Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Simon & Simon’?
What To Know
- The main stars of Simon & Simon followed diverse paths after the show, with Gerald McRaney enjoying a prolific TV career and Jameson Parker retiring to ranch life after a traumatic incident.
- Jeannie Wilson continued acting in television through the early 1990s before stepping away from the public eye, while Tim Reid remained active in acting, education, and film production.
- Although the series ended in 1989, most of its cast members are still alive, with some maintaining public careers and others choosing private lives away from Hollywood.
Simon & Simon premiered on November 24, 1981, and quickly became one of the most popular detective series of the 1980s. The show followed two very different brothers who ran a private investigation agency in San Diego: Rick Simon was rough around the edges and relied on instinct, while A.J. Simon preferred rules and structure. Their contrasting personalities created some of the most memorable moments on the show, which ran for eight seasons. Most of the show’s stars are still around, though they have ended up on different paths — while some are still on network TV, others have left Hollywood altogether, with one now focusing on ranch life instead.
Gerald McRaney (78)
Rick Simon
CBS/Everett Collection; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
After Simon & Simon ended, Rainey continued building a long career with major roles in Major Dad, Promised Land, House of Cards and Deadwood. His turn as Dr. Nathan Katowski on This Is Us introduced him to a whole new audience and earned him widespread praise. In recent years, McRaney has appeared on NCIS: Los Angeles as Admiral Hollace Kilbride, and in 2025 alone, appeared on the conspiracy thriller Paradise and the true-crime-inspired drama Murdaugh: Death in the Family. He has said he doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon, telling Fox News Digital in November 2025, “If you stop, then you stop. I’ve known too many people who retired and then just disappeared.” He has been married to actress Delta Burke since 1989.
Jameson Parker (78)
A.J. Simon
CBS/Everett Collection
After the series wrapped, Parker remained active in television throughout the ’90s, often appearing in guest star roles or in TV movies. But by the end of the decade, Parker was beginning to leave Hollywood behind — after a voiceover credit in 1998’s direct-to-video animated children’s film The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, he didn’t act for four years, until his 2003-2004 role as Harrison Kershaw on four episodes of JAG. This was his final acting role, aside from narrating the 2009 documentary Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens.
Some of Parker’s withdrawal from show business may have been due to a shocking 1992 incident in which he was shot twice in the arm by a neighbor, following an altercation between the neighbor and Parker, supposedly regarding comments made about Parker’s wife. The neighbor received a nine year prison sentence.
As he wrote in his 2003 memoir An Accidental Cowboy, the shooting left him traumatized and confused; he and his wife sough solace in ranch life in the California mountains, where they started a new chapter, away from Hollywood. Parker has largely stayed out of the public eye in recent years.
Jeannie Wilson (78)
Janet Fowler
Universal Television/Everett Collection
She appeared as a regular in the first two seasons and returned as a guest in later seasons. After the show, Wilson continued acting through the 1980s and early 1990s in a variety of TV guest spots on shows such as Full House and The A-Team. She, like Parker, had a role on JAG; after that 2001 appearance, her final credit was in the 2010 film Cartel War. She later transitioned out of the spotlight and has kept a low public profile.
Tim Reid (80)
Lt. Marcel Proust Brown
CBS/Everett Collection; Fuzz on the Lens Production/Everett Collection
Already widely known for his role on WKRP in Cincinnati, he quickly became one of the show’s strongest supporting stars. Reid went on to appear in many notable series, including Frank’s Place, Sister, Sister and numerous independent projects; his most recent credit is the 2024 horror film Stream. He has also been heavily involved in education, community initiatives and film production outside of Hollywood.
In Memoriam
Mary Carver, who played Cecilia Simon, passed away on October 18, 2013, at age 89, following a brief illness.
Eddie Barth, who played Myron Fowler, passed away on May 28, 2010, at age 78 from heart failure.
Where to Watch Simon & Simon
The series is currently available on The Roku Channel.
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