The following are a list of descriptions for characters on the HBO television series Six Feet Under, which aired from 2001–2005 for five seasons.
Nathaniel Samuel "Nate" Fisher, Jr. (1965–2005), played by Peter Krause, is the oldest of the three Fisher siblings; the series begins when he returns to Los AngelesonChristmas Eve only to learn that his father has died, and the series ends in season five shortly after his death.
Throughout the series, Nate searches for the ideal life that he wants to live. On the airplane while flying home to Los Angeles, he meets Brenda Chenowith, whom he has sex with upon landing, in an airport maintenance room. Hoping to keep the family business alive, Nate becomes a funeral director (a job he swore he would never do) and co-operates the business with his brother David. Not long after, Nate becomes diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and becomes engaged to Brenda around the same time. Nate and Brenda end the relationship both because of Brenda's sexual addiction and her discovery that Nate had an affair with Lisa, his former roommate. Nate then has surgery to have his AVM removed which is a success. Nate instead marries Lisa who bore him a daughter, Maya. Months later, Lisa goes missing and is found dead. Nate waits the proper time until getting back together with Brenda who is already seeing someone. The two move in together and soon marry. Brenda becomes pregnant with Nate's second child which Nate does not want. Nate then meets George's daughter, Maggie whom he becomes fascinated with. Before a Quaker meeting, they expectedly kiss and have sex. Mere moments later, Nate suffers a seizure due to a reappearance of AVM and collapses on her floor. Nate is rushed to the hospital, wakes up long enough to effectively end his marriage with Brenda, and dies the following day.
Following his death, the series spends the last three episodes addressing the other characters' lives as they attempt to cope with his absence. Nate appears several times to them as a representation of their own thoughts, in a device that had been commonly used for many dead characters throughout the series to dramatically illustrate characters' internal monologues.
David James Fisher (1969-2044), played by Michael C. Hall, is the middle child (four years younger than Nate) who was co-operator of Fisher & Sons Funeral Home (later Fisher & Diaz). David is gay and is at first in the closet about his sexuality. Prior to the start of the series, David was confused about his sexuality after being engaged briefly to a woman named Jennifer Mason. David met Keith Charles, an African-American police officer at a church social function and the two began dating. David joined the family business in 1989 at the age of 20 and was very jealous of his brother Nate who ran away from home years prior.
After his father's death and Nate returns, David has a visible resentment against Nate but the tension soon dissolves when Nate wants to help with the family funeral business. At the same time, David is offered his father's old position as deacon at their church. In addition to not coming out to his family and becoming deacon at a local church that frowns upon homosexuality, Keith breaks up with David. David then dates a younger man named Kurt, a dance instructor who loves to experiment with drugs and go to dance clubs. The relationship ends briefly after David catches him making out with another man. After arranging a funeral for a young gay man who was brutally murdered for his sexual orientation, David comes out to his family and resigns from his post as deacon. David then reconciles with Keith who he begins dating months later. It is not long after that the two are in couple's counseling for their issues. Slowly, they work out their differences but become once again separated when David suffers a traumatized experience with a carjacker. The experience left David shocked and vulnerable. The only people to whom he entirely opens up to about the ordeal are Keith and his sister, Claire. David finally decides that he wants to have children with Keith and they adopt two abandoned children: Anthony and Durrell.
David marries Keith around 2009 and remains together with him until his death in 2029. David dies in 2044 at a family outing.
Ruth O'Connor Fisher Sibley (1946-2025), played by Frances Conroy, is the widow of Nathaniel and mother of three.
