‘The Shield’ Turns 20: Where’s the Cast Now?
Shawn Ryan is a small-screen powerhouse these days, but 20 years ago, when his crime drama The Shield premiered on FX, he was still a fledgling TV producer with just two shows on his filmography.
That first season, however, changed everything. The Shield won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series Drama, while Michael Chiklis won both a Globe and an Emmy for his lead performance as Detective Vic Mackey, one of the cops of a corrupt, experimental division of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The Shield ended its seven-season run in 2008, but Ryan kept many of the actors on speed-dial, as you’ll see below. Now that we’re hitting the 20th anniversary of The Shield’s debut on March 12, let’s take a look at the cast’s recent screen credits.
(Note: Michael Jace, who starred as Julien Lowe, is not featured in this gallery. Jace was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 2016 for the murder of wife April Jace two years prior.)
Michael Chiklis (Vic Mackey)
After The Shield, Chiklis took starring roles on the TV shows No Ordinary Family, Vegas, American Horror Story: Freak Show, Gotham, and Coyote. Now he’s playing real-life NBA coach and exec Red Auerbach on HBO‘s sports drama Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, and he’ll star in the premiere of the Fox crime anthology Accused.
Walton Goggins (Shane Vendrell)
Goggins is perhaps best known these days for his role as scofflaw Boyd Crowder on the FX crime drama Justified, and he also starred as Lee Russell on the HBO comedy Vice Principals and Wade Felton on the CBS sitcom The Unicorn. These days, he’s playing former child star “Baby” Billy Freeman on the HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones, and you’ll catch him on the upcoming Apple TV+ miniseries The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
Catherine Dent (Danny Sofer)
Dent had a 10-episode role as General Hale on the ABC action drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Since then, she’s played one-off parts on the TV shows How to Get Away With Murder, Magnum P.I., Dave, and Lucifer.
Kenny Johnson (Curtis Lemansky)
Johnson’s post-Shield TV career includes starring roles on the shows Saving Grace, Prime Suspect, and Bates Motel. These days, he’s starring as Dominique Luca on the CBS action drama S.W.A.T. under the show-running expertise of The Shield creator Shawn Ryan.
David Rees Snell (Ronnie Gardocki)
Snell has recurred on S.W.A.T. since 2018, playing Detective Burrows. He previously appeared on the ABC military drama Last Resort, which Shawn Ryan cocreated, and the CBS action drama The Unit, which Ryan executive-produced.
Jay Karnes (Holland “Dutch” Wagenbach)
Karnes’ recent TV roles include parts on two sci-fi series: ABC’s The Crossing (as Craig Lindauer) and Syfy’s 12 Monkeys (as Agent Robert Gale). Most recently, the actor appeared on a 2021 episode of the CBS procedural FBI: Most Wanted.
Benito Martinez (David Aceveda)
After meaty roles on the TV shows Sons of Anarchy, American Crime, How to Get Away With Murder, and 13 Reasons Why—and a few turns as U.S. president!—Martinez is now playing Jorge Diaz Sr. in the Prime Video rom-com series With Love.
CCH Pounder (Claudette Wyms)
Following her time on The Shield, Pounder found another long-running TV role: medical examiner Loretta Wade on the CBS procedural NCIS: New Orleans. More recently, she guest-starred in two episodes of the Paramount+ legal drama The Good Fight. She’s also reprising her Avatar role, Omaticaya leader Mo’at, in the 2009 blockbuster film’s four sequels.
Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Corinne Mackey)
Glenn Close (Monica Rawling)
Close won back-to-back Emmys for playing attorney Patty Hewes in the FX legal thriller Damages, she nabbed a Golden Globe for the film The Wife, and she earned an Oscar nomination for the big-screen drama Hillbilly Elegy. You can see her in the Apple TV+ film Swan Song, and she’ll star in Season 2 of the Apple TV+ thriller Tehran.
David Marciano (Steve Billings)
Paula Garcés (Tina Hanlon)
After significant roles in All My Children, Devious Maids, and Major Crimes, Garcés recently recurred as Geny Martinez, mother of Ruby (Jason Genao), on the Netflix teen comedy-drama On My Block.
