What Happened To The Cast Of Blue Mountain State?

Back in 2010 and 2011, the television series “Blue Mountain State” was aired on Spike TV. This comedy, a blend of “Animal House” and “Friday Night Lights”, introduced both new and recognizable actors in its cast. Many of these actors reappeared in the 2016 movie “Blue Mountain State: The Rise of Thadland,” which was crowdfunded, and they are scheduled to return for the forthcoming fourth season airing on Amazon Prime.

Since the final season of “BMS” concluded over a decade ago, and considering there were only 39 episodes plus a movie, the cast has had ample opportunity to explore other acting roles. While some have taken on more projects than others, it’s noteworthy that a few have moved behind the camera as well. Let’s delve into what the main actors have been up to since the initial three seasons premiered on Spike. First, let’s focus on Alan Ritchson, a former American Idol contestant who has seen remarkable career expansion and is now headlining Prime Video’s popular series “Reacher.

Alan Ritchson

In “Blue Mountain State,” Alan Ritchson portrayed Thad Castle, a linebacker who loved to party hard. Later, he showed the character’s rapid decline as a professional athlete in a movie. Since 2022, Ritchson has been a key player on the Amazon Prime series “Reacher.” The fact that Ritchson is associated with Amazon may contribute to them deciding to air Season 4 of “Blue Mountain State.

Absolutely, the actor has secured numerous roles beyond Amazon, gracing shows like “New Girl,” “Workaholics,” “Black Mirror,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” among others. He also starred in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” a film that remains relevant a decade after its release. In this movie, Ritchson portrayed Gloss, the male District 1 champion at the 63rd games who later guided his sister, Cashmere (Stephanie Leigh Schlund), who won in the district the following year. Additionally, Ritchson appeared as Raphael in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in 2014, alongside Will Arnett and Megan Fox. Both movies were followed by their sequels in 2016, with all three actors reprising their roles for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

In 2019 and 2020, Ritchson made unrecognized appearances on “Supergirl” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” playing Hank Hall/Hawk, a character he previously portrayed in the series “Titans.” This show is based on the DC Comics’ “Teen Titans” comic book franchise. Apart from acting, Ritchson has also ventured into other film and TV production roles, such as writing, producing, and directing. In 2021, he directed and co-wrote the movie “Dark Web: Cicada 3301,” in which he also played an NSA agent character.

Darin Brooks

Actor Darin Brooks, who portrayed Alex Moran (playboy quarterback) on the series “Blue Mountain State” for all 39 episodes and its film version, is now a regular cast member on CBS’s daytime soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful,” appearing in over 1,100 episodes as Wyatt, son of Bill Spencer and Quinn Fuller. In 2017, his character, Wyatt, read a clue on an episode of Jeopardy and made a guest appearance on “Two Broke Girls.” The next year, he starred as Tucker in the TV comedy movie “Groomzilla.” In 2021, Brooks received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a drama. That same year, his character appeared in two crossover episodes of “The Young and the Restless.

Apart from reprising his role in “Blue Mountain State”, Brooks is slated to act in three upcoming projects: the horror movie “Rockland Heights”, the hockey-themed comedy “The Roaring Game” where he will also produce, and the supernatural thriller “Heaven and Hell”. In addition, he will be producing the latter two films. He shared with Soap Opera Digest in 2024 about his lengthy stint on “The Bold and the Beautiful”, stating, “I was there for a decade, and it’s almost like my second family.” Brad Bell and everyone involved played a significant role in shaping an incredible decade for me,” he reminisced.

Chris Romano

Chris Romano, a key figure behind the creation and production of “Blue Mountain State,” who also played Sammy Cacciatore and went by this name, has experienced the most significant personal change among the cast since the show’s debut. Now known as Romanski, in 2010 he revealed to LAist that he received his new moniker within the writers’ room of another program. While working on “The Sarah Silverman Program” as a writer and producer, he was part of discussions about what the restaurant on the show should be named. He candidly admitted, “I was trying to insert myself into the show. I said, ‘why don’t we call it Romanski’s… It’s me. It’s my nickname.'” His colleagues responded, “Did you just give yourself a nickname?” To which he replied, “I believe I did.

