The Cast of 'Freaks and Geeks': Then and Now
Lindsay was a brilliant and gifted student who was once the leader of the Mathletes. She spends the series trying to figure out where she fits in.
Linda Cardellini played Samantha Taggart on ER, Don Draper's neighbor, Sylvia Rosen on Mad Men and also appeared in films such as Good Burger, Legally Blonde, Brokeback Mountain and The Curse Of La Llorona. She also stars in the Netflix series Dead To Me.
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Lindsay's younger brother spent most of the series with his two "geek" buddies Neal and Bill. Though insecure and shy, Sam was thoughtful and courageous and you couldn't help but root for him throughout the series. Entertainment Weekly even selected him as part of their Perfect TV Family.
Fans of Bones are familiar with Daley, who plays Dr. Lance Sweets. Daley also plays the keyboard and sings for the band Dayplayer and, in 2011, he co-wrote the box office hit Horrible Bosses. Daley also co-wrote the sequel, Horrible Bosses 2, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
Daniel was the cool, charismatic "freak" who hung around with his friends Ken and Nick and his girlfriend Kim. He was manipulative and selfish, but deep down, was insecure about his inability to do well in school. He befriended Lindsay early in the series and they finished the school year as friends.
Do you not know what James Franco has been up to since Freaks and Geeks? He's continued to act and added writer, producer, director, author, Academy Awards host, and teacher to his list of accomplishments. He graduated from UCLA with a major in English in two years and attended Columbia University to get a Master's Degree in filmmaking, and Brooklyn College for fiction writing.
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Neal was a self-proclaimed comic genius and ladies man. He was very outgoing and often wanted to be the center of attention. His father was a dentist who was cheating on his mother, causing some friction in the household. Neal was also somewhat in denial that he was as geeky as his friends and had a crush on cheerleader Vicki Appleby.
The son of a mortgage broker (his mom) and a dentist (his dad), Levine continues to act, including a role in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. Levine is also a sidekick on the internet talk show Kevin Pollak's Chat Show.
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Bill rounded out the trio of "geeks," and was the geekiest of the bunch. He was tall, skinny, wore large glasses, and was child-like with an understated sense of humor.
Starr continues to act in hit films and TV series. In addition to a role on Party Down, he plays Bertram Gilfoyle on the HBO series Silicon Valley. He has also co-starred in films such as Knocked Up and Adventureland.
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Nick was the friendly, mild-mannered member of the "freaks," and held an affection for Lindsay. Their relationship ran a full arc from attraction, to couple, to break-up in one season. A frequent pot smoker, Nick also had a passion for music, specifically his 29-piece drum set.
Like many of the freaks, Segel's career has blossomed. Fans of How I Met Your Mother know him as Marshall Eriksen while movie fans will recognize him from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Sex Tape, Knocked Up, The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement, and many other films. He's also written a book, Nightmares!, which went on to be a New York Times best-seller.
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Ken was a very sarcastic and stubborn freak. He was friends with Daniel since they were in elementary school and later formed a relationship with high school band member/tuba player Amy Andrews. Ken was also smart (for the group he hangs around with) and it was later revealed that his parents are rich.
Rogen has stuck close with the Freaks and Geeks cast and crew, starring in director Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People. He teamed with fellow James Franco in Pineapple Express and This Is The End and has done voice work on films such as Horton Hears a Who, Kung Fu Panda, and Paul.
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Jean was your typical homemaker wife, making wholesome meals for her family and offering advice to her children. Though she would have appreciated more attention, there was nothing she loved more than her family.
Baker has a long line of acting credits including Blue Steel, Men in Black, A Simple Plan, War of the Worlds, and Spider-Man 3, among many others. She also played Hannah's mom on Girls.
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Harold was the patriarch of the Weir family and was often seen in early episodes yelling at his children about their shortcomings. Harold owned a local sporting goods store, though he brought his stress home with him at times, there was nothing he cared for more than his family.
In 2004, Falherty became a member of the faculty at Humber College where he taught comedy writing. He was on the program's Advisory Committee and was an accomplished pianist. He lived in Los Angeles with his daughter and son. Falherty passed away on April 1, 2024.
Daniel's girlfriend, Kim's confrontational and distrusting nature led to conflict in their relationship. Kim was also very mean to Lindsay during the early episodes of the show, but as time passed, the two became best friends.
Philipps continues to act with roles in such films as The Smokers, White Chicks, Made of Honor, and He's Just Not That Into You. Philipps played Laurie Keller in the TV series Cougar Town and won a Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Critic's Choice Television Award for the role in 2011.
