What The Cast Of JAG Is Doing Today
"JAG" (short for "Judge Advocate General") was like the little show that could. The series originated on NBC in the fall of 1995 and lasted only one season before being canceled. CBS swooped in and saved the show and put it on as a mid-season replacement the following year. Not only did it air for another nine seasons, from January 1997 to April 2005, it also spawned the long-running "NCIS" (which in turn spun off into "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "NCIS: New Orleans"). While JAG wasn't a juggernaut in the ratings, it averaged about 12 million viewers per season while it was on the air.
The series follows the lives of members of the Department of the Navy's Office of the Judge Advocate General— think lawyers in Naval uniforms. These "judge advocates" conduct investigations and are involved in representing clients in criminal cases under the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The main focus of the show is Lieutenant Commander Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr., a former Naval aviator who went to law school while recovering from surgery and then joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps. Other regulars in the show include fellow JAG lawyers Major Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie (USMC), Lieutenant Budrick "Bud" Roberts, Jr. (USN), and Judge Avocate General A.J. Chegwidden.
While it looked like there might have been a "JAG" reboot in the works at CBS after news leaked that the two leads from the show would appear in multiple episodes of "NCIS: Los Angeles" during the 2018-2019 season, it now looks like the idea of a new series was just wishful thinking on fans' part. While it's not likely to happen, the characters of the show continue to be beloved by many, so who knows what CBS might do in the future? With that said, let's take a look at what the cast of "JAG" is doing today.
David James Elliot can't stay away from Harm
David James Elliot played Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Jr. for the entire run of "JAG," appearing in all 227 episodes of the long-running series. Harm was a former Navy fighter pilot turned lawyer for the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's office. Over the course of the show's 10 seasons, Elliot saw his character go from a lieutenant to a captain and even temporarily become Acting Judge Advocate General of the United States Navy.
After "JAG," Elliot has kept himself busy by starring in the ABC short-lived series "Scoundrels" as well as guest-starring on several different shows including "Mad Men" and "Mom." Fans of "JAG" no doubt know that Elliot appeared on "NCIS: Los Angeles," reprising his role as Harm, now the Captain/XO of the U.S.S. Allegiance. Time will tell if CBS decides to reboot "JAG" for another run or if they'll just keep bringing Elliot back to appear on the shows spun off from "JAG."
Catherine Bell is a Good Witch
Although it seems like Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie was a part of "JAG" for the entire series, she actually didn't appear until Season 2 of the show. Eagle-eyed fans of "JAG" know that Catherine Bell was actually in the final episode of Season 1, playing a totally different character. Bell said after reading about the character of Mac, she decided to go for the role. MacKenzie worked alongside Harm in the JAG Corps. In classic television style, the two had a "will they or won't they" relationship in the vein of Maddie and David from "Moonlighting." As the show wrapped up, the series finale left fans wondering which of the two would give up their career to follow the other as they were both offered new jobs.
Bell has worked continuously since the end of "JAG." She starred in four seasons of "Army Wives" for the Lifetime Channel while at the same time making a series of "The Good Witch" television movies for the Hallmark Channel, starring as Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale in the television series version while also serving as an executive producer. Like Elliott, Bell has reprised her role as Mac on "NCIS: Los Angeles." On the show, her character is now the Marine Liaison to the U.S. Secretary of State. It's there that fans find out it was Harm who gave up his career to follow Mac. Sadly, the characters have been split for several years.
Patrick Labyorteaux - Bud for life
By the time Patrick Labyorteaux started playing Budrick "Bud" Roberts, Jr. on "JAG," he was a veteran film and television actor who had been acting since he was a child. Before "JAG," he was probably best known as Andrew Garvey on "Little House on the Prairie." Labyorteaux played "Bud" on all 10 seasons of "JAG," although he only became a permanent member of the cast beginning in Season 2. Like Harm and Mac, Bud is also a member of the JAG Corps. His personality made his opponents underestimate him in the courtroom, much to their own detriment. Bud was so well-liked that Labyorteaux was brought back to appear on the "JAG" spinoff series "NCIS" on three different occasions.
Post-"JAG," Labyorteaux guest-starred on several different television shows including "Dexter," "American Crime Story," and "Scandal." Not content with being in front of the camera, Labyorteaux and his wife, "JAG" producer Tine Albanese, created the Nick at Nite show "See Dad Run" starring Scott Baio, which ran from 2012-2014.
