Whatever Happened To The Cast Of '80s Sitcom Brothers?

From actor E.R. Fightmaster's role of Kai on "Grey's Anatomy" as the first recurring nonbinary doctor on network television to the trans cast of series regulars on "Pose," plenty of television shows have made history for their LGBTQ+ representation. "Brothers" was one such sitcom known for its entertaining cast of characters and its pioneering of gay acceptance. From 1984 until 1989, a time fraught with fear for the gay community during the AIDS epidemic, "Brothers" offered audiences facts about the misunderstood disease, comic relief, and visible acceptance through some of the first positive gay representation on network television.

The Showtime series followed two stereotypically straight, masculine, and conservative brothers in Philadelphia, Lou and Joe Waters, as they learn to support their openly gay brother, Cliff Waters. In a 1985 interview with The New York Times, Paul Regina, the actor who portrayed Cliff, explained, "'When fears are minimized, compassion can come through, and we can do what must be done to eradicate AIDS.” "Brothers" shone a light on the AIDS epidemic and dispelled myths about the disease, and the '80s sitcom also proved that gay joy was always possible.

Not only did the actors make "Brothers" an entertaining show, but they were also part of television, comedy, and gay history. The cast of "Brothers" went on to lead different lives and change both personally and professionally. Read on to find out what happened to the cast of this groundbreaking sitcom and how their experience on the show shaped them. 

The '80s sitcom "Brothers" has gone down in history for its early portrayal of gay acceptance, and so has the actor who played the groundbreaking role of one of the first openly gay characters on television. In Paul Regina's interview with The New York Times, the actor described why he signed on for the role of Cliff Waters. ”I'm intrigued with parts playing men of conscience who are trying to do something about injustice," Regina explained. " I want to play men who see something they don't like and are not afraid to put themselves on the line to try and change things.” Some people may argue that the role should have gone to an openly gay actor, but even though Waters was straight in real life, the character he played still promoted gay acceptance at the time. 

After "Brothers" ended, Regina starred in several other television shows before moving back to New York after over two decades acting in Hollywood. His character's life in "Brothers" was far different from his own; Regina married a woman, Nancy Dye, in 1990, and the couple shared one child. The actor-turned-writer continued his career in New York and co-wrote several screenplays, including "Monroe" in 2001 and "Eddie Monroe" in 2006. Regina sadly died of liver cancer in 2006 but will always be remembered for the acceptance and laughs he brought to audiences throughout his career. 

As its name suggests, Showtime's "Brothers" revolved around family dynamics. The character of Lou Waters, the oldest brother in the show and a construction worker and father known for his gruff demeanor, was played by actor Brandon Maggart, whose real life also revolved around his family. Brandon has six grandchildren and seven children, many of whom are just as talented as he is. The former actor is father to singers Fiona Apple and Maude Maggart, actor Garett Maggart, writer Spencer Maggart, Jennifer Maggart, Justine Maggart, and Julienne Maggart.

After the '80s sitcom "Brothers" ended, Brandon focused on his children but also kept working professionally. He guest-starred in a number of movies and television shows throughout the '90s and early 2000s, like "Boy Meets World" and "Chicago Hope," but his work is far different from his role as a construction worker on the show. Brandon decided to focus on different creative pursuits after the series "Brothers" ended as well: The multitalented former actor is now a painter, singer, author of multiple books, and poet whose work was featured at the prestigious Venice Centennial Art Walk. Like the character he played on "Brothers," Brandon is not afraid to share his opinions and does so through his artistic pursuits in real life.

In the '80s sitcom "Brothers," actor Philip Charles MacKenzie played the character of Donald Maltby, the proudly gay best friend of the show's main character, Cliff Waters. In real life, MacKenzie is straight, and it is thanks to his acting career that he met his current wife, fellow actor Alison La Placa. The couple met when they were both on the television dramedy "Duet" and married shortly afterward in 1991. After "Brothers" ended, MacKenzie's life changed not only romantically but professionally as well.

MacKenzie transitioned from acting to working behind the camera as a television director for other popular network shows like "Frasier," "Roseanne," and "According to Jim." He used his experience working on television sets of sitcoms like "Brothers" to enhance both his directorial and teaching skills. MacKenzie also utilizes the firsthand industry knowledge he gained from decades working on-screen and behind the camera to help shape future generations of sitcom actors. The "Brothers" alum now teaches film and television acting courses online and in Los Angeles at the Art of Acting Studio. When MacKenzie is not teaching or directing, he can often be found behind a drum set, regularly performing onstage and on occasional live recordings.

The groundbreaking sitcom "Brothers" was nominated in multiple categories for the CableACE Awards as well as a Television Critics Association Award before the series came to an end. While there was no lack of professional recognition for cast members during the show, it was not until later in their careers that some of the show's actors became even more well known, including actor Robert Walden. The actor who played brother Joe Waters in the '80s sitcom had a career somewhat similar to some of the forgotten '80s sitcom actors who found further fame later in life.

After "Brothers" went off the air, Walden continued to act consistently up until 2023 in popular shows like "Melrose Place," "The West Wing," and "Law & Order: SVU." However, it was not until 2011 that the actor landed a recurring role playing a main character on another television network sitcom called "Happily Divorced," which led to greater recognition with a whole new generation of sitcom audiences. Like "Brothers," "Happily Divorced" also featured an openly gay main character and promoted acceptance. Walden starred as actor Fran Drescher's father, Glen Newman, in the TV Land television series until it was canceled in 2013. Like his former co-star, Phillip Charles MacKenzie, Walden also put his decades of acting knowledge to use and is an adjunct professor at the New School for Drama in New York City, where he provides a LGBTQ+ friendly space for young aspiring actors.

Hallie Todd has given many memorable performances in her acting roles over the years, including her role as the teenager daughter of Joe Waters, Penny Waters, in the show "Brothers." It is still her longest recurring acting role to date. Having gained confidence and credibility in her role as Penny, Todd continued paving her way in the industry and portrayed a plethora of different characters after "Brothers" ended.

The "Brothers" actor had a recurring role as the bluntly honest Lanie Clark in the '90s show "Life With Roger," but it was not until 2001 that Todd landed her next major role, which would further skyrocket her to fame, at least among Disney Channel fans. Todd became a famous television mother when she was in the beloved millennial show "Lizzie McGuire" as Lizzie's mom, Jo McGuire. Like much of the cast of "Lizzie McGuire," Todd continued acting after the Disney series ended, but she has not acted as frequently since. 

Although she filmed some episodes in 2020 of the canceled "Lizzie McGuire" reboot and took a handful of other acting roles, her main focus became her production company. Todd founded a production company called In House Media Film Partners that she runs with her husband, Glenn Withrow, and their daughter, Ivy Withrow. Thanks to the experience she gained from her long-running roles in "Brothers" and "Lizzie McGuire," Todd now also trains future generations of actors at Hallie Todd Studios in Los Angeles.

Robin Riker, the actor who played the character of Kelly Hall in "Brothers," was Joe Waters' love interest in the '80s sitcom. Hall was one of few female characters in the show, and throughout the rest of her acting career, Riker proved that she could embody any type of character in any genre and capture the attention of male and female viewers alike. After "Brothers" ended, Riker appeared in a number of other sitcoms like "Get a Life" and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" before she left sitcoms behind for the world of soap operas.

Riker joined the cast of "Days of Our Lives" in 2000 and later starred in "The Bold and the Beautiful."  "The Bold and the Beautiful" has changed over the years, and Riker was along for the ride for almost 50 episodes from when her character was first introduced in 2008 until she left the show in 2010. Like her former co-star Hallie Todd, Riker has shown that sometimes mixing family with business is a good thing. Since 1997, Riker has been married to cinematographer Evan A. Nesbitt, and the couple collaborated on the movie "Spiritual Warriors" in 2007. 

In 2013, the same year that Riker voiced a character in a video game, she compiled everything she learned throughout her career by that point and wrote a book called "A Survivor's Guide to Hollywood: How to Play the Game Without Losing Your Soul," in which she combines humor with practicality to help aspiring actors.

Many celebrity couples travel to Las Vegas to get hitched, such as Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere, and Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. However, the actor who played Lou Waters' wife, Sam Waters, in the show "Brothers," went to Las Vegas for an entirely different reason. After the '80s sitcom ended, Mary Ann Pascal worked in Hollywood for almost another decade, guest-starring in popular comedy television series like "Full House," "MacGyver," and "The Ring of the Musketeers." In 1996, Pascal was in an episode of "Pacific Blue," her final role as an actor as of July 2026. Rather than further pursue a career as an actor, Pascal took her talents to a completely different sector of entertainment: casinos.

Less than a decade after "Brothers" ended, the former actor traded the City of Angels for the City of Sin full time and now works for Wynn Las Vegas, a popular resort and casino co-founded and owned by her sister-in-law, Elaine Wynn. The former "Brothers" actor began working at the casino and has since served as the vice president of player development at Wynn Las Vegas. Pascal's life in Vegas did not begin at the fancy resort; she had previously worked in Vegas at the casino Golden Nugget and traveled between there and Los Angeles to film "Brothers." However, it now appears she has left the acting life behind for good and focuses on business operations at Wynn. 

While the majority of the cast of the show "Brothers" were hired as actors, that was not the case for Timothy Williams. Williams eventually portrayed the character of Mike Chandler, a lawyer and Penny Waters' boyfriend, but he initially worked on the show behind the scenes. Williams first joined the show in the capacity of a writer and script consultant for eight episodes before playing the recurring character of Chandler on the final season of the '80s sitcom. After the series ended, the multitalented actor had roles in over a dozen shows, including the sitcom "Saved by the Bell" and "Doogie Howser, M.D."

However, Williams continued to write for shows and movies spanning different genres as well, such as the family comedy series "Big Brother Jake" in the early '90s and the 2014 crime thriller "Tell." His name was attached to his professional accomplishments until he ghost-wrote the book "My So-Called Career in Hollywood" in 2005 and "I Am Not Lost in Space!" in 2013. "I Am Not Lost in Space!" was turned into an animated limited series called "Lost in Space: Escape From Earth!" in 2025, and the former "Brothers" actor continues to focus on writing. Williams' work earned him the distinction of winning the Governor's Screenwriting Competition twice, and he does not show any signs of slowing down or taking a break from the entertainment industry that made him famous both on-screen and behind the scenes.

Like much of the cast of the Showtime series "Brothers," the actor who played Louella explored different career paths and creative endeavors beyond on-screen acting after the show ended. Yeardley Smith's most recognizable television role came the same year that "Brothers" ended; Smith's voice became forever associated with the beloved animated show "The Simpsons," on which she has voiced the character of Lisa Simpson for over three decades. The actor was also in a number of other shows and movies since her role in the groundbreaking '80s sitcom "Brothers," including the 1991 movie "City Slickers." Although she was not a regular cast member on the sitcom "Dharma and Greg," she did appear in over a dozen episodes of the television series and brought her expert sitcom knowledge to the show.

Unfortunately, Smith's fame led to having to deal with stalkers, so for a public appearance in 2014, she was assigned a bodyguard, Dan Grice, who became so much more. Smith fell for Grice, and the pair eventually made their real-life love story official when they tied the knot in 2022. Although the actor had previously been married and divorced twice, she joked in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that her ceremony with Grice was her "favorite wedding yet." Smith's professional life further overlapped with her love life when she joined the true crime podcast "Small Town Dicks" as a co-host with her husband and brother-in-law. As of 2026, she continues to work on it.

Actor Tommy Hinkley played the character of Jim Grant, a secretly rich construction worker who worked for Lou Waters, in the Showtime television series "Brothers." Hinkley was only in a handful of episodes of the sitcom, given it was one of the first shows of his acting career, but after "Brothers" ended, he went on to achieve acting fame in dozens of other shows and movies. Hinkley is particularly recognized for his roles in '90s movies such as "L.A. Story" and "Star Trek: Generations" and has continued his acting career throughout the 2000s and beyond.

However, the direction of his life changed after his role in the 2008 movie "Leatherheads" starring George Clooney. The film was shot in a peaceful college town that got the actor thinking he wanted a quieter pace of life. Shortly after his role in "Leatherheads," Hinkley made a major life change and moved to Colorado with his wife, fellow actor Tracey Needham, and their daughter, where he now interacts with children beyond his role as a parent. While some "Brothers" cast members went on to teach adult acting courses, Hinkley became a theater teacher for children in Colorado alongside his wife in their program, called Reel Kids. Although the actor has not taken any major roles in movies or television shows since starting the acting company for children, he continues to act occasionally: In 2025, Hinkley was in an episode of the drama "9-1-1."