Ruth marries Nathaniel Fisher in 1965 after becoming pregnant with her first child, Nate. It is not long after that she gives birth to another son, David in 1969. Their third and final child, Claire born late in life at 1983. Ruth had an estranged relationship with her sister Sarah ever since she was negligent while watching her sons during one weekend. She reconciles with her years later. Shortly before the series begins, Ruth has an affair with her hairdresser Hiram Gunderson who takes her camping. After Nathaniel's sudden death, she calls off the affair to mourn but rekindles the relationship months later. Seeing as her responsibilities as a housewife are now relieved, Ruth takes a job at a flower shop where the owner Nikolai becomes infatuated with her. Hiram then breaks up with Ruth and she begins seeing Nikolai. Their relationship ends when Nikolai is robbed and beaten by the Russian mob and Ruth offers to pay off his debt. Ruth ends their relationship when Nikolai becomes bored with Ruth and is ungrateful for what she did. Ruth then becomes obsessed with her granddaughter Maya and starts a friendship with a new friend Bettina. Ruth marries George Sibley, a man she knew for only 6 weeks but slowly learned bits of his past. As George became obsessed with his "end of the world theories" and began treatment for electro-convulsive therapy, Ruth found George a new apartment but secretly remained at the Fisher residence. George comes back into Ruth's life when Nate dies but remains at his apartment. Ruth decides she needs a change in her life and moves in with her sister and Bettina. Ruth dies in 2025 of old age at a hospital with George and her surviving children at her bedside.
Claire Simone Fisher Fairwell (1983-2085), played by Lauren Ambrose, is a rebellious 22-year-old, who is into drugs, photography, and bad relationships. She is the most creative in the family being inspired by those closest to her (such as her family, Aunt Sarah, Billy). At one time dating the bitter high school student Gabe, she engaged briefly in a complex relationship with Brenda's brother Billy. While studying art at LAC-Arts College, she slept with a crematory employee, Phil, but he did not want an exclusive relationship. She then became pregnant via fellow student Russell, whom she had dated even though she suspected he was gay; when she discovered he was sleeping with their professor, Olivier, she had an abortion. She briefly experimented with lesbianism with a friend, Edie but soon became attracted to her friend, Jimmy. After Jimmy convinced an art dealer to give Claire an art show, Claire left art school and began a relationship with Billy. Their relationship ends when Billy goes off his medication and becomes manic once again. Seeing as she has no money and is in a deep feud with her mother, Claire takes a job at a legal department where she meets Ted, a handsome Republican lawyer who Claire begins to date. Ted becomes a source of comfort after Nate's death. In the series finale, Claire receives a job offer to work as a photographer's assistant in New York leaving her family and Ted behind. Claire returns to L.A. shortly before her mother's death in 2025 and reunites with Ted whom she marries. According to her obituary, Claire begins teaching photography as a faculty member at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2018, earning tenure in 2028. She becomes an award-winning photographer. Claire dies in 2085 at 101 years old.
Brenda Chenowith Fisher (1969-2051), played by Rachel Griffiths, is Nate's wife, (formerly his long-time girlfriend). As a child, she was under the scrutiny of Dr Gareth Feinberg and various psychologists who documented her behavior in a book called Charlotte Light and Dark. Being a genius, however, she would study the symptoms of diseases and feign them, to make Charlotte Light and Dark completely inaccurate. Her parents were wealthy psychiatrists while her brother was a successful photographer, struggling with bipolar disorder. Brenda spent much of her life care-taking for Billy and has struggled to build her own life outside of Billy's illness. Billy had a strong fixation on Brenda's life and their relationship at times bordered on incest. Brenda's first real love was Trevor (Tuc Watkins), whom she planned on going to Yale with until she chose to stay home after Billy attempted suicide.
Brenda met Nate Fisher at an airport and they had sex shortly after. The two began a relationship which became often interrupted by her brother Billy who continued to worm his way into her sister's life. Nate broke up with Brenda after events that caused her sexual addiction to become out of hand. Brenda moved away from Los Angeles and sought out therapy. She arrived back in L.A. after her father became diagnosed with cancer. She then began a relationship with a neighbor Joe, a kind French Horn player who liked to be dominated in bed. After Joe catches Brenda making out with Nate, he ends the relationship and moves out of the house they bought. Brenda gets back together with Nate by whom she becomes pregnant. On the night before their wedding, Brenda suffers a miscarriage which casts a dark pall on her wedding day. Brenda becomes pregnant again and begins a job as a counselor at a local college. Following differences over Nate's piqued interest in his former sister-in-law, Brenda was cheated on and dumped by Nate. It is not long after that Nate was taken to the hospital and died from a brain hemorrhage. Six weeks later Brenda delivers a premature baby girl named Willa, who eventually becomes healthy enough to go home after spending weeks in the hospital. Years later, Brenda remarries to a man named Daniel Nathanson, and has a third child, Forrest Nathanson. She dies in 2051 at the age of 82 of natural causes.
