Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman? - The List (2024)

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"Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" was just what viewers wanted: sweeping shots of bucolic 1860s life in a small Western town, incredibly handsome and burly men, orphaned children, a powerful female lead, and of course, lots and lots of drama. Jane Seymour plays Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn on the program, a doctor from the East Coast who moves to a tiny town Colorado to start her own medical practice. She falls in love with a rustic mountain man, adopts three orphaned children, and goes on to save the town in many ways.

The primetime drama was, according to Entertainment Weekly, the last successful Western on broadcast TV, airing from 1993 to 1998. And successful it was, with four Primetime Emmy wins, six Emmy nominations, and 20 other wins from Western Heritage Awards to Family Film Awards, as per IMDb. Many would credit the show's immense success — and subsequent cult status — to its incredible cast. But where is that cast now? Where did they go after they left Colorado Springs? From Seymour who's crushing the game to Shawn Toovey who's seemingly disappeared from the public eye, here's what happened to the cast of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman."

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Jane Seymour played Dr. Michaela "Mike" Quinn, the titular character of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," for 149 episodes, as per IMDb. The former Bond girl swapped skimpy outfits for full skirts and high-neck blouses on the show, taking down out-dated Western values and ideas for more modern concepts like gun control, feminism, and even environmentalism. Seymour scored two Emmy nominations, three Golden Globe nominations, and one Golden Globe win for her work as Dr. Quinn — but mostly she stole hearts around the world (viaIMDb).

What's Dr. Quinn doing these days? Seymour is still kicking just as much butt as she did in Colorado Springs. Oh, and she looks gorgeous, and is aging like a fine wine. "69, to me, just appears to be a number," Seymour told People when asked about her status as a "sexy-symbol." "I'm feeling incredibly healthy and well." Showing no signs of slowing down, the actress is, as she joked to People, "working on so many movies right now it's unbelievable." As per the publication, she is working on a variety of projects, showing that Seymour has true staying power.

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Joe Lando was the long-locked, muscular, and thoroughly tanned actor responsible for breaking hearts as Byron Sully in "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," as noted byIMDb. As Dr. Quinn's love interest, most of Sully's story was focused on the classic "will they, won't they" drama. But, spoiler alert, Sully ends up getting the girl and they live happily ever after.

Some might say that Joe Lando lived happily ever after, too. The actor cut off his long hair and starred in several other TV shows like "Higher Ground," "Wildfire," and "The Bold and the Beautiful." He kept working with his former "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" costar Jane Seymour, appearing in the movie "Friendsgiving" with her in 2020. "They needed me to be with someone at the end," Seymour told Page Six. "Joe came for one line, he was doing me a favor and it was great fun." The hunky actor is also open to the idea of a "Dr. Quinn" reboot. "I think it would work," Lando told the Toronto Sun. "I would do it in a heartbeat and I know so would Jane."

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Chad Allen played Matthew Cooper on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," the eldest of the three children that Dr. Quinn adopts after their mother is killed by a venomous snake. Allen did well on the Western drama, gathering a few awards and several nominations, according toIMDb. What fans probably remember most, however, was when in 1996 the young actor was publicly outed as gay by a tabloid. But, as reported by the Gay Star News, the photos of Allen kissing another man didn't slow him down and he continued to work as an openly gay actor for almost 15 years.

These days, however, Allen gave up a life in entertainment to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. As he told fans in a YouTube video, Allen hoped the career change would help him "affect the world in a slightly different way." Despite the shift, Allen is still thankful for his time on screen, including on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." "It's been an incredible journey ... working on the incredible shows that I've been able to work on over the years," he gushed. 'I'm incredibly grateful and always will be."

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Jessica Bowman wasn't the first actress to play Colleen Cooper on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." The role was originally held by Erika Flores, who played Colleen on Season 1 and 2, and then left the show in the middle of Season 3. While there are many rumors as to why Flores left "Dr. Quinn" — she wasn't getting enough money, her dad didn't want her to act , etc. — none were ever substantiated (via Distractify). No matter the reason for Flores' departure, it made room for Bowman to bring new life to Dr. Quinn's adopted daughter.

Bowman played Colleen Cooper for three seasons and 88 episodes of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," as per IMDb. Since then, she's been in a few TV movies like "Young Hearts Unlimited," "Lethal Vows," and "Joy Ride," and even had an uncredited appearance in the Adam Sandler comedy "50 First Dates." However, Bowman seems to have since chosen a more quiet, private life as she hasn't collected any acting credits since 2011.

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Georgann Johnson played Elizabeth Quinn, the proper East Coast mother of Dr. Mike Quinn, on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." The veteran performer brought her impressive acting chops to eight episodes of the Western drama between 1993 and 1997, as noted byIMDb. Sadly, Johnson died at the age of 91 in 2018, according to an obituary her family published in the Los Angeles Times.

While fans perhaps loved her best for her turn on "Dr. Quinn," Johnson had a laundry list of acting credits that spanned Broadway, TV, and film. She appeared in TV hits like "Seinfeld," "JAG," "Cold Case," and "Ghost Whisperer" in addition to her work onstage in such works as the original production of "The Pajama Game." After Johnson left "Dr. Quinn," she married a Superior Court Judge and activist named Jack Tenner. As her family wrote in her obituary, "She said some of her happiest times as an actor were the improvisations she and Jack did to raise funds at the many events they attended. She will be greatly missed."

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Every Western town in the late 1800s needed a saloon/brothel — and that's just what William Shockley provided on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." He played Hank Lawson, the owner and operator of Colorado Springs' saloon and brothel, for 120 episodes spread across five years, according to his IMDb page. Oh, and he also had a head full of long, luscious locks that rivaled Joe Lando's!

Since departing "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," Shockley has had many more roles in both film and television, but seems to have mostly transitioned into voiceover work. According to his bio on the Team Two Entertainment website, Shockley was the host of a country music radio show called "The Road" and served as the voice of tons of big companies like Sony, AT&T, Toyota, and Fruit of the Loom. However, Shockley will always be grateful for his time on "Dr. Quinn." "Being a series regular on a television show like 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman' was a true gift," he revealed to Media Mikes in a 2014 interview. "I became very attached to the role of Hank Lawson ... The great writing on "Dr. Quinn" was a huge bonus."

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Orson Bean played Colorado Springs' general store owner Loren Bray on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" (viaIMDb). Bray was crotchety and often troublesome, which was totally unlike long-time comedian Bean. According to AP News, the funny man brought his natural charm to the game show "Tell the Truth” as well as several hit shows like "How I Met Your Mother," "Modern Family," and "Grace and Frankie." The publication also reported that, in addition to his acting talents, Bean was a dedicated humanitarian, founding a school and two arts-based organizations, The Sons of the Desert and the Pacific Resident Theater Ensemble.

But sadly, Bean's life was cut short in 2020 when he was hit by a car in Los Angeles. As reported by AP News, the actor was crossing a street in Venice when he was clipped by one car and then struck by another. The Los Angeles County coroner's office investigated his death as "traffic-related," but eventually concluded that it was an accident.

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Dr. Quinn and Byron Sully's relationship wasn't the only romantic plotline on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." There was also the unlikely love between Myra, one of the sex workers at the local brothel, and Horace Bing, the town's telegraph operator. Frank Collison brought Horace Bing to life for 118 episodes of the Western drama, taking Horace's relationship with Myra from hopeless love to marriage, children, and eventual divorce, as per IMDb.

Collison must have loved the dramatic arch of Horace's character, as after the show ended, he stayed committed to acting in film, TV, and on the stage. According to his website bio, the gangly thespian appeared in movies like "The Village," "Hidalgo," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," and the award winning "Wild at Heart." He also graced television screens in "Monk," "Seventh Heaven," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Throughout his career, Collison has remained dedicated to the stage, too. He helped found the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice, California and, as per his website, even appeared in Zoom-based plays during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Every good Western drama needs a reverend, and the one on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" was Reverend Timothy Johnson, played by Geoffrey Lower. According to his IMDb page, Lower appeared as the reverend in 118 episodes of "Dr. Quinn," spread between 1993 to 1998. In that time, he saw Rev. Johnson go from a spurned lover (Dr. Quinn herself rejected him) to a blind man dedicated to serving his parish no matter what.

