Spin City Cast: Where Are The Actors Now

After rising to prominence throughout the 1980s, Michael J. Fox became a household name throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Landmark roles such as Alex P. Keaton in NBC sitcom "Family Ties" and Marty McFly in the "Back to the Future" franchise launched the young Canadian actor into Hollywood superstardom. But after taking a few years to focus on his film career with projects like "Doc Hollywood," "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey," "Mars Attacks!", and more, he returned to his television roots by starring in "Spin City" on ABC in 1996.

The multi-cam ensemble comedy follows the daily happenings in a fictionalized version of the New York City mayor's office, with the initial focus being Fox's deputy mayor Mike Flaherty. The show was the first series co-created by Bill Lawrence, who would go on to create other beloved projects like "Scrubs," "Cougar Town," and "Ted Lasso."

Nearly 20 years since their first collaboration hit the airwaves, Fox and Lawrence are reuniting once again on the critically acclaimed Apple TV series "Shrinking." The actor is set to come out of retirement to guest star on the comedy about grief and growing and mingle with a phenomenal cast that includes Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, and Jessica Williams. 

Ahead of this renewed partnership, let's take a look back at the show that started it all by catching up with the cast of "Spin City."

While Michael J. Fox received top billing on the show, Barry Bostwick's Mayor Randall Winston arguably played the most integral part of "Spin City," since none of these characters would be gathered without him. But before his run as the NYC civil servant, Bostwick racked up quite the resume.

His first taste of success came on the Great White Way when he originated the role of Danny Zuko as part of the original Broadway cast of "Grease." For his first major film role, he went from bad boy biker to buttoned-up Brad Majors in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." After solidifying his place in pop culture history, courtesy of the cult classic musical that has become a midnight movie staple and seminal cinema for generations of teenagers, Bostwick continued to work steadily in various projects across film and television throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s before landing "Spin City."

After the series concluded, Bostwick would continue to work with Lawrence on "Scrubs" in 2003 and "Cougar Town" in a recurring role from 2010 to 2014. He also expanded his voice acting repertoire with roles in "Batman: The Animated Series" sequel "The New Batman Adventures," "Phineas and Ferb," and "Tangled: The Series." These days, Bostwick continues to be active in Hollywood. In addition to touring the country with anniversary screenings of "Rocky Horror," he has appeared in the film "Love, Danielle" and the TV series "The Potwins" in 2024 (seen above).

Carter Heywood is a landmark character in television history. As the head of Minority Affairs at City Hall in "Spin City," critics at the time really praised Michael Boatman's portrayal of a man who was successful, black, and gay during a time when few (if any) characters like him existed. But through his friendship with Alan Ruck's Stuart and his eccentric dog, Carter became a fan favorite of the series.

However, "Spin City" wasn't the only hit series that Boatman was involved in from 1996 to 2002. He also starred on HBO's "Arli$$" as the anal-retentive chief financial officer Stanley Babson. Thanks to his stints as Michael and Stanley on these prominent comedies, the actor earned recognition from the Image Awards, the NAACP, and GLAAD.

After those shows wrapped, Boatman continued to rack up roles in film and television. In 1997, he appeared alongside George Clooney and Nicole Kidman in "The Peacemaker." From 2004 to 2008, he guest-starred on "Scrubs," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Hannah Montana" before landing a recurring role on "Sherri" as star Sherri Shepherd's love interest. His steady presence on TV continued throughout the 2010s with more simultaneous roles on "The Good Wife,"Instant Mom," and a reunion with "Spin City" co-star Charlie Sheen in "Anger Management." And most recently, he starred in "The Good Fight" from 2017 to 2022 and guest-starred in "Ghosts" in 2023 (seen above).

Part of what made Carter Heywood great was his friendship with the narcissistic and love-crazy chief of staff Stuart Bondek. While Stuart initially showed homophobic tendencies, Alan Ruck's character became best friends with Carter, to the point where one episode of the series focused on the possibility of the two dating. Instead, the two continued to show a great example of a strong friendship between a straight and a gay man, something that might have more likely been a punchline in the 1990s.

However, before the hit ABC sitcom, Ruck had quite a career. His first major film role was Cameron Frye, the uptight best friend in John Hughes' seminal teen movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Throughout the 1990s, he continued to appear in big movies such as "Speed," "Star Trek: Generations," and "Twister" before landing at "Spin City."

Ruck didn't stay away from Bill Lawrence for long, thanks to a memorable two-episode arc on "Scrubs" in 2002 and a guest spot on "Cougar Town" in 2009. In between, he continued to oscillate between roles on the big and small screen. He would go from movies like "Cheaper By The Dozen," "Kickin' It Old School," and "The Happening" to TV roles on "Greek," "Psych," and the reboot of "Hawaii Five-0" well into the 2010s. After over five decades in Hollywood, Ruck keeps going. He starred as Connor Roy in the acclaimed HBO series "Succession" (as seen above), Justine Bateman's ambitious 2025 film "Feel," and the upcoming Netflix film "People We Meet On Vacation."

