List of Parenthood characters

This is a list of fictional characters in the television series Parenthood. The article deals with the series' main and recurring characters.

The Braverman family

The show revolves around the Braverman family, which has expanded to five generations, featuring patriarch Zeek Braverman and matriarch Camille Braverman, their oldest son Adam, his wife and three children, their daughter Sarah and her two children, their second son Crosby, his wife and their young son and infant daughter, and finally their daughter Julia, her husband and her young daughter and adopted son.

Family tree

The Parents

Zeek Braverman

Ezekiel "Zeek" Braverman (Craig T. Nelson) is the patriarch of the Braverman family, Camille's husband and the father of Adam, Sarah, Crosby, and Julia. He has dabbled in various careers, including being a soldier in Vietnam having graduated from West Point in the class of 1962, an activist hippie, an aspiring actor, and a shrewd entrepreneur, but none lasted more than a few years. He is 67 at the start of the series (as he is said to be turning 72 in season 6), making him four years older than his wife, Camille. In the first season it is revealed that he made a bad investment, causing his wife, Camille, and him financial hardship. Later, it is also revealed that he had an affair.^[1] He doesn't get along with his mother, Blanche, who turns 86 in season three, which means that she was about seventeen when Zeek was born, as he would've been 69 in season three. Zeek's health begins to decline throughout season 6, enduring two hospital stays. Zeek dies peacefully in his home an unknown time after Sarah's wedding to Hank as Camille is looking at photos taken by Max. His ashes are spread in the musical montage that begins the last scene of the series finale.

Camille Braverman

Camille Braverman (Bonnie Bedelia) is the matriarch of the family and Zeek's wife. She is an artist and also shows herself to be very capable domestically, striving to keep her family happy and peaceful.^[2] In season one, when Zeek reveals that he made a bad investment that he kept from Camille, she reveals that he was having an affair. Zeek later reveals that they both cheated. Camille confirms to her daughter, Sarah, that she has been having an affair with her art teacher, Matthew, but that she has ended it. In season one it is stated that she has been married to Zeek for 46 years. She is 63 when the series begins, meaning she was about 17 when she married Zeek. She was 23 when she had Adam, 25 when she had Sarah, and 31 when she had Crosby. After Zeek's death, she is shown as having traveled to France to the place where Zeek had planned to take her as a surprise in an earlier episode. As she is shown in other scenes in the finale's final montage, she returns from her trip at some unknown point.

Adam Braverman and his family

Adam Braverman

Adam Braverman (Peter Krause), age 40 at the beginning of the series, is Kristina's husband and the father of Max, Haddie, and Nora. He is the oldest Braverman child and all of his siblings and parents consult him in times of crisis.^[3] Adam is affable and dependable, and resolved to have a normal, happy family.^[3] Due to tensions with his boss at work, Adam was fired from the shoe company. After being unemployed and unable to find a new job, Adam goes into the music business with his brother Crosby, and together they open a recording studio called "The Luncheonette"; formerly a working diner. In 2011, Adam and Kristina have their third child, a daughter named Nora. He is often shown struggling to deal with not only his own problems but those of the entire family. After financial problems with the Luncheonette, Adam steps away from the business. After receiving an offer to re-enter the corporate world, Adam finds his passion in running Chambers Academy after Kristina begins working on opening more schools.

