Boogie Nights cast and character guide: Who played whom in the 1997 classic?

Leonardo DiCaprio recently confessed that he wanted to headline Boogie Nights, the 1997 comedy-drama film, which was writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's sophomore feature directorial project. Set in the late 1970s, the film oozes with the infectious energy of the disco scene, while it follows the life of an adult film star despite his humble beginnings.

Mark Wahlberg leads the film's ensemble as Dirk Diggler, an up-and-coming star in the p*rn industry. The cast also includes Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, and Heather Graham in crucial roles. Their collaboration turns this splashy and flamboyant showbiz drama into a bittersweet tragedy at its core.

Anderson's intricately plotted screenplay takes its sweet time fleshing out all its characters, revealing layers upon layers of their strengths, insecurities, and frustrations to offer a comprehensive look into the adult film industry. It's a bold and vibrant film that also feels warm and tender while exploring its professional family dynamic.

Let's dive into more details about the Boogie Nights cast and their characters to understand who plays whom in the movie.

Boogie Nights Cast and Characters: Details explored

Mark Wahlberg as Eddie Adams

A still from Boogie Nights (Image via YouTube/HBO Max)

Mark Wahlberg's Eddie Adams gets introduced as an ordinary high-school dropout with a strained relationship with his parents. After getting discovered by a famous adult film director, he becomes an overnight sensation. Dirk Diggler is his stage name, which allows him to enter the spaces that he never thought he would even see in his lifetime.

Boogie Nights was one of Mark Wahlberg's earliest films that put him on the map, paving the way for his action stardom. It offered him one of his most complicated roles, in which he could be vulnerable despite a facade put on by his character. Later, Martin Scorsese's The Departed offered Wahlberg the kind of script where he would command your attention.

Julianne Moore as Maggie

Julianne Moore's Maggie, who goes by the stage name Amber Waves, becomes almost a maternal figure in the shindig put on by Jack Horner, who describes her as "a mother to all those who need love." She becomes a key player in Eddie's rise-and-fall arc throughout the movie as his surrogate parent, going through her own crises.

Often considered one of Julianne Moore's finest films, Boogie Nights offered her a role that is still fondly remembered as one of her more grounded and layered ones. The actress recently starred in the Netflix series Sirens and the Apple Studios film, Echo Valley. In 2015, she won an Oscar for her performance in Still Alice.

Burt Reynolds as Jack Horner

Burt Reynolds's Jack Horner becomes the other half of Eddie's surrogate parent, who offers him the spotlight in his industry. Despite the nature of his profession, he is a stickler for some old-school working disciplines. For example, he prefers to shoot his work only on film stock and not on videotape. He doesn't always see eye to eye with Eddie, but allows him a space to find success.

Apart from this Paul Thomas Anderson film, Burt Reynolds has been a part of several films and television projects, with a career spanning nearly six decades. His TV credits include shows like Evening Shade and Out of This World, while his film credits include Striptease, Smokey and the Bandit, The Longest Yard, and Deliverance, among others.

The supporting cast and characters of Boogie Nights