CNN
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Seth Rogen —
Seth Rogen's latest film, "50/50" -- a dramedy based on screenwriter Will Reiser's battle with cancer -- hits theaters Friday. Rogen, who plays Kyle in the flick, hasn't stopped making us laugh since he started out on the short-lived cult series "Freaks and Geeks." The series, which ran for one season on NBC, helped kick-start a few careers:

James Franco —
After playing cool guy Daniel Desario on "Freaks and Geeks," James Franco appeared in the "Spider-Man" franchise, "Pineapple Express," and showcased his range on "General Hospital." This year, "127 Hours" earned him an Oscar nod, and he hosted the soirée in February. His "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" hit theaters in August.

Jason Segel —
Jason Segel's performance on "Freaks and Geeks" wasn't too far removed from his cameo as a stoner with an affinity for watermelon in 1998's "Can't Hardly Wait." The actor went on to appear in Judd Apatow's "Undeclared," as well as flicks like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "I Love You, Man" and "Bad Teacher." Segel has starred on CBS's "How I Met Your Mother" since 2005. "The Muppets" is due out in November.

Linda Cardellini —
A former "Boy Meets World" guest star, Linda Cardellini played perm-sporting Chutney in 2001's "Legally Blonde." She traded in her curls to play Velma in the "Scooby-Doo" franchise, before landing a role on "ER" in 2003. Cardellini also appeared in "Brokeback Mountain," "Grandma's Boy" and the independent film "Return," which was released in May.

John Francis Daley —
After "Freaks and Geeks," John Francis Daley appeared on "Boston Public" and "The Geena Davis Show." He entertained us in 2005's "Waiting ... " and this year's "Horrible Bosses," which he also co-wrote. The actor also plays Dr. Lance Sweets on Fox's "Bones."

Martin Starr —
With hilarious appearances in "Stealing Harvard," "Cheats," " Knocked Up," "Superbad" and "Adventureland," Martin Starr has kept busy since wrapping "Geeks." He landed a role on another cult series, "Party Down," in 2009 and appeared alongside Jaime Pressly in the comedy "6 Month Rule."

Busy Philipps —
Busy Philipps was a "Dawson's Creek" cast member from 2001 to 2003. She went on to appear in "White Chicks," "Made of Honor" and "He's Just Not That Into You." She now plays Laurie Keller on ABC's "Cougar Town," and Wendy Best in the Sarah Jessica Parker-starrer "I Don't Know How She Does It."

Samm Levine —
Samm Levine went from playing wannabe ladies' man Neal Schweiber in "Geeks" to playing a wannabe Asian, Bruce, in 2001's "Not Another Teen Movie." The actor has guest-starred on various network shows, in addition to appearing in flicks like "Club Dread," "Sydney White," "I Love You, Beth Cooper" and "Inglorious Basterds."