What The Cast Of Dead Or Alive Looks Like Today

Released in 2006, the film version of Tecmo's Dead or Alive fighting video game series didn't exactly please critics. In fact, prior to its release in the United States, it brought in very low business overseas, leading to The Weinstein Co. only releasing it to 505 theaters stateside and neglecting to screen it for critics, which certainly contributed to its poor box office. Much like the game series it's based upon, DOA is exceedingly more interested in gratuitous amounts of fan service than it is in silly things like "plot" and "character development." In many ways, it's actually kind of a faithful adaptation of the source material. 

The most recent film directed by genuinely rad martial arts choreographer extraordinaire Corey Yuen, DOA is mostly remembered (when it's remembered at all) as campy and fun, but ultimately a pretty terrible flick. 

Still, the movie boasted a pretty wild cast made up of models, professional wrestlers, and veteran character actors sleepwalking their way to a paycheck (and wearing a mighty fine selection of kimonos, Mr. Roberts). So, what is the cast of Dead or Alive up to these days? It's time to catch up with some of the familiar faces who joined the tournament on Victor Donovan's island.

Already an accomplished model before she hit the silver screen, Devon Aoki has had a decent presence in action films in the past. Her breakout role was in 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, in which she played Suki, the female street racer who runs her own girl gang pit crew. She also memorably portrayed the silent Miho in 2004's big-screen adaptation of Frank Miller's Sin City, directed by Robert Rodriguez and Miller. In Dead or Alive, Aoki portrayed Kasumi, the warrior princess who comes to the the tournament to find her long-lost brother (no, not superstar DJ Steve Aoki, who actually is her real-life half-brother). 

In the years since the release of DOA, Aoki has mostly stuck to modeling, only occasionally dipping her toes back into film. Her last acting role in a film was 2009's Shakespeare-inspired vampire comedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead. That's not for lack of trying, though. For various reasons, mostly involving scheduling, Aoki was cast and subsequently replaced in both Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (with Jamie Chung taking on the role of Miho) and the third season of Arrow (with Rila Fukushima replacing her as Katana before the start of filming).

In DOA, Australian actress and singer Holly Valance starred as Christie, a brilliant thief and assassin who enters the tournament as part of a plot to rob Vincent Donovan, the villain of the film. In Valance's film debut, she was introduced in the movie's most gratuitously "cheesecake-y" sequence, during which she battles a group of armed men while clothed only in a towel.

In the years since Dead or Alive, Valance has continued acting, including landing a role in the smash-hit Liam Neeson action film Taken. In 2012, she married British property developer Nick Candy, with whom she has children. She has also continued occasionally singing professionally, recording vocals for Andy Clockwise's 2014 single "Hopeless," which was later included on his 2016 EP The Good Book.

Valance's husband was taken to court in 2017 after he was accused of extortion and several other offenses by a former friend and business associate. Though the judge eventually dismissed all of the charges against Nick Candy and his brother, the judge was quoted as saying, "None of the protagonists emerge from the trial with great credit," due to the many revelations about the Candys' business practices that came out during the trial.

The brother of Julia Roberts, Eric Roberts was easily the largest name attached to the Dead or Alive film adaptation. With over 500 credits to his name, Roberts is easily one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood. This seems largely due to his willingness to work on any project, from prestige films like The Dark Knight to straight-to-video dreck like A Talking Cat?!

In DOA, Roberts plays Victor Donovan, the eccentric billionaire who hosts the Dead or Alive tournament on his private island. However, the tournament is all part of Donovan's Space Jam-esque ploy to analyze and steal the abilities of every fighter who comes to the tournament. Those abilities are then programmed into a pair of high-tech sunglasses that Donovan wears, which imbue him with unparalleled martial arts prowess. No, none of this was made up for this article. Yes, it's hilarious.

In 2010, Eric Roberts appeared on the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, in which he attempted to kick his dependence on marijuana. Since the show, Roberts' wife has said she believes his appearance on Rehab and willingness to put his struggle out there for the world to see has led to more support from the Hollywood community, with better offers coming afterwards.

Matthew Marsden played the equally-alliteratively-named Maximillian Marsh, Christie's partner in crime. Prior to Dead or Alive, Marsden was mostly known to British audiences for his role in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street. He also briefly dabbled in a music career, releasing a few hit singles across the pond. One of these songs, "She's Gone," featured backing vocals from none other than Beyonce Knowles, an experience that Marsden has referred to as "remarkable and wonderful." His music career ended after a dispute with his record label led to them parting ways.

Since then, Marsden has had roles in films as diverse as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Atlas Shrugged: Part I. In 2018, he made his directorial debut with the action film I Am That Man. During the production of I Am That Man, in which he also stars, Marsden worked closely with military veterans to accurately portray the difficulties faced by soldiers attempting to reintegrate with society after coming home from war.

