See 'The Patriot' Cast Now —  Plus, Remembering the Stars Who Have Passed

When it comes to American war movies, The Patriot is at the top of the list for many cinephiles. The movie follows widower and veteran Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) during the American Revolutionary War. The film also starred young talent such as Heath Ledger, Gregory Smith, and Logan Lerman.

The Patriot premiered on June 27, 2000, and grossed $215 million worldwide. So, what is the cast doing today – and which stars have since passed? Keep reading to find out.

Mel Gibson portrays widower Benjamin Martin, who is forced to join the Continental Army after British Colonel William Tavington kills his son.

Mel is known for his work on-screen and behind the camera in war movies, including Braveheart, We Were Soldiers, and Hacksaw Ridge. More recently, Mel starred in Monster Summer and is set to direct the sequel to The Passion of the Christ, The Resurrection of the Christ.

Joely Richardson comes from British theater royalty. She is the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and the sister of the late actress Natasha Richardson.

Following her role as Charlotte Setton, Benjamin's sister-in-law, in The Patriot, she went on to star in the series Nip/Tuck, Snowden, and The Blacklist. Joely is currently appearing in the Apple TV series Surface.

Everyone's favorite villain, Jason Isaacs, portrayed the evil Colonel William Tavington before landing the role of Draco Malfoy's just as evil dad, Lucius Malfoy, in the Harry Potter franchise just two years later.

He most recently stole the spotlight in Season 3 of The White Lotus.

If there is one thing you can count on, it's that Chris Cooper is booked and busy. The actor is one of Hollywood's most prolific character actors, having starred in over 80 films, including The Patriot, Adaptation, and American Beauty.

According to his IMDb, Chris will star alongside Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in the upcoming film The History of Sound.

Actress Lisa Brenner got her start in soap operas such as Guiding Light and Another World before landing her first film role in The Patriot as Heath Ledger's love interest.

Since then, Lisa has continued to act, appearing in TV series such as CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, and Almost Paradise. She is also the proud mom of two children with her husband, Dean Devlin.

Donal Logue's acting credits include Blade, Zodiac, and Grounded for Life. Today, he is starring in the Apple TV series, Duster.

Gregory Smith is best known for his portrayal of Ephram Brown on Everwood. He continues to act on television, more recently appearing in Rookie Blue and Superman & Lois. He is also married to actress Taylor McKay, and the couple shares two kids.

Actress Mika Boorem had a thriving career as a child star in the '90s, starring in movies such as Jack Frost and Mighty Joe Young.

Today, she continues to act and has even directed a few movies.

You might recognize Tcheky Karyo as Bob in La Femme Nikita or Fouchet in Bad Boys before his role in The Patriot. However, the 71-year-old French actor is still going strong, appearing in 2025's Faster.

Before the age of 15, Trevor Morgan had starred alongside Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, Mel Gibson in The Patriot, and Sam Neill in Jurassic Park III.

His acting career has slowed down since the late '90s and early '00s, with his last movie role in 2024's Single Car Crashes. He married actress Paulina Olszynski in 2024, and the couple is expecting their first child in 2025.

Logan Lerman's first movie role was William Martin in The Patriot, and the sky has been the limit since then. Logan has gone on to appear in films such as the Percy Jackson franchise, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Bullet Train.

He has also starred in the Prime series Hunters alongside Al Pacino, and in 2025, he is set to appear in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building.

Heath Ledger was just 20 years old when he starred in The Patriot as Gabriel Martin. Sadly, the actor died just eight years later at the age of 28.

However, his legacy lives on, thanks to his work in Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight, and Knight's Tale — and his daughter with ex Michelle Williams, Matilda.

The youngest of the Martin kids, Skye McCole Bartusiak, was just 7 years old when she starred as the adorable Susan Martin in The Patriot.

The actress, unfortunately, died in 2014 of an accidental overdose. She was just 21 years old.

British actor Tom Wilkinson was a Hollywood veteran before landing the role of Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis in The Patriot, having starred in films such as The Full Monty and Shakespeare in Love.

At the time of his death at the age of 75 in 2023, he had appeared in over 100 films and TV series, and he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

Rene Auberjonois was best known for his roles as Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Clayton Endicott III on Benson before starring in The Patriot.

Sadly, Rene passed away on December 8, 2019, seeking medical aid in dying after being diagnosed with cancer. He was 79 years old.

Jay Arlen Jones is best known for playing Occam, the African-American slave enlisted as a Patriot fighter by his master, in The Patriot.

He died on February 28, 2023, at the age of 68.