Kristina Braverman

Kristina Anna Nichols Braverman (Monica Potter) is Adam's wife, and a source of stability and support for anyone who needs it.^[4] She is portrayed as a typical soccer mom who works to keep her family happy. Official material from NBC characterises her as a "wise and quietly forceful woman who loves her husband and children deeply and with incredible strength."^[4] While she is always caring and nurturing, she can be high-strung and worried at times, perhaps as a result of raising a son with Asperger's syndrome. In season two, when Haddie moves in with Adam's parents for a few weeks, it is revealed that Kristina's parents ran away and married one another when they were 16. She mentions that her father made her mother miserable for her entire life. Although it has not been explored, it has been strongly hinted that Kristina's home life while growing up was far from ideal and she has expressed to Camille that she (Camille) was a substitute mother for her. She goes back to work to support her family during her husband's unemployment, then quits, but goes back to work after Adam tells her that Rachel, his assistant at the recording studio, kissed him. She forgives him for this transgression, despite Adam's refusal to fire Rachel. Kristina initially disapproved of her daughter's relationship with her alcoholic boyfriend, but eventually came around. In the fourth season premiere, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and faced many hardships as a result, despite overwhelming support from her family. She fights it by the season finale, prompting her and Adam to take a well-deserved trip to Hawaii. After treatment she is told to be "cancer free". She also is asked to run Bob Little's campaign for Mayor of Berkeley. She rejects his offers and announces her campaign for the same office. In season five it is mentioned that she is from Cleveland, Ohio and is not entirely fond of the beach life of California. Kristina opens Chambers Academy in season six, named for her friend, Gwen Chambers, Kristina's friend and support that she met during chemotherapy who left a large (but unknown) endowment to Kristina that is used to fund the startup costs of Chambers Academy. Chambers offers education to students with learning difficulties who do not respond to general or special education settings. Kristina receives offers to open more schools like Chambers, handing control of the original school to Adam in the series finale.

Haddie Braverman

Haddie Braverman (Sarah Ramos) is Adam and Kristina's oldest child.^[5] She is 15 in the beginning of the series. She is a straight-A student who plays soccer and has several friends; she aspires to be the quintessential "good girl" in order to compensate for her brother's behavioral problems. As the show progresses, however, she begins to assert her independence and experiment with boys and drugs. In Season 2, she volunteers in a soup kitchen where she meets Alex. They become romantically involved, but her parents object to their relationship because they feel Alex is too mature for her, with too many "grown-up" problems (he is a recovering alcoholic who left an abusive home and lives alone). Her parents' opposition to their relationship causes Haddie to move out to live with her grandparents. The conflict is eventually resolved when Haddie returns home, and Adam and Kristina grant her permission to continue seeing her boyfriend. She loses her virginity to Alex the night of her junior prom. Her parents find out when she misdials them while she is having sex. During the beginning of the third season, Alex gets arrested and charged with assault after punching another man at a party. Haddie feels personally responsible since he was only there to pick her up. Alex soon ends the relationship with her even after the charges are dropped because he feels that they are too different. She dedicates the rest of her senior year to school, and gets accepted into Cornell. She leaves during the first episode of the fourth season, and returns briefly to visit after learning of her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. To prevent her from worrying, Haddie's parents tell her the cancer is benign and send her back to Cornell to live her dream college experience. At the end of season 5, she returns home for a visit with family with her friend Lauren. Max sees Haddie kissing Lauren, and Haddie soon announces that she is in a same-sex relationship with Lauren. Haddie returns for the Series Finale; no mention is made of her relationship status.

Max Braverman

Max Braverman (Max Burkholder) is Adam and Kristina's 14-year-old son (age 9 at the beginning of the series) who is diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at the beginning of the first season.^[6] His struggles and triumphs with this syndrome affect much of what happens in his family. Max is unaware of his diagnosis in the early episodes, but during the second season he learns about it after witnessing a fight between Adam and Crosby. His parents decide to transfer him to a mainstream school after being told that Max is very intelligent. In the season 2 finale, while at the hospital Max becomes very angry saying that he wants pancakes more than he cares about Amber, even going as far as saying that doesn't care about her. Adam scolds Max for his hurtful comments, but Max believes he didn't do anything wrong, though at the end he apologizes to Sarah for what he said. Max has recently been mainstreamed into normal schools in order to challenge him academically. He is trying hard to make friends, though it proves difficult. He does make a friend in season 3, a boy with spina bifida named Micah whose parents are thrilled because, like Max, he's never had a friend before. It is also discovered that Max is academically gifted. Though socially behind others his age, he is academically far above most others his age and older. In the fourth season, he is elected class president of Cedar Knoll Middle School with some help from his older sister Haddie. He is often shown to get along well with and prefer to be with his cousin Amber rather than his sister Haddie because Amber, given her own personal struggles, has a greater understanding of his condition. Max develops a mentor relationship with Hank Rizzoli, developing an interest in photography. Hank and Max connect as they both deal with the struggles of living with Asperger's Syndrome. Max find success in photography and sees it as a future career. Max struggles with mainstream middle school. During an overnight school trip, other students bully him and Adam and Kristina need to take him home early. In response, Kristina creates a charter school, Chambers Academy, for students with learning difficulties who do not respond to general or special education settings. Max graduates from Chambers Academy in the series finale.

