In the eleven years of TAH, we’ve been so lucky to work with so many unbelievable people over the years, and luckier still for the friends we’ve made. Here’s a whole lot of them.
Martin Starr was an early guest. Here he is in 2009:
Danny Strong was another early guest star and supporter. He returned for our December 2014 show:
Julia Duffy and Jerry Lacy have played Sparks’s constantly disappointed parents since the M Bar days.
We love having Justin Kirk in the show. He’d done the show a few times when Paul was taken to NY for a year to host “Best Week Ever.” We asked Justin to fill in as Frank Doyle for the year. Justin couldn’t commit to a monthly show.
He did, however, play with us at Largo over the years. Here’s Justin in the 2014 Valentines’ Day Beyond Belief:
During that year of Paul’s absence, the show could have ended. While Paul’s shoes could never be filled, it was fortuitous that we got Currie Graham to understudy.
Tom Lenk was an early and frequent guest. Here he is in 2009 at M Bar:
And in 2010 at Largo with Andy Daly:
The move to Largo opened us up to a lot more exposure and even more friends. Here are a bunch from 2010.
Matthew Gray Gubler:
Ed Helms with Jordan Katz:
David Berman:
Rian Johnson directed the show for the first time in 2010. Good practice for Star Wars: Episode VIII, obviously:
Rian is responsible for the craziest night of guest stars we had, which was in January 2013. He’d just made the terrific Looper and called in some friends:
Ben McKenzie was by then an old friend of the show, and he showed the ropes to acting neophytes John Krasinski, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt:
Rian returned to play in our final show in April 2015, opposite our pals Jackson Publick and Chris Tallman. Not many people noticed that there is a lightsaber hanging from Rian’s belt. True!
In July 2010, our pal Rider Strong played a young Sparks Nevada in a never-aired episode (with Erin Cahill as young Red):
Most of playing Sparks comes from the bowtie. Our friend Colin Hanks did it in the “Christmas on Mars” episode later that year.
Even from the earliest days at M Bar, we were fans of great TV and would raid ensembles for their talent. It’s how we wound up with so many great guests from Buffy and Freaks and Geeks. In 2010 and 2011, Community was an incredible pool of talent for us with Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, and Yvette Nicole Brown joining us for multiple episodes.
We love Gillian’s face during this performance of the end-of-show anthem (2014):
We even got Charley Koontz who played “Neil!” Charley joined us for our final show, here with our longtime friend Parvesh Cheena:
The minds behind Superego were another source of talent and inspiration for us. Besides teaming up with them for our “War of Two Worlds” crossover episodes (available via the podcast), we featured Matt Gourley, Mark McConville, and Jeremy Carter as often as we could in the show. starting in about 2013:
Here are Matt and Mark at our last show with Steve Agee:
We started mining the comedy and music scenes around Largo to get some of the most talented and memorable guests.
Chris Hardwick and Mike Phirman in 2010:
Both would become important to the show for many reasons. Chris put us on the Nerdist podcast channel, of course, and was a strong booster. Phirm became a great pal and even works the sound effects for us! Here’s Mike at our final show:
Dana Gould, Scott Aukerman (dead), Hardwick, and Patton Oswalt (2011):
Grant-Lee Phillips and young Sean Watkins:
Andy Daly, Andy Richter, Sarah Thyre, and Aukerman in 2011:
Kids in the Hall Bruce McCulloch and Dave Foley in “Vampire Weekend” (2011):
Kumail Nanjiani in 2013, super into it:
Steve Agee in 2013. Not amused by Craig:
John Ross Bowie became a great friend and guest:
Jamie Denbo is one of two non-WorkJuice Players to anchor a segment as “Desdemona Hughes, Diva Detective” (2015):
John Hodgman’s first show with us in 2011:
Hodgman would become the linchpin of WorkJuice East. And we were lucky that he was in LA for our final show last April:
Thomas Lennon, Keegan-Michael Key, and David Anders in 2012. All three of these talented fellows would guest star multiple times and were always generous with their time.
As would Melanie Lynskey and Jason Ritter, WorkJuice Adjunct Players at this point.
Likewise, Jenny Wade who genuinely threw Jackson off his game in her first appearance filling in for Linda Cardellini in 2011:
We couldn’t wait to write something for Jenny, and that’s where “Mercy Laredo” came from the next year:
And we were thrilled to bring Jenny on our #TAHDownUnder tour with us!
Also on that tour was Molly Quinn, whom we met when she was but a kid. She came backstage during one of Nathan Fillion’s early appearances.
Molly would appear in the show often over the years, most notably as “Pemily Stallwark.” Here she is all grown up at our final show. We’re so proud.
Of course, having Nathan Fillion was a great boon to the show. He’s not only well-talented but a pleasure to be around. Here he is as “Jefferson Reid, Ace American” in June 2010, his first TAH show:
And having Nathan on board opened the floodgates for even more Whedon-verse guests, like Alan Tudyk:
And Clark Gregg:
Amy Acker had appeared in the show since M Bar. Always wonderful:
Other longtime pals of the show, whom we’re always thrilled to play with are Shannon Woodward:
Zachary Levi (2012):
Jorge Garcia (2012):
Natalie Morales (2012):
Here’s Natalie at our final show:
Lauren Lapkus (2015):
Natalie Zea and Travis Schuldt:
We really could destroy your feed with people we love, so just a few more. Here’s Sara Watkins in 2014, tolerating Jackson:
And getting snuggly with curtaineer Todd Cooper at our final show:
Performing at that show with Annie, WorkJuice East’s Paul & Storm, and our pal Benmont Tench:
Adam Savage and Rich Sommer in “The Skeleton Grief” in 2015:
In which they appeared with a breaking Jon Hamm:
Would another photo of Jon Hamm offend you?
From the first time he did the show in 2013 to our last show, Timothy Omundson has been TAH family. Obviously, MEJ loves this:
Always classy:
Tim with pals Richard Speight, Jr and Misha Collins:
We had some guests over the years that even we didn’t expect to get. All were exciting, lovely, and electrified both the audience and backstage. Folks like JK Simmons in 2012 (being explained whose show this is by MEJ):
Joe Mantegna in 2012:
George Wendt (2012):
Jim Beaver, Dan Lauria, and Danica McKellar in 2013:
Getting to do timey wimey business with erstwhile companion Karen Gillan was a thrill:
Clancy Brown as “Shape Ape” in 2013:
Bradley Whitford breaking Paget in 2013:
Garret Dillahunt as “Techs” singing with Jackson:
Michael Sheen (2014):
But there was one guest who excited the cast like no other, with whom more cast photos were taken, and who was as funny and warm as you’d hope: Weird Al Yankovic.
And there are so many more! It’s been a gift to share the stage with all of these talented, wonderful, generous people. We love doing these occasional shows, so we can catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Photos by Jonathan Reilly, Maarten DeBoer, Mindy Tucker, Matt Habicht, Roman Cho, Rachael Porter, Allan Amato, Jenn Kelley-Lublin, and Liezl Estipona.