Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
First For Women
Mosey on Over and Catch Up With the Cast of the ’00s Teen Drama Series ‘Wildfire’
6 days ago
There are a few special ingredients that are necessary to create the perfect '00s drama. First, there's the evocative setting. Then, there's the juicy storyline that will drastically impact each character — even if some of the details seem crazy. Finally, the notorious addition of a love triangle is a must-have. With the cast of Wildfire , every one of those boxes got checked off — and then some!
The 2005 series, which aired on ABC Family, now known as Freeform, starred Genevieve Padalecki as Kris Furillo — the fresh-out-of-prison teenager looking to make a new start for herself. Lucky for her, she is given a job on a beautiful horse ranch, owned by the Ritter family, where she meets Matt Ritter and his best friend, Junior Davis.
The two friends vie for Kris' heart while she looks toward her future of becoming a jockey with her best friend, a horse named Wildfire. Kris tries to deal with the realities of her new life while also juggling the love triangle she has found herself in the middle of.
With the canceled series now available to watch on Netflix , Wildfire has found an entirely new audience. Read on to catch up with the cast of Wildfire and see where the stars have been since the drama ended in 2008.
THOUGHTS ON WILDFIRE : Padalecki felt destined to star in the show, saying, “ I read the script probably in 2004 and was immediately attached to it because my character, Kris Furillo, rides up Mount Diablo, and it’s about the Bay Area. I grew up riding up Mount Diablo… I started immediately getting back on horses and training before I even knew I had a chance.”
CHARACTER PLAYED: Junior Davis, Kris' on-again, off-again love interest.
BORN: August 6, 1982, in Boston, Massachusetts
BEST KNOWN FOR: Guest appearances in TV series including How I Met Your Mother (2009), Greek (2009) and Hawaii Five-0 (2019). Also known for the films Christmas Cupid (2010) and Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008)
THOUGHTS ON WILDFIRE : Sypek spoke highly of the drama on the show, saying " When you compete with your friends it brings tension and when you compete over a girl, that’s just the highest tension you can really get.”
CHARACTER PLAYED: Matt Ritter, the son of the ranch owners.
BORN: August 19, 1984, in Oregon, Wisconsin
BEST KNOWN FOR: TV series such as All My Children (2003) and Smallville (2004). Also known for films including Beer for My Horses (2008), Forget Me Not (2009) and Doc West (2009)
CHARACTER PLAYED: Danielle Davis, Junior's younger half-sister.
BORN: August 7, 1979, in Bullhead City, Arizona
BEST KNOWN FOR: Films such as Fired Up! (2009), My Fake Fiancé (2009) and Echo Park (2014). Also had appearances on The Amanda Show (2000-01) and Boston Public (2003).
THOUGHTS ON WILDFIRE : “ I originally auditioned for the role of Kris Furillo , which is the lead girl, the troubled girl. I had gotten really far in that,” Tubiola shared. “I had tested and it came down between me and Genevieve for the role. They ended up going with Genevieve, and then calling me that night and saying they wanted me for Danielle… this script, for whatever reason, as soon as I was reading it I felt a real connection.”
Nana Visitor: Cast of Wildfire
2005/2022 Albert L. Ortega / Contributor / Getty // David Livingston / Stringer / Getty
CHARACTER PLAYED: Jean Ritter, the matriarch and co-owner of the ranch.
BORN: July 26, 1957, in New York City
BEST KNOWN FOR: Series such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-99), Ryan’s Hope (1978-79) and The Doctors (1980)
PERSONAL: Nana Visitor been married three times and has two children. Her aunt was the iconic Hollywood actress and dancer Cyd Charisse .
THOUGHTS ON WILDFIRE : Visitor felt that her role on Wildfire was a dream come true, saying, “ I always got the question , ‘If you had a story line, what would you wish for?’ I always said, ‘Mentoring a young woman.’ That's exactly what this role is about."
Greg Serano
2014/2023 Ben Gabbe / Stringer / Getty /Instagram @gserano
CHARACTER PLAYED: Pablo Betart, an ex-convict who works as the head trainer at the ranch.
BORN: August 7, 1972, Brooklyn, New York
BEST KNOWN FOR: Films such as The Postman (1997), Legally Blonde (2001), Felon (2008) and Terminator Salvation (2009)
THOUGHTS ON WILDFIRE : Serrano spoke fondly of the show, saying, “ Wildfire is just like a horse race , for me. From the beginning when the gates open, you get that rush, through the race of the back and forth and ups and downs straight to the excitement of a photo finish.”
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0