Rueben's Ramblings

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Wednesday Edition)

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In my ongoing look at some of the familiar faces on TV, looking at the first time ever I saw their face on the small screen, here are just some of the actors who have appeared on Wednesday night shows and where I first saw.

Charles Esten

Charles Esten

Charles Esten:

WHO HE PLAYS NOW: He plays country singer-legendary guitarist Deacon Claybourne on the musical drama Nashville that will start its third season on ABC this fall, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HIS FACE: Was in an episode of the long-running CBS military drama JAG where he appeared in the 1997 episode entitled “Jinx” playing Lieutenant Pete “Pistol” Ayers.

Colton Haynes

Colton Haynes

Colton Haynes:

WHO HE PLAYS NOW: He currently plays Roy Harper on the hit series Arrow that will be going into its thirds season this fall on The CW, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HIS FACE: He made guest appearances in the short-lived series Privileged in 2008 followed by a guest shot in the critically acclaimed, but short-lived, drama Pushing Daisies.

Paige Turco

Paige Turco

Paige Turco:

WHO SHE PLAYS NOW: She is one of the adults, Councilwoman Dr. Abigail “Abby” Griffin, on The CW series The 100, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HER FACE: She appeared in the very short-lived primetime soap opera Winnetka Road as Terry Mears.

Gina Torres

Gina Torres

Gina Torres:

WHO SHE PLAYS NOW: She plays Jessica Pearson in the USA Network legal drama Suits, which is currently in its fourth season; and of course she was part of the cult favorite TV series Firefly and its box office companion Serenity, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HER FACE: She appeared in an episode of the first season of The Profiler back in 1997 as well as playing Cleopatra in an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess that same year; and guest starred in a 1998 episode of La Femme Nikita.

James Roday

James Roday

James Roday:

WHO HE PLAYS NOW: For eight seasons, Roday appeared as fake psychic Shawn Spencer on the popular USA Network dramedy Psych, which came to an end on March 26 of this year, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HIS FACE: He appeared in two extremely short-lived dramas: the 1999 FOX drama Ryan Caulfield: Year One and the 2001 NBC drama First Years.

Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay

Mariska Hargitay:

WHO SHE PLAYS NOW: For the past 15 TV seasons, she has appeared as Sergeant (now Detective) Olivia Benson on the NBC juggernaut cop drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but…

THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HER FACE: She starred as Jesse Smith in the short-lived 1986 drama Downtown that included Robert Englund (Freddie Kreuger himself), Michael Nouri (Flashdance and NCIS) and Blair Underwood (L.A. Law and The Event).

If you were asked to name the first time you ever saw their face, are there any Wednesday night TV stars who would fit that bill? Please share.

Using her favorite online handle, Rueben is an East Coast-bred gal who is now a permanent Californian and a lifelong tv-oholic. She watches at least 25 TV shows a week, goes to the movies as often as possible, listens to music every waking moment, reads every day and “plays” on the internet every chance she can. Some of her current favorite TV shows are Outlander, Sweet Magnolias, Wednesday, The Mandalorian, The Equalizer, Fire Country, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Rookie, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, The Witcher, Leverage: Redemption and School Spirits.  She is looking forward to the season premieres of Hudson & Rex on UPtv and Skymed on Paramount+ as well as the return of fall TV albeit starting in February. Follow her at @ruebenrambling or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com.