Characters of Six Feet Under: Encyclopedia - Characters of Six Feet Under

Characters of Six Feet Under

The following are a list of descriptions for characters on the HBO television series, Six Feet Under which aired from 2001–2005 for five seasons.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Major characters

Characters of Six Feet Under - Nate Fisher

Nathaniel Samuel "Nate" Fisher, Jr. (1965–2005), played by Peter Krause, is the oldest of the three Fisher siblings, and arguably the main character of the series; the series begins when he returns to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve only to learn that his father has died, and it ends in season five shortly after his death. Nate was born on January 8, 1965 (although in an earlier season he claimed to be a Libra) to Nathaniel and Ruth Fisher in Los Angeles.

When the series begins, in December 2000, Nate is returning home from Seattle to celebrate Christmas with his family. Nate had abandoned the family business years earlier. After graduating from Bonaventure High School and attending U.C. Santa Cruz, Nate traveled through Europe and later settled in Washington State, where he managed the largest organic food co-op in Seattle. However, after his father dies, Nate delays returning to Seattle for a few days, which end up growing into a few years. He and David each inherit half of their father's business, Fisher & Sons, and Nate ends up sticking around to help run the business after he comes to realize that he has a natural gift for comforting people in their time of grief. He also develops a relationship with Brenda Chenowith which begins as a random sexual encounter in an airport and slowly becomes something more.

In July 2001 (the beginning of the second season), Nate learns that he has arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a potentially fatal brain condition which could cause him to have a seizure or stroke at any time. Nate has a very pronounced fear of death, causing him to initially hide the information from everyone around him in order to avoid admitting his very real chance of dying young to himself. Early in the season, he visits Seattle and seeks comfort from Lisa Kimmel, his "fuck-buddy" during much of his time there. He ends up cheating on Brenda with her, only adding to the subconscious pressure on him; worse, he has his first seizure while there. Additionally, several months after leaving Seattle, Lisa moves to Los Angeles and Nate learns that she is pregnant. Through the course of the season, however, Nate slowly becomes able to face his fear, and finally is able to tell his family about the condition and seek a high-risk surgical procedure as treatment for it; he is also able to tell Brenda about impregnating Lisa, but when it turns out that she had been cheating on him as well, they split up. The season ends on a cliffhanger, with Nate undergoing the high-risk surgical procedure required to save his life.

The third season begins on a surreal note, exploring various possible outcomes of Nate's surgery and his life, and then skips ahead in time to late 2002, where it is revealed that Nate and Lisa have gotten married; their daughter, Maya, is three months old. Their relationship, however, is tumultous, and just when things are beginning to look up for the couple, Lisa is reported missing, and a month later her drowned corpse is found. Nate is forced to deal with both Lisa's death and being a single parent for Maya for a time, but eventually he rekindles his relationship with Brenda, and the two become engaged for a second time, marrying six months later, in October 2004 (the beginning of the fifth and final season). Their wedding day, however, is darkened by Brenda's miscarriage the previous day.

Brenda later becomes pregnant again, but she and Nate disagree on whether or not she should get an abortion if the child has special needs. Nate found solace from his troubles in his stepsister Maggie Sibley and the Quaker religion, and the two eventually have sex. Immediately afterwards, Nate suffered a brain hemorrhage from a second AVM that has developed since his mid-2002 surgery, and slips into a brief coma. He wakes up in the hospital the next day, and the doctors believe he will have a healthy recovery over the next few weeks. Brenda tells him that she forgives him for his adultery, but he responds by saying that he wants a divorce. Nate is also visited by David, Claire, Rico, and Maggie, but Ruth can't be reached due to being away on a camping trip. At the end of the day, Nate unexpectedly and abruptly dies in his hospital bed, while David is sleeping at his side.

Following his death, the series spends several episodes on the other characters' lives as they attempt to cope with his absence. Nate appears several times to them as a representation of their own thoughts, in a device that had been commonly used for many dead characters throughout the series to dramatically illustrate characters' internal monologues. When Ruth dies 20 years later, the last thing she sees is Nate.

