With Firefly Lane concluding its two-season run in 2023, now is a perfect time to reflect on the cast and characters that made the show unique. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the Netflix original series concerns best friends Kate and Tully as they navigate personal and professional drama in Seattle.
Over the course of 26 episodes, viewers witness how Kate and Tully bolster their friendly bond from their teenage years into their forties, making for a decade-long coming-of-age tale full of unforgettable characters. For those who've yet to the underrated show a chance, it's time to get acquainted with the cast and characters of Firefly Lane.
Katherine Heigl as Adult Tully Hart
Katherine Heigl portrays Tallulah Hart, also known as Tully. As a child, Tully expresses an interest in becoming a journalist. When she meets Kate Mularkey in 1982, the two become fast friends and bond over becoming professional news reporters. As an adult, Tully achieves her lifelong dream by becoming the host of the popular daytime talk show, The Girlfriend Hour. However, balancing her personal life with work proves to be quite a chore.
After appearing in several low-budget horror movies to begin her career (Valentine, Bride of Chucky), Heigl landed her big breakout TV role when she joined the cast of Grey's Anatomy in 2005. In 2007, Heigl won a Primetime Emmy for playing Izzie Stevens in the hit medical drama. That same year, Heigl found big-screen success by starring in Judd Apatow's comedy hitKnocked-Up.
Sarah Chalke as Adult Kate Mularkey
Sarah Chalk plays Tully's best friend Kate Mularkey on Firefly Lane. An aspiring journalist since childhood as well, Kate's path to success is much rockier and more unpredictable than Tully's. Kate's pluckiness as a child is balanced by her unfulfilling life as an adult. As such, Kate spends much of her time navigating a divorce and leaving her position as a housewife to reenter the workforce and find her journalistic voice.
Sarah Chalke is a Canadian actress with roughly 80 credits to her name thus far. While she has appeared in many TV shows during her career, her most notable roles include playing Becky on Roseanne for 73 episodes and voicing the character of Beth Smith on Rick and Morty. However, most viewers will recognize Chalke from her ten-year run as Dr. Elliot Reid on the medical comedy Scrubs.
Ali Skovbye as Young Tully Hart
Canadian actress Ali Skovbye plays the teenage version of Tully Hart on the show. The narrative goes back and forth between the past and present to crystalize the difference between the child and adult versions of Tully, proving that some aspects of life inevitably change while others remain the same. To begin, Tully is a cool girl who hides her insecurities relating to her mother's drug addiction. Over time, she begins to open up to Kate and forge a lifelong bond.
In addition to briefly appearing in such TV shows as Supernatural, Fringe, Once Upon a Time, and The Man in The High Castle, Skovbye has appeared in several TV movies. They include such titles as Campfire Kiss, Adventures in Babysitting, and Hallmark Christmas movies One Christmas Eve, One Christmas Wish, and Secrets of My Stepfather. After appearing in seven episodes of When Calls the Heart, Tully Hart represents Skovbye's most significant TV role to date.
Roan Curtis as Young Kate
Roan Curtis portrays the younger version of Kate Mularkey. Shy, introverted, and obsessed with movies, Kate begins to come out of her shell when Tully moves to town. Just as Kate helps Tully express her vulnerabilities, Tully helps Kate find comfort and confidence in herself. Over time, the two become inseparable all the way into adulthood.
Curtis shares many crossover credits with her fellow Firefly Lane cast members. In addition to appearing in Supernatural and The Good Doctor, Curtis has played recurring roles in Shut Eye and The Magicians. While Firefly Lane features her biggest role to date, many Netflix fans are sure to recall seeing Curtis in the Stephen King horror movie 1922. It's precocious, experienced actors like Curtis and Skovbye that really make the flashback scenes in Firefly Lane stand out.
Ben Lawson as Johnny Ryan
Australian actor Ben Lawson plays Johnny Ryan on Firefly Lane. As the husband of Tully's best friend Kate and producer of her TV show The Girlfriend Hour, Johnny is constantly trying to negotiate his personal and professional bond with his wife and co-worker, which can get quite messy at times when the two don't see eye to eye.
