Every decade has its iconic shows. These shows leave an impression on you and have you quoting the characters long after the final episode.
In the 2000s, it seemed like there was a whole slew of these epic shows, and from them, we have garnered some of our biggest stars. Wonder where your favorite stars are today?
From John Krasinski to Raven-Symone, check out what your favorite actors from those 2000s sitcoms are doing, and what they look like now!
Zach Braff – J.D. (Scrubs)
Medical dramas were all the rage in the 2000s (and still are), but there were very few medical comedies. That might be why Scrubs did so well. Well, that and the fact that Zach Braff’s character J.D., along with the rest of the cast, was hilarious.
Zach Braff has had several big roles on television shows after the show ended. Along with his voice-over work, he has several projects set to be released in 2022.
Kaley Cuoco – Penny (The Big Bang Theory)
Being a nerd used to be so uncool, but sometime in the 2000s that all changed. It could well be because of shows like The Big Bang Theory. The show cast Kaley Cuoco as Penny, the love interest of head nerd Leonard.
The show lasted over a decade, just recently wrapping up taping in 2019. This allowed viewers to watch as the young actress matured. After the show, Kaley has kept busy. She voiced Harley Quinn in the animated television show and recently starred in The Flight Attendant.
Julie Bowen – Claire (Modern Family)
For 11 years, we were all invited into the multi-home lives of the Dunphy/Pritchett clan. One of those beloved family members was Claire, played by Julie Bowen. The classic stay-at-home mom, she kept things (mostly) together while trying to find her place in the world.
Julie Bowen had already had a good career before the show, having starred in Weeds and Boston Legal. After the show ended last year, she has done some voice-over work and several other projects.
Chris Pratt – Andy (Parks and Recreation)
Quirky workplace sitcoms were pretty prominent in the 2000s. The ensemble cast of Parks and Recreation was chock-full of talented actors and actresses. One of the actors who really shined was Chris Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer.
Slightly goofy, but sweet, the character was just the beginning of the actor’s career. For the entire six years, Chris worked on other projects which included his break-out role in Guardians of the Galaxy. He continues to work and has a whole slew of projects set to hit the screen in 2022.
Frankie Muniz – Malcolm (Malcolm in the Middle)
There seems to be nothing funnier than dysfunctional families, or at least that was the case in the 2000s. Malcolm in the Middle followed the trials and tribulations of the young Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz. This child actor definitely changed a lot in front of our eyes over the show’s six-year run.
After the show ended, he continued working with small roles in television shows and movies. He has matured and appears to be continuing to work as hard as he ever did.
Neil Patrick Harris – Barney (How I Met Your Mother)
How I Met Your Mother followed Ted Mosby as he tells the story to his children of how he met their mother. Along the way, you get to know his friends, like Barney who was played by Neil Patrick Harris.
After nine years, the show ended in 2014 and Harris moved on to not only more Broadway gigs, but several television projects and movies. Most recently, he starred in the television show Eden.
Kelsey Grammar – Frasier (Frasier)
In 1993, after the ending of Cheers, the folks at NBC decided to continue the story with one of the core characters of the show – Dr. Frasier Crane. The story continued with the Harvard-educated psychiatrist, played by Kelsey Grammar, moving to Seattle and starting his own radio show.
Following an eleven-year run, Frasier finally wrapped. After this, Kelsey continued working on several major television series and a few blockbuster movies as well.
Jaime Pressly – Joy (My Name Is Earl)
Following the journey of a tragic mess-up, My Name is Earl starred Jason Lee and Jaime Pressly. Jamie Pressly played the role of Earl’s ex and the potential love interest.
Since the show ended, Jaime has had some success on TV with other sitcoms like I Hate My Teenage Daughter and Mom. Currently, she is filming a new project called The Re-Education of Molly Singer.
Jason Bateman – Michael (Arrested Development)
When a family is highly dysfunctional and dealing with losing all their money, the story is rife for comedy. Playing Michael Bluth, Jason Bateman was just one of the many talented actors on the hit show Arrested Development.