In the mid-2000s, Jaime Pressly was best known for her then-recent comedic roles, like in Joe Dirt or My Name Is Earl. In fact, Pressly's performance in My Name Is Earl earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series just one year after Dead or Alive was released! In Dead or Alive, Pressly plays professional wrestler Tina Armstrong. She enters the tournament as a way of leaving her wrestling career behind and proving her legitimacy as a fighter.

Jaime Pressly continues to have a fruitful career in film and television. 2011 was a particularly difficult year for her, though. She was arrested on suspicion of a DUI and went through a divorce not long after. Though she was on probation for three years, Pressly ended up not having to serve any jail time. 

Pressly bounced back within the next few years with a supporting role on CBS sitcom Mom.

Natassia Malthe, who played the mysterious assassin Ayane in DOA, has actually been in more video game adaptations than anyone else in this cast. Her resume includes four in total, three of which were directed by the film business' self-proclaimed "only genius," Uwe Boll (you know, the guy who made House of the Dead and challenged his critics to a boxing match). In addition to taking over for Kristanna Loken as Rayne in the sequels to 2005's Bloodrayne, Malthe has also been in a few films of a higher profile. In 2018, she had a supporting role in the film Alpha, playing the mother of the film's main character.

In 2017, Natassia Malthe joined several other women in accusing former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. In the press conference where she came forward with her story, she told reporters, "Actresses should not have to demean themselves to be successful."

Though there has never been a Ninja Gaiden film, series protagonist Ryu Hyabusa is a regular character in the Dead or Alive films. Ryu finally made the jump to live-action as a supporting character in DOA, where he was portrayed by Kane Kosugi. A friend of Kasume, Ryu follows her to the island and finds himself caught up in the action. In 2006, Kosugi was no stranger to the world of martial arts films. The son of martial artist and actor Sho Kosugi, Kane Kosugi was already well-established in the action genre, with roles in action movies and television dating back to 1983's Revenge of the Ninja. Heck, he was Ninja Black in the Japanese series Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, from which footage was recycled into the third season of America's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Kosugi still works in martial arts films, including another video game adaptation, 2014's Tekken: Kazuya's Revenge, wherein he portrayed the titular character. He has also gained a following as a Twitch streamer, regularly playing games like League of Legends for his fans.

Before his supporting role in DOA, in which he plays Donovan's tech expert Weatherby, Steve Howey had been playing the character of Van on the sitcom Reba, a role he continued to play until the series' end in 2007. He has possibly enjoyed his greatest success as a regular cast member on the Showtime series Shameless, where he plays the character Kevin Ball. 

Despite the steady flow of work, Howey's career hasn't been devoid of controversy. In fact, the actor often finds himself in the middle of some very curious scandals. In 2016, Howey and his wife, actress Sarah Shahi, were sued by their former nanny. The nanny accused the couple of wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and emotional abuse, even claiming that Howey ridiculed her Muslim faith on numerous occasions. 

Howey then caused quite a bit of confusion in the following year, when he tweeted, "I'm gay and proud." He went on to explain that he was trying to make a statement against toxic masculinity. In an interview with CBS, he explained his thought process, saying, "I'm a friend, I'm an ally, and it was just something I felt like doing at the time. I didn't really care about the consequences ... I just wanted to show some unity."

Sarah Carter played Helena Douglas, the daughter of the deceased founder of the Dead or Alive tournament and love interest to Weatherby. Prior to DOA, Sarah Carter had several roles in film and television, including three episodes of Smallville.

Since then, Carter has found quite a bit of success in several realms of entertainment. On the acting front, she was a regular on the James Woods-starring legal drama Shark. Upon that show's cancellation, she landed a starring role in TNT's science-fiction epic Falling Skies, following that with a recurring role on DirecTV's Rogue and an arc on the reboot of Hawaii Five-0. In 2018, she appeared in an episode of Law & Order: SVU that was based on the exploits of the NXIVM cult, playing a character inspired by former Smallville co-star Allison Mack.

As a musician, Carter has released three albums with a band called SanguinDrake, as well as as a solo album entitled Before Three. When asked how she balances music and acting, Carter replied, "It's great, I've got the best of both worlds."

Even before Dead or Alive, Kevin Nash was a fixture in genre television and movies. Best known as a wrestler, he had also previously been featured in such films as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret of the Ooze (as Super Shredder) and 2004's The Punisher (as the Russian). In DOA, Nash played Bass Armstrong, Tina's father and fellow wrestler. 

Nash has stayed very busy in the years following DOA, with roles in the first John Wick film and both Magic Mike movies. He is a regular fixture in WWE video games and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. In an interview prior to his induction, Nash said of his career, "It's been a long 25 years, but this business has been great to me. Without wrestling, there's no way I'd be where I am today." Nash has been vocal in his support of gay men in the sport of wrestling.

In his personal life, Nash experienced a bit of legal trouble when he was arrested after a physical altercation with his son. Nash's attorney explained that he was trying to defend his wife after she was shoved by their son, after which all charges against Nash were dropped.