Let’s be real for a second. When Crazy Ex-Girlfriend first premiered on The CW back in 2015, nobody expected a musical comedy about a stalking-adjacent breakdown to become a landmark for mental health representation. It was weird. It was niche. It featured a song about "The Sexy Getting Ready Song" that included a dude waxing his back. But what actually anchored that chaos—the reason we didn't just turn off the TV in secondhand embarrassment—was the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
They weren't just actors who could carry a tune. They were a hyper-specific collection of Broadway veterans, stand-up comics, and character actors who treated a song about heavy periods with the same gravitas as a Shakespearean soliloquy.
Rachel Bloom and the Power of Being "Too Much"
Rachel Bloom didn't just play Rebecca Bunch; she basically willed her into existence. Before the show, she was a YouTube star making viral videos like "Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury." Bringing that raw, unfiltered energy to network television was a gamble that paid off with a Golden Globe.
Honestly, it's hard to separate the actor from the role. Rebecca was a disaster. She was brilliant, impulsive, and desperately lonely. Since the show wrapped in 2019, Bloom hasn’t slowed down, though her projects have taken on a more personal, often darker tone. She released a book, I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are, which reads like a long-form version of Rebecca’s inner monologue. Most recently, her off-Broadway show Death, Let Me Do My Show tackled the grief of losing the show’s primary songwriter, Adam Schlesinger, to COVID-19. It’s heavy stuff, but Bloom has this way of making the unbearable feel like a punchline.
The Leading Men: Beyond the "Josh" and "Greg" Divide
The internet spent years arguing over Team Josh vs. Team Greg. It was the "Team Edward or Team Jacob" for people who have therapists. But looking at the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend now, the actors have successfully escaped the shadow of West Covina’s most eligible bachelors.
Vincent Rodriguez III (Josh Chan)
Josh Chan was supposed to be the "dumb, hot guy," but Rodriguez gave him a sweetness that made Rebecca’s obsession almost understandable. He’s a world-class dancer and martial artist, which the show utilized in those massive 80s-inspired pop numbers. Post-show, he’s popped up in With Love on Amazon and did voice work for Ghost and Molly McGee. He’s still got that "guy next door" energy, but he’s leaned more into the musical theater world where he started.
📖 Related: Big Brother 27 Morgan: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Santino Fontana and Skylar Astin (The Gregs)
This was the recast heard 'round the world. When Santino Fontana left after Season 2 to head back to Broadway (where he eventually won a Tony for Tootsie), fans were devastated. He was the cynical, soulful alcoholic we all loved to pity. Then came Skylar Astin in Season 4 as "New Greg."
It was a meta-commentary on how we perceive people differently as we grow. Astin, who most people know from Pitch Perfect, brought a more stable, "rehabilitated" vibe to the role. He’s recently been starring in So Help Me Todd, proving he can carry a network procedural just as well as a high-concept musical.
Donna Lynne Champlin: The Soul of the Show
If you ask any die-hard fan who the best performer was, they’ll say Donna Lynne Champlin. Period. As Paula Proctor, she went from a bored legal assistant enabling a stalker to a law school graduate finding her own worth.
Champlin is a Broadway powerhouse. When she sang "The First Face I See," she wasn't just acting; she was anchoring the emotional stakes of the entire series. Since the finale, she’s been in The First Lady and the The Good Fight spin-off, Elsbeth. She’s one of those actors who makes everyone else on screen look better just by standing there.
The Supporting Players Who Stole Every Scene
You can't talk about the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend without mentioning the people who filled out the corners of "Home Base" and the law offices of Whitefeather & Associates.
👉 See also: The Lil Wayne Tracklist for Tha Carter 3: What Most People Get Wrong
- Gabrielle Ruiz (Valencia Perez): She started as the "mean girl" antagonist and ended as a queer icon and successful businesswoman. Ruiz is a professional dancer who spent years in In the Heights on Broadway, and that precision showed in every one of her numbers.
- Vella Lovell (Heather Davis): The ultimate "cool girl" who took eight years to finish community college. Lovell’s deadpan delivery was the perfect foil to Rebecca’s mania. She’s since starred in Mr. Mayor and Animal Control, basically carving out a niche as the funniest person in any room.
- Pete Gardner (Darryl Whitefeather): The boss who realized he was bisexual at 40-something. Gardner’s performance of "Gettin’ Bi" is still used in actual educational settings to explain bisexuality. He’s a veteran character actor who brought a weird, paternal warmth to the show.
Why the Cast Was Actually Different
Most sitcom casts are filled with people who want to be movie stars. The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend crew felt like a repertory theater company. They were there to do the work.
The show’s choreographer, Kathryn Burns, often mentioned in interviews how difficult the "cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" had it compared to other shows. They would spend 14 hours filming scenes, then go to a dance studio for four hours to learn a Fred-and-Adele tap routine or a Beyoncé-style pop anthem. It was grueling.
David Hull, who played "White Josh," and Scott Michael Foster (Nathaniel Plimpton III) both came from backgrounds where they understood that "triple threat" wasn't just a buzzword. It was the job. Nathaniel’s character arc—going from a robotic corporate shark to a guy singing about how much he loves his "strip away my conscience" vibe—only worked because Foster committed to the bit 100%.
Impact and Cultural Legacy
Let’s talk about the "afterlife" of the show. Unlike many series that fade into the background, the cast of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend stays connected. They still do live shows. They still pop up in each other’s Instagram stories.
The show tackled things that were taboo in 2015: Borderline Personality Disorder, female sexual pleasure, the reality of antidepressants, and the fact that "the guy" doesn't actually solve your problems. The cast had to navigate these topics with nuance. When Rebecca attempted suicide in Season 3, the cast didn't play it for melodrama. They played it for the quiet, terrifying reality it is. That requires a level of trust between actors that you don't find on a typical sitcom set.
✨ Don't miss: Songs by Tyler Childers: What Most People Get Wrong
Where can you see them now?
If you’re looking to follow the alumni, keep an eye on streaming platforms. They tend to stick together. You’ll see Patton Oswalt (who had a recurring role) working with Bloom, or Michael McMillian (Tim) writing comic books.
Finding More From the West Covina Alumni
If you want to dive deeper into what the actors are doing today, look for these specific projects:
- Reboot (Hulu): Rachel Bloom stars in this as a writer trying to navigate a dysfunctional sitcom revival. It’s very meta and very funny.
- The Gilded Age (HBO): Donna Lynne Champlin appears here, trading her legal pads for 19th-century costumes.
- Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist: While Skylar Astin starred in this, several other CXG alum popped up in cameos. It’s the spiritual successor to the musical format.
Practical Steps for Fans:
- Follow the Songwriters: Jack Dolgen and the late Adam Schlesinger’s work is the backbone of the show. Check out the "Executive Producer" demos on YouTube to see how the songs evolved.
- Check Out "Death, Let Me Do My Show": If you can find a recording or a touring date for Rachel Bloom’s latest work, go. It provides the closure that many fans felt they missed after the show ended.
- Support Local Musical Theater: Almost every person in the core cast started on stage. Support the venues that foster that kind of talent.
The legacy of the show isn't just the catchy tunes. It’s the fact that it proved you can be "crazy," you can be "extra," and you can still be the hero of your own story. The cast didn't just play characters; they built a community that still resonates today. Check out the soundtracks on Spotify; "The End of the Movie" is still arguably the most honest song ever written about the human condition.