John M. Jackson couldn't stay away
John M. Jackson played Rear Admiral Albert Jethro "A.J." Chegwidden, USN on eight seasons of "JAG." Chegwidden was the top lawyer for the Navy at JAG, where his official title was Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Navy. He was a kind of father figure to those who served under him and very loyal to his team. While maintaining a cool demeanor most of the time, Chegwidden's anger was known to be formidable. Toward the end of the show's run, he decided to retire from service and went to work for a law firm. Jackson appeared in this capacity as Chegwidden in a 2004 episode of "NCIS" where he defends Special Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) in an internal investigation. Jackson again reprised his role as Chegwidden on "NCIS: Los Angeles," appearing as a recurring character during Season 8 of the show.
Apart from his stint on "NCIS: Los Angeles," Jackson has worked continuously after "JAG" came to an end. His other television roles include a stint on "Bones" as well as appearances on "Without a Trace," "CSI," and "Criminal Minds." He also had a role on 2017's "Gifted" starring Chris Evans.
Karri Turner turned to comedy
Karri Turner played Lieutenant Harriet Sims on "JAG" for nine seasons. While not a part of JAG when she first appeared, she was finally transferred to the unit later in season two. Sims worked at JAG in an administrative capacity where she eventually became involved with and marries Bud Roberts, much to her wealthy parents' consternation. Because of her relationship with Roberts, Sims was moved from JAG to Office of the Naval Inspector General, where she stayed until the end of the ninth season, when she resigned due to her pregnancy with twins.
After "JAG," Turner had small parts in "Get Smart" and in "An American Carol," both in 2008. She also appeared in two episodes of "Heroes" in 2006. Her most recent screen credit was a small part in a season 17 episode of NCIS. (Alas, she was not reprising her JAG role.) During her break from acting, Turner tried her hand at comedy and performed for U.S. troops.
Chuck Carrington branches out
Chuck Carrington played Petty Officer Jason Tiner, USN on eight seasons of "JAG." Tiner started his run on the show as Admiral Chegwidden's yeoman/assistant. Tiner was close to Chegwidden, having served him for several years, while Chegwidden considered him the best assistant he ever had. Throughout the 99 episodes the character appeared in, Tiner was the comic relief on the show, getting tongue-tied to often hilarious results. He started taking law classes in Season 6 and by the end of Season 9, he graduated law school and left the JAG office (and the show) for Officer Candidate School (OCS).
Since "JAG," Carrington has been in a handful of projects. In 2007, he was in the film "The List" starring Malcolm McDowell. He also appeared in several television shows, including "Blue Bloods," "White Collar," and "Shameless," as well as 2017's "Cowboy Drifter"; in addition to acting, he also wrote and produced the film.
Scott Lawrence voices Vader
While only becoming a full-time cast member in the final season of "JAG," Scott Lawrence's character, Commander Peter Ulysses "Sturgis" Turner, was introduced as a recurring character in Season 7. Turner was a member of the JAG Corps and had been a friend of Harm since they were at the Naval Academy together. While the two were great buddies during the show, their relationship was strained when Turner became Acting Judge Advocate General after Chegwidden retired.
Post-"JAG," Lawrence has not stopped working. When he's not appearing in movies like "Avatar," "The Social Network," and "Star Trek Into Darkness," you can find him on television in shows like "Legion," "Fear of the Walking Dead," and "Mr. Mercedes." Even if you don't know Lawrence's face, you probably recognize his voice. He's voiced the character of "Jarek Yeager" in "Star Wars Resistance," as well as voicing Darth Vader in several "Star Wars" video games including "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order" and "Star Wars: Battlefront II."
Zoe McLellan - From JAG to two of its spinoffs
Fans of the CBS show "NCIS: New Orleans" are very familiar with Zoe McLellan. For two seasons, she played Agent Meredith Brody. While that show was a spinoff of "JAG," McLellan didn't play the same character. In the earlier show, McLellan played Petty Officer Jennifer Coates, USN. Long before she came to "JAG" as the personal aide to the Judge Advocate General Chegwidden, Coates first encountered Harm and company while being court-martialed for abandoning her position. Like Scott Lawrence, McLellan joined the cast of "JAG" in Season 7 and became a full-time cast member in the show's final season.
