Twenty-five years ago today, the series premiere of Roswell crash-landed on the WB, becoming an early 2000s cult hit.
Based on Melinda Metz’s Roswell High young adult novels, the series married teen drama with sci-fi thrills as it tracked the adventures and romantic entanglements of a group of high school students who discover that aliens live among the seemingly ordinary citizens of Roswell, New Mexico.
To mark the show’s quarter-century anniversary, take a look back at the Roswell cast, then and now.
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Shiri Appleby as Liz Parker
Shiri Appleby started acting when she was just 4 years old and appeared everything from M&M’s commercials to shows like Baywatch, ER, Xena: Warrior Princess and 7th Heaven before landing the lead role of inquisitive teen Liz Parker in Roswell. The year the show premiered, Appleby also appeared in three films: The Other Sister, The Thirteenth Floor and Deal of a Lifetime.
Appleby has certainly stayed busy since Roswell ended in 2002. She’s appeared in films like Swimfan (2002), Havoc (2005) and Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), as well as taking on guest and recurring roles in shows like Chicago Fire and Girls. She gained renewed attention in 2015 for her performance as a ruthless reality TV producer in Lifetime’s Unreal. And she returned to the world of Roswell in the final season of The CW’s 2018 reboot, Roswell, New Mexico.
Over the past decade, Appleby has also moved into directing, helming episodes of Unreal, Roswell, New Mexico, Minx and other series.
Appleby and restauranteur husband Jon Shook are the parents of two children: 11-year-old daughter Natalie Bouader and 9-year-old son Owen Lee.
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Jason Behr as Max Evans
Before playing Appleby’s love interest Max Evans, an alien with healing abilities, in Roswell, Jason Behr had already appeared in guest roles in shows like Step by Step, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 7th Heaven, and even had a recurring role on Dawson’s Creek.
During Roswell’s three-season run, Behr took on a supporting role opposite Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore and Judi Dench in 2001’s The Shipping News. In 2004, he starred opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in The Grudge and in 2007 led another horror flick, Skinwalkers.
Like Appleby, Behr returned to Roswell in 2020, taking on a recurring role in the second season of Roswell, New Mexico. Most recently, he appeared in the sixth season of The CW’s Supergirl, taking over the role of Zor-El from Robert Gant.
Behr married fellow actor KaDee Strickland in 2006 after the couple met on the set of The Grudge two years prior. The couple have a son named Atticus.
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Katherine Heigl as Isabel Evans
Katherine Heigl’s star only continued to rise after playing Isabel Evans, an alien teen with the ability to enter other people’s dreams, in Roswell. After the series ended, she went on to star in seven TV movies, including as Romy in ABC Family’s 2005 Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion prequel Romy and Michele: In the Beginning.
But it was her role as surgical resident Dr. Izzie Stevens on Grey’s Anatomy that really put Heigl on the map, turning her into a big screen rom-com star in films like Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth and Life as We Know It. After leaving Grey’s in 2010, however, she had a quieter run in films like 2011’s New Year’s Eve, 2012’s One for the Money and 2013’s The Big Wedding.
Heigl returned to TV in 2014 to star in NBC’s short-lived State of Affairs. In 2017, she again led a one-season wonder, CBS’s Doubt, before joining the main cast USA’s Suits for its final two seasons. Most recently, she starred in Netflix’s Firefly Lane from 2021 to 2023. She’s set to star opposite John Travolta in the upcoming musical romantic comedy That’s Amore!
Heigl married singer Josh Kelley in December 2007. In 2009, the couple welcomed their daughter Naleigh by adoption followed by Adalaide in 2012. In December 2016, Heigl and Kelley welcomed a son, Joshua Bishop.
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Brendan Fehr as Michael Guerin
Canadian actor Brendan Fehr played alien hot-head Michael Guerin, whose tumultuous relationship with Majandra Delfino’s Maria always caused sparks to fly on Roswell.
While starring in the series, Fehr also appeared in the 2000 horror film Final Destination, and has continued to work consistently in film and TV since. His most notable big screen credits include small roles in X-Men: First Class and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
On TV, Fehr has had recurring roles on CSI: Miami, Bones and Wynonna Earp, and starred in four seasons of the NBC medical drama The Night Shift from 2014 to 2017. He’s also starred in a number of made-for-TV holiday rom-coms, including Lifetime’s Wrapped Up in Christmas, Hallmark’s Entertaining Christmas and the upcoming Royally Wrapped for Christmas from Great American Family.
Fehr and wife Jennifer Rowley have been married since 2006. The couple has three daughters.
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Majandra Delfino as Maria DeLuca
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Before playing Maria DeLuca, Liz’s bestie and Michael’s love interest, in Roswell, Majandra Delfino had already appeared in 1997’s family comedy Zeus and Roxanne and starred as Tony Danza’s oldest daughter in his short-lived sitcom The Tony Danza Show.
She went on to appear in a number of film and TV projects, including 2000’s Traffic and 2010’s Life as We Know It opposite Heigl. In 2011, she starred alongside Raven-Symoné in the short-lived ABC Family sitcom State of Georgia and appeared in two episodes of TNT’s Men of a Certain Age. Notably, she played a member of the Schrute family in “The Farm,” a 2013 episode of The Office originally intended to be a pilot for a spin-off focused on Rainn Wilson’s character and his extended family. Most recently, she has appeared in an episode of CBS’s Life in Pieces and voiced a character in Netflix’s BoJack Horseman, both in 2017.
Delfino is also a singer. Her debut E.P. The Sticks was released in 2001, followed by her first album Tarte in 2007.
Delfino married fellow actor David Walton in 2011 — with Heigl serving as a bridesmaid at their wedding. The couple welcomed daughter Cecilia Delphine in 2012 and son Louis Augustus in 2013. Delfino has also blogged for PEOPLE about parenting.
