“My Name Is Earl” is one of those sitcoms that remains beloved to a select group of fans but never really caught on in the zeitgeist in a way like “The Office” or “30 Rock” did. It had a great, heartwarming premise of the titular Earl (Jason Lee) wanting to make amends to all the people he’s wronged in his troublemaking life. Earl typically hung around an eclectic group of characters to help (or hinder) him along his journey, and there was the potential for the show to make some big waves had it been allowed to continue. 

Sadly, “My Name Is Earl” was canceled after four seasons due to negotiation issues between the network and the studio. It was an anticlimactic development, especially seeing as season 4 ended on a cliffhanger with the revelation that Darnell (Eddie Steeples) wasn’t the father to Earl Jr. (Trey Carlisle). A subsequent season could’ve revealed who Joy (Jaime Pressly) slept with, but it seems destined to remain a mystery, especially since there’s never really been talk of moving forward with a revival. 

Since we can’t get closure on the “My Name Is Earl” characters, we can at least see what the cast has been up to since the show ended in 2009. You may be surprised to see where a few of them ended up. 

Jason Lee plays Earl Hickey, a man trying to realign his karma and do some good in the world. The show is told from his perspective, with him often narrating to offer context to where he’s been and where he hopes to go. It was far from a breakout role, as many of Jason Lee’s best movies, like “Mallrats” and “Almost Famous,” came out prior to “My Name Is Earl,” but he kept busy in the entertainment industry following its cancelation. 

Arguably, his most noteworthy performances post-“Earl” came in the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” live-action movies where he plays Dave, the chipmunks’ makeshift father figure. He’s also done a good amount of voiceover work on the “We Bare Bears” series. 

Outside of acting, Lee has had three children with his wife Ceren Alkaç. The first was born in 2008 while “My Name Is Earl” was still on the air, and the other two would follow in 2012 and 2017. And after joining Scientology in the 1990s, Lee ultimately left in 2016, telling The Guardian, “Ultimately, it was just not for me. That’s it. I wasn’t really involved going back many, many years now.” For now, Lee continues getting steady work, and one would imagine if Kevin Smith ever gets a script for “Mallrats 2” off the ground, Lee would return to reprise his role as Brodie. 

Of course, Earl needs some help to make amends for everything he’s messed up, and that’s where Randy, played by Ethan Suplee, factors in. Randy is Earl’s dim-witted brother, which is really saying something because Earl isn’t exactly the brightest bulb himself, but despite his criminal past, he also wants to make things right and try to do better. 

Following the end of “My Name Is Earl,” Suplee worked on many noteworthy projects, including “Wolf of Wall Street” and “Babylon.” He’s also had recurring roles on TV series like “The Ranch” and “Jennifer Falls,” the latter of which reunited him with his “Earl” co-star Jaime Pressly. He certainly hasn’t been short on work, but you might not have recognized him in some of his more recent appearances, as Suplee has lost over 200 pounds since starring on “My Name Is Earl.”

Suplee credits cycling to his weight loss, but he admitted to Entertainment Weekly that after losing a bunch of weight, he had a harder time getting work because no one recognized him. “I found that people were like, ‘Who are you? We don’t know you,” he explained. “You’re this new person.’ So a couple years ago I made the decision: I’m not going to kill myself to be thin when nobody knows me as a thin person.” Suplee even started a podcast, “American Glutton” to talk about diet and exercise, and given his resume, it’s apparent he’s still getting ample work.

While Earl gets plenty of assistance trying to do good in the world, one person who’s not too keen on helping is his ex-wife, Joy, played by Jaime Pressly. She’s openly disdainful toward his list of everyone he needs to make amends to and still frequently looks out for her own interests throughout the show — although she mellows out a bit as time goes on. 

Outside of appearing in memes where people point out how similar Pressly and Margot Robbie look, the actor has had great success in sitcoms following “My Name Is Earl.” She had the lead role on “Jennifer Falls” for the short time that was on the air, but she had another great supporting role on “Mom” throughout its run. Pressly also showed off her comedic chops in movies like “I Love You, Man” and “A Haunted House 2.” 

In 2017, Pressly gave birth to twins with her boyfriend Hamzi Hijazi, and her Instagram has been filled with pictures of the two. But being a mom hasn’t slowed Pressly down in the slightest, as she most recently starred on “Welcome to Flatch,” which ended in 2023 after two seasons. 

Randy develops a crush on a maid of the motel where he and his brother live for a while — Catalina, played by Nadine Velazquez. The two eventually get married although it’s more of a practical arrangement so she can return to the United States after her deportation. 

Velazquez didn’t skip a beat when “My Name Is Earl” was canceled. In 2009, she began a recurring role on “The League” as Sofia Ruxin, wife to Rodney (Nick Kroll). Much of that cast of “The League” also continued getting regular work over the years, and Velazquez is no exception. She appeared in the movie “Ride Along 2,” and most recently, she was in the main cast for “Queens,” which was canceled after just one season. “Queens” follows a group of women trying to recapture the glory of their former ’90s girl group. It’s basically the same plot as “Girls5Eva;” however; both shows actually premiered in 2021, so it’s a total coincidence they touched on similar subject matter. 

