The Stars Of The Drew Carey Show: Where Are They Now?

The nineties brought us some of the funniest television series of all time. Arguably one of the most hilarious of the lot was The Drew Carey Show. The show followed the leading man and his group of zany friends, chronicling their hysterical love lives, careers and friendships. From Ryan Stiles to Drew Carey himself, let’s see where they are now.

Ryan Stiles-Then

Ryan Stiles played the lovable, and sometimes ridiculous, Lewis Kiniski on the TV show. Lewis was a janitor who was either insane or a genius, depending on your opinion. Stiles also had a recurring role on the UK version of Whose Line is it Anyway? Lewis was a favorite among the show’s fan. His character was always up for getting up to some crazy shenanigans.

Ryan Stiles-Now

Stiles went on to bring us many more laughs on the American version of Whose Line is it Anyway? Despite aging quite a bit, the star also had cameo spots in Two and a Half Men and Drew Carrey’s latest comedy show gig, Drew Carey’s Improv-a-Ganza. The funnyman has noticeably receded from the spotlight in more recent years.

Christa Miller-Then

The niece of actress Susan St. James, Christa Miller broke into acting with appearances on popular early nineties TV shows like Seinfeld and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alongside Will Smith. The lovely and talented actress would go on to play Drew Carey’s longtime best friend. After season’s of teasing the two characters finally got together and Miller’s character made the move from friend to girlfriend.

Christa Miller-Now

Miller has come a long way since playing Carey’s love Kate O’Brien. Miller went on to star in the hit series Scrubs as grumpy Doctor Cox’s hilarious and drunken wife. She also caught herself a recurring role on the comedy Cougar Town along with Courtney Cox of Friends fame.

Kathy Kinney-Then

The show had some great characters but the mean and hilarious Mimi Bobeck was definitely one of our favorites. She was played by the ever-adaptable Kathy Kinney. Kinney was only supposed to appear as Mimi in one episode of the show but the character was such a hit that writers created a recurring role for her. Mimi spent most of her hours hilariously torturing poor Carey and applying her eyeshadow.

Kathy Kinney-Now

In the years since the Carey Show went off the air, Kinney has been keeping busy with numerous acting roles. She most recently starred as Bunny in The Secret Life of the American Teenager.  She also went on to have an unlikely but successful career in writing children’s books. She created the lovable character Mrs. P who boasts her own website and a book series.

Jenny McCarthy -Then

Jenny McCarthy began her career as a nude model. In 1993 she posed for Playboy Magazine and was later named the salacious magazine’s Playmate of the Year. Jenny had a small cameo role on the Carey Show playing an attractive policewoman who catches the eye of the leading man. McCarthy also had cameos on Two and a Half Men and the popular sitcom Charmed.

Jenny McCarthy -Now

Jenny is now not only a well-known actress but is now a model, television host, author, screenwriter, and anti-vaccine activist. After the birth of her son, McCarthy went on to write numerous books on parenting. She has also done some impressive philanthropic work campaigning for environmental causes and research into alternative medical treatments for autism.

Kate Walsh-Then

Kate Walsh’s first major television appearance was in 1997, when she appeared on The Drew Carey Show as Drew’s love interest, Nicki Fifer. She wore a fat suit in some episodes of the show, as the Nicki character was a formerly obese woman who lost weight and slowly started to gain it back. She featured in a total of 19 episodes.

Kate Walsh-Now

Since the show, she was cast in her breakout role in the ABC series Grey’s Anatomy, as Dr. Addison Montgomery, the ex wife of Dr Mcdreamy. She continued playing the character in the spin off show, Private Practice. Walsh went on to take on a supporting role in the first season of FX’s television series Fargo, and guest starred role in Hulu’s original series The Hotwives of Orlando.

Diedrich Bader-Then

Despite his character’s down and out attitude Diedrich Bader was one of the most loved faces on the show. Bader played the lovable and depressed deliveryman funnily named Oswald Lee Harvey for the series’ entire run. Before he got his big break in 1995 playing Harvey, the actor had had numerous guest appearances in many a nineties sitcom.

Diedrich Bader-Now

Since his stint on the Drew Carey Show the star made a very successful move into voice artistry. He has now worked for years doing animated voiceover work and has also appeared in various live action sitcoms. You’ll recognize his voice in more than one blockbuster, namely, Ultimate Spider-Man, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and more.

Craig Ferguson-Then

Craig Ferguson began his career in England, finding work in the music, comedy and theatre industries. He soon decided to make the leap to the United States in the hopes of pursuing his acting and comedy career. Ferguson went on to play Nigel Wick, the eccentric and decidedly sadistic Englishman who was Drew Carey’s boss.