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Kowchevski was the petty and unpleasant math teacher at McKinley High School who particularly had it out for "freaks," especially Daniel. He was also the coach of the school's Mathletes. In a deleted scene, it was revealed that Kowchevski was gay.
Since Freaks and Geeks, Bannos has appeared in many Judd Apatow and Paul Feig movies including The Heat, Bridesmaids, Funny People, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Pineapple Express, among others. Bannos also co-wrote on Freaks and Geeks and Nickelodeon's Doug. In addition to writing and acting, he is also a collector and dealer of Vernacular Photography.
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Mr. Rosso was the school's guidance counselor who tried to appear hip and cool, but only succeeded in looking foolish. He served as the main confidant for the main characters and many of the students made fun of his hippie personality. Rosso was also the lead vocalist for a local bar band.
Fans of Gilmore Girls will recognize Allen as the Town Troubador. He also voiced Jesse and Appleseed on King of the Hill. Allen toured with Cinematic Titanic, a project by Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator and original host Joel Hodgson.
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Millie was Lindsay's geeky and super religious childhood friend. Both of them were in the Mathletes and maintained a close friendship throughout the series with Millie often serving as the comforting safety net for when Lindsay gets into trouble with her new friends. Millie feared that Lindsay was losing her way and often tried to lecture her into straightening up.
Following Freaks, Hagan has appeared in bit parts on TV shows such as DAG, Undeclared, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She also creates ceramic art and selling them on her online store and you can keep up to date with her latest projects from her website.
Gordon was one of the geeks' friends, who was overweight and had chronic body odor. Gordon was often optimistic and was keenly aware of his size saying, "The world loves jolly, fat guys."
Messing starred in the short-lived TV series The Brothers Garcia in 2002 and has become a Reddit subculture celebrity for his bearded fedora-tipping IMDb profile picture.
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The object of Sam Weir's desires, Cindy was a member of the McKinley Cheer Team. While she started off as friends with Sam, the two eventually became a couple (very briefly). They eventually broke up after Sam found her to be shallow, boring, egotistical, and rude.
Melnick continued to act sparingly after Freaks and Geeks ended. She had bit parts in a number of films such as Go, Orange County, God Thinks You're a Loser and on TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Judging Amy, Boston Public, and Family Guy. She is also a member of the band One Last Run.
Alan was the chief tormentor of Sam and his group of geek friends. In one episode, he pranked Bill, landing him in the hospital. The two called a truce and in later episodes Alan was seen being kinder to Bill.
Leopardi was acting long before Freaks and Geeks, including a role in The Sandlot. Following the third Sandlot movie (which was titled The Sandlot: Heading Home, in case you're curious), Leopardi has not acted in anything, but has begun to pursue a new career as an artist, as evidenced by his Twitter feed.
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Harris was often considered the "Guru of the Geeks" (and some of the freaks). He was very calm, insightful, and offered advice seemingly beyond his years. Harris had a girlfriend named Judith who was often seen talking with him, though she only appeared once on the show.
Sheppard went on to play Dudley Heinsbergen in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums. The film and Freaks and Geeks remain his only two acting credits. In 2007, he co-authored several modules for the role playing game Exalted.
Coach Fredricks was the P.E. and health teacher at McKinley High and was often thought to be a meathead by the geeks. Though his attitude early in the series confirmed this though, he later became a bit softer and even appeared to enjoy seeing them succeed. Later in the series, it was revealed that he was dating Bill's mother and did everything to try to win his approval.
If Wilson looks familiar, it's because he played Biff, Griff, and Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy. Wilson also often lent his voice to animated productions including Batman: The Animated Series, Max Steel, and The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.
Joanna Garcia Swisher (Vicki Appleby)
A bossy, short-tempered cheerleader, Vicki was often seen with Cindy. Though she was somewhat prickly, she did let her softer side show at times, like when she showed compassion during Bill's coma.
Swisher's most prominent post-Freaks role would most likely be her recurring role as Ariel on Once Upon a Time, although she has also starred on the CW sitcom Reba and the ABC sitcom Better with You. Back when she was in high school, she was "discovered" by Nickelodeon and starred in three seasons of Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Originally introduced as a mysterious character, Todd was the captain of the varsity basketball team. He was also the object of Cindy's affection early in the series and the two briefly became a couple before she dumped him.
Smith continued to act frequently with guest roles on such TV shows as True Blood, Leverage, Ghost Whisperer, Joan of Arcadia, 24, Raising Dad, and CSI, among many others. Smith began playing guitar in 2006 to help fill downtime on film sets and in 2006 he and Henri O'Connor formed the band The Life of Riley.