After "JAG" ended, McLellan appeared on the ABC show "Dirty Sexy Money" before landing her role as Agent Brody, first on "NCIS" and then on its spinoff "NCIS: New Orleans." Following her much-publicized exit from that show, McLellan went on to appear on "House" and "The Mentalist" before becoming a series regular on "Suits" and "Designated Survivor."
Randy Vasquez has appeared in your favorite shows
Randy Vasquez had a recurring role as Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez, USMC on "JAG" for five seasons. Prior to serving with JAG, Galindez was an ex-Marine who had been a sheriff's deputy. His life a wreck, he decided to reenlist and was eventually transferred to JAG in order to manage the office. He used his investigative experience after 9/11 when he left JAG to join the hunt for Bin Laden. Series creator Donald P. Bellisario said he created the character of Galindez because they "wanted another character who was not an officer and we also wanted a Hispanic," adding, "There are a lot of Hispanics in the Marines and Navy. It was time they were represented."
Before joining the cast of "JAG," Vasquez was a regular on "Love Boat: The Next Wave" and "First Monday." When "JAG" ended, he went on to guest star on shows like "CSI: Miami" and "Nip/Tuck." He had a recurring role on Season 1 of "Bosch." He's also appeared on both "NCIS" and "NCIS: New Orleans," although he was a different character each time. More recently, Vasquez has guest starred on "Will & Grace" and "S.W.A.T."
Terry O'Quinn starred in Lost
Terry O'Quinn appeared on "JAG" at different points throughout its 10-season run as Rear Admiral Thomas "CAG" Boone, USN. Harm's father was a friend of Boone's and they served together in Vietnam. Harm had to defend Boone from being court-martialed more than once. Raising in the ranks from captain to rear admiral during the show's run, Boone wasn't able to rise any higher in the ranks as he was accused, but later acquitted, of war crimes. He eventually retired from service.
O'Quinn has been acting since the early '80s so, depending on your age, you might know him as a series regular on one of several shows or from one of his earlier film roles. He was in shows "Earth 2" and "Millennium" in the mid-to-late '90s. In terms of movies, he's been in everything from "Tombstone" to "Primal Fear." Right before "JAG," O'Quinn co-starred in three hit series: "Alias," "The West Wing," and "Lost." More recent roles have come as recurring characters on "Hawaii Five-0" on CBS and "Emergency" for ABC.
Steven Culp moved on to The West Wing
Steven Culp played the recurring role of CIA Officer Clayton Webb on 41 episodes of "JAG," beginning with season two all the way up through the final 10th season. Webb was often undercover and on a case where he claimed he was working for the State Department, among other agencies. He was involved with Mac both as a real couple as well as posing as one while undercover.
Culp's face is probably very familiar to you. You might remember him from other shows like "ER" and "Star Trek: Enterprise." After "JAG," he went on to appear on "The West Wing" (at the same time as Terry O'Quinn, no less) as well as "Criminal Minds," "Desperate Housewives," and "Law & Order." One of Culp's most recent high-profile appearances came in 2014, when he played Senator Scudder in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier." His latest roles on television include "9-1-1" and "American Horror Story."
Anne-Marie Johnson has kept busy
Although only on "JAG" for 17 episodes between Seasons 3 and 7, Congresswoman Roberta "Bobbi" Latham, played by Anne-Marie Johnson, certainly made an impact. Latham was the Chairwoman of the House National Subcommittee, as well as an on-again, off-again love interest for Harm. She also dated Harm's colleague and friend, Sturgis Turner. She was leery of the military, but not so much that she wasn't fair when it came to her dealings with them.
Johnson has had roles in television going back to the early 1970s. She is mainly known for her roles on "What's Happening Now!," "In the Heat of the Night," and "In Living Color." After "JAG," she went on to play roles on a list of shows that includes "Girlfriends," "That's So Raven," and "Children's Hospital." More recent television appearances have come on "The InBetween" and "How to Get Away with Murder."
