The outstanding Without a Trace cast garnered high ratings on CBS during the show’s seven-year successful run. Starring Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Enrique Murciano, and Eric Close in the main roles, the show stood out for its unique plot and fresh approach to the popular police procedural genre. Without a Trace focuses on cases of missing persons in New York City while the personal lives of FBI team members are also explored to give the show that special touch.
For seven seasons which spanned from 2002 to 2009, Without a Trace attracted positive reviews from critics and viewers, earning remarkable scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its high ratings, CBS pulled the plug on the show the same day season 7 finale aired on May 19, 2009. The reason for the cancellation is linked to budget cuts. Here’s what Without a Trace cast members have been up to since the show was canceled.
Anthony LaPaglia (John Michael Malone)
Among several award nominations, Anthony LaPaglia won the 2004 Golden Globe Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Series – Drama for his role as the head of the Missing Persons Unit, FBI on Without a Trace. LaPaglia starred in all seven seasons of Without a Trace and moved on to other projects after the show was canceled. His recent television credits include The Code, Bad Blood, Rivera, Florida Man, and Boy Swallows Universe. He has notably played film roles in Happy Feet (2006) and its sequel Happy Feet Two (2011), Mental (2012), Holding the Man (2015), and Annabelle: Creation (2017). Before focusing on acting, LaPaglia played soccer in the National Soccer League Australia.
Poppy Montgomery (Samantha Spade)
After her memorable stint on Without a Trace as special agent Samantha Spade, Poppy Montgomery landed another major role on the CBS/A&E police drama Unforgettable. She played Carrie Wells on the show from 2011 to 2016 across 61 episodes. Montgomery also played J. K. Rowling in the 2011 TV movie Magic Beyond Words which chronicles the writer’s journey to fame. In 2019, she joined the main cast of the French-American crime television series Reef Break as Cat Chambers.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Vivian Johnson)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste has appeared in over 60 movies and TV shows in a career spanning over three decades. Before she became known as a Without a Trace cast member, Jean-Baptiste gained fame for her depiction of Hortense Cumberbatch in Mike Leigh‘s 1996 film Secret & Lies. Since the end of Without a Trace, Jean-Baptiste has appeared on notable TV shows such as Sons of Anarchy, Blindspot, How to Get Away with Murder, Soundtrack, Surface, and The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies. She collaborated with Leigh again in the 2024 film Hard Truths.
Enrique Murciano (Danny Taylor)
Playing FBI agent Danny Taylor on Without a Trace put Enrique Murciano on the map but he was already an established television star before the show. Murciano played a main role in Spyder Games in 2001 and appeared as Tolaris in Star Trek: Enterprise in 2002. He stayed on the Without a Trace cast throughout the show’s run before joining the cast of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2009. Murciano has since appeared on notable television series such as NCIS, Power, Bloodline, The Blacklist, Tell Me Your Secrets, Panic, and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Mendez Story. He has also been busy on the silver screen, appearing in films such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), Rough Night (2017), and Miranda’s Victim (2023).
Roselyn Sánchez (Elena Delgado)
Having won the Miss Puerto Rico Petite contest and Miss American Petite in 1993 and 1994 respectively, Roselyn Sánchez attained international fame before her television debut on As the World Turns in 1996. She joined the Without a Trace cast ensemble in season 4 and remained a regular throughout the show’s run. She later guest-starred on Desperate Housewives in 2012 and joined the main cast of Devious Maids as Carmen Luna. She has also appeared on notable shows such as Grand Hotel (2019), The Rookie (2020), Home Economics (2021-2022), Fantasy Island (2021-2023), and ‘Til Jail Do Us Part (2022).
Eric Close (Martin Fitzgerald)
Eric Close was part of Without a Trace cast from inception but he gained initial fame in the 1990s, appearing on shows such as Santa Barbara (1992-1993), McKenna (1994-1995), Sisters (1995-1996), Dark Skies (1996-1997), The Magnificent Seven (1998-2000), and Now and Again (1999-2000). After his stint on Without a Trace, Close joined the cast of ABC’s Nashville in 2012. He also appeared on notable television programs such as Criminal Minds, Chaos, Suits, and American Horror Story: Murder House.
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