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Colin Hanks as Alex Whitman
The eldest son of Tom Hanks and first wife Samantha Lewes, Colin Hanks’s first screen appearance came in his dad’s 1996 film That Thing You Do. Three years later, he starred in Roswell as third member of Liz and Maria’s core friend group, Alex Whitman.
Hanks didn’t return for the show’s third and final season after it moved from the WB to UPN, instead going on to star in several big screen comedies, including 2002’s Orange County opposite Jack Black. He again starred opposite Black in director Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of King Kong and made a brief appearance the following year in Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. Hanks’s other film credits include roles in 2008’s The House Bunny and Oliver Stone’s W., 2012’s The Guilt Trip and 2015’s Vacation. He’s also appeared in two recent entries in the Jumanji franchise
On TV, Hanks appeared in a three-episode arch in Mad Men in 2008 and in the sixth season of Dexter. In 2010, he starred opposite Bradley Whitford in Fox’s short-lived cop comedy The Good Guys, and was one of the main protagonists in the acclaimed first season of FX’s Fargo, which earned him Golden Globe and Emmy nominations in 2014. In 2021, he appeared in Ryan Murphy’s Impeachment: American Crime Story, and had roles in two 2022 limited series: Paramount+’s The Offer and Peacock’s A Friend of the Family.
Hanks has also directed two short documentaries for ESPN’s 30 for 30 as well as 2015’s All Things Must Pass: The Rise and Fall of Tower Records and a 2013 episode of Key & Peele.
In addition to acting and directing, Hanks also had a line of stylish handkerchiefs, but the business shut down in December 2022.
His upcoming projects include roles in the romantic comedy And Mrs. opposite Aisling Bea and Billie Lourd, the sequel to the 2021 Bob Odenkirk thriller Nobody and a role in Nuremberg opposite Rami Malek, Russell Crowe and Michael Shannon.
Hanks married publicist Samantha Bryant in 2010, and the couple welcomed eldest daughter Olivia Jane in 2011, followed by Charlotte Bryant in 2013.
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Nick Wechsler as Kyle Valenti
Rounding out Roswell’s cast of human teens is Nick Wechsler as Kyle Valenti, son of the town sheriff (William Sadler). During the show’s run, Wechsler appeared in a pair of 2000 movies: Chicks, Man and the direct-to-video Perfect Game.
Since Roswell ended, Wechsler has only appeared in two other films, 2008’s Lie to Me and 2010’s Switchback. But he’s kept busy with roles on TV, appearing in shows like Malcolm in the Middle, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and This Is Us. Wechsler starred as Jack Porter in all four seasons of ABC’s Revenge from 2011 to 2015, had recurring roles in the fourth season of Chicago PD, The CW’s 2017 Dynasty reboot and NBC’s Shades of Blue. He’s also appeared in several episodes of AppleTV+’s For All Mankind and All Rise. Most recently, he appeared as superhero Blue Hawk in Prime Video’s The Boys in 2022.
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William Sadler as Sheriff Jim Valenti
A veteran journeyman character actor, William Sadler came to the role of Roswell’s Sheriff Jim Valenti with roles in films like Die Hard 2, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and The Shawshank Redemption under his belt.
In the years since the show ended, Sadler has gone on to appear in dozens of films and TV shows, including The Green Mile, Kinsey, August Rush, The Mist, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Grudge and Iron Man 3. Among his notable TV appearances over the past 20 years are roles in Fringe, Hawaii Five-0, Damages, The Blacklist and When They See Us. He reprised his Iron Man 3 role as President Matthew Ellis in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and portrayed former Trump administration national security advisor Michael Flynn in Showtime’s 2020 limited series The Comey Rule. More recently, he appeared in the Max crime drama Full Circle and stars in the streamer’s recently released Salem’s Lot.
Sadler has also appeared on Broadway opposite Denzel Washington in a 2005 contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Sadler has been married to actress Marni Joan Bakst since 1977. The couple has one child.
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Emilie de Ravin as Tess Harding
Australian actress Emilie de Ravin joined the cast of Roswell as recurring character Tess Harding, a long-lost alien teen, midway through the show’s first season. She was promoted to a main cast member in season 2, but only returned for a guest appearance in the third and final season.
De Ravin next appeared in NBC’s 2002 remake of Stephen King’s Carrie. Two years later, she landed the role of Claire Littleton in Lost, appearing in the show’s first four seasons and returning for the final season in 2010. Beginning in 2012, she appeared as Belle (of Beauty and the Beast) in all seven seasons of ABC’s Once Upon a Time. Her notable film performances include roles in 2005’s Brick and 2006’s The Hills Have Eyes.
De Ravin was married to actor Josh Janowicz from 2003 to 2014. Following her divorce from Janowicz, De Ravin began a relationship with writer-director Eric Bilitch. The two have three children: daughter Vera Audrey, son Theodore Kubrick and a second daughter born in 2023.
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Adam Rodriguez as Jesse Ramirez
A late addition to the Roswell cast, Adam Rodriguez joined the show as Jesse Ramirez for its third and final season.
After Roswell, Rodriguez originated the role of Eric Delko in a 2002 episode of CSI and went on to star in the role in spin-off CSI: Miami from 2002 until 2012. That same year, he appeared in the role of stripper Tito in Magic Mike and would go on to reprise the role in the film’s two sequels. Rodriguez has also had recurring roles in Ugly Betty, Jane the Virgin and Empire. He currently stars in Criminal Minds and has also directed episodes of both CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds.
Rodriguez has been married to model Grace Gail since 2016. The couple has three children.
Source: People
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