Characters of Six Feet Under - David Fisher

David James Fisher (1969-2044), played by Michael C. Hall, is the other son (four years younger than Nate) who was co-operator of Fisher & Sons (later Fisher & Diaz). He was born on January 20, 1969. David was in many ways conservative; more than either of his siblings, he yearned for a marriage and children, dreams that were shattered when he realized he was gay. He kept it a secret until he reached his early thirties, and for a time was even engaged to a woman named Jennifer. David wanted to be a lawyer but joined the family business because Nate had left home around 1984. In 2000 David began dating police officer Keith, whom he met in a gay-friendly church. Soon after his father's death, David became angered at Nate's return as well as their father leaving half of the business to Nate. David was very distant towards Nate and Claire but after they learned he was gay and they all leaned on each other following their father's death, he became much closer to them. David had self-hatred issues and was reluctant to come out, which Keith so desperately wanted him to do; when he wouldn't, they broke up. David became involved in one-night stands and risky sex, all while being ashamed of his sexual orientation, but the brutal murder of a young gay man spurred him to try to cleanse himself of the guilt and come out. His family was accepting, but he was exiled from his Episcopalian church (where he served as deacon). By the time David told everyone he was gay, Keith was in another relationship, and during their months-long separation, David dated a lawyer named Ben. Unfortunately, David was not in love with him, and he soon reunited with Keith. Slowly but surely, David moved into Keith's apartment. David also bonded with Keith's young niece Taylor and wanted to help Keith raise her. Keith had become more and more distant and verbally abusive to David; David was so needy that he stayed silent until Keith sent Taylor away without even bothering to tell him. They began shoving each other and arguing, which ended in rough, angry sex on the living room floor; the intensity of which both aroused and frightened them. They went to therapy, which helped resolve some of their communication issues. David began singing in a gay mens' chorus, but Keith resented his friends. Keith dragged him to a paintball game which led to a threeway. A part of David enjoyed the open relationship, but he felt insecure about Keith's love for him. At a family funeral, David tried to mediate an explosive scene between Keith and his father. Keith told David he was not family, and a hurt David dumped him, only to take him back some weeks later. David had a quick tryst with a plumber and had to help his ex-fiancee Jennifer plan her father's funeral, and they finally resolved the lingering anger she felt about his being gay. Soon after he suffered a traumatic experience involving himself and a carjacker who held him at gunpoint, made him do drugs, beat him, and finally doused him in gasoline and forced him to beg for his life. At this time, Keith was often out of town working security and he was closeted to his coworkers, which made David feel Keith was ashamed of him; a lonely David took drugs and slept with former threeway partner Sarge. When Keith (who had slept with a pop starlet) returned, they each confessed their adulteries, and David worried Keith would leave him for a woman. The mental pressure kept building - finally, an irrational David assaulted someone and Keith had to have sex with the man in order to avoid a major lawsuit. Apparently David later dealt with some of these problems through medication.

As their lives began to settle down again, David and Keith decided to be parents. After several attempts at surrogacy failed, David adopted two children with Keith; brothers Durrell and Anthony. David loved the children from the start and through hard work and care, overcame their reticence and Keith's coolness towards them. When Nate died, David began to fall apart, but with some time alone he managed to overcome his demons. David and Keith pooled their savings to purchase the shares of Fisher & Sons owned by Brenda and Rico, and they redecorated and moved into the Fisher home. A few years after these events, David's lifelong dream was finally fully realized as he and Keith were married (a legal marriage, recognized by the state - the first on a fictional American series); they remained together for many years until Keith's murder in 2029. David later retired from Fisher & Sons (Durrell continued the business) in 2034, starred in many local community theater productions, and found love again with a man named Raoul Martinez. David died, apparently of natural causes, at a family function in 2044 at age 75. His last vision being a young and healthy Keith catching a football and smiling at him.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Ruth Fisher

Ruth O'Connor Fisher Sibley (1946-2025), played by Frances Conroy, is the widow of Nathaniel and mother of three. Ruth Fisher was born in Pasadena in 1946. She graduated from Pasadena High School in 1963 and never had the chance to go to college or enjoy her youth because she had to take care of her dying relatives. She married Nathaniel Fisher and while helping him build up his mortuary business, raised their children - Nate, David and Claire. Ruth felt Nathaniel was distant and near the end of their marriage she began to sleep with a hairdresser, Hiram (Ed Begley Jr.) who taught her how to explore her sexuality. When Nathaniel was suddenly killed, Ruth constantly feared being alone and struggled to accept Nate's relationship with Brenda, Claire's need for independence, and David's homosexuality. She gave David and Nate money to keep the business afloat, and for a time stayed away from Hiram. They reunited (in one memorable episode, she accidentally took Ecstasy, chased mascots, and had the best sex of her life), but when he wanted to date another woman, she happily let him go. To get out of the house, she worked at a florist's shop and dated her boss, Nikolai, but after she paid off his mob debts, he grew distant and she left. She attended a self-help seminar called The Plan around this time but soon grew sick of it, but not before using the techniques to reconcile with her sister Sarah. Ruth was delighted to become a grandmother (to Nate's daughter Maya) but still felt alone, and began a friendship with her sister's adventerous caretaker, Bettina. She thought assistant Arthur was interested in her, until his lack of physical attraction to her sent her on a rebound marriage to George Sibley, whom she hardly knew. She learned his secrets, including the existence of a long-lost son she forced him to reestablish communication with. After George suffered a mental breakdown she felt smothered taking care of him, and after he got better the two separated. Ruth called up Hiram again to go camping, but found she was no longer attracted to him. Nate suffered a seizure while Ruth was hitchhiking back home; by the time she arrived, he was already dead. Ruth was devastated by the loss of her firstborn, but when she learned his final moments were happy, she found some comfort. Following the events of the series' final episode, Ruth lets David and Keith have her home, moves in with Sarah in Topanga Canyon, and will open the Four Paws Pet Retreat with Bettina's help. Ruth died in 2025, at Good Samaritan Hospital of Glendale, at age 79 apparently of natural causes, with David, Claire and George at her bedside.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Claire Fisher