Trevor Goddard's career was cut short by misfortune
As Lt. Commander Michael "Mic" Brumby, CSC, RAN, actor Trevor Goddard posed a serious threat to the romance between Harm and Mac. Brumby, a Royal Australian Naval officer who joined JAG as part of an exchange program, appeared in 42 episodes between Seasons 4 and 7; the majority of his storyline involved his romance with and eventual marriage to Mac, which in turn spurred a rivalry with Harm that at one point (in Season 5's two-parter "Boomerang") resulted in the pair trading blows and accidentally breaking Bud's jaw. When love finally bloomed between Harm and Mac, Brumby headed back Down Under in the Season 7 two-parter "Adrift."
Though Goddard claimed to be Australian by birth, the actor actually hailed from England, and began his career as a boxer. He began appearing in minor roles on American television in the late 1980s, and eventually worked his way up to a featured role as Kano in the 1995 film version of "Mortal Kombat." Three years later, Goddard began his tenure as Brumby on "JAG" while also appearing in episodic series and in small roles in features like the cult monster movie "Deep Rising."
After "JAG," Goddard turned up in minor roles in studio features ("Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl") and more substantive work in indie titles. On June 7, 2003, Goddard was found dead in his North Hollywood home at the age of 40. Initially ruled as a suicide, an autopsy later determined than an accidental drug overdose was the cause of death.
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Tracey Needham taught acting to kids
Though they enjoyed a long working and personal relationship on "JAG," Mac wasn't Harm's first partner. She wasn't even his second. In Season 1, Harm was teamed with Lieutenant, Junior Grade Caitlin Pike (Andrea Parker of "The Pretender"), who was replaced after the pilot by Tracey Needham, who played computer and weapons expert Lt. JG Meg Austin in 20 episodes. But when the series was dropped by NBC after Season 1, and later picked up by CBS, producers retooled the cast again, this time dropping Needham in favor of Catherine Bell. The rest is history.
Needham, who originally hailed from Texas, began her screen career as a guest star on episodic TV before joining the cast of "Life Goes On" as Paige, the eldest sister of the Thatcher family. After departing "JAG," she starred in several other series like "The Division" and the Hallmark Channel's "Murder 101" movies and guested on numerous others, including three episodes of "Veronica Mars." After stepping behind the camera for several short films, Needham and her husband, actor Tommy Hinkley, moved to Boulder, Colorado and opened an acting school for children.
Nanci Chambers is a conservationist and entrepreneur
Lieutenant Loren Singer made life uncomfortable for the rest of "JAG's" cast of characters in 39 episodes of the series between Seasons 5 and 8. Though a skillful lawyer, her ambitions often placed her in direct opposition with the JAG team, most notably in Season 7's "In Country," which saw Harriet punching Singer for using her baby's death as a way to discredit her testimony in a case.
Singer later carried on affairs with Harm's half-brother, Sergei Zhukov, and with Commander Theodore Lindsay, whom she attempted to blackmail when she discovered she was pregnant. During an argument with Lindsay, she struck her head on a bridge railing and Lindsay tossed her body into a nearby river; the commander tried to pin the murder on Harm, but NCIS Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Vivian Blackadder (in two "JAG" episodes which served as the pilots for "NCIS") determined the real culprit.
Canadian-born actor Nanci Chambers appeared as a hired assassin in the Season 2 "JAG" episode "Washington Holiday" prior to her long run as Loren Singer. After "JAG," Chambers — who is married to David James Elliott — appeared in guest spots on "Ghost Whisperer," among other series, and co-produced the 2001 TV-movie "Dodson's Journey," which starred Elliott. Chambers also founded Straw Code, an environmental company that produces reusable straws.
Former child actor Paul Collins continued performing
The Secretary of the Navy from Seasons 3 through 8 was Alexander Nelson, whose approach to serious problems was to adopt the easiest and fastest solution. This naturally put him at odds with Harm, Mac, and Admiral Chegwidden, but Nelson's mishandling of various events, including the terrorist attack on the USS Seahawk, landed him in hot water with a Senate intelligence committee. He was eventually ousted in Season 8 and replaced by Dean Stockwell's Senator Edward Sheffield.
British actor Paul Collins played Alexander Nelson in 32 episodes of "JAG." The former child actor played juvenile roles in a number of Hollywood and British films during the 1940s and 1950s before providing both the voice and character movements for John Darling in the Walt Disney animated feature "Peter Pan." As an adult, Collins worked extensively on television, most notably in recurring roles on "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Profiler," and "Sons of Anarchy." His feature film roles include Ivan Reitman's "Dave," Albert Brooks's "Mother" and "Evan Almighty."