Keith Dwayne Charles (1968-2029), played by Mathew St. Patrick, is David's tempestuous lover, who had anger issues. Keith was born in 1968 in San Diego and attended West Point Military Academy, graduating with a degree in Criminology in 1989. David and Keith met at church. He was a police officer for nine years before moving on to work in private security.
Keith begins dating David Fisher after meeting at a church social function around 2000. Their relationship ends briefly after David refuses to come out to his family and becomes deacon at his family church. Keith then begins dating Eddie, an EMT but their relationship also ends when Keith is forced to deal with his niece Taylor after his sister Karla goes into drug rehabilitation. David becomes reunited with Keith and the two get back together. After Keith's sister Karla is arrested for hitting a homeless man and leaving the scene of the crime, Keith is forced to care for Taylor. Keith's parents then come and ask to care for Taylor. Keith refuses and sends his angered parents home. After Keith brutally beats a man during a domestic violence call he resigns from the Los Angeles Police Department and gives Taylor to his parents. He and David then go into couple's counseling to sort out their issues. Keith then begins work as a bodyguard to a pop music diva, Celeste, and does not come clean about his sexuality to co-workers. This infuriates David since it is why Keith broke up with him 3 years prior. Keith soon comes out to Celeste and his partner, Javier who offers to have sex with him. Instead, Celeste seduces Keith and the two end up in bed. The following day Keith leaves the tour and comes clean about his one-night stand to David. After David bites a man's ear at a sushi restaurant, Keith offers to be the man's (who happens to be a prominent movie producer) bodyguard. David then decides that he wants to have children with Keith which causes a debate between surrogacy and adoption. They end up adopting two brothers: Durrell and Anthony who Keith cannot stand at first. After they become adjusted, Keith begins to embrace his new family life.
Keith will come to run his own security company, and die in 2029, at age 61 during an armored car robbery. A vision of Keith returns in 2044 to help ease David's transition into death.
Hector Federico Diaz (1974-2049), played by Freddy Rodriguez, is the extremely skilled restorative artist who later became a partner in the business. In 1992, Rico's father Mauricio slipped on the roof and crashed face-first into the chimney. Rico and his mother Lilia went to the Fisher funeral home for burial, and to Rico's shock, Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (who then owned and operated the home) had made his father look just as he was before the accident. Rico struck up a friendship with Nathaniel, who paid for his education and hired him as a restorative artist. They remained close until Nathaniel's death. Around this time Rico married his high school sweetheart, Vanessa (Justina Machado) and had two children. Federico graduated from Cypress College in 1997 with a degree in Mortuary Science. Rico was considered one of the best in the business, and was briefly hired away by the funeral home powerhouse Kroehner Services International before he realized he had become just another over-worked employee, among many. He returned to work with David and Nate Jr, but resented his low-level status. Rico and Vanessa struggled for money but a little old lady in the neighborhood left them $149,000 because they had always shown her kindness. With that money, Rico bought 25% of Fisher & Sons. His wife Vanessa later threw him out due to his relationship with a stripper. He was contrite and unable to form another relationship away from his marriage, and was eventually allowed to move back in. Federico was frequently in conflict with the Fishers over the direction of the business. After the death of Nate, Federico pondered his options with the future of Fisher & Diaz when he heard about a mortuary in the area for sale. David and Keith purchased Rico's 25% when Federico and Vanessa went on to establish the Diaz Family Mortuary in 2005 where he served the community for 35 years before retiring. Rico died in 2049 at age 75 on a cruise ship apparently of a heart attack while at his wife's side. He leaves behind his sons Julio and Augusto and his three grandchildren: Emily, Celestina and Vincent.