Craig Ferguson-Now

Since his run on The Drew Carey Show, Ferguson has ventured into new territory, going on to host his very own talk show, titled The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. The show has been a hit with audiences the world over and even garnered Ferguson a prestigious Emmy nomination. Ferguson has also written two books: Between the Bridge and the River, a novel, and American on Purpose, a personal memoir.

John Carroll Lynch-Then

John Carroll Lynch played Drew’s eccentric cross-dressing brother, Steve, on the show. The character was widely loved for his deadpan delivery. In a surprise move, Steve actually married Mimi at one point in the series. In 1997, Lynch nabbed his major feature film breakout role as the iconic Norm Gunderson in the cult classic film Fargo.

John Carroll Lynch-Now

Since his move from the Carey Show Lynch’s career has not slowed down. He went on to have more than a few notable roles. He co-starred with Leonardo Dicaprio in Shutter Island, had a role in Gran Torino directed by the iconic Clint Eastwood and even played the Zodiac killer in David Fincher’s movie about the notorious murderer. He made his directorial debut in 2017 with the film Lucky.

Amanda Bynes-Then

Fresh-faced Amanda Bynes appeared in the first few episodes of The Drew Carey’s show seventh season. At just 13 years old Bynes was the star of her very own show, The Amanda Show. The young actress showed so much promise in her early years soon becoming a household name on the Nickelodeon network. Sadly, Bynes’s career and personal life were headed for a wrong turn.

Amanda Bynes-Now

At the age of 24, Bynes quit acting and experienced some difficult times. She got into a string of hit-and-run accidents and was often snapped in public behaving erratically. After a public meltdown and a few bizarre Twitter rants, Bynes resorted to getting the psychiatric help she so obviously needed. She is now reportedly much happier and healthier. Go Amanda!

Wanda Sykes-Then

Wanda Sykes first gained fame for her comedic work on The Chris Rock Show. The hilarious writer, actress and comedian got herself a cameo role as Carey’s new boss. Despite her being cruel to the rest of the company, Wanda’s character has a soft spot for Drew and eventually goes to bed with him. Hilarity ensues. Although her role was minor, audiences loved her spunky character.

Wanda Sykes-Now

Life after the Carey Show has been particularly successful for the talented actress. Sykes went on to have roles in multiple feature films, namely Monster-In-Law, License to Wed, Evan Almighty and the Ice Age franchise. In more recent years, Wanda starred in her own comedy special entitled I’ma Be Me. The special earned her multiple Emmy Award Nominations.

Ian Gomez-Then

Larry Almada is one of Drew’s co-workers. He is a funny, bumbling character, not so great at his job. He then of course loses his job and sets up a somewhat successful dating service which later expanded into a television chat show.

Ian Gomez-Now

Since the show, the comedic actor has continued his work as an on screen funny man, appearing on shows such as Javier on Felicity and Andy on Cougar Town, with Drew Carey co-star Christa Miller. He also worked with Carey in 1999 on the show Whose Line is it Anyway? He is married to actress-writer Nia Vardalos of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and appeared in the sequel.

Katy Selverstone-Then

Katy Selverstone is an American actress. She is mostly known for her work on The Drew Carey Show as Lisa Robbins, Drew Carey’s girlfriend in the first season and a couple of episodes in the second season of the show.

Katy Selverstone-Now

After the show, she got roles on other shows, but sadly they only lasted less than one season, including Chicago Sons, and Cupid. Recently however, she worked on higher profile shows indluding NYPD Blue, CSI and CSI: Miami. Selverstone also appeared on The L Word and Nip/Tuck.

Kaitlin Olson-Then

Olson featured in the show, as the character Traylor, and also had the honor of joining Drew Carey and several cast members of Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998) on a USO tour, performing improv shows for US troops in Bosnia, Kosovo and Norway.

Kaitlin Olson-Now

Kaitlin has also appeared in film, with roles in Leap Year (2010), The Heat (2013), and also provided the voice for Destiny in Finding Dory (2016). In 2017, she began playing the lead role of Mackenzie “Mickey” on the Fox comedy series The Mick.

Kristen Wiig-Then

Wiig is a well known actress in her own right. She guest starred in an episode of the show, as the character Sandy. The comedic actress has featured in many series and movies.

Kristen Wiig-Now

Wiig has received eight Emmy Award nominations. Bridesmaids earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Musical or Comedy, as well as nominations for the Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay and a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. It is safe to say, she has nailed it in Hollywood.

Nan Martin-Then

Nan Martin played the recurring role of Fran Louder, owner and senior board member of Winfred-Louder in Seasons 1-5 of The Drew Carey Show, first appearing in the Season 1 episode “Drew and Mrs. Louder”. She was a lovable character.

