If you were scrolling through USA Network back in 2016, you probably stumbled upon a gritty, high-stakes drama that felt a little too real. I’m talking about The Colony. Not the reality show from the late 2000s where people pretended to survive a virus, but the Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal sci-fi masterpiece. Honestly, the cast of The Colony is what kept that show breathing when the plot got heavy. You had Josh Holloway coming off the massive success of Lost, and Sarah Wayne Callies, who was basically the queen of genre TV after Prison Break and The Walking Dead.
It’s rare to see a show balance family drama with an alien occupation without it feeling cheesy. Most alien shows focus on the "little green men," but this one? It stayed on the ground. It focused on the people.
Josh Holloway as Will Bowman: More Than Just Sawyer
Josh Holloway is one of those actors who carries a specific kind of "rugged-but-tired" energy. In The Colony, he plays Will Bowman. He’s a former FBI agent and Army Ranger. Basically, he’s the guy you want around when the world ends. But what made his performance work wasn't just the action. It was the conflict. He starts working for the "Redhats"—the human collaborators for the alien Hosts—just to find his missing son, Charlie.
Think about that for a second.
You’re a hero type, but you’re working for the "bad guys" to save your family. Holloway played that guilt perfectly. He wasn't just Sawyer with a different haircut; he was a father who was slowly losing his soul. If you watch his later work in Yellowstone as Roarke Morris, you see a completely different side of him—corporate, slick, and manipulative. But in The Colony, he was all heart and grit.
Sarah Wayne Callies: The Secret Heart of the Resistance
Then there’s Sarah Wayne Callies as Katie Bowman. This is where the show got really interesting. While Will is working for the occupation to protect the family, Katie is secretly working for the Resistance.
Talk about awkward dinner conversations.
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Callies has this incredible ability to look like she’s holding back a scream while perfectly maintaining her composure. She’s done it for years. Whether it was Lori Grimes or Sara Tancredi, she knows how to play a woman under pressure. In this cast, she served as the ideological mirror to Will. Her performance pushed the audience to ask: how much are you willing to sacrifice for freedom? Is it worth losing your family?
The Scene Stealers: Peter Jacobson and Tory Kittles
Honestly, Peter Jacobson might be the best part of the whole series. He played Proxy Snyder. You know the type—the bureaucratic middleman who’s just trying to survive and keep his little bit of power. Jacobson is a veteran actor. You’ve seen him in House as Dr. Taub. He brings a weirdly relatable "weaseliness" to his roles. In The Colony, you hate Snyder, then you pity him, then you kind of want him to win. That’s a testament to Jacobson's range.
And we have to talk about Tory Kittles.
He played Broussard. If Will Bowman was the reluctant soldier, Broussard was the true believer. Kittles brought a stoic, quiet intensity to the role that made him an instant fan favorite. He didn't need a lot of dialogue to be intimidating. Since the show ended, Kittles has been killing it on The Equalizer alongside Queen Latifah, playing Detective Marcus Dante. It’s cool to see him finally get that leading-man recognition because he was the backbone of the resistance in the cast of The Colony.
Why the Supporting Cast Felt So Real
The show didn't just rely on its leads. The kids—played by Alex Neustaedter (Bram) and Isabella Crovetti (Gracie)—actually felt like kids caught in a war zone. Usually, child actors in sci-fi are just there to get into trouble and move the plot forward. But Bram’s descent into radicalization felt earned. It felt scary.
Then you had the guest stars and recurring roles that filled out the world:
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- Amanda Righetti as Maddie Kenner: The sister who just wanted a comfortable life, even if it meant cozying up to the elite.
- Paul Guilfoyle as Quayle: The cynical, old-school resistance leader.
- Adrian Pasdar as Nolan Burgess: Bringing that "slick politician" vibe he perfected in Heroes.
The casting directors, April Webster and Tasha Ames, really understood the assignment. They didn't just hire "pretty faces." They hired actors who looked like they hadn't slept in three days, which is exactly what a colonized Los Angeles would look like.
The Bittersweet Legacy of Season 3
We have to address the elephant in the room. The show was canceled after Season 3. It ended on a massive cliffhanger just as we were finally seeing the bigger picture—the actual war in space and the "Hosts"' enemies.
The cast of The Colony was just as frustrated as the fans.
When a show gets axed like that, the actors usually move on quickly, but you could tell this one hurt. The chemistry between Holloway and Callies was peak television. They had this shorthand that made the Bowman marriage feel lived-in. When they moved the production from LA to Vancouver for the third season, the tone shifted. It got colder, more isolated. The cast adapted beautifully, but the ratings just weren't there for USA Network at the time.
Where is the Cast Now?
If you're missing the show, the good news is the cast is everywhere right now.
Josh Holloway has been a staple in the Taylor Sheridan universe. Seeing him go from the sci-fi streets of LA to the ranches of Montana shows his versatility. Sarah Wayne Callies has moved into directing and podcasting. She actually hosted a rewatch podcast for Prison Break and has been very vocal about the creative process behind her roles.
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Peter Jacobson continues to be one of the most reliable character actors in Hollywood, popping up in everything from Fear the Walking Dead to The Americans. Tory Kittles is likely busy for the foreseeable future with The Equalizer, which has been a massive hit.
What We Can Learn From The Colony Today
Looking back, the show was incredibly prescient. It dealt with themes of occupation, collaboration, and how easily a society can be partitioned. The cast made those high-concept ideas feel personal.
If you're looking to dive back in or watch it for the first time, pay attention to the silence. The best moments aren't the shootouts; they're the moments where the characters realize they don't know who to trust. That's where the acting shines.
How to Follow the Cast's Current Projects
If you want to keep up with what these actors are doing in 2026, here is the best way to track them:
- Follow Tory Kittles on Instagram. He’s quite active and shares a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff from his current sets.
- Watch Yellowstone. Even if you aren't a fan of westerns, seeing Holloway play a villainous corporate raider is a treat for anyone who loved him as Will.
- Check out Sarah Wayne Callies’ directing credits. She’s been behind the camera for episodes of The Good Doctor and Fire Country.
- Look for Alex Neustaedter in indie films. He’s grown into a very capable adult actor, notably appearing in American Rust.
The cast of The Colony proved that sci-fi is always better when it's grounded in human emotion. They took a premise that could have been a "monster of the week" show and turned it into a haunting look at what humans will do to survive. Even though we never got a proper ending, the performances remain some of the best in 2010s cable television.
If you’re revisiting the series on streaming, watch for the subtle shifts in Peter Jacobson’s performance. The way he adjusts his glasses or shifts his weight when he’s lying to a superior is a masterclass in character acting. It’s those small details that made the show special.
To get the most out of your rewatch, try to find the "Colony" companion podcasts or old interviews from San Diego Comic-Con. The actors often discussed their characters' motivations in ways that never made it into the scripts, providing a much deeper layer to the "bloc" politics of the show.
The story of the Bowmans might be over, but the careers of the people who brought them to life are still going strong. That's the real win for the fans.