Claire Simone Fisher (1983-2085), played by Lauren Ambrose, is a rebellious 21-year-old, who is into drugs, photography, and bad relationships. She is the most creative in the family being inspired by those closest (such as her family, Aunt Sarah, Billy). At one time dating the bitter high school student Gabe, she engaged briefly in a complex relationship with Brenda's brother Billy. While studying art at LAC-Arts College, she slept with a crematory employee, Phil, but he did not want an exclusive relationship. She then became pregnant via fellow student Russell, whom she had dated even thought she suspected he was gay; when she discovered he was sleeping with their professor, Olivier, she had an abortion, which led to some guilt over her decision until she imagined her sister-in-law Lisa in the hereafter, promising to take care of Claire's aborted son. Claire had a casual relationship with a young man named Jimmy; she then became infatuated with a student named Edie, but after flirting with the idea of lesbianism being "easier" and having intimate contact with Edie, Claire realized she would always be heterosexual. Soon after her art gallery opening, she left art school after being abandoned by her friends and the faux reality of her education. Claire tried again with Billy but broke up with him for good after finding him difficult to deal with a complication from not taking his medication. She subsequently dated Ted Fairwell, a lawyer she met while doing temp work. Initially she felt alienated by his conservative beliefs, but he won her over. In the final episode, she moves to New York City even though she has lost out on the photography job that was the original reason for the move. Claire will have a successful career as a commercial photographer, photojournalist, and educator. Although Claire and Ted part ways when Claire moves to New York, they will reunite and marry following Ruth's death in 2025. Claire will begin teaching photography as a faculty member at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2018, earning tenure in 2028. Claire eventually outlives her husband and all of her close relatives and dies in 2085, at age 101, blind from cataracts while living in Manhattan.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Brenda Chenowith

Brenda Chenowith Fisher (1969-2051), played by Rachel Griffiths, is Nate's wife, (formerly his long-time girlfriend) who could possibly be described as the most psychologically interesting character on the show. Brenda was born on July 19, 1969. As a child, she was under the scrutiny of Dr Gareth Feinberg and various psychologists who documented her behavior in a book called Charlotte Light and Dark. Being a genius, however, she would study the symptoms of diseases and feign them, to make Charlotte Light and Dark completely inaccurate. Her parents were wealthy psychiatrists while her brother was a successful photographer, struggling with bipolar disorder. Brenda spent much of her life caretaking for Billy and has struggled to build her own life outside of Billy's illness. Billy had a strong fixation on Brenda's life and their relationship at times bordered on incest. Brenda's first real love was Trevor (Tuc Watkins), whom she planned on going to Yale with until she chose to stay home after Billy attemped suicide.

Brenda feared committment and for many years had self-destructive tendencies. She met Nate Fisher while on a flight home to visit her family; they had sex in a supply closet at the airport. They began to date, but Billy became more and more possessive; around this time Brenda's mother confessed to Brenda that Billy had never tried to commit suicide - they had him committed because he was threatening to kill them. When Brenda cut Billy off, he began stalking her and finally cornered her at home, planning to carve a "Nathaniel" tattoo (after books they had read about a brother/sister - he carved off his own "Isabel" tattoo) off her back. She got away and had him committed again.

She got engaged to Nate, but lost interest in him sexually. Through her job as a shiatsu massage therapist, Brenda met a prostitute and began to spend time with her. She began sleeping with Nate again, but Brenda began having sex with strangers; when Nate (who had also cheated on her) found out, he dumped her. Brenda left town and when she returned, Nate was involved with the mother of his child, Lisa. Brenda battled a sex addiction and dated a fellow sex addict (Justin Theroux) until she reunited with Nate. She got pregnant, but miscarried the day before the wedding. Thus Brenda studied to be a cognitive therapist and trying to establish a firm family with Nate something she felt she had never had. Brenda became pregnant again but learned there could be birth defects - Nate wanted her to have an abortion, but she refused.

