The Best Virtual Cast Reunions: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Seinfeld, and More

By | October 23, 2020
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The world has spent most of 2020 battling a global pandemic, which for many — including celebrities — has meant working from home and a lot of group Zoom calls. The upside of digital hangouts is that Hollywood has found a way to make the best of the situation by reuniting the casts of our favorite shows and movies, often for charity or political organizations.

The cast of The X-Files reunited to sing a version of the show’s iconic theme song, and the cast of Pitch Perfect performed a number of their own. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast came back together on Will Smith‘s Snapchat show. The stars of Parks and Recreation put out a whole new remotely filmed episode, and the cast of That Thing You Do! got the band back together, too. And there’s more, including some Office reunions, a High School Musical singalong, a reunion of most of the members of the cast of My So-Called Life, the Glee crew enjoying a chat, Jason Isaacs and Tom Felton hosting a mini Harry Potter reunion, and the Sonny With a Chance gang hanging out. Even the star-studded cast of Victorious found time to be together, apart. And though it’s not quite a cast reunion, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston did reunite for a virtual Fast Times at Ridgemont High reading. Everyone’s rekindling old connections these days.

Check out some of best cast reunions below.

Superbad

Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, and more stars from the hit 2007 comedy are reuniting for a digital watch party in support of Wisconsin Democrats ahead of the 2020 election. Fans who donate any amount can join the cast for this live-streamed event on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 9/8c.

Seinfeld

Some of the gang from the show about nothing are reuniting to do something. Seinfeld stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus (who also reunited. with her Veep co-stars recently), Jason Alexander, and series creator Larry David are the latest to jump on the virtual reunion train, all to benefit the Texas Democratic Party. The event is set for Friday, Oct. 23 and will be moderated by Seth Meyers. Louis-Dreyfus, Alexander, and David will share behind-the-scenes stories from their favorite episodes, and the reunion also promises special guests and surprises. Viewers can gain access by donating any amount to txdem.co/Something.

Everybody Loves Raymond

Everybody loves a reunion. The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond will reunite for the first time since the show ended in 2005 to honor their late costar Peter Boyle and raise money for the Peter Boyle Research Fund of The International Myeloma Foundation. Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Monica Horan, and series co-creator Phil Rosenthal will come back together for the 90-minute event, which will include table readings of popular scenes from the series. The reunion is set for Friday, Oct. 23 at 9/8c.

Happy Days

The Happy Days crew is reuniting to raise money for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the state in which the classic sitcom was set. Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Don Most, Anson Williams, Marion Ross, and writer Lowell Ganz will all make appearances at the virtual fundraiser on Oct. 25, and fans can donate any amount over $1 to attend. During the reunion, the cast will participate in a Q&A and share behind-the-scenes stories, with other surprises promised.

Laguna Beach

The stars of Laguna Beach threw the ultimate high school reunion when they got together (virtually) for the first time since 2004 to encourage fans to vote. The reunion, which Stephen Colletti shared on Instagram, brought together Colletti, Lauren Conrad, Kristin Cavallari, Trey Phillips, Dieter Schmitz, Loren Polster, Lo Bosworth, Talan Torriero, Christina Sinclair, and Morgan Smith, who dished on everything from the show’s most memorable moments to the things fans didn’t get to see on screen.

Legally Blonde

The cast of everyone’s favorite comedy about a sorority girl-turned-lawyer got together for a reunion, which premieres on the Hello Sunshine YouTube channel on Oct. 20. Reese Witherspoon, of course, was present for the reunion, as were stars Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Jennifer Coolidge, and Holland Taylor. This is the first time the whole cast has reunited in 20 years, so let that one sink in.

Teen Wolf

The former teens of Teen Wolf virtually reunited over the summer, nine years after the show’s premiere. Cast members who made appearances include Tyler Posey, Dylan O’Brien, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, Arden Cho, and more, and the event was hosted by Josh Horowitz.

Father of the Bride

The cast of Father of the Bride got back together for Part 3… sort of. The gang reunitede for a special virtual table read written and directed by Nancy Meyers and benefitting World Central Kitchen. The special featured the return of the first two films’ stars including Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Martin Short, Kieran Culkin, and George Newbern. The reunion showed what the Banks family was up to during the pandemic, with Ben Platt and Florence Pugh playing the now grown-up babies from the second film. It premiered on Sept. 25 at 6/5c on Netflix’s YouTube and Facebook channels.  

Fast Times at Ridgemont High  

Even though it wasn’t technically a cast reunion, several Hollywood A-listers converged to deliver a lively (and very memeable) reading of the script for Fast Times on Sept. 17, including Jennifer Aniston, Dane Cook, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Jimmy Kimmel, Shia LaBeouf, John Legend, Ray Liotta, Matthew McConaughey, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts. The event benefited the COVID-19 relief organizations CORE and Reform Alliance, and it featured some hilariously awkward moments, including one steamy scene between now-friendly exes Aniston and Pitt. 

