After premiering in 1990, Wings became known as one of the best sitcoms of the 90s. It features some amazing talents, and in today’s video, we’ll go in-depth and take a look at what the cast of the 1990 sitcom “Wings” are up to. Come along on this nostalgic journey as FactsVerse presents Wings Cast Then and Now (1990 to 2023).
Wings, a sitcom set primarily in a little airport in Nantucket, Massachusetts, was first shown to the public in 1990. The show followed the lives of the workers there and explored topics like love, loss, and comic miscommunication. It was created by David Angell, David Lee, and Peter Casey and aired for eight seasons with 172 episodes. The series, which is set in the same world as “Cheers,” has also had guest appearances by actors who have appeared on that show, including John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Kirstie Alley, George Wendt, and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin.
Although “Wings” did not become as successful as “Cheers” or “Frasier,” it was well regarded and launched the careers of its actors, the majority of whom went on to star in critically acclaimed television series and feature films. Let’s take a look at where the ensemble cast is now following the series’ conclusion in 1997.
Tim Daly
Tim Daly, a 66-year-old actor, played Joe Hackett, a youthful pilot pursuing his ambition of owning and operating Sandpiper Airlines. Joe is extremely committed to his line of work. As a result, he can come across as stiff to those closest to him, although he also enjoys going out with his brother and getting in on the latter’s antics. Daly had an appearance in every one of the show’s 172 episodes, however, he did have some time to act in movies. Daly had a career in theater before he was cast on the show. His breakthrough performance came in the 1982 classic “Diner.”
After the conclusion of “Wings,” Daly voiced the Man of Steel in various films and TV shows, including “Justice League: Doom” and “Superman: The Animated Series.” In addition to those roles, he had guest-starring appearances in four episodes of HBO’s “The Sopranos” and one episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” for which he was cast as Dr. Pete Wilder and subsequently became a series regular on the spin-off, “Private Practice.”
On the show “Madam Secretary,” which starred Téa Leoni, Daly portrayed the character Henry McCord from 2014 until 2019. When Tea Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord became the first female president at the end of Season 6, the character was promoted to the position of First Gentleman. Daly and Leoni began dating in 2014, and they have remained together ever since.
Steven Weber
The 61-year-old actor started out in the industry doing commercials when he was a kid. He later played the lover of Julianne Moore on the serial opera “As the World Turns” and appeared in films such as “The Flamingo Kid” before winning the role of the lighthearted pilot Brian Hackett on “Wings.”
Steven Weber was cast as Brian Hackett, Joe Hackett’s younger brother and business partner at Sandpiper Air. Brian, by way of comparison to Joe, is much more chill and cares more about having fun than getting things done, yet he is capable of being serious when the situation demands it.
Following the success of “Wings,” Weber moved on to create his own series called “Cursed,” which lasted only a season. He starred in the hit film of the 1990s, Single White Female, and in the classic horror film The Shining, which was adapted for television. With Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing” in 2001, Weber made his Broadway debut. In 2006, he had appearances on “Monk,” starring his longtime “Wings” co-star Tony Shalhoub, and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” Similar to Tim Daly, Weber has voiced multiple characters in a superhero show, in this case, 2012–2017’s “Ultimate Spider-Man.” He also co-starred on the short-lived but critically acclaimed series “Indebted” with Fran Drescher in 2020.
Crystal Bernard
Helen Chappel, played by Crystal Bernard, is a spunky wannabe cellist who works at the airport’s Tom Nevers Field lunch counter. Since she’s known Joe and Brian, her next-door neighbors, since they were kids, she’s become an opinionated, savvy friend who can handle any situation with the brothers.
The 61-year-old actress, now known as Helen Chappel Hackett, grew up in Texas with a very conservative family and sang gospel music with them. She started in the theater and eventually made it to television with roles on shows like “Happy Days.”
In the years following her departure from the role of Helen, she pursued a career in theater and released two country/gospel albums and a few singles. Although she has been in a few films and TV shows since then, such as a couple of Hallmark Christmas specials and an episode of “According to Jim,” she has not been active in the industry. It seems that Bernard has left the entertainment industry for good. Her most recent appearance was in 2008, according to IMBD, and she hasn’t made any headlines since.
Thomas Haden Church
Even though he was born Thomas McMillen, the actor went by Thomas Quesada throughout his formative years and later legally changed his name to Haden Church. He was a radio host before he was cast as the fumbling airport technician Lowell Mather on “Wings.” Lowell Mather is a humble and caring mechanic who has kept the planes in the air despite his lack of intelligence. Following his departure from “Wings,” Church starred in his spinoff series Ned & Stacey, with Debra Messing. His sitcom only ran for two seasons, but Church has had a lot of success in the movies. He has been nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Jack Cole in “Sideways” (2004) and has also played Lyle Van de Groot in “George of the Jungle.” He entered the field of comics, much like Tim Daly and Steven Weber. In a live-action remake, he played the Sandman, one of three antagonists in “Spider-Man 3” who oppose Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker. Church lent his voice to the movie’s video game as well. In addition to his acting career, the actor is a rancher and lives in Texas with his daughter, Cody Haden Church, and his fiancée.
