Ready to feel old? It has been 20 years since Vin Diesel set out to prove that Dominic Toretto wasn’t his only character willing to risk life and limb in the name of a good time. With the introduction of 2002’s xXx, and main character Xander Cage, Diesel etched out a place for himself in Hollywood as an action star who would come back time and time again to kick ass, pull off logic-defying stunts like driving cars off bridges, and drink more SoBe than a turn-of-the-century teenager could take down at the local skate park. But, what about the rest of the xXx cast? What have they been up to lately the past couple of decades?
Sure, there are stars like Samuel L. Jackson, who has continued to have rising star power in the years since appearing in Rob Cohen’s energy drink-fueled answer to 007 and other spy franchises. Then there are those lesser known names who made up the rest of the xXx cast. What have they been up to? Well, since there’s no such thing as too much xXx, let’s spend a few minutes getting up to speed with all of those familiar faces…
Vin Diesel (Xander Cage)
Vin Diesel wasn’t even a year removed from becoming one of the biggest names in young Hollywood when he snowboarded down an avalanche in xXx, and he hasn’t really stopped since then. Following his return to the Fast and Furious franchise in the 2009 soft reboot, Diesel has appeared as Dominic Toretto in six additional movies with another on the way: Fast X, which is slated to open in theaters in May 2023.. It hasn’t been all muscle cars and insane stunts for the action star over the years, though, as he has lent his voice to Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and other Marvel Cinematic Universe properties. Diesel will reprise the role again first in the Disney+ animated series, I Am Groot, and then again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is slated to open in theaters on May 5, 2023. Acting isn’t the only venture of Vin Diesel’s, as the star made his first foray into the music world with his single “Feel Like I Do,” which premiered on the The Kelly Clarkson Show in September 2020.
Samuel L. Jackson (Augustus Gibbons)
A little more than half a decade after Samuel L. Jackson brought NSA official Augustus Gibbons to life in xXx (followed by its two sequels), the Academy Award-nominated actor entered the most successful and visible portion of his legendary career: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Starting with 2008’s Iron Man and pretty much every major MCU movie since, Jackson brought a level of gravitas to the role of Nick Fury. Though Jackson hasn’t appeared in a Marvel movie since 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, we can expect to see a lot more of him in the future with various MCU projects, including the Secret Invasion series on Disney+.
In recent years, Jackson has also appeared in everything from horror films like Spiral: From the Book of Saw, to buddy action comedies like Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. He was also a major player in the Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank cast in the summer of 2022.
Asia Argento (Yelena)
Asia Argento was already a well-established star by the time she took on the role of Russian intelligence agent Yelena in xXx, thanks in part to being the child of Italian horror icon Dario Argento and actress Daria Nicolodi, and continued with the Argento legacy in the years following. In addition to appearing in 2004’s Land of the Dead (written and directed by her father’s longtime friend, the late George A. Romero) as well as other horror flicks, Argento showed up in movies like Marie Antoinette and Misunderstood, serving as writer and director of the latter.
The Italian actress stepped away from acting in 2014 to focus on writing and directing, but found herself in the tabloids following the death of her boyfriend, the chef and television host Anthony Bourdain in 2018. Asia Argento’s name also came up in the Harvey Weinstein scandal as well, the same year as Bourdain’s suicide. Argento later returned to acting, and has since appeared in movies like Agony, Sans Soleil, and Dark Glasses, which was directed by her legendary father.
Marton Csokas (Yorgi)
After watching Marton Csokas’ portrayal of Yorgi, the former Soviet soldier who formed the Anarchy 99 terrorist group in xXx, it’s surprising to discover that the actor isn’t from somewhere from behind what used to be the Iron Curtain, but instead from New Zealand. Before and after appearing in Rob Cohen’s spy thriller, Csokas appeared in the first and third chapters of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which he portrayed Lord Celeborn.
In the years since his character met and untimely death in 2002’s xXx, Marton Csokas has also made appearances in movies like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and The Equalizer, as well as shows like the 2020 series, The Luminaries, in which he appeared as one of the main characters, Francis Carver. Csokas also showed up in Ridley Scott’s 2021 historical drama, The Last Duel.
Danny Trejo (El Jefe)
Danny Trejo wasn’t quite the pop culture phenomenon he is today when he appeared as El Jefe, the drug cartel member with an affinity for torture in xXx, but he was already an established badass in Hollywood thanks to his ongoing collaborations with Robert Rodriguez. In the years following Trejo’s brief appearance in the 2002 action thrill ride, he has appeared in scores, if not hundreds of movies, television shows, commercials, and random videos, so much so he’s entered a class of his own.