Darnell Turner, played by Eddie Steeples, seems like a straightforward character initially. He cuckolds Earl by impregnating Joy while they’re still together, and for a while, Earl believes that their child, Earl Jr., is his despite him being half-Black. However, as the show goes on, we learn more about Darnell’s backstory, like how he was trained to be in a top-secret government organization but after refusing to follow orders and testifying against some powerful people, he gets placed in witness protection. 

Steeples already had a lot of love coming his way before playing Darnell, as he was the Rubberband Man in a popular Office Max commercial. Steeples had an infectious energy dancing around an office while handing out supplies, and Darnell, aka Crab Man, also quickly became a fan-favorite. He continued acting after the show, even reuniting with his co-star Jason Lee in “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.” Steeples also had a recurring role on “The Guest Book,” a comedy anthology series from “My Name is Earl” creator Greg Garcia.

Earl hooks up with and marries Joy while drunk, not realizing she’s six months pregnant with another man’s child. Earl decides to stick around, and Joy eventually gives birth to Dodge, played by Louis T. Moyle. We later learn that Dodge is, in fact, Earl’s biological son as he and Joy hooked up unknowingly beforehand, but the show was canceled before that dynamic could be explored further. As a child actor, Moyle only has one other credit outside of “My Name Is Earl,” and it’s a single episode of “Shark,” a legal drama starring James Woods.

“My Name Is Earl” is Moyle’s last acting credit, and not much information can be found about him. When “Earl” was still on the air, he was interviewed by The Spokesman-Review about what he liked about his part, and he said, “I like acting, except for memorizing my lines and practicing.” Moyle’s mother even offered this somewhat backhanded compliment toward the show as a whole: “It’s a corny show, but there’s a lesson in every episode.”

Back when Earl thought Dodge wasn’t his biological kid, he and Joy tried for another baby, and the result was Earl Jr., played by Trey Carlisle. The joke is apparent — Earl Jr. is half-Black as Joy had an affair with Darnell while she was still with Earl. However, season 4 had even more DNA tomfoolery as it’s also revealed that Earl Jr. wasn’t actually Darnell’s biological son. Greg Garcia later said in an interview that their plan was to make Earl Jr.’s father someone famous, with names like Lil’ Jon and Dave Chappelle being considered at one point. But since the show was canceled, Earl Jr.’s true parentage will forever remain a mystery. 

Trey Carlisle didn’t do much acting after “My Name Is Earl.” He starred in some short films and even wrote and directed his own, titled “History Lesson.” But like his on-screen brother, Carlisle has mostly faded from the limelight. 

“My Name Is Earl” frequently utilizes flashbacks to show all the awful things Earl did before going on a more righteous path. This often involves a much younger version of himself, played by Noah Crawford. We first see Crawford as Earl in the pilot episode where he taunts another kid and winds up kicking him in the crotch during a kickball game. 

Crawford has remained firmly in the entertainment sphere since his “Earl” days. He’s appeared in a number of TV shows, usually in one-off appearances, like “Criminal Minds,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” and “Bizaardvark.” However, he did have a more recurring role on the “Snowpiercer” TV series as Rat throughout season 4 before it ultimately came to an end. 

Crawford has tried his hand behind the camera too. You can go to his YouTube channel to check out some of the fan films he’s made based on pre-existing properties, such as a concept work of what it would look like if Mr. Freeze wound up in “The Batman Part II.” 

Dale Dickey is a legendary character actor to the point where it’s probably easier to talk about which TV shows she hasn’t been on. Her resume goes back to the 1990s, and she had a recurring part throughout “My Name Is Earl” as Patty, a sex worker who prefers to do business in the daytime. Earl frequently enlists her help during his retribution arc, including in the very first episode when he hires her to have sex with Kenny James (Gregg Binkley) before learning that Kenny’s gay and just needs help embracing his identity more.

From Oscar-nominated works to fun TV shows, Dickey has done it all. She’s utilized her knack for playing edgy Southern characters to great effect in films like “Winter’s Bone” and “Hell or High Water.” But she’ll also just pop in on some of your favorite series, whether it’s “The Mandalorian,” “Fallout,” or “Lawmen: Bass Reeves.” Even though she’s normally relegated to supporting roles, fans shouldn’t miss when she takes center stage. In /Film’s review of 2022’s underrated “A Love Song,” Shania Russell drew particular attention toward Dickey’s capabilities as an actor: “There’s nothing Dickey can’t communicate with her face … She juggles anguish and gentle hope.”

As already mentioned, Gregg Binkley plays Kenny James, the first person Earl makes amends with. He restores his confidence, and in return, the two become friends with Kenny helping Earl out when he’s able to.

