Hot Gallery: Six Feet Under Cast Ten Years Later

Before Bon Temps became one of the hottest little towns on television, Alan Ball brought his particular brand of dark humor, his tragicomic take on suburban living, and touch of the fantastical to Los Angeles with Six Feet Under. The series, which ran on HBO for five seasons, followed Ball’s shows Oh, Grow Up and Cybill and his critically acclaimed film American Beauty, for which he won an Oscar for writing. In addition to finding a fervent set of fans who became drawn into the lives of the Fisher family, the show also bolstered the careers of many of its stars, whose quirky roles and spot-on performances were the backbone of a series that often tackled difficult subject matter. A decade after the show arrived, Snakkle looks back at some of our favorite characters and catches up with the actors who played them. “I felt like this was a modern day All in the Family,” Mathew St. Patrick, who played the hunky Keith Charles, told Snakkle in an exclusive interview. “[Six Feet Under] talked about subject matter that people just sweep under the rug... . Society is ready to engage these types of conversations in a much more honest way than we did before.” A decade after the show arrived, Snakkle looks back at some of our favorite characters, and catches up with them now.

Then: As the elder, prodigal Fisher son, Krause landed on Six Feet Under with a bang, literally stripping down in a broom closet at the airport with his on-again-off-again-girlfriend-to-be, Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths). Despite his Gen-X m.o. as a college dropout, organic grocer, and ladies' man extraordinaire, in the face of tragedy, Nate quickly evolved into a loving (if not conflicted) father, son, brother, husband, and boyfriend (several times over). Luckily, he somehow navigated the Fisher family pathos without losing his rugged charm.

Krause moved from one set of family issues to another, and another. Following his role on Six Feet Under, the ever-dashing actor portrayed the suit-clad lawyer/hand-holder to the wealthy Darling clan on Dirty Sexy Money for two seasons, during which he cemented his small-screen star power as a leading man. In his latest series, Krause plays suburban man of the house Adam Braverman on NBC’s Parenthood, and he's set to hit the big screen soon in The Book of Matthew, which will reunite him with frequent Six Feet guest Rainn Wilson.

Then: Who’s a troubled vixen from the second the series began? Brenda, that’s who! Landing at LAX with a steamy, no-names-please romp (see: Nate Fisher, Jr.), Brenda’s particular brand of been-there-done-that and penchant for painful platitudes lands her in—and out of, and in—Nate’s arms throughout the series. Alluring in her raw sex appeal, and infuriating in her too-cool 'tude, she'll always be more complex than you.

Like her onscreen main squeeze from Six Feet Under, Griffiths found herself in the thick of a large, unruly family in her latest television role, this time as the ambitious Sarah Walker on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, which just concluded a five-season run. Next up, the Aussie native returns to her motherland in a forthcoming film about a Bondi Beach chef-preneur. Snakkle fun fact: Griffiths had her big break in 1994’s Muriel’s Wedding, alongside another Aussie breakout actress, Toni Collette.

Then: The strong-willed baby of the Fishers was always ready with rolled eyes, a sarcastic quip, or somewhere else to be in the face of her family's weirdness. Whether she was stealing body parts to get revenge, seducing art-school hotties, or simply having a pensive moment with those big, innocent eyes, Claire tempered her prickly adolescence with her big heart and quiet intelligence—even if she didn't know it.

A wife and mother based in western Massachusetts, Ambrose continues to flex her creative muscles across disciplines. She has scored accolades for her performances onstage, including, most recently, a role in Ionesco's Exit the King, alongside Geoffrey Rush and Susan Sarandon. When she’s not getting her theater on or appearing in movies like the upcoming Wanderlust, alongside Paul Rudd, Ambrose takes the mic in Lauren Ambrose & The Leisure Class, a New Orleans-style jazz band. She also just arrived back on the small screen in a role on Starz’s Torchwood, which is sure to win over sci-fi nerds, nationwide.

Then: The middle son of the Fisher family, David took after his mother as the next gen’s resident control freak, who also happened to be a closeted homosexual with major fraternal issues (see: Nate Jr., the prodigal son). Still, like his older brother, David was also capable of personal growth: He came out to his family, worked on a sometimes-fraught relationship, and tended to say more with his pained looks than words could ever express.
As his on-screen partner, Keith Charles, Mathew St. Patrick saw their relationship as groundbreaking. With the role of David’s boyfriend, “I had an opportunity to break down some barriers and kick down some doors,” he says. “I had an opportunity to give a voice to a community of people who didn’t really have a voice, in a very honest way. ... I knew that it was going to be extremely challenging, I knew that I was going to catch hell from my own community, but I felt it was extremely important [to portray this type of relationship].”

With a leading role on the critically acclaimed series Dexter, five Emmy nominations, four Golden Globe noms, and one Globe win—all since 2002—Hall is hot property in Hollywood. Throw in a high-profile marriage to (and divorce-in-progress from) his Dexter costar, and you've got mainstream recognition, even for those who eschew Showtime. For the artistes among us, Hall also has serious thesp cred: He earned an M.A. in acting from NYU’s famed Tisch School and has a rep as an impressive stage actor, having appeared on and off Broadway in everything from Cabaret to Macbeth.
Hall’s experience only enhanced that of St. Patrick during their work together on Six Feet Under. “I learned as an actor,” he says, “to be more engaged and more giving ... from working with Hall, and how very present he was. I felt I had an opportunity to grow.”

