David E. Kelley was on a roll in the late nineties. He had this specific knack for making legal jargon feel like a high-stakes thriller, and nowhere was that more evident than in the gritty, morally bankrupt world of Donnell, Young, Dole & Frutt. If you grew up watching the actors from The Practice, you remember the vibe. It wasn't the polished, high-gloss courtroom of L.A. Law. It was a basement office in Boston where the carpet was probably sticky and the clients were usually guilty.
Honestly, the show was a pressure cooker. It focused on the "little guy" lawyers who had to navigate the murky gray areas of the law, often losing their souls in the process. Because the writing was so character-driven, it became a massive launching pad—or a career-defining anchor—for a group of performers who dominated the Emmy Awards for years. But what happened when the final gavel fell? Some of these people became household names. Others kind of vanished into the prestige TV ether or found a second life behind the scenes.
It's wild to think that The Practice basically birthed Boston Legal, but the DNA of the two shows couldn't be more different. One was a tragedy; the other was a farce. Watching the original cast members navigate that transition (or avoid it entirely) tells you everything you need to know about how Hollywood actually works.
Dylan McDermott and the Curse of the Leading Man
Dylan McDermott was the heart of the show. Bobby Donnell. He was intense, frequently sweating, and constantly grappling with whether he was a good person. For a while, McDermott was the "it" guy. He won a Golden Globe in 1999 and was the face of the series for seven seasons. Then, things got weird.
In a move that shocked fans at the time, Kelley cut most of the main cast in Season 8 to save on costs. McDermott was bumped to guest status. It’s one of those brutal industry realities—even if you're the star, the budget is the boss. Since then, McDermott has had one of the most interesting "second acts" in television. He didn't just stick to playing the brooding hero. He leaned into the strange.
His work with Ryan Murphy changed everything. If you haven't seen him in American Horror Story, you're missing out on a complete 180-degree turn from Bobby Donnell. He played a therapist with a very dark secret, a leather-clad ghost, and a serial killer. He basically traded the courtroom for the macabre. More recently, he’s taken over the lead on FBI: Most Wanted, proving that he still has that procedural leading-man energy, just with more gray hair and a lot more tactical gear. He’s one of the few who managed to stay consistently on the A-list of TV stars for three decades straight.
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The Powerhouse Performance of Kelli Williams
Kelli Williams played Lindsay Dole. She was the moral compass, until she wasn't. Her chemistry with McDermott was the engine of the early seasons, but her character’s arc—which included a stint in prison—was some of the most harrowing stuff on network TV at the time.
After the show, Williams didn't chase the movie star life. She stayed in the world of high-quality television. You probably saw her in Lie to Me alongside Tim Roth, where she played Dr. Gillian Foster. She’s also become a prolific director. That’s a common path for actors from The Practice; they spent so much time on those high-intensity sets that they learned the mechanics of storytelling from the inside out. She’s directed episodes of The Foster, Grey’s Anatomy, and Rosewood.
Camryn Manheim and Steve Harris: The Soul of the Firm
If Dylan McDermott was the face, Camryn Manheim and Steve Harris were the backbone. Manheim’s Ellenor Frutt was a revelation. When she won her Emmy in 1998, she famously screamed, "This is for all the fat girls!" It was a massive moment for representation before that was even a buzzword.
Manheim has stayed incredibly busy. She moved from The Practice to Ghost Whisperer and then back to the legal world in the Law & Order revival as Lt. Kate Dixon. She’s a staple of the industry. Steve Harris, who played Eugene Young, brought a level of gravitas that few could match. He was the guy who could make a simple "Your Honor" sound like a threat. Harris has worked steadily in film and TV, appearing in Diary of a Mad Black Woman and more recently in BMF and Law & Order: Organized Crime. He’s one of those actors whose presence immediately raises the stakes of a scene.
The Strange Case of James Spader and the Shift to Boston Legal
We have to talk about the final season. It’s one of the most bizarre pivots in TV history. Ratings were tanking, the budget was slashed, and David E. Kelley brought in James Spader as Alan Shore.
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Spader basically hijacked the show.
He was so good—and so different from the earnest, gritty tone of the previous seven years—that he won an Emmy for the final season of The Practice and then immediately won another one for the first season of the spin-off, Boston Legal. This is almost unheard of. Spader's career went into the stratosphere, eventually leading to his long run on The Blacklist. But for fans of the original show, his arrival marked the end of an era. The darkness was replaced by quirkiness.
Lara Flynn Boyle and the Tabloid Era
Lara Flynn Boyle, who played ADA Helen Gamble, was a massive star during the show’s peak. She was the perfect foil for the defense team—icy, brilliant, and often ruthless. However, her post-show career was often overshadowed by tabloid coverage regarding her appearance and her personal life.
It’s a bit of a tragedy, because she was an incredible actress. She had a memorable turn in Men in Black II as the villainous Serleena, but she eventually pulled back from the Hollywood machine. She’s made a few indie film appearances in recent years, like Death in Texas, but she’s largely stayed out of the spotlight compared to her former castmates.
The Supporting Players Who Popped
- Michael Badalucco (Jimmy Berluti): He was the underdog everyone rooted for. Badalucco won an Emmy for the role and has remained a favorite of directors like the Coen Brothers.
- LisaGay Hamilton (Rebecca Washington): She went from the secretary to a lawyer in a great long-term arc. She’s now a powerhouse in prestige dramas like Winning Time and The Dropout.
- Marla Sokoloff (Lucy Hatcher): The quintessential sassy receptionist. She’s since become a Hallmark and Lifetime movie staple, while also directing.
Why The Practice Still Hits Different
Look, legal shows are everywhere now. We have Suits, The Good Wife, How to Get Away with Murder. But The Practice was different because it was so uncomfortably honest about the fact that lawyers often hate themselves. The actors from The Practice had to play characters who were frequently losing, both in court and in their personal lives.
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The show tackled things that were taboo in the nineties. They looked at the ethics of defending people they knew were monsters. They looked at the racial biases of the Boston court system. They looked at poverty. It wasn't "cool." It was stressful. That stress is why the performances were so good. You could see the toll the roles took on the actors' faces by the time Season 7 rolled around.
Where to Find Them Now: A Quick Cheat Sheet
If you want to catch up with the crew, here is the shorthand version. Dylan McDermott is on CBS every week in FBI: Most Wanted. Camryn Manheim is likely still appearing in various Law & Order iterations or guest starring in prestige dramas. James Spader is enjoying a well-earned break after The Blacklist ended its massive run. Kelli Williams is likely behind the camera, calling the shots on your favorite procedural.
The legacy of the show isn't just the awards; it's the fact that it proved legal dramas didn't have to be "case of the week" fluff. It could be a character study. It could be a horror story.
Insights for Fans and Aspiring Actors
If you're looking to dive back into the series or you're a fan of these specific careers, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, The Practice is notoriously difficult to find on some streaming services due to music licensing and old contract disputes, though it often pops up on Hulu or Amazon.
For those interested in the craft of acting, watching the evolution of these performers is a masterclass.
- Study the "Kelley Monologue": David E. Kelley writes incredibly long, complex closing arguments. Watch how Steve Harris or Dylan McDermott handle these—they don't just say the words; they use the silence between the words.
- Notice the Ensemble Dynamics: In the early seasons, notice how no one is "waiting for their turn to speak." They are constantly reacting. That's why the firm felt like a real family.
- Follow the Career Pivots: If you're an actor, look at how Kelli Williams and Marla Sokoloff moved into directing. It’s a reminder that a "long career" in Hollywood usually requires more than one skill set.
The era of the "big network legal drama" has shifted to streaming, but the work these actors put in remains the gold standard. They didn't just play lawyers; they played people who were slowly being crushed by the law. And that, more than anything, is why we’re still talking about them twenty years later.