'Private Practice' and 'Gilmore Girls' are so in love . . . this week's familiar faces

Well, it was a familiarfaceapoolza on Private Practice. Michelle recognized Tom Irwin as the priest. He's Father John on Saving Grace and was Joe Sorelli on Related. But most importantly we all remember him as the dad on My So Called Life. Rob pointed out that the love affair between Private Practice/Grey's Anatomy (or Shondaland as Rob dubbed it) and Gilmore Girls continues. Remember Edward Hermann was the older intern on Grey's. David Sutcliffe, Christopher on Girls, will return next week as a potential love interest for Addison. And finally Pablo was the first to recognize Keiko Agena, Lane, as one of the nuns. Rob also reminded me of the fun fact we may have forgotten. Paul Adelstein (Cooper on Private Practice) is married to Liza Weil (Paris on Gilmore Girls) in real life. So I say we start a movement now for Weil to guest star as a patient. Who is with me?

Is Joy Lauren being typecast? She's Danielle on Desperate Housewives and was the pregnant teen on Private Practice. Josh Randall, Mike on Ed , was Violet's patient who went on a date with Addison (since this is a family column, we'll leave out the rest). Randall is also Annie's brother Danny on Men in Trees and was Jake on Scrubs.

Keith, Sabrina and Katherine were the first to be so excited to see Nicholas Brendon as FBI analyst Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds. He was, of course, our beloved Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Seth Richman on the way too short-lived Kitchen Confidential.

So we all agree that Seth Green. Barry on Four Kings, Mitch on That '70s Show and of course Oz on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, was oh-so-charming as the patient with the exposed artery on Grey's Anatomy, but did you recognize the other familiar faces? Stewart caught the ubiquitous John Billingsley, Egan Foote on The Nine, was the father with a post-surgical infection. Billingsley was Dr. Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise, the original Terrence Steadman on Prison Break (and fun fact Jeff Perry, who plays Meredith's father on Grey's, took over the role of Terrence when Billingsley left the series for The Nine.) This season we've also seen him on CSI and Journeyman. Alison LaPlaca, who played Rachel's boss Joanna on Friends (remember she had an affair with Chandler), was his wife. LaPlaca was also Catherine on The John Laroquette Show and Linda on Duet. Michelle recognized Gale Harold, Agent Graham Kelton on last season's Vanished and Brian on Queer as Folk, was the racist paramedic Bailey had to operate on (and I say hand Chandra Wilson her Emmy right now).

Mary and Joe reminded me that Will Sasso, who we just saw as a bad guy on CSI, was Big Boy Brett on October Road. Sasso was also Carl on Less Than Perfect and a cast member on MADtv.

Ginny was the first to spot Melora Walters, Wanda on Big Love, as the mysterious woman who came to Adam and Katherine's house on Desperate Housewives.

Reginald VelJohnson, the dad on Family Matters, was the head of all the Santas on Bones.

Kathie was the first to be so excited to see John Pyper-Ferguson, Joe on Brothers & Sisters, as an artist on Cane. And everyone was thrilled to see the super busy Gail O'Grady as the senator on Cane. O'Grady was the judge who dated Alan on Boston Legal and we saw her earlier this season on CSI.

Nicolas was so excited to see Joanna Cassidy, Beverly Bridge on Boston Legal and Margaret Chenowith on Six Feet Under as Victoria on Heroes.

Robin recognized Arlen Escarpeta, Sam on American Dreams and who we just saw in the season premiere of Without a Trace (if you missed that episode, CBS repeats it this Thursday at 10 p.m.), as the son on Law & Order: SVU.

Have you seen a familiar face? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com and let me know. I'll have familiar faces every Wednesday.

Amy Amatangelo, TV Gal ®

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