Nora Braverman

Nora Braverman (Mia and Ella Allan), the youngest of Adam and Kristina's three children, was born in late 2011. Her father Adam was closing a huge business deal at the time of her birth and turned his phone off; as a result, his brother, Crosby, helped Adam's wife deliver the child.

Sarah Braverman and her family

Sarah Tracey Braverman

Sarah Tracey Braverman (Lauren Graham), age 38 at the beginning of the series, is the second child and oldest daughter. She and her two children (Amber and Drew) move back into her parents' house in the pilot episode because of her financial situation. At the show's beginning, it is established that she had previously worked as a bartender for over ten years and as a graphic artist for local bands, including her ex-husband's. She is divorced from her rocker husband Seth (John Corbett), who appears to have been a very poor father figure to their children due to his drug use, alcoholism, and touring schedule. They were married for 12 years. After she fails to obtain a job with a design company due to her lack of a college degree, Sarah once again takes a bartending job. However, she soon begins an internship position at the same company where her older brother, Adam, works. She starts dating her boss despite her brother's disapproval. However, she eventually leaves him when she finds out that he sold the company without the knowledge of its employees. One night, she writes a play which her father passes to his friend, who is well-connected in Broadway. Her play is later produced. She turns 40 in the second season, which means she had her 17-year-old daughter, Amber, when she was 23 and Drew when she was 25. Sarah re-kindles her relationship with Mark Cyr, who is 12 years her junior, after revealing to Amber that she is falling in love with him. In the last episode of season three, Mark proposes to Sarah and we find out in the first episode of the fourth season that she accepted. Sarah goes to work for photographer Hank Rizzoli. In season 4, episode 10, "Trouble in Candyland", Mark breaks up with Sarah because of her habit of running away from things that make her feel good about herself. This happens after Sarah puts her job before Mark when she turned down going to a wedding with him so she could accompany her boss to a photography job in Los Angeles. In season five she becomes a supervisor of a nice apartment building before becoming Hank's photography partner full-time. Hank and Sarah marry in the series finale.

Hank Rizzoli

Hank Rizzoli (Ray Romano) is a photographer who is hired by the Braverman family for a family picture in season four. Sarah ultimately becomes Hank's assistant. Although not originally fond of Sarah, the two begin a relationship that has struggles as Sarah still has feelings for Mark Cyr. Hank begins a mentor-mentee relationship with Max and teaches him about photography. After spending time with Max, Hank begins to realize that he shares many social qualities with Max and that he may have Asperger's Syndrome himself. Hank has a daughter, Ruby, from his previous marriage. After Sarah and Hank move in together, Hank begins to bond with Amber and Drew. He helps Amber assemble her crib and asks Drew to be his best man. Hank and Sarah marry in the series finale.

