'Six Feet Under' cast: Where are they now?

By Topher Gauk-Roger 5:00am PDT, Aug 20, 2020

You can't discuss HBO's golden age in the late 1990s and early 2000s without mentioning the family drama "Six Feet Under." The hit series ran for five seasons as audiences watched the Fishers run their Los Angeles funeral home while dealing with the stress and drama of everyday life — and death. Created by Oscar-winning "American Beauty" screenwriter Alan Ball, the show received widespread critical acclaim and won nine Emmys, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globes and a Peabody. To mark 15 years since the finale of "Six Feet Under" aired on Aug. 21, 2005, join Wonderwall.com as we take a look at what its stars are up to now…

Peter Krause starred as Nate Fisher, the eldest of the Fisher kids. Nate returns to Los Angeles at the same time his father dies and begrudgingly stays to run the family funeral business with his brother. As he figures out how to manage adult responsibilities for the first time, he goes on to balancing them with a dysfunctional love life, a daughter and *SPOILER ALERT* a deadly health condition.

Peter Krause made his screen debut in the 1987 slasher film "Blood Harvest." He then had a run of small TV parts in early 1990s hits like "Seinfeld," "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Ellen." Peter landed his first major role on the hit sitcom "Cybill" in 1995 before becoming a leading man in the TV comedy "Sports Night." Sadly, the critically acclaimed series only lasted two seasons due to low ratings. However, the Minnesota native started "Six Feet Under" only a year later in 2001. His work as Nate Fisher earned him three Emmy nominations. While on the HBO hit, he also made his Broadway debut in a 2004 production of Arthur Miller's "After the Fall." Peter has remained a TV mainstay since "Six Feet Under" wrapped, leading the casts of the primetime soap "Dirty Sexy Money" from 2007 to 2009, the family drama "Parenthood" from 2010 to 2015 (he also directed some episodes) and the Shonda Rhimes-produced caper "The Catch" from 2016 to 2017. Since 2018, Peter has starred on the Ryan Murphy-produced procedural "9-1-1." He's been in a relationship with "Gilmore Girls" star Lauren Graham since 2010. The pair met on the set of the sitcom "Caroline in the City" in 1995 and became a couple while co-starring as siblings on "Parenthood." He has an adult son with ex Christine King.

Michael C. Hall played David Fisher, the middle child of the Fisher clan and a funeral director at Fisher & Sons Funeral Home who's coming into his own as a gay man. Emotionally repressed, David spends much of the series coming to terms with his sexuality and the stresses that come with it. He develops a lifelong romance with police officer Keith, but it's not without its ups and downs.

A stage actor at heart, Michael C. Hall started out doing numerous off-Broadway productions throughout the 1990s. His first Broadway role came in a 1999 revival of "Cabaret," which led to his casting in "Six Feet Under" in 2001. He earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the HBO hit. While doing the series, the North Carolina-born actor also toured in a 2003 production of the iconic musical "Chicago." A year after "Six Feet Under" finished, he landed the titular role on the hit Showtime drama "Dexter," which ran for eight seasons and garnered Michael five additional Emmy nominations. He then returned to Broadway to take on the lead role in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in 2014. He also starred in indie dramas like 2014's "Cold in July" and 2016's "Christine" and lent his voice to the 2017 documentary "The Gettysburg Address." More recently, he starred on the 2018 Netflix series "Safe" and in the 2019 Netflix thriller "In the Shadow of the Moon." Michael is also the lead vocalist for the band Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum, which released their first EP in April 2020. The Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor was married to actress Amy Spanger from 2002 to 2006 and "Dexter" co-star Jennifer Carpenter from 2008 to 2011. Michael married novelist and book reviewer Morgan Macgregor in 2016.

Lauren Ambrose rounded out the Fisher kids as the youngest of the family, Claire. The rebellious teen faces a number of turbulent relationships while discovering her own talents as an artist and photographer. The most creative of the Fisher family, Claire is determined to strike out on her own.

Lauren Ambrose started her acting career as a teen, tackling off-Broadway plays and small TV roles on shows like "Law & Order." She made her big-screen debut in the 1997 comedy "In & Out" a year before scoring her breakthrough role in the hit teen film "Can't Hardly Wait." It wasn't long after that the Connecticut native started on "Six Feet Under." After her Emmy-nominated turn as Claire Fisher, Lauren made her Broadway debut in a 2006 revival of "Awake and Sing!" She stuck to theater, starring in productions of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet" and enjoying a Tony-nominated run in the 2018 revival of "My Fair Lady." Lauren also had parts in films like 2009's "The Other Woman" and 2012's "Wanderlust" and lent her voice to 2009's "Where the Wild Things Are." She more recently appeared on the Apple TV+ series "Servant," which is produced by M. Night Shyamalan. Lauren married professional photographer Sam Handel in 2001. The pair have two children.