Nathaniel Samuel Fisher, Sr. (1943-2000), played by Richard Jenkins, is the patriarch of the Fisher family and owner of Fisher & Sons Funeral Home until his death on Christmas Eve, 2000. Although Ruth viewed him as a distant husband and father, many flashbacks showed him trying his best to bond with his children, but also to give them their space, as well as acting as a surrogate father and friend to Rico. Even after his death, he was still a presence in most of the Fishers and frequently appears as a ghost/fantasy/hallucination to them. In many of the early episodes, family members would have lengthy conversations with the senior Nate, on their way to reconciling themselves with his death. His children, particularly Nate, all came to realise that they did not really know their father - something they all grieved over. Nathaniels Sr. and Jr. appeared to Ruth shortly before her death.
Vanessa Diaz, played by Justina Machado, is Federico's high school sweetheart, wife, and mother of his two sons Julio and Augusto. Vanessa is currently employed as a registered nurse. In 2002, after several years of working at the Bay Breeze Nursing Home she was fired for negligence after not realizing that a resident's roommate shoved a hot dog down the deceased's throat; she soon found work at a hospital. Rico's moods and decisions outside of the home are often closely affected by her advice and attitude. In 2003 Vanessa sank into clinical depression following the death of her mother, and began abusing prescription medication. When her health began to suffer she got help, but her spending habits and closeness to her sister Angelica alienated Rico. In recent times, Federico's infidelity has caused the couple to separate and consider divorce. However after finding it very difficult to live on her own and raise her sons alone, she asks an estranged Federico to move back in which he gladly accepts. Vanessa pushed Rico into opening his own mortuary business, and they remained together for many years until his death at age 75.
Billy Chenowith, played by Jeremy Sisto, is Brenda's younger brother, who is a bipolar artist and often has episodes of violent, psychotic behaviour. He has been prescribed psychiatric medication to control his disorder, but frequently causes problems by failing to take them as needed. Billy's episodes have proved chronic, including critical events in the life of his family. In one example, he allegedly burnt down a section of the family home in 1986. It was due to another incident, in which he carves a tattoo out of his back with a box cutter and attempts to do the same to his sister, which leads his family to have him committed. (The tattoos were of their favorite fictional characters: Nathaniel and Isabel – there was speculation that the two siblings were intimately involved during their childhood, until the episode "Static" showed they hadn't been.) Billy is also an alumnus and teacher at LAC-Arts, where Claire Fisher attended college until late 2004. Billy first met Claire in 2001 at Brenda's, and struck up a good friendship until Billy quickly ended it. After being institutionalized, the only person he could talk to was Claire. After he was released he rekindled the relationship, and the two began dating two years later, and briefly cohabitated. After some taunting by old acquaintances that he was not the guy he used to be, and finding himself lacking artistic inspiration, Billy again ceased taking his medication. Soon after, Claire realized this and broke it off with him for her own safety. Billy went back on his medication and asked Claire to forgive him, but she refused. Billy later helped his sister after Nate died, until she asked him to leave.
George Sibley, played by James Cromwell, is Ruth's second husband, a geologist who had 6 wives (Susie, Gloria, Tanya, Andrea, Cheryl, Doris) and a past unknown to his new spouse. He has two children from a previous marriage: a son, Brian, and a daughter, Maggie, who is a traveling pharmaceutical representative. Before marrying, while he was still a student, George dated a woman and she became pregnant with a son, Kyle. Before Kyle was born, however, George signed away his custodial rights, and Kyle, though he was born into great wealth, intensely hated his father and sent boxes of feces to the Fisher home. The son and father later reconciled, with Ruth's help. More recently George suffered a nervous breakdown and went into shock therapy, still recovering from the wounds of his mother's suicide when he was a child in 1953. It soon became too much for Ruth to take care of him, and the two separated. After becoming adjusted, he drops a bomb on Ruth that he is engaged for the eighth time. To try to save his next wife from the pain and suffering she endured, Ruth goes to talk with his fiancée Joy and manages to sabotage the engagement (exaggerating George's problems, and telling about Kyle and his dysfunctional relationship with George, but not mentioning Maggie), causing George to angrily ask why she was trying to sabotage his relationships if she didn't want to be with him anymore. Ruth later made up with George after he comforted her when Nate died and helped her look after Maya when Brenda asked her to take care of the toddler. They planned to move in together, but Ruth changed her mind at the last minute, preferring her independence. Ruth and George remained in separate residences but stayed together until her death in 2025.
