There’s been a lot of great ensemble comedies in recent years, from The Office to Parks and Rec to Community. However, there’s one short-lived sitcom that doesn’t get enough credit, even if its fans are an incredibly loyal (if small) bunch. I’m talking, of course, about Happy Endings, the ABC comedy that had an awful pilot (and a pretty rough first season) before transforming into one of the funniest shows on TV.
Those, like myself, who were big fans of Happy Endings, which was created by David Caspe, enjoyed the series for a lot of reasons: its fast-paced, joke-a-minute style; its countless pop culture references; and, more than anything else, the show’s stellar cast, who, in between one-liners, could somehow turn these cartoonish, over-the-top characters into real people that we could relate to. It’s been tough not having the entire Happy Endings cast together since it ended last year, but fortunately, many of the show’s stars have found new gigs on other series or in films. Here’s where you can find all the members of the Happy Endings cast today.
Eliza Coupe (Jane Kerkovich-Williams)
As the smarter, older, and slightly insaner of the Kerkovich sisters, Jane had countless comedic moments throughout Happy Endings‘ run, and Eliza Coupe nailed every single one of them. Whether it involved physical comedy or lightning fast dialogue, she was always game and somehow made Jane’s crazy behavior always believable. After guest stints on CBS’s now-cancelled The Millers and Showtime’s House of Lies, Coupe is now the star of USA Network’s brand new comedy series Benched, in which she plays Nina, a newly jobless (and single) attorney who must join the Public Defender’s office. The show has received solid reviews so far, and our own Randy Dankievitch reviews it for us here at TVOvermind.com.
Elisha Cuthbert (Alex Kerkovich)
After years of being Jack Bauer’s daughter, Kim, on the FOX action series 24, it was surprising to see Elisha Cuthbert switch from drama to comedy, but if you’re asking me, she’s Happy Endings‘ undisputed MVP. As Alex Kerkovich, Cuthbert was able to do more than simply play the “dumb blonde” role by instilling the quirky character with impressive amount of sweetness and sass. Sadly, it’s unclear what the future holds for Cuthbert. She has a starring role as Lizzy in NBC’s midseason comedy One Big Happy, but no expected premiere date has been announced for the series.
Casey Wilson (Penny Hartz)
A talented SNL alum and real life wife of Happy Endings creator David Capse, Casey Wilson played the hopeless romantic but unlucky-in-love Penny Hartz perfectly. Penny was frequently neurotic and always over-dramatic, which produced a great amount of laughs, and her friendship with Max was easily one of the best parts of the show. Recently, Wilson has starred in Hulu’s The Hotwives of Orlando and appeared on Comedy Central’s Drunk History and in David Fincher’s new film Gone Girl. This fall, she began starring alongside Ken Marino in Capse’s new NBC comedy Marry Me, which recently received an order for five more additional episodes, bringing its first season total to 18.
Damon Wayans Jr. (Brad Williams)
Like Wilson and Coupe, Damon Wayans Jr. has also found success on another comedy series. The actor, who played Jane’s husband Brad (my second favorite Happy Endings character–sorry Brad, but Alex has to be number one), returned to FOX’s New Girl last season as his character Coach from the show’s pilot. While his role in Season 3 was initially recurring, Wayans Jr. quickly became a series regular and remains one in the New Girl‘s fourth season.
Zachary Knighton (Dave Rose)
Similar to Cuthbert (whose TV future remains questionable), Zachary Knighton, who played Alex’s almost-husband and then on-again, off-again love interest Dave on Happy Endings, hasn’t found a series regular gig yet. Instead, the actor has appeared on many different shows, including Parenthood, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Wilfred, in guest starring roles. Reportedly, he also has three new films in the works, which will are all coming out sometime in 2015.
Adam Pally (Max Blum)
Last year, Adam Pally went from playing a loud, crude gay guy on Happy Endings to playing a loud, crude, straight guy on The Mindy Project. Pally joined the show’s cast in Season 2 as Dr. Peter Prentice but will unfortunately be leaving the series early in 2015 after the thirteenth episode of Mindy Project‘s third season to pursue other projects. However, he does have the option to guest star on the show, if his schedule permits.
Which Happy Endings cast member is your favorite? Do you currently watch any of the cast’s new shows?
Photos via ABC
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Happy Endings was such a good show. Jane was my favorite and I loved Eliza Coupe’s work on Scrubs. Her new sitcom Benched is also great.
@ZachKnighton uploaded on his twitter that he has a new show coming on tuesdays after new girl called Weird Losers, debuting March 31st.