Summary
- The Freaks and Geeks cast consisted of young actors who went on to become big names in Hollywood, with Linda Cardellini, Martin Starr, and Busy Philipps having prominent careers.
- Judd Apatow, the executive producer of Freaks and Geeks, launched the film careers of Seth Rogen and Jason Segel and cast James Franco in a comedic role during his Spider-Man fame.
- Each actor in the cast, including Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, Jason Segel, Busy Philipps, James Franco, Seth Rogen, Martin Starr, and Samm Levine, has had successful careers in TV and film after their time on Freaks and Geeks.
The Freaks and Geeks cast is full of zany, unique characters brought to life by young actors who would all go on to become huge stars. Created by Paul Feig, the acclaimed director of Bridesmaids, Freaks and Geeks follows two different groups of social outcasts as they navigate the cutthroat hierarchy of their high school in 1980. The series earned widespread acclaim for reflecting the adolescent experience much more accurately than the average teen drama. Sadly, Freaks and Geeks struggled in the ratings and only lasted for one season, but it remains a beloved cult classic to this day.
Almost everybody in the main Freaks and Geeks cast went on to become a big name in Hollywood. Linda Cardellini has a prominent role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Martin Starr gave a scene-stealing turn in Silicon Valley, and Busy Philipps is a beloved TV personality. Freaks and Geeks executive producer Judd Apatow is known for his great movies, and he went on to launch the film careers of many members of the Freaks and Geeks cast. He shepherded the debut screenplays of Seth Rogen and Jason Segel and cast James Franco in a subversively comedic role in Pineapple Express at the height of his Spider-Man fame.
Linda Cardellini As Lindsay Weir
Linda Cardellini plays Lindsay Weir, the central protagonist of the Freaks and Geeks cast. Lindsay is introduced as a precocious, hard-working student before falling in with the “freaks” in an attempt to redefine herself after her grandmother's death. Gradually, Lindsay became less focused on her studies and more interested in rebellion. She was initially intimidated by the freaks but grows to become one of them.
Cardellini went on to play Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo movies and Hawkeye’s wife and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Laura Barton in the MCU. She appeared again in the MCU as another character, voicing Lylla the otter in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Her subsequent TV roles include Samantha Taggart in ER, Meg Rayburn in Bloodline, and Judy Hale in Dead to Me, a role which earned Cardellini a SAG and Emmy nomination for Actress in a Comedy Series.
John Francis Daley As Sam Weir
John Francis Daley plays Lindsay’s younger brother, Sam Weir in the Freaks and Geeks cast. A high school freshman, Sam is shorter than a lot of other kids his age, which makes him shy and introverted. He’s not very popular at school, but he’s best of friends with his fellow “geeks.”
Daley later returned to television to play FBI criminal profiler Dr. Lance Sweets in Bones. He’s also stepped behind the camera with his creative partner Jonathan Goldstein. Daley and Goldstein have co-directed the movies Vacation, Game Night, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and worked on the scripts for Horrible Bosses and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Jason Segel As Nick Andopolis
Nick Andopolis, the kindest and most sensitive of the freaks in the Freaks and Geeks cast, is played by Jason Segel. Nick is a former basketball player who followed his passion for music after getting kicked off the team for marijuana possession. He and Lindsay dated, but she found him to be too clingy and overbearing.
Segel went on to star in How I Met Your Mother as Marshall Eriksen and in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama Shrinking as grieving therapist Jimmy Laird, a role which earned him an Emmy nomination. He wrote and starred in the romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall as Peter Bretter and earned widespread acclaim for his performance as David Foster Wallace in The End of the Tour. Segel also wrote and co-starred alongside Lily Collins and Jesse Plemons in Windfall as the unnamed intruder.
Busy Philipps As Kim Kelly
Daniel’s on-and-off girlfriend, Kim Kelly, is played by Busy Philipps in the Freaks and Geeks cast. Kim is the subject of rumors around the school, arguing with Daniel, and getting into fights. Kim was initially cold and dismissive towards Lindsay, but she eventually embraced her friendship.
Philipps is also known for playing Audrey Liddell in Dawson’s Creek and Laurie Keller in Cougar Town. She hosted her own talk show, Busy Tonight, which ran for over 100 episodes. In film, Philipps plays Jane in I Feel Pretty and voices Foofy Dog in DC League of Super-Pets. She will also plays Mrs. George in the film adaptation of Mean Girls: The Musical.
James Franco As Daniel Desario
Playing the unintelligent Daniel Desario on Freaks & Geeks is James Franco. He is the leader of the freaks who hides the fact that he’s 18 years old and has been held back two grades at school. Daniel is cool and charismatic, but he’s also known for being selfish and unreliable.