Sara made a few appearances in the series as a disco-loving teen who had a crush on Nick. In the series finale, Sara and Nick were seen dating and she dragged him into the disco dancing world.
Caplan starred in a number of blockbuster films including Mean Girls, Cloverfield, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Bachelorette and had several notable television guest appearances on True Blood, Party Down, and The Class. She's also earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2014 for Masters of Sex.
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Eli was a mentally handicapped student who thought Three's Company was the greatest show ever. Lindsay stood up for him when she saw two girls making fun of him after he asked them to a dance, then asked him if he wanted to go with her instead.
Foster has starred in a number of films including Get Over It, Hostage, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Mechanic, Contraband, and Lone Survivor. He earned supporting actor nominations from both the Saturn and Satellite Awards for his role in the 2007 remake 3:10 to Yuma.
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Seen in one episode, Karen was Kim's "friend" who bullied Sam and graffitied his locker with the words "Pygmy Geek." Her anger and meanness came from her boyfriend breaking up with her causing her to "go on the warpath."
Jones, the daughter of music mogul Quincy Jones, is best known for her role on the NBC comedies The Office and Parks and Recreation. She's also had many film roles including in Our Idiot Brother, The Social Network, The Muppets, and I Love You, Man. Jones wrote and co-starred in the 2012 drama Celeste and Jesse Forever and is also has a co-writing credit on Disney Pixar's Toy Story 4.
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Seen in one episode, Howie helped attain fake IDs for Daniel, Ken, Nick, Kim, and Lindsay. A conniving "salesman," Howie worked in a disco-style clothing store.
Schwartzman is probably best known for his frequent collaborations with director Wes Anderson. He has co-starred in Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel. He has also appeared in I Heart Huckabees, Funny People, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Saving Mr. Banks, and the HBO series Bored to Death. He also releases music through his solo project, Coconut Records.
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Agent Meara was a Secret Service Agent who accompanied Vice President George Bush to McKinley High. Ultimately unsatisfied with his job, he ended up taking Mr. Rosso's career quizzes.
Fun fact: the character was named after Ben Stiller's mother, Anne Meara.
Stiller made his directorial debut with the film Reality Bites and throughout his career has written, starred in, directed and/or produced more than 50 films including Zoolander, There's Something About Mary, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Meet the Parents (and its sequels), the Madagascar series, and the Night at the Museum trilogy.
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Appearing in one episode, Miss Foote was a teacher at McKinley High who also happened to be Bill's crush. When Bill fell into a coma following an allergic reaction to peanuts, he woke up to Miss Foote holding his hand bedside.
Mann is best known for her comedic roles in husband Judd Apatow's films. In 2012, Elle named her "Hollywood's queen of comedy" and she has continued to star in blockbuster comedies such as This Is 40 before turning dramatic in Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring.
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Cookie was Kim Kelly's short-tempered, disapproving mother. She revealed in a mid-season episode while having dinner at the Weirs that when she was younger, she was left with two kids and a huge mortgage after she was deserted by her husband.
Aside from a role on the HBO series The Leftovers, Dowd has been a critically lauded performer for many years having starred in such films as Philadelphia, Garden State, Marley & Me, Flags of Our Fathers, and Side Effects, among others. She also received the National Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie Compliance.
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Neal's dad was originally liked by Neal, Sam, and Bill as he shared their sense of humor and similar tastes in TV shows. But, they later learned that he was having an affair. The discovery upset Neal who confided in his mother and she did her best to console him.
McMurray had a role on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens, playing Supervisor Patrick O'Boyle and stars on the ABC sitcom Cristela. In all, McMurray has amassed a staggering 170+ acting credits, spanning nearly four decades.
The McKinley High mascot, Herbert dressed up as a Viking and performed cheers along with the cheerleaders. He ended up breaking his arm and was replaced by Sam.
Shia LaBeouf's off-screen antics are almost as well-known as his films. In addition to starring in the original Transformers trilogy, LaBeouf also starred in Disturbia, Holes, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, among other movies. In January 2014, things took a turn for the weird when he walked the red carpet at the Berlin Film Festival wearing a paper bag over his head.
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Amy was a friend of a friend of Lindsay and was part of the high school band, playing the tuba. She often offered sharp, sarcastic remarks that caught the attention of Ken. The two ultimately became a couple after which she revealed she was born with intersex traits. Ken was initially shocked and uncomfortable with the revelation, but came around.
Campbell enjoyed a very promising start to her acting career after being nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance in the film Election and the St. Louis International Film Festival Emerging Actor Award for the 2001 film The Safety of Objects. She starred in two more films and then quit acting in 2002. Since then, she has launched a successful music career.
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