Shows come and go. Honestly, most of them just sort of evaporate from our collective memory the second the series finale credits roll. But the cast of American Housewife managed something a little different. They didn't just play a family in Westport; they actually felt like one. It’s been a while since the Otto family stopped graceing our screens on ABC, yet the chemistry between Katy Mixon and her TV kids remains one of those rare things that makes sitcom rewatches actually worth your time.
Katy Mixon and the anchor of Westport
You can't talk about this show without starting with Katy Mixon. Before she was Katie Otto, she was the scene-stealing Victoria Flynn on Mike & Molly. But here? She was the engine. Mixon brought this frantic, fiercely protective, and deeply insecure energy to the role of a "second-most-hated" housewife in a town full of green juice and Lululemon.
It’s interesting. Most sitcom moms are either perfect or total disasters. Katie was right in that messy middle. Mixon’s performance was physical. She used her whole body to convey the exhaustion of parenting, often leaning into the slapstick nature of the scripts while keeping the emotional stakes real. Her chemistry with Diedrich Bader, who played Greg Otto, was the secret sauce. Bader, known for The Drew Carey Show and being the voice of basically every Batman cartoon, played the "straight man" but with a nerdy, supportive twist that made the marriage feel aspirational rather than annoying.
The kid actors who actually grew up
One of the weirdest things about watching the cast of American Housewife over five seasons was the literal aging process. We saw these kids hit puberty in real-time.
Meg Donnelly, who played Taylor Otto, became a massive Disney star during the show's run thanks to the Zombies franchise. But she never felt like she was "too big" for the sitcom. Taylor started as the stereotypical "dumb jock" daughter, but Donnelly eventually gave her a lot of heart. Then you have Daniel DiMaggio as Oliver. Man, he played that "capitalist-obsessed middle child" perfectly. His comedic timing was incredibly sharp for someone who started the show so young.
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Then, of course, there’s the Anna-Kat situation.
The Anna-Kat recast that everyone noticed
If you’re a fan, you know exactly what happened here. For the first four seasons, Julia Butters played the youngest, OCD-struggling Anna-Kat Otto. She was a breakout star. So much so, in fact, that Quentin Tarantino cast her in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Her performance was so good that she basically outgrew the sitcom world to pursue a serious film career.
When Giselle Eisenberg took over the role for Season 5, the internet had thoughts. It’s always tough. Recasting a central family member in a show’s final season is basically a "Hail Mary" pass. Eisenberg did a fine job—she had the pedigree from Life in Pieces—but the dynamic shifted. It’s one of those bits of trivia that still pops up in fan forums today because Butters and Mixon had such a specific, weirdly wonderful bond.
The supporting players: More than just neighbors
The world of Westport worked because of the people outside the Otto house. You had the "Second Breakfast" crew.
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- Ali Wong as Doris: Before she was winning every award on the planet for Beef, Ali Wong was the wealthy, terrifyingly blunt Doris. Her delivery was like a scalpel.
- Carly Hughes as Angela: She was the grounded one. The divorcee who kept Katie from losing her mind. When Hughes left the show after Season 4, citing concerns about the set environment, it was a huge blow to the show's chemistry.
The show worked best when these three were sitting at that kitchen table or at the cafe, just ripping into the pretentiousness of their neighbors. It provided a bridge between the family drama and the social satire.
Why the show ended when it did
The cancellation of American Housewife in 2021 was sort of a shock, but also not. Ratings were steady, but things behind the scenes were getting complicated. There were investigations into the production environment following Carly Hughes' departure. ABC eventually decided to pull the plug after Season 5, leaving fans with a bit of a cliffhanger regarding Katie's potential pregnancy.
It’s a bummer. We never got the closure of seeing the Ottos handle another baby. But in a way, the cast of American Housewife left while they were still at the top of their game. They didn't overstay their welcome until the plots got ridiculous (well, mostly).
Where are they now?
Katy Mixon has been relatively quiet lately, taking time with her family, though she did appear in the miniseries The Thing About Pam. Diedrich Bader is everywhere—literally. If you turn on a TV, he's probably voicing a character or guest-starring in a comedy. Meg Donnelly is a bona fide star, and Daniel DiMaggio is carving out a path in independent projects.
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The legacy of the show persists because it was one of the last few "traditional" sitcoms that felt like it had some bite. It wasn't afraid to make its protagonist unlikeable at times.
How to revisit the Ottos today
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of Westport, the show is a staple on streaming platforms like Hulu. It holds up surprisingly well. The jokes about 2017-2021 culture might feel a little dated here and there, but the core family dynamics are evergreen.
If you want to truly appreciate what the cast of American Housewife accomplished, watch the episodes "The Walk" or "The Snobbin’." They highlight the perfect balance of Greg’s optimism and Katie’s cynical realism.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" to see Julia Butters (the original Anna-Kat) deliver the performance that launched her movie career.
- Follow the cast on social media. Many of them, particularly Meg Donnelly and Diedrich Bader, still post throwback photos and maintain a public friendship that proves the on-screen bond wasn't just for the cameras.
- Watch "Life in Pieces" if you want to see Giselle Eisenberg (the second Anna-Kat) in a role where she had more room to breathe over several seasons.
- Listen to Diedrich Bader’s voice work. His range is insane, and it’s a fun "Easter egg" hunt for any American Housewife fan to hear Greg Otto’s voice coming out of a superhero or an animated dog.