Richard Kind could very well be the hardest-working man in Hollywood today. The beloved character actor has been consistently featured in multiple projects every year since 1987, including "21 Jump Street," "The Carol Burnett Show," and "Stargate." However, his career reached new heights when he was cast as press secretary Paul Lassiter on "Spin City." Following the show's cancellation, Kind maintained his extremely busy schedule. While he's probably best known for his comedic live-action roles in "Scrubs," "Mad About You," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," his distinct voice can be heard in many fan-favorite animated series such as "Doug," "Star Trek: Lower Decks," and "The Penguins of Madagascar."

The veteran performer has also had several opportunities to show his range onscreen. The world saw Kind take a more serious turn in 2012's "Argo" alongside co-stars Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, and Alan Arkin, then once again in the Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man" in 2009. He also tugged at the audience's heartstrings with the memorable role of imaginary friend Bing Bong in Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out."

With over 300 credits to his name already, Kind is still at it. He has appeared in many acclaimed shows across the TV landscape like "Mid-Century Modern," "Poker Face," and "Only Murders In The Building" recently. He's also the announcer and sidekick for John Mulaney's Netflix talk show "Everybody's Live" (seen above). But soon he'll return to features courtesy of "Hershey," a biopic about chocolate moguls Milton & Kitty Hershey from "Mean Girls" director Mark Waters.

While working in a male-dominated office, Connie Britton's Nikki Faber wasn't afraid to keep her co-workers in check as part of the Winston administration's accounting department. But outside of her job, she still hopes to settle down and start a family. However, when Michael J. Fox left the show at the end of season four, Britton was one of three other stars who also disappeared without a conclusion to their story. 

But Britton didn't stay away from the spotlight for very long. She went on to appear on several TV shows in the early 2000s, including "The Fugitive," "The Fighting Fitzgeralds," and "The West Wing." However, her next big break came when she was cast as Tami Taylor on the hit NBC series "Friday Night Lights." She would also appear in films such as the 2010 version of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Promising Young Woman." But she really found her sweet spot on TV as she landed critically acclaimed roles in "American Horror Story," "Nashville," "9-1-1," and "The White Lotus" (seen above). Now, the Emmy-nominated actress is currently set to reunite with her "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" co-star Steve Carell and "Spin City" co-creator Bill Lawrence for a currently untitled HBO comedy.

Sometimes people give off big Golden Retriever energy, as they are generally excited, sensitive, and trusting, just like man's best friend. Speech writer James Hobert totally gives off these vibes. As a result, his co-workers are quite charmed with the Wisconsin native just as viewers at home were charmed by Alexander Chaplin's innocent and empathetic portrayal of the character.

But after leaving the show, Chaplin joined many of his co-stars by appearing on Bill Lawrence's next hit show, "Scrubs." On the popular ABC sitcom about the doctors of Sacred Heart, he played recurring character Sam Thompson, a drug addict who tried to trick Sarah Chalke's Elliott and Christa Miller's Jordan into giving him prescription medicine and money, respectively, before taking a role as a drug counselor at the hospital. His appearances there would also lead to a role in Zach Braff's 2014 movie "Wish I Was Here."

In addition to a few other film roles, Chaplin largely worked on television throughout the 2000s and 2010s. While he joined the rotating door of working actors to cycle through cop procedurals like "Law & Order," "Blue Bloods," and "Chicago P.D.", he also made appearances on acclaimed series such as "Ugly Betty," "Silicon Valley," and "Elementary." But when the 2020s rolled around, it didn't seem like the performer was as active as he was in the past. However, he did take a recurring role in HBO Max's "Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin"(seen above) in 2022 and again in 2024.

Nikki Faber wasn't the only tough, independent woman around City Hall during the Winston regime. Janelle Cooper definitely fit that bill as well. Similar to Janelle, who worked hard by starting as Mike's secretary before being promoted to the mayor's secretary, actor Victoria Dillard went from a recurring character in the first season of "Spin City" to a main character from season two to four. But unfortunately, like co-star Michael J. Fox, her career onscreen was cut short due to health concerns.

Dillard started her career as a dancer. After appearing onstage in "Porgy and Bess" and "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum," she made the transition to Hollywood by appearing as a ballerina in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and a dancer/bather in "Coming to America." She would go on to take roles in films like "Internal Affairs," "Deep Cover," and "The Best Man" while also appearing in some of the biggest shows of the 1990s including "Seinfeld," "Martin," and "Moesha" before landing the role of Janelle.

After leaving "Spin City" at the conclusion of season four, Dillard went on to book parts on "Family Law" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (seen above). She also played Malcolm X's wife Betty Shabazz in "Ali" starring Will Smith. However, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006 at the age of 36 and eventually retired from acting. She hasn't disappeared from the public eye completely though as she advocates for the research and treatment of her illness.