Nan Martin-Now

Nan had a budding career in TV and film. Her film roles included A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors where she played the role of Amanda Krueger, the mother of killer Freddy Krueger. Her last film role is in 2005’s Thicker than Water. Her other well-known roles were in The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek: The Next Generation as Victoria Miller in the season 1 episode “Haven”. She also appeared in The Golden Girls. Sadly Martin died March 4, 2010 at her Malibu, California home. She was 82. Martin suffered from emphysema. She will always be remembered.

Jonathan Mangum-Then

Jonathan Mangum is an improv comedian. He appeared in the recurring role of Scott, one of the two bosses of Drew and Mimi at The Neverending Store in Seasons 8 and 9 of The Drew Carey Show. He certainly made audiences laugh.

Jonathan Mangum-Now

Mangum has a great career, and has guest-starred on TV shows such as Married with Children, Just Shoot Me!”, ER, Reno 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program, Pushing Daisies”, and NCIS’. He has also had recurring roles on sitcoms and sketch shows such as Strip Mall, “The Wayne Brady Show” (which he was also a contributing writer on), Green Screen Show, Drew Carey’s Improv-A-Ganza, and, most recently, the US version of Whose Line is it Anyway? since the 9th season.

Marion Ross-Then

Marion Ross played the recurring part of Beulah Carey, Drew’s mother, in a total of 15 episodes of The Drew Carey Show.Marion is also well known for her role as Marion Cunningham on the long running hit ABC-TV sitcom series Happy Days.

Marion Ross-Now

Marion received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her role on Happy Days. Ross also starred in The Evening Star (1996), for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Since the 1990s, Marion has been known for voice-over work on animated television series such as King of the Hill and SpongeBob SquarePants (where she voices the part of Grandma SquarePants) among others, and recurring roles on That ’70s Show, Gilmore Girls, and Brothers & Sisters, among other guest spots.

Jessica Cauffiel-Then

Jessica had a two-year recurring role on The Drew Carey Show as the character Milan. She became well known from the show and went on to secure several notable roles from this.

Jessica Cauffiel-Now

Jessica is best known for her roles as Margot in the 2001 film Legally Blonde and Tori in the 2004 film White Chicks. She has had a successful career in film and television, starring in films such as the Farrelly Brothers’ Stuck on You and Guess Who, and in 2005, co-starred in the Burt Munro biopic period drama The World’s Fastest Indian with Anthony Hopkins. She also had a recurring role on the hit NBC series My Name Is Earl.

Angela Dohrmann-Then

Angela was a VJ for MuchMusic, the Canadian music video channel, in the early 1990s, but left the music world to pursue acting. She landed a breakout recurring role on The Drew Carey Show, working with Diedrich Bader. She played the role of Suzie. But where would life take her after?

Angela Dohrmann-Now

After the show, she also had guest appearances on Seinfeld, Ellen and Star Trek: Voyager. Yet she decided to leave the acting world to purse another passion. She currently teaches a course in comedy at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Rachel True-Then

Rachel India True is an American film and television actress and former fashion model. She had a recurring role from 1997 to 1998, playing the role of Janet Clemens on The Drew Carey Show. This would help her cement herself as an actress on screen, and she was received well by the viewers.

Rachel True-Now

From 2002 to 2006, True starred opposite Essence Atkins in the UPN comedy series Half & Half. True played Mona Thorne, an insecure twenty-something music-industry executive in San Francisco who worked on building her self-esteem and her relationship with her paternal half-sister, played by Atkins. Nowadays she focuses her energy on something a little more spiritual. True is currently a tarot-card reader in Echo Park.

Bill Cobbs-Then

Cobbs has has an extensive film career and has appeared and been a regular on many television programs, including The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Others, JAG, and The Drew Carey Show. He always plays a likable character and a somewhat wise individual.

Bill Cobbs-Now

Bill Cobbs has had a very active career on television. He had a recurring role as George, a blind grief-support-group member, in the TV series, Go On, which premiered in 2012. He also played a supporting role in Night at the Museum as Reginald, a security guard on the verge of retirement. He had a role in the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy and played fictional jazz pianist Del Paxton in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do. In 2013, Cobbs costarred in Oz the Great and Powerful, and in late 2014 reprised his role of Reginald in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.

Drew Carey-Then

Drew Carey rocketed to fast fame with his self-titled show as the beer-loving, all American fictional version of himself. The show first aired in 1995, with a hilarious plot that was loosely based on Carey’s own life.

Drew Carey-Now

Following the end of the series’ nine-year run, Carey lost an impressive amount of weight. The star also hosted the well-loved improv comedy show Whose Line is it Anyway. Today, the star is most recognizable for hosting the popular TV show The Price is Right. He also sports a much better looking pair of glasses a white head of hair. He definitely got better with age!