It’s been 20 years since Girlfriends first debuted on UPN, and several of its cast members are still appearing regularly on our TV and movie screens. The show, which centers on a group of best friends navigating life and love, ran for an impressive eight seasons, even surviving the end of original network UPN and getting moved to The CW. Back in 2019, the main cast had a mini reunion on star Tracee Ellis Ross’s current show, Black-ish, but they’ve been plenty busy besides the buzzy episode!
To celebrate two decades since the show’s first episode, we’re looking back at the main cast members and catching up with where they are now – keep reading for the full rundown, and watch the virtual reunion they held in honor of the big anniversary!
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Tracee Ellis Ross as Joan Clayton
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Tracee Ellis Ross Now
Six years after Girlfriends was canceled, Ross took the lead on another major TV series, ABC’s sitcom Black-ish. Her role as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson has earned her a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations, as well as the opportunity to direct and produce. She’s credited as cocreator of the spinoff Mixed-ish. Most recently, she starred as an R&B singer in the musical drama The High Note.
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Golden Brooks as Maya Wilkes
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Golden Brooks Now
Brooks has been working steadily in both movies and TV since Girlfriends ended in 2008. She had recurring roles on Hart of Dixie in 2012 and 2013 and on Blunt Talk from 2015 to 2016. In 2019, Brooks costarred in the thriller miniseries I Am the Night as the adoptive mother of Fauna, the mysterious girl at the center of the plot.
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Jill Marie Jones as Toni Childs-Garrett
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Jill Marie Jones Now
In the years after Girlfriends ended, Jones landed a pair of recurring roles on TV: first as Cynthia Irving on Sleepy Hollow, then as Amanda Fisher on Ash vs Evil Dead. In 2018, she joined Urban Movie Channel’s ensemble drama Monogamy, both as a star and an executive producer.
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Persia White as Lynn Searcy
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Persia White Now
Aside from her Girlfriends role, White is probably best know to TV viewers for playing Abby Bennett, the mother of powerful witch Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries (where she also met her husband, costar Joseph Morgan). More recently, she starred in two Christmas movies in 2017, Miss Me This Christmas and You Can’t Fight Christmas.
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Keesha Sharp as Monica Charles Brooks
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Keesha Sharp Now
Sharp’s career definitely hasn’t slowed down at all in the last decade. She spent three seasons on the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet?, then appeared in 2016 as Dale Cochran on American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson. That same year, she began work as a series regular on the crime drama Lethal Weapon, which ran for three seasons through 2019. Most recently, she’s been seen in recurring roles on major dramas like The Good Fight and Empire.
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Reggie Hayes as William Dent
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Khalil Kain as Darnell Wilkes
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Khalil Kain Now
Kain (who took over the role of Darnell from Flex Alexander beginning in season two) has mostly stuck to guest appearances and low-key movie work since the end of Girlfriends. His résumé includes roles on Blue Bloods, Person of Interest, and Elementary.