Lisa Kimmel Fisher (1967-2003), played by Lili Taylor, is Nate's old friend from Seattle who became pregnant by him after a one night stand. They later married after the birth of their daughter, Maya. Their marriage lasted throughout season 3, but was a turbulent one, as Lisa worried about Nate's remaining feelings for Brenda. Lisa later went on a trip and never returned; her body was eventually discovered, and a guilty Nate assumed that Lisa had killed herself because of him. Nate later came into conflict with Lisa's family on how she wanted to be buried; Lisa had told him that she wanted to buried in the wilderness with no chemicals or preservatives, while her family wanted her cremated and buried in their family mausoleum. Nate went on to bury Lisa as she had wanted, while giving her family the cremains of an unclaimed body. At the end of season 4 it is (more or less) revealed that she was killed by her brother-in-law, with whom she had an affair before marrying Nate. Lisa is another deceased character who appears in recurring visions, frequently to Nate or Brenda.
Margaret Chenowith, played by Joanna Cassidy, is Brenda and Billy's dysfunctional mother and a psychologist. In the 1960s, she met her future husband, Bernard Chenowith in therapy when she was working as an intern. The couple later married in 1967. In the 1970s, the Chenowiths had become a topic of discussion after allowing their daughter Brenda to undergo testing by the controversial Gareth Feinberg, PhD who later wrote Charlotte: Light and Dark, Brenda resents her parents for those reasons. Though the couple had an open marriage, they separated briefly in 2002 after Bernard lied about an infidelity. The two later renewed their vows and soon after Bernard died of cancer in early 2003. Since then, Margaret has moved on and began dating her son's former lover (and art teacher), Olivier Castro-Staal.
Maggie Sibley, played by Tina Holmes, is George's daughter. A Quaker and traveling pharmaceutical representative from Arizona, Maggie moved to Los Angeles to help take care of her ailing father. She and Nate became close friends, with Nate confiding to her his fears about his and Brenda's unborn child after blood tests show the baby may have special needs (Maggie's own child had special needs, and died while he was very young). Nate's feelings for her, combined with his problems with Brenda, lead to him committing adultery with Maggie shortly before his fatal stroke. Maggie felt very guilty and made a quiche for Brenda, who angrily rejected her apologies. After Nate's funeral, Maggie left town, but not before some harsh words for George. Ruth later called Maggie to ask her if Nate had been happy while he was with her before he had his stroke. During the phonecall, Maggie is at the doctors' office, which led some viewers to speculate as to whether she was pregnant with Nate's child. Alan Ball (the series creator and writer/director of the final episode) specifically debunks this speculation during his DVD commentary on the series finale, noting that as a pharmaceutical industry representative, Maggie is simply working when we see her in the doctor's office.
Sarah O'Connor played by Patricia Clarkson, is Ruth's younger artistic sister who runs an artists' colony in Topanga Canyon; Sarah felt she had little talent but surrounded herself with people who did. As a young girl Sarah left Ruth alone to deal with sick relatives. Sarah later baby-sat Ruth's sons and they got into trouble (with a fifteen year-old Nate losing his virginity to one of her older friends and David getting lost in the wild); Ruth once resented Sarah for both of these reasons and they stayed out of touch for decades. The two finally reconcile after Ruth attends a self-help seminar and Sarah returns from Spain. Ruth's strongest resentment of her sister stemmed from her feeling that Sarah had taken her happiness - when Ruth learned infertility had killed Sarah's plans to have children and that the love of her life had died when she was 21, their relationship thawed. Soon after, Ruth discovered that Sarah had developed a drug addiction to the pain killer, Vicodin. Weeks after going through withdrawal, Sarah went into drug rehabilitation which put her life into full perspective. Sarah later gave Ruth invaluable support following Nate's death, and Ruth moved into Sarah's house at Topanga Canyon.
