The Boston Public cast offered audiences a dramatic look into the professional and private lives of teachers, administrators, students, and parents at Boston’s Winslow High School. The cast boasts a talented ensemble led by Chi McBride alongside Jessalyn Gilsig, Anthony Heald, Loretta Devine, Sharon Leal, and Rashida Jones. During its run, Boston Public earned 31 award nominations and won eight, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera Series in 2001.
The show also won the 2002 Peabody Award for Episode “Chapter Thirty-Seven.” Boston Public premiered on October 23, 2000, concluding its run after four seasons and 81 episodes. Despite garnering positive reception from viewers, the show was canceled due to declining ratings. The last episode aired on January 30, 2004, as the Boston Public cast moved on to other projects. Here’s what they have been up to.
Chi McBride (Principal Steven Harper)
His depiction of high school principal Steven Harper is one of Chi McBride‘s best-known roles. The American actor debuted in 1992, appearing in the Eddie Murphy-led film The Distinguished Gentleman as Homer and on one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Ed Barker. After performing with the Boston Public cast, McBride made a crossover appearance on Boston Legal in 2005. His television career has continued to grow, with major roles in Killer Instinct, The Nine, Pushing Daisies, Human Target, Golden Boy, and Hawaii Five-0. He guest-starred on This Is Us in 2021.
Anthony Heald (Vice Principal Scott Guber)
While it marked his first major television appearance, Anthony Heald had an extensive acting career before joining the Boston Public cast. He had roles in Fresno, Law & Order, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, and The Practice. After his Boston Public stint, Heald continued to churn out film and television roles, appearing in Boston Legal, The Closer, and Sam & Cat. He played Judge Taylor on A Man in Full in 2024. On the silver screen, Heald is known for his performances in The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Proof of Life (2000), Red Dragon (2002), Accepted (2006), and Alone (2020).
Jessalyn Gilsig (Lauren Davis)
Jessalyn Gilsig appeared in the first two seasons of Boston Public as Social Studies teacher Lauren Davis. After her stint on Boston Public, Gilsig guest-starred on Without a Trace in 2003 and became a series regular on Nip/Tuck. Since then, she has appeared on NYPD Blue, Prison Break, Law & Order, Heroes, and CSI: NY. She was nominated for several awards for her performances on shows like Imaginary Bitches, Glee, and Vikings. Gilsig played Holly Barrett on Big Shot from 2021 to 2022 and guest-starred on 1923 as Beverly Strafford in 2023. She has also appeared in notable films, including About Fifty (2011), Somewhere Slow (2013), and Spree (2020).
Nicky Katt (Harry Senate)
Nicky Katt has appeared in a few television roles since he left the Boston Public cast in 2002. In 2003, he played Evan Piscarek in The Guardian and portrayed Sergeant Ryan Sharkey in Monk in 2006. He was last seen in one episode of Casual as Cyril in 2018. While his television credits are few, Katt has garnered more film roles since Boston Public. His notable film projects include Boiler Room (2000), The Way of the Gun (2000), Sin City (2005), Snow Angels (2007), and Behind the Candelabra (2013).
Loretta Devine (Marla Hendricks)
Loretta Devine is an accomplished Hollywood actress who began her career on Broadway in the late 1970s. She is known for her roles in the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher’s Wife (1997). Following her four-year award-winning stint on Boston Public, Devine landed a main role on Wild Card season 2 and joined the recurring cast of the medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, winning an Emmy Award for the latter. Her recent television credits include Days of Our Lives, Kingdom Business, and Everybody Still Hates Chris.
Sharon Leal (Marilyn Sudor)
Sharon Leal has had an accomplished television career since her debut as a regular cast member in Guiding Light from 1996 to 1999. After playing high school English teacher and music instructor Marilyn Sudor on Boston Public, Leal appeared in a recurring role on LAX from 2004 to 2005. Her major television credits include Private Practice, Hellcats, Reed Between the Lines, Grimm Recovery Road, Supergirl, Instinct, The Good Doctor, and Pretty Little Liars. She has also appeared in films such as Dreamgirls (2006), This Christmas (2007), Why Did I Get Married? (2007), Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), Shot (2017), and Blindfire (2020).
Fyvush Finkel (Harvey Lipschultz)
Before Boston Public, Fyvush Finkel gained recognition for his performance in Picket Fences, earning several award nominations. Subsequently, he appeared in a few guest roles before he died in 2016. Finkel’s final film role was as Max in Game Day (2016).
Rashida Jones (Louisa Fenn)
Perhaps the most accomplished actor on the Boston Public cast list, Rashida Jones has played several television roles since she left the Boston Public cast. Her notable TV credits include The Office (2006–2009; 2011), Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), and Angie Tribeca (2016–2019). She also has an extensive film career with appearances in I Love You, Man (2009), The Social Network (2010), Our Idiot Brother (2011), The Muppets (2011), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012), and Tag (2018). She has also added filmmaking to her resume. Catch up with the cast of Supernatural.
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