Whatever Happened To The Cast Of 3rd Rock From The Sun?

In early 1996, a midseason replacement hit NBC's airwaves with a hilarious bang. The creation of former "Saturday Night Live" writers Bonnie and Terry Turner, "3rd Rock from the Sun" was a sitcom with a fantastical sci-fi premise: a group of aliens from another galaxy undertake a research mission to understand the humans who populate Planet Earth, with these extraterrestrial fish out of water struggling to understand the complexities of human behavior while disguised as earthlings in a small Ohio town. 

Masquerading as a human family, the aliens and their alter egos were: the high commander, aka physics professor Dick Solomon (John Lithgow); the information officer, disguised as teenager Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), despite being the oldest member of the team; the security officer, Sally (Kirsten Johnston); and Harry (French Stewart), vital to the mission because of the transmitter implanted in his head that allows the team to communicate with their superior. Also thrown into the mix were "Saturday Night Live" alum Jane Curtin as Dick's colleague/girlfriend, Elmarie Wendel as the Solomons' eccentric landlady, Mamie Dubcek, and "Star Trek" legend William Shatner in the recurring role of The Big Giant Head, to whom the team reported.

Unabashedly silly and laugh-out-loud funny, "3rd Rock" was a hit with viewers until ending its run in 2001. The talented cast went on to a variety of projects, yet will always be remembered by fans for six seasons of hilarity.

Few actors have ping-ponged from wacky comedy to dark drama as successfully as John Lithgow; let's not forget that a decade before "3rd Rock from the Sun," Lithgow received back-to-back Oscar nominations for "The World According to Garp," and "Terms of Endearment." The same held true after "3rd Rock," with Lithgow taking on roles both comedic (voicing pompous Lord Farquaad in "Shrek," guest-starring in the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother") and dramatic (his turn as serial killer "Arthur Mitchell" in "Dexter" and portraying Sir Winston Churchill in the first season of Netflix's royal family drama "The Crown").

In 2025, Lithgow — who celebrated his 80th birthday that October — confirmed that he'd taken on an ongoing role that will keep him working for nearly another decade: Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in HBO's massively anticipated "Harry Potter" TV series, set to debut in 2027. "I'm the oldest person in this entire room, just turned 80. And yet I signed a contract — I will be playing Dumbledore for the next eight years!" he said at the Rotterdam Film Festival (via Variety). "I absolutely have to keep at it. I felt: 'Wow! That means I will live to be 88.' I have that in writing."

Jane Curtin's comedy credit ran deep long before she joined the cast of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as Pendleton professor Mary Albright. For example, when wondering whatever happened to the original cast of "Saturday Night Live" from 1975, Curtin had bragging rights as one of the show's original Not Ready for Prime Time Players. She followed that up with the hit sitcom "Kate & Allie," which ran from 1984-'89. 

Her post-"3rd Rock" career remained busy, including the short-lived sitcom "Crumbs," the "Librarian" TV movies, the procedural crime drama "Unforgettable," and Netflix's 2025 whodunit comedy "The Residence." She's also appeared in various films, including the Oscar-nominated "Can You Ever Forgive Me." Meanwhile, in 2010 she placed second while competing in the "Jeopardy!" million dollar celebrity invitational, winning $250,000 for her favorite charity, UNICEF.

Of all those varied experiences, "3rd Rock" has remained a high point. Interviewed by the Television Academy, Curtin was asked what she loved about her role on the show. "Just the utmost silliness of it," Curtin recalled. "It was one of the funniest things I've ever done it my life. Loved it. Loved every minute of it."

Kristen Johnston had a decade of TV guest spots under her belt before landing the breakout role as Sally Solomon on "3rd Rock from the Sun." After the series wrapped, however, her drug and alcohol use escalated until, while working onstage in London, her stomach exploded. "It's an ulcer that burst and basically I became septic, meaning all the contents in my stomach were, like, in my armpit and somewhere in, you know, my legs," she told Entertainment Weekly of the acute peritonitis that left her hospitalized. As painful as that experience was, it was also the wakeup call that forced her to change her life; she's been sober ever since. 

After that, her career began heating back up. In 2011, she reunited with "3rd Rock" co-star Wayne Knight for sitcom "The Exes," which ran until 2015. In 2018, she joined the cast of hit sitcom "Mom," remaining with the show until its conclusion in 2021. Then in 2025, she was cast in yet another hit sitcom, Netflix's "Leanne," starring comedian Leanne Morgan (which, like "Mom," is produced by sitcom legend Chuck Lorre).

Amid all those projects, Johnston credits her experience on "3rd Rock" for not only opening the door to other opportunities, but by teaching her how to handle herself when pursuing them. "I'm very grateful to John Lithgow for teaching me, by example, how to be on a set and how to be a graceful, cool person that everyone wants to work with," she told People. "He really taught me how to be someone you'd want to work with and hire a couple of times, so I'm very grateful to him for that."