The matriarch of the Fisher family, Ruth, was played by Frances Conroy. Ruth is coming to terms with being a widow and discovering what she really wants out of life for the first time. While exploring a series of relationships and dealing with the drama of her three grown children, Ruth is finally getting in touch with her long-bottled emotions.

Frances Conroy began acting in the 1970s, starring in a long list of theater productions before garnering a Tony Award nomination in 2000 for her work in the play "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan." She also had small roles in a number of films including 1979's "Manhattan," 1988's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," 1992's "Scent of a Woman," 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle" and 1996's "The Crucible." "Six Feet Under" was the Georgia-born actress's first on-screen leading role. Her work earned her four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. While doing "Six Feet Under," Frances also starred in 2002's "Maid in Manhattan" and 2004's "Catwoman" and "The Aviator." Since leaving the hit series, she's worked consistently in both film and television with big-screen roles in 2005's "Shopgirl," 2006's "The Wicker Man" and 2009's "Love Happens." Her TV parts have included spots on "ER," "Desperate Housewives," "Nip/Tuck," "Grey's Anatomy," "Royal Pains," "Casual," "Arrested Development" and "Castle Rock." In 2011, Frances joined the "American Horror Story" franchise; she's appeared on seven of the hit show's seasons. More recently, she was seen in 2019's "Joker" as the title character's mother and on season 2 of the Netflix hit "Dead to Me" in 2020. Frances has been married to husband Jan Munroe since 1992.

Rachel Griffiths starred as Brenda Chenowith, Nate's love interest. Their on-off relationship is shown throughout the series and chronicles their ups and downs as Brenda deals with the numerous demons plaguing her thanks to her rich psychiatrist parents and mentally unstable brother, including sex and drug addictions. Brenda is determined to prove to everyone, including herself, that she's overcome it all by starting a family with Nate.

Rachel Griffiths appeared in a number of theater and TV productions in her native Australia before making her big-screen debut opposite Toni Collette in the 1994 dramedy "Muriel's Wedding." The critically acclaimed film led to roles in movies like 1997's "My Best Friend's Wedding," 1998's "Hilary and Jackie" and 2000's "Me Myself I." While doing "Six Feet Under," Rachel also starred in "The Rookie" in 2002 and "Ned Kelly" in 2003. Immediately after her Emmy-nominated work on the drama wrapped, she had a big part in 2006's "Step Up" and snagged a leading role on the hit drama series "Brothers & Sisters" from 2006 to 2011. Rachel made her Broadway debut in the 2011 play "Other Desert Cities." In 2012, she returned to Australia to take a step back from acting and focus on her family. Rachel has since made appearances in 2013's "Saving Mr. Banks" and 2016's "Hacksaw Ridge" as well as in the 2017 miniseries "When We Rise." She directed her first film in 2019, "Ride Like a Girl." Rachel married Australian artist Andrew Taylor in 2002; the couple have three children.

Mathew St. Patrick portrayed Keith Charles, David's love interest. The openly gay policeman convinces David to come out of the closet, but the pair's insecurities — and pent up aggression — lead to a series of breakups and reconciliations. Keith eventually loses his job and the couple decide to start a family of their own through adoption.

Mathew St. Patrick worked odd jobs in his hometown of Philadelphia before eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He started out as a personal trainer to make ends meet before joining a theater group and snagging roles on popular TV soaps "General Hospital" and "All My Children" in the late 1990s. After "Six Feet Under," Mathew starred on the drama series "Reunion" from 2005 to 2006 and in the 2007 action flick "War." He's made guest appearances on TV shows like "Private Practice," "Saving Grace," "Sons of Anarchy," "NCIS" and "NCIS: Los Angeles."

Freddy Rodriguez filled out the Fisher & Sons team as Federico "Rico" Diaz, the funeral home's skilled restorative artist. Rico is determined to become a partner at the funeral home while trying to keep his personal mistakes from destroying his marriage and home life.

Freddy Rodriguez made his acting debut in the 1994 film "The Fence" but got his first major parts in the 1995 dramas "A Walk in the Clouds" and "Dead Presidents." Shortly after, he had memorable roles in 1997's "The Pest" and 1998's "Can't Hardly Wait" as well as a guest arc on "Party of Five." While doing "Six Feet Under," the Chicago-born actor also had a recurring role on the hit comedy "Scrubs" and starred in 2003's "Chasing Papi" and 2005's "Havoc" and "Harsh Times." Since the HBO drama wrapped, Freddy has appeared in films like 2006's "Poseidon," "Bobby" and "Lady in the Water," 2007's "Planet Terror," 2008's "Bottle Shock" and 2013's "CBGB." He's also had roles on TV shows including "Ugly Betty," "ER," "Chaos" and "The Night Shift." The star has also built a solid voice-work resume with roles on "Generator Rex," "Kaijudo," "Young Justice: Invasion," "Teen Titans Go!" and "Ultimate Spider-Man." Since 2016, Freddy has starred on the CBS drama "Bull." He married Maria Elise Rivera in 1995. They have two children.

