12 Stars Who Appeared on ‘Tru Calling,’ Now 20 Years Old

Eliza Dushku and Zach Galifianakis in 'Tru Calling'
20th Century Fox Film Corp./Courtesy: Everett Collection

Two decades ago, Eliza Dushku opted to exit the Slayerverse, forgoing a proposed Faith-centric Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff in favor of Fox’s supernatural procedural Tru Calling.

In the latter project, the actor played Tru Davies, whose city-morgue job takes a twist when she starts communing with the recently deceased and traveling back in time to forestall their deaths — or, at least, finish the jobs they started.

Dogged by mixed reviews and flagging ratings, Tru Calling only lasted for one full season and a curtailed second season before Fox toe-tagged it and sent it to the TV morgue. But Dushku did share the screen with many established and future TV stars on the short-lived series, as you’ll see below. With Tru Calling turning 20 on October 30, below are a dozen famous faces who have the show on their résumés.

Zach Galifianakis
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Zach Galifianakis

This star of Baskets and the Hangover movies starred as Davis, Tru’s boss — and eventual confidant — at the city morgue.

A.J. Cook
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A.J. Cook

Before her long-running role as Jennifer “JJ” Jareau on Criminal Minds, this actor starred in Tru Calling’s first season as Lindsay Walker, Tru’s best friend.

Matt Bomer
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Matt Bomer

Another cast member of Tru’s first season, this White Collar and Fellow Travelers star played Luc Johnston, a photographer and love interest for Dushku’s character.

Jason Priestley
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Jason Priestley

This Beverly Hills, 90210 vet joined Tru Calling midway through Season 1, playing Jack Harper, a character who shares Tru’s abilities but works to keep the timeline intact.

Eric Christian Olsen
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Eric Christian Olsen

Before playing Marty Deeks on NCIS: Los Angeles, Olsen portrayed Tru Calling’s Jensen Ritchie, one of Tru’s fellow med students in Season 2.

Lizzy Caplan
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Lizzy Caplan

This star of Masters of Sex and Fatal Attraction recurred in Tru Calling’s second season, playing the role of med student Avery Bishop.

Parry Shen
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Parry Shen

Now known for his role as Brad Cooper in General Hospital, Shen recurred in Tru Calling season 2 as Tyler Li, another med-school classmate of Tru’s.

Cobie Smulders
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Cobie Smulders

Smulders was still a couple years away from her How I Met Your Mother debut when she played Sarah Webb, girlfriend of Tru’s brother, in Season 1’s “Brother’s Keeper.”

Leonard Roberts
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Leonard Roberts

After costarring with Dushku in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s fourth season, this actor — also of Heroes and Major Crimes fame — played the character Blake in the Season 1 episode “Past Tense.”

Christina Hendricks
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Christina Hendricks

Hendricks became a household name playing Joan Holloway on Mad Men, but not before she guest starred on Tru Calling as would-be murderer Alyssa in Season 1’s “Murder in the Morgue”

Kal Penn
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Kal Penn

Penn, who starred in the Harold & Kumar films (and played one of Smulders’ love interests in HIMYM), guest starred as med student Steven in Season 1’s “Haunted.”

Missy Peregrym
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Missy Peregrym

Currently starring as Maggie Bell in FBI, Peregrym had a one-off appearance as Gina — the other woman in Tru’s relationship with a professor — in the Season 1 episode “Putting Out Fires.”

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