Amber Holt

Amber Holt (Mae Whitman), age 16 at the beginning of the series, is Sarah's rebellious, willful, and not very studious daughter who is seeking direction in life.^[7] She resents her move from Fresno, particularly after her mother thwarts her efforts to stay by moving in with her boyfriend. She resents her father's drug use and abandonment more than her brother because she claims that she can remember the hard times better than he can. At one point, she and her mother and brother were living in a motel together to be away from their father.^[7] She shows musical inclination and is a talented guitar player and songwriter. Toward, the end of the second season, despite receiving a 2250 on her SATs and having a successful interview with a Berkeley alumna, Amber learns that she has been rejected from both colleges she applied to and has to decide what to do with her life. Following a path of drug abuse with her new friend, Gary, the couple is violently t-boned by an SUV. Amber is critically injured, but recovers and decides to start over. She has since moved out of her grandparents' house and into her own apartment but her relationships with her family, in particular her mother, have remained intact. She started working as a secretary at the Luncheonette, her uncles' recording studio, and in season four, she meets Ryan, a young Afghanistan war veteran. The two start in a relationship and are shown to be fairly steady for several episodes. However, after a heated argument about his drinking habits and poor decision-making, Amber breaks up with Ryan because he reminded her too much of her own father, who abandoned her family prior to the series. The two reconciled in the fourth season finale and were shown to be very happy. In the first episode of season five, Ryan proposes to Amber after returning from another tour of duty. She accepts the proposal. He buys her a very expensive engagement ring that she is uncomfortable accepting as he used all his money from the army to purchase it. This leads to tension between the couple. Ryan becomes upset when he feels as though a member of the band that The Luncheonette is recording is flirting with Amber and when he picks her up from a bar, he gets into a fight with one of the guys, leading to him being arrested. The band decides not to press charges but Amber isn't sure where their relationship stands, especially after Crosby and Adam ask that Ryan not come around the Luncheonette for a while. After a talk with her grandfather, she tells Ryan that she loves him and wants to work through things and have a family with him. However, he tells her that he doesn't know how to be a part of this world, because it makes no sense to him and has reenlisted in the army. He ends their engagement, which leads to Amber going on a bender. One night she ends up at a bar that her father works at. After getting into an altercation with a man at the bar, she stays the night at her father's place and reconnects with him. Ryan later gets hurt and is discharged, and Amber goes to visit him in the hospital, but Ryan's mother shows up and insists he return to Wyoming. Later, Amber finds out she is pregnant with Ryan's child. However, she exhibits a strong want to raise the child on her own without his help. In the penultimate episode of the series, Amber gives birth to a son, whom she names Ezekiel (Zeek) after her grandfather. Because she is struggling in her small apartment, Zeek and Camille invite Amber and her baby to move in with them, to which she happily agrees. After an undisclosed amount of time, Amber is now married to a man with a daughter of his own, while Ryan remains a part of his son's life.

Drew Holt

Andrew "Drew" Holt (Miles Heizer) is Sarah's son, age 14 at the beginning of the series. He is characterized as sensitive and longs for a male role model.^[8] Brief glimpses of Seth (Drew's absentee father) and statements by Sarah indicate that Drew has suffered much disappointment at the hands of his dad. As a result, he has become sullen and withdrawn. Drew regularly seeks romantic advice from the male figures in his life, Zeek and Adam. During the third season, Drew develops a relationship with Amy, a girl introduced to him by his grandfather during a yard sale. The relationship with his new girlfriend, Amy, helps him to become less aloof and break the shell of his social inhibitions. He is shown having trouble adjusting to his mother's relationship with Mark Cyr, a teacher at his high school.^[8] In the season three finale, Drew and Amy sleep together for the first time, while his family celebrates Crosby and Jasmine's wedding outside. During the beginning of the fourth season, Amy breaks up with Drew after meeting someone else over the summer. They try to stay friends, but later get back together after Amy learns of his aunt's cancer. They are caught having sex by Mark, who tells Drew's mother. Amy eventually ends up pregnant. She, however, has an abortion and decides it is best for her to stay single. At the end of season four, Drew is accepted into the University of California, Berkeley. At the beginning of season five, Drew is having problems with his roommate because he is constantly kicking Drew out of their dorm so he can hookup with girls. Ryan "intimidates" his roommate, solving the problem. Drew begins a friends with benefits relationship with a girl on his floor named Natalie (Lyndon Smith). He talks to her about them becoming a couple, which she doesn't want to do. Drew's high school girlfriend, Amy, shows up on his doorstep and stays for a few weeks, admitting that she hates Tufts and is having a hard time. When Amy shows up, Natalie shows that's she's jealous of their relationship. After Amy leaves, Drew and Natalie get back together. At the end of the school year, Natalie returns to Portland, Oregon and Drew soon follows in the Pontiac GTO his grandfather gives him.

