Released in 1984, 'Splash' tells the story of Allen (Tom Hanks), a guy who was recently dumped and encounters a beautiful mermaid and promptly falls in love with her. But, of course, there's a catch: after six days of staying on land as a human, she'll have to make a choice to stay on land forever, or return to being a mermaid. It's been almost 30 years since Ron Howard's classic film hit theaters, and today we take a look back at the director and cast of the film to see what they're up to now.

Tom Hanks, Allen Bauer

Buena Vista/Getty Images
Buena Vista/Getty Images
loading...

Then: Tom Hanks played Allen Bauer, the film's protagonist who encounters a mermaid as a young boy and meets her again as an adult, falling in love with her. Hanks has said that he was the 11th choice for the part -- John Travolta, Michael Keaton, Bill Murray and Dudley Moore all turned down the role.

Now: Hanks reunited with director Ron Howard for 'Apollo 13,' and 'The Da Vinci Code' and its sequel, 'Angels and Demons.' He is reportedly attached to Howard's 'Inferno,' the third film in the 'Da Vinci Code' series. He can be seen next in 'Captain Phillips' and 'Saving Mr. Banks,' playing Walt Disney in the latter.

Daryl Hannah, Madison

Buena Vista/Getty Images
Buena Vista/Getty Images
loading...

Then: Daryl Hannah was also not the first choice for her role as Madison, the beautiful and beguiling mermaid. Jodie Foster, Rosanna Arquette, Brooke Shields, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Melanie Griffith, Diane Lane, Kathleen Turner and Sharon Stone (among several others) turned down the part. Hannah, a vegetarian, refused to eat real lobster during the infamous dining scene, so she ate a tofu paste instead and cried between takes over the deaths of the lobsters.

The film is credited with introducing the name Madison into popular culture, which has since become one of the most popular baby girl names.

Now: Hannah is known for her roles in the films 'Roxanne, 'Wall Street' and the 'Kill Bill' films (in which she played the eye patch-wearing assassin Elle Driver). She recently appeared in the movies 'The Hot Flashes' and 'Eldorado.'

John Candy, Freddie Bauer

Buena Vista/TriStar
Buena Vista/TriStar
loading...

Then: Legendary comedic actor and 'SCTV' vet John Candy portrayed Freddie, Allen's brother. Candy had previously appeared in the films 'Stripes' and 'Heavy Metal.'

Now: Candy tragically passed away in 1994 of a heart attack at the age of 43. He was acclaimed for roles in 'Planes, Tranes and Automobiles,' 'Uncle Buck,' 'The Great Outdoors,' 'JFK' and 'Cool Runnings.' His final roles were in the films 'Wagons East' (above right) and 'Canadian Bacon,' the latter of which was released the year after his passing.

Eugene Levy, Dr. Walter Kornbluth

Buena Vista/Getty Images
Buena Vista/Getty Images
loading...

Then: Eugene Levy played Dr. Walter Kornbluth, an eccentric scientist who has been searching for mermaids. Like Candy, Levy also lent his voice to the film 'Heavy Metal' prior to starring in 'Splash.'

Now: Levy is known well for playing Jim's dad in the 'American Pie' films (and is the only star of the original cast to appear in any of the direct-to-video spinoffs). He's also worked with writer/director Christopher Guest on many films, including 'Best in Show' and 'A Mighty Wind.' He will be voicing Dory's father in the upcoming 'Finding Nemo' sequel, 'Finding Dory.'

Rance Howard, McCullough

Buena Vista/Getty Images
Buena Vista/Getty Images
loading...

Then: Director Ron Howard's father, Rance Howard, has a cameo early in the film as one of Allen's angry produce customers.

Now: Howard, like his son Clint (brother of Ron), went on to have small roles in several of his son's films, including 'Cocoon,' 'Apollo 13' and, more recently, 'The Dilemma.' He's also appeared in the films 'Drillbit Taylor' and 'Jonah Hex,' and has guest-starred on many shows, including 'Lie to Me' and 'Workaholics.'

Ron Howard, Director

Buena Vista/Getty Images
Buena Vista/Getty Images
loading...

Then: As a kid, director Ron Howard played Opie on 'The Andy Griffith Show.' He made his directorial debut in 1977 with 'Grand Theft Auto,' and went on to direct 'Night Shift' before making 'Splash.'

Now: Howard has an incredibly varied resume, including the films 'Cocoon,' 'Willow,' 'Parenthood,' 'The Da Vinci Code,' 'Frost/Nixon' and his latest, the Formula 1 racing drama 'Rush,' starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. He is an executive producer on 'Arrested Development' and provides the voice of the narrator.

More From ScreenCrush