Deadliest Catch has been a long-running hit on the Discovery Channel, showcasing the dangers of the Alaskan Sea.

In more than 20 seasons, Deadliest Catch has introduced us to the world of fishing, helping us see it for precisely what it is: the dangers, the fun, and even the coping mechanisms of its cast.

Having featured hundreds of casts, here are the ones considered the stars and how they are currently doing.

Sig Hansen. Sig Hansen has been one of Deadliest Catch’s earliest regulars, having joined since its premiere in 2005 and is captain of the ship Northwestern.

In his interview with People magazine while preparing for the season 21 premiere on August 1st, 2025, he told them that the new season had made him reflective and he was considering early retirement, mainly because of the accidents and dangers of the sea as well as his family.

This surprised many because he had said he had no plans to retire as of 2024.

In his latest words, he said, “Well, I’m a fisherman. You’ve got to remember you’re talking to a professional liar here.”

“No, I think I have a few more years left. I think about it all the time, and when I think about retiring, it’s only because I have lost so many people, and I’m more fearful every time we go out in water.”

Hansen is the husband of June, with whom he shares two adopted daughters and another biological daughter from a previous marriage.

He has highlighted that he would love to reminisce over the last decades he has spent with his wife.

He also mentioned that aging has had him see things differently, noting that although he once considered those dangers as challenges, he is now fearful of the sea.

However, everyone would agree that Hansen is one of the greatest captains on Deadliest Catch. Perhaps this is why his youngest daughter Mandy now captains her vessel.

Captain Wild Bill Wikrowski. Bill Wikrowski was the captain of Summer Bay.

He joined the cast of Deadliest Catch in its season 13 in 2017 and by 2020 went through the immense loss of his deck boss Nick Mlashen due to a drug overdose.

Reports by Summer Bay say that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and that the announcement had been made in the finale of season 19.

Then all through season 20, we see cameras follow his treatment process.

Having revealed the nature of the illness, his doctor advised him to begin treatment immediately, which comprises chemotherapy and hormone treatments.

Wikrowski then decided that he wasn’t going to stop fishing. He was going to keep fishing until he couldn’t fish anymore.

His goal was to give hope to people going through similar situations who did not want to live active lives. He tried to help them conquer that fear which, according to him, just made everything even worse.

In a recent Facebook update, he noted that he was receiving radioactive seeds and hormone treatments. He said the number of seeds was quite a lot even though he was sharing solely for information.

He also noted that although the hormone treatment was necessary for him, it came with its own issues.

In his words, testosterone drops to near zero by design.

“I seem to be cancer-free now. I have always felt 10 to 15 years younger than my age. The job I have and being around a crew half my age feels like the clock has caught up. Maybe a small price to pay. Thanks for your concern and best wishes. If you have symptoms, get checked.”

So, in recent times, he’s been battling cancer, but as of the last update, he is getting better.

He still has supporters who often acknowledge his posts and pray for him.

Jake Anderson. Jake joined the cast of Deadliest Catch in 2007 and is currently 44 years old.

His life is marked by tragedy. He has constantly had to battle with addiction. However, in recent times, he has been sober.

This addiction arose from a series of personal losses. He has, however, learned to deal with it properly.

In the past, he has lost his sibling, Chelsea Dawn, and lost his father to mysterious circumstances with his body being found days later by a passerby.

His book, Relapses, is a documentary of his opioid addiction. Even though he relapsed several times, evidence points to the fact that he never gave up.

According to the Indigo book listing bio, he is a fourth-generation fisherman raised in Anacortes, Washington.

He is also married to Jenna Anderson and has three children. Of the three, there is a son named Luca who had a health condition that often led to seizures.

However, Luca has overcome this health challenge now and lives freely.

Jake was once the co-owner of the vessel Saga. He eventually lost the ship due to financial setbacks.

The loss of this boat and a series of unpaid taxes, which was a more unfortunate circumstance because he was trying to run a fishing business, pushed him towards Deadliest Catch.

