Denzel Washington played lead character Frank Lucas, a criminal and gangster from La Grande, North Carolina, who became known for smuggling drugs into the United States. The actor won a 2008 BET Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film and went on to continue dominating the Hollywood circuit. Since the film's release, he starred in several more blockbuster smashes, including The Great Debaters, The Book of Eli, The Equalizer and more. Most recently, he went on to score an Oscar nomination for his roles in Flight and Fences, respectively, in 2013 and 2017. He was also awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2016 Golden Globes.

Chiwetel Ejiofor played Frank's brother Huey Lucas in the film and, since then, his star has only continued to rise, with him starring in a slew of high profile films like Salt, The Martian and Doctor Strange. However, it was his performance in the highly celebrated 2013 film 12 Years A Slave that landed him an Oscar nomination in 2014. The actor also has a long list of highly anticipated films slated for 2018 and 2019, including The Lion King and Mary Magdalene.

Cuba Gooding Jr. played Frank's drug competitor and fellow criminal Nicky Barnes in the 2007 film, coming, like Denzel, years after his Oscar win. Since then, the actor has went on to star in films like The Hit List, Red Tails, Don Jon and more. However, it was his foray into television, playing O.J. Simpson in FX's 2016 hit American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, that landed him an Emmy nomination. He is set to star in two films in 2018: Life in a Year and Louisiana Caviar.

Joe Morton played the role of Charlie Williams in the crime film, but it wasn't until a few years after its release that he became a household name to an entirely new generation. Thanks to his performances in the likes of the long-lasting series The Good Wife and the concluding ABC phenomenon Scandal, Morton's career has been hotter than ever. In fact, his performance as Rowan Pope — a.k.a. Papa Pope — in the Shonda Rhimes political drama earned him an Emmy Award in 2014. He is set to star next in Justice League, which will be released in theaters this year.

Russell Crowe brought the character of Richie Roberts, the detective who detained Frank Lucas in the film, to life. Since American Gangster, Crowe has starred in a slew of well-known blockbuster smashes including Robin Hood, Les Misérables, Man of Steel and, most recently, The Mummy. He is slated to star in the 2018 film Boy Erased next.

Josh Brolin led the team of detectives through his character Det. Trupo in the film and to say he's been booked since the film's release would be an understatement. The actor went on to star in several films every single year since 2007, including Milk, Men in Black 3, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Labor Day and more. He has a long list of films also slated for release in the next couple years, including Deadpool 2, Avengers: Infinity War and several others.

Lymari Nadal played Eva, Frank Lucas' love interest in the film. Since its release, her career has slowed down in pace exponentially, seeing her snag a few roles in Battlestar Galactica, an episode of CSI: NY and, most recently, 2016's Kreep.

Ted Levine portrays Lou Toback in the film, a captain who puts detective Roberts in charge of the task force to target local drug suppliers. Since the film's release, he's appeared in films and TV shows including Shutter Island, Luck, The Bridge, Ray Donovan, Swing State and more. He is set to star in The Alienist and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom in 2018.

Armand Assante brought out his dark side playing the role of mafia boss Dominic Cattano in the film. Since American Gangster, the actor's résumé just continued to grow, with him securing roles in films both on small and large scales like Magic Man, Dead Man Down, You Can't Have It, Blowtorch and more. He is set to star in a few projects at the end of 2017 and the top of 2018, including Angel of Death, Lazarat, The Family Business, Con Man and more.

The late Ruby Dee played Mahalee Lucas — a.k.a. Mama Lucas — in the film. Her performance was so impressive in the 2007 blockbuster hit that she received an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her role. Following the film's release, she starred in a few films, including 2013's popular TV movie Betty and Coretta, before passing away in June, 2014.

The film's director and producer, Ridley Scott, became a force to be reckoned with following the movie's success. His catalog of hits, both in film and television, include Numb3rs, Prometheus, World Without End, Killing Kennedy, The Martian, The Good Wife, Concussion, The Good Fight and, more. Most recently, he's added his work as a producer on the 2017 documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Alien: Covenant and Blade Runner 2049. He also has several highly anticipated projects in pre- and post-production. In addition to all of his production and directorial achievements, he stands as the 10th highest-grossing director, with a world box office of $3.874 billion in earnings.