'Divorce' Brings Thomas Haden Church Back To TV

Sarah Jessica Parker returns to HBO on Sunday, Oct. 9, but her character on the new series Divorce, Frances, is a far cry from the fabulous, single Manhattanite we knew and loved on Sex and the City. The stark contrast of the two shows' titles really says it all. While Carrie’s girlfriends made up Parker’s ensemble cast before, this time, she shares the spotlight with her character’s ex-husband, Robert. So if you tune when it premieres this Sunday at 10 p.m., expect to see a lot from Thomas Haden Church as Robert on Divorce.

The series will chronicle Robert and Frances’ divorce, starting with the beginning fallout and lawyering up. Many viewers are likely already familiar with SJP’s ‘80s teen movie fame turned SATC superstar status, but you may not realize all of the places you could've seen Church over the last three decades. Even if you don't immediately recognize his name, trust me that you’ve seen the award-winning actor before. With more than 25 years of IMDB credits to his name, here are just some of Church's most biggest roles to get you ready to watch him face off against Parker in Divorce.

Cheers & 21 Jump Street

Church got his start in the late '80s with small roles on major sitcoms like Cheers (check out a fresh-faced Church on the show in the photo above) and 21 Jump Street.

Wings

His big break didn't come until 1990, when he starred as Lowell Mather on the hit sitcom Wings.

George of the Jungle

Many '90s kids knew him as George's romantic rival Lyle Van de Groot in this kids' movie. (Remember the poop scene?)

Ned and Stacey

Another starring TV role, he played Ned opposite Debra Messing's Stacey. Unfortunately, this Fox sitcom only lasted for two seasons before coming to an end in 1997.

Sideways

Skipping ahead to 2004, Church received acclaim for his starring role as Jack in Sideways. He even scored an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and the film was nominated for Best Picture.

Broken Trail

Just two years later, Church won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his performance as a cowboy in this two-part miniseries.

Many Film Roles

This guy’s got a lot of movies under his belt and 2006-2009 were particularly busy years for him, as Church appeared in Idiocracy, Spider-Man 3, Smart People, All About Steve, and more.

Easy A & Beyond

In 2010, Church played Olive’s favorite teacher, Mr. Griffiths, in the comedy. After that, he continued to appear in other movies such as We Bought A Zoo and Heaven Is for Real.

As you can see, Church has had a long and varied career, and Divorce marks his first starring TV role in a long time and based on what we've seen so far, it's bound to be another success.

Images: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO; NBC; Buena Vista Pictures; Screen Gems