Roman Skomski has been exceptionally busy, surpassing Chris Romano’s pace, with over 60 collective credits across acting, writing, and directing. He filled all these roles on “How I Met Your Mother” during the period spanning between the first three seasons of “Blue Mountain State” and the release of “The Rise of Thadland” film. Additionally, he wrote and produced as an executive the 2015 TV movie titled “Boys in Blue.

2017 saw Romanski collaborating with Silverman once more, contributing to 10 episodes of her series “I Love You, America” and making a single on-screen appearance. He took on various roles during the filming of the Damon Wayans/Damon Wayans Jr. sitcom “Poppa’s House,” which was unfortunately canceled by CBS after only 18 episodes. Romanski is credited as a co-executive producer for three episodes and a writer for two, with no conflicting responsibilities. Additionally, you might have spotted him in the 2023 Eric D. Cohen/Matthew Hirschorn comedy “Wine Club” or the 2021 Yesser Lahim thriller “Landfill,” where he made on-screen appearances.

Ed Marinaro

In the early run of “Blue Mountain State,” Ed Marinaro could arguably be considered the most recognized actor on set. Known for his roles in popular shows like “Hill Street Blues” and “Dynasty” from the 1980s, Marinaro added a touch of authenticity to his character Marty Daniels as the head coach, given his background in football. He began his football career at Cornell University, where he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1971, and later played for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL, albeit for only 58 games. Interestingly, Marinaro has accumulated approximately 67 acting credits, with a fairly even distribution before and after the first three seasons of “Blue Mountain State.

In the 2019 Hallmark Christmas movie “SnowComing,” he took on the role of another football coach, sharing screen time with former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann. That same year, he graced the big screen in the comedy/drama “Love and Debt,” directed by Valerie Landsburg. In 2019, Marinaro was also active, featuring in the film “The Many Saints of Newark” that tells the origin story of Tony Soprano, as well as the family-friendly “A Unicorn for Christmas.” His busy schedule continues with an upcoming role in “Bad News on the Doorstep,” a football-themed project where he will join forces with Chazz Palminteri, Vincent Pastore, Mischa Barton, and Robert Picardo.

Despite not having a heavy load of scripted roles, Marinaro has gained popularity on talk shows, variety programs, and award ceremonies. Following his career surge from “Blue Mountain State,” he’s made appearances in three episodes of the Turner Classic Movies series titled “Gridiron Glory — College Football in the Movies.” He is also set to feature in George Francisco’s upcoming film, “The League,” which explores the early days of college football and the formation of the Ivy League. This film boasts an impressive cast that includes former Harvard player Tommy Lee Jones, Princeton alum Dean Cain, and ex-Columbia athlete Brian Dennehy.

Denise Richards

Denise Richards, who portrayed Coach Daniels’ former spouse Debra, was born in the same year as Ed Marinaro when he was awarded the Maxwell Award for being college football’s top player. Since the release of “Blue Mountain State,” Richards has arguably had the most active acting career among the cast, accumulating numerous film and TV roles over the years. Notably, she starred as Shauna Fulton (previously Shauna Forrester) in “The Bold and the Beautiful” for nearly 200 episodes, with her last appearance in this role occurring in 2022.

Denise Richards was the lead in two Christmas movies, titled “My Holiday Fiancé” and “A Festive Frequency”. She featured in eight out of the twenty Season 1 episodes for the cryptocurrency series “Coin Kingdom”, which stars Robert Davi, Anne Archer, and Steve Guttenberg. Additionally, she produces and takes center stage in a reality TV show about her life and family called “Denise Richards: The Wild Ones”, drawing inspiration from her standout role in the 1998 film “Wild Things”.