Maya Fisher (2002-unknown), played alternately by twins Brenna Tosh and Bronwyn Tosh, is Nate and Lisa's daughter. After Nate's death, Brenda (her stepmother) is given custody of Maya. After learning of Nate's affair with George's daughter, Brenda gives temporary custody to Ruth so that she can fully deal with her grief. Maya soon moves back in with Brenda after Brenda gives birth to her younger sister, Willa. In the final scenes, she's seen celebrating her sister's first birthday, as a little girl at David and Keith's wedding (still having her favorite puppet toy, a monkey), and as a woman in her twenties at Ruth's funeral and Claire and Ted's wedding.
Nikolai, played by Ed O'Ross, is the Russian owner of Blossom d'Amour Flower Shop where Ruth Fisher once worked. In addition to being Ruth's lover for almost two years, Nikolai was in serious debt which included several encounters from the Russian mob. When his inability to repay his debt cause them to break his legs, he recuperates at the Fishers' house. Ruth takes this as an oppourtunity to expand their relationship further, but instead causing more tension when Ruth pays off Nikolai's debt with Nathaniel's life insurance policy. Several weeks after their break-up, Ruth resigns from Blossom d'Amour so that she can spend more time with her newborn grandchild, Maya. He has a brief cameo in episode #5.9 ("Ecotone") when Ruth envisions herself shooting all of her ex-lovers with a rifle to the tune of circus music.
Gabriel Dimas, played by Eric Balfour, was Claire's boyfriend when she was a high school senior. Claire thought she was in love, however, when Gabe told the entire school she slept with him and sucked his toes, an upset Claire got her revenge by throwing a severed foot from a deceased person into his locker. The two remained silent until the death of Gabe's brother, when they reconnected. Gabe's mother blamed him and his stepfather beat him up at the funeral. Soon after, Gabe overdosed on drugs and Claire tried to help him. However, he just dug deeper and deeper into a hole, holding up a convenience store, stealing the Fishers' embalming fluid to use for extra-potent joints, and finally pulling a gun on another driver while Claire was trying to drive him to a secluded area. Since then, Claire has received "closure" from a fantasy scene that shows she believes Gabe has died and feels better in death than he did in life.
Dr. Bernard Asa Chenowith (1939-2003), played by Robert Foxworth, is Brenda and Billy's father who worked as a celebrity psychiatrist with his wife Margaret, whom he met when she was a college intern. In the 1970s, the Chenowiths made headlines when they allowed their daughter to undergo testing by the controversial Dr. Gareth Feinberg for her brilliant, yet uncontrollable behavior. Bernard and Margaret briefly separated in 2002 for reasons of infidelity however soon after the two reconciled and renewed their vows, he succumbed to stomach cancerin2003.
Taylor, played by Aysia Polk, is Keith's niece. Her mother, Karla, is a drug addict and not in a fit state to look after the young girl. Keith and David looked after her for some time during season 2. She was quite often rude and unhappy due to her poor upbringing. After Keith was suspended from the police force, Taylor went to live with Keith's parents.
Russell Corwin, played by Ben Foster, is Claire's sexually-ambiguous classmate at art school and one-time boyfriend. Claire initially suspected that Russell was homosexual. However, Russell claimed that he wasn't, and he started seeing Claire. Later, Russell had sex with his teacher, Olivier Castro-Staal, and Claire subsequently broke up with him and aborted their pregnancy. When he found out about the abortion, Russell was hurt. He began sleeping with Claire's friend Anita, but still carried a torch for Claire. Claire enjoyed great success with an art project that Russell helped her begin, but Claire took all the credit, and she also got a gallery showing. Russell was infuriated and got into an ugly fight with Claire at the showing. She dropped out of art school and didn't see him again for several months. When she ran into him at another showing, he told her he had been hit by a car, and that while most believe he's in love with fellow student/artist, Jimmy (to whom he gave a drunken blow job), he confides in Claire that he's merely jealous and wishes he could be as talented as him.