They also fought over her lifelong atheism, as he wanted her to become more spiritual. Any lingering dream of the "perfect" family with Nate was destroyed when Nate had a brief affair with his ex-stepsister Maggie and subsequently had a near-fatal seizure, leaving him in a coma. He quickly recovered and asked Brenda for a divorce. Disgusted, she left his hospital room not knowing that hours later she would be a widowed single mother with his daughter, and their unborn child.

Six weeks after Nate's death, Brenda delivered a baby girl named Willa. As the baby was born two months early, she was still fighting negativity on whether the baby will surivive or have special needs. Brenda was later relieved to find that the baby was healthy and that Ruth will be willing to help her. Brenda had always had distant relations with the Fishers, especially mother-in-law Ruth, but after Nate's death she became an important part of their family for the rest of her life. Brenda repaired her relationship with Billy, and once and for all decided she would only love him as a brother. Brenda will later marry Daniel Nathanson and by him have her third child, Forrest. She will later earn her Masters Degree in Social Work at California State University of Los Angeles and a PhD in Theories of Human Behavior at University of Southern California and will write several books about the role of the gifted child in family development. Brenda will become one of the most distinguished scholars in that field of study, adding several courses to the Social Work curriculum at USC. She also will develop research methodologies to conclusively prove the link between deviant human behavior and fetal alcohol exposure. After raising her new family and dedicating a career to scholarship and research, Brenda died of natural causes in 2051, at the age of 82 while talking to Billy at home.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Keith Charles

Keith Dwayne Charles (1968-2029), played by Mathew St. Patrick, is David's tempestuous lover, who had anger issues. Keith was born in 1968 in San Diego and attended West Point Military Academy, graduating with a degree in Criminology in 1989. David and Keith met at church. He was a police officer for nine years before moving on to work in private security. Keith dated David for several months but they broke up when Keith (who had been out to his coworkers and family for years) could not deal with David's refusal to come out. David eventually did all these things, but Keith was dating an EMT named Eddie and wanted to stay faithful to him. He tried to stay away from David, but went to David for comfort after he shot a man in self-defense; eventually Keith got sick of Eddie and reunited with his true love. Keith's sister Karla was a drug addict who put her boyfriends before her child; as a result, Keith had to raise his niece Taylor while Karla was gone. Soon after her return, Karla accidentally ran over a bum and Keith had to turn her into the cops. Keith's parents wanted to raise Taylor, but David helped Keith decide to keep her. But Keith roughed up a wife-beater and quit his job after being suspended. He sent Taylor to live with his parents, without telling David. Keith had been increasingly distant and hostile towards David, and this led to a big fight that turned into rough sex.

Afterwards, Keith sought help with a therapist and became more loving to David. Keith felt out of place with David's friends; they had a threeway with one of Keith's cop friends, and Keith enjoyed the experimentation more than David. Keith then attempted to reconnect with his abusive father who rejected him yet again. After being repeatedly told to stay out of Keith's family business, David felt Keith did not want to be in a real relationship and they broke up, only to reunite again. Keith went on the road with a teen pop star, Celeste (Michelle Trachtenberg) and let his coworkers think he was straight. After some weeks, Celeste seduced him; when he planned to quit so he could be with David again (David was suffering serious mental problems due to a carjacking), he learned she had had him fired for "sleeping with the boss". Soon after Keith's return David assaulted a mogul named Roger and faced a huge lawsuit. Roger agreed to drop the lawsuit if Keith slept with him - after Keith did so, he worked for Roger's security detail for a while.

After so much constant trauma and pain in his relationship with David, Keith decided to try to fill the void with happiness, thus offering the discussion of adoption and/or surrogacy. After some legal complications they adopted two young children, Anthony and Durrell, though Keith initially found himself having trouble dealing with them. Keith soon grew to accept the children and they in turn saw him as a father (Durrell goes on to name one of his sons Keith). As shown in the final episode of the series, Keith and David get married, with their sons participating in the ceremony. Keith will come to run his own security company, and die in 2029, at age 61 during an armored car robbery. A vision of Keith returns in 2044 to help ease David's transition into death.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Federico Diaz

