Adam Scott, Catherine O'Hara, and Kathy Bates are just a few of the impressive guest stars who have appeared on , and whether they're on it for an episode or for a multi-season-long arc, they all bring something indelible to the series. Over five seasons of Six Feet Under, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning HBO drama series, the lives of the Fisher family, who account for royalty in the funeral business, are explored in detail. What makes the series stand out is its preoccupation with death, and how that inevitable part of life tinges everything we do.

The Fisher family in Six Feet Under is a fascinating group to get to know, but . There have been dozens of guest stars to appear in Six Feet Under over the years, and the best of them are able to bring that personal and memorable touch to the show while also making sure they play within the bounds of the series. There's an art to being a guest star, and these seven actors brought their incredible skills to some excellently written characters.

Catherine O'Hara appeared in Six Feet Under in seasons 2 and 3, in four episodes as Carol Ward, the neurotic, self-obsessed boss of Lisa Kimmel (Lili Taylor). Carol is a movie producer whose instability and constant, odd demands put a strain on Lisa, which eventually leads to her quitting. The character has all the quirks and floaty aura that O'Hara has always brought to her roles. O'Hara has had a long career, and has most recently been in the zeitgeist for reprising the role of Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

O'Hara has been nominated for 8 Emmys and won twice, and she has gone one for one at the Golden Globes. , but she's been a part of plenty of notable movies and TV shows, including Kate McCallister in the Home Alone movies and Patty Leigh in The Studio.

Adam Scott plays Ben Cooper in episodes 5 and 6 of season 2 of Six Feet Under. Ben was a dorky lawyer who dated Keith (Matthew St. Patrick) after Keith and David (Michael C. Hall) broke up, and it was something of a rebound for Keith. Ben is a nerdy guy, and while he was nice enough, it was clear he wouldn't be around for long. There are definitely some similarities between Scott's character in Six Feet Under and one of his most famous roles, Ben Wyatt, in Parks and Recreation.

Well, that would be his most famous role, were it not for his most recent part in Severance as Mark Scout. Some of his other memorable TV roles include playing John Novak in Loot, Max Jennifer in Ghosted, and Ed MacKenzie in Big Little Lies. In film, he played Tom Engel in Krampus and Derek Huff in Knocked Up.

Sandra Oh appeared in Six Feet Under season 1, episode 5, "An Open Book" as a character only referred to as "Porn Starlet" in the credits. It's a bit of a blink and you'll miss it part, but . This part came just a few years before she would rise to national fame, playing Cristina Yang in Grey's Anatomy. That role earned her a Golden Globe and got her nominated for five Emmys.

Oh's career did not slow down afterward either. She went on to star in Killing Eve as Eve Polastri and voice Deborah Grayson in Invincible​​​​​. In film, Oh has played Stephanie in Sideways, Patti in Under the Tuscan Sun, and Susanne in Tammy. Her role in Six Feet Under is short, but it hints at the talent she would soon display for everyone to see.

Bobby Cannavale plays Javier in three episodes of Six Feet Under season 4. Javier works alongside Keith doing a security detail for a pop star played by Michelle Trachtenberg. Keith and Javier get to talking in the episode, and . It's a perfectly cool part for a perfectly cool actor who has played slick, tough guys often, most recently in The Irishman as Skinny Razor.

Cannavale's other notable movie roles include Joe DiMaggio in Blonde, Detective Torres in MaXXXine, Jim Paxton in the Ant-Man movies, and Chili in Blue Jasmine. On television, he appeared in Third Watch as Roberto Caffey, Will & Grace as Vince D'Angelo, Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire, Irving in Mr. Robot​​​​​​, and Colin Belfast in Homecoming​​​​​​.

Kathy Bates is approaching supporting character territory in Six Feet Under as Bettina, who appears in seasons 3, 4, and 5 in 10 episodes altogether. Bettina is Sarah O'Connor's (Patricia Clarkson) caretaker., and they both bring out something joyous in each other. Bettina once struggled with drugs, which makes her particularly talented at helping others in the throes of withdrawal.

This is just one of many roles that the Academy Award-winning actress has had since she began acting. , Bates earned her first Oscar nomination and won for her role as Annie Wilkes in Misery. She later went on to appear in About Schmidt as Roberta Hertzel, Dolores Claiborne as Dolores Claiborne, and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. as Sylvia Simon. On TV, she played multiple characters in the American Horror Story series and Ruth Whitefeather Feldman in Disjointed​​​​​.

Jenna Fischer played Sharon Kinney in episodes 1 and 2 of season 5 of Six Feet Under. Sharon has a fling with Rico (Freddy Rodriguez) when he's separated from Vanessa (Justina Machado). While Rico thinks that something real is developing, Sharon is not interested in something serious and ghosts him. Unable to take the hint, Rico has her landlord break into her apartment to make sure she's OK, leading to an awkward encounter.

in The Office. Before the groundbreaking comedy series, Fischer only appeared in small roles in TV shows like Cold Case and That '70s Show. She later went on to appear in You, Me and the Apocalypse as Rhonda MacNeil and Splitting Up Together as Lena. Her film roles include Katie Van Waldenberg in Blades of Glory, Maggie Mills in Hall Pass, and the 2024 Mean Girls as Ms. Heron.

Justin Theroux plays a character named Joe in eight episodes in seasons 3 and 4. Joe is a French horn player and Brenda Chenowith's (Rachel Griffiths) boyfriend. Joe and Brenda quickly get into a relationship and even buy a house together, and attempt to have a baby together. , and he eventually walks in on Brenda and Nate (Peter Krause) together, ending the relationship.

Theroux has had an impressive career in both comedies and dramas. In film, he notably played the Evil DJ in Zoolander, Seamus O'Grady in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Adam Kesher in Mulholland Drive, and Rory in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. His television roles include Nick Pierce in The District, Kevin Garvey in The Leftovers, Allie Fox in The Mosquito Coast, and G. Gordon Liddy in White House Plumbers​​​​​​. He's a fantastic guest star in , bringing everything to the table that would soon make him a star.