In the midst of all the silliness in "3rd Rock from the Sun," no character was sillier than French Stewart's Harry Solomon. Not surprisingly, the roles he gravitated to after the series' end trended toward the comedic, including multiple TV guest-starring roles in such comedies as "Ally McBeal," "The Drew Carey Show," "The Middle," and an appearance in "2 Broke Girls" in 2016. In addition, he played the title role in the straight-to-video sequel "Inspector Gadget 2."

In 2013, Stewart was cast in the sitcom "Mom" in the recurring role of Chef Rudy (which reunited him with "3rd Rock" co-star Kristen Johnston when she joined the show in 2018). In 2024, he received critical acclaim for his dramatic performance in the film "Bob Trevino Likes It," playing an unabashed jerk. "It's not often that you get that, sort of cornered into other things," he told Rough Draft Atlanta of taking on a role so unlike the wacky characters he typically plays. "It's just been a really refreshing way to go about work, and it's been just a joyous thing, being in something that I legitimately like." 

During a 2023 interview with The Repository, Stewart kiboshed rumors of a potential "3rd Rock" revival series. "There was chat of it at one point, but then I think we all kind of mutually agreed we were pretty happy with the original," he said. 

As a child actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had appeared in numerous films and TV shows before being cast in "3rd Rock from the Sun" in 1996. Just 14 years old when the show premiered, viewers literally watched Gordon-Levitt's Tommy Solomon evolve from teen to adult during his six seasons on the show.

Unlike former child stars who ditched Hollywood for surprisingly normal jobs, Gordon-Levitt stuck at it — and managed to successfully transition to adult roles. In fact, he's experienced far more success as an adult than he ever did as a child star. Among the many hit films in which he's starred are "500 Days of Summer," "Inception," and "Looper." In 2021, he played an anxiety-ridden schoolteacher in Apple TV series "Mr. Corman," and in 2024 teamed up with comedy icon Eddie Murphy in the long-awaited sequel "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F."

Looking back on his days on "3rd Rock," Gordon-Levitt not only credits the exposure on the show for propelling him to stardom, but is also grateful for a far more practical reason. "I am really lucky that I got to be on a popular television show when I was a kid so I was able to pay for my own college, but my college was expensive," he told Entertainment Tonight. "If I didn't happen to be on that show, I would have a lot of student loan debt."

Since the first episode of "3rd Rock from the Sun," Simbi Khali played Nina, often-exasperated executive assistant to both Dick and Mary. After the series ended, the actor — who has since gone by her married name, Simbi Kali Williams — continued to act in film and television. This has included such TV series as "The Bernie Mac Show," "Weeds," and "Better Things," and movies including "We Were Soldiers," and "A Savannah Haunting." A native of Jackson, Mississippi, in 2016 Kali Williams' contributions to the arts were recognized by the Mississippi state legislature.  

In addition to acting, Kali Williams has also taught acting, and also branched out as a voice actor, with a specialization in video games. In addition to all that, she's also published her own wellness magazine, Alkemi Magazine.

In August 2024, her daughter launched a GoFundMe for her mother. The purpose of the fundraising effort, she wrote, was because Kali Williams had experienced an on-set accident that had left her with a concussion and unable to work. 

Elmarie Wendel was a reliable source of laughs on "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the Solomons' brash and outspoken landlady, Mrs. Mamie Dubcek. When the series ended, Wendel was in high demand as a TV guest star, and appeared in numerous series, both dramas and comedies. In the former, she appeared in episodes of "NYPD Blue," "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior," and also landed a stint on "General Hospital," a soap that's changed a lot over the years. 

Of course, comedy was definitely her specialization, which led to sitcom roles in "George Lopez," and in an episode of "The Exes," which reunited her with "3rd Rock" co-stars Kristen Johnston and Wayne Knight. Wendel also ventured into voice acting. In addition to voicing a character in the 2012 Dr. Seuss feature "The Lorax," she also lent her voice to some editions of the "Fallout" video game franchise. Sadly, Wendel died in 2018. She was 89 years old.

Before coming to "3rd Rock from the Sun" as Officer Don, Wayne Knight had already earned a significant degree of fame from his recurring role as conniving postal worker Newman on "Seinfeld." He remained a hot commodity in television comedy after the end of "3rd Rock," a frequent guest star in TV sitcoms including "That '70s Show," "Becker," and "The Drew Carey Show." He was also a series regular alongside "3rd Rock" co-star Kristen Johnston on "The Exes," and also did some voice acting (in the film "Kung Fu Panda" and the animated TV series "Xiaolin Showdown").

Throughout his life, Knight had struggled with his weight; at this heaviest, he tipped the scales at 327 pounds. He received a wakeup call when his doctor warned him that unless he lost weight, he was heading for an early death. "And it scared me, literally to life," he told CBS News in 2004. As he explained, he'd managed to lose 100 pounds — not by gastric bypass surgery, but from diet and exercise.

In 2024, TMZ caught up with Knight, with a reporter asking whether his weight loss had impacted his career. "Yes, in a bad way," he responded. "It takes time for people to accept you as you are, and they find out whether or not you can still do things without being fat," he added. "You just have to accept the fact that you can't sell something that you're not."

When Dick Solomon taught physics on "3rd Rock from the Sun," one of the students who frequently appeared in his classroom was Leon. It's fair to say that at least a wee bit of nepotism was at play in his casting, given the the actor who played him in nearly 50 episodes is Ian Lithgow, the son of "3rd Rock" star John Lithgow. However, Ian is not one of those celebs whose take on being nepo babies had us cringing; in fact, he's landed plenty of roles that had nothing to do with his famous father, including HBO comedy "Girls," CBS legal drama "Bull," and the acclaimed series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" in in 2023, to name just a few.

"I have been acting professionally since I was in my early 20s," Ian told interviewer Jacqueline E. Lawton. A few years after "3rd Rock" concluded, however, Ian took a left turn into a whole other profession. In 2003, he began studying at LA's Antioch University, eventually earning a Master's degree in clinical psychology. 

He went on to become a licensed therapist, specializing in marriage counseling, and maintained an active practice in New York City. However, he began focusing on theater when his wife's career facilitated a move to Philadelphia. "Now it seems Philly is the place to be if you want to become a stage actor because New York is so expensive," he told the Chestnut Hill Local in 2012. In addition to stage work, Ian also appears onscreen, including a role in some 2025 episodes of TV the series "The Godfather of Harlem."

The son of actor Dom DeLuise and brother of "21 Jump Street" star Peter DeLuise, David DeLuise appeared in 46 episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun." He played the recurring role of Tommy Solomon's pal Bug throughout all six seasons. 

While there have been nepo babies who have been open about their struggles, DeLuise went on to a successful career as an actor. A guest star on multiple TV series, he's racked up more than 135 screen credits, ranging from "Hawaii Five-0," to "Grey's Anatomy," to "Bones." However, of all his credits, it's fair to say that he's best known for the role of magical dad Jerry Russo in Disney Channel hit "Wizards of Waverly Place."

As DeLuise explained in an interview with Movie Mom, being the son of Dom DeLuise provided a priceless acting education. "It's like I was born into an acting improv class. At the dinner table it was, 'Who can make me cry the fastest? Who can make me laugh the fastest?'" he recalled, pointing out that his godparents were Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, while family friends included such comedy icons as Gene Wilder and Carl Reiner. "These are my dad and mom's friends but they are also these heavy hitters in the entertainment business," he shared.

Larisa Oleynik first appeared in "3rd Rock from the Sun" in Season 4, playing Alissa Strudwick, love interest for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character. The sitcom proved to be something of a career launching pad for her, paving the way for numerous film and television roles.

Among these were a seven-episode stint on "Pretty Little Liars," a recurring role on "Hawaii Five-0," and a voice role in the long-running animated series "Winx Club." She's also appeared in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and several episodes of critically acclaimed TV drama "Mad Men."

Having worked on so many films and television sets over the years, Oleynik has been quick to credit "3rd Rock" star John Lithgow for how he interacted with the cast and crew. "One of the best people I've ever worked with was John Lithgow, and he handled a leadership role more perfectly than anyone I've ever seen," she said in an interview with Morbidly Beautiful. "And I tell him every time I see him, 'Thank you for providing that example for me.'"

He may have only appeared in a mere five episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun," but William Shatner's character was integral to the series. That's because he guest-starred as The Big Giant Head, the Solomons' alien leader, who conveyed messages to them via Harry's transmitter but occasionally popped down to Earth to see how the mission was going. 

Shatner, of course, was already a legendary figure by then, having played Capt. Kirk on "Star Trek" and its big-screen spinoffs. He also experienced success with 1980s cop show "T.J. Hooker," and as host of long-running "Rescue 911," which ran from 1989 until 1996. 

In the decades since "3rd Rock" ended its run, Shatner has maintained a breakneck pace as an actor, in addition to cranking out numerous books (including memoirs, fictional "Star Trek" novels, and his "Tek" series), and regularly appearing at fan conventions. He's been nominated for several Emmys (including one for his "3rd Rock" role), and won two, one of which was for his performance as bonkers attorney Denny Crane in "Boston Legal." In 2021, Shatner — then 90 years old — went to outer space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket. As he wrote in his 2022 book, "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder," he was surprised by his reaction once he exited the Earth's atmosphere. "It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered," he wrote. "The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness."