“Chicago Med” is a stirring medical drama that delivers some of the best hospital action ever put to the small screen. The series boasts a strong ensemble that, interestingly, includes a number of actors known for comedy shows, like Oliver Platt and S. Epatha Merkerson. Another cast member who can be added to that list is Steven Weber, who plays Dr. Dean Archer. Many may not recall, but Weber came to fame via “Wings,” a long-running ’90s sitcom about the goings-on at a small airport on Nantucket that is now available to stream on Paramount+.
“Wings” is one of those TV shows that are way better than you remember. Premiering in 1990, it centers on a small regional airline owned by the uptight and highly-strung Joe Hackett (Tim Daly) and his younger, brasher brother, Brian — played by Steven Weber. The ensemble also included lunch counter operator and Joe’s love interest Helen Chapel (Crystal Bernard), cheery but curmudgeonly Fay Cochrane (Rebecca Schull), pompous blowhard and rival airline owner Roy Biggins (David Schramm), dim-witted mechanic Lowell Mather (Thomas Haden Church), and immigrant cabby Antonio Scarpacci (Tony Shalhoub).
A clever blend of whip-smart comedy and heartfelt stories of family and friendship, “Wings” was surprisingly wholesome. Overshadowed by edgier comedies like “Seinfeld” and “Friends,” it has been largely overlooked in the years since it aired, despite being one of the best and longest-running sitcoms of the decade. But if nothing else, “Wings” provided Steven Weber with his first major role, setting him up for a future on “Chicago Med.”
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What happened to the rest of the cast?
Tony Shalhoub at the premiere of Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie – Lev Radin/Shutterstock
Steven Weber isn’t the only “Wings” actor who went on to have an interesting career. Tim Daly took a detour into voice acting, snagging the title role in “Superman: The Animated Series.” He would reprise the role in several TV movies and video games in the late ’90s and early ’00s, making Daly the most iconic voice of Superman for an entire generation. He went on to play First Gentleman of the United States Henry McCord in over a hundred episodes of “Madam Secretary,” and, more recently, he’s been plying his trade in the Netflix sitcom “Leanne.”
The actor you might recognize most from the cast of “Wings” is Tony Shalhoub, who went on to star in “Monk.” One of the greatest detective shows in TV history, “Monk” mixed comedy and drama expertly, and it proved popular enough to receive a Peacock Original sequel movie in 2023, more than a decade after it ended. In between, Shalhoub joined the cast of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” winning an Emmy for his role as Professor Abe Weissman, which added to the three he took home for playing Monk.
Let’s not forget Thomas Haden Church. Though he got his start playing the bumbling Lowell Mather on “Wings,” he quickly became the star of his own series — “Ned and Stacey” with Debra Messing — before heading to the movies. There, he played the villainous Sandman in “Spider-Man 3” and was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the critically acclaimed drama “Sideways.” He currently stars as Agent Stone in the Peacock Original series “Twisted Metal.”
Crystal Bernard retired from acting and hasn’t done anything since the late ’00s, but Rebecca Schull is still active, having appeared onscreen most recently in the 2022 Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson rom-com “Meet Cute.” Sadly, not every member of the “Wings” cast is still with us: David Schramm passed away in 2020, and Farrah Forke (who played helicopter pilot Alex Lambert) sadly died in 2022.
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Read the original article on Looper.
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