rewrite the sentence Where Cool Runnings cast are now – shock early death after 100lb weight loss to Real Housewives cameo and Madonna link as a SEO friendly short heading

WITH its inspiring tale of triumph over adversity, Cool Runnings remains one of the greatest feel-good flicks of the 90s.

The Disney hit, loosely based on Jamaica’s first bobsleigh team and their debut at the 1988 Winter Olympics, raked in over £129million at the box office.

It’s been 30 years since Cool Runnings came outCredit: Alamy

This month marks 30 years since the film, starring comedian John Candy, hit cinemas. 

But what happened next to the cast? From a tragic premature death to surprising career changes, we look at where they are now.

Dernice Bannock

Team leader Dernice Bannock was played by Leon Robinson, now 60.

He rose to fame as the seductive ‘Black Jesus’ statue which came to life and kissed Madonna in her controversial 1989 music video for Like A Prayer.

Leon Robinson has continued to act and sings in a reggae group

After the film the actor – known just as Leon – appeared in the film Above The Rim alongside the rapper Tupac Shakur, and in a 1998 TV series about The Temptations.

In 2000 he took the lead role in the TV movie Little Richard, earning an Emmy nomination.

Other notable hits include being in prison drama Oz and 50 Cent’s movie Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.

Leon has also made music and performs in the reggae band Leon And The Peoples.

He shares a 22-year-old daughter, Noelle, with his Real Housewives of Atlanta star ex-fiancée Cynthia Bailey. They separated in 2003 after four years but remain on friendly terms.

Leon also dated model Ebony McIver but is now settled down with artist Patricia Blanchet.

Sanka Coffie

Doug E Doug brought Sanka to life and has since has a varied career

Doug E Doug played Sanka Coffie, a laidback character who brought comic relief – along with his trusty lucky egg – to the Cool Runnings film. 

Prior to the role he worked the stand-up comedy circuit from the age of 17 and appeared in films including Mo’ Better Blues and Jungle Fever.

After Cool Runnings, Doug was hired for another Disney film, Operation Dumbo Drop, and has continued to tot up more acting credits.

He’s appeared in everything from Diagnosis Murder to Law & Order: SVU, Shark Tale and Eight Legged Freaks. 

Doug, 53, still does comedy and released his debut novel The Fall of ’87: A Dope Novel in 2020.

Yul Brenner

Malik Yoba appeared in hits including Arrested Development, Alphas and Empire

Malik Yoba is one of the most successful stars to emerge from Cool Runnings, having landed several big TV roles since.

He played NYPD Detective JC Williams in New York Undercover and has since appeared in Alphas, Revolution, Arrested Development, The Good Wife and Designated Survivor.

The Yul Brenner star, now 55, has also seen his share of personal drama, including being fired from Empire for reasons including alleged drug use, which he denied.

He also faced backlash for allegedly outing co-star Jussie Smollet during a Q&A with Blackfilm.com. He later denied it, claiming he’d been misquoted, but Jussie confirmed he was gay less than a month later.

In 2019, Malik revealed he was attracted to trans women and described himself as “trans attracted” in an Instagram post that he has since deleted.

Junior Bevill

Rawle D Lewis wasn’t initially intended to be in Cool Runnings

Rawle D Lewis was initially hired on Cool Runnings to help “coach the players in authentic accents” and read lines with them, but after recognising his talent producers asked him to do a screen test.

After playing Junior Bevill in Cool Runnings, his career stalled when numerous TV pilots he acted in didn’t make it to screen.

Rawle’s biggest appearances since have included Narcos: Mexico, Spy Hard – alongside Leslie Nielson – and the Kevin Spacey movie K-Pax.

Now 49, he continues to act and perform stand-up on the comedy circuit. 

Josef Gruhl

Even cold-hearted Josef Gruhl was clapping for the Jamaican team in the end

Peter Outerbridge played “East German bad guy” Josef Gruhl, the leader of the German bobsled team, who eventually rooted for his Jamaican rivals.

Since the film the actor’s bagged big parts including William Easton in Saw VI, Detective William Murdoch in The Murdoch Mysteries, and a recurring role in 24.

The 56-year-old has more than 135 acting credits to his name for acting in Lucky Number Slevin, The Batwoman TV series and 12 Monkeys. 

Coach Irv Blitzer

Cool Runnings was one of John Candy’s final performances

John Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of coach Irv Blitzer went down in history – sadly, because it was the last film he appeared in before he died.  

The actor, 43, left behind a legacy of impressive hits including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Spaceballs, Uncle Buck and Home Alone. 

John died of a heart attack during a filming break for the old west comedy Wagon’s East, in Mexico, in 1995.

Before he passed away the actor was concerned about his weight and had managed to lose 7st 2lb (100lb) while preparing for a new film.

Factors behind his death included his size, smoking a packet of cigarettes a day, being a heavy drinker, cocaine use and a family history of heart problems.