Parker McKenna played by Marina Black, was Claire's best friend during her senior year of high school. Parker is a rebellious transfer student from a private school, although she appears to be a "goody two-shoes", who attempts to start a friendship with the unlikely Claire Fisher. The friendship blossomed, however after finding out that Parker had cheated on her SATs and had been accepted into better colleges than Claire the friendship was broken off until Claire learned it was better to have one friend than no friends at all. After Claire enrolled in art school, Parker was caught and enrolled into a community college. The two didn't speak again after graduation.
Anthony Charles-Fisher played by C.J. Sanders, is David and Keith's adopted 8 year old son. The couple meet young Anthony at an "Adoption picnic" where David sparks an instant bond with the boy. After learning Mary, David and Keith's surrogate mother announces her pregnancy, the plans to adopt Anthony slowly fade away. However after Mary gets her menstrual period, Keith and David adopt Anthony but learn he also has an older brother. In the last scene of the last episode, Anthony is shown as an adult attending his aunt Claire's wedding in the company of a male companion.
Durrell Charles-Fisher played by Kendre Berry, is David and Keith's adopted 11 year old son. At first when going back to adopt younger brother Anthony, David and Keith had not realized they would be adopting his older brother also. After two weeks of Durrell testing the waters and Keith's patience, Keith believes its time for the brothers to go. David then sticks up for the boys in front of Keith and the social worker where the adoption becomes permanent. Slowly, Durrell becomes comfortable in his surroundings after David and Keith set some boundaries and show Durrell some support and nurturing. At age 11, Durrell expresses interest in becoming a fireman however, in the last scene of the last episode he is shown spending time with his father David in the prep room, it is later revealed in David's obituary that he has become a funeral director. Durrell becomes involved with a woman and has several children with her: Matthew, Keith Jr., and Katie.
Bettina played by Kathy Bates, is Sarah's caretaker. Bettina's brash personality and Ruth's reserved nature compliment each other and they form a strong friendship. She prides herself on her ability to see people through drug detoxes; although she has done quite a few drugs herself, she seems to be someone who can still run her life without the drugs running her. She does have a reckless streak; she eggs Ruth on to shoplifting once, and encourages her to take a Vicodin when they are overseeing one of Sarah's detoxes. Bettina was married three times - her second husband cheated on her and her first and third husbands left her a widow. Bettina had a daughter who got caught up in a militia movement in Montana.
Olivier Castro-Staal, played by Peter Macdissi, teaches Form in Space at LAC-Arts. Claire, Russell, and Billy Chenowith were all students of his. Olivier is bisexual and had flings with Russell and Billy, but ended up living with Billy and Brenda's mother, Margaret. Despite having a rocky relationship with Claire, he was the one who made the recommendation for her photography job.
Arthur Martin, played by Rainn Wilson, was an intern at Fisher & Diaz Funeral Home from March to November 2003, though it was intended to be permanent. The eccentric Arthur was orphaned at the age of 5 and was home schooled by his great Aunt Pearl. After his aunt died of old age, Arthur went on to college to study music, but after discovering his major wasn't what he had hoped, Arthur attended mortuary school to become a funeral director. During his senior year, he received a live-in apprenticeship from the Fishers and Federico. Things soon after declined. After having a budding friendship with the matriarch, Ruth Fisher started thinking their friendship was becoming physical. When she realized that he was not able to relate to her in a sexual, more mature relationship, she stopped the relationship and acted coldly to Arthur during his attempts at conversation. When Ruth's daughter-in-law Lisa went missing, she was comforted by George Sibley, who had been attending one of Fisher and Diaz's funerals. The two became close, and they married after only a few months, to Arthur's discomfort. When George moved in, Arthur had a confrontational relationship with him. Later, George's estranged son started sending boxed feces to them, and Ruth assumed it was a jealous Arthur. When she confronted Arthur, he became offended and left. After Ruth talked about pressing charges against Arthur, George told her that it was his son who had been sending the feces. Arthur has a brief cameo in episode #5.9 ("Ecotone"), when Ruth imagines herself shooting all of her ex-boyfriends (and eventually her dead husband Nathaniel) with a shotgun to the tune of circus music.
