‘Bones’ Cast and Character Guide

Bones is a widely popular American television comedy-drama series that focuses on legal procedures, similar to shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or NCIS. However, these kinds of shows are more than their pithy one-liners that bring levity to otherwise dark and morbid situations involving decaying human remains. Not only are television crime dramas responsible for increased interest and demand by juries for forensic evidence in court proceedings but there has also been an increasing rate of college students seeking to pursue careers in forensic science.

The twelve seasons of the Bones boasts a varied and talented cast for its main and recurring characters and is loosely based on the life and novels of real-life forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs with the protagonist being named Temperance Brennan. Reichs served as a producer for the show, which 4-time Gemini Award-winning Hart Hanson created. In addition to the show’s episodes being inspired by threads of reality, Bones also reflects the crime-solving partnership that developed between the FBI and the Smithsonian Institution over the decades.

If you’re looking for a rewatch of some of your favorite episodes, the entire series is available to stream for free (with ads) on Amazon Prime Video, the Roku Channel, and Hulu (with a subscription). If you haven’t seen Bones in a while or have never seen it before, this handy guide will help you learn who the main characters are and who portrayed them in the series!

Emily Deschanel as Temperance “Bones” Brennan

Portrayed by Emily Deschanel, Temperance “Bones” Brennan is the titular character introduced in the pilot episode as a brilliant forensic anthropologist who teams up with the FBI to solve a homicide case where the body of a deceased woman was found in the late stages of decay. With only the bones of the victim to work with, she has to rely on her expertise to bring the case to a close. In a tongue-in-cheek reference to the source material, Brennan is also a successful novelist, writing mystery novels that feature the fictional version of producer (and original author) Kathy Reichs. Brennan’s character boasts a very high IQ and a love for all things rational and logical. As an atheist, she is also a staunch supporter of science and facts over intuition and faith.

Emily Deschanel is the older sister of New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel, but that’s not the only thing she’s known for. She made her first film appearance in 1994 playing a “paint-throwing fur activist” in It Could Happen to Anyone, and was also in the Stephen King miniseries adaptation of Rose Red. Later, she would appear in an episode of Law & Order: SVU, which might have sparked her interest in acting in more television crime dramas. Most recently, she starred in the comedy-drama Big Boys and Netflix’s horror mystery miniseries Devil in Ohio.

David Boreanaz as Seeley Booth

Seeley Booth (played by David Boreanaz) is the FBI agent who first reached out to Brennan to ask for her assistance in the first episode. Similar to the contrast between Evil’s forensic psychologist Kristen Bouchard (Katya Herbers) and Mike Colter’s religious character David Acosta, Booth acts as a foil to Brennan’s atheistic views. He believes in his faith and trusts his gut instincts as a federal agent. This causes constant conflict between the two characters but also brings out a romantic dynamic that develops over the seasons as they learn more about each other in each episodic case.

David Boreanaz was born in New York and subsequently raised in Philadelphia, PA, which is reflected in his “tough guy” portrayal of Booth’s character throughout the series. Clearly no stranger to acting in successful TV show franchises, Boreanaz also played lead characters in shows like Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and most recently SEAL Team. He also appeared with Emily Deschanel as their respective Bones characters in a crossover episode of Sleepy Hollow.

Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro

Angela Montenegro is a pivotal part of Brennan’s life, both as her best friend and confidante, but also as a forensic artist who helps Brennan with facial reconstruction to identify the victims in their cases. Using state-of-the-art technology, she is able to build a 3D holographic rendition of the approximate body shape, height, and most importantly, the faces of the victims based on their skeletal structure in order to determine the cause of death.

Even though she doesn’t play the main character in Bones, Michaela Conlin’s character appears in all 245 episodes of the series, an accomplishment that only 4 members of the lead cast can be credited. In addition to television acting, Conlin has also starred in several major motion pictures such as Enchanted, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Disappointments Room, and Bad Trip. Recently, she has appeared in several episodes of Yellowstone and will be in the romance drama One True Loves, which comes to Hulu on November 10.

T.J. Thyne as Jack Hodgins

Jack Hodgins is an entomologist who identifies himself as the “bug and slime” guy throughout the series. His specialty includes taking and analyzing samples of trace minerals and mycological materials that appear at crime scenes after years of exposure and decay. As every great forensic-based crime show needs a “lab geek” character, Hodgins is the guy for the job. He develops a relationship with Angela throughout the series, adding to the drama and complexity of the workplace environment.

Hodgins’ character is portrayed by T.J. Thyne. Originally born a Bostonian, Thyne later attended high school in Texas before ultimately making his way to Los Angeles, where he studied theater at the University of Southern California. He is the fourth cast member who appeared in all 245 episodes of Bones. He recently played a role in Season 3 of Ryan Murphy’s American Crime Story series, as well as the 2022 biographical drama series, The Offer.