Jason Bateman over the last two years of the show was doing double duty as he was also starring in the acclaimed drama, Ozark. After Arrested Developmentended in 2019, he continued on Ozark, and just recently also did a little stint on The Outsider.
Mila Kunis – Jackie (That 70s Show)
For those longing for a little nostalgia, That 70s Show was probably a must-see weekly experience. Mila Kunis may have been a big part of the appeal. Playing Jackie, the love interest of both Kelso and Fez, Mila was a pivotal part of the cast.
Since the show wrapped in 2006, Mila has had success in film and does a lot of voice-over work. In particular, she voices the character of Meg on the hit animated show Family Guy.
Joseph Gordon Levitt – Tommy (3rd Rock from the Sun)
Though the show was only running for the first two years of the 2000s, it was still a hit. Following a group of aliens that have landed on earth and assumed human lives, the show would not have been the same with the role of Tommy.
Joseph brought that character to life and used his popularity to carve out quite the career for himself. Most recently, he has been starring in Mr. Corman, and has several projects slated for release over the next few years.
Kevin James – Doug (King of Queens)
Giving the 2000s their version of The Honeymooners, Leah Remini and Kevin James were the “it couple” of sitcoms. On King of Queens, Kevin played the main male lead – Doug. The combination of his blundering and Remini’s tough New York girl attitude made for some hilarious moments.
James went on to have several blockbuster movie hits, and recently returned to the small screen. He is currently working on the show The Crew.
Danny DeVito – Frank (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)
This comedy that follows the lives of five oddballs who run a bar has been on for about a decade and a half. That may well be because of comedy icon Danny DeVito’s character, Frank.
Though Danny seemed to be having a great time with the role, he has ventured out over the years. The comedic actor has several projects in the works, including the live-action version of Haunted Mansion.
Yvette Nicole Brown – Shirley (Community)
Community was one of the 2000s comedies that liked to really dive deep into meta-humor. With an all-star cast, including Yvette Nicole Brown, the show entertained audiences for several seasons. Shirley seemed to be the only sane one in a group of misfits and was a nice counterbalance to all the crazy antics of her costars.
Yvette has continued working in television, being part of several hit shows like The Soul Man and The Odd Couple. Along with on-screen roles, she also does a lot of voice-over work.
James Franco – Daniel (Freaks and Geeks)
Freaks and Geeks wrapped up its last season in the year 2000, but thanks to reruns, it was still a pivotal show of the 2000s. The show was the starting place for many careers, including that of James Franco. Daniel was the head freak of the school and one of the many heartthrobs on the show.
After only a season, the show ended, and James moved on to film. Though he hasn’t really been doing much the last two years, he has enjoyed a very prolific career since his time on Freaks and Geeks.
Ray Romano – Ray (Everybody Loves Raymond)
There are a lot of comedians that put their life into a script and market it as a sitcom. One of the big ones in the 2000s was Ray Romano. Using real-life experiences, Romano developed the hit series Everybody Loves Raymond, in which he played the title role.
The show lasted for nine seasons, but Ray didn’t stop after that. Romano found his way into other hit television series, as well as films. Most recently, he has been starring in the TV series Made for Love.
Tina Fey – Liz (30 Rock)
After graduating from SNL, Tina Fey moved on to become a big star and sought-after writer. 30 Rock, which she created, became a popular and critically-acclaimed hit. Her role as Liz Lemon certainly set her up for more success on the small and big screen.
The show lasted for seven seasons. During that time, she continued to work on other projects. Over the last year, though, you may have seen her in her small role on the Hulu Original Only Murders in the Building.
Neil Flynn – Mike (The Middle)
For nine seasons, Neil Flynn played the leader of the Heck family on The Middle. Mike was a blue-collar worker that dealt with real-life situations, in a humorous manner of course. Though it was not as over the top as other shows, it is still considered one of the best shows of the 2000s.
After the show ended its run in 2018, Neil worked on a couple of TV and podcast series. He is currently in the process of filming two projects.
