Before Gilmore Girls, The O.C., and Gossip Girl, there was Popular. Ryan Murphy created this family-friendly teen drama which aired for two seasons on The WB from 1999 until 2001 (and it was his first TV show).
The show revolves around two groups of teenagers divided by, you guessed it, popularity. Brooke McQueen is the head honcho of the popular crowd, while Sam McPherson is the unofficial leader of the unpopular kids. At the beginning of the show, the two worlds clash as Brooke's father and Sam's mother meet on a cruise and get engaged.
Viewers were angry when the show ended without warning on a major cliffhanger, but regardless, the show had some surprising and familiar faces that went on to do some cool things. Here is what the Popular cast is up to today.
Leslie Bibb As Brooke McQueen
Leslie Bibb portrayed popular It Girl Brooke McQueen. She has everything (beauty, brains, good grades, she's a cheerleader and fashionista) but on the inside, she struggles with low self-esteem and eating disorders. She's compassionate but can be petty if you wrong her.
Popular was Bibb's big break, and she scored plenty of TV and movie roles in TV shows. She appeared as reporter Christine Everheart in the first two Iron Man movies, as well as Ricky Bobby's wife in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
Right now, you can catch her starring in American Housewife as Viv, the divorcee next door. She will star in Netflix's new sci-fi comic book adaptation series Jupiter's Legacy. Bibb is also in a long-term relationship with acclaimed actor Sam Rockwell.
Carly Pope As Sam McPherson
Canadian actress Carly Pope played Sam McPherson, the leader of the unpopular crowd known for being outspoken about the school's unfair social situations. She covers up her insecurity with a relatively hostile personality. Her best friends are Carmen Ferrara, Lily Esposito, and Harrison John.
Pope has stuck mostly to television acting since her run on Popular. She was in the TV movies Day One, Poor Richard's Almanack, and 24: Redemption. She was a guest star on Californication, 24, Outlaw, and Republic of Doyle. Her most notable recurring roles have been on the fifth season of Arrow as Susan Williams and on Suits as Tara Messer in season six. She starred with Popular co-star Sara Rue in the 2003 movie This Time Around. There are also a few Canadian short films on her resume. As for right now, Pope just finished shooting a role in the upcoming indie film The Lost Husband alongside Josh Duhamel and her former on-screen sister Leslie Bibb.
Sara Rue As Carmen Ferrara
Sara Rue plays Carmen Ferrara, a lovely yet plain girl who struggles with her weight. She's good friends with Sam and the rest of the unpopular crew but joins the cheerleading squad and overcomes her body image issues. Unfortunately, she also struggles with an abusive, alcoholic mother.
Arguably one of the most recognizable cast members of the show, Rue is one of those people who shows up in a movie or on a TV show and makes you think, "Oh yeah, girl!" She's made a number of notable guest appearances on TV shows over the years: Her guest starring roles include The Big Bang Theory as Leonard's dermatologist girlfriend, Rules of Engagement as a surrogate for Jeff and Audrey, Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events as the kind librarian Olivia, Two and a Half Men as Berta's daughter, and Will & Grace as Grace's sister. Up next, she's in Film Fest with Rachel Leigh Cook which is in post-production.
Christopher Gorham As Harrison John
In season two, Harrison is diagnosed with leukemia and spends a lot of time in the hospital. He also has a long-term crush on Brooke, but later realizes he may also have feelings for Sam which results in a love triangle. Fans never found out who he chose (but many thought he would pick Sam).
Like many of his fellow Popular castmates, Gorham landed some guest roles on TV. His notable appearances include Trevor O'Donnell on Felicity, Henry Grubstick on Ugly Betty, Bobby on Two Broke Girls, and the Wizard of Oz on Once Upon a Time. He also voiced the Flash in DC animated films Justice League: War, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, The Death of Superman, and Reign of the Supermen. He starred in The Other Side of Heaven in 2001, and just wrapped up filming this year on the sequel, The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith. Right now, Gorham is playing Bob Barnard on Netflix's Insatiable.
Leslie Grossman As Mary Cherry
Mary Cherry is the most stereotypical (yet highly entertaining character) in the popular gang. She's spoiled and rich, hates people who aren't popular, and is a bubbly head cheerleader (and she's also not very smart). Her mother, Cherry Cherry, provides some serious, deep-seated issues for her as well, eventually abandoning her for her long-lost twin sister.
Grossman is another one of those actresses that appears in things, and you recognize her, but you can't remember where. She's had guest-starring roles on Black-Ish, Modern Family, Charmed, Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, Dexter, Hot in Cleveland, Melissa & Joey, Scandal, and more. She starred in American Horror Story: Apocalypse. She was also seen in recurring flashbacks on The Good Place as Eleanor's self-indulgent mother.
Tammy Lynn Michaels As Nicole Julian
Nicole Julian is a not-to-be-trusted popular girl who loves manipulating others to get what she wants. She's jealous of her supposed BFF Brooke and troubled childhood makes her alienate others.
She hasn't had a ton of other roles, but she played Patty on Fox's That '80s Show, which lasted one season. Then, she landed a role in an indie short film called D.E.B.S. Unfortunately, the film was expanded to a feature-length remake and her role was re-cast. She had a recurring role as Lacey Haraway on The L Word and as Tess on Committed. Her most recent role was earlier this year in an episode of Netflix's Dolly Parton's Heartstrings. Michaels shares two children with singer Melissa Etheridge, but the couple got divorced after nine years of marriage.
Bryce Johnson As Josh Ford
Josh Ford is the typical popular guy: quarterback of the football team and a ladies' man. He dates Brooke, Carmen, and then Lily, who he ends up marrying. However, they discover quickly that married life isn't really what they thought it would be.
The actor's most recent role was in Pretty Little Liars as Darren Wilden. He's done some extensive voice acting as well, including voices in some of the Call of Duty video games as well as Aquaman, Doctor Strange, and Bruce Banner in various animated movies and video games. His most recent role was in 2018 as a guest star on The Good Doctor.
Tamara Mello As Lily Esposito
Lily is the outspoken activist and vegetarian of the unpopular group. She ends up marrying Josh Ford after a bit of time figuring out her own sexual identity.
Tamara Mello has also become a professional guest star of sorts after having a daughter and taking an acting break. After that, she has taken up random roles here and there. She's had guest roles on What I Like About You, The Mentalist, Psych, Major Crimes, and School of Rock. She starred in the 2004 film Clean and in Scream at the Sound of the Beep in 2002.
Ron Lester As Michael Bernardino
Also known as "Sugar Daddy," Michael Bernardino desperately wants to be a gangster. He struggles with self-esteem issues due to his weight. He seems as though he's hopeless in love until he meets an exchange student and finds happiness.
Ron Lester's best-known role was in Varsity Blues, which was filmed around the same time as Popular. He parodied his own Varsity Blues role in Not Another Teen Movie, and also gained a role in the film The Fat Boy Chronicles. He appeared in a couple of episodes of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch TV series as well. Lester was known throughout Hollywood for his obesity, which he claimed landed him roles as the stereotypical fat guy. At one point in his life, he was 508 pounds. He underwent a series of surgeries to correct his weight issues and ended up losing over 300 pounds. Sadly, the actor passed away in 2016 from organ failure.