Summary
Freaks and Geeksstar Seth Rogen has reflected on its long-lasting legacy. The comedy show, which was created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow, followed two siblings attempting to navigate high school, friendships, fitting in, and burgeoning romance. The ensemble cast of the show included Rogen, Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr. While the show became a cult favorite,Freaks and Geeksseason 2never came to fruition as the show was cancelled by NBC in 2000, 12 episodes into its 18-episode freshman season.
Entertainment Tonightrecently sat down with Seth Rogen to discuss the end ofThe Boysand the 25th anniversary ofFreaks and Geeks. Rogen shared his fond recollections of the show and the fact thathe became a high school dropout so he could play a high school studenton TV. In addition to revealing that he is still “good friends” with many people from the show, he shared that he “meet[s] teenagers all the time who come up to me and say they love the show.” Read his full quote below:
That is crazy. I was 16, 17 years old when we were making that show. I dropped out of high school to go pretend to be in high school. I still am good friends with a lot of the people that were on the show. People kept watching it – I meet teenagers all the time who come up to me and say they love the show.
The Legacy Of Freaks And Geeks Is Staggering
Nearly Everyone Involved In The Show Is Now Known For Huge Projects
In addition to the show continuing to appeal to modern-day teenagers, it has a long-lasting legacy that would have been almost impossible to predict during its original run. This includes the future careers ofJudd Apatow and Paul Feig, who are giants in the comedy industry,with the former becoming a leading light in the modern “bromance” comedy subgenre with such movies asKnocked UpandThe 40-Year-Old Virginand the latter helming projects includingBridesmaids,A Simple Favor, and many key episodes ofThe Office. Their achievements are somehow matched by the majority of theFreaks and Geekscast.
Freaks And Geeks: Matt Czuchry & 9 Other Famous Actors You Forgot Were On The Show
Matt Czuchry is just one of many famous actors that even huge fans of Freaks and Geeks may have forgotten were on the show. Here are the rest.
Almost every key player inFreaks and Geekshas gone on to find success in huge projects. This includesquite a few of them joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe,including Martin Starr (theSpider-Mantrilogy), Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron,Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and more), and John Francis Daley (who co-wroteSpider-Man: Homecoming). Below, see a breakdown of other major post-2000 projects from the main teen cast of the short-lived show:
Knocked Up(2007),Superbad(2007),Neighbors(2014),The Interview(2014),Long Shot(2019),Pam & Tommy(2022)
James Franco
Spider-Mantrilogy (2002-2007),Pineapple Express(2008),127 Hours(2010),Rise of the Planet of the Apes(2011),This Is the End(2013),
Dawson’s Creek(2001–2003),Cougar Town(2009-2015),Girls5eva(2021-)
Jason Segel
How I Met Your Mother(2005-2014),Forgetting Sarah Marshall(2008),I Love You, Man(2009),The Muppets(2011),Shrinking(2023-)
Samm Levine
Inglourious Basterds(2009),Movie Trivia Schmoedown
The legacy of theFreaks and Geekscast and crew is perhaps unparalleled. This widespread, more or less even, success for the entirety of an ensemble is essentially unheard of, even for huge shows like the generation-defining sitcomFriends, which launched six A-list stars who haven’t all achieved the same level of success as one another since the show ended in 2004. While it was likely a disappointment for everyone involved that the show ended so swiftly, their later careers seem to have more than made up for it.
Freaks and Geeks
Cast
Judd Apatow’s Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama series centered around several now-popular stars in their first-ever appearances as outcast teenagers dealing with the “hilarious unfairness of teen life.” The friend groups are split into “freaks” and “geeks,” each with their own quirks that resonate with teens today as they attempt to find their place in the socially complex world of high school.