Zeek Holt

Ezekiel "Zeek" Holt is the son of Amber Holt and Ryan York. He is born at the end of season 6 and is named after his great-grandfather.

Julia Braverman-Graham and her family

Julia Braverman-Graham

Julia Braverman-Graham (Erika Christensen) is Sydney and Victor's mother, Joel's wife, and Zeek and Camille's fourth and youngest child and second daughter. She is a lawyer at a top corporate firm while her husband, Joel, supports her ambitions by serving as a stay-at-home dad to their daughter.^[9] Julia is sometimes competitive and it is difficult for her to let go and relax.^[9] Julia's go-getting personality and by-the-book approach is the opposite of her sister Sarah's, but they turn to one another for support.^[9] During the second season, Joel and Julia are celebrating their eight-year anniversary. After unsuccessfully trying to conceive a second child, Julia is told she has scarring in her uterus and that it will be extremely difficult for her to conceive again. Julia and Joel have decided to adopt a young boy named Victor. During the fourth season, she quits her job at the firm after missing Sydney's dance recital and Victor's first baseball game. She then attempts to become a stay-at-home mom while Joel goes back to work. In season 5 Julia begins to struggle with staying at home and feeling out of place. She begins a friendship with Ed, a dad at her children's school, and it begins to turn into an emotional affair. Eventually she sees the dangers and goes to break it off, but instead they kiss. Later in the season, after separating with Joel over her relationship with Ed, Julia has a one-night stand with Mr. Knight, the headmaster of Adam and Kristina's charter school. In the final season, Julia and Joel are able to work things out and mend their relationship and are surprised to learn that Victor's birth-mother has given birth to a baby girl and offer Julia and Joel the chance to adopt. After a few days of deliberating, they decide to adopt her. After an undisclosed amount of time, it is revealed that not long after adopting Victor's sister, Julia gave birth to a son. They are all seen celebrating Christmas together as one big, happy family.

Joel Graham

Joel Graham (Sam Jaeger) is Julia's husband and Sydney and Victor's father.^[10] He is a stay-at-home father, and is popular among the stay-at-home mothers in their social circle at Sydney's school, a fact which sometimes puts strains on his marriage. He is shown to be very capable domestically and hosts a regular playdate that is very popular.^[10] Though he's 100% committed to the job of raising his daughter, he sometimes finds himself starved for adult interaction. He is a licensed contractor and he and Julia agreed that he would stay home with Sydney after he couldn't afford to keep paying his crew. In season two, it is revealed that his mother died when he was younger, something that affects his faith and belief in an afterlife. In the season finale of season 3, Julia and Joel adopted a young boy named Victor. In season 4, Julia becomes a stay-at-home mom while Joel returns to work as a contractor.^[10] In season 5, Joel moves into his own apartment because he can't cope with Julia's behavior affecting their marriage. It is also revealed during their separation that his father cheated on his mother, which may be the reason why Julia's behavior is affecting him so much. In the final season, Joel and Julia are able to mend their broken relationship and adopt another baby. Soon after, it is revealed that Julia has given birth to a son.

Sydney Graham

Sydney Graham (Savannah Paige Rae) is Julia and Joel's daughter, and is five years old in the first season.^[11] With Joel at home with her full-time, Sydney has become a "daddy's girl," which causes Julia anxiety about finding significant bonding time with her little girl.^[11] She has been identified as being gifted. In the fourth season, she begins to have jealous feelings towards her new brother, Victor, when she feels that he is getting more attention from their parents.

Victor Graham

Victor Graham (Xolo Mariduena) is Julia and Joel's 10-year-old adopted "sky baby" (his biological mother has been incarcerated). He is introduced at the end of the Season 3 finale. He is cold towards his new family at first, and does not listen to either of his adopted parents. Victor begins to warm up to them in the fourth season, by joining a baseball team and playing catch with Joel, as well as baking cookies with Julia. However, after an argument with Sydney, he purposely throws a baseball bat through a window, nearly hitting his sister. This prompts Julia to reconsider going through with full adoption of Victor, much to Joel's dismay. But they do finalize the adoption later. Victor struggles in school, eventually being put back a grade. When Joel and Julia separate, he blames himself. In the final episode, Joel and Julia adopt Victor's biological sister.