The Princess Bride  

The cast of The Princess Bride reunited on Sunday, Sept. 13 to do a live virtual reading of the classic film’s script for the benefit of the Wisconsin Democrats. Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Carol Kane, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, and Christopher Guest joined director Rob Reiner for the event, which raised $4.25 million for the organization. 

The X-Files

We’ve finally solved the biggest X-File of all: What’s the best way to sing along to the show’s iconic theme song? The X-Files cast’s video reunion, first reported by Variety, began as a challenge from executive producer Frank Spotnitz to fans to come up with lyrics for the show’s instrumental theme. Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, and plenty of other members of the cast and crew of The X-Files then reunited to sing the winning tune. The music video, a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen, is packed with familiar faces, including Mitch Pileggi, Robert Patrick, Annabeth Gish, James Pickens Jr., Laurie Holden, William B. Davis, Nicholas Lea, and Cary Elwes, along with creator Chris Carter, executive producer and writer Vince Gilligan, composer Mark Snow, director Michelle MacLaren, and more.

Pitch Perfect

Guess what, pitches? The cast of Pitch Perfect reunited, and they did it the only way they could have: They performed an a cappella take on Beyoncé’s “Love on Top.” With all the proceeds going to UNICEF, the Bellas were given an in-character introduction from John Smith (John Michael Higgins) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden (Elizabeth Banks), before Hailee Steinfeld kicked it all off. She was quickly joined by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee, Kelley Alice Jakle, Wanetah Walmsley, and Shelley Regner.

The Proud Family

As part of the NAACP ACE Festival, the Prouds got together for a family reunion. Proud Family members Kyla Pratt, Cedric the Entertainer, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, and Jo Marie Payton were joined by creator and executive producer Bruce Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar to look back on the beloved cartoon. Keke Palmer, who will star in the upcoming spinoff series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, was there to moderate, and let’s just say you can’t miss the story about how much Solange loves the show’s iconic theme song.

Happy Endings

The cast of Happy Endings came back together for a whole new quarantine themed episode over Zoom, and it was a-mah-zing. Done fully in character, all the characters checked in from where they’ve been holed up: Max (Adam Pally) is “outhouse sitting” and eating only weed-based foods; Penny (Casey Wilson) is holed up with her new boyfriend, a doctor; Jane (Eliza Coupe) is disinfecting her home, though Brad (Damon Wayans Jr.) is stuck in Florida after a business trip; Alex (Elisha Cuthbert) is… somewhere, and also a COVID-19 denier, of course; Dave (Zachary Knighton) just got back from a tech-free retreat in Joshua Tree. It was a very silly time with the gang, and in the Q&A that followed, the cast reflected on the show’s legacy. “I think it’s pretty cool when you think about [how] this show started small and people didn’t know a lot of people involved in it,” Pally said. “Now the creative people behind it — all the writers, directors — have gone on to amazing jobs and things that have changed the culture. I think that is one of the coolest testaments to the whole thing.”

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Josh Gad had one more trick up his sleeve for the final episode of Reunited Apart, and it was a pretty major one: a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off reunion. Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Jennifer Grey, and Mia Sara reminisced about their favorite memories from filming the classic comedy, and Gad ended it all with a sweet tribute to director John Hughes.

Just Shoot Me!

On June 24, the gang got back together for a Just Shoot Me! reunion. David Spade, Wendie Malick, George Segal, Enrico Colantoni, Laura San Giacomo, creator Steven Levitan, and director Pamela Fryman took a walk down memory lane, answered questions from fans, and relived some of their favorite episodes from the series.

Watchmen

The Watchmen cast reunited to talk about everything from the show’s ongoing relevance to the way the HBO series educated many in the audience — and the cast — about the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Regina King, Damon Lindelof, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jeremy Irons, Hong Chau, Louis Gossett, Jr., Jovan Adepo, and directors and executive producers Nicole Kassell and Stephen Williams all sat down to look back on the drama, and even walked through some key episodes.

The Watchmen Cast Reunited to Reflect on Bringing the Tulsa Massacre’s Whitewashed History Into Focus 

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones actors Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton), Kristian Nairn (Hodor), Gemma Wehlan (Yara Greyjoy), Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne), and Natalia Tena (Osha) reunited on Saturday, June 20 to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons. The stars made each other laugh, did some very silly accents, and leaned into their fantasy alter egos, all to raise money for Red Nose Day.

Ghostbusters

Josh Gad simply cannot stop reuniting beloved casts, and on Monday, June 15, he added Ghostbusters to his impressive roster. The cast of the 1984 comedy — including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and director Ivan Reitman — sat down with Gad to look back on their favorite memories from set and remember their late co-star, Harold Ramis.

Succession

On June 10, Variety got the cast of Succession back together weeks after production on Season 3 of the HBO drama was shut down. The event, part of the outlet’s Streaming Room series, included Brian Cox (Logan Roy), Jeremy Strong (Kendall Roy), Sarah Snook (Shiv Roy), Kieran Culkin (Roman Roy), Alan Ruck (Connor Roy), Nicholas Braun (Greg Hirsch), Matthew Macfadyen (Tom Wambsgans), and J. Smith-Cameron (Gerri Kellman).