Hector Federico Diaz (1974-2049), played by Freddy Rodriguez, is the extremely skilled restorative artist who later became a partner in the business. In 1992, Rico's father Mauricio slipped on the roof and crashed facefirst into the chimney. Rico and his mother Lilia went to the Fisher funeral home for burial, and to Rico's shock, Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (who then owned and operated the home) had made his father look just as he was before the accident. Rico struck up a friendship with Nathaniel, who paid for his education and hired him as a restorative artist. They remained close until Nathaniel's death. Around this time Rico married his high school sweetheart, Vanessa (Justina Machado) and had two children. Federico graduated from Cyprus College in 1997 with a degree in Mortuary Science. Rico was considered one of the best in the business, and was briefly hired away by the funeral home powerhouse Krohner Services International before he realized he was just a cog in a wheel. He returned to work with David and Nate Jr, but resented his low-level status. Rico and Vanessa struggled for money but a little old lady in the neighborhood left them $149,000 because they had always shown her kindness. With that money, Rico bought 25% of Fisher & Sons. He later separated from his wife Vanessa when she discovered he was cheating on her, though he moved back in when she discovered it was too hard to raise their children alone. Vanessa often had to help him make up his mind and prodded him on what to do with his life. Federico was frequently in conflict with the Fishers over the direction of the business. After the death of Nate, Federico pondered his options with the future of Fisher & Diaz when he heard about a mortuary in the area for sale. David and Keith purchased Rico's 25% when Federico and Vanessa went on to establish the Diaz Family Mortuary in 2005 where he served the community for 35 years before retiring. Rico died in 2049 at age 75 on a cruise ship apparently of a heart attack while at his wife's side. He leaves behind his sons Julio and Augusto and his three grandchildren: Emily, Celestina and Vincent.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Supporting Characters

Characters of Six Feet Under - Nathaniel Fisher

Nathaniel Samuel Fisher, Sr. (1943-2000), played by Richard Jenkins, is the patriarch of the Fisher family and owner of Fisher & Sons Funeral Home until his death on Christmas Eve, 2000. Although Ruth viewed him as a distant husband and father, many flashbacks showed him trying his best to bond with his children, but also to give them their space, as well as acting as a surrogate father and friend to Rico. Even after his death, he was still a presence in most of the Fishers and lives on in their hearts as a guide and advisor to his surviving members. In many of the early episodes, family members would have lengthy conversations with the senior Nate, on their way to reconciling themselves with his death. Nathaniels Sr. and Jr. appeared to Ruth shortly before her death.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Gabriel Dimas

Gabriel Dimas, played by Eric Balfour, is Claire's boyfriend when she was a high school senior. Claire thought she was in love. However when Gabe told the entire school she slept with him and sucked his toes, an upset Claire got her revenge by throwing a severed foot from a deceased person into his locker. The two remained silent until the death of Gabe's brother, when the two reconnected. Gabe's mother blamed him and his stepfather beat him up at the funeral. Soon after, Gabe overdosed on drugs and Claire tried to help him. However, he just dug deeper and deeper into a hole, holding up a convenience store, stealing the Fishers embalming fluid to use for extra-potent joints, and finally pulling a gun on another driver while Claire was trying to drive him to a secluded area. Since then, Claire has received "closure" from a fantasy scene that shows she believes Gabe has died and feels better in death than he did in life.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Vanessa Diaz

Vanessa Diaz, played by Justina Machado, is Federico's high school sweetheart, wife, and mother of his two sons. Vanessa is currently employed as a registered nurse. In 2002, after several years of working at the Bay Breeze Nursing Home she was fired for negligence after not realizing that a patient's roommate shoved a hot dog down the deceased's throat; she soon found work at a hospital. Rico's moods and decisions outside of the home are often closely affected by her advice and attitude. In 2003 Vanessa sank into depression following the death of her mother, and began abusing prescription medication. When her health began to suffer, she got help, but her spending habits and closeness to her sister Angelica alienated Rico. In recent times, Federico's infidelity has caused the couple to separate and consider divorce. However after finding it very difficult to live on her own and raise her sons alone, she asks an estranged Federico to move back in which he gladly accepts. Vanessa pushed Rico into opening his own mortuary business, and they remained together for many years until his death at age 75.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Hiram Gunderson

Hiram Gunderson, played by Ed Begley, Jr., is a fling of Ruth's. A divorcee and an environmentalist (he drove an electric car, as Begley does in real life), Hiram was once a major chef (he received a rave review from the Chicago Tribune) who gave up cooking to become a hairdresser. One of his clients, Ruth Fisher, was unhappily married, and during frequent camping trips, Hiram taught her how to enjoy sex. After Ruth's husband died, she initially pushed Hiram away, but then dated him for several months. Their relationship ended when he told her he had feelings for another woman; to his surprise, she happily sent him on his way. Months later, she called him to make amends (she was on The Plan at this time) but he mistakenly assumed she wanted to reunite, leading to a fight. Several years passed before they met up again for another camping trip. While on the trip, Ruth realized she was no longer attracted to Hiram and hitchhiked back home.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Margaret Chenowith