Franco graduated from TV actor to movie star with his role as Peter Parker’s best friend Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. He’s since appeared in Milk as Scott Smith, Spring Breakers as Alien, Rise of the Planet of the Apes as Will Rodman, and he earned an Academy Award nomination for his role in 127 Hours as Aron Ralston and a Golden Globe Award for his role as Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist. In 2018, James Franco was accused of sexual misconduct and has since taken a step back from acting save for a few roles such as twins Vincent and Frankie Martino in The Deuce.
Seth Rogen As Ken Miller
Seth Rogen plays Ken Miller, the most sardonic of the freaks in the Freaks and Geeks cast. Ken is stubborn and abrasive but has a sensitive side underneath. This is at odds with the chill, laidback on-screen persona that would go on to define Rogen’s movie career.
Rogen reunited with Apatow to appear in such hit comedies as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People. The actor and his childhood friend Evan Goldberg co-wrote movies like Superbad, Pineapple Express, and This is the End (which they also directed). Rogen has also played dramatic roles in Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs, and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. He has earned five Emmy nominations and three Golden Globe nominations across a variety of categories. As a television producer, Rogen has been instrumental in developing The Boys, Invincible, and Pam & Tommy, the latter of which he starred in.
In 2023, Rogen, alongside Goldberg, co-wrote and co-produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and also voiced the role of Bebop. Rogen will appear in the cast of Dumb Money, which releases in September 2023. In 2024, Rogen will loan his voice to Kung Fu Panda 4 and Mufasa: The Lion King.
Martin Starr As Bill Haverchuck
Martin Starr plays the geekiest of the geeks in the Freaks and Geeks cast, Bill Haverchuck. Whereas Sam is shorter than most of the other kids, Bill is taller than everyone. Bill is hilarious in a dry and understated way but doesn’t have the confidence to take advantage of it.
Starr has brought that deadpan hilarity to his later roles as Roman DeBeers in Party Down, the quotable Bertram Gilfoyle in Silicon Valley, and Peter Parker’s teacher Mr. Harrington in the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. He also plays the more dramatic role of Lawrence “Bohdi” Geigerman in Sylvester Stallone's Tulsa King.
Samm Levine As Neal Schweiber
Samm Levine plays Neal Schweiber in the Freaks and Geeks cast, who is by far the most confident and outgoing of the geeks. Neal is a self-proclaimed ladies’ man and comedic genius with a futile crush on Lindsay. He’s in denial about the fact that he’s just as geeky as Sam and Bill and considers himself to be the cool one.
Levine is known for playing PFC Hirschberg, a member of the titular unit in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, and Arty in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise. He was also the sidekick and fill-in host on the online talk show Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show.
Freaks And Geeks Supporting Cast & Characters
Becky Ann Baker as Jean Weir: Lindsay and Sam’s sweet, selfless mother, Jean Weir, is played by Becky Ann Baker in the Freaks and Geeks cast. Making a career out of playing moms, Baker starred as Hannah’s mother Loreen Horvath in Girls, a role that earned her two Critics’ Choice Award nominations and an Emmy nomination. She also played Dottie Lasso in Ted Lasso, earning another Emmy nomination.
Joe Flaherty as Harold Weir: Lindsay and Sam’s strict yet compassionate father, Harold “Fiscal” Weir, is played by Joe Flaherty. Flaherty is best known for his work on the iconic sketch comedy series SCTV and his role as a golf heckler in Happy Gilmore.
Thomas F. Wilson as Coach Ben Fredricks: The geeks’ gruff gym teacher, Coach Fredricks, is played by Thomas F. Wilson. Wilson is best known for playing Biff Tannen and his ancestors and descendants in the Back to the Future trilogy.
Sarah Hagan as Millie Kentner: Millie Kentner, Lindsay’s religious best friend before she started hanging out with the freaks, is played by Sarah Hagan in the Freaks and Geeks cast. Hagan later played the recurring character Amanda in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Dave “Gruber” Allen as Jeff Rosso: Dave “Gruber” Allen plays Jeff Rosso, the hippie guidance counselor that the characters confide in. Allen later played Mr. Kwest on Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and a town troubadour in Gilmore Girls.
Natasha Melnick as Cindy Sanders: Cindy, a popular cheerleader, is Sam’s friend and crush for most of the first season of Freaks and Geeks, and eventually his girlfriend. She’s played by Natasha Melnick in the Freaks and Geeks cast, who went on to voice Meg’s friend Ruth in Family Guy.