Michael Bellisario is an indie film staple
Midshipman Third Class Michael "Mikey" Roberts struggled under the weight of being not only Bud's younger brother, but also a reputation for being something of a screw-up during his 29 appearances on "JAG." Initially resistant to following his father and brother into the Navy, he eventually enlisted, only to face a charge of dereliction of duty that required his brother's intervention. The siblings' relationship worsened over time, especially after Bud's son ran away while Mikey's watch. After demanding his brother's respect, the Roberts boys settled their differences and became close throughout the remainder of the series.
Michael Bellisario, who played Mikey Roberts, was the son of "JAG" creator Donald P. Bellisario and stepbrother to "NCIS" star Sean Murray. The majority of the younger Bellisario's screen work has been in projects produced by his father: he made his acting debut in an episode of the 1982-'83 adventure series "Tales of the Gold Monkey" and enjoyed repeat appearances on both "Quantum Leap" and "JAG" before joining the latter series' cast in Season 3. Since the conclusion of "JAG" in 2005, Bellisario has kept busy with appearances in several independent features.
CIndy Ambuehl is a top Hollywood real estate agent
In Season 5's "Into the Breech," Harm met Rene Peterson, a director who was filming a Navy recruitment video. The pair soon became romantically involved over the course of 24 episodes, but the undeniable connection between Harm and Mac drove a wedge between the new couple. Rene departed the series with the return of a former flame in Season 7's "Mixed Messages," but returned in an uncredited appearance in Season 8's "Standards of Conduct."
Model-turned-actor Cindy Ambuehl was a staple of episodic TV series like "Wings" and "Caroline in the City" in the 1990s, as well as a recurring player on "Pacific Blue," "Silk Stalkings," and "Head Over Heels." After departing "JAG," she remained active as a guest star on various series, including a recurring gig on "The Bold and the Beautiful." However, Ambuehl is also a highly successful and well-regarded real estate agent in Los Angeles; the Hollywood Reporter listed her as one of the city's Top 30 real estate agents in 2019.
Harrison Page remains a hard-working character actor
Harm ran afoul of Rear Admiral Stiles Morris in Season 2's "Heroes." Stiles, the highest-ranking judge at JAG, presided over a case in which a chief petty officer was implicated in the death of a Navy SEAL. To prove his point about the murder weapon's faulty nature, Harm fired an automatic weapon in Morris' courtroom, which led to occasional tension between Harm and the judge over the course of their subsequent 22 episodes together.
Character actor Harrison Page played Adm. Morris between Seasons 2 and 8 on "JAG" while also maintaining a busy and steady schedule of guest appearances on other series, including "ER," "Melrose Place," and "Profiler." The Actor's Studio member and Emmy nominee (for a 1992 appearance on another Donald P. Bellasario series, "Quantum Leap"), Page's career reached back to the late '60s with turns in exploitation director Russ Meyer's features like "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," and later encompassed dozens of episodic TV appearances and occasional feature work. Page remained active on TV and in features in the years following "JAG," which included a recurring role on "Better Things" as Walter, the courtly "special friend" to Celia Imrie's Phyllis.
Jennifer Savidge continued to act on TV
The actual Judge Advocate Generals on "JAG" were an eclectic bunch, ranging from the irked Rear Admiral Stiles Morris and no-nonsense Captain Owen Sebring (Corbin Bernsen) to the amiable Captain Henry Delario (Kent McCord). Falling somewhere between these judges was Commander Amy Helfman, who presided over cases in 21 episodes between Seasons 5 and 8. Helfman's tenure was marked by an adherence to fair representation from both sides of the legal fence and an emphasis on truth.
Jennifer Savidge, who played Commander Helfman on "JAG," was best known to TV audiences as the streetwise Nurse Lucy Papandrao-Ehrlich on "St. Elsewhere." The actress, whose career began on Broadway in the 1970s, moved into television at the end of that decade and enjoyed guest roles on "L.A. Law," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and "The Practice" in the years that followed. After completing her run on "JAG," Savidge guested on "Friday Night Lights" and enjoyed a recurring role on the first season of "American Crime" as the mother of accused murderer Caitlin Gerard.