He was introduced to the show by Sig Hansen and is currently the captain of Titan Explorer.

Although he went through a bit of trouble in season 20 when the boat lost its autopilot and suffered a leak, he safely returned to the shore with his Hall of Crabs.

Compared to the sad drug addict once known to us, Jake Anderson has turned his life around and is happier.

We can also see that he is more family-oriented and is steadily building the life of his dreams.

Malin Reyes. Malin Reyes, who was once a deck hand on Deadliest Catch, worked on two vessels named Seabbrook and Cape Caution.

He appeared on the show in 14 episodes from 2012 before his unfortunate demise.

He was found to have passed away from acute hard substance intoxication on the 27th of July 2021.

He was then rushed to the North Valley, Montana Hospital in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana.

Earlier accounts of the incident reported his demise as having been a result of a heart attack.

It was, however, confirmed by the coroner and sheriff of Flathead County, Brian Heino.

In his statement to USA Today, the manner of demise was ruled accidental.

At the time of his demise, he was aged 38 and is survived by his wife Heather Sullivan and their four children.

His body was cremated, and his best friend spread his ashes at the Bering Sea.

To deal with the loss, the family resorted to recalling fond memories of Reyes and being surrounded by friends and family.

His wife also noted that he touched many lives by being himself, always showcasing a positive attitude and smiling.

All the while, she fondly remembers him as being her rock while also being his.

Mandy Hansen. Mandy has taken after her father, becoming one of Deadliest Catch’s favorite captains.

She stars in Deadliest Catch’s new season 21 with a new status while heading west to find the inherent treasure in Adam Island, Alaska.

Her father, Sig Hansen, has recently entrusted her with his ship to lead a crew that also comprises her husband Clark Peterson.

Although Sig admits that he had not thought much about her joining the team initially, he has referred to her appearance recently as a blessing.

He believed it had made both Northwestern and Time Bandit a step forward compared to other boats.

He accurately calls her a chip off the old block.

He celebrated her independence and decision to take up fishing on her own.

She has also defended herself and proven that she was one of the boys.

After returning from ADAC, he is noted to have said at the end of the day she made the right decisions.

Keith Coburn. Captain Keith Coburn had suffered a mini-stroke in season 20 of the show where he had collapsed on deck.

This left room for questions about his health and return to the show.

While some concerns were from genuine care, others presumed that Keith would be sidelined with the official launch of a new season.

However, Keith Coburn was set to return as a cast member of the Deadliest Catch’s season 21.

TV Insider reveals this after much speculation.

In their words: “After Keith collapsed and lost consciousness on board, viewers were uncertain about his future. But after getting checked out, his diagnosis was revealed. He had suffered a transient ischemic attack, otherwise referred to as TIA, but he chose to return for another season.”

This translates to viewers focusing on him during the show.

It guarantees viewers’ interest as they seek to know if he will remain as outspoken or well-known as he once was.

It also means that this may be Keith’s toughest season on the show.

While there is no announcement for retirement in view yet, he might have to leave the series behind.

Jonathan and Andy Hilstrand. Fan favorites Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand left in 2017.

Although the reason for their departure has not been publicly disclosed, some suspect it revolves around specific legal issues.

Discovery Channel sued them in 2010 for not finishing a filming spin-off they had signed up for and announced that the duo would leave the show.

However, they reached an agreement and returned after a few weeks.

Then, in 2015, they were sued by David Zilinsky, who was injured by a firework on Andy and Jonathan’s Time Bandit, and blamed them for it because they had marketed the fireworks that had been used.

They were then asked to pay $135,000 in compensation.

Jonathan returned to the show in 2020 and has remained there ever since, but Andy has stayed out of the public eye.

He sold the ranch he co-owned with his wife Sabrina and maintains a low profile.

Phil Harris. On January 29, 2010, season 6, episode 10, a crew member found Phil on the floor of his room with the whole left side of his face in paralysis, unable to move his hands or any other body part.

