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What The Cast Of Party Of Five Are Up To Now

Long before the rebooted version appeared on Freeform in 2019, the original "Party of Five" which aired from 1994-2000, riveted viewers with the drama and angst of the Salinger family. Storylines about grief, addiction, and mental health helped "Party of Five" to shine apart from its teen-centered television predecessors. Originally, Fox executives saw the show as a companion piece to the lighter teenage fare of the original "Beverly Hills 90210," but "Party of Five" evolved into anything but a mirror of Fox's earlier hit.

"Party of Five" centered on a family of young siblings trying to survive and cope after the tragic loss of their parents. Charlie, Bailey, Julia, Claudia, and Owen Salinger felt like real people: their character arcs grew organically throughout the show's six seasons. "Party of Five" impacted pop culture and launched many of those associated with it to stardom. Much like the Rembrandts became known for their hit "Friends" theme song "I'll Be There For You," the BoDeans' biggest hit was "Closer to Free" — their theme song for "Party of Five."

"Party of Five" paved the way for shows like "Dawson's Creek" (1998-2003) and "One Tree Hill" (2003-2012), and the show is forever ingrained in history as a staple of '90s pop culture. So what's the cast of this hit drama up to now? Let's take a look at the adult lives of these teen stars.

Scott Wolf is Nancy Drew's dad

At the age of 26, Scott Wolf played 16-year-old Bailey Salinger, the second eldest and most responsible Salinger kid, and he quickly gained teen heartthrob status. The media compared Wolf's looks to Tom Cruise, and "Party of Five" plot lines were often Bailey-centric. Wolf even dated Paula Devicq, who played Kirsten Bennett Salinger, the onscreen love interest of Bailey's older brother Charlie (Matthew Fox).

Wolf has enjoyed a consistent Hollywood career since his "Party of Five" debut, working steadily in television since his Bailey Salinger days. From 2014 to 2018, Wolf starred as Chief of Surgery on the NBC medical drama "The Night Shift." More recently, he's played Carson Drew, the widowed father of teen detective Nancy Drew on the CW's "Nancy Drew."

Wolf married "The Real World: New Orleans" star Kelley Limp in 2004; they share two sons, Millar William and Jackson Kayse, and a daughter, Lucy Marie. In 2017, Wolf told the Today show the cast of "Party of Five" felt like a true family from day one, and that he remains close with his former costars. He's continued to branch out on either side of the camera — he tried his hand at directing with "The Voices in the Frost," the Season 3 mid-season finale of "Nancy Drew."

Neve Campbell still screams

Neve Campbell's portrayal of Julia Salinger on "Party of Five" helped launch the U.S. career of the Canadian actor and ballet dancer. Without a maternal figure to turn to for romantic guidance, Julia navigated her way through a series of bad boys in a quest to find popularity and love, and Campbell shined in her performance. As the eldest Salinger daughter and quintessential middle child, she exuded a blend of angst, ferocity, and sweetness.

Campbell landed the starring role as Sidney Prescott in Wes Craven's "Scream" just after her first season on "Party of Five." In the years since, she's appeared in films such as "Wild Things," the Joffrey Ballet-inspired "The Company," and the action-packed "Skyscraper" alongside Dwayne "The Rock” Johnson. Campbell has remained active on television too, most notably playing Le Ann Harvey from 2016 to 2017 in the Netflix hit "House of Cards." She reprised her role as Sidney Prescott in "Scream 5" (known as "Scream" — it's complicated) and more recently signed on to play Mickey Heller's ex-wife Maggie McPherson in the Netflix adaptation of "The Lincoln Lawyer."

Matthew Fox got lost

As Charlie Salinger, the oldest sibling on "Party of Five," Matthew Fox was never without a flannel shirt, a perfect five o'clock shadow, and a heart full of angst. At 24, Charlie was forced into the role of provider for his younger siblings; initially, it was a role he didn't handle well, but by the series finale, a matured Charlie had found a respectable career and started a family of his own.

Fox went on to star as Dr. Jack Shephard, the leader of a group of plane crash survivors on J.J. Abram's fantasy-action-drama hit "Lost," which aired for six seasons on ABC. Significant film roles followed for Fox, including "We Are Marshall" with Matthew McConaughey, and the thriller "Vantage Point," where he went against type to play a villain. Fox also played Racer X in the Emile Hirsch-vehicle "Speed Racer" — a film that unfortunately tanked at the box office.

Fox spoke candidly with Men's Journal about his move from Hollywood to Bend, Oregon, his acting career, family, and his personal struggles. Following a hiatus from acting, Fox returned to television in "Last Light," a limited dystopian thriller series from Peacock on which he also serves as an executive producer.

Lacey Chabert goes to Hallmark

Long before she tried to "make fetch a thing" in "Mean Girls," Lacey Chabert captured hearts as young violin prodigy Claudia Salinger on "Party of Five." Claudia presented the voice of reason for the Salinger clan with wisdom beyond her years, and Chabert's costars believed she was the glue that held the cast together. Fans watched Chabert grow along with her character and win awards for her portrayal.