Binkley has consistently gotten work since “My Name Is Earl” got canceled. He definitely has one of those faces where you know you’ve seen him before but can’t quite place where, which is appropriate given he’s had roles in an array of shows, including “Young Sheldon, “NCIS,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” However, his most prominent role to date has probably been playing Barney on “Raising Hope” from 2010 to 2014. In 2024, he paid his success forward by publishing the book “Get Your Act Together: Finding Success in Acting and Life” where he writes about his journey as an actor and what techniques helped him find success. With a career like his, it’s hard to argue the results. 

As you can probably guess by his last name, Bill Suplee is Ethan Suplee’s father. His acting career began later in life, with “My Name Is Earl” being his first professional role ever as Willie the One-Eyed Mailman. He offers ample comedic relief in the recurring part, occasionally seen disregarding people’s mail by just tossing it in the garbage. 

“My Name Is Earl” may have been his first acting gig, but it wouldn’t be the last. He starred in many short films and TV movies following “Earl,” but he also had some brief appearances on “How I Met Your Mother” and “Good Luck Charlie.” His final role to date was 2017’s “Love or War,” and in 2022, his wife, Debbie Suplee, passed away. Debbie Suplee also caught the acting bug but mostly with theatrical performances and putting on plays at the school she worked at as a teacher. No matter what Bill Suplee’s up to these days, hopefully he’s doing all right.

Abdoulaye N’Gom plays Nescobar-A-Lop-Lop in several episodes of “My Name Is Earl.” He initially appears in the season 1 episode “Teacher Earl,” when Earl teaches an English as a Second Language class to make up for making fun of people with accents. Nescobar-A-Lop-Lop is one of his students, and he keeps popping up in various random capacities, with much of his English stemming from what he learns on TV.

N’Gom would reprise his role of Nescobar-A-Lop-Lop on “Raising Hope,” another show created by Greg Garcia, while also appearing on “The Mindy Project” and “Legion” as well as the Adam Sandler movie “Blended.” N’Gom has had a prestigious career going back to the 1970s with a part on “Roots: The Next Generations;” however, it doesn’t look like he’s acted in several years, with his last role being “Legion” in 2019. It also doesn’t look like he’s done much in the way of interviews to show what he’s been up to.

Timothy Stack appropriately plays TV’s Tim Stack on “My Name Is Earl,” who’s basically an exaggerated version of himself. He’s naturally a local celebrity, but he’s definitely a bit more belligerent than how he is in real life (at least we hope). There’s even an episode where he’s pulled over and tries to get the cop to let him go since he has 62 IMDb credits. If you look at his IMDb now, it’s a lot more than that. 

Stack actually had a heavy hand in creating “My Name Is Earl,” as he also served as a consulting producer and wrote seven episodes. His resume goes back to the 1980s with roles on “Punky Brewster” and “Remington Steele,” and he’s still acting today, showing up in an episode of the CBS sitcom “Ghosts.” Even if he’s not in front of the camera, he’s done plenty behind it, including serving as a consulting producer on Freevee’s “Sprung” as recently as 2022. 

R.I.P. Freevee.

“My Name Is Earl” really kickstarted Mike O’Malley’s tenure as someone who has to be on every sitcom ever. He plays police officer Stuart Daniels, whom Earl makes amends with after stealing his badge. Earl convinces him to pursue his dream of becoming a professional bowler. He pops in repeatedly to help Earl, and eventually, he even gets into a relationship with Kenny James. 

Post-“My Name Is Earl,” O’Malley has shown up in numerous sitcoms, such as “The Good Place” and “Raising Hope.” His most recent gig has been as Firefighter Captain Robinson on “Abbott Elementary,” where he has an on-again, off-again relationship with Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) — easily one of the best characters on “Abbott.” And there’s certainly going to be plenty more O’Malley roles to come. He’s tapped to star in a new comedy thriller called “Eeenie Meanie,” which will also star Samara Weaving, Steve Zahn, and Randall Park.

Billy Gardell is another one of those sitcom regulars, and he actually had a couple of parts to play on “My Name Is Earl.” He first shows up in season 2 as warehouse worker Billy, but Billy has an identical brother, Jeffrey, a police officer who’s mostly seen through the final two seasons. 

After making a name for himself in the comedy world on “My Name Is Earl” and other funny shows, Gardell got his chance to lead his own series with “Mike & Molly” starting in 2010. He landed another lead role as the titular Bob on “Bob Hearts Abishola,” which ran from 2019 to 2024. Plus, you’ll soon be able to hear his voice as Garbage Bot in the Russo Brothers’ next big sci-fi epic, “The Electric State.”

Gardell’s also looking different today compared to his time on “My Name Is Earl” after undergoing bariatric surgery to lose roughly 170 pounds. He still regularly performs stand-up around the country, meaning he has a genuine claim to being one of the hardest-working people in Hollywood.