Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Boston Public,’ 25 Years Later?
Boston Public premiered on Fox on October 23, 2000, running for four seasons until it was abruptly cancelled on January 30, 2004. Created by super-producer David E. Kelley, the drama followed the teachers, administrators and students of the fictional Winslow High School in Boston, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of public education, from classroom conflicts to personal struggles among staff. During its run, Boston Public earned a Peabody Award and attracted a devoted fan base even though it only lasted a few seasons. 25 years after its premiere, many of its stars have gone on to bigger things, but a few others are no longer with us.
Chi McBride (64)
Steven Harper
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; JB Lacroix/Getty Images
Chi McBride played Principal Steven Harper, the no-nonsense leader of Winslow High. After the show ended in 2004, McBride continued to thrive on both the big and small screen. He played key roles in I, Robot, The Terminal and had a long run as Captain Lou Grover on Hawaii Five-O. More recently, he starred in the CBS comedy How We Roll.
Jessalyn Gilsig (53)
Lauren Davis
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for The Creative Coalition
Jessalyn Gilsig played social studies teacher Lauren Davis during the show’s first two seasons. Following Boston Public, Gilsig landed recurring roles on Nip/Tuck and Friday Night Lights, but she’s best remembered for playing Terri Schuester on Glee and Siggy on Vikings. More recently, she starred alongside John Stamos in the Disney+ series Big Shot.
Loretta Devine (76)
Marla Hendricks
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for A+E Global Media
Devine’s career flourished after playing a teacher in Boston Public. She won an Emmy for her recurring role as Adele Webber on Grey’s Anatomy and has since starred in series such as The Carmichael Show, P-Valley and Family Reunion.
Sharon Leal (53)
Marilyn Sudor
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Sharon Leal portrayed Marilyn Sudor, the talented English teacher and choir instructor. After the series, Leal transitioned into film, appearing in Dreamgirls and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? movies. On TV, she’s had roles in Supergirl as Miss Martian and on The Good Doctor. She was most recently seen in 2022’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Jeri Ryan (57)
Ronnie Cooke
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Jeri Ryan joined Boston Public in Season 2 as lawyer-turned-teacher Ronnie Cooke, later serving as an assistant vice-principal and guidance counselor. Following the show, Ryan returned to her sci-fi roots: after Star Trek: Voyager, she had roles on Shark, Body of Proof, Bosch, Dark Winds, the 2016 MacGyver reboot, and reprised the role of Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard.
Michael Rapaport (55)
Danny Hanson
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Michael Rapaport portrayed humanities teacher Danny Hanson from Season 2 onward. Rapaport’s film credits include True Romance, Metro and Deep Blue Sea. On television, he starred in The War at Home and appeared in Atypical, Only Murders in the Building, Life & Beth, and most recently, on the Amazon Prime series Fallout. He is also active as a podcast host with his podcast I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST, and appeared on season 10 of The Masked Singer as The Pickle; he got kicked off in the season’s third episode.
Anthony Heald (81)
Scott Guber
20th Century Fox/Everett Collection; Ben Gabbe/Getty Images
Anthony Heald played Vice-Principal Scott Guber throughout all seasons of Boston Public. Heald is known for roles in The Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. He continues to act and perform theatre, including with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Most recently, he appeared on the 2024 Netflix series A Man in Full.
In Memoriam
Nicky Katt
Harry Senate
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
Nicky Katt played teacher Harry Senate through Seasons 1–3. Katt had a robust film career, appearing in Dazed and Confused, The Limey, Insomnia and Sin City. He died by suicide at his home in Burbank, California, on April 8, 2025, aged 54.
Fyvush Finkel
(c) 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Courtesy: Everett Collection”
Finkel began his career in the 1930s (!), as a child actor appearing in Yiddish-language theater in New York City. He shifted to Broadway in the ’70s and ’80s, before beginning a film and TV career in the 1980s, when the actor was already in his 60s. He previously starred on the 1990s drama Picket Fences, also produced by David E. Kelly, which landed him a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Emmys in 1993. He died in 2016, at the age of 93, from heart failure.
Where to Watch Boston Public
Unfortunately, this show is not currently streaming or on cable TV.
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