where the cast is now — including Taylor Momsen, who went from sweet little Cindy Lou Who to full-blown rockstar.
See the cast then and now below.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey starred as the one and only Grinch in the 2000 film. Jim completely transformed into the iconic holiday character, spending 2 hours in the makeup chair at the start of the day, and one hour after filming was over. The Grinch remains one of Jim’s most beloved roles.
In the years after How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Jim starred in notable films like Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and more. He starred in the hit film Sonic the Hedgehog in 2020 and reprised the role of Dr. Robotnik in the sequel.
Jim returned to television for the Showtime series Kidding, which ran for 2 seasons. Jim was nominated for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2019. He portrayed Joe Biden during SNL season 26.
Jim dated Jenny McCarthy from 2005 to 2010. He met Cathriona White in 2012. Cathriona died by suicide in 2015. Jim was a pallbearer at her funeral. He dated Ginger Gonzaga for less than a year.
Taylor Momsen
Taylor Momsen was just 7 years old when she starred as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She went on to appear in other films in the years after playing Cindy Lou, but her big break wouldn’t come until 2007 when she was cast as Jenny Humphrey on Gossip Girl.
Taylor ended up leaving the series after season 4 in 2011. That same year, Taylor announced she was quitting acting to focus on her music career. She did return for the Gossip Girl series finale in 2012. In 2023, Taylor reunited with her Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley for an episode of his Podcrushed podcast.
Since then Taylor has fully transitioned into music as the frontwoman of The Pretty Reckless. In September 2025 the band released “For I Am Death” — their first new song in four years — signaling a new era.
Christine Baranski
Christine Baranski starred as Martha May Whovier in the classic holiday film. Following How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christine appeared in films like Chicago, A Bad Moms Christmas, as well as Mamma Mia! and its sequel.
Her most defining TV role has been Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife (2009–2016), for which she earned multiple Emmy nominations, followed by the spinoff The Good Fight (2017–2022). More recently, she’s starred as Agnes van Rhijn in The Gilded Age (2022 – present), whose third season wrapped in 2025 with record viewership.
Behind the scenes, Christine continues to earn accolades: she will receive the Achievement in Television Excellence Award at the 2025 ATX TV Festival.
On the personal front, Christine was married to actor and playwright Matthew Cowles until his death in 2014; they have two daughters together, Isabel and Lily.
Jeffrey Tambor
Jeffrey Tambor played Mayor Augustus MayWho, the Grinch’s nemesis. His other notable roles include Tom Manning in the Hellboy movies and Sid Garner in The Hangover trilogy.
Jeffrey starred in the Amazon Prime Video series Transparent as Maura Pfefferman, a divorced transgender woman. The actor won a Golden Globe and 2 Emmys for his performance. Following allegations of sexual misconduct, Jeffrey was fired from the show and did not return for its fifth season.
The actor starred as George Bluth Sr. in the series Arrested Development. The show originally ran from 2003 to 2006. Netflix picked up the show for a fourth season in 2013. Jeffrey returned for the fifth season of Arrested Development in 2019 despite the allegations against him.
Jeffrey married his wife Kasia Ostlun in 2001. They have 4 children together.
Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon played Betty Lou Who, Cindy Lou Who’s mom. Molly was already a famous comedian when she was cast in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In the year after the holiday film was released, Molly left Saturday Night Live.
Molly has starred in movies like Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Private Life, and more. Molly has balanced both comedic and dramatic roles. She’s also voiced the role of Wanda in the Hotel Transylvania film series and starred in the HBO comedy series Divorce, which ran for 3 seasons. Recently, she starred in The White Lotus, The Other Two, and I Love That For You.
The actress married Fritz Chestnut in 2004. They have two children together.
Bill Irwin
Bill Irwin starred as Lou Lou Who, Cindy’s father. Bill went on to recur on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He’s best known as Mr. Noodle, who appears in the “Elmo’s World” segments on Sesame Street.
His notable film roles include Interstellar, Across the Universe, and Rachel Getting Married. Bill also starred in the FX series Legion, which ran from 2017 to 2019. The actor also appeared in the TV series The Dropout and films like Spoiler Alert and Rustin.