Richard Jenkins rounded out the Fishers as Nathaniel Fisher, the family patriarch who dies in the show's first episode. He stays on as a ghost, advising the rest of his family as they deal with both his left-behind funeral business as well as life after his passing.

Richard Jenkins first hit the screen in the 1974 TV film "Feasting with Panthers" then went on to work steadily with roles in films like 1986's "Hannah and Her Sisters," 1987's "The Witches of Eastwick," 1995's "How to Make an American Quilt," 1998's "There's Something About Mary," 1999's "Snow Falling On Cedars" and 2000's "Me, Myself & Irene." "Six Feet Under" marked his first major television role, but that didn't stop him from continuing to make movies: He starred in "Changing Lanes" in 2002, "Cheaper by the Dozen" in 2003 and "Rumor Has It…" and "North Country" in 2005. Best known as a supporting player, the Illinois native made waves with his lead role in the 2007 indie drama "The Visitor," which garnered him an Oscar nomination. Richard followed that with parts in 2008's "Step Brothers," 2010's "Dear John" and "Eat Pray Love," 2012's "Jack Reacher," 2013's "White House Down" and 2017's "Kong: Skull Island." He also won an Emmy for his work in the 2015 miniseries "Olive Kitteridge." The veteran character actor more recently received acclaim for his work in the 2017 drama "The Shape of Water," earning another Oscar nomination. He has two films, "Kajillionaire" and "The Last Shift," scheduled for release in 2020. Richard is married to choreographer Sharon R. Friedrick, with whom he has two children.

Jeremy Sisto played Billy Chenowith, Brenda's mentally disturbed brother. The manic-depressive artist suffers from bipolar disorder and has penchant for violent episodes. Billy is dependent on Brenda to a point that often causes her stress and harm and she eventually has him committed. Upon returning, he has a short-lived relationship with Claire and finally develops a healthy bond with his sister.

Jeremy Sisto's first on-screen opportunity came in the Twisted Sister music video for "We're Not Gonna Take It" in 1984, and he made his film debut in the 1991 drama "Grand Canyon" while still in high school. After a few TV movies, Jeremy had his first taste of success as Elton in the seminal teen comedy "Clueless" in 1995. He followed it with films like "Suicide Kings" in 1997, "Without Limits" in 1998 and a starring role in the 1999 miniseries "Jesus." While doing "Six Feet Under," he also starred in the horror flick "Wrong Turn" and the indie drama "Thirteen" in 2003 before appearing on the series finale of "Dawson's Creek" that same year. He starred on the short-lived NBC drama "Kidnapped" in 2006 and in the indie favorite "Waitress" in 2007 before joining "Law & Order" as Detective Cyrus Lupo for the procedural's final three seasons. From 2011 to 2014, the California-born actor earned laughs for his work on the ABC comedy "Suburgatory." Since 2018, Jeremy has solved crimes on the CBS drama series "FBI." He also lent his voice to King Runeard in "Frozen II" in 2019. Jeremy wed actress Marisa Ryan in 1993 when he was 18. They divorced in 2002 and he married Addie Lane in 2009. The pair have two children.

Rico's wife, Vanessa Diaz, was played by Justina Machado. The high school sweethearts grow apart due to Vanessa's depression and Rico's infidelity, but the pair slowly work through their issues to get to a place of reconciliation. It's Vanessa who eventually pushes Rico to start his own business.

Justina Machado kicked off her acting career with a series of small roles on TV hits like "NYPD Blue," "ER," "Touched by an Angel," "Early Edition," "Oh Baby" and "Angel." She had her first big-screen role in the 1997 drama "She's So Lovely." While doing "Six Feet Under," she also starred on the first season of the Lifetime crime drama "Missing" and in films like 2001's "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," 2003's "Final Destination 2" and 2004's "Torque." After finishing the HBO hit, the Chicago native had parts in 2007's "I Think I Love My Wife," 2013's "The Call" and 2014's "The Purge: Anarchy." Justina also built an extensive television resume with parts on series like "Grey's Anatomy," "Ugly Betty," "ER," "Three Rivers," "Bones," "Desperate Housewives," "Switched at Birth," "Private Practice," "The Fosters," "Devious Maids," "Jane the Virgin," "Queen of the South" and "Superstore." Since 2017, she's had the lead role on hit sitcom "One Day at a Time," which aired its fourth season in 2020. More recently in 2020, Justina lent her voice to the animated film "Scoob!" and starred in the Netflix teen drama film "All Together Now."