Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai

John Lithgow as Lord John Whorfin

Ellen Barkin as Penny Priddy

Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey

Christopher Lloyd as John Bigboote

Lewis Smith as Perfect Tommy

Rosalind Cash as John Emdall

Robert Ito as Professor Hikita

Pepe Serna as Reno Nevada

Ronald Lacey as President Widmark

Matt Clark as Secretary of Defense

Clancy Brown as Rawhide

William Traylor as General Catburd

Carl Lumbly as John Parker

Vincent Schiavelli as John O'Connor

Dan Hedaya as John Gomez

Mariclare Costello as Senator Cunningham

Bill Henderson as Casper Lindley

Damon Hines as Scooter Lindley

Billy Vera as Pinky Carruthers

Laura Harrington as Mrs. Johnson

Michael Santoro as Billy Travers

Jonathan Banks as Lizardo Hospital Guard

Robert Gray as Radar Blazer

Gary Bisig as Radar Blazer

Kent Perkins as Mission Control

John Ashton as Highway Patrolman

Ken Magee as Duck Hunter Burt

James Keane as Duck Hunter Bubba

Yakov Smirnoff as National Security Advisor

Leonard Gaines as Artie Duncan

Francine Lembi as TV Anchorwoman

John Walter Davis as Star Surgeon

Read Morgan as Exhibitor

James Rosin as John Yaya