under the bridge cast vs real life: All Under the Bridge characters in real life & where they are today

Hulu's crime drama Under the Bridge came to an end with an explosive finale on May 29, 2024. The miniseries depicts the true story of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl who was murdered by her friends in Canada. However, some incidents and characters have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

As per Hulu, the official synopsis of the series reads as follows:

“Under the Bridge” is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder — revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer."

As depicted in the show, Reena Virk's murderers faced legal consequences for their crimes. Meanwhile, her parents Manjit and Suman Virk went on to become advocates against bullying and violence. Here's what happened to the real people behind Under the Bridge.

Under the Bridge characters in real life now

1) Kelly Ellard

Kelly Marie Ellard, now known as Kerry Marie Sim, is currently serving a life sentence in British Columbia for the 1997 murder of Reena Virk. Sim was granted conditional day parole in 2017, later being allowed overnight leave privileges in 2020. She stood trial thrice for the murder and was convicted two times. In 2022, she waived her parole hearing rights as she felt unready to re-enter society, which was upheld by the Parole Board of Canada.

As per a 2020 article by the Vancouver Sun, Sim was in a relationship with former gangster Darwin Dorozan, who was her pen pal while the two were in jail. While she is a mother to two children, recent reports by media outlets claim that the couple are now estranged. Now 41 years old, she currently lives in a residential facility in Maryland, and has expressed remorse for her crime.

2) Warren Glowatski

Javon Walton as Warren Glowatski (Image via Hulu)

Warren Glowatski, convicted of Reena Virk's 1997 murder at age 16, was sentenced to life in prison. His family moved frequently, living in several Canadian provinces. In the show, Glowatski is depicted as a young boy whose family and society failed him. He took out his anger issues on Reena Virk, participating in violence against her.

Convicted in 1999, Glowatski was granted day parole in 2007. During his incarceration, Glowatski discovered his Métis heritage and incorporated restorative justice practices. His efforts at turning his life around led to him being forgiven by Virk's parents. This contributed to his parole success and Glowatski was eventually granted full parole in June 2010.

3) Josephine Bell

Chloe Guidry as Josephine Bell (Image via Hulu)

The character of Josephine Bell in Hulu's Under the Bridge is based on Nicole Cook. Her name was changed by Rebecca Godfrey in her book as her identity had to be protected due to her being a minor at the time. Nicole Cook was born in 1983 and grew up in a group home. Despite attacking Reena Virk and refusing to testify against Kelly Ellard, she denied any responsibility for the murder.

The Shoreline Six girls, which included Ellard and Cook, were reportedly given sentences varying from 60-day custodial sentences to one year in juvenile detention, as per a 2016 article by the Vancouver Sun.

Nicole Cook admitted in the 2011 MSNBC documentary Bloodlust Under the Bridge that she started the assault on Reena Virk by extinguishing a lit cigarette on her face. Cook has since maintained a low profile and her whereabouts are not publicly known at the time of writing this article.

4) Manjit and Suman Virk

Archie Panjabi and Ezra Faroque Khan as Suman and Manjit Virk (Image via Hulu)

Reena Virk's parents, Manjit and Suman were devasted by the murder of their teenage daughter. They eventually forgave Warren Golwatski after he underwent a restorative justice program. After fighting to get justice for Reena, the parents began advocating against youth brutality and bullying. As per a 2018 National Post article, the pair spoke in schools, youth camps, and criminology classes, with their efforts earning them the Anthony J. Hulmes Award of Distinction in 2009.

Manjit also wrote a memoir called Reena: A Father's Story, which was published in 2008. Suman Virk passed away in 2018 at the age of 58 due to choking on food in a cafe. She is survived by Manjit Virk and their two children.

5) Rebecca Godfrey

Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey in 'Under the Bridge' (Image via Instagram/@underthebridgehulu)

Rebecca Godfrey was the writer of the book Under the Bridge, which was then adapted by Hulu into a show. Her character appears in the show as an investigative writer looking into the murder of Reena Virk and interacts with several people. She is also portrayed to have been in a same-sex relationship with a female police officer.

In real life, Godfrey was born to parents who were both writers themselves. She was married to Herbert Wilson with whom she had a daughter named Ada. Rebecca Godfrey died in October 2022 at the age of 54 due to lung cancer.

Other characters in the show such as Dusty and Cam are fictional and not based on real people. All episodes of Under the Bridge are currently available to stream on Hulu.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay