What The Cast Of Dharma & Greg Looks Like Today
Long before he struck TV gold with "The Big Bang Theory" and other hit comedies, sitcom guru Chuck Lorre created "Dharma & Greg." The multi-camera comedy focused on the titular couple: Dharma, a yoga-teaching free spirit played by Jenna Elfman, and Greg, an uptight lawyer with a Harvard degree, portrayed by Thomas Gibson. In addition to the opposites-attract relationship that served as the show's spine, "Dharma & Greg" also added an intergenerational twist thanks to the couple's parents, who were absolutely reflective of the kids they'd raised. On one side were Dharma's folks, dyed-in-the-wool hippies Larry Finkelstein (Alan Rachins) and Abby O'Neill (Mimi Kennedy); on the other were Greg's parents, wealthy conservatives Edward and Kitty Montgomery (Mitchell Ryan and Susan Sullivan).
Also thrown into the mix were Greg's co-worker and best pal Pete (Joel Murray), Dharma's friend Jane (Shae D'lyn), and other assorted characters who wove their way throughout the fabric of the show during its five-season run on ABC, airing from 1997 until 2002. Along the way, "Dharma & Greg" racked up ratings while delivering three Emmy nominations for Elfman.
Following the show's cancellation, the cast dispersed, going their separate ways to other projects — some even more successful, others not. Elfman and Gibson, however, did reunite briefly, reprising their "Dharma & Greg" roles for a one-off cameo in Lorre's next hit sitcom, "Two and a Half Men." To find out more, keep on reading to find out what the cast of "Dharma & Greg" looks like today.
Jenna Elfman slayed zombies on Fear the Walking Dead
Following "Dharma & Greg," Jenna Elfman continued working steadily in both film and television, although it's fair to say that none of those projects proved to be as successful. In addition to numerous guest spots in various series, she also starred in a whole bunch of TV comedies, all short-lived. These included "Courting Alex" (2006), "Accidentally on Purpose" (2009), "1600 Penn" (2012), "Growing Up Fisher" (2014), and "Imaginary Mary" (2017). Along the way, Elfman also deviated from the comedy that had been her bread and butter by demonstrating her dramatic chops in the family drama "Brothers & Sisters," the dark legal drama "Damages," and others.
In fact, her most successful project since "Dharma & Greg" is about as far removed from the beloved sitcom as possible: "Fear the Walking Dead," the first spinoff of zombie-apocalypse series "The Walking Dead." Elfman joined the 4th season in 2018, portraying former trauma nurse June until the series' 2023 conclusion. "I love working in 'The Walking Dead 'universe," she told CBR. "I love these stories ... I'm glad to be part of it."
Two decades after "Dharma & Greg" made its exit, Elfman discussed how important the series remained to her, so many years later. "You know, I miss it in a, not like longing-to-be-doing-it-again way," she said during an appearance on "The Rachael Ray Show," "but in a so much gratitude and enjoyment that the memories are so pleasurable."
Thomas Gibson's long run on Criminal Minds ended in controversy
For Thomas Gibson, "Dharma & Greg" was the warmup act for an even further television success. He subsequently appeared in a few TV movies and the like until being cast in CBS procedural drama "Criminal Minds" in 2005. The series — about an elite team of criminal profilers hunting unsubs (show jargon for "suspects") — proved to be a massive hit. Gibson was a fan favorite as Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner, team leader of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.
Unfortunately, it all came crashing down in 2016 due to some drama that took place behind the scenes. As TMZ reported, Gibson was doing double duty as both actor and director in an episode when he got into a physical altercation with a writer, allegedly kicking him. Gibson was reportedly suspended for two episodes, later characterizing the kick as more of an accidental tap.
Soon after, however, that suspension was made permanent, with CBS announcing Gibson had been fired from the show. Interestingly, it wasn't until after he was sacked that news emerged about some earlier incidents that had factored into the networks decision. As noted in Variety, Gibson not only allegedly shoved an assistant director (and was ordered to take anger-management training), but in 2013 he was arrested for DUI. As TMZ reported at the time, he cut a deal and entered a plea of no contest. His only major project since being fired is the 2019 direct-to-video movie "Shadow Wolves."
Joel Murray continued to be a sitcom MVP while dabbling in drama with Mad Men
Fans of "Dharma & Greg" will recall Joel Murray as Pete Cavanaugh, an inept lawyer who works at the Justice Department with Greg. Since then, Murray's career has been an active one, including numerous TV guest spots, several movies, and recurring roles on "Still Standing," "Shameless," and "Two and a Half Men." After making his directorial debut on "Dharma," he's also stepped behind the camera for episodes of "The Big Bang Theory," "Mike & Molly," "2 Broke Girls," and others.
Murray's most high-profile role since "Dharma & Greg" has been on "Mad Men," playing Freddy Rumsen, a Sterling Cooper copywriter who memorably got drunk, wet himself, and then passed out in the office. More recently, Murray had a recurring role in Starz pro-wrestling drama "Heels," playing local businessman Eddie Earl. Meanwhile, the Second City alum returned to his improv roots in the touring show "Whose Live Anyway," alongside "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" alums Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, and Jeff B. Davis.
For Murray, improv is still his preferred style of comedy. "It's the lazy actor's way. You don't have to memorize any lines," he told The Standard Times. "It's pretty amazing to tell people: 'Well, I'm going to do a show tonight for 2,000 people and I've got nothing prepared ... I'm going to have a belt of Scotch, and go on stage and do 90 minutes.'"
Mimi Kennedy displayed her sitcom cred in multiple seasons of Mom
Mimi Kennedy's acting career after the end of "Dharma & Greg" has been both prolific and eclectic, to say the least. While she primarily guest-starred in TV series in the years after the sitcom left the ABC lineup, she also appeared in a soap opera (a three-episode stint on "The Young and the Restless"), Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris," and big-screen comedy "The Five Year Engagement." In 2013, "Dharma & Greg" creator Chuck Lorre cast her in his CBS sitcom "Mom," starring opposite Anna Faris and Allison Janney as the AA sponsor of their mother-daughter characters.
Through it all, there's been another role that she's embraced, that of environmental activist. "As for my activism, sometimes it amounts to just raging over the newspapers and writing letters. But all my life I have been accumulating knowledge and experience, and now that I'm a little older I find I have the focus to put it into effect," she told Satya.
As Kennedy recalled in an interview with Little Review, when she auditioned for "Dharma & Greg" she initially read for Susan Stafford's role as Kitty, Greg's mom, before being cast as Abby. As she explained, she grew up with a lot of snooty types, and had recently played a few on TV shows. "But that was acting," she explained, "and Abby is a little bit closer to the path I've chosen."
Alan Rachins continued to shift between comedy and drama
Alan Rachins' role as an aging hippie in "Dharma & Greg" was an unlikely one, considering his best-known gig prior to that had been as arrogant, buttoned-down lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. in "L.A. Law." While his "L.A. Law" attorney may have been his breakout role, it was playing Larry Finkelstein on "Dharma & Greg" that really demonstrated his knack for comedy.
When the sitcom ended its run in 2002, Rachins shifted between comedic to dramatic projects. On the funnier side, he's appeared in "Happy Endings, "American Dad," and "Just Shoot Me!" — in addition to reuniting with "Dharma & Greg" spouse Mimi Kennedy in an episode of "Mom." Dramatic roles, on the other hand, have included "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Rizzoli & Isles," "Grey's Anatomy," and even a few episodes of "General Hospital." Having celebrated his 81st birthday in 2023, Rachins is far from retired; that same year, he guest-starred in an episode of "NCIS."
Speaking with New Jersey Stage, he credited his sitcom role with preventing him from becoming typecast after "L.A. Law." "That's one of the great things about 'Dharma & Greg,' it really allowed me to do something different," he said. "But who knows? You just do the next thing that comes along and do the best with it you can and see what happens. It's a crapshoot and you can't really exert control."
Mitchell Ryan's storied Hollywood career ended with his death at 88
With an IMDB page boasting more than 130 screen credits, dating back to the late 1950s, Mitchell Ryan was a Hollywood veteran when he was cast as stuffy Edward Montgomery in "Dharma & Greg." Interestingly, that was also his longest-running role, having previously appeared in a guest-star capacity over the years, cutting a wide swath through television throughout the 1960s, '70s, '80s, and '90s before landing what would come to be his signature character. He'd also made an imprint on the big screen, often as a villain — perhaps most notably in 1987 buddy-cop classic "Lethal Weapon."
Interestingly, Ryan hadn't done a lot of comedy before he was cast in "Dharma & Greg," yet it's what he's come to be best remembered for. After the series' end, he guest-starred in "The West Wing," and "The Drew Carey Show" (both in 2004), but pretty much retired from acting after that. In an interview with Running WIld Films, Ryan recalled "Dharma & Greg" being the most lucrative and easiest acting job he'd ever held. "Three funny, marvelously written scenes, which you can do in a half an hour, and that's it," he said, describing a typical sitcom work week. "You would go in on Tuesday, rewrites on Wednesday, run-throughs on Thursday, and shoot it on Friday for a live audience."
Ryan died in 2022 of congestive heart failure, at the age of 88.
Susan Sullivan continued acting and recovered from lung cancer
Susan Stafford had a long and varied acting career prior to being cast as Kitty Montgomery on "Dharma & Greg." Having appeared in numerous films and television series spanning from the 1960s to the 1990s, she was previously best known for playing kind-hearted Maggie on primetime soap "Falcon Crest."
Sullivan kept up the pace after "Dharma & Greg" wrapped in 2002. In addition to guest-starring in numerous series — ranging from "Judging Amy" to "The Drew Carey Show" — she landed a role in another long-running hit when she was cast as Martha Rodgers in whodunit series "Castle," mother of Nathan Fillion's titular protagonist.
In early 2024, Sullivan spoke with People about having recently undergone surgery to treat lung cancer after discovering a swollen lymph node. As she explained, the surgery was more extensive than she'd anticipated. "I thought it was going to be pretty simple that they just take that one little nodule, but they took the whole upper part of my lung," Sullivan said. "My surgeon said when they went in and looked around with their two cameras, that it would be better to take it all out so any potential for this coming back would be eliminated, which is what they did." According to Sullivan, the surgery was a success. "So now the cancer is completely gone. I am cancer-free, which is an enormous blessing because you don't want to have to go through endless chemotherapy afterward," she added.
Shae D'lyn formed a production company and maintained close ties with her co-stars
Shae D'lyn is known to "Dharma & Greg" viewers as Jane D'eaux, Dharma's best friend — whose marriage to Joel Murray's Pete was as brief as it was toxic. Following the cancellation of "Dharma & Greg," D'lyn shifted away from mainstream Hollywood productions toward theater, and more experimental fare, such as the short films she's directed via her own Shot in the Dark Films production company.
She has maintained a steady presence on television, however, having appeared in such series as "Boardwalk Empire," "Orange Is the New Black," and "Alpha House," while she's also had big-screen roles in films including "Café Society," "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" and, more recently, 2023's "The Nowhere Inn," starring singer and musician St. Vincent.
Interviewed by "The Henry-Kern Show," D'lyn confirmed her memories of working on "Dharma & Greg" were fond ones. "I loved playing Jane," she said. "She was fun. And the people were really cool, and really, really, really funny and talented," she added, noting that she and co-star Joel Murray have remained good friends. In fact, she revealed that she and her co-stars have all remained close over the years. "The whole cast, we still meet up, have lunch, and we go to Susan Sullivan's house, hang out in her beautiful environment, and keep in touch with each other," she said. "It really was a family."
Yeardley Smith is still making history on The Simpsons
Yeardley Smith wasn't a cast member on "Dharma & Greg," but she did appear in enough episodes to make an impression on viewers in the role of Marlene, Greg's legal secretary, whose incompetence is matched only by her hostility. Viewers who watched any of the 17 episodes in which she appeared and listened to her voice with their eyes closed would have certainly realized it's the precise same voice emanating from the cartoon mouth of Lisa Simpson on Fox's long-running animated comedy "The Simpsons."
Having first taken on the role in 1989, Smith continues to give voice to Homer and Marge's middle child in the show — which has gone into the history books as the longest-running primetime scripted series in TV history. Meanwhile, Smith's role on "Dharma & Greg" was just one of the many she's taken on over the years; since then, she's appeared — in live action, not animation — in an array of TV series, including "Dead Like Me," "Mad Men," "The Big Bang Theory," "Hot in Cleveland," "Revenge," "Fresh Off the Boat," and "Mom," among others.
As Smith divulged in an interview with Shondaland, despite everything she's accomplished, there's a lot more she'd still like to do — and she's set the bar high. "I always thought, in my plan for world domination, wouldn't it be great to be an EGOT? That would be awesome," she said of her desire to win an Emmy, an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Tony.
Kathryn Joosten continued acting until her death in 2012
Devoted viewers of "Dharma & Greg" may recall Kathryn Joosten from her recurring guest-starring role during the series' 3rd and 4th seasons. Appearing in seven episodes, Joosten portrayed Claire, a woman who worked in Dharma's co-op. At the time, Joosten was a well-established character actor who'd amassed a long list of screen credits — most notably, as Dolores Landingham, secretary to Martin Sheen's President Josiah Bartlet, on "The West Wing." Interestingly, she was something of a late bloomer, having moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in 1995 while in her 50s, having previously developed her craft in Chicago theater before quickly making a name for herself in Hollywood.
Following her experience on "Dharma & Greg," Joosten continued to appear in numerous TV series in a guest-starring capacity, but attained even greatest success when she was cast as nosy neighbor Karen McCluskey on ABC hit "Desperate Housewives." When Joosten died of lung cancer in 2012, at the age of 72, her character on the show had likewise been diagnosed with cancer; Karen's onscreen death occurred mere weeks before that of the actor who played her.
Joosten's work on "Desperate Housewives" won her two Emmys, something she reflected on during an interview with Forbes. "I didn't start out saying, 'Gee, I think I'll try to win an Emmy.' I just kept aiming down the path that seemed to shine before me," she said.