Margaret Chenowith, played by Joanna Cassidy, is Brenda and Billy's dysfunctional mother and a psychologist. In the 1960s, she met her future husband, Bernard Chenowith in therapy when she was working as an intern. The couple later married in 1967. In the 1970s, the Chenowiths had become a topic of discussion after allowing their daughter Brenda to undergo testing by the controversial Gareth Feinberg, PhD who later wrote Charlotte: Light and Dark, Brenda resents her parents for those reasons. The couple separated briefly in 2002 after Bernard lied of his infidelity. The two later renewed their vows and soon after Bernard died of cancer in early 2003. Since then, Margaret has moved on and began dating her son's former lover (and art teacher), Olivier Castro-Staal.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Bernard Chenowith

Dr. Bernard Asa Chenowith (1939-2003), played by Robert Foxworth, is Brenda and Billy's father who worked as a celebrity psychiatrist with his wife Margaret, whom he met when she was a college intern. In the 1970s, the Chenowiths made headlines when they allowed their daughter to undergo testing by the controversial Dr. Gareth Feinberg for her brilliant, yet uncontrollable behavior. Bernard and Margaret briefly separated in 2002 for reasons of infidelity however soon after the two reconciled and renewed their vows, he succumbed to stomach cancer in 2003.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Billy Chenowith

Billy Chenowith played by Jeremy Sisto, is Brenda's younger brother, who is a bipolar artist and often has violent and scary episodes. He has been prescribed psychiatric medication to control his disorder, but frequently causes problems by failing to take them as needed. Billy's episodes have proved chronic, including critical events in the life of his family. In one example, he allegedly burnt down a section of the family home in 1986. It was due to another incident, in which he carves a tattoo off of his back and attempts to do the same to his sister, which leads his family to have him committed. (The tattoos were of their favorite fictional characters: Nathaniel and Isabel -- there was once a question on whether or not the two siblings were intimately involved during their childhood, until the episode "Static" proved they hadn't been.) Billy is also an alumnus and teacher at LAC-Arts, where Claire Fisher attended college until late 2004. Billy first met Claire in 2001 at Brenda's, and struck up a good friendship until Billy quickly ended it. After being institutionalized, the only person he could talk to was Claire. After he was released he rekindled the relationship, and the two began dating two years later, and briefly cohabitated. He disliked the effect his medication has on him, which culminated at a dinner with old friends, where he realized he was no longer the person he used to be. He then slipped into the familiar habit of not taking his medication, and became increasingly violent. Soon after, Claire realized this and broke it off with him for her own safety. Billy went back on his medication and asked Claire to forgive him, but she refused. Billy later helped his sister after Nate died, until she asked him to leave.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Nikolai

Nikolai, played by Ed O'Ross, is the Russian owner of Blossom d'Amour Flower Shop where Ruth Fisher once worked. In addition to being Ruth's lover for almost two years, Nikolai was in serious debt which included several encounters from the Russian mob. Ruth takes this as an oppourtunity to expand their relationship further, but instead causing more tension when Ruth pays off Nikolai's debt with Nathaniel's life insurance policy. Several weeks after their break-up, Ruth resigns from Blossom d'Amour so that she can spend more time with her newborn grandchild, Maya.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Parker McKenna

Parker McKenna played by Marina Black, was Claire's best friend during her high school years. Parker is a very rich, beautiful and rebellious transfer student from a private school who attempts to start a friendship with the unlikely Claire Fisher. The friendship blossomed, however after finding out that Parker had cheated on her SATs and had been accepted into better colleges than Claire the friendship was broken off until Claire learned it was better to have one friend than no friends at all. After Claire enrolled in art school, Parker was caught and enrolled in a community college. The two have not spoken since graduation.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Lisa Kimmel Fisher

Lisa Kimmel Fisher (1967-2003), played by Lili Taylor, is Nate's old friend from Seattle who became pregnant by him. They later married after the birth of their daughter, Maya. Their marriage was a turbulent one, as Lisa was worried about Nate's remaining feelings for Brenda. Lisa later went on a trip and never returned; her body was eventually discovered, and a guilty Nate assumed that Lisa had killed herself because of him. Nate later came into conflict with Lisa's family on how she wanted to be buried; Lisa had told him that she wanted to buried in the wilderness with no chemicals or preservatives, while her family wanted her cremated and buried in their family mausoleum. Nate went on to bury Lisa as she had wanted, while giving her family the cremains of an unclaimed body. It was later insinuated that she was killed by her sister's husband, who she had a brief affair with before getting married to Nate. Lisa is another deceased character who appears in recurring visions, frequently to Nate or Brenda.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Sarah O'Connor

