What The Cast Of 7th Heaven Is Up To Today
One of the series that put the then-fledgling (and now defunct) WB network on the map (and that later became its longest-running show), "7th Heaven" was somewhat of a surprise hit. In the edgy, hip network TV landscape of the 1990s, where there weren't many primetime family dramas that kept things largely wholesome and truly family-friendly, "7th Heaven" stood out. It debuted in 1996 and went on for a remarkable 11 seasons, outlasting even The WB itself and having to move to The CW for its final season in 2006-2007.
Besides the parents who presided over the fictional Camden family and some of the other adults in their lives, "7th Heaven" was a show full of fresh faces and up-and-comers. Though some had already been acting for a number of years, for most of the ensemble, the show was their breakthrough role. With only a few exceptions, most of the main cast stayed active in show business in one way or another since "7th Heaven" ended its historic run. Let's see what the cast of the longest-running family drama in television history has been up to since it wrapped.
Catherine Hicks
The matriarch of the Camden family was Annie, played by Catherine Hicks. She appeared in all but one of "7th Heaven's" 243 episodes. Already 45 by the time the series debuted, Hicks had been steadily acting for 20 years prior to her turn on the drama. She began her acting career on the soap opera "Ryan's Hope," where she played the part of Faith Coolidge for over 200 episodes. Between that and "7th Heaven," she also had main roles in the "Bad News Bears" TV series as well as "Tucker's Witch." On the big screen, she had notable roles in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," "Child's Play," and "Peggy Sue Got Married."
After "7th Heaven" wrapped up, Hicks returned to live theater, which she hadn't done since performing on Broadway in 1978. Beyond that, she mostly worked in television, becoming a mainstay in Lifetime and Hallmark Channel movies. After a few years off, she returned to acting in 2020 to voice a character in the Adult Swim animated series "JJ Villard's Fairy Tales." Hicks also does charity and volunteer work with the Los Angeles Homeless Action Committee and the League of Women Voters. In 2023, Hicks shot down talks of a "7th Heaven" reunion, telling TMZ, "I don't act anymore."
Tyler Hoechlin
Tyler Hoechlin began his career as a kid actor, performing in numerous commercials and, most notably, as a younger Tom Hanks in the underrated "Road to Perdition." He earned excellent reviews as a result of the movie, and he was able to secure a spot in "7th Heaven" as Martin Brewer for a two-episode arc. He was supposed to have a minor role as a friend of one of the Camden children's boyfriends, but his performance was so well-liked that his role was extended for an entire season.
Hoechlin was nominated for a teen choice award for his work in "7th Heaven," and that momentum propelled him to possibly the most notable career following the conclusion of the show. He appeared in hit shows like "CSI: Miami" and "Castle" immediately after the show ended. However, those were just minor roles; later, he landed roles in acclaimed director Richard Linklater's film "Everybody Wants Some!!" and alongside Owen Wilson in "Hall Pass."
Despite his film achievements, Hoechlin always seemed to shine brighter on television. While working with the biggest stars in Hollywood, he was also making waves on television, first as a werewolf named Derek Hale in "Teen Wolf," then as Clark Kent in "Supergirl" and its subsequent spin-off, "Lois & Clark." His most recent career move is reprising his role in the film adaptation of "Teen Wolf."
Jessica Biel
Another of only a few "7th Heaven" alums to have the show end up being a minor part of her overall acting resume, Jessica Biel was already breaking free from being associated with Mary Camden before the show even ended. Biel was only 14 when the show started, but soon found herself torn between wanting to do typical teenager things (like trying new hairstyles) and the expectations to not make drastic changes to her physical appearance without approval. As such, her role was drastically reduced in the fifth and sixth seasons, which ended up giving her the opportunity to devote more time to her budding film career.
Before "7th Heaven" came to an end, Biel was already a full-fledged movie star with roles in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "The Rules of Attraction," and "Blade: Trinity" under her belt. She continued a very busy movie career until around 2017 when she decided to give TV another shot. In addition to starring in and executive producing the anthology series "The Sinner," Biel also played herself in four episodes of "BoJack Horseman," was a main cast member of "Limetown," and most recently starred in the Hulu miniseries, "Candy," which she also executive produced.
David Gallagher
Over the course of the 11 seasons of "7th Heaven," audiences saw Simon Camden go from a 10-year-old kid to a married college graduate. David Gallagher was only one year older than Simon, which is unusual for television but is one of the things that made the performances of the show's young actors so believable. Gallagher began his career scoring what was no doubt a highly coveted role among young actors at the time: Playing Mikey (who was finally talking out loud) in the third installment of the "Look Who's Talking" trilogy.
Gallagher has worked steadily in film and television after "7th Heaven," but his biggest and longest-running role has been in a different medium entirely. Since 2002, he has voiced the character Riku in the video game series "Kingdom Hearts," a role he has played in every English language localization of the game up through 2019's "Kingdom Hearts III" and 2020's "Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory." Gallagher is in his late 30s as of this writing, which means he has been playing Riku for over half his life — and given the recent announcement of "Kingdom Hearts 4" and the likelihood of Riku's return, that doesn't look like it'll change anytime soon.
George Stults
The longest-running main character on "7th Heaven" who wasn't a Camden was Kevin Kinkirk, played by George Stults. He served as a big brother figure to the Camden kids once Matt Camden's role was reduced in Season 7 and beyond. He also eventually married Lucy Camden, thus officially joining the family. It was the first big role for Stults, who had previously only popped up in single episodes of various shows including "Will & Grace" and "Friends."
Since "7th Heaven," Stults has yet to join the main cast of another show, though he has had one-episode appearances on such series as "Zoo" and "Melissa & Joey." Like several members of the "7th Heaven" cast, he has found his niche in made-for-TV movies. Specifically, he often plays the male lead or other prominent characters in Hallmark Channel Christmas films — giving him great job security, as there likely won't be a shortage of those anytime soon. Some of his most recent credits include "A New Lease on Christmas," "Hope for the Holidays," and "A Kiss on Candy Cane Lane."
Beverley Mitchell
Beverly Mitchell's route to playing Lucy Camdell in "7th Heaven" was not as straightforward as his co-stars. She first auditioned for the role of Mary Camdell, which eventually went to Jessica Biel, but after missing out on the role, she was cast as the younger sister. And the dynamic between the two permeated the character, as Lucy's character frequently followed her coping with sibling rivalry in which Lucy always felt inferior to her sister Mary. Mitchell appeared on the show for all 11 seasons.
After her time on "7th Heaven," she began to take on more adult parts, first in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," a show developed by "7th Heaven" producer, Brenda Hampton. Micthell portrayed Katelyn O'Malley, a guidance counselor with a tragic past, on the show. After her role on that show ended, she appeared in a slew of TV movies, including "Get Out Alive" and "A Gift Wrapped Christmas," which garnered very little attention.
After Lucy Camdell, all of Mitchell's roles were supporting until "Hollywood Darlings," a mockumentary-style show in which Mitchell played a fictionalized version of herself. The show only lasted two seasons, but that appeared to be enough of a taste of reality television for Mitchell to recognize the medium's potential. She began appearing in "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" in 2023, a series that assesses whether celebrities can endure military training.
Jeremy London
Right off the bat, it needs to be made clear which London twin is being discussed here. The one who played Chandler Hampton on "7th Heaven" was Jeremy London, who also starred in the movie, "Mallrats," and the TV show, "Party of Five." He's not to be confused with his brother Jason London, the actor who is famous for "Dazed & Confused." It doesn't help that Jason was also on an episode of "7th Heaven" during the show's seventh season, which coincided with Jeremy's two-season stint as a main cast member. So maybe none of this is all that clear after all; just know that it's only Jeremy who will be discussed from here on out.
Jeremy was already known for both "Mallrats" and "Party of Five" by the time he did "7th Heaven," and he's barely let up since — between 2004 and 2022, there isn't a single year where he doesn't have at least one acting credit, with five different years seeing him appear in at least five different movies or TV shows. Unfortunately, things haven't been smooth sailing for Jeremy in terms of his personal life, as he has long struggled with addiction and mental health issues and was arrested in 2018 after being accused of domestic violence. London has returned to acting in movies, appearing in "Moon Crash" as a General attempting to prepare for an oncoming moon rock that is headed for Earth.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Barry Watson
Barry Watson, who played the oldest Camden child, Matt, was already questioning whether he'd return to the show for its seventh season after struggling with the same personal life and show conflicts as Jessica Biel. But that same year, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, which forced him to take a break from the show anyway. He continued to make guest appearances as he battled (and eventually beat) cancer and was even tapped by "7th Heaven" creator and executive producer Brenda Hampton to write an episode of the show during that time.
After "7th Heaven," Watson had main or recurring roles on several shows including "Samantha Who?," "What About Brian," "Gossip Girl," "Hart of Dixie," and "Naomi." After a break between 2005 and 2012, he also returned to movies in the 2010s, with his last feature film being 2019's "A Dog's Way Home." Watson admitted that all the roles he turned down earlier in his career probably hurt his chances at being a huge A-list star, but told People he has "no regrets" and relishes that he is able to spend so much time with his kids as well as his wife and fellow actor, Natasha Gregson Wagner.
Nikolas and Lorenzo Brino
Initially played by real-life quadruplets, Sam and David Camden — who were born in Season 3 of "7th Heaven" — were eventually just portrayed by two of the four Brino quadruplets: Nikolas and Lorenzo. The two would continue to play Sam and David, respectively, for the entire run of the series. It's not often that a baby introduced on a TV series is allowed to age for a number of years in real-time, as a show's producers often get restless and do rapid aging at some point, typically during a summer hiatus. But Nikolas and Lorenzo played the Camden twins for nine seasons, literally growing up on the set of "7th Heaven."
Interestingly, neither of the boys remained actors, with "7th Heaven" being the only credit for both of them. Both joined various social media platforms in the early 2010s, but neither was particularly active on them, seeming to prefer private, show-business-free lives. Sadly, in March 2020, Lorenzo was killed in a car accident when he lost control of his vehicle. He was the only occupant and no other cars were involved.
Ashlee Simpson
In the early 2000s, Ashlee Simpson was eager to step out of the shadow of her sister and forge her own career. Like Jessica, Ashlee tried both music and acting and first broke into the latter by way of a 2001 appearance on the sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." The following year, she made her big-screen debut in "The Hot Chick" and began her two-season stint as a "7th Heaven" main cast member. Simpson played Cecilia Smith, initially a girlfriend of Simon's who — as always seems to happen once someone enters the family's orbit — ends up sticking around as something of an honorary member of the Camden clan for a time.
Simpson's biggest acting role since she wrapped up her time as Cecilia was as a series regular in the short-lived "Melrose Place" reboot. She also had her own reality show, "The Ashlee Simpson Show," that ran for two seasons on MTV between 2004 and 2005. The bulk of her on-screen appearances between her time on "7th Heaven" and today have been reality-based. She's appeared as herself on shows like "The Dog Whisperer," "America's Next Top Model," and a 2018 reality series called "Ashlee + Evan" where she co-starred with Evan Ross, son of Diana Ross and half-brother of Tracee Ellis Ross.
Mackenzie Rosman
While not literally born during the show's run like the actors who played the Camden twins, Mackenzie Rosman was still a mere 7 years old when she first started playing Ruthie Camden on "7th Heaven" and was 18 by the end of its run. One can argue that, of all the young actors in the cast, it was she who truly grew up on "7th Heaven." In addition to a brief stint on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (alongside "7th Heaven" co-star Beverley Mitchell), Rosman only has about a half-dozen other acting credits. It seems as though she has decided that acting is only going to be a small aspect of her life.
It's not that Rosman has completely given up performing; it's just that she prefers to do so on horseback. She's an accomplished show jumper and even has "equestrian athlete" listed at the top of her Instagram bio above actress. Rosman has also been heavily involved in charity work, particularly with organizations that focus on cystic fibrosis after losing her sister to the disease in 2008. According to IMDb, Rosman is next set to appear in 2024's "Reapers Night," alongside other notable names like Frankie Muniz, David Koechner, and Jessica Szohr.
Rachel Blanchard
A number of characters were added to the main cast of "7th Heaven" for Seasons 7 and 8, likely in an attempt to counterbalance the decreased presence of both Barry Watson and Jessica Biel during that time. Among those additions was actor Rachel Blanchard as Roxanne Richardson, a colleague of Kevin's of whom Lucy is initially jealous before the two women become pals. Blanchard was already nearly 20 years into her career as an actor when she joined the cast of "7th Heaven," dating all the way back to her debut on "The Kids of Degrassi Street" — the first incarnation of the "Degrassi" franchise — at age 8.
Since "7th Heaven," Blanchard has been a main or recurring cast member on several more TV series, including "Peep Show," "Fargo," and "The Summer I Turned Pretty." She also played Sally in two memorable appearances on HBO's musical comedy series, "Flight of the Conchords." On the big screen, she has appeared in an eclectic mix of films that includes "Without a Paddle," "Snakes on a Plane," and the recently released, Ben Affleck-starring erotic thriller, "Deep Water."
Adam LaVorgna
Adam LaVorgna left Boston College to concentrate on his role in "7th Heaven." He plays Robbie Palmer, Mary Calmden's troubled boyfriend, in the show. Furthermore, LaVorgna's character was one of the more intriguing on the show, but his stint was cut short when he felt overwhelmed with the Hollywood lifestyle. He mutually agreed with the show's creators to write out his character, and LaVorgna returned to the east coast.
The east coast is significantly further from the Hollywood studios, and while it is not uncommon for established stars to reside far from Hollywood, however, it is rather unusual for an actor who is still on their way up to live far from Hollywood. The further you live from Hollywood, the fewer auditions you can attend, putting an actor's career at a disadvantage.
Since leaving "7th Heaven," LaVorgna has made appearances as a guest in other TV shows such as "Cold Case," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and "CSI: Miami" for a single episode. His film career hasn't fared any better, with roles in obscure films such as "Stealing Chanel." LaVorgna was most recently featured in a Kickstarter campaign video attempting to raise funding to complete the production of his new film, "Off-Time."
Stephen Collins
The Camden family was led by father Eric Camden, who begins the series as a reverend but has a crisis of faith and quits church entirely in Season 7. His reconnection with his faith ends up being one of the character's most significant arcs, in addition to his ongoing health issues related to his heart. Rev. Camden was played by Stephen Collins, whose long acting career goes all the way back to a 1975 appearance on "The Waltons," followed by a role in the classic political thriller "All the President's Men" the next year. Sci-fi fans knew him as William Decker from the first "Star Trek" film.
While Collins initially had a busy acting career after "7th Heaven" that included roles in the movie "Blood Diamond" and main roles on the TV shows "No Ordinary Family" and "Revolution," a dark revelation about his past was soon made public and completely derailed his career. A leaked tape found its way to TMZ in which Collins is heard admitting to having inappropriate sexual contact with three different girls who were all minors at the time. While he faced no legal recourse for his actions, his career was effectively over, and "7th Heaven" reruns were taken off the air for a time.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).