Anyone who lives through the early '90s knows the movie Hook was an instant cult classic. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, and Julia Roberts, the fun adventure fantasy told the story of a grown-up Peter Pan (Williams) returning to Neverland to rescue his children from Captain Hook.
Along the way, Peter—now a timid and spiritless lawyer—rediscovers his boyish lust for life with the help of the Lost Boys. And as we all remember, he couldn't have done it without the help of the group's fearless leader, Rufio. That iconic role was played by a little-known actor, Dante Basco, who stole countless scenes—even opposite the movie's many A-list stars. Today, Basco is 46 and he's moved on to another iconic role as a voice actor. Read on to see him now.
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Basco hasn't stopped acting since appearing in Hook.
John Wolfsohn/Getty ImagesAfter playing the leader of the Lost Boys, Basco went on to act in scores of other films and television shows. He appeared in the movies But I’m a Cheerleader, The Debut, Extreme Days, and Love Don’t Cost a Thing. He also made many television appearances on a long list of shows: The Wonder Years, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Nash Bridges, Moesha, Undressed, Entourage, Artificial, and Hawaii Five-0, to name just a few.
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He's also known for his many voice acting roles.
Albert L. Ortega/Getty ImagesIn addition to his onscreen appearances, Basco is well known for voice acting. In addition to longer-term roles as Jake Long in Disney Channel's American Dragon: Jake Long, and Spin Kick from Carmen Sandiego, he also made voice appearances for The Boondocks, Robot Chicken, Lilo & Stitch: the Series, Kim Possible, and more. However, his most notable performance as a voice actor was as Prince Zuko in Nickelodeon's animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Just as he gained a cult following for his role as Rufio, Basco has received similar acclaim for playing the show's antagonist.
You may also recognize his voice from several video games, including several Avatar games, Mortal Combat X, Final Fantasy XIII, and many more.
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His girlfriend is also an entertainer.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Apex For YouthToday, the actor seems to split his time between Los Angeles and New York City. He is frequently pictured on social media with his girlfriend, Alice Rehemutula, an actress, producer, and TV host. You may recognize Rehemutula from the movies Love Never Dies, Youth Hormones, and Switch. In 2009 she was awarded the "Public Image Award" and "Most Photogenic Celebrity Award" in the Dong Fang TV National Talent Show.
The couple seems to have bonded over their love of movies and all things entertainment. Each week, the pair co-host a show on Instagram called Monday Cinema Club in which they discuss some of their favorite movies.
Last year, he shared a touching tribute to Robin Williams.
Paul Archuleta/Getty ImagesIn 2020, Basco shared a touching social media tribute to Robin Williams on what would have been the iconic actor's 69th birthday.
"I just wanted to say happy birthday to #RobinWilliams. This is a picture on the Sony lot during shooting when my brothers & cousin came to visit & we gave him a hat we made at Compton Indoor swap meet," he captioned the image. "We embroidered the name of our crew we created after watching #DeadPoetsSociety, it was the address of the garage we all lived in together growing up, '13607 1/2.' We wrote poems and raps and tried to live like they did in the movie & 'suck the marrow out of life.' He'll never know how much he's impacted my life... O captain, my captain... You are the Pan!"
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he also shared the impact of Williams' death years after shooting their iconic movie together. "It was like the death of my childhood," he told the publication. "You look back at your life, the people who you worked with, and there are 'growing up' moments. And that definitely felt like a 'growing up' moment in my life." However, he also shares that the relationship they built on set will stay with him and continue to inspire him. "He was just a warm and welcoming spirit, and that, for me, will live forever," he said.
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