Veronica Mars Week 2014: Where are they Now?

One of the things that made “Veronica Mars” great was its ensemble cast. Veronica had many interesting people in her life, and they were all (for the most part) portrayed by very talented actors. As the “Veronica Mars” movie arrives in theaters this Friday, we thought it would be good to take a look at what the actors who portrayed your favorite Neptune High students (and their parents and friends) have been up to since the show’s finale back in 2007.

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell has most definitely not been typecast as snarky teen detective Veronica. She’s had a few romantic comedy film roles (“When in Rome” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” come to mind), and she has also been no stranger to television. Most notably, she had a guest run on another Rob Thomas show, “Party Down,” as uber by the book caterer Uta Bengt. She also was the voice of the unnamed Gossip Girl on (big surprise) “Gossip Girl.” Currently, you can see her starring opposite Don Cheadle on Showtime’s “House of Lies, and she also provided the voice of Anna in the recent smash Disney hit, "Frozen." In addition to “House of Lies,” "Frozen," and the “Veronica Mars” movie, Bell has had a big year in her personal life. In March, 2013, she gave birth to daughter Lincoln, her first child with Dax Shepard, whom she married this past October.

Jason Dohring

Jason Dohring played Veronica’s bad boy sometimes boyfriend Logan. Dohring’s first major television appearance after “Veronica Mars” was as elder vampire Josef on the 2007 vampire detective series “Moonlight.” He also had an extended guest run as a pretty skeevy teacher on the CW’s “Ringer,” better known as the show that was trying to be Sarah Michelle Gellar’s comeback vehicle. Since his “Veronica Mars” days, Dohring has had two children with his wife, Lauren. You could have seen him most recently on television this past October in a guest spot on the CW’s “The Tomorrow People” as Killian McCrane, a dangerous criminal who resurfaces after years in hiding.

Percy Daggs, III

Percy Daggs, III played Wallace, Veronica’s best friend. Daggs has been seen in several television guest spots since his “Veronica Mars” days, including appearances on “In Plain Sight,” “Raising the Bar,” and “Southland.” In 2011, Daggs could also be seen in the horror comedy film “Detention.”

Tina Majorino

Tina played Mac, another of Veronica’s inner circle of friends. Mac was most useful to Veronica’s PI endeavors for her hacking skills. Majorino has had one of the more successful post-“Veronica” careers of the extended cast. She had a long-running recurring role on HBO’s “Big Love” through 2011 as a co-worker of the oldest Hendrickson daughter, Sarah (played by fellow “Veronica Mars” alum Amanda Seyfried). Majorino has made a number of other guest appearances on other well-known television shows in recent years, including “Castle,” “Bones,” “True Blood,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Ken Marino

Ken Marino was another frequent guest star on “Veronica Mars.” He played less-than-ethical rival PI Vinny Van Lowe. Since “Veronica Mars,” he has played cater waiter manager Ron Donald on “Party Down.” Marino has also had long-running roles on the Rob Corddry-created comedy “Children’s Hospital” and HBO’s “Eastbound and Down.” He can currently be seen on “Burning Love,” a Bachelor/Bachelorette parody webseries he created with his wife, Erica Oyama. In the first season, Marino plays firefighter Mark Orlando, the bachelor looking for love. The parody in “Burning Love” is so spot-on, I don’t know if that means Marino and Oyama are really keen observers, or if The Bachelor/The Bachelorette has become a cliché of itself. Seriously, when I watched the latest season of “The Bachelorette” with Desiree Hartsock, I couldn’t stop thinking “Am I watching Burning Love?” “Burning Love” was so successful, believe it or not, that the first season was broadcast on E! this past spring.

Enrico Colantoni

Enrico Colantoni played Keith Mars, Veronica’s dad, who probably ties with Eric Taylor (from “Friday Night Lights”) for best TV dad of the past decade. Colantoni has played several notable roles since his “Veronica Mars” days, both in the United States and Canada. He could be seen from 2008 – 2012 as intelligence gatherer/hostage negotiator Sergeant Greg Parker on “Flashpoint.” “Flashpoint” was a Canadian production which aired sporadically on CBS in the United States. It happens to be one of my mother’s favorite shows. She raved about it pretty regularly during its run. In the realm of American television productions, you may have most recently seen Colantoni on “Person of Interest,” which we cover here on MTVP. Colantoni has the recurring role of Carl Elias, New York crime boss who regularly crosses paths with Finch, Reese and company as they try to help the helpless.

Ryan Hansen

Ryan Hansen played Dick Casablancas, raunchy best friend of Logan and sort-of frenemy of Veronica. Like many “Veronica Mars” actors, one of Hansen’s first post- “Veronica” roles was on “Party Down.” On that show, Hansen played pretty boy cater waiter Kyle Bradway. Hansen has had very steady work since his “Veronica Mars” days. Other than “Party Down,” he has also had significant roles in the short-lived comedy “Friends with Benefits,” “Burning Love,” and “2 Broke Girls.” Also of note, Hansen will be staring in a web-based sort-of spinoff of “Veronica Mars” on CW Seed, where he will be playing Dick, trying to get a show made.

Max Greenfield

Max Greenfield, who one-time Veronica love interest Deputy Leo, has had, arguably, one of the most successful post-“Veronica Mars” careers. You might have seen him as French tutor Michael on ABC Family’s “Greek.” You would have to be living under a rock, however, to not have seen Greenfield as Schmidt on “New Girl.” Schmidt, most recognizable for saying things that require him to pay into a “Douchebag Jar,” was the first breakout character for the FOX sitcom, followed closely by Jake Johnson’s neurotic loser, Nick. Anyway, Greenfield is still riding the Schmidt high, having been nominated for an Emmy in 2012 and a Golden Globe in 2013.

As you can see, the “Veronica Mars” cast have had diverse and largely successful careers since the show went off the air in 2007. It really speaks to the level of talent that Rob Thomas and the rest of the creative team were able to assemble for a show with a rather silly sounding premise (sassy high school private investigator). It’s really been a joy seeing these actors find this success in the past few years, especially knowing that most of them got their start on a show I really love.