2010 saw her discussing her hectic lifestyle with the East Valley Tribune. As Richards put it, “I just can’t stay put,” she admitted. “There’s always something I need to be doing… Playing an over-the-top character like a trophy wife is delightful. I feel there’s a piece of me in every role.” Having experienced a tumultuous marriage with Charlie Sheen and raising two daughters, Richards saw the character of Debra as an opportunity to challenge the stereotype of ex-wives in comedies. “Often,” she pointed out, “we are depicted poorly. But what’s great about this role is that you can have a good time with it. That’s just how it is.

Omari Newton

Omari Newton swiftly transformed his character Larry Summers from “Blue Mountain State” into a consistent flow of significant roles. From the initial three seasons on Spike, through the debut of “The Rise of Thadland,” he starred as Lucas Ingram in “Continuum,” featuring in all 40 episodes of that show. Other roles include a guest spot on the revival of “The X-Files” and lending his voice to Black Panther for multiple episodes of “Marvel Super Hero Adventures,” as well as various other Marvel animation projects. Newton also voiced Mr. Pierson in three episodes of “Jonny Jetboy,” took on diverse character voices across 37 episodes of “Max Steel,” and played multiple characters in 26 episodes of the Netflix fantasy series “The Dragon Prince.

Originally from Montreal, this individual is not only proficient in theater performances, slam poetry, and hip-hop music, but also teaches at the Vancouver Film School. During an interview with Canada’s National Arts Center, Newton emphasized the significance of arts education for the youth. He stated, “Art has a unique ability to spark and motivate like few other things do.” It encourages and enables young people to explore, innovate, and expand their creativity.

Frankie Shaw

Frankie Shaw initially gained prominence by portraying Mary Jo Cacciatore, Sammy’s sister, Alex’s occasional love interest, and a cheerleader on Blue Mountain State. After this role, she made guest appearances on shows like “CSI: New York,” “2 Broke Girls,” and “Hello Ladies.” Additionally, she wrote, directed, and starred in the 2015 short film “SMILF” alongside Thomas Middleditch. In 2017 through 2019, Showtime aired 18 episodes of “SMILF” as a series, where Shaw continued to play the character of single mom Bridgette Bird. During this period, she also appeared in a small role in “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” and voiced two characters in an episode of “Robot Chicken.” Despite losing the role of Jane Margolis in “Breaking Bad” to Krysten Ritter, Shaw later secured roles in Steven Soderbergh’s 2021 film “No Sudden Move,” featuring Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, and David Harbour, as well as the 2024 crime thriller “Absolution,” where she stars alongside Liam Neeson.

2017 saw her share with Entertainment Weekly that her desperate hunt for childcare during her “Breaking Bad” audition sparked the idea for “SMILF.” Tired of being a financially strapped actress with a 2-year-old son, she aspired to secure a TV writing job through this short film script. Rosie O’Donnell famously played her mother in the series, a character reminiscent of Shaw’s nurturing real-life mom who extended her stay in LA for two years beyond the initial two-week plan for her son’s birth. Speaking about the series, she mentioned that on some level, it serves as a heartfelt tribute to her son, and the core narrative revolves around their relationship, which she believes resonates universally. Currently, Shaw is set to appear in the upcoming movies “Sugar” and “Palette.

Sam Jones III

Before playing a role in 13 episodes of “Blue Mountain State” and its subsequent movie, Sam Jones III had already built up an impressive TV resume. Notably, he played Pete Ross, Clark Kent’s childhood friend, in the Superman origin series “Smallville.” His tenure on “Smallville” ended in 2008 during Season 7, two years after he starred in “Glory Road,” marking one of his biggest roles.

After playing Craig Shilo, the lead running back in “The Rise of Thadland,” Jones has been seen in various roles recently. He starred in Chris Blake’s 2018 horror film “All Light Will End” and made an appearance on the TalkVille podcast, a program themed around Smallville. Hosted by Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who portrayed Clark Kent and Lex Luthor on the series, respectively, Jones continues to maintain a connection with sports-themed roles in his acting career. In the future, he will appear in the basketball drama “Ballin 2024” as Devante.

