Now, I’m not usually one for a sports metaphor—I'm more the sort who inquires as to how many periods are left in the Super Bowl—but it was hard to think of a better analogy than "farm team" while recently watching Bones during a scene between David Boreanaz’s wisecracking federal agent and John Francis Daley’s uptight psychologist.
Bones may be a hit major network show, but those two actors will always be indelibly remembered for their much lower-rated cult series—Boreanaz’ stint as a vampire-with-a-soul on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and spinoff Angel) and Daly’s run as a nerd-with-a-soul on Freaks and Geeks.
It got me wondering what the other cast members from those cult classics have been up to. Turns out creators Joss Whedon and Judd Apatow were superduper talent scouts. But also that casting agents have been happy to borrow/steal some cool cred by hiring their former stars. (See: How I Met Your Mother, which not only boasts a lead from each show, but can claim many more as guest stars.)
The lesson here is that being on a little-watched show can really pay off, as long as at least some of those little watchers are also, y'know, TV producers.
Freaks and Geeks (1999)
Seth Rogen: As Apatow's right-hand man, Rogen has become one of the most improbably powerful people in Hollywood, as a writer, producer and star in the decade's biggest comedies (40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up,
Superbad, Funny People, etc.) He even got in shape for his
role in the upcoming Green Hornet. Not bad for a schlub from Vancouver.
James Franco: The coolest freak mixes Oscar-winning
flicks like Milk with stoner comedies like Pineapple Express (alongside Seth Rogen, natch) and the Spider-Man blockbusters. He also found
time for a few university degrees. Though the only explanation for his next gig being a two-month stint on General Hospital is that the Pineapple Express weed wasn’t fake.
Jason Segal: While his fellow freaks invaded the big-screen, Segal seemed content to star in HIMYM. That is until he made naked-man history in his own self-penned film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and followed that with the surprisingly awesome "bromantic comedy" I Love You, Man.
Busy Philips: After F&G, she wound up on Dawson’s Creek and ER. More recently, Busy showed up on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles last season and is currently on Cougar Town in which she is quite charming while star
Courtney Cox makes my eyes bleed.
Samm Levine: OK, so the geeks have a harder time of it, largely settling for cameos and guest-star appearances. Levine has showed up on episodes of HIMYM, Entourage and the late-great Veronica Mars, though he got a career big boost when Quentin Taranatino cast him as a Nazi-hunting soldier in Inglourious Basterds. Still, Levine's self-aware enough to recently tweet: "Michael Imperioli AND Montel Williams are on my flight. If this sucker goes down, I'll be lucky to be a footnote."
Martin Starr: On TV he’s the hilariously creepy, self-loathing and downright mean cater-waiter on last season's best sitcom Party Down, but he's aso regular supporting presence in films like Superbad, Adventureland and has a brief but memorable appearance in Ricky Gervais’ new flick The Invention of Lying. Stay tuned for season two of Party Down. Seriously, it rules.
Linda Cardellini: Bridging the freak and geek worlds, her Lindsay Weir was the nominal lead of F&G, but then the actress got lost on ER for, like, ever. Oh, but she did star as Velma in the Scooby Doo flicks alongside...
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2004)
...Sarah Michelle Geller: She began her outside career with a star-making turn in Cruel Intentions followed by the Scooby Doo flicks and a handful of J-horror remakes. Then the girl squandered her potential by focusing on bearing Freddie Prinze Jr.’s baby. But SMG's staging a comeback with the indie flick Veronika Decides to Die and the upcoming HBO series The Wonderful Maladys.
Alyson Hannigan: Somehow mousey lesbian Willow Rosenberg became the most successful Buffy vet as the band-camp tramp in American Pie and the sweet-but-slutty bride of Jason Segal on How I Met Your Mother. She, too, had a baby, but with the much cooler Alexis Denisoff (aka Wesley Wyndam-Price on Buffy/Angel and currently starring on Dollhouse).
Michelle Trachtenberg: She’s best known as the fan-favourite sociopath Georgina on Gossip Girl but will soon be wreaking much less havoc over on hospital melodrama Mercy (which hopefully will be quickly cancelled so she can make it back to torment Serena and Blair in time for May sweeps).
Anthony Stewart Head: Fans have been forever waiting for the rumoured BBC telefilm Ripper about his Buffy character Rupert Giles, but instead had to make do with his role as King Uther, the only thing bearable about Merlin. He also recorded an album, but I suggest you do not go download it.You will never get that hour back.
Eliza Dushku: The other vamp slayer Faith currently stars in Dollhouse, another Joss Whedon production which has becoming a clearing house of cult actors, not only from Whedon’s own stable and but also from Battlestar and Terminator. Yes, she's still hot and badass (but not much of a thespian).
Charisma Carpenter: Aside from amusing turns on Veronica Mars and Greek (and an great pictorial in Playboy which my wife bought for me when I had the flu because she’s the best wife ever) Carpenter's been largely unemployed unless you count a recent guest-spot on CSI. Which I do not.
Seth Green: He's become even more of a geek icon since quitting Buffy after season three. Green went onto play Scott
Evil in the Austin Powers movies, voice Chris on Family Guy and helms the awesome stop-motion animation show Robot Chicken as well as making guest-spots on The 70 Show, Entourage and Heroes. Can't hardly wait to see his next gig, something called Mars Needs Moms! (It's funny 'cause it's true.)