After Janelle was promoted, Mike needed a new secretary. Luckily, after she was downsized by her previous company, the savvy, no-nonsense Stacey Paterno quickly impressed the deputy mayor enough to land herself the job on the spot. But in the grand scheme of "Spin City," Jennifer Esposito's character only lasted for two seasons. But due to her appearances in "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Summer of Sam" before heading off to greener pastures, she had very little problem finding more opportunities around Hollywood.

Like co-star Michael Boatman, Esposito managed to stay gainfully employed on television for a number of years. She landed starring roles on a number of TV shows, but most notably "Samantha Who?", "Blue Bloods," and "NCIS." In between these major parts, she also starred in a wide range of films from "The Master of Disguise" alongside Dana Carvey to "Crash" opposite Don Cheadle. 

More recently, younger generations may recognize her as CIA Director Susan Rayner from Prime Video's satirical superhero series "The Boys" (seen above) and Wally's girlfriend Brenda on Comedy Central's underrated "Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens." Plus, she made her directorial debut when she starred, wrote, directed, and produced the crime drama "Fresh Kills" for a 2023 release at the Tribeca Film Festival.

In 1998, seven years after he was officially diagnosed, Michael J. Fox shared with the world that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease. As a result, he needed to decrease his workload on "Spin City." The production's answer to this was to bring in another big name to help carry the load so his screen time was lessened. So who better to step in than another performer who started their television career at a young age and then grew to become a household name? And that's how Heather Locklear ended up on the ABC sitcom as the Winston administration's marketing manager Caitlin Moore.

Prior to joining Fox and company, Locklear was mostly known for her dramatic work on "T.J. Hooker," "Dynasty," and the original "Melrose Place." However, this new move really kicked off the comedy era of her career. After wrapping up her obligations on "Spin City," the 2000s saw her take TV roles in "King of the Hill," "Scrubs," "Two and a Half Men," "Hannah Montana," and "Rules of Engagement." Then on the big screen, she appeared in "Looney Tunes: Back In Action," "Uptown Girls," and "The Perfect Man" to show off even more of her comedic chops.

Although, as the 2010s continued on, she started to move back and forth from drama to comedy more frequently. While Locklear started the decade on The CW's revival of "Melrose Place" (which she also produced), she moved on to join the casts of "Hot In Cleveland" and "Franklin & Bash." And recently, the 1990s TV icon starred in some Lifetime movies, including "Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story" in 2024 (seen above).

While Locklear certainly helped to lighten the load for him, Fox eventually had to take a huge step back from acting in general. But rather than cancel the show all together, "Spin City" brought in film star Charlie Sheen to lead his first sitcom. After two seasons on the political comedy as new deputy mayor Charlie Crawford, he moved on to star alongside fellow Brat Pack contemporary Jon Cryer in Chuck Lorre's "Two and a Half Men" on CBS. Though the show would air for 12 seasons, Sheen would be infamously fired from the show towards the end of season eight after entering rehab in 2011 and badmouthing the showrunner.

This incident led to a widely publicized downward spiral for the performer. But with so much buzz around him, he continued to land roles in various projects, including "Scary Movie 5," "Machete Kills," his own Comedy Central roast, and the FX sitcom "Anger Management," which was based off of the 2003 film starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. 

Most recently, Sheen was the subject of a 2025 documentary miniseries on Netflix titled "aka Charlie Sheen" that examines his career, his various scandals, and the lasting effects they've left on him and those closest to him. He's also meant to star in "Ramble On" (seen above), a new show from "Entourage" creator Doug Ellin that stars Kevin Connolly and Kevin Dillon. However, after a trailer was released at the end of 2024, there don't seem to be any updates on when or where the audience can expect to see it.

Michael J. Fox sat at the top of the call sheet of "Spin City" for four seasons. Once his Parkinson's disease began to limit his time in front of the camera, he still popped back in for a three-episode guest spot in the show's final season where former Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty reconnects with his old friends as he gets married amidst the mayor's re-election. After leaving the show, the star went on to take recurring roles on "Scrubs," "Boston Legal," "Rescue Me," and "The Good Wife" between 2004 and 2010. NBC also tried to launch "The Michael J. Fox Show" in 2012, but it was cancelled after only 15 of their 22 episodes aired.

In his 2020 memoir "No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality," Fox announced that he would retire from acting due to the effects of his disease on his speech. However, he didn't close the door on his career entirely. In fact, he even let his fans in more with the phenomenal Apple TV documentary "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" (seen above), which shows how he still tries to live his life to the fullest despite battling a neurodegenerative disorder. 

That drive certainly must have come in handy as Bill Lawrence convinced him to come out of retirement for the second time to film an upcoming three-episode arc on "Shrinking." It's currently unclear what his role entails, but considering that Harrison Ford's character is also dealing with a Parkinson's diagnosis, the two pop culture icons could very well share the screen. But to know for sure, we'll just have to wait for "Shrinking" season three to premiere on January 28, 2026.