Chabert began her career as the young Cosette in a Broadway run of "Les Miserables" — her powerful performance as Jean Claude Jean's adopted daughter kept Chabert in the role from 1992 to 1993. In 1998, as "Party of Five" wrapped its fifth season, Chabert also starred as Penny Robinson in the film version of "Lost in Space"; more film roles would soon follow. "Not Another Teen Movie" and "Mean Girls" cemented Chabert as a supporting actor on the big screen, and on television, she voiced Meg Griffith for the first season of "Family Guy."

These days, Chabert is probably most well-known for her leading performances in dozens of Hallmark Channel films, including fan favorites "A Christmas Melody" and "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Chabert married David Nehdar on December 22, 2013. According to a 2017 Fox News interview with Chabert, she remains in contact with her "Party of Five" co-stars.

Jennifer Love Hewitt is still sweet

As Bailey Salinger's love interest Sarah Reeves Marin, Jennifer Love Hewitt melted viewers' hearts. Along with Jennifer Garner, Hewitt starred in the short-lived "Party of Five" spinoff "Time of Your Life," but the series was canceled after one season. Much like her "Party of Five" co-star Neve Campbell, Hewitt went the horror film route, landing the lead in 1997's "I Know What You Did Last Summer," which also featured teen stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Ryan Phillippe. Hewitt returned for the slasher hit's sequel and starred in the 1998 teen classic "Can't Hardly Wait."

Many people don't realize that Hewitt is also a singer, with four albums under her belt: 1992's "Love Songs," 1995's "Let's Go Bang," a 1996 eponymous release, and 2002's "BareNaked," which hit the Billboard Top 200 chart, climbing to number 37. Hewitt played Melinda Gordon on "Ghost Whisperer" from 2005-2016 — a show that also welcomed Hewitt's former "Party of Five" co-star Lacey Chabert as a guest star.

Since 2018, Hewitt has starred as Maddie Buckley on the FOX drama "9-1-1." In 2021, she took a brief leave from the show to give birth to her third child with husband and fellow actor Brian Hallisay. Hewitt also enjoyed a close friendship with Betty White, and appeared in the 2022 documentary "Betty White: A Celebration."

Scott Grimes helps guide The Orville

On "Party of Five," Scott Grimes played Bailey Salinger's stalwart best friend Will McCorkle, who remained loyal to Bailey even when his friend struggled. But "Party of Five" wasn't Grimes' first foray into professional entertainment: He starred in 1984's "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" with Mickey Rooney, and released an eponymous soft rock album in 1989.

After the first season of "Party of Five" wrapped, Grimes appeared as Petty Officer Holaire in 1995's "Crimson Tide," and the roles kept on coming. He had a supporting role in 1999's "Mystery, Alaska," and continued to land parts in long-running television series. Grimes appeared as Donald Malarkey in HBO's Emmy-award winning miniseries "Band of Brothers," played Dr. Archie Morris on "ER" for six seasons, and joined Seth McFarlane's television empire in 2005, voicing Steve Smith on "American Dad," and has also voiced Kevin Swanson on "Family Guy" since 2011. In 2017, he joined the cast of McFarlane's science fiction series "The Orville," playing Lieutenant Gordon Mallory.

Grimes can also be seen in "Oppenheimer," with an all-star cast including Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, and Casey Affleck. The biopic centers on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American scientist who helped develop the nuclear bomb. Grimes continues to perform musically as well, playing charity gigs with the Band From TV, a group also featuring actors Hugh Laurie, James Denton, and Adrian Pasdar.

Jeremy London hit 7th heaven

From Season 2 through Season 6 of "Party of Five," Jeremy London played Griffin Holbrook, Julia's troubled boyfriend turned husband turned ex-husband. (Many people may not realize the character was first played by "Westworld" star James Marsden.)

Jeremy London and his twin brother Jason starred in two of the biggest 1990s teen films — Jeremy played T.S. in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats" and Jason portrayed Randall "Pink" Floyd in "Dazed and Confused." After "Party of Five," Jeremy appeared on "7th Heaven" as pastor Chandler Hampton from 2002 until 2004. He landed indie film roles in 2003's "Gods and Generals" and 2013's "Don't Pass Me By," and made several television guest-star appearances — most notably on a 2016 episode of "MacGyver."

In the 21st century, London has experienced some publicized personal struggles — he appeared on Season 4 of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" and was kidnapped in 2010. London's claims were initially met with skepticism, but later arrests and convictions of his abductors proved the veracity of his plight.

Megan Ward rushes to General Hospital

Megan Ward only played the troubled Jill Holbrook over one season of "Party of Five," but her character set a vital storyline in motion. Jill Holbrook was Bailey Salinger's girlfriend in the last episodes of Season 1 — she struggled with addiction and tragically met her end offscreen as the result of a drug overdose. After the character's death, Holbrook's older brother Griffin began spending time with the Salingers, and fell in love with Julia.

In the 1990s, Ward starred in "Encino Man" and played Lily Dougherty in the twisted 1996 comedy "Joe's Apartment.” She also starred in the 2010 horror film "The Invited" as Michelle, and more recently played Kate Teller in  "Teller's Camp." Ward has also several guest star television roles since "Party of Five," including the "Friends” episode "The One Where Rachel Smokes" and on "Ghost Whisperer" with her former costar Jennifer Love Hewitt. "General Hospital” fans will also recognize Ward from her role as Kate Howard.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Michael Goorjian writes novels

On "Party of Five," Michael A. Goorjian played Justin Thompson — another serious love interest for Julia Salinger — and he's continued to work in the entertainment industry since the show wrapped. Goorjian is also recognized for playing Heroin Bob in 1998's "SLC Punk!" In the early 2000s, he appeared on several television shows, including "Without A Trace," "CSI: Miami," and the Fox drama "Lie to Me."

More recently, Goorjian, an Armenian-American, finished filming "Amerikatsi" in Armenia; the historical Armenian film is a passion project for the actor. Set in the early Soviet Union era, "Amerikatsi" centers on Charlie, an Armenian who escapes genocide by stowing away on a U.S.-bound ship. Goorjian, who stars as Charlie, also wrote and directed the film. When he's not performing on television or making movies, Goorjian is a novelist: He wrote the novels "What Lies Beyond the Stars" (2016) and "Beyond the Fractured Sky" (2019) as part of a planned trilogy.

Paula Devicq played another Salinger

Paula Devicq appeared on the pilot episode of "Party of Five" as Kirsten Bennett, the new nanny to 15-month-old Owen Salinger. Kirsten became an honorary member of the Salingers — and Charlie's true love. She struggled with severe depression and briefly left the Salinger home, but she always came back to Charlie. As the series wrapped, the two were married and expecting a child together.

After "Party of Five," Devicq continued to act in television and film roles, including a part on a 2007 episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and a six-episode arc from 2004 to 2005 as Sondra on the FX Dennis Leary firefighter drama "Rescue Me." In 1999, she appeared as Paula in the hit romantic comedy "Runaway Bride," and Devicq even played another Salinger — in 2011, she appeared as Dr. Elizabeth Salinger on the CBS drama "A Gifted Man." Devicq's most recent onscreen performance came in 2014 when she played Sandra in the fantasy film "The Amazing Wizard of Paws."

Jennifer Aspen joins Hallmark too

Jennifer Aspen wooed Charlie Salinger on "Party of Five" as stripper Daphne Jablonsky. After hooking up with Charlie, Daphne became pregnant and gave birth to their baby girl Diana (named for Charlie's mother). After deciding she wasn't cut out for motherhood, Daphne moved to Texas, leaving the infant with her father. Aspen brought nuance to the role of Daphne, allowing viewers to feel empathy for the troubled character.

According to IMDb, Aspen has roughly 100 credits in film and television. She played Nina in "Vanilla Sky" alongside Cruise and Cruz (Tom and Penelope, respectively), and appeared in the limited HBO series "Sharp Objects" opposite Amy Adams. In 2019, Aspen starred in the Hallmark Channel's "A Christmas Love Story" on which she served as an executive producer along with her husband, David O'Donnell. The heartwarming Christmas tale also features Kristen Chenoweth — as well as Aspen's former "Party of Five" costar Scott Wolf.

Adam Scott rules the small screen

With all of the impactful leading roles Adam Scott has played over the past two decades, it's easy to forget he once had an arc on "Party of Five" as Julia Salinger's college friend and crush Josh Macon for seven episodes in Season 5.

On the big screen, Scott went on to play, among other roles, Derek Huff in "Stepbrothers," Remy in "Monster-in-Law," and Robert Fitzpatrick in "Black Mass." Scott has also experienced success with such characters as Ben Wyatt in "Parks & Recreation," Trevor in "The Good Place," and Mark Scout in the Apple TV+ mind-bending workplace thriller "Severance." In February of 2022, GQ asked Scott about his role on "Severance," and he said "It felt like the thing that I'd been spending all these years toiling away and earning the chance to get a role like this." Scott has also wrapped filming Season 3 of the highly anticipated "Party Down" revival, and he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Jacob Smith left Hollywood

Although Owen Salinger was a pivotal character on "Party of Five," his age kept him from much screen time or character development. Jacob Smith played the role of the littlest Salinger through Season 4 and Season 5 — the longest tenure of any of the four young actors to play the role. Through the next decade, Smith continued to pack his resume, playing the role of Jake Baker in the family comedies "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 2."

Smith also appeared in the credited role of Messenger Boy in 2004's epic "Troy" and was seen in two episodes of the final season of the ABC family drama "Once and Again." Since entering adulthood, Smith has stayed out of the public eye — his last screen role came in "Secrets of a Small Town," a 2006 two-episode offering on ABC.

"Party of Five" debuted many years ago, but the show's storylines remain relevant today. The show paved the way for great 21st century teen dramas, and its stars have traveled down varied paths since the series ended — but most continue to work in entertainment, a testament to how well it was cast.