Sarah O'Connor played by Patricia Clarkson, is Ruth's younger artistic sister who runs an artists' colony in Topanga Canyon; Sarah felt she had little talent but surrounded herself with people who did. As a young girl Sarah left Ruth alone to deal with sick relatives. Sarah later baby-sat Ruth's sons and they got into trouble (with a fifteen year-old Nate losing his virginity to one of her older friends and David getting lost in the wild); Ruth once resented Sarah for both of these reasons and they stayed out of touch for decades. The two finally reconcile after Ruth attends a self-help seminar and Sarah returns from Spain. Ruth's strongest resentment of her sister stemmed from her feeling that Sarah had taken her happiness - when Ruth learned infertility had killed Sarah's plans to have children and that the love of her life had died when she was 21, their relationship thawed. Soon after, Ruth discovered that Sarah had developed a drug addiction to the pain killer, Vicodin. Weeks after going through withdrawal, Sarah went into drug rehabilitation which put her life into full perspective. Sarah later gave Ruth invaluable support following Nate's death, and Ruth moved into Sarah's house at Topanga Canyon.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Maya Fisher

Maya Fisher (2002-unknown), played alternately by twins Brenna Tosh and Bronwyn Tosh, is Nate and Lisa's daughter. After Nate's death, Brenda (her stepmother) is given custody of Maya. After learning of Nate's affair with George's daughter, Brenda gives temporary custody to Ruth so that she can fully deal with her grief. Maya soon moves back in with Brenda after Brenda gives birth to her younger sister, Willa.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Carol Ward

Carol Ward played by Catherine O'Hara, is Lisa's "quirky" former boss, who annoyed Lisa with numerous jobs and wants. She was also very hostile to Nate about parking situations and living arrangements. After releasing a large load of emotional baggage on Lisa, who at the time was a newlywed and a young mother, Lisa quit in a huff explaining to Nate that it was not good for baby Maya to be around so much hostility, clearly something Carol has revealed. Carol later appeared in Episode 52, in a video flashback to 2002 revolving around Nate and Lisa's wedding where she expresses her views on relationships and marriage.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Russell Corwin

Russell Corwin, played by Ben Foster, is Claire's sexually-ambiguous classmate at art school and one-time boyfriend. Claire initially suspected that Russell was homosexual. However, Russell claimed that he wasn't, and he started seeing Claire. Later, Russell had an affair with Olivier Castro-Staal, and Claire subsequently broke up with him and aborted his child. When he found out about the abortion, Russell was hurt. He began sleeping with Claire's friend Anita, but still carried a torch for Claire. Claire enjoyed great success with an art project that Russell helped her begin, but Claire took all the credit, and she also got a gallery showing. Russell was infuriated and got into an ugly fight with Claire at the showing. She dropped out of art school and didn't see him again for several months. When she ran into him at another showing, he told her he had been hit by a car, and he was infatuated with Claire's ex-boyfriend Jimmy.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Bettina

Bettina played by Kathy Bates, is Sarah's caretaker with whom Ruth begins a friendship. She prides herself on her ability to see people through drug detoxes; although she has done quite a few drugs herself, she seems to be someone who can still run her life without the drugs running her. She does have a reckless streak; she eggs Ruth on to shoplifting once, and encourages her to take a Vicodin when they are overseeing one of Sarah's detoxes. Bettina was married three times - her second husband cheated on her and her first and third husbands left her a widow. Bettina had a daughter who got caught up in a militia movement in Montana.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Olivier Castro-Staal

Olivier Castro-Staal, played by Peter MacDissi, teaches Form in Space at LAC-Arts, former teacher of Claire, Russell, and Billy Chenowith. Olivier is also bisexual, who has had flings with Russell and Billy and is now living with Billy's mother, Margaret.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Arthur Martin

Arthur Martin, played by Rainn Wilson, was an intern at Fisher & Diaz Funeral Home, who was intended to be permanent lasted from March to November 2003. Quirky, yet eccentric Arthur was orphaned at the age of 5 and was home schooled by his great Aunt Pearl. After his aunt died of old age, Arthur went on to college but later learned what he had majored in was not what he was hoping for therefore attending mortuary school to become a funeral director he received an live-in apprencticeship from the Fishers and Federico. Things soon after declined after having a budding friendship with the matriarch, Ruth Fisher things started getting physical or so she thought and when she learned he was not attracted to her, she went off and married George Sibley, a man she hardly knew and had to suffer the guilt of the present. Arthur soon left after being accused of sending Ruth and George baskets of feces. Ruth later learned Arthur had been innocent the entire time and lost the business a very valuable asset.

Characters of Six Feet Under - George Sibley

George Sibley, played by James Cromwell, is Ruth's second husband, a geologist who had 6 wives and a past unknown to his new spouse. He has two children from a previous marriage: a son, Brian, and a daughter, Maggie, who is a lovely traveling pharmaceutical representative. Before marrying, while he was still a student, George dated a woman and she became pregnant with a son, Kyle. Before Kyle was born, however, George signed away his custodial rights, and Kyle, though he was born into great wealth, intensely hated his father and sent boxes of feces to the Fisher home. The son and father later reconciled, with Ruth's help. More recently George suffered a nervous breakdown and went into shock therapy, still recovering from the wounds of his mother's suicide when he was a child in 1953. It soon became too much for Ruth to take care of him, and the two separated. After becoming adjusted, he drops a bomb on Ruth that he is engaged for the eighth time. To try to save his next wife from the pain and suffering she endured, Ruth goes to talk with his fiancèe Joy and manages to sabotage the engagement, causing an counterattack from George. Ruth later made up with George after he comforted her when Nate died and helped her look after Maya when Brenda asked her to take care of the toddler. They planned to move in together, but Ruth changed her mind at the last minute, preferring her independence. Ruth and George remained in separate residences but stayed together until her death in 2025.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Anita Miller

Anita Miller played by Sprague Grayden, is Claire's former best friend and roommate. The two met at art school and have developed a Laverne and Shirley-like relationship. The relationship was broken off when Claire was abandoned by her friends including Anita and soon Claire left art school for good.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Edie

Edie played by Mena Suvari, is a free-spirited lesbian artist who becomes a friend and one-time lover of Claire.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Maggie Sibley

Maggie Sibley, played by Tina Holmes, is George's daughter. A traveling pharmaceutical representative from Arizona, Maggie moved to Los Angeles to help take care of her ailing father. Nate committed adultery with Maggie shortly before his fatal stroke. After Nate's funeral, Maggie left town, but not before some harsh words for George. Ruth called Maggie to ask her if Nate was happy when he was with Maggie - Maggie was at the doctors' office, leading to speculation as to whether she was there on business or whether she was pregnant with Nate's child.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Anthony and Durrell Charles-Fisher

Anthony Charles-Fisher played by C.J. Sanders, is David and Keith's adopted 8 year old son. The couple meet young Anthony at an "Adoption picnic" where David sparks an instant bond with the boy. After learning Mary, David and Keith's surrogate mother announces her pregnancy, the plans to adopt Anthony slowly fade away. However after Mary gets her menstrual period, Keith and David adopt Anthony but learn he also has an older brother, Durrell. When Anthony grows up he enters a relationship with another man.

Durrell Charles-Fisher played by Kendre Berry, is David and Keith's adopted 11 year old son. At first when going back to adopt younger brother Anthony, David and Keith had not realized they would be adopting his older brother also. After two weeks of Durrell testing the waters and Keith's patience, Keith believes its time for the brothers to go. David then sticks up for the boys in front of Keith and the social worker where the adoption becomes permanent. Slowly, Durrell becomes comfortable in his surroudings after David and Keith set some boundaries and show Durrell some support and nurturing. At age 11, Durrell expresses interest in becoming a fireman however after spending time with his father David in the prep room, it is later revealed he has become a funeral director. Durrell becomes involved with a woman and has several children with her: Matthew, Keith Jr., and Katie.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Ted Fairwell

Ted Fairwell, played by Chris Messina, is an attorney at Braeden Chemical Legal Department who becomes Claire Fisher's love interest immediately after being hired as a part-time secretary. Prior to meeting Claire, Ted had an on and off relationship with Kirsten, one of Claire's other co-workers at the Legal Department. Ted insists that it is over making Claire feel at ease when she secretly makes out with him. On their first date, Ted declares himself a conservative Republican which upsets Claire at the moment when the mood changes to somber after receiving the news of Nate's stroke. Rather then going home, Ted drives Claire to the hospital and stays with her through the night as her emotional support causing Claire to ponder that Ted is a positive force in her life. Ted and Claire part ways when Claire moves to New York in the final episode, although when Claire returns to Los Angeles for her mother's funeral in 2025, she and Ted will reunite and marry, and stay together for the rest of Ted's life.

Characters of Six Feet Under - Willa Chenowith

Willa Fisher Chenowith (2005-unknown) is Brenda and Nate's younger daughter born prematurely six weeks after Nate's death. Willa's birth was unexpected since Brenda was to deliver 2 months later. Several weeks later, Willa was healthy enough to go home causing a celebration between the two families.

Category: Six Feet Under

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Characters of Six Feet Under", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki