Fifteen years ago today, Freaks and Geeks premiered on NBC. The cast included James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel. At the time, no one knew who they were. It was created by Paul Feig and executive produced by Judd Apatow. No one knew who they were either. Though it only ran for 18 episodes, the comedy/drama about students of William McKinley High School was infinitely relatable to anyone who'd had trouble finding their way as teenagers, and a decade and a half later, it's nothing short of adored.

After the show ended, Judd Apatow went on to revolutionize modern big-screen comedy, bringing a few Freaks and Geeks alums along for the ride. Rogen, Franco, and Segel have also all led their own unique careers following the show's termination, and the way each's credits have woven in and out of those of their former TV castmates is remarkable. It's hard to imagine the actors as we know and love them today without the support of their fictional high school classmates, and especially without the guidance of Apatow, the man who brought them together.

Below we've split their subsequent career journeys into thirds to better break down exactly how far the most notable Freaks and Geeks alums have come.

The First 5 Years: Finding Their Footing

JAMES FRANCO

After playing James Dean in 2001, Franco became the first Freaks and Geeks alum to hit it big when he starred as Harry Osborn in 2002's Spider-Man. He reprised the role in the 2004 sequel and starred in the Robert Altman-directed ballet drama The Company (2003) and alongside Robert De Niro in City by the Sea (2002).

SETH ROGEN

Rogen stayed relatively under the radar after Freaks and Geeks, starring in Undeclared and showing up briefly in Anchorman and Donnie Darko. His biggest achievement in these years may have been landing a writing gig on Da Ali G Show, for which he received an Emmy nomination in 2004. Respek!

JASON SEGEL

Like Rogen, Segel transitioned to Undeclared following Freaks and Geeks. He also appeared in episodes of CSI and Alias. Remember Alias?

JUDD APATOW

In 2001, Apatow created a pilot about struggling actors called North Hollywood that starred Rogen, Segel, Amy Poehler, Kevin Hart, and Judge Reinhold playing himself. (How did this show not get made?!) In 2004, he produced a Will Ferrell comedy called Anchorman. That did get made.

The Second 5 Years: Breakout Time

SETH ROGEN

Rogen became an instantly recognizable "that guy" after his role as Steve Carell's gregarious friend who wore cool indie rock t-shirts in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which of course was also Judd Apatow's directorial debut. Apatow's next film was mega-hit Knocked Up, Rogen's breakout hit and the genesis of the mid-2000s stoner-film renaissance that would peak with 2008's Pineapple Express (see: Rogen, Franco). Before that, though, Rogen would play a bit part as a fun-loving cop alongside Bill Hader in Superbad, which he co-wrote with Evan Goldberg. You could call this a solid five years for Rogen.

JAMES FRANCO

Franco didn't "blow up" like some of his Freaks and Geeks costars did during the second half-decade following the show's end. This is partly because he'd already made it big by starring in the first two Spider-Man films — he would also appear in Spider-Man 3 in 2007 — and partly it's because this was the beginning of Franco becoming Franco. In 2006, he re-enrolled at UCLA, and began to indulge in passion projects. His first "serious" role to make it into the mainstream was his portrayal of Scott Smith in 2008's Oscar-nominated Milk.

MARTIN STARR

Eight years after playing one of the Geeks, Martin Starr became "the guy with the beard" in Knocked Up. He was at the center of a tour de force of beard-related insults, many of which have surely been carried on through the years by fans of the film. As he grew his beard out as part of a bet to avoid paying rent, he was called a member of the Taliban, Serpico, Robin Williams's knuckles, Charles Manson, the Shoebomber, a Burning Man attendee, a vagina, Crockett from Miami Vice, Cat Stevens, Scorsese on coke, Chewbacca, late John Lennon, a rabbi, Matisyahu, an old man's balls, and more. Like I said, a tour de force.

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JASON SEGEL

Starr played a bearded punching bag in Knocked Up, but Segel's character was far more dynamic, and it's not surprising that a year later he was starring in hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the success of which he parlayed into a starring role alongside Paul Rudd in I Love You, Man. But often overlooked in this part of Segel's career is his starring role in one of the decade's most successful network sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother, making the film work on the side all the more impressive. Kudos, Segel.

JUDD APATOW

He directed The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People. The last of these may have been a little overwrought, but this was one hell of a run. Add the fact that he produced Talladega Nights, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express, and Apatow's impact on comedy becomes legendary.

The Last 5 Years: Middle Age

JAMES FRANCO

James Franco has now become James Franco, a carefully constructed parody/non-parody of himself. There are the college degrees. There are the works of fiction, the documentaries, the art projects, the films based on classic literature that no one wants to see made into a film, and everything in between (including an Oscar nomination for his role in 127 Hours). There was also, of course, Spring Breakers. He's gone from debonair leading man with side jobs to an inscrutable presence with little regard for how we expect a celebrity to conduct himself. For a hilarious overview of Franco's Franco-ness, check out his incredible Comedy Central Roast from last year (which also features friend Seth Rogen).

SETH ROGEN

Despite an ill-advised role in 2011's Green Hornet, Rogen has chilled into one of Hollywood's most beloved figures over the course of the past five years. He's content with writing and making onscreen appearances here and there. He's showed up in several respected comedy series — Arrested Development, Burning Love, Eastbound & Down, to name a few — and co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in 2013 ensemble hit This Is the End. Most recently, he played an overwhelmed dad living next to Zac Efron's frat house in Neighbors... also starring James Franco's brother.

Rogen has found other ways into our hearts. In 2013, he and Franco spoofed Kanye West's over-the-top music video for "Bound 2," and he hasn't be afraid to say what we've all been thinking about hot-button news stories like Justin Bieber's jackass-itude and the recent NFL scandal, and he's been one of the entertainment industry's most vocal Alzheimer's activists.

Oh, and he also became the most hated comedian in the world somehow.

MARTIN STARR

Starr was the punching bag in Knocked Up, but in the 2014 breakout HBO series Silicon Valley, he was the one dishing out the insults as a snarky computer programmer. In 2007, his face resulted in the greatest collection of beard jokes every committed to film; in 2014, he helped execute possibly the greatest dick joke ever to grace the small screen.

PAUL FEIG

Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig has enjoyed a steady run of success since the show was canceled. He directed a handful of episodes of Arrested Development, The Office, and Nurse Jackie, and has appeared throughout the comedy world in a number of capacities. But his biggest post-Freaks and Geeks success has been directing 2011's Bridesmaids, the film that proved that Kristen Wiig could shine outside of SNL.

JASON SEGEL

Segel hasn't recreated the box-office success of Forgetting Sarah Marshall or I Love You, Man, but he did star in 2011's The Muppets, which Forgetting Sarah Marshall made clear was one of his passions. In 2014, How I Met Your Mother wrapped up a nine-season run on CBS, and last last year it was announced that he would play tortured writer David Foster Wallace in a new biopic. This will not be a comedy.

JUDD APATOW

Don't forget that Apatow made Girls happen. He also produced Anchorman 2 and Bridesmaids, and directed This Is 40. Next up is the hotly anticipated Amy Schumer vehicle Trainwreck, which he is directing and is sure to be the biggest female-centric comedy since Bridesmaids. Between his involvement in those two films and Girls, it's been all about the females over the past five years for Apatow, whereas the '00s were very dude-centric. Once Trainwreck comes out, it's a safe bet that we'll once again be singing the praises of a man who has not only redefined comedy over the past 15 years, but who has had an overlarge role in the careers of some of our favorite comedic actors.

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