The Cast of The CW's 'Life Unexpected': Where Are They Now?
The CW’s Life Unexpected created a family on and off the screen.
“I lived with Shiri [Appleby] while we were filming, so I got to know her really well and we bonded a lot, but Kris [Polaha] is like my big brother role model,” actress Britt Robertson, who starred as Lux, gushed to Seventeen in April 2010.
Life Unexpected debuted in January 2010 and followed teenager Lux as she sought emancipation from the Portland foster care system. Her path led her to discover the identity of her biological parents, Nate “Baze” Bazile (Polaha) and Cate Cassidy (Appleby), who had placed her in the system after a teen pregnancy and subsequent breakup. Instead of becoming emancipated, Lux was placed in their joint custody. The show was ultimately canceled following its second season.
“I was totally surprised,” creator Liz Tigelaar told the Los Angeles Times in January 2011. “I always thought that we would keep going and I thought that we would get to our endgame, which is with Cate and Baze eventually finding their way together on some level.”
Scroll below to check in with the cast more than one decade later:
Appleby started acting long before landing the role of Cate, and after a string of TV commercials and guest roles on various sitcoms, she landed a starring role on The WB’s Roswell as Liz Parker. After the alien-inspired series wrapped in 2002, she booked roles in Thrill of the Kill, Charlie Wilson’s War, ER and more. Appleby later starred as Rachel Goldberg on Lifetime’s UnReal, the fictitious drama about the behind-the-scenes world of The Bachelor. She eventually returned to the Roswell universe in 2021 as a guest star and director on The CW’s Roswell: New Mexico reboot. Appleby and her husband, celebrity chef Jon Shook, share two children. Getty Images (2)
Polaha, who previously guest-starred on a 2001 episode of Roswell alongside Appleby, went on to score roles in the likes of North Shore, Miss Guided and Mad Men before portraying Baze on Life Unexpected. Since the two-season show wrapped, his acting credits have included Little Fires Everywhere, Jurassic World Dominion and a slew of Hallmark movies, including 2016’s Dater’s Handbook opposite Meghan Markle. Polaha is also an author and has written multiple best-selling novels. The Nevada native married Julianne Morris in 2003, and they share three sons. Getty Images (2)
Robertson’s early acting credits include The Ghost Club, Keeping Up With the Steins, Cherry, Avalon High and Scream 4. After Life Unexpected, she continued acting in The First Time, The Secret Circle, Under the Dome, Mother’s Day and The Longest Ride. Robertson joined Shondaland in 2018, starring as attorney Sandra Bell on ABC’s one-season For the People. She currently stars as Laura Stensen on the network’s The Rookie: Feds. When the Re-Education of Molly Singer actress married Paul Floyd in April 2023, many of her Life Unexpected costars scored invitations. Both Tigelaar and Polaha shared wedding day photos via their Instagram accounts. Prior to finding love with Floyd, Robertson was linked to Graham Rogers, Dylan O’Brien and Logan Henderson. Getty Images (2)
Long before he played Cate’s fiancé, Ryan Thomas, on Life Unexpected, Smith rose to fame playing Ryder Hughes on As the World Turns and Jack McPhee on Dawson’s Creek. Smith’s other acting credits include Charmed, The Fosters, Riverdale and Where Hope Grows. Smith was previously married to Harmoni Everett from 2003 to 2009. Mathew Imaging/WireImage; Courtesy of Kerr Smith/Instagram
Solo appeared in 2010’s Black Swan shortly before landing the role of Lux’s BFF, Natasha “Tasha” Siviac. She has since acted in Locke & Key, Orphan Black, Lost Girl, Another You and Project Blue Book. Getty Images (2)
Gavron portrayed Lux’s bad-boy boyfriend, Bug, who notably had a spider tattoo on his neck. The British actor has also appeared in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Parenthood, Celeste & Jesse Forever, 2018’s A Star Is Born, Catch-22 and The Godfather of Harlem. Getty Images (2)
Basis appeared on Life Unexpected as Baze’s roommate Matthew “Math” Rogers, who was also a teacher at Lux’s new school. After The CW series ended, he continued acting in J. Edgar, The CW’s Beauty and the Beast, Casual and the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Getty Images (2)
Austin played another one of Baze’s roommates, Jamie, during Life Unexpected’s first season. His acting credits also include Devious Maids, Agent Carter, The Fosters, On My Block, Pretty Little Liars and The Marked. Getty Images (2)
Butler recurred on Life Unexpected as Lux’s classmate Jones Mager, with whom she eventually sparked a romance. The Golden Globe winner rose to fame with roles on other teen series, including iCarly, Switched at Birth, Zoey 101 and The Carrie Diaries. Butler later appeared in the critically acclaimed movies Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, the latter of which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Butler dated High School Musical actress Vanessa Hudgens for nine years before they broke up in 2020. He has since moved on with model Kaia Gerber. Getty Images (2)
Kebbel had a recurring role as Ryan’s sister, Paige Thomas, on Life Unexpected. Prior to joining the series, she notably appeared as Lindsay on Gilmore Girls and in the movies Aquamarine and John Tucker Must Die. Her acting credits also include UnReal, Think Like a Man, The CW’s 90210 reboot, The Vampire Diaries, 9-1-1 and the 50 Shades of Grey franchise. Kebbel is also a staple on the Hallmark Channel, recently appearing in 2023’s Love in the Great Smoky Mountains. While Kebbel remains tight-lipped about her personal life, Us Weekly exclusively confirmed in 2020 that she was “very excited” about her then-new relationship with a mystery man. Getty Images (2)
The She’s the Man star made brief cameos on Life Unexpected as Cate’s sister, Abby Cassidy, who had a brief fling with Baze. Breckenridge has since landed featured roles on This Is Us, True Blood and The Walking Dead. She currently stars as Mel Monroe on Netflix’s Virgin River. Breckenridge shares two children with her husband, Casey Hooper, whom she married in 2015. Getty Images (2)
Karpluk appeared as Cate and Ryan’s radio producer (and Cate’s close friend) Alice in the first season. Her acting credits also include Godiva’s, Almost Heaven, Being Erica, Saving Hope, Rookie Blue, Holly Hobbie and A Million Little Things. Getty Images (2)
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