And it’s not just B-movies or horror flicks that have seen Danny Trejo over the years, as the man with a hardened exterior has made a name for himself in family friendly movies as well, including the incredibly successful Minions: The Rise of Gru which raked in a ton of cash following its July 2022 release.
Michael Roof (Agent Toby Lee Shavers)
Michael Roof looked to be having a promising career following his performance as NSA Agent Toby Lee Shavers, the tech and weapon whiz who helped Xander Cage in xXx, but his life would end tragically just a few years later. His career included appearances in the Black Hawk Down cast, XXX: State of the Union, The Dukes of Hazzard, and a short-lived reality show called Raising the Roofs. Roof passed away in June 2009 at the age of 32, according to the Ocala Star Banner newspaper.
Richy Müller (Milan Sova)
Milan Sova, the greed-driven double agent who turns on Xander Cage and sides with Anarchy 99 in xXx, is portrayed by Richy Müller, a German television and movie star. Despite being an irredeemable scumbag in the 2002 thriller, Müller has appeared in a number of family friendly and straight up children’s movies over the years, with his most recent effort being the 2019 German drama series, Skyline. Besides xXx, Müller hasn’t appeared in too many big budget English-speaking features, but he’ll always be Milan Sova to those obsessed with Xander Cage’s first rodeo.
Werner Daehn (Kirill)
You can’t have a list of the xXx cast without including some of the most memorable henchmen of the movie, and what would that list be without the inclusion of Kirill, the sharpshooter whose smoking habit literally killed him, portrayed by Werner Daehn. The German-born actor, who would go on to appear in films like Speed Racer and Valkyrie, most recently appeared in the 2019 thriller, The Operative.
Petr Jákl (Kolya)
Next there is Kolya, yet another member of Anarchy 99 who meets his maker after one too many encounters with Xander Cage. Petr Jákl, the actor responsible for bringing the younger brother of central antagonist Yorgi to the screen, like his character, is a bonafide badass, having competed in the European Judo Championships on three separate occasions (1995, 1998, 2000) before turning his focus to acting. In addition to appearing in xXx, Jákl has also shown up in movies like Eurotrip and Alien vs Predator, as well as the 2018 video game, Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Jákl is currently directing the 2022 historical drama, Medieval, which stars Ben Foster, Michael Caine, and xXx co-star, Werner Daehn.
Jan Pavel Filipensky (Viktor)
Jan Pavel Filipensky, who portrays an Anarchy 99 member and best friend of the group’s leader in xXx is probably best remembered for meeting his maker during that bonkers avalanche scene. Outside of being covered in several hundred feet of snow, the Czech actor has appeared in things like Alien vs. Predator, Everything is Illuminated, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, though he has also appeared in spy thrillers like Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.
Tom Everett (Senator Dick Hotchkiss)
What about Senator Dick Hotchkiss from the opening minutes of xXx? You know, the guy with the bright red car that is stolen by Xander Cage to prove some kind of point to the world. In addition to appearing in movies like Pearl Harbor, The Island, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (in which he played the 1935-1937 version of the titular character), Everett has shown up in television programs like Criminal Minds,and NCIS. He most recently appeared on the Hulu series Helstrom and the 2021 Netflix movie, The Starling.
William Hope (Agent Roger Donnan)
And then there is William Hope, who plays NSA administrator Roger Donnan in the early goings of xXx, although only briefly seen interacting with Samuel L. Jackson’s Augustus Gibbons when they agreed to the XXX program. If Hope’s face looks familiar it’s because he played Lieutenant Anson in James Cameron’s Aliens. Hope would later play various characters within the Alien video games, including the acclaimed Alien: Isolation in 2014. The veteran voice actor (he’s been in countless Thomas and Friends titles) even appeared in 2020’s Resident Evil 3 remake. His most recent film credit was Netflix’s 2022 Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
This is just a small sampling of the faces and names featured in xXx. With everyone from extreme sports legends like Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman, as well as early 2000s hip hop star Eve all appearing in small roles in the beginning of the movie, xXx is more like a time capsule to the early days of the 21st Century than anything else. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing more of Vin Diesel’s adrenaline junkie spy, Xander Cage, if the long-in-the-works XXX 4 finally enters production.