As a veteran film and TV actor since the early '90s, Lawson's breakout role came when he was cast on the long-running Australian soapNeighbours in 2006, on which he spent 277 episodes. Since then, Lawson has appeared in everything from Designated Survivor and Doubt to 13 Reasons Why and The Good Place. In terms of big-screen credits, Lawson has also appeared in No Strings Attached, Bombshell, and The Way We Weren't.
Beau Garrett as Cloud
American actress Beau Garrett depicts Tully's carefree mother, Cloud. Arguably the MVP of the series, Cloud has a free spirit and dependency on drugs that, while tragic at times, often leads to the funniest moments on the show. The juxtaposition between Cloud's flippant attitude and Tully's responsibility leads to comedic gold.
With over 40 credits dating back to 2004, Garrett has a solid resume filled with memorable movies and TV projects. After playing Gem in TRON: Legacy, Garrett worked with Terrence Malick on Knight of Cups five years later. In terms of TV roles, Garrett's biggest role prior to Firefly Lane includes her role as Phoebe on Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce. Garrett most recently starred as Jessica Preston on The Good Doctor, joining Heigl and Chalke by acting on a hit medical TV show.
Yael Yurman as Marah Ryan
Canadian actress Yael Yurman portrays Marah Ryan on Firefly Lane, the teenage daughter of Kate and Johnny. As the temperamental 14-year-old who slams doors and rolls her eyes at her embarrassing parents, the way Kate interacts with her daughter is a stark reminder of her own troubled adolescence.
Yurman is no stranger to Netflix. In 2018, she appeared as "Tiny Freshman" in the popular movie To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Yurman has also appeared in four episodes of Once Upon a Time and four episodes of The Man in the High Castle. Prior to being cast as Marah in Firefly Lane, Yurman portrayed the character of Bridget in the popular series Snowpiercer. Having appeared in every Firefly Lane episode but one, Marah Ryan is the most substantial role of Yurman's career to date.
Brendan Taylor as Mutt
Canadian actor Brendan Taylor plays Mutt. Mutt is Kate's former fling from the 1980s who now works as the camera operator for the KPOC TV station. Still harboring a crush on Kate, Mutt adds a lot of comic relief to the show by awkwardly getting in the way when Kate least expects it. Once Kate gets together with Johnny, Mutt does his best to remain a platonic friend.
With over 50 screen credits to date, Taylor's most famous roles include brief stints on the acclaimed CW seriesSupernatural, Fargo, Bates Motel,iZombie, The Magicians, and The Arrangement. While often cast in horror/thrillers, Firefly Lane gives Taylor a chance to flash his comedic timing in his longest-running role thus far in his career.
Chelah Horsdal as Margie
Canadian actress Chelah Horsdal plays Kate's prim and proper mother, Margie. Just like the hilarity that comes from the difference between Tully and Kate, the dichotomy between mothers Margie and Cloud leads to several laugh-out-loud moments on the show. Despite appearing in 17 of 26 episodes, Horsdal truly makes her presence felt.
As the most prolific Firefly Lane cast member, Horsdal has no shortage of memorable roles. She recently appeared in 36 episodes of The Man in the High Castle and 10 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. She's also appeared in Stargate SG1 and Battlestar Galactica. Cinematically, Horsdal has appeared in The Cabin in the Woods, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, and X-Men: The Last Stand.
Ignacio Serricchio as Danny Diaz
A Season 2 mainstay, Argentinian actor Ignacio Serricchio portrays Danny Diaz in Firefly Lane. Ignacio is a sports reporter at KPOC during the 80s and maintains a tenuous romance with Tully through the years. Despite their torrid attraction to each other, their quest for fame and celebrity often puts a wrench in their romance.
A journeyman TV actor since the mid-2000s, Serricchio has more experience playing recurring roles for a long period of time than many of his Firefly Lane cast mates. For instance, the actor spent 21 episodes on General Hospital and 71 episodes on TheYoung and the Restless. He also appeared in 28 episodes of Lost in Space before voicing a role on American Dad! and the long-running animated seriesFamily Guy, proving his immense versatility across a wide range of genres.