What's Lower been up to since he said goodbye to Rev. Johnson? Quite a lot, actually. According to his website bio and IMDb page, he actor continued working on both the stage and screen, appearing in "NCIS," "JAG," and "Disrupted," as well as the plays "And The Band Played On" and "Johnny Skidmarks." But perhaps what's most interesting about Lower's post-"Dr. Quinn" life is that he got real estate and general construction licenses and started flipping houses with his wife in Los Angeles. He also has a super adorable and giant dog named Kioko.

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Some might argue that "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" was ahead of its time as the Western drama tackled some pretty heavy issues — like, for instance, the entire character of Robert E. In the show, Robert E. is a formerly enslaved person who was separated from his wife and children — a very serious plot line for a show such as "Dr Quinn." Actor Henry G. Sanders brought depth and emotion to Robert E. for 107 episodes, as per his IMDb page, perhaps drawing on his own tumultuous life as inspiration. According to the Chron, Sanders served in the army and survived two tours in Vietnam before heading out to L.A. and falling into acting.

The publication also reported that Sanders didn't set out to become an actor. In fact, he went to L.A. in search of a publisher for his novel. While that first novel never got published, the-writer-turned actor never put down his pen. Since "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," he's written several plays that went on to be produced, and was even reported to be meeting with a writer/director about a movie script he wrote about the Iran-Contra affair.

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Barbara Babco*ck played Dorothy Jennings for 98 episodes of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," as noted byIMDb. The actress brought plenty of spunk and grit to the role, as Dorothy Jennings did not have it easy on the show. As the editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette, she was always nearby when crazy things happened, and she even survived a single mastectomy (performed by Dr. Quinn, of course).

What's Babco*ck been up to since "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" ended? A lot! As reported by Carmel Magazine, she spent long months traveling all over the world, from Kenya and South Africa all the way to Peru, but finally put down semi-permanent roots in 2002 when she moved back to Carmel, California to refurbish and live in her old family home. "I wanted to leave Los Angeles during the 46 years I spent there," the actress revealed to the publication. Sadly, Babco*ck was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease shortly thereafter. "That was a big jolt, obviously," she revealed. "I asked the doctor, 'How long do I have?' ... His answer was, 'eight to ten years.' That was 14 years ago."

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The character of Robert E. and his story weren't the only instances of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman” being ahead of its time. There was also the character of Grace, an African American woman who owns and operates her very own cafe. Per IMDb, actress Jonelle Allen played Grace for 107 episodes of "Dr. Quinn" over five years. And, according to an interview with ABC7, Allen was overjoyed at the opportunity to accurately portray the strength, resilience, and beauty of Black people in the American West. "I used to believe, because of seeing old movies and stuff, that Black people weren't in the old west ... We were there," she explained. " We were very much involved in the foundation of the old west."

Allen didn't end her fight for social and racial justice when she left "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman." According to ABC7, she teaches at the Young American College for the Performing Arts and still performs around the country — despite still facing down racism in the entertainment industry. However, Allen is not slowing down. As she told ABC7, "The thing is what one resists, one persists, and I was like, 'I am persisting!'"

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Most people would be horrified to learn that back in the day, barbers doubled as doctors. Small town folk would go in for a trim and then be like, "Oh, can you also do something about this dysentery or this weird rash?" And that's exactly what Jake Slicker, played by Jim Knobeloch, did in the fictional town of Colorado Springs on "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" — at least until Dr. Mike Quinn showed up. Knobeloch brought the doctor/barber to life on the Western drama for 128 episodes, according toIMDb. But what has he been up to since?

According to his IMDb page, Knobeloch kept acting for a while, appearing in a few TV shows and scoring a bit part in "King Kong." He then moved to Australia. "In approximately February 2002 I decided to make Australia my permanent home," Knobeloch said in legal documents published on Leagle. "I enjoyed living in Australia over California, and it was my belief that [my wife] and I would live in Victoria, Australia permanently, and raise our children there." Apparently Knobeloch's wife denied ever agreeing to live in Australia, and the two separated.