Crosby Braverman and his family

Crosby Braverman

Crosby Braverman (Dax Shepard) is 32 years old at the beginning of the series, unmarried, third child and second son. He works as a small-time record producer. When the show opens, his longtime girlfriend, Katie, is pressuring him to settle down and start a family, an idea he is resistant to.^[12] Unexpectedly, his former lover, Jasmine, introduces Crosby to his five-year-old son, Jabbar, in the pilot episode.^[12] In season 2, Crosby and Jasmine are engaged, but he begins to feel Jasmine is too controlling, citing her desire to have "a big family" and eventually a house while not actually discussing her desires with him. When he confronts her, they have an argument and he moves back into his boat while Jasmine asks that they "figure things out." During this period Crosby sleeps with Max's behavioral aide, Gaby. He tells Jasmine and upon hearing the news, she leaves him. Crosby begs for Jasmine's forgiveness, but towards the end of the second season, Jasmine tells him she doesn't think she can forgive him for cheating on her and she has decided to move on. Crosby is determined to get her back. In the season 2 finale Crosby tells Jasmine that he is done pursuing her if she truly feels that this was the end of their relationship. Seeing this as a mature sign she comes back to visit Crosby and his new house. At the end of season 3, Crosby and Jasmine get married. He and his brother, Adam, run the Luncheonette, a recording studio. Crosby plays poker with cast members of About a Boy.

Jasmine Trussell

Jasmine Trussell (Joy Bryant)^[13] is a dancer, the mother of Crosby's son Jabbar, and Crosby's eventual wife. She kept Jabbar a secret from Crosby until he was five years old. She lies to her own family about Crosby abandoning her and Jabbar for that time period, as well, because her own father disappeared on her family when she was only four years old. She is very close with her mother, Renee, and her brother, Sekou. She breaks up with Crosby when he cheats on her with Gaby, behavioural aide to his nephew, Max. In the season two finale, it appeared that she and Crosby might reconcile, however, they did not. She subsequently dates her son's pediatrician, Dr. Joe. She appears jealous when Crosby is in a relationship with a cellist from the Luncheonette. In the season three finale, she marries Crosby. By the end of season 4, Jasmine reveals that she is pregnant with her and Crosby's second child, a daughter named Aida, who is born at the start of season five. In the Season 6 Series Finale it is seen she is pregnant with another child.

Jabbar Trussell

Jabbar Trussell (Tyree Brown)^[14] is Jasmine and Crosby's son. He is five years old during the show's first season. He is recurring in season one, but is promoted to a regular role for all subsequent seasons.

Aida Braverman

Aida is Crosby and Jasmine's second child who was born at the start of season five.