Lord of the Rings

In the fourth episode of the charitable web series Reunited Apart, Josh Gad assembled the gang from Peter Jackson‘s fantasy epic for a long-awaited group video chat which dropped on Sunday, May 31. While the setting wasn’t as luxurious as Rivendell, it was still great to see members of the Fellowship — including Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, John Rhys-Davies, and Sir Ian McKellen — back together again. The chat also featured director Peter Jackson, screenwriter Philippa Boyns, composer Howard Shore, and additional cast members, including Andy Serkis, Karl Urban, Miranda Otto, and Liv Tyler. Highlights include all of it. 

Fresh Off the Boat & Kim’s Convenience

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the casts of Fresh Off the Boat and Kim’s Convenience hosted a joint table read of each show’s pilot episode on May 30. The event kicked off with Kim’s Convenience, and stars Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Simu Liu, Andrea Bang, Andrew Phung, and Nicole Power participated. Fresh Off the Boat then followed, with Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen in attendance. The reunion raised money for Asian non-profit arts organizations in the U.S. and Canada, and if that wasn’t enough of an incentive to give, all viewers who donated at least $10 were invited to participate in a Zoom Q&A with both casts after the readings.  

Smash

The Actors Fund and People teamed up to make Smash fans’ dreams come true! On May 20, a never-before-seen Bombshell performance from 2015, in which the cast sang songs from the Marilyn Monroe bio-musical within the show, streamed online for the first time, followed by a Zoom reunion with the cast, including Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Leslie Odom Jr., Jeremy Jordan, and more.

Community

We got six seasons and no movie (yet), but at least got a virtual table read. The cast of Dan Harmon‘s Community got together on May 18 to raise money for coronavirus pandemic relief. Joel McHale, Yvette Nicole Brown, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Jim Rash, Ken Jeong, and Harmon all gathered around their laptops to read the Season 5 episode “Cooperative Polygraphy,” and they also participated in a Q&A in which they talked about where their characters are now and the possibility of returning for a Community movie.

Star Trek: Voyager

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager, Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley brought the whole gang together on their YouTube show, Stars in the House. Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, and Garrett Wang assembled to reminisce about some of their favorite on-set memories and how their iconic characters have impacted pop culture. The hour-long episode benefited the Actors Fund which provides emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, and other types of aid for those who work in the performing arts and entertainment. 

Orphan Black

Join the original cast of #OrphanBlack Sunday, May 17 at 3pm ET for a live two-episode table read and reunion benefiting…

Posted by Orphan Black on Sunday, May 17, 2020

The original cast of BBC America’s thrilling sci-fi series Orphan Black reunited for a two-episode table read on May 17, featuring Tatiana Maslany, Evelyne Brochu, Kristian Bruun, Jordan Gavaris, and more. The chat aired live on the show’s Facebook page and benefited CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers and Sistering 24 Hour Drop In.

Back to the Future

Josh Gad continued to make magic happen with his #ReunitedApart series. Following up his epic Goonies reunion, Gad got the Back to the Future cast back together on May 11. The reunion, which coincided with the first film’s 35th anniversary and encouraged donations to support Project Hope, featured series stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Elisabeth Shue, and Claudia Wells, along with director Robert Zemeckis, screenwriter Bob Gale, composer Alan Silvestri, and more.

Parks and Recreation

NBC gifted us all with a virtual trip back to Pawnee on May 1. The special, from series creator Mike Schur,  featured the entire cast of the hit comedy series reprising their roles — including Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Retta, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Ben Schwartz, Aziz Ansari, and more — for a perfect take on how their characters would keep connected in the age of coronavirus.

The Parks and Recreation Reunion Was Everything We Could Have Hoped For 

Desperate Housewives

Some of the ladies of Desperate Housewives, including Eva Longoria, Vanessa Williams, Brenda Strong, Dana Delany, and Marcia Cross, had a long chat with Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley about the show to benefit The Actors Fund.

Friday Night Lights

A few Friday Night Lights alums shared their favorite memories of working on the show. Clear eyes, full Zoom connections, can’t lose.

The Goonies

Hey, you guys! Josh Gad brought the Goonies back together for his web show, Reunited Apart with Josh Gad.

Schitt’s Creek

Schitt’s Creek may have only recently ended, but that just makes us miss it more. But don’t worry, bebés, because the Roses themselves recently came together again to thank health care workers.

Frasier

Hey, baby, I hear the Zoom chats a’callin’. The Frasier crew took a walk down memory lane and even entertained what a revival of the show would look like.

The Nanny

The cast of The Nanny put their own spin on the reunion and did a virtual table read of the pilot episode that even included a performance of the iconic theme song.

Melrose Place

The cast of Melrose Place dished on the best gossip in their reunion, including their opinions on the show’s many romances and Kimberly’s memorable wig removal.

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