How Old Was John Corbett in ‘Northern Exposure’?
John Corbett is a double threat with an impressive career on his notch. The actor is popularly known for his role in the Sarah Jessica Parker-led series Sex and The City, but before he was Aidan Shaw, Corbett appeared in a quirky TV show called Northern Exposure. Corbett is 61 years old today, so how old was he in Northern Exposure?
‘Northern Exposure’ was supposed to air for half a season
In the summer of 1990, CBS commissioned eight episodes of a little TV show called Northern Exposure. The series was meant to be a mid-season replacement, thus explaining the half-season production.
However, Northern Exposure became a hit with audiences and returned for seven more episodes in 1991, eventually becoming a regular part of the network’s lineup.
The show followed a neurotic Jewish physician who relocates from New York City fresh out of family medicine residency. Joel Fleischman’s contract requires he spends four years in Alaska, and while he expects to work in a large modern hospital, he is assigned to a small town called Cicely as a general practitioner.
His fish-out-of-water experience serves as a major plotline and drives much of the series. The show was an unexpected hit and what started as one season lasted for six seasons with a total of 110 episodes. The show was initially meant only to feature Fleischman’s experiences, but as it grew in popularity, it became an ensemble show focusing on other residents in the town.
Northern Exposure racked up critical acclaim and several accolades throughout its run. The show has 30 award wins out of 123 nominations, including seven Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 Peabody Awards. The first season of Northern Exposure has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
How old was John Corbett in ‘Northern Exposure’?
Northern Exposure starred Rob Morrow as Fleischman, Barry Corbin as Maurice Minnifield, Janine Turner as Maggie O’Connell, John Cullum as Holling Vincoeur, and Cynthia Geary as Shelly Tambo. Corbett played Chris Stevens, a free-spirited ex-convict who works at the local radio station as a disc jockey.
Chris offers commentary on the goings-on in Cicely, and his opinions on controversial subjects often lead to conflict with his boss Maurice (Corbin), who hires and fires him severally throughout the show. Chris also doubles as a nondenominational clergyman who occasionally officiates weddings.
Northern Exposure aired its first episode on July 12, 1990, and its final episode on July 26, 1995. At the time, Corbett was 29 years old. He appeared in all the episodes, and by the time the series wrapped up, the actor had turned 34. Corbett turned 61 on May 9, 2022.
A glance at John Corbett’s acting career
Corbett’s first role was in The Wonder Years playing Karen Arnold’s hippie boyfriend, Louis. He followed it up with his role on Northern Exposure, playing Chris, and in 1997, he appeared in the short-lived series The Visitor.
From 2001 to 2002, Corbett appeared in Sex and The City, playing Carrie Bradshaw’s on-again-off-again boyfriend, Aidan Shaw. He then appeared in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, playing Ian Miller. Corbett had back-to-back roles in Lucky, Raising Helen, Raise Your Voice, Street Kings, and Baby On Board.
In 2010, he reprised his role in Sex and The City 2 and appeared in November Christmas alongside Sarah Paulson. In 2011, Corbett landed yet another significant role in the long-running series Parenthood, playing the absentee father, Seth Holt. He has since appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles, the To All the Boys I’ve Loved trilogy, and Undone. He returned as Aidan in the Sex and The City reboot And Just Like That.
