Crossroads cast ages: How old were Britney Spears and more then (and now)?

It's been a while, and Crossroads shouldn't have kept us waiting, but it's on Netflix now. (Britney fans will get that reference.) After years and years of being nearly impossible to track down, Britney Spears' one and only starring role in a major movie has returned to pop culture in a big way, landing a coveted streaming deal 22 years after its initial release in 2002.

In the movie, which was written by Grey's Anatomy and Bridgerton mastermind Shonda Rhimes, Spears plays Lucy, a valedictorian who feels lost after her high school graduation. Pulled in one direction by her helicopter father, Lucy decides to pursue her desire to meet the mother who abandoned her and goes on a life-changing road trip with two estranged friends and a stranger.

Along with Spears in the starring role, the road trip rom-com also features Star Trek star Anson Mount, Avatar star Zoe Saldaña, and Orange Is the New Black star Taryn Manning in the core cast. Beyond those core four cast members, the supporting cast includes Justin Long, Kim Cattrall, and Dan Aykroyd. But how old were the main cast members then and where are they now?

Britney Spears as Lucy Wagner

Britney Spears was born on Dec. 2, 1981, making the Grammy-winning pop icon 42 years old as of February 2024. When she took on the leading role in Crossroads in February 2002, she was 20 years old, just a couple years older than her character Lucy.

Spears wrote in her memoir The Woman in Me that she had also been in contention for Rachel McAdams' role in The Notebook, but ultimately turned down furthering her acting career due to the stress acting as another person put on her. While she never starred in another movie in the same capacity, she later went on to guest star in television series like Will & Grace, How I Met Your Mother, Glee, and Jane the Virgin.

After the 2002 release of the movie, Spears released the following albums: In the Zone (2003), Blackout (2007), Circus (2008), Femme Fatale (2011), Britney Jean (2013), and Glory (2016). The hit albums followed up her first three records ...Baby One More Time (1999), Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), and Britney (2001).

She's one of the best-selling female artists of all time, has five No. 1 singles, and revived the Las Vegas performance scene in the 2010s with her residency Piece of Me. Spears most recently released the singles "Hold Me Closer" with Elton John and "Mind Your Business" with will.i.am, though has expressed her intention to retire from releasing music.

She has two children, Sean Preston (born 2005) and Jayden James (born 2006), with ex-husband Kevin Federline. In 2022, Spears married long-time boyfriend Sam Asghari, who she had been dating since 2016, though they announced their separation in 2023.

Anson Mount as Ben Kimble

Anson Mount was born on Feb. 25, 1973, meaning the Ben actor will turn 51 years old in February 2024. When the movie was released back in February 2002, Mount was about to turn 29 years old. He's almost nine years older than his on-screen girlfriend Britney Spears.

After his role in the coming-of-age road trip rom-com, Mount took on roles in movies such as City by the Sea, The Battle of Shaker Heights, In Her Shoes, Straw Dogs, Safe, Non-Stop, and more. Most recently, Mount took on the role of Black Bolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

On the small screen, Anson Mount has appeared in episodes of Sex and the City, Smallville, Ally McBeal, Third Watch, Lost, and more. He had a starring role in The WB's short-lived drama series The Mountain and later starred in Hell on Wheels and Inhumans. He was a series regular in Star Trek: Discovery and reprised his role as Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Mount has also taken on roles in theatre, worked as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, and published written works. In 2018, he married Darah Trang and in December 2021, they welcomed a daughter.

Zoe Saldaña as Kit

Zoe Saldaña was born on June 19, 1975, making the Kit actress 45 years old as of February 2024. When she starred as one of Spears' on-screen besties in February 2002, Saldaña was 26 years old, a handful of years older than the pop star.

Since starring in the 2002 film, Saldaña's work in movies have earned her the bragging rights of becoming the second-highest grossing film actress and fourth overall with the titles she's starred in raking in a combined $14 billion across the world. The talented star has appeared in the Star Trek movies, the Avatar movies, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and more blockbusters.

She's also starred in The Losers, Takers, Colombiana, The Book of Life, The Adam Project, and more. On the small screen, Saldaña led the Netflix limited series From Scratch and most recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman in Special Ops: Lioness.

In 2023, Saldaña married Marco Perego and the couple took each other's last names with a hyphenate. The couple share three sons together, twins born in 2014 and another son born in 2017.

Taryn Manning as Mimi

Taryn Manning was born on Nov. 6, 1978, making the Mimi actress 45 years old as of February 2024 and the Crossroads cast member closest in age to Britney Spears. When the movie released in February 2002, Manning was 23 years old.

In 2002, Manning also starred alongside Eminem in his movie 8 Mile. She has also appeared in such films as Crazy/Beautiful, Cold Mountain, Hustle & Flow, A Lot Like Love, Low Down, Karen, Miranda's Victim, and more. On television, Manning has appeared in such shows as Drive, Sons of Anarchy, Hawaii Five-0, Burn Notice, Law & Order: SVU, and others.

She had a main role as Pennsatucky in the popular Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black, for which she won three Screen Actors Guild Awards for the ensemble cast's performance. Manning has also ventured into a music career with her band Boomkat as well as other solo releases. Two of her songs, "Send Me Your Love" and "Gltchlfe," have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

Watch Crossroads on Netflix.