Recurring cast

• Racquel (Erinn Hayes) is an attractive supermom whose comfortable relationship with Joel and Sydney rubs Julia the wrong way.^[10] Racquel had attempted to kiss Joel in the past, but Joel turned her down. She has one daughter, Harmony, who was best friends with Joel and Julia's daughter, Sydney. In order for both of their daughters to continue their close relationship, Joel overlooks the situation and pretends the kiss never happened.
• Katie (Marguerite Moreau) was Crosby's girlfriend, who is putting pressure on Crosby to settle down and start a family. She was unaware of Jasmine and Jabbar until the fifth episode.^[12] She ended her relationship with Crosby after he revealed his secret about having a son. Although she was upset that he had been secretly spending time with Jabbar for a month and a half, she was more hurt that he did not introduce Jabbar to her when they met at the recording studio.
• Dr. Pelikan (Tom Amandes) is the doctor that diagnosed Max Braverman with Asperger's Syndrome and is giving the family guidance on coping with his condition. Kristina refers Julia to Dr. Pelikan when Julia thinks her daughter may also have Asperger's Syndrome. However, Dr. Pelikan tells Julia that Sydney is gifted and acts out because she is simply bored.
• Mark Cyr (Jason Ritter) is Amber's English teacher who has a brief relationship with Sarah. Sarah ended her relationship with him because it hurt Amber's feelings and Sarah wanted to focus on her family. Mark helped Amber study for the SAT after school hours. The two continue their relationship until season 4, episode 10 "Trouble in Candyland", where Mark breaks up with Sarah because of her habit of running away from things that make her feel good about herself.
• Gaby (Minka Kelly) was Max's behavioral aide. Kristina is initially threatened by Gaby's ability to get through to Max. However, Kristina eventually confides in Gaby after having a breakdown. Adam finds Gaby partying at a Mexican restaurant and taking shot after shot of tequila. He is amazed that Gaby shows up to work the next day without a hair out of place. She sleeps with Crosby and in the aftermath quits her job as Max's behavioral aide, but comes back to talk to Kristina about helping Max, where the two women aren't exactly friendly but do part on civl terms.
• Steve Williams (Asher Book) was Haddie's boyfriend, whose affections for Amber later caused tensions between Amber, Haddie, and other members of the family. His dad has MS, and he confided in Amber for the first time about his father's condition. He revealed to Amber's mother and uncle about his love for Amber after she ran away.
• Gordon Flint (William Baldwin) was Adam's boss until he sold the company. When Sarah became an intern at Adam's company, she and Gordon became romantically involved, which caused friction between Adam and Sarah.
• Phil Lessing (Phil Abrams) is the husband of Suze Lessing and father to Noel, an Asperger syndrome diagnosed child.
• Suze Lessing (Amanda Foreman) is the wife of Phil Lessing.
• Renee Trussell (Tina Lifford) is Jasmine's mother and Jabbar's grandmother. Jabbar stays with Renee while Jasmine is performing with the dancing troupe. She is very cold and mean towards Crosby and doesn't think he can live up to his promises. Crosby retaliates by telling her that he is not a pushover and that he will be for Jasmine and Jabbar. Renee smiles and congratulates Crosby on his mature behavior.
• Alex (Michael B. Jordan) is Haddie's on again, off again boyfriend, whom she met while she volunteering at the soup kitchen he currently manages. He is a recovering alcoholic and three years older than Haddie, so Haddie's parents initially disapprove of the relationship.
• Seth Holt (played by John Corbett from season 2, episode 15; briefly appeared in the pilot episode played by Darin Heames) is a rock musician and Amber and Drew's father. He is constantly disappointing his kids for different reasons: Amber hates him and doesn't want him around at all, making sure to insult him whenever he does try to visit, and Drew misses him and wishes he would be around more for them. He does appear in a deleted scene from the series finale where he meets his grandchild and is emotional over it.
• Micah Watson (Hayden Byerly) is Max's best friend, who uses a wheelchair.
• Natalie (Lyndon Smith) is Drew's love interest and dorm-mate at UC Berkeley during seasons 5 and 6.
• Amy Ellis (Skyler Day) is Drew's girlfriend during parts of seasons 3 and 4.
• Zoe (Rosa Salazar) is the "coffee girl" who was carrying the baby that Julia and Joel planned to adopt. However, after the baby was born, she decided to keep him.
• Rachel (Alexandra Daddario) was Adam and Crosby's assistant at their recording studio, The Luncheonette. She is passionate about music and dresses provocatively. She is also shown to be a gifted pianist. She kissed Adam, but fears for her job after Adam tells Kristina about it. Kristina resolves the situation by telling Rachel not to ever let it happen again, to which Rachel agrees.
• Ryan York (Matt Lauria) is a veteran of the Afghanistan War who becomes friends with Zeek and dates Amber.
• Heather Hall (Jurnee Smollett) is a smart and feisty up-and-coming political campaign adviser who Kristina hires to be her campaign manager in season 5.^[15]
• Oliver Rome (Tyson Ritter) is a musician who works for a fictional label in the show. He has his own band called Ashes of Rome.^[16]

References

External links

• Official website

• Parenthood at the Internet Movie Database
• Parenthood at TV.com