In an interview with Flavour Magazine UK in 2010, Jones shared his experiences working on “Blue Mountain State.” He described it as a place filled with attractive women, parties, and football – essentially the ultimate dream for any young man. The actor expressed his affection for the show because he had previously worked on more serious projects. With this comedy, he could let loose and have fun, which made it an ideal role for a budding male actor.

Gabrielle Dennis

As the high school sweetheart of Craig, Denise Roy, Gabrielle Dennis drew upon her extensive background as an actor, performer on stage, and vocalist for her character on “Blue Mountain State.” She graced our screens in 13 episodes during Season 1 but did not appear in the subsequent film. Since departing from the show, she has been one of the most active alumni, keeping busy with various projects.

Roy played the role of Pippy Rosewood for two seasons on the crime drama series “Rosewood,” which aired from 2015 to 2017, appearing in all 44 episodes. Afterward, she made an appearance in the comedy film “Girls Trip” alongside Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish. From 2017 to 2019, you could have caught her on various shows such as Whitney Houston in the BET miniseries “The Bobby Brown Story,” Candice in a three-episode arc of “Insecure,” or Brianna for six episodes on “S.W.A.T.

Roy was one of the main actors in the comedy series “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” appearing in 22 out of its total 30 episodes from 2019 to 2023, second only to creator Robin Thede. In an interview with Vulture in 2023, she discussed the evolution of the show, stating, “Our cast has evolved significantly since the first season, providing our writers with new chances to develop characters that suit each actor. It’s been thrilling to observe how both Robin and I have grown our comedic timing and the ability to bounce ideas off each other, almost anticipating what the other will say.”

Following her time on that show, Roy landed a leading role as Cass in “The Big Door Prize” and a 13-episode stint on “The Upshaws,” which also features several actors from “Blue Mountain State.

Page Kennedy

Page Kennedy portrayed Radon Randell as the quarterback across thirteen episodes in the show’s first two seasons and the miniseries “The Rise of Thadland.” During the year that the movie was out, he kept himself occupied by taking on a significant role in the TV version of the Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker “Rush Hour” series. Two years after that, Kennedy appeared in three episodes of “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.” and shared screen time with Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, and Rainn Wilson in the shark-themed thriller “The Meg.” Later on, he teamed up with Statham again for “Meg 2: The Trench.

From 2021 to 2023, the actor starred in 17 episodes as Duck on “The Upshaws”. He shared his thoughts about the show in an interview with Brittany Frederick. Expressing admiration for the cast, he said, “This ensemble is fantastic! Mike Epps leads it, and we also have Wanda Sykes and Kim Fields. These are all legendary figures, entertainers, and performers… I couldn’t wait to be a part of this!

Kennedy, who has been creating music for a longer period than he’s been acting, was responsible for the music in the 2018 animated short “Trapanese” and lent his voice to a significant character in the movie, along with his son, Timothy-James. He portrayed Pastor Simons in the underestimated 2024 comedy “A Hip Hop Story,” and at present, he is featured in the Furst Brothers’ horror film “A Breed Apart.” This versatile actor, who has been trained in Shakespearean techniques, is also taking on the roles of director and lead actor in “Macbeth in Compton,” a reinterpretation of the bard’s classic play set in 1990s Southern California.

Leah Renee

Leah Renee Cudmore, who played cheerleader Kara on five episodes of “Blue Mountain State,” has been recognized professionally by her full name. However, she’s been known as just Leah Renee in her subsequent roles. In 2011, she starred as Alice in six episodes of “The Playboy Club” and had a leading role in the comedy series “Satisfaction” in 2013. She didn’t reappear in “The Rise of Thadland,” but graced two holiday films in 2016: “The Best Thanksgiving Ever” and the TV movie “Falling For Christmas.

In addition to this, she acted in the 2019 TV movie romance titled “Sailing Into Love”, where she portrayed Claire, the eternal bridesmaid. That same year, she made a brief appearance on the daytime talk show “Home and Family”. Using her given names, she released a pop single entitled IBF (Imaginary Boyfriend) back in 2009.

2025-06-17 15:32