What Happened To The Actor Who Played Sunshine In Remember The Titans?

"Remember the Titans" was released in 2000, but the biographical sports drama remains a favorite for many decades later. The film grossed an impressive $136 million worldwide on a budget of $30 million, and it was a hit with both audiences and critics. Denzel Washington was the only big-name cast member when "Remember the Titans" came out, but other stars — like Donald Faison, Kate Bosworth, and especially Ryan Gosling — have gone on to achieve great levels of fame in the years since. Others, such as Wood Harris and Will Patton, have worked steadily but fallen somewhat under the cultural radar. Then there is Kip Pardue, who was in the latter camp until a sexual misconduct scandal derailed his career in 2019.

A star quarterback at Yale University and a model for Armani and Polo, Pardue was poised for Hollywood success from the get-go. His role as Ronnie "Sunshine" Bass in "Remember the Titans" put him on the map as one to watch in Hollywood, earning him a Best Male Newcomer award nomination from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society. Pardue had no trouble finding work in the years that followed — he was even named a rising star at the 2005 Vail Film Festival — but he never found that one project to catapult him to worldwide fame. Then, work dried up entirely amidst SAG-ACTRA finding Pardue guilty of misconduct. Here's a closer look at what happened to Pardue in the years after he played Sunshine in "Remember the Titans."

Kip Pardue had very few credits under his belt when "Remember the Titans" hit theaters. These included only one episode of "7th Heaven," the LBTQ+ favorite "But I'm a Cheerleader," and a long-forgotten teen flick called "Whatever It Takes." But there was no shortage of work for Pardue in the years following "Remember the Titans," as he appeared in dozens of projects over the next decade. Most of these were films, and while many came and went without much notice, a few others made more of a mark on society.

The highest profile of these films was probably "Driven," in which Pardue starred opposite Sylvester Stallone, who also co-wrote the film. But "Driven" — a box office bomb and a multiple nominee at the 2002 Razzie Awards — was hardly a win for the up-and-coming actor. Surprisingly, it was much smaller artistic films that gained the star a following of fans. The first, "The Rules of Attraction," has gained a huge cult following in the years since its 2002 release.

"Rules of Attraction" starred many up-and-coming stars of the early 2000s, including James Van Der Beek, Shannyn Sossamon, Ian Somerhalder, Jessica Biel, and Kate Bosworth, another "Remember the Titans" alum. Pardue played Victor Johnson, the leading female character's ex-boyfriend, in the beloved film. Worldwide, the film's box office nearly tripled its tiny $4 million budget, but it was far from a huge hit at the time of its release.

Kip Pardue also made waves with his work in "Thirteen," a controversial coming-of-age story starring Nikki Reed and Evan Rachel Wood. The movie garnered a lot of attention for its sensationalized portrayal of teenage life, and for the fact that it was co-written by a then 13-year-old Reed and director Catherine Hardwicke, based upon Reid's real-life experiences. "All the characters are women, and it was going to be rated R and about a teenager. That does not check the boxes for any studio," Hardwicke told Refinery29 years later. It was the scandalous subject matter that helped "Thirteen" make a mark despite its tiny budget.

Though much of the attention focused on Holly Hunter, who received an Academy Award nomination for her role in the film, Pardue played an unforgettable part. One of the movie's most controversial scenes is one where Pardue's character Luke, a fully-grown man, makes out with the two 13-year-old main characters. According to Reed, the scene was supervised by a social worker, but there was still much awkwardness on set. "It was wild having to do that scene ... making it was actually hard," Pardue said in a Reddit AMA. "Lots of people lurking about and I felt really close to the girls in a brotherly way."

While he had racked up guest-starring and recurring television roles, in 2017, Kip Pardue took on his first (and only) series regular role when he signed on for "Runaways," the Marvel series created by "Gossip Girl" masterminds Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Produced and distributed by Hulu, the show was based on the comic book series of the same name, focusing on six teenagers who rebel against their parents, a supervillain team known as The Pride. Pardue plays one of the parents, actor Frank Dean, who is a former member of The Pride.

The role is arguably Pardue's highest-profile one since his breakthrough in "Remember the Titans," and he has expressed enjoying inhabiting the character. "Frank happens to be an actor and there's a lot of baggage that comes along with that, but at the core of that, he's struggling with trying to figure out what he wants to do, how he wants to do it, and who he wants to do it with," Pardue told Collider. "That's a fun person to play and a fun character to find, to go from being lost to hopefully being found."

Though he never fully capitalized on his early hype, Kip Pardue never failed to find work in Hollywood — up until 2019, that is. There are no credits on his resume since then, and for good reason, as the actor was found guilty of serious misconduct by SAG-ACTRA that same year. In May 2018, actor Sarah Scott filed a complaint with her union after an on-set incident with Pardue while filming a television pilot (for "Mogulettes"). She alleged that Pardue forced her to touch his genitals during a sex scene and that he later pleasured himself in front of her. "I clearly misread the situation during a sex scene on set and have apologized to Sarah," Pardue said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. "I never intended to offend her in any way and deeply regret my actions and have learned from my behavior."

Scott did not press criminal charges but sought help from SAG-ACTRA in the hopes of creating change in the industry. More than a year later — and after another female actor detailed a similar experience — the union found Pardue "guilty of serious misconduct in violation" and fined him $6,000. It is unclear whether Pardue voluntarily withdrew from acting after that or whether he was blackballed (like James Franco, post-scandal) but the latter is the more likely scenario. He was not even invited to return for the third season of "Runaways," despite his character's storyline ending on a cliffhanger in Season 2.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).