Sigourney Weaver Reveals Why She “Can’t Imagine” Heartbreakers Sequel
Sigourney Weaver isn’t quite ready for the heartbreak of this sequel.
The Avatar actress shared that while she would love to revisit her and Jennifer Love Hewitt’s 2001 comedy Heartbreakers, it feels impossible to do so without late costars Gene Hackman, Ray Liotta and Anne Bancroft, who have all died since the film’s release.
“It’s such a great story—it’s one of my favorite movies,” Weaver exclusively told E! News’ Will Marfuggi at Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu’s May 14 premiere in Los Angeles. “I can’t imagine not having our original team together.”
In the film, Weaver and Hewitt played a mother and daughter who work together to scam wealthy men. They team up for one last con in order to pay off the IRS, but trouble arises when Hewitt’s character begins to fall for her mark—an acting experience Hewitt said was “one of the most incredible moments in my life!”
“I’m so glad Jennifer remembers it with as much affection as I do,” Weaver told E!, “because I’m very proud of it.”
In fact, the 76-year-old revealed that her upcoming Tomb Raider costar Phoebe Waller Bridge is a fan of the film as well, saying, “The movie of mine she loves the most is Heartbreakers.”
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While Weaver fondly remembered her late costars of the comedy classic, she’s also found herself quite fond of one of her newest costars: Grogu, the Force-sensitive alien from the Star Wars franchise. And despite the character being a puppet, Weaver felt that he was 100 percent real.
“I sat with him for two or three hours doing the first scene, I didn’t see any puppeteers,” she recalled. “They were all under the table keeping him alive for me, so that we could have this scene where I kind of have to get a good look at him.”
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And Grogu isn’t just an adorable puppet. As Weaver shared, “He will surprise you.”
“He looks like a little creature eating, happy-go-lucky guy,” she said, “but I think he’s got much more of a warrior in him than we think.”
While you wait to see more of Grogu in The Mandalorian and Grogu—in theaters May 22—keep reading to learn more about Weaver’s Heartbreakers costars.
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Sigourney Weaver
Well before taking on the role of conwoman matriarch Max, the Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee was already a screen legend, thanks to her genre-defining turn as Ripley in the Alien franchise, along with her roles in Working Girl, Ghostbusters and Gorillas in the Mist.
Weaver has since appeared in the highest grossing movie of all-time (2009’s Avatar), lent her voice to beloved animated movies (Finding Dory and Wall-E) and made the transition to TV with 2012’s Political Animals.
Married to stage director Jim Simpson since 1984, Weaver welcomed her daughter Charlotte in 1990.
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Jennifer Love Hewitt
Hewitt was one of the biggest teen stars in the ’90s, breaking out on Fox’s Party of Five and fronting the successful I Know What You Did Last Summer film franchise.
After starring as Page, a con-woman-with-a-heart-of-gold, Hewitt landed the lead role on The Ghost Whisperer in 2005, a supernatural drama that ran for five seasons on CBS. She followed that show up with The Client List and Criminal Minds before joining 9-1-1 in season two as 911 operator Maddie Buckley Kendall, replacing Connie Britton.
Married to Brian Hallisay since 2013, Hewitt has three children, Autumn, born in 2013, Atticus, born in 2015, and Aidan, born in 2021.
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Jason Lee
Well, his name became Earl.
After playing JLH’s bartender beau Jack, the former professional skateboarder went on to front the hit Fox sitcom My Name Is Earl, earning two Golden Globe nominations during the show’s four-year run.
Lee also starred in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film franchise and reprised the role of Brodie Bruce in 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. He most recently guest starred on The Residence.
He wed Ceren Alkaç in 2008 and the couple have three children, daughters Casper and Alberta and son Sonny. Lee also has a son, Pilot Inspektor, from a previous relationship with actress Beth Riesgraf.
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Sarah Silverman
After playing bartender Linda, the comedian went on to star and producer her own Comedy Central show, The Sarah Silverman Program, which earned Silverman an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy during its three-year run. She’d later host her own Hulu talk show, I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman, which ended in 2018.
Silverman has released several hit stand-up specials, winning an Emmy for 2014’s We Are Miracles, and she’s been nominated twice for Best Comedy Album at the Grammys.
Silverman also voiced Vanellope von Schweetz in the Wreck-It Ralph movies and guest-starred on the Showtime series’ Masters of Sex.
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Zach Galifianakis
Eight years before to landing his breakout role in 2009’s The Hangover, Galifianakis appeared in Heartbreakers as Bill, Jack’s best friend.
He has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand comedic actors, starring in Due Date, Keeping Up With the Joneses and Between Two Ferns: The Movie. He also co-created and starred in FX’s Baskets, voiced a character in Netflix’s animated hit Big Mouth and guest starred on Only Murders in the Building.
He married Quinn Lundberg in 2012 and the couple have two sons.
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Kevin Nealon
The same year the Saturday Night Live alum had a small role as one of the Conners’ marks, he also had a cameo in Joe Dirt. A regular in Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison films, Nealon has appeared in Little Nicky, Anger Management, Grandma’s Boy, Just Go With It and Blended.
He’d go on to play Doug Wilson for eight seasons on Showtime’s hit dramedy Weeds, and in 2016 Nealon began starring alongside Matt LeBlanc on the CBS sitcom Man With a Plan. He’s also hosted his own web series, Hiking With Kevin and starred again with Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2.
Nealon married actress Susan Yeagley in 2005 and they welcomed their son Gable two years later.
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Gene Hackman
Hackman’s turn as the Conners’ wealthy mark William B. Tensy served as one of the two-time Oscar winner’s last on-screen roles before retiring from acting. He also starred in Behind Enemy Lines and The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001, the same year Heartbreakers was released, and made his final film appearance in 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport.
In 2016, he actor served as the narrator for the Smithsonian Channel special The Unknown Flag Raiser of Iwo Jima. Hackman also wrote several historical fiction novels.
In 2025 both he and wife of 34 years classical pianist Betsy Arakawa were found death in their New Mexico home. He was 95 and she was 65.
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Ray Liotta
The Goodfellas and Rat Pack star played Max’s mark-turned-husband-turned-real love interest Dean in the 2001 film, the same year he released both Hannibal and Blow.
Liotta went on to appear in films such as Wild Hogs, Charlie St. Cloud, Killing Them Softly and Muppets Most Wanted. He also starred in the Western miniseries Texas Rising for The History Channel in 2015 and narrated AMC’s The Making of the Mob.
He starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the NBC drama Shades of Blue for three seasons and also appeared in The Many Saints of Newark, HBO’s film prequel to The Sopranos.
Liotta shared daughter Karsen (an actress on Shades of Blue) with his ex-wife, producer Michelle Grace.
He died in 2022 at the age of 67.
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