“The Drew Carey Show” was a successful comedy TV show that ran for nine seasons from 1995 to 2004. With Drew Carey as the lead, the show had several actors who came and went as recurring characters or guest stars. Some of the names were already famous, while others went on to lead very fruitful careers.
In 2004, when the world was getting ready to say goodbye to what still remains one of the most popular television sitcoms, “Friends,” the cast of “The Drew Carey Show” was also saying goodbye. The show was canceled, but it isn’t possible to pinpoint whether it was because viewership decreased or because of network changes. Sam Simon, who directed the series finale, told Today, “[ABC] did a lot of things that were dumb and I think this was one of them. If the people who put the show on the air at ABC were still there, we’d still be on the air and we’d still be a hit. It’s just an embarrassment to new regimes when other shows do better than the ones they put on the air.”
Whatever the reason for cancellation may have been, many of the stars of the show continued having successful careers on screen. Some became hosts or producers, while others went on to become authors or series regulars on hit-shows.
Drew Carey has been hosting The Price is Right
Three years after leaving behind “The Drew Carey Show,” Drew Carey began hosting “The Price is Right.” In 2007, he filled the spot left by Bob Barker, and he has been hosting ever since.
Although his career started before becoming a host, Carey told “Today with Hoda and Jenna” that after 15 years, he feels like hosting “The Price is Right” is all he has done his entire career. “It’s such a good fit for me. It seems like everything I’ve ever done in my life prepared me to be the host of ‘The Price is Right.’ It’s really weird what a good fit it is for me.” As good of a fit as he feels it is, he didn’t know if he would last as long as he has. He was nervous about taking over a show that had been on for a long time with a host that everyone already loved. Carey told “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “I didn’t want to be the one that screwed it up. You just have to go up there and ride it, and hope you do as well.” After a decade and a half, we’d say he does quite well.
Even though he has been busy hosting, Carey has done other things, such as being on “Dancing With The Stars.” He was on the show for six weeks, telling CBS, “I got farther than I thought I would, to tell you the truth.”
Kathy Kinney became an author
Kathy Kinney was Mimi Bobeck for 233 episodes of “The Drew Carey Show,” working closely with Drew Carey himself. Even though she has continued acting on different projects such as “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Stumptown,” her career took another creative turn when she became an author.
She began a series in 2010 with her book “Queen of Your Own Life,” which she co-wrote with Cindy Ratzlaff. In 2013, she published “Queenisms: 101 Jolts of Inspiration,” and in 2022, “Queen of Your Own Life: 52 Daily Inspiration Cards” (which was also co-written with Ratzlaff). In the first book, they explain where this idea of being the queen of your own life comes from: “Queen of Your Own Life is a philosophy, a decision and an invitation to happiness for women who have made the tough but rewarding journey to the midpoint in their lives. We’re excited to be your guides on this next big adventure” (via ABC).
For Kinney, books and acting remained connected throughout her career, and she continued to perform while sharing her love for literature. She created the character of Mrs. P in order to connect with children and share different stories that would get them reading. Through the Mrs. P Library, parents are able to access free books, information on libraries, and see where Kinney will be reading books for children as Mrs. P.
Diedrich Bader has been voicing cartoons
Being a TV or movie actor means sometimes you lend your voice to an iconic cartoon character. Those characters can be completely new inventions or they can be famous characters from a book or comic. For Diedrich Bader, being a voice actor meant becoming Batman for the animated TV show “Harley Quinn,” which premiered in 2019.
In his review for EW, Darren Franich said, “Watching the next few episodes, I started wondering if this is the best Batman anything of the last decade.” This statement is a compliment to the artists behind the show, the writers, and Bader himself who has done a terrific job giving voice to a character that everyone knows.
Besides Batman, Bader has lent his voice to different characters such as the Orb Master on “Rick and Morty,” Callie’s dad for “Pete the Cat,” and Lex Luthor for “Superman: Red Son.” “One of the fun things about it is getting in and creating something in a room with somebody. You have to be completely open, but you have to read the script multiple times so you can get the sense of humor, what they’re doing, where they’re going, what their target audience is,” he told “Talking Voices” when discussing his process.
Christa Miller is on an Apple TV+ show
In April 2022, it was announced that Christa Miller would be joining Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams on a new Apple TV+ show written and produced by Segel himself (alongside “Ted Lasso” creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein) called “Shrinking.” The show premiered in January 2023, and Miller plays the character of Liz.
Miller told The Mary Sue that she was immediately interested in the project because it was inspired by her real life psychiatrist. “I’m like, ‘It’s gonna hit, everyone’s gonna wanna do it. I wanna do this show.’ And then, I mean, the fact that Bill got this cast together and Harrison, I mean Harrison is the funniest, best guy ever that hangs with all of us. It’s crazy. We’re working with Harrison Ford.”
Most times, actors get involved in a project because of the writing. For Miller, as she told The Upcoming, it was a no-brainer because she is interested in doing everything and anything Goldstein writes. It also helped that the cast included some very well-known industry names. “We all got to know each other very quickly … and my husband’s very thoughtful when he casts, about casting lovely people, and people that you could nurture relationships with.” Before this, she had been on other successful shows such as “Cougar Town” and “Scrubs.”
Ryan Stiles produced Whose Line is it Anyway
For 232 episodes, Ryan Stiles portrayed different characters on “The Drew Carey Show,” including Lewis Kiniski. Since and before then, Stiles has led a successful career as a comedian, participating on different shows such as “Who’s The Boss?” “Mad About You,” and “Two and a Half Men.” In the latter, he portrayed the recurring role of Dr. Herb Melnick, Judith’s second husband.
However, most people will know or remember Stiles from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” During the first version of the show, Stiles joined co-star Drew Carey, Colin Mochrie, Laura Hall, and Wayne Brandy. After nearly a decade, the show ended in 2007. It was Mochrie who announced via Twitter, “Oh, by the way, ‘Whose Line’ is coming back. More details later,” in 2013. This time around, Aisha Tyler was the host as Stiles, Hall, and Brandy returned to the show. Stiles attracted the audience with his incredible comedic talent, but he was also an executive producer.
In the same manner he had announced the happy news, Mochrie announced the sad news in a tweet in November 2022: “Hey everyone. Hope you are enjoying the current season of ‘Whose Line.’ In January, we shoot our final season. Thank you all for the support over the years.”
John Carroll Lynch joined the cast of Gaslit
Most people may know John Carroll Lynch for his roles in “Fargo,” “No Strings Attached,” “Body of Proof” and “The Drew Carey Show,” but in 2022, he was part of the critically-acclaimed mini series “Gaslit.” Lynch joined Julia Roberts, Sean Penn, Dan Stevens, and Betty Gilpin for four episodes.
In the series that tells the story of Watergate, Lynch played FBI director L. Patrick Gray. According to critics, Lynch’s portrayal is one of the roles that becomes a scene-stealer every time he is on screen. Even though he isn’t in every episode, his character is memorable. When talking about his character with “Canal Digitaal,” Lynch said, “What I did not know about it was how the person I was playing … how easily corruptible he was. I mean it didn’t take anything at all to get him to choose party over country.”
Although most people focused on Roberts’s performance, it was the ensemble that made the series such a success. These actors came from different backgrounds, giving the show a dynamic that made it stand out. As the Los Angeles Times reviewed, “Though it can turn emotionally dark, the series has a considerable comic streak, with a supporting cast peppered with actors known for comedy.”
Cynthia Watros became a part of General Hospital
After having been Kellie Newmark on “The Drew Carey Show” for 52 episodes, Cynthia Watros joined the successful cast of “General Hospital” as Nina Reeves and Virginia Benson. She has been a part of the soap opera for 436 episodes.
In 2022, Watros was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Performance. However, she hasn’t only gotten recognition from the critics. It is the fans who have also positioned her as a well-known TV actor. “Fans, I love them. I love the ones who love us. I love the ones who hate us. I love all the in-betweens. I mean, thank you for watching and thank you for your passion,” she told The Locher Room. “When you’re in this business you kind of have to have a thicker skin about the stuff that doesn’t even matter. But I … love all the fans and just loves the people who are watching and care about our characters.”
Watros continues to be a part of the show to this day, closely working with actor Laura Wright. At the beginning of 2023, she tweeted a grateful note to fans and colleagues alike: “Thank you for watching today. A huge thank you to Laura, Katie and Moe. This was a challenging, emotional week.”
Craig Ferguson is a late night legend
For most people, Craig Ferguson is a late night show host. Many forget he is also an actor — particularly a comedy actor. His career started that way, and in 1996 he joined “The Drew Carey Show” for 185 episodes as Nigel Wick. However, TV viewers will remember him mostly for “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”
After being a host for nearly a decade, Ferguson put an end to his late night show run. “I didn’t know anything about late night television when I started it, and I didn’t know anything about it when I was doing it, and I still don’t know anything about it. I loved the job. I loved doing it, but there came a point when I thought, it’s not really what I want to do with the rest of my life,” he told “The Pulse with Bill Anderson.”
But at the beginning of 2023, Ferguson’s possible return to late night television was announced. He shot the pilot for “Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson,” which will include reviews of the week’s shows and will feature some of Ferguson’s friends. Zack Hernandez, from US Syndication Sales, told Deadline, “With a shortage of sitcoms available for stations, viewers need a place to laugh. Channel Surf is that perfect show. Craig shot a hilarious pilot, and we can’t wait to reintroduce our buyers to him and look forward to giving audiences a chance to watch this very funny show.”
Kate Walsh has been Addison Montgomery for nearly 20 years
Nearly two decades ago, the finale of Season 1 of “Grey’s Anatomy” aired and gave the world one of the most iconic lines: “I’m Addison Shepherd, and you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband.” With it, the world was introduced to Addison Montgomery and those who didn’t know her became familiar with Kate Walsh.
Walsh was on “The Drew Carey Show” for 22 episodes, portraying Nicki Fifer, but the truth is most people will always remember her as Dr. Montgomery. Even though she has now become a guest star who comes back for a few episodes here and there, with Ellen Pompeo’s exit, she joins the list of few cast members who have been around since the beginning. “It’s incredible to be back, but the younger actors that are new set of interns the grew up watching the show … It’s funny to be the elder statesman of the show … They’re so beautiful. All of them. They’re such great actors,” she said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Walsh is currently living in Perth, Australia, with her beau, Andrew Nixon. She accidentally shared news of their engagement while on Instagram Live with friend and coworker Amy Brenneman.
Kaitlin Olson is Jean Smart’s TV daughter
TV shows often showcase complicated relationships that speak to the audiences. When done correctly, one of those relationships that usually stands out is the one between a mother and a daughter. Kaitlin Olson and Jean Smart have definitely stood out in recent years for their funny and emotional portrayal of mother and daughter. Smart plays Deborah Vance while Olson plays Vance Jr. on “Hacks.”
When talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Olson said she was first attracted to the character of DJ because she was the perfect combination of an angsty teenager and a middle-aged woman. “All this woman wants is her mom’s attention, or at least that’s driving the motivation in any of the scenes that we’re in: ‘Please pay attention to me,'” she said when discussing the relationship between mother and daughter on the show. “If [my kids are] trying to get my attention, they’re either being really awesome or being really awful — but it’s all for the same purpose. Any of this bad behavior is just a cry for her mom to pay attention to her, even though she’s a grown-a** woman.” The role of DJ earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.
Olson is also known for her participation on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “The Mick,” and “Meet the Marks.” In 2020, she was Cricket Melfi on “Flipped,” earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.