Anita Miller played by Sprague Grayden, is Claire's former best friend and roommate. The two met at art school and have developed a Laverne and Shirley-like relationship. The relationship was broken off when Claire was abandoned by her friends including Anita and soon Claire left art school for good. They briefly met again towards the end of the series, and Anita made it clear that she was hurt by Claire's lack of contact.
Edie played by Mena Suvari, is a free-spirited lesbian artist who became a friend and one-time lover of Claire. Their relationship ended when Edie got fed up with Claire's sexual ambivalence.
Hiram Gunderson, played by Ed Begley, Jr., is a fling of Ruth's. A divorcee and an environmentalist (he drove an electric car, as Begley does in real life), Hiram was once a major chef (he received a rave review from the Chicago Tribune) who gave up cooking to become a hairdresser. One of his clients, Ruth Fisher, was unhappily married, and during frequent camping trips, Hiram taught her how to enjoy sex. After Ruth's husband died, she initially pushed Hiram away, but then dated him for several months. Their relationship ended when he told her he had feelings for another woman; to his surprise, she happily sent him on his way. Months later, she called him to make amends (she was on The Plan at this time) but he mistakenly assumed she wanted to reunite, leading to a fight. Several years passed before they met up again for another camping trip. While on the trip, Ruth realized she was no longer attracted to Hiram and hitchhiked back home.
Ted Fairwell, played by Chris Messina, is an attorney at Braeden Chemical Legal Department who becomes Claire Fisher's love interest after she begins working as a temp secretary. Prior to meeting Claire, Ted had a (one-night stand and some "discreet" making out in the men's room of a local bar) relationship with Kirsten, one of Claire's other co-workers at the Legal Department. Ted insists that it is over making Claire feel at ease when she secretly makes out with him. On their first date, Ted reveals himself to be a conservative Republican which upsets Claire at the moment when the mood changes to somber after receiving the news of Nate's stroke. Rather than going home, Ted drives Claire to the hospital and stays with her through the night as her emotional support causing Claire to ponder that Ted is a positive force in her life. Ted and Claire part ways when Claire moves to New York in the final episode, although when Claire returns to Los Angeles for her mother's funeral in 2025, she and Ted will reunite and marry, and stay together for the rest of Ted's life.
Carol Ward played by Catherine O'Hara, was Lisa Kimmel's boss during seasons 2 and 3, a self-involved motion picture producer. Her demands on Lisa proved incompatible with Lisa's newfound roles as a wife and mother, leading to a confrontation in which Lisa quit. Carol later appeared in Episode 52, in a video flashbackto2002 revolving around Nate and Lisa's wedding where she expresses her views on relationships and marriage.
Joe, played by Justin Theroux, was Brenda's boyfriend for the first half of season 4. They became neighbours when Brenda returned to LA and quickly became friends. Although Brenda was hesitant to start a new relationship, and insisted on a period of celibacy, they soon became serious. The couple looked for a house together, and even tried for a baby. However, Brenda soon became tired of Joe's kinky sex desires and began sleeping with Nate again. Their relationship ended when Joe walked in on Nate and Brenda making out.
Kroehner Service International was a mortuary conglomerate that tried to get Fisher & Sons out of business in the first two seasons. In the first season, representative Matthew Gilardi tried buying the Fishers out. When he failed, his boss Mitzi Dalton-Huntley fired him and tried buying the Fishers out, but she also failed. Ultimately, Kroehner's filed for bankruptcy at the end of the second season, though their bankruptcy was most likely not connected to the Fishers.
Willa Fisher Chenowith (2005-unknown) is Brenda and Nate's younger daughter, born prematurely, six weeks after Nate's death. Willa's birth was unexpected since Brenda was due to deliver 2 months later. Several weeks later, Willa was healthy enough to go home, a cause for celebration between the two families. Brenda worried about her daughter's health for some time after, but Willa was completely fine. In the final scenes, she's seen celebrating her first birthday, as a little girl at David and Keith's wedding, and as a woman in her twenties at Claire and Ted's wedding.
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