Where Are They Now? The Cast of 'Grace Under Fire'

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http://www.twcc.com/articles/2015/07...ace-under-fire

In the 1990s, sitcoms starring strong women with a flair for the funny were all the rage. Helen Hunt, Debra Messing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Roseanne, Candice Bergen and all the ladies on Friends, just to name a few, all made their names on hit TV comedies. Also in that impressive list of talent was Brett Butler. Created by Chuck Lorre and produced by Carsey-Werner Productions (the combo that found gold with Roseanne), Grace Under Fire was the perfect vehicle for the funny lady. Her character of Grace Kelly didn't live the life of a princess. Grace was a single mom, raising three children after showing her abusive husband the door. Plagued with cast members resigning and behind-the-scenes fighting, largely due to Butler's odd and erratic behavior, the show quickly began to suffer. In its first year on air, 1993, it was number five in the ratings. By the time its run ended in 1998, it had dropped to 68.

Brett Butler (Grace), 57

The road to becoming a household name was not an easy one to travel for stand-up comedian-turned-actress Brett Butler. Substance abuse issues causing volatile behavior during the later years of Grace Under Fire resulted in numerous conflicts on set, including with her co-workers, and eventually led to Butler's dismissal from her own show in 1998, deraling her career in the process. After one brief appearance in the Shirley MacLaine film Bruno, Butler returned to television five years later in the TV movies Mrs. Harris (with Annette Bening) and Vampire Bats, a horror film with Lucy Lawless.

Butler later went on to play the host of a reality show/TV movie called Moochers about friends and relatives who've overstayed their welcome as houseguests. While continuing to stay in the public eye via appearances on late night talk shows, Butler also had guest spots on My Name Is Earl, Archer, The Young and the Restless, along with a recurring role on the Charlie Sheen sitcom, Anger Management. Both of her memoirs, Knee Deep In Paradise and Stray Dogs -- An American Prosaic, have been very well received and championed for their raw honesty. Up next, the comedy film Beach Cougar Gigolo and the dramedy series, Freedom Town.

Dave Thomas (Russell), 66

You probably recognize Dave Thomas from television shows like Weeds, How I Met Your Mother, Bones, Arrested Development (where he had a recurring role), or films like Rat Race, Beethoven's Fifth, and MVP: Most Valuable Primate about a hockey-playing chimp. But Thomas is a bit of a renaissance man. Not only does he do dozens of celebrity impersonations (everyone from Bob Hope to Orson Welles to Liberace), but he has also voiced countless animated characters on shows such as The Accidental Spy, The Legend of Tarzan, Mission Hill, Justice League, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Pound Puppies, Bounty Hunters and Bob and Doug.

In 2001, Thomas took his years of broadening his range of animated voices to the next level when he became the Executive Creative Director of Animax Entertainment animation studio. Their clients include Disney, Warner Bros., and the WWE, to name a few. Thomas' talents don't stop there. The sketch comedy and joke writing he did in the 80s and 90s on SCTV, The Dennis Miller Show and his own show somehow evolved into writing for primetime dramas Bones and The Blacklist, both of which he also carries the title of Consulting Producer.

Casey Sander (Wade), 59

Comedies, dramas. You name a primetime show, and there's a good chance Casey Sander has been on it. Dharma and Greg, JAG, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Malcolm in the Middle, NCIS, Mad Men, Rules of Engagement, Sons of Anarchy, The Mentalist, CSI: NY, Justified, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, plus recurring roles on Home Improvement, Las Vegas, The Middle, and The Big Bang Theory, where he plays Bernadette's rough and tough retired cop dad. Sander also played Chief Connors in the series of Mystery Woman TV movies for the Hallmark Channel and has had supporting roles in the feature films 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis and The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen.

Kaitlin Cullum (Libby), 29

Grace's curly-headed moppet daughter Libby was played by the adorable little lass Kaitlin Cullum. She went on to have a role in the Tim Allen sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest and also appeared on the television shows 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, and Malcolm in the Middle. Shortly thereafter, Cullum played Eve Plumb (aka "Jan") in the TV movie Growing Up Brady, about the behind-the-scenes drama and romances of the classic show, The Brady Bunch. Thirteen years later, Cullum had a supporting role in a project that was polar opposite of that family friendly brand, a horror film called Jug Face which involved a teenager, a pit and a "sacrifice."

Dylan and Cole Sprouse (Patrick), 22

Who knew that the tiny little fraternal twins that played baby Patrick would grow up to one day be called "the richest teenage twins in the world" by MSN? It's true. Dylan and Cole Sprouse would both later have roles in That 70s Show, That's So Raven, The Prince and the Pauper, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, The Astronaut's Wife with Charlize Theron, and Masters of Disguise with Dana Carvey. And Cole would later have a solo act as Ross' son, Ben, on Friends. But the Sprouse twins really became heartthrobs when their Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody took off. From that spun The Suite Life on Deck, which was set on a cruise ship. The brothers have been attending New York University for the past four years and are on track to graduate this year.

Julie White (Nadine), 54

Julie White's career neither began nor ended with Grace Under Fire. After opting out of her contract for the final year of the sitcom, reportedly due to unpleasantness with the show's star, the roles kept rolling in for White. There were guest spots on JAG, Ally McBeal, Damages, and The Good Wife, along with recurring gigs on Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, and Law & Order: SVU, plus contract roles on Go On with Matthew Perry, Nurse Jackie, and Alpha House. White was also seen on the big screen in The Astronaut Farmer with Billy Bob Thornton, The Nanny Diaries with Scarlett Johansson, Michael Clayton with George Clooney, Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis, and the entire Transformers franchise. In 2007, White won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for The Little Dog Laughed.

Sam Horrigan (Quentin), 33

Sam Horrigan was the second young man to play Grace's son, Quentin. The California native went on to appear on Grounded For Life, One Tree Hill, Still Standing, 8 Simple Rules, Joan of Arcadia, Desperate Housewives, Veronica Mars, CSI, and True Blood. He will next be seen in Nickelodeon's new musical comedy, School Of Rock.

Peggy Rea (Jean)

Peggy Rea had a very long resume before landing the role of Grace's mother-in-law on Grace Under Fire. Her career began as a recurring cast member on I Love Lucy back in 1953 as one of Lucy's lady friends in the Fine Arts League. Rea later went on to appear on classic television shows like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Gidget, The Wild Wild West, Gunsmoke, The Doris Day Show, Charlie's Angels, All in the Family, The Waltons, The Dukes of Hazzard, and The Golden Girls. She also had roles in such feature films as Strange Bedfellows with Rock Hudson, Love Field with Michelle Pfeiffer, and Devil In A Blue Dress with Denzel Washington. Unfortunately, Grace Under Fire was Rea's last acting credit and she died of heart failure in 2011.