remember when: CAST of UNITED STATES OF TARA

With the third seasons of Showtime's all-time best duo (I'm of course referring to the subject of this post, as well as the ingenious Nurse Jackie) fast approaching, it's time to take a look at the cast of United States of Tara, in some of their earlier, if questionable, work...

Before she was the multi-faceted mind of Tara Gregson on the Showtime series, Toni Collette wowed critics and the world as homely but hopeful Muriel Heslop in the brilliant Australian flick Muriel's Wedding in 1995.

Before he played understanding husband and father Max on Tara, John Corbett's pre-Northern Exposure career included a 1988 episode of The Wonder Years, playing sister Karen's obnoxious hippie boyfriend Louis.

Before becoming snarky, witty young adult daughter Kate, and before that stint striving to become a Disneyfied pop princess in the earlier aughts, one of Brie Larson's earliest credits was an episode of Touched by an Angel.

Before Keir Gilchrist donned the classy duds of old soul Marshall on USoT, his first screen credit as a child actor was a part in a 2003 episode of Showtime's (caught him early on!) Queer as Folk.

Before playing self-centered sister Charmaine, and before her critically acclaimed turn in 2008's Rachel Getting Married, Rosemarie Dewitt got her first screen acting gig, like so many before her, on an episode of Law & Order: SVU.

Before playing hopelessly unlucky-in-love best friend Neil, Patton Oswalt's pre-stardom roles included a bit part as a video store clerk on a 1994 episode of Seinfeld.