Then: As the newly widowed Fisher matriarch, Conroy’s character was a fascinating blend of tightly controlled emotion, wild fits of anger, both real and imagined, and a surprising grit that helped her come into her own in the wake of loss. Unlike most women over the age of 30 who appear on television—or most women of any age who appear on television—Ruth wasn't always warm and fuzzy, but she was reliably complex, with an identity beyond that of a doting mom or mourning, middle-aged woman.

While Conroy may still be best known as Mama Fisher, she’s continued to work steadily in film and television since the show ended in 2005. Over the years, she's appeared in TV series including Desperate Housewives, Happy Town, Grey’s Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, and The United States of Tara. Next up for the busy actress are roles in the forthcoming TV movie Bad Mom and Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story.

Then: It can't be easy having wealthy, free-loving psychiatrists for parents—especially if you're Billy Chenowith. Brenda's younger brother was a charming, talented artist who struggled with bipolar disorder and was shackled with a traumatic past. While Billy had his lighter moments, like making out with Claire, his on-again-off-again approach to his meds made him a loose cannon who was tough to trust.

Sisto is a husband, a dad, and a busy actor. Since playing the unstable Billy, he's had a steady stream of appearances in television shows, including a recurring role on Law & Order, as well as roles on the big screen, including a leading part in Waitress, the acclaimed indie drama from late director Adrienne Shelly. Fans of the swarthy, deep-voiced star will get a heavy dose of him in the months ahead. Among other projects, he's starring in the upcoming dramedy As Cool as I Am alongside Claire Danes and James Marsden.

Sweet, spiritual Lisa became one of the many wedges between Nate and Brenda, breaking them up when she became pregnant with Nate’s baby. As a personal chef to a high-powered exec and an eventual member of the Fisher clan, she was up against a lot, not the least of which were her suspicions that the Nate and Brenda show wasn’t over. (She was right.) Lisa's life came to an end amid mysterious events, leaving lots of questions and a wake of family strife, but leading Nate Jr. to find a kind of redemption in the desert, over her dead body.

Prior to playing Lisa, Taylor already had a handle on critically acclaimed fare, having starred in Mystic Pizza (1988), Say Anything (1989), and Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993). Since then, she's continued to appear in the eclectic and the acclaimed, with films like Antoine Fuqua's crime drama Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and Michael Mann's mobster thriller Public Enemies (2009). Snakkle fun fact: Before Taylor settled down as a mom and partner, she dated Matthew Broderick and was engaged to Michael Imperioli (according to IMDb).

Rico first arrived at Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in the wake of his father's accidental death. The traumatized teen was stunned at Papa Fisher's artistry with the deceased and soon became not just a funeral parlor employee but a member of the family. A loving husband and father, Rico encountered some bumps (and grinds) along the road, but evolved from a scrappy, cussing upstart to a serious adult and business partner with a big heart beneath his embalming duds.

Moving on from the funeral business, Rodriguez has been busy in the business of Hollywood. Among other roles, he steamed up the screen on Ugly Betty, then hopped genres to a sci-fi show and now the CIA series Chaos. He'll also soon appear on the big screen, alongside Six Feet Under guest star James Cromwell, in the upcoming action flick Soldiers of Fortune. On the home front, it's hard not to get gushy about this guy: He married his high school sweetheart, and the couple have two children together (one of whom played his son on Six Feet Under). Aww...

Then: At first, the hunky, emotive, and crime-fighting Keith Charles seemed like an unlikely match for the uptight, anxious, and self-loathing David Fisher. But soon enough, it was clear that Keith loved David for who he was. And as Keith's issues with anger management rose to the surface, one had to wonder if David could be the patient one for a change. Impressively (and happily), the pair somehow made it work, eventually becoming committed partners and dads.
For Keith's real-life alter ego, Mathew St. Patrick, the role was more than just a chance at playing a risky romantic lead. The actor, who was appearing on All My Children when Six Feet Under began filming, first read the script on the train home from the set. "By the time I got to page six, I was hyperventilating. It was so rich, in terms of the characters, I was blown away. There's no other way to describe it," he says. "I'd never seen anything like this. I just kept thinking ... I'm going for it...."
That said, playing an openly gay cop on a major cable series wasn't without its hurdles. "I was definitely nervous, but I felt that it was a great opportunity. I was nervous because it had never been done before. I felt nervous because, at a much earlier stage in my life, I was homophobic, so this was a challenge in many different ways, because I didn't know what to do." Still, St. Patrick's outlook had evolved significantly, and his approach to the role stemmed in part from the observed experience of friends, and from a desire to portray Keith from a place of honesty and love.

St. Patrick has continued to work steadily in television and film, appearing on shows including Law & Order: SVU, Private Practice, and Saving Grace. These days, however, he’s also setting his sights on series development, and just launched his own production company, Living by Faith. Plus, he’s raising a teenage son who, by his account, takes after his father when it comes to passion (fingers crossed he'll have his dad's acting genes, too).
St. Patrick also reflected on the impact that his role may have had, both culturally and personally. "There's been a great deal more open conversations within the African-American community [about homosexuality], it is talked about more so now, or allowed and accepted more so now, than it was at that particular point [when the show was on the air]. At the end of the day, it's a good thing if you can help people feel comfortable being able to come out to their loved ones and be able to have that discussion."
Playing Keith Charles, however, hasn't been all smooth sailing. Between lingering societal unease with homosexuality and plain-old typecasting, St. Patrick may have become synonymous with his character to an extent that may have made for a tough transition to other types of roles.
Still, he has no regrets. "Those individuals [on Six Feet Under] and that show provided a great foundation for the rest of my life, both personally and professionally," he says. "It was a very enriching process, and time, and very fulfilling. So, I'm grateful, grateful, grateful."