Eric Millegan as Dr. Zack Addy

While he is introduced in the first season as a socially awkward graduate student and intern to Brennan, he ultimately receives his doctorate in forensic anthropology shortly after and joins the team at the Jeffersonian. After joining the team full-time, he and Hodgins start an ongoing competition of who can “out-geek” each other and be titled “King of the Lab.” His character eventually gets dragged into legal complications with a certain case in the later seasons, which causes internal conflicts within the team.

In the series, Addy is portrayed by Eric Millegan, who has not appeared in any new roles since Bones had its series finale. Previously, Millegan had a guest appearance on the similar crime show Law & Order: Criminal Intent, as well as brief roles in Curb Your Enthusiasm and A.J. Mattioli’s Lady Peacock in 2014.

John Francis Daley as Lance Sweets

Lance Sweets was introduced to the series in Season 3 as an FBI psychologist. His contributions to the team provide a more “human” aspect to the cases they investigate, delving into the mental states of both the victim and the perpetrator of the crime. Although Booth and Brennan make their disdain for him evident early on, he soon wins them over, with Brennan reluctantly admitting that she would now consider psychology a “soft science.” Sweets eventually takes on the role of a mediator between Brennan and Booth as their professional and romantic relationships develop and becomes a trusted friend of both.

Lance Sweets is portrayed by John Francis Daley, who started his television acting career back in 1999 with the cult-classic show Freaks and Geeks as Sam Weir. In 2011, he had a small role in Horrible Bosses as a background character named “Carter” only to reprise the character in a cameo in his second directorial endeavor for the 2018 comedy, Game Night. He also has a brief cameo in his most recent film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

Tamara Taylor as Camille Saroyan

In Season 2 of Bones, Camille Saroyan (Tamara Taylor) is introduced as the replacement for the former head of the Jeffersonian’s forensic department, Daniel Goodman. As with many cases of a close-knit team being forced to take on a new team member, she is met with hesitation by the main characters. She has a romantic history with Booth and a brief relationship with him during the show, which causes distrust in Brennan about her true motivations. Slowly but surely, she proves herself to be an integral addition to the team as the only pathologist, which assuages the concerns of both Brennan and Booth.

Tamara Taylor has an extensive portfolio with many award-winning TV shows and films. She has appeared as a guest on Law & Order: SVU and has also had a recurring role in Law & Order: Organized Crime as well as the science fiction drama series Altered Carbon. Her most recent film is Diary of a Spy as Anna, and she also makes guest appearances on the Agent Stoker podcast series, along with former Bones co-star, Emily Deschanel.

Jonathan Adams as Daniel Goodman

Daniel Goodman appeared in the first season as the original director of the Jeffersonian Institute. While some of his methods caused team members to question his ability to lead the team, he eventually forms a bond with Hodgins, and the two of them develop a friendly rivalry throughout the first season. His character leaves on sabbatical at the end of the first season, however, and is ultimately replaced by Camille Saroyan.

Jonathan Adams has had roles in multiple TV shows since his brief stint in the cast of Bones, with lead and recurring characters in shows such as Last Man Standing, The Orville, and Dark Winds. His most recent performance is in the 2023 Disney Pixar film, Elemental as “Flarry.”

John Boyd as James Aubrey

James Aubrey joins the cast of Bones for the last two seasons of the show but still plays an important role. He fills the void left behind after Lance Sweets makes his departure as a main player in the crime-solving team. Aubrey initially starts out as a junior FBI agent who reports to Booth, who is hesitant to fully trust him due to his lack of experience in the field. Throughout the final two seasons of the show, he eventually gains the team’s trust and becomes an irreplaceable friend and colleague.

Aubrey is played by John Boyd, who clearly has a knack for portraying FBI agents and has starred in multiple television series since the finale of Bones, including FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International as Special Agent Stuart Sercola. He also appeared in the 2017 adventure-mystery film Wonderstruck starring Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place) and the 2018 thriller Peppermint.

Not unlike other crime drama TV shows like Law & Order, many actors have utilized their first foray into the spotlight as guest stars for an individual episode (or two) of Bones as a stepping stone to their next gig. For example, guitarist and lead singer of the band ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons appeared in 7 episodes over the span of 12 seasons of Bones as a fictionalized version of himself as the father of main character Angela Montenegro. Despite the fact that Bones has ended its run as a fan-favorite example of the genre, the spirit of the show lives on and continues to inspire fans to take an interest in the complexities of working in the field of law enforcement and forensic science.