Anarchic and weird, the skit show MADtv was SNL's rebellious younger sibling. The show ran from 1995 to 2009 and was the first big gig of many career comedians like Key & Peele (who met on the show), Ike Barinholtz and Bobby Lee. This Where are they now? post will focus on the cast for season 5 (1999), when the show was arguably at its peak. While MADtv is pretty mean-spirited and problematic by today's standards the talent of the performers (and the obvious, natural friendships between them) and its iconoclastic spirit made it a late 90s fave.
Debra WilsonSignature roles: Whitney, Oprah, Bunifa Latifa Halifa Sharifa Jackson, Mariah, Beyonce
The high-energy, heavily tattooed performer with the amazing voice (Wilson is also a voice actress who among other things provided voice acting for
an iconic episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) has had a pretty lowkey career post MADtv. Today she works with several animal charities and does a lot of voice work, especially for video games.
Nicole SullivanSignature roles: Britney, Justin, Avon Lady
Nicole was the cute blonde with the ice burn putdowns, and has had a pretty solid acting career. She was a King of Queens regular and is currently on Blackish. She's married with two kids and is very sweet in a middle aged mom way on
Twitter.
Michael McDonaldSignificant roles: Stuart, Dr Phil, Fightin' Ron
The tall, deadpan comedian was MADtv's longest running cast member, working on the show for ten years. Today he works as a director, actor and writer on shows like Brooklyn 99 and Nobodies, here's his
twitter.
Aries SpearsSignificant roles: Bobby Brown, OJ Simpson, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, Missy Elliot
Spears is a hugely talented impressionist and had the show's greatest repertoire of celeb impressions. He also pulled precisely zero punches (if you don't plan on watching the clip above, the spoof lyric of his R. Kelly parody goes, "I'm the world's greatest, statutory rapist" and the cue card at the end says the video is directed by Roman Polanski and the song is from the album R. Kelly In A Minor - a play on Alicia Keys' then current record Songs In A Minor). Spears still works as a standup comedian and has a podcast. In 2017 he made the news when he got in a
drunk fight on the radio (mess). He's also, ah, VERY active on
twitter.
Will SassoSignificant roles: Kenny Rogers, Steven Segal, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Gandolfini, William Shatner
A very physical, loud, Canadian comedian, Sasso was a hugely endearing presence. In later years he's had sporadic acting work (he was in the short-lived sitcom based on that dumb ass twitter account, Shit My Dad Says) but his most high profile recent role was as a vine celeb. Sasso's hugely popular and hilarious account had more than two million followers. After the death of Vine, he moved to
instagram. He's also on
twitter and regularly has mega cute interactions with MADtv BFF Alex Borstein.
Alex BorsteinSignificant roles: miss Swan, Bjork, Jasmine Wayne Wayne, little sister
The diminutive smartass has had the most successful post MADtv career from the S5 gen. She's been on Family Guy as a voice actor and writer since the beginning, pulling in FUCKING $220 000 A MOOONTH IN ROYALTIES YALL, or well HALF OF THAT SINCE HA DIVORCE SETTLEMENT. She was also on HBO's dark dramedy Getting On with Laurie Metcalf and guest starred on friend Amy Sherman-Palladino's Girlmore Girls. She can currently be seen as Susie on ASP's new show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. She's funny on
twitter and
instagram and lives with her children in Barcelona.
Pat KilbaneSignificant roles: Stan the Java Man, Sean Connery
The tall, handsome performer was a natural straight man but had some very memorable moments, like the skit above (recorded after the ludicrous Connery thriller Entrapment, where Catherine Zeta-Jones played his love interest). Kilbane has worked as a writer for Dreamworks and published the book Brain Eater's Bible: Advice For The Newly Re-Animated Zombie in 2011. Sporadically active on twitter
here.
Mo CollinsSignificant roles: Lorraine, Doreen, Shakira, Madonna
The rangy, loose-limbed comedian had a hilarious physicality and has done some comedy acting since the end of MADtv, most notably in Parks and Recreation. She's currently in remission from a form of cancer known as gastrointestinal stromal tumor or GIST. She's married and if her politically focussed
twitter is anything to go by very much part of the
#resistance.
Phil LaMarrSignificant roles: Michael Jackson, UPS guy, Prince
LaMarr had the most experience before joining MADtv and has worked very steadily since, primarily in voice acting. His highest profile role is probably as a Futurama regular (he played Hermes and many others). He's on
twitter, too!
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