Although it was a few years before the so-called Golden Age of Television – or Peak TV, as some have termed it – the 1990s still brought plenty of great TV shows. Thanks to David Chase and the story of a certain mobster named Tony Soprano, we did get to see the seeds of Peak TV being planted in the late ‘90s.
From Sarah Michelle Gellar hunting vampires to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson hunting aliens, the drama series of ‘90s television were filled with terrific performances from well-cast actors. So, here are the 10 best casts from ‘90s TV dramas, ranked.
Dawson's Creek
One of the most popular teen dramas ever made – the show that all the stinkers on The CW strive to be – Dawson’s Creek had the ideal actors to play its characters.
The show was anchored by its two leads, James Van Der Beek as Dawson and Katie Holmes as Joey (a role she’s spent the rest of her career running away from), but there was also plenty of great backup from Michelle Williams, Joshua Jackson, and Busy Philipps.
Party of Five
As the story of older siblings raising their younger siblings after their parents died, Party of Five was a pretty moving, heartfelt show, and it found the perfect roster of young actors to bring its characters to life.
These included: Matthew Fox, who went on to star in Lost; Neve Campbell, who went on to anchor the Scream franchise; Scott Grimes, who voices Steve Smith in American Dad!; Lacey Chabert, who’s appeared in a bunch of movies and TV shows, including Family Guy and Mean Girls; and Jennifer Love Hewitt, whose character scored a short-lived spin-off.
Oz
Before HBO burst through and became one of the foremost providers of original TV content, they slipped the hard-hitting prison drama Oz under the radar. Having been relegated to small roles in the Ghostbusters films, Ernie Hudson shines as Warden Leo Glynn in this show. J.K. Simmons paved the way for his career with a powerful turn as Vernon Schillinger in Oz.
Everyone in this cast – from Lee Tergesen to Terry Kinney to Harold Perrineau to Rita Moreno to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to Lauren Vélez – does a fantastic job. There were also terrific minor characters played by such greats as B.D. Wong, Edie Falco, Luis Guzmán, and Mark Margolis.
Ally McBeal
Calista Flockhart captivated ‘90s TV audiences with her portrayal of the sassy titular lawyer in Ally McBeal. She was supported by some wonderful actors, too, ranging from Courtney Thorne-Smith to Peter MacNicol.
The show also featured actors who would go on to play other iconic TV characters: Portia de Rossi (Lindsay Bluth), Jane Krakowski (Jenna Maroney), and Lucy Liu (Dr. Joan Watson).
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Joss Whedon’s supernatural drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer was anchored by a riveting lead performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular demon-killing badass.
But she also had strong support from the cast members playing her friends, including Nicholas Brendon as Xander and Alyson Hannigan as Willow, as well as Anthony Head as her mentor, Giles. David Boreanaz was so compelling as Angel that he earned himself a spin-off that was almost as popular as the original series.
The X-Files
For the most part, The X-Files was a two-hander, focusing on the relationship shared by UFO-obsessed Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, and skeptical Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson. The dynamic shared by the two actors had the perfect balance of mutual respect, sexual tension, and comical repartee.
The duo was also backed up by interesting recurring performances, like Mitch Pileggi as FBI superior Walter Skinner and William B. Davis as the villainous Cigarette Smoking Man.
Freaks and Geeks
Led by Linda Cardellini as painfully relatable social outcast Lindsay Weir and John Francis Daley as her dorky younger brother Sam, Freaks and Geeks birthed the careers of some of today’s biggest stars.
Pre-fame James Franco, Seth Rogen, Busy Philipps, and Jason Segel played the titular “freaks,” while Inglourious Basterds’ Samm Levine and Silicon Valley’s Martin Starr played the “geeks.” Plus, Back to the Future’s Thomas F. Wilson gives a hysterical turn as an embattled, disrespected gym teacher.
The West Wing
Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing still stands as one of the best TV dramas about U.S. politics. Martin Sheen made for a genuinely convincing P.O.T.U.S. in the role of Jed Bartlet, and he won over so many fans that his screen presence increased more and more throughout the series.
Sheen wasn’t really the star of the show – that distinction goes to Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn – and the two actors were surrounded by a brilliant ensemble of supporting players, including Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg, Bradley Whitford as Josh Lyman, and Moira Kelly as Mandy Hampton.
Twin Peaks
As a surreal, supernatural soap opera from the mind of David Lynch, Twin Peaks was a tough pill for the TV viewing public to swallow. This led to its early cancelation after two seasons (and on a cliffhanger ending!) and it’s a shame, because the ensemble of actors was to die for.
Everyone was perfectly suited to their roles, and fit seamlessly into the curious tone of the series: Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper, Michael Ontkean as Sheriff Harry S. Truman, Mädchen Amick as Shelly Johnson, Ray Wise as Leland Palmer, Lara Flynn Boyle as Donna Hayward, Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne.
The Sopranos
In HBO’s The Sopranos, James Gandolfini laid the groundwork for Walter White, Don Draper, and Jax Teller with his groundbreaking turn as flawed antihero Tony Soprano. He shared terrific chemistry with Goodfellas’ Lorraine Bracco, who played Tony’s therapist Dr. Melfi, and Edie Falco, who played his wife Carmela. The actors playing mobsters – including Michael Imperioli as Chris, Tony Sirico as Paulie, and Dominic Chianese as Junior – all give authentic performances.
Nancy Marchand is delightfully sinister as Tony’s mother, Livia, and Drea de Matteo steals every scene as Chris’ girlfriend Adriana. Joe Pantoliano was wonderfully hateable as Ralph Cifaretto – and then managed to redeem him in the season 4 episode “Whoever Did This.”