What Happened To The Cast of 3rd Rock From The Sun?

Hollywood producers and directors milk the idea of aliens living among us for many years. It is nothing new to television. But few shows succeed at it. Some fail miserably. And then there are those, like 3rd Rock from the Sun that grew to cult classics. What happened to the cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun?

The show aired from 1996 to 2001. The sitcom, produced by Bonnie and Terry Turner, focused on four extraterrestrials trying to live on Earth. They pay a visit to the third planet from the Sun, the Earth. There, they start living among us in human guise. While the premise sounds silly, that comedic and comic life made it successful.

The amazing cast of actors completely embraced the silliness of the show. Let’s see what happened to the cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun after the end of the show.

John Lithgow – Dick Solomon

The very name of his character served as a comedic relief many times in the show. John Lithgow managed to effortlessly shift between drama and comedy. That is what made his character so great. He came from a showbiz family, with his mother also an actress.

John used the famous line “I’m an alien” as an excuse a million times. If only we could use it for biting sarcasm and passive aggression. In the show, he served as the high commander of the group. Before joining the cast, he already had an established career.

He is now in his 70s, with a career full of accolades behind him. John spent more than four decades in the show business. He had a couple of onscreen roles but also did work on the stage. John even won a Tony Award two times.

From 2006 to 2008 he starred in the NBC sitcom Twenty Good Years. Then, he played the Trinity Killer in season four of Dexter. And then by the middle of the 2010s, he played Barney’s father in How I Met Your Mother. Some of his most recent work includes Interstellar, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Alright Alright Alright.

Fun fact: he is a best-selling children’s author. John published 11 books with Simon & Schuster.

Kristen Johnston – Sally Solomon

Kristen Johnson made her acting debut in 1985, many years before portraying Sally Solomon. But the show brought her success and international recognition. While she played a comedic female character with big boobs, Kristen managed to give character to Sally. Since 3rd Rock from the Sun, her career went from strength to strength.

Kristen managed to land roles in comedy movies like Austin Powers, The Flintstones, Bad Parents, and more. But she also landed roles in the world of television. She also reunited Wayne Knight in the sitcom The Exes.

In later interviews, she admitted she had trouble with drugs and alcohol abuse. But she used the situation as a motivation to write the best-selling memoir Guts: The Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster. In it, she openly talks about her drug and alcohol addiction and how she stayed clean.

In the summer of 2013, she got diagnosed with lung cancer. After months of treatment and chemotherapy, she got back to full remission in 2014.

Joseph Gordon-Lewitt – Tommy Solomon

Some might say Joseph Gordon-Lewitt had the best and most successful career among the cast of the show. And that is true. Fun fact: in the show, he was the oldest alien, but looked like the youngest of the bunch. And in the show, Joseph had to embrace his youthful looks.

At the time of filming the show, Gordon-Lewitt was 16 years old. But he was already a “veteran”. He started acting at 7 years. Many people consider the show his ultimate breakout role.

Following the end of the show, Gordon first started appearing in comedic movies. He landed roles in 10 Things I hate about You, 500 Days of Summer, Treasure Planet, and more. lately, he started appearing in more serious roles. For example, he played a prominent role in Inception. He also played a big part in the third installment of the Dark Knight.

We also have to mention his amazing performance as Edward Snowden in the bio movie.

During his career, he earned two Golden Globes nominations. And he won two Primetime Emmy Awards.

French Stewart – Harry Solomon

Try reading this in French Stewart’s voice, “Message incoming from the Big Giant Head”. You just have to love French and his amazing work in 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Following the end of the show, he played Chef Rudy, one of the main characters on season one and two of the show Mom. French also landed guest-starring roles on Criminal Minds, Days of Our Lives, and Private Practice.

In the early 2010s, he produced a couple of theater plays. He starred and produced in the dual role of Queen Victoria and Sigmund Freud in Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes at the Sacred Fools Theater Company. He served as the director of the theater company from 2012 to 2013.

Jane Curtin – Mary Albright

Jane Curtin previously starred in a movie with aliens. She played a leading role in the comedic movie, Coneheads. But in the 3rd Rock from the Sun, she played one of the main humans. During the show, her character developed a love interest with Dick Solomon.

Following the end of the show, she made a name for herself on the comedy sketch show, Saturday Night Live. Many also recognize her as the Queen of the Deadpan thanks to her appearance in Kate & Allie.

She still appears in television and movies. Some of her latest work include Broad City, The Good Wife, and The Librarians.

Simbi Khali – Nina Campbell

Simbi Khali played another human in the show. She served as an administrative assistant for Dick. She had to complete jobs to the best of her ability.

Many fans still remember her as part of the 3rd Rock from the Sun cast. But she is a singer and songwriter. During her time on the show, she signed to Capitol Records. Following the end of the series, Simbi continued to release music. Her latest acting job came in 2012. Khali appeared in an episode of Weeds, a dark comedy series.

Wayne Knight – Officer Don

There is not a single fan of the show that doesn’t love Officer Don. He always tried to make the impossible to please Sally. Some might say that Wayne Knight played in just about everything. Some of his biggest jobs include Hot in Cleveland and The Exes.

He also did a lot of animation voice work. Knight voiced characters in Tarzan, Toy Story 2, Kung Fu Panda, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, and more.

In 2011, he reunited with Sally in the sitcom The Exes.