Cast
Bette Midler as Brenda Morelli-Cushman, a wise-cracking Sicilian-Jewish single mother who helped set her husband Morty on his feet financially, before he left her for his younger employee Shelly, cheating her out of an equitable settlement. She later blackmails Morty to get ownership of his business. However, when she realizes Morty is contrite about his sins, Brenda accepts attempts at reconciliation of their relationship.
Michele Brilliant as young Brenda Morelli
Goldie Hawn as Elise Eliot-Atchison, a former one-time Oscar-winning actress, now an alcoholic and heavy smoker relegated to B movies due to her "unprofitable" age. Her husband, Bill, who left her for another woman, is suing for alimony and insisting that all of their joint assets be sold and the profits be divided between them. She liquidates their assets by selling them to Annie for a very low amount, and Annie auctions them so she can buy out her husband's partners. Elise also blackmails Bill about dating a minor.
Dina Spybey as young Elise Eliot
Diane Keaton as Annie MacDuggan-Paradis, the vehicle for the film's sporadic voice-over and its central character; an anxious and slightly neurotic housewife, saddled with self-esteem problems, attempting to save her marriage with estranged husband Aaron – much to her daughter's dismay. After Aaron has sex with her and then leaves her for her therapist, she decides to band together with Brenda and Elise to form the First Wives Club. Annie learns that Aaron is having problems with his advertising firm partners through the help of her daughter, and buys them out at the end of the film; making her the majority owner of Aaron's firm.
Adria Tennor as young Annie MacDuggan
Maggie Smith as Gunilla Garson Goldberg, a wealthy New York City socialite who helps the First Wives Club with their schemes because she was once a first wife, as well as a "second, third and fourth wife", according to Annie. She fools the social climbing Shelly into thinking Duarto Feliz is a reputable decorator.
Sarah Jessica Parker as Shelly Stewart, Morty's dim-witted but manipulative fiancée. It is indicated throughout the film that Shelly believes a position in high society can be obtained through money and the protagonists exploit her social-climbing attitude for their revenge. This is Parker's second film with Midler as her co-star, the first being the 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus. Despite having a substantial supporting role, Sarah Jessica Parker is not listed in the opening credits and appears only in the closing credits.
Dan Hedaya as Morton "Morty" Cushman, Brenda's ex-husband, an electronics tycoon, who takes advantage of his former wife's having signed an out-of-court settlement – just to finance his girlfriend Shelly's extravagant taste. He is later blackmailed into giving Brenda a substantial amount of his money when she and her Uncle Carmine obtain proof of Morty's criminal activity. This later causes him to apologize to Brenda when he realizes Shelly only loved him because of his money, leading to his and Brenda's reconciliation.
Stockard Channing as Cynthia Swann-Griffin, a college friend of the three main protagonists, who dies by suicide after her husband, Gil, leaves her and marries his young mistress three days after their divorce is finalized.
Juliehera Destefano as young Cynthia
Victor Garber as Bill Atchison, a successful film producer, who rose to fame through Elise's connections and eventually left her in favor of a young starlet
Stephen Collins as Aaron Paradis, Annie's conflicted husband and CEO of an advertising agency, who leaves his wife for their therapist, Leslie Rosen. Eventually, he is left alone as Leslie runs off and Annie does not want him back.
Elizabeth Berkley as Phoebe LaVelle, an up-and-coming actress, living with Bill. Bill is under the impression she is 21, but Elise investigates and reveals to Bill that she is 16 years old and a high school dropout.
Marcia Gay Harden as Dr. Leslie Rosen, a therapist treating both Annie and Aaron, the former for her self-esteem issues. In truth, she cares only for the fees she can charge. Aaron has an affair with her, but Leslie is quick to desert him when he loses control of his business.
Bronson Pinchot as Duarto Feliz, Brenda's boss and (according to Annie) "one of the ten worst interior decorators in New York City". He uses his role as decorator to help the First Wives Club sneak into Morty and Shelly's apartment.
Jennifer Dundas as Christine "Chris" Paradis, Annie's lesbian and feminist daughter, who resents her father for what he is putting her mother through. She gets a job working at her father's advertising firm to spy on him for Annie. This is the second film in which Dundas plays Keaton's daughter, having previously done so in Mrs. Soffel.
Eileen Heckart as Catherine MacDuggan, Annie's "controlling" mother. By the end of the film, she tells Annie that she is proud of her and does not need anyone to make her happy.
Philip Bosco as Uncle Carmine Morelli, Brenda's paternal uncle and part of her family's Sicilian Mafia connections. He is the one who informs Brenda that Morty had his stores stocked with stolen electronics, which the Mafia had done to help Morty and Brenda financially during the shaky early years of their marriage.
Rob Reiner as Dr. Morris Packman, who warns Elise against overdoing it on plastic surgery
James Naughton as Gil Griffin, Cynthia's ex-husband
Ari Greenberg as Jason Cushman, Brenda's son, who is caught in an emotional battle between his parents
Aida Linares as Teresa, Cynthia's loyal maid
Ivana Trump as herself
Kathie Lee Gifford as herself
Gloria Steinem as herself
Edward I. Koch as himself
Lea DeLaria as Elise's fan
Debra Monk as jilted lover
Walter Bobbie as man in bed
Kate Burton as woman in bed
Gregg Edelman as Mark Loest
Harsh Nayyar as Mohammed
Timothy Olyphant as Brett Artounian, a film director who is interested in casting Elise as the main character's aging mother in his new film
Edward Hibbert as Maurice, a barman serving Elise as she drowns her sorrows
J. K. Simmons as federal marshal
Heather Locklear as Mary Birmingham, Gil's new wife (uncredited)
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