10 Stars Who Appeared on ‘Northern Exposure,’ Now 30 Years Old

Northern Exposure Teri Polo Regina King James Marsters
Rich Fury/Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Amy Sussman/Getty Images, Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for ReedPOP

If you were watching CBS in the early ’90s — or if you’ve seen a parka-wrapped DVD set for sale — you’re probably aware of Northern Exposure, which is now 30 years old.

A comedy-drama from the creators of St. Elsewhere, Northern Exposure told the story of Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), a New York City physician who is surprised to be assigned to the isolated and icy town of Cicely, Alaska. The show premiered on July 12, 1990, and aired for 110 episodes across six seasons, and it beat out Law & Order and L.A. Law to win the 1992 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

To celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary, scroll down to see 10 stars who appeared on the show, starting with Morrow and ending up with a one-off guest star who’s now a bona fide A-lister.

Rob Morrow of Northern Exposure
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Rob Morrow

Morrow, who went on to star in Numb3rs, played fish-out-of-water physician Joel Fleischman, earning two Emmy nominations for the role.

John Corbett
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John Corbett

The Sex and the City star played rebellious disc jockey Chris Stevens in the series.

Teri Polo
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Teri Polo

The Fosters and Good Trouble actress joined Northern Exposure in Season 6 as reporter Michelle Schowdowski Capra.

Anthony Edwards
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Anthony Edwards

Edwards, best known for his stint on ER, played environmental activist Mike Monroe on the show.

Northern Exposure James Marsters
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James Marsters

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel star played two characters across two episodes — a bellhop and a reverend.

Christa Miller
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Christa Miller

The Scrubs and Cougar Town alum played student filmmaker Laurie Batan in the episode “Soapy Sanderson.”

John Hawkes
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John Hawkes

The Oscar-nominated star of Winter’s Bone played a health inspector named Jason in the episode “Do the Right Thing.”

Northern Exposure Debra Mooney
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Debra Mooney

The Everwood and Grey’s Anatomy actress played Maggie’s mom, Jane O’Connell, in the installment “The Mommy’s Curse.”

Northern Exposure Valerie Jaffrey
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Valerie Mahaffey

The Young Sheldon and Dead to Me actress became the only thespian to win an Emmy for the show after playing hypochondriac Eve in five episodes.

Regina King
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Regina King

The Oscar winner and Watchmen star played an imagined version of Mother Nature in the episode “Baby Blues.”