'Freaks and Greeks' Had a Short but Memorable Run on TV — Where Is the Cast Now?

The short-lived teen series Freaks and Geeks may have only gotten one season, but it has stood the test of time with fans. Created by Paul Feig, the 1999–2000 comedy examined "the sad, hilarious unfairness of teen life" — and introduced audiences to some serious talent — before it was quickly canceled.

Below, we take a look at what the cast has been up to in the years since Freaks and Greeks had its short but memorable run on NBC.

Since starring as the precocious teen, Linda Cardellini has had quite an impressive career. In recent years she reprised her role as Laura Barton in the Disney Plus miniseries Hawkeye and starred in Netflix's tragicomedy series Dead to Me, the latter of which earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

To this day, John Francis Daley remains an icon due to all the fabulous faces he made as Sam Weir in Freaks and Geeks. John has since transitioned behind the camera and penned scripts for films like Horrible Bosses, Horrible Bosses 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He also co-directed Vacation and Game Night alongside frequent collaborator Jonathan Goldstein. The two co-wrote and co-directed 2023's Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as well.

After landing the role of Daniel Desario, a cool and charismatic freak, James Franco became one of Hollywood's greatest leading men. However, since being accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, James seemed to step away from acting for a bit in 2019, though his IMDb page currently lists several upcoming projects.

Following his role as the self-proclaimed comic genius and ladies' man in Freaks and Geeks, Samm Levine starred in a number of television shows and films like Spin City, That '70s Show, The Neighborhood, Not Another Teen Movie, and Inglourious Basterds. He also regularly appears on Doug Benson's podcast, Doug Loves Movies.

A teenage Seth Rogen made his acting debut as a cynical, sarcastic freak in Freaks and Geeks. He developed a strong bond with executive producer Judd Apatow and went on the work with him in films like Superbad and Pineapple Express. Seth also worked alongside James Franco for years, but their professional partnership has ended. Seth has created and produced TV shows like Preacher, Black Monday, The Boys, and Invincible, as well as movies like Blockers, Good Boys, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Before starring as Marshall Eriksen on How I Met Your Mother, actor Jason Segel was stealing hearts left and right as a kind-hearted stoner on Freaks and Geeks. He's starred in various comedy films and went on to pursue more dramatic projects as well like The End of the Tour, Come Sunday, and The Sky Is Everywhere. He currently stars on Apple TV Plus's Shrinking, which he co-created and co-wrote alongside Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein.

Like his co-star Seth Rogen, actor Martin Starr continued to work with Judd Apatow after Freaks in Geeks. He landed minor roles in Knocked Up, Superbad, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Martin has found further success on the big and small screens with roles in Adventureland, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, Tulsa King, and the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy. He also recently reprised his role as Roman DeBeers in Season 3 of Party Down.

Becky is perhaps best known for her roles in Freaks and Geeks and Lena Dunham's HBO series Girls, the latter of which earned her two Critics' Choice Television Award nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Becky's recent acting credits include The Half of It, Holler, The Resort, and Max's political drama series The Girls on the Bus.

The patriarch of the Weir household was played by none other than Second City Theater alum Joe Flaherty. He followed his Freaks and Geeks gig with roles in Even Stevens, That '70s Show, The Legend of Tarzan, The King of Queens, and Family Guy. Joe's most recent on-screen credit was in the 2014 short film Nightlife. Sadly, Joe passed away on April 1, 2024, at age 82 following a brief illness.

Daniel's on-and-off girlfriend throughout the series, Kim Kelly, was portrayed by a young Busy Philipps in her first major role. She's seen great success on the small screen, with roles in Dawson's Creek, Love, Inc., ER, Cougar Town, Vice Principals, and Girls5eva. She recently starred in the musical comedy film Mean Girls: The Musical.