The Closer cast ages: How old were the stars then and now?

Debuting in 2005, The Closer was TNT's first scripted drama and led to huge success. Kyra Sedgwick played Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Southern former CIA interrogator who heads up a special branch of the LAPD handling homicides. Her genteel manner hides a brilliant investigator who can break any suspect down. 

The show ran seven seasons with a spinoff in Major Crimes as well. It's now about to debut on Peacock so here's a look at how the cast has aged from now to then!

Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson 

Born: August 19, 1965

Age when The Closer began: 39

Age today: 58

Known for her marriage to Kevin Bacon and a varied film career, Kyra Sedgwick found huge success with The Closer, including a Golden Globe and Emmy Award. Her performance as the sassy Brenda was a winner with fans and a key reason the show succeeded.

Sedgwick has moved mostly into directing TV but still has some good on-screen credits with Ten Days in the Valley, her hysterical recurring role as Madeline Wuntch on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and most recently appeared in The Summer I Turned Pretty. 

J.K. Simmons as Will Pope

Born: January 9, 1955

Age when The Closer began: 50

Age today: 69

Already a veteran actor, J.K. Simmons had stood out on Oz, his recurring role as Emil on Law & Order and playing J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies. He was thus well suited to playing Pope, the head of the unit with a personal relationship with Brenda.

Since the show ended, Simmons has been constantly busy and his career has risen, winning an Oscar for Whiplash. He's done scores of voice work and TV shows like Night Sky and Counterpart so The Closer was a good stepping stone for Simmons to become more of a household name. 

Corey Reynolds as David Gabriel

Born: July 3, 1974

Age when The Closer began: 29

Age now: 49

As David Gabriel, Brenda's top cop, Corey Reynolds was good, showing Gabriel going from a rookie detective to a sharp guy and leader of the unit. Reynolds had broken out playing Sweetpea in the original Broadway run of Hairspray although the show didn't give him much chance to show off his singing pipes. 

Reynolds has made a few movies but mostly stuck to TV work with a role on All American and playing the quirky Sheriff Thompson on Resident Alien to remain a popular TV face whenever he shows up on screen. 

Robert Gossett as Russell Taylor

Born: March 3, 1954

Age when The Closer began: 51

Age now: 70

Taylor started out on the series as a true adversary to Brenda, even trying to get her booted from the LAPD. He did shift as the show continued, clashing with the cops but trying to do the right thing and growing to respect Brenda even if they drove each other crazy.

Robert Gossett was well cast in the role and reprised the part in Major Crimes. He later starred in The Oath and now has a role on General Hospital as the veteran actor shows little sign of slowing down even as he's getting older. 

G.W. Bailey as Louis Provenza

Born: August 17, 1944

Age when The Closer began: 60

Age today: 80

Best known as the hard-nosed but bumbling Captain Harris in the Police Academy movies, G.W. Bailey was an offbeat choice for a serious cop show. However, his smart-aleck attitude fit Provenza, especially in episodes where he'd get into some ridiculous jam. 

Bailey reprised the role for Major Crimes although he has slowed down his work in the last few years. Still, with his unique character and fun charm, Bailey has shown a fun flair for comedic spins on a cop character. 

Tony Denison as Andy Flynn 

Born: September 20, 1949

Age when The Closer began: 55

Age today: 74

The Abbott to Provenza's Costello, Andy Flynn was another cop with a dry sense of humor but could be pretty dedicated to the job. Long a reliable TV actor with roles on Melrose Place, Charmed, and more, Tony Denison fit in as Flynn, giving the character a wry air that made him a loveable one to fans.

Besides being on Major Crimes, Denison has mostly stuck to small roles in movies, most of them not mainstream hits. His biggest TV role was a recurring part on All Rise as Flynn remains his most famous performance for many. 

Jon Tenney as Fitz Howard

Born: December 16, 1961

Age when The Closer began: 45

Age today: 61

First appearing as an FBI agent meeting the team on a case, Fitz Howard and Brenda made instant sparks. The pair were soon a regular couple and later married, balancing their work lives with some fun personal storylines. Jon Tenney had scores of movie credits including hits such as Nixon and TV parts like Due South.

Tenney has remained busy since the show ended with movie roles while focusing on television such as a recurring role on Scandal and a role on And Just Like That even as fans remember him best as the loveable Fitz. 

Michael Paul Chan as Michael Tao

Born: June 26, 1950

Age when The Closer began: 45

Age today: 73

At first just a recurring role in the show's first two seasons, Tao became so popular that he was made a regular in Season 3. The science tech of the team, Tao handled the forensic work while using his experience with some cases. He was a steady member of the team and reprised the role in the Major Crimes spinoff.

Michael Paul Chan had been appearing in many TV shows before this with recurring roles on Nash Bridges among others. He's kept that up in MacGyver and most recently seen in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow to continue his fun character work. 

Raymond Cruz as Julio Sanchez

Born: September 10, 1964

Age when The Closer began: 40

Age now: 59

A hot-tempered detective, Sanchez used his experience growing up in the barrio for insight into gangs and some personal drama, notably when his own brother was a murder victim. Raymond Cruz had been steadily working in TV and movies with The Closer his big break and returned as Sanchez in Major Crimes. 

Cruz remains a familiar TV face with roles on Mayans M.C. and is better known now playing drug lord Tico on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. That's a far cry from his role as this heroic cop.

Gina Ravera as Irene Daniels

Born: May 20, 1966

Age when The Closer began: 40 

Age now: 58

A recurring character in The Closer's first two seasons, Irene Daniels became a regular in Season 3. Sharp and determined, Daniels focused on the forensic work, often checking accounts involved in a murder case. She and Gabriel dated, which caused some problems on the job. Thus, in Season 5, Daniels transferred to a different department and left the show.

Gina Ravera was known for her role in the infamous Showgirls and Soul Food. She balanced The Closer with ER and still appears on shows like Station 19, even if her stardom isn't as huge today.

Phillip P. Keene as Buzz Watson

Born: September 5, 1966

Age when The Closer began: 38

Age today: 57

After being a recurring character in the first three seasons, Buzz Watson was made a full regular in Season 4. The civilian was in charge of filming crime scenes and maintaining the tech for the interrogations, although he could get a bit more involved in cases. By the end of the Major Crimes spinoff, he was hoping to become a full cop.

Phillip P. Keene had been a flight attendant for Pan Am and even has a pilot's license. As it happens, Keene has been pretty much quiet from acting since 2018, so Buzz will stand as his one major TV credit. 

Mary McDonnell as Sharon Rayder

Born: April 28, 1952

Age when The Closer began: 53

Age today: 72

Debuting in Season 5, Sharon Rayder was the head of the Force Investigate Division, a take on Internal Affairs overseeing the cops. She and Brenda clashed at first but soon became allies. Rayder was a feisty character who became a regular in the show's final season and then headed up the Major Crimes spinoff for six seasons.

Mary McDonnell was already well known with an Oscar nomination for Dances With Wolves and for playing Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica. Her turn as Rayder was terrific, earning her an Emmy nomination. McDonnell recently starred in The Fall of the House of Usher to showcase her fantastic talents that made her role here a favorite.