What The Cast Of The Magicians Is Doing Now

Based on the wildly popular novels by Lev Grossman, "The Magicians" graced our television screens from 2015 to 2020. The Syfy series can aptly be described as dark, collegiate "Harry Potter" meets "The Chronicles of Narnia," and while it pays homage to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the show created its own unique characters and storylines. "The Magicians" portrays the authentically flawed graduate students of Brakebills University in relatable ways. For fans, the Brakebills students became characters to root for. Musical numbers incorporate "Les Misérables" and 1980s power ballads into the magical world of Fillory, and pop culture references abound throughout the show. The fantasy world built by "The Magicians" also tackles serious issues like sexual assault with sobering realism.

The television series varies from the books, but in ways that translated well on screen and ramped up emotional stakes. In an interview with the New York Times, showrunner Sera Gamble said, "The problems and the crisis continue, because they always do ... It's just that [the protagonists] were alone and now they have each other. That's the point we wanted to land most of all." Alas, a magical Season 6 for "The Magicians" was not in the cards; the show wrapped in 2020 after its fifth season. Gamble went on to create the hit Netflix series "You," but what are "The Magicians" cast members up to now? Let's take a look.

In the opening episodes of "The Magicians," Stella Maeve's Julia Wicker is the yin to Quentin Coldwater's yang. It's always been the duo against the world — and when that changes, so does Julia's character development. Maeve plays Julia as a fierce woman who refuses to let horrific events keep her from her destiny. Echoing the character arc of Willow Rosenberg on "Buffy," Julia becomes a goddess. Vox even published an article declaring "The Magicians" the 2017 equivalent to "Buffy." Julia's brutal rape scenes received blowback from fans, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "The Magicians" showrunner Sera Gamble defended the controversial scenes, stating, "It is a tricky thing to portray, and it's very affecting when you read it in the books. In the writers' room, we talked about how moved and affected and disturbed we were by it."

Maeve now portrays another fierce female on FX's "Mayans M.C." Season 4 of the "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff features Maeve as undercover cop Kody, the new girlfriend of M.C. member known as "Creeper" played by Joseph Lucero. Maeve first appeared in Season 2 and became a series regular in Season 4. Maeve also appeared as Nadia on "Chicago P.D." and the victim of a brutal murder in a crossover event with "Law & Order: SVU."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

As Eliot Waugh on "The Magicians," Hale Appleman provided relatable appeal to a hedonistic, damaged character. In lesser hands, Eliot could have been a one-note, narcissistic mess, but Appleman brought vulnerable nuance to the character. Ultimately, Eliot learns to place the needs of others above his own selfish desires and by the end of "The Magicians," the character has reached a healthy space. In an interview with Collider, Appleman spoke about Eliot's arc, saying, "He has to start to sift through issues of his own, I guess, perceptions of what he deserves, as well as his ability to come back from so much trauma and tragedy and still fight for his own life and the lives of those that he loves."

Appleman's angelic singing voice was highlighted in several episodes of "The Magicians," including a Season 5 powerful duet with Olivia Taylor Dudley of the Peter Gabriel hit "Don't Give Up." However, his onscreen presence has remained lowkey since the series wrapped, without much news of upcoming projects. However, he did appear in Season 2 of the Apple TV+ crime drama "Truth Be Told." The actor plays Lachlan Bray, a slick corporate head in the self-help empire of Micah Keith, played by Kate Hudson.

As Penny Adiyodi on "The Magicians," Arjun Gupta initially stands as a nemesis to Quentin Coldwater. Before his days in Fillory, Gupta appeared in shows like "Nurse Jackie" and "How to Get Away with Murder," so we can presume he arrived at "The Magicians" well-prepared to portray a multi-layered character. Penny comes across as an abrasive jerk, yet Gupta played him as someone with a big heart hiding behind the middle finger he throws to the world. Gupta shared his perspective on Penny with Collider and said, "So for me it was ... who is that person that is really distrustful of authority, someone who has been really hurt by authority and doesn't really feel safe in the world, and it was working ... to craft that person and then building."

Since the series finale, Gupta has remained busy performing. At New York City's Public Theater, Gupta played Vikram, an ER physician in "The Line," a play honoring the frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The show uses documentary-style testimonials to unfold its powerful story. The Guardian said about the play, "The performances are nuanced, sensitive, generous."

Fen begins as a recurring character on "The Magicians." She's the weird, quirky Fillorian that Quentin and friends meet upon visiting the magical land. Fen reminded us of Anya, famously played by Emma Caulfield on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and her dialogue often echoes Anya's blunt observational humor. Fen becomes an integral member of the core group of magicians and marries Eliot. In an interview with The Mary Sue, actor Brittany Curran discussed her four seasons on the show. She said, "I was just supposed to do seven episodes, and as Season 2 progressed I started noticing that my storyline was getting bigger. When they started really expanding the character, it was awesome."

Curran has built an impressive Hollywood resume, starting with an appearance in "13 Going on 30" during her early teenage years. According to Deadline, in 2022 Curran stepped off screen to produce the PBS documentary "The Water of Life" which focuses on the history of whisky distillation in Scotland. The film looks at the creative renovation of distilleries necessary to breathe new life into the whisky industry, exploring the distilling practices on three continents and featuring the passionate folks who make whisky.

When the Brakebills students find themselves in the magical world of Fillory, Rizwan Manji appears as Tick Pickwick, their comedic foil. Tick is a native Fillorian and counsel to the Fillorian kings and queens who falls in love with a talking sloth named Abigail and comes from a long line of "notoriously thirsty people." While the Canadian actor was part of "The Magicians" cast, he also appeared as Ray Butani on the award-winning comedy, "Schitt's Creek." In 2019, Manji had a regular role on the short-lived NBC sitcom "Perfect Harmony," which co-starred Bradley Whitford and Anna Camp and aired for only one season.

According to Deadline, Manji co-stars as Mike Reddy in "Diamond in the Rough," the second feature from studio and distribution platform Creator+. "Diamond in the Rough" centers on Ariana Alvarez, played by Samantha Boscarino, as she attempts to find her place in post-collegiate life. Alvarez must navigate through her new, pretentious country club surroundings and the various struggles that world can bring.

On "The Magicians," Mackenzie Astin portrayed Richard, Julia's confidant who became possessed by the evil trickster god Reynard. The betrayal and assault of Julia by Richard-slash-Reynard packs a big punch and comes as a surprise twist in Season 1. Astin is no stranger to Hollywood — the actor's first major television role came when he was just 12 years old. He played Andy on "The Facts of Life" from 1985 to 1988. The son of storied actors John Astin and Patty Duke, Astin hasn't experienced the celebrity status of his older brother and fellow actor Sean Astin, but he's worked steadily in television and film for almost four decades.

After his stint on "The Magicians," Mackenzie Astin joined the show's co-creator Sera Gamble on the set of "You." The actor played Gil Brigham, an anti-vaxxer geology professor, during Season 3 of the hit psychological thriller. Astin also starred alongside Drea de Matteo as an intruder harassing a widow and her autistic son in the Lifetime thriller, "Safe Room."