:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Weeds-guest-stars-072225-44ba31dc81094091812850da65f4db99.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "‘Weeds’ turns 20! The 22 best guest stars who lit up the series")
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When your side hustle involves dealing weed out of the burbs, you’re bound to meet some eccentric characters. On Weeds — which premiered two decades ago on Aug. 7, 2005 — widowed PTA mom–turned–drug dealer Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) and her company cross paths with an unpredictable mix of fellow criminals, sleuths, lovers, and rivals. Many were played by some very familiar faces: Bob Odenkirk warmed up for another drug-fueled universe with a stint as a rehab patient; Alanis Morissette gloved up as a sensible OB-GYN; and Snoop Dogg dropped by (if you need clarification: yes, as himself.)
To celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary, see which stars earned a credit on Showtime’s Emmy-winning comedy.
Alanis Morissette
Jordin Althaus/Showtime/Courtesy Everett
Alanis Morissette spent time on Weeds, appearing in eight episodes during the fifth and sixth seasons. The singer plays Nancy’s level-headed obstetrician, Dr. Audra Kitson, who briefly dates Andy (Justin Kirk) after his repeated advances. Their relationship ends after Audra reaches her breaking point with the Botwins’ dangerous behavior.
Amy Aquino
Showtime
Amy Aquino found her way into Weeds‘ first season. The prolific actress appeared in a 2005 episode, “Lude Awakening,” playing a school psychologist who counsels Shane (Alexander Gould) after he begins acting out after his father’s death. She also offers a professional perspective on how Nancy’s parenting may be affecting Shane’s emotional state.
Bob Odenkirk
Showtime
The year before he made his debut on Breaking Bad, Bob Odenkirk popped up on Weeds in the 2008 episode “Head Cheese.” He joined season 4 as Barry, a man with substance abuse disorder who becomes Celia’s (Elizabeth Perkins) “promise partner” in rehab, and ends up sneaking coke in the facility.
Carrie Fisher
Showtime
Not doing much TV at the time, Carrie Fisher brought her star power to Weeds‘ third season. She appeared in one 2007 episode as Arlene Cutter, a deadpan, all-business divorce lawyer who helped Celia with her split from Dean (Andy Milder).
Chad Lindberg
Showtime
Chad Lindberg briefly appears as Detective Tipton in the season 8 premiere of Weeds, “Messy.” The Fast and the Furious alum portrays a police officer involved in the shooting at the episode’s opening.
Currie Graham
Showtime
A few years before Murder in the First premiered, Currie Graham guest-starred on Weeds during season 6. The House of Lies actor plays Vince in the episode “Yippity Sippity,” a man Nancy meets at a Seattle bar and casually flirts with while trying to unwind from her life on the run.
Dale Dickey
Showtime
The same year she appeared in Winter’s Bone (2010), Dale Dickey stopped by Weeds in the season 6 episode “Gentle Puppies” as Sugarpop, an eccentric outlaw with a wild streak whom the Botwins encounter at a general store during their RV road trip through the desert.
Ike Barinholtz
Showtime
Ahead of his turn as The Mindy Project‘s Morgan Tookers, Ike Barinholtz appeared in the Weeds season 6 episode “Fran Tarkenton,” playing Daryl, an oblivious coroner’s office worker who unknowingly helped Nancy and Andy tamper with the body of political fixer Pilar (Kate del Castillo).
Jane Lynch
Showtime
A few years before she hit the small screen as Glee‘s Sue Sylvester, Jane Lynch popped up in a 2005 episode titled “Fashion of the Christ.” She played the Candyman, an active edible dealer who encourages her customers to burn off the calories of her cannabis treats.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Peter Iovino/Showtime
Jeffrey Dean Morgan was a part of the family on Weeds, playing Judah Botwin in flashbacks during two 2005 episodes. He opened the series as Nancy’s husband, ending his arc in the show’s first season with his character’s sudden death taking place before the pilot.
Julie Bowen
Sonja Flemming/Showtime/courtesy Everett
Julie Bowen joined Weeds in 2008, playing Lisa for seven episodes of season 4. Her character owned a cheese shop in the fictional town of Ren Mar and developed a relationship with Silas (Hunter Parrish). The two go into business together, using her shop as a front to sell marijuana goods.
Lee Majors
Sonja Flemming/Showtime/courtesy Everett
In season 4, Lee Majors had a three-episode run as the leader of the “Minute-man,” a local militia border patrol group aiming to catch illegal crossers on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mae Whitman
Showtime
During her run on Parenthood, Mae Whitman dropped by Weeds for the season 8 episode “See Blue and Smell Cheese and Die.” She plays Tula, Tim’s (Daryl Sabara) girlfriend with a dark past, and ends up punching a hole in the wall because she’s furious at him pulling a gun on Nancy.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Showtime
Mark-Paul Gosselaar made it from Saved by the Bell‘s Bayside High School to Weeds‘ local bar, playing Jack — a gritty bartender who hooks up with Nancy at the counter in the season 6 episode “Gentle Puppies.”
Martin Short
Jordin Althaus/Showtime
Martin Short brought his award-winning comedic acting chops to Weeds in the show’s seventh season, guest-starring in three 2011 episodes as Steward Havens, a pro bono attorney who has a bizarre fetish for hearing his clients’ personal misfortunes.
Mary-Kate Olsen
Cliff Lipson/Showtime
As she shifted her focus from acting to fashion, Mary-Kate Olsen had one of her last major roles as Tara Lindman on Weeds. The former child star popped up in eight episodes of the third season, playing a religious-leaning pot smoker who becomes involved with Silas.
Michelle Trachtenberg
Jordin Althaus/Showtime/Courtesy Everett
While playing Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl, the late Michelle Trachtenberg appeared on Weeds in 2011 as Emma Karlin, a seemingly unhappy employee of rival pot-dealing front Pouncy House Party Rentals. She briefly dates Silas and feigns interest in joining his and Nancy’s operation, but later reveals she’s actually the boss of Pouncy House, using the inside information to sabotage their business.
Natasha Lyonne
Showtime
Months before making her debut as Orange Is the New Black‘s Nicky Nichols, Natasha Lyonne did a quick stint on Weeds as Tiffani. She appeared in the two-part series finale, playing a waitress who becomes romantically involved with Shane, who, at the time, is living with an alcohol problem.
Neil Brown Jr.
Showtime
Three years before he hit the big screen as DJ Yella in Straight Outta Compton, Neil Brown Jr. popped up on the small screen in the 2012 episode “Messy.” He played Mike Garcia, a paramedic who responds to a shooting at Nancy’s halfway house.
Paul F. Tompkins
Showtime
Paul F. Tompkins joined Weeds in 2007, appearing in two season 3 episodes. The actor played a suburban high school teacher named Bob Adams.
Snoop Dogg
Showtime
Snoop Dogg graced Weeds with his presence and his rap skills in the show’s second season. The rapper appeared in a 2006 episode as himself at a recording studio, where he samples Nancy and Conrad’s new strain and dubs it “MILF Weed” in his impromptu freestyle session.
Zooey Deschanel
Showtime
Before New Girl — or even (500) Days of Summer (2009) — Zooey Deschanel did a short stint on Weeds. The actress appeared in four episodes across seasons 2 and 3 as Kat, Andy’s impulsive ex-girlfriend who suddenly reenters his life and crashes with the Botwins, uninvited.
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