David Schramm
The 73-year-old man assumed the role of Roy Biggins, a fat and arrogant proprietor of Aeromass, which competed with Joe’s airline company, Sandpiper. All throughout the show, Roy works tirelessly throughout the series to get Joe out of business, resorting to a variety of schemes and insulting his coworkers in the process. After “Wings,” Schramm decided to go back to the theater instead of continuing his career on television. He made numerous stage appearances, including in such works as The Beard of Avon, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Waiting for Godot, and many more. In 2019, he concluded his acting career with the York Theatre Company’s stage production of Enter Laughing the Musical as Harrison Marlowe.
Sadly, Schramm passed away after a cadiac arrest in March of 2020. The cast of “Wings” remembered him fondly. In Tim Daly’s words, he was a hilarious, trustworthy, and lovely comedy actor.
Rebecca Shull
The 93-year-old actress portrayed Fay Cochran, a kind widow who works at the airport ticket desk. She is the airport’s unofficial matriarch and a former flight attendant. She encountered Joe while en route to Hawaii on her final trip. A fast friendship developed between them, and through her assistance, Joe launched Sandpiper Air.
Schull maintained her acting career after “Wings” ended. Her acting credits include episodes of “Frasier,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” and “Damages,” as well as the films “Analyze This” and “Analyze That” with Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro. From 2011 through 2013, Schull also appeared regularly in “Suits” as Edith Ross, Patrick J. Adams’s character’s grandmother. Although she is quite elderly, Schull is nevertheless quite busy. Her most recent performance was as Claire in “The Last,” a film that chronicles four generations of a Jewish family.
Tony Shalhoub
After making guest appearances on a number of series and films for television, Tony Shalhoub finally got his big break when he was cast in the series “Wings.” Antonio Scarpacci, played by the 69-year-old actor, is an Italian immigrant who runs an airport taxi service. Antonio’s profound loathing for Roy seems to eclipse all the other characters’ feelings against Roy, and he is notoriously loveless. In the time since the end of “Wings,” Shalhoub has been a fixture on the small screen. His role as the title character in the hit series “Monk” has brought him widespread recognition. Shalhoub received eight Emmy nominations and three wins for his role as the obsessive-compulsive detective.
Films in which he has appeared include “Men in Black” (1997), “Gattaca” (1997), “Galaxy Quest” (1999), “Spy Kids” (2001), “Pain & Gain” (2013), and “Rosy” (2018).
Shalhoub presently plays Midge Maisel’s father, Abe Weissman, on the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime comedy “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” In 2019, he won his fourth Emmy for this role.
Amy Yasbeck
The sixth season of “Wings” saw the introduction of Amy Yasbeck portraying Helen’s older sister, Casey. Yasbeck is best recognized for her role as Peggy Brandt in “The Mask.” Having left Nob Hill and her wealthy husband for Nantucket, she finds life difficult and laments her loss of the good things. Yasbeck remained on “Wings” until its last episode, after which she moved on to other jobs. In 1997, she gave it her utmost to revive a sitcom called “Alright, Already,” but the show was cancelled after just one season. She switched to acting in television shows and movies, but she never had any recurring parts. Her latest acting role was as Claudia on an episode of “Pretty Little Liars” in 2016, as shown on IMBD.
But the greatest tragedy of Yasbeck’s life was the 2003 passing of her spouse, John Ritter, who had a congenital heart problem. Yasbeck sued the hospital where he was treated for wrongful death, but everyone was found to be blameless. As evidenced in her 2008 interview on Larry King Live, Yasbeck has not been shy about discussing cardiac illness and the death of her spouse.
Farrah Forke
Farrah Forke made her acting debut on “Wings” as Alex Lambert, a fierce but feminine pilot who quickly wins the hearts of Joe and Brian. run on the show ended once Alex dissolved her relationship with Brian, but her character is frequently referenced. Forke had a recurring role as district attorney Mayson Drake on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” both before and after her leave. She only appeared in four episodes before her character was written off, a much shorter run than on “Wings.” Forke has been in a number of TV episodes and movies, most notably Thomas Haden Church’s “Ned and Stacey,” as well as two unsuccessful sitcoms, “Dweebs” and “Mr. Rhodes.” Additionally, in the animated movies “Batman Beyond” and “Justice League: Unlimited” from 2000 and 2005, respectively, she provided the voice of Big Barda, a Justice League member.
There you have it. It’s now time to hear from you. Which actors/actresses from the Wings do you love or miss the most and why?