Phil was then rushed to Anchorage, Alaska, and placed under a medically-induced coma for 2 days.

Even though he had suffered a stroke, it seemed as though he was on the way to recovery after the coma.

And even doctors affirmed to be impressed by his recovery until February 9th, 2010.

He completed his physical therapy and was seen walking and talking.

He then told Dan Mittens that he didn’t feel good.

He passed away from an intracranial hemorrhage or brain bleed surrounded by his family and friends.

However, this was not the first time he had a health scare.

In 2008, he had been thrown out of his bunk and began coughing up blood, after which he was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.

After this, he could not fish for a year, so he stopped fishing.

His son Josh is still a cast member of Deadliest Catch.

Tony Lara. Tony Lara was the captain of the Cornelia Marie, who appeared in season 7, episode 9, titled Sea Change.

He replaced Phil after he had passed and was introduced to the show by Josh Harris.

Lara unfortunately appeared for only six episodes, with his final appearance being Mohawks and Madness, Goodness and Gladness.

He served as an anchor to Josh, who was still visibly shaken by the loss of his father, and handed over the vessel back to Josh Harris and Casey McManis, who led the boat’s disappearance in episode 18.

After his brief stint on the show, Lara died at age 50 in Sturgis, South Dakota, in August 2015.

He passed while attending the Sturgis South Dakota Motorcycle Rally, with the cause of death eventually being ruled as scar tissue on Lara’s heart, consistent with the effects of a heart attack.

Even though his appearance on the show was brief, he greatly impacted the lives of those he had worked with.

Even in his passing, he was praised for being a good teacher who was always there whenever his friends needed him.

Sophia “Bob” Nielsen. Tagged as one of the show’s youngest stars, she joined in 2023 and came second to last place at $144,120.

She is also the youngest captain at just 24 years old.

She admitted that the reason why she took over Victory was her sense of responsibility to carry on with her family’s legacy, especially that of her father, Gary Nielsen, who had died of heart issues when she was too young to learn the art of fishing by his side.

His mother, Annette Donvito, had also passed away for unknown reasons.

She admitted that she never got on a boat until her father passed.

Her vessel was one of the two left to their parents’ three children: Brett, Brandon, and Sophia.

She was trained by Jake Anderson, who understood what it meant to lose a parent early on.

She has preferred to be called Bob over Sophia and has amassed many fans since joining the show.

Linda Greenlaw. Linda Greenlaw is America’s only female swordfishing captain featured in Sebastian Younger’s The Perfect Storm and received praise for being one of the best captains on the entire East Coast.

She has been a sailor since she was young and has an unrelenting passion for the sea.

She began working on swordfishing boats at age 19.

She steadily rose through ranks to command her own vessel and write of her experiences in her books, where she earned the US Maritime Literature Award and New England Book Award.

She has recently lived in Isoho and Sururi, Maine.

There she captains a lobster boat, delivers custom-built boats, runs fishing charters, and even grows oysters, while at the same time balancing her writing career.

She joined Deadliest Catch in 2023 in season 19 and was co-captain with Wild Bill Wikrowski.

Blake Painter. Former captain of the vessel Maverick and expert crabber, he appeared on the show in its seasons 2 and 3.

He had appeared in 10 episodes and at the time was the youngest captain on the show.

However, after this episode, he left the show.

Ten years later, a friend concerned about his prolonged absence decided to visit him, only to find him dead in his home in Astoria, Oregon.

Although prescription meds were found on the scene, and Painter had once been charged with unlawful possession of heroin and reckless driving, his cause of demise was said to be natural.

The authorities maintained that there were no signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.

Rick Shelford. Rick was the fourth generation of a proud Alaskan fishing dynasty and was born into the fishing business which belonged to his family’s Shelford Fisheries.

He began fishing as a greenhorn in 1997.

He worked his way up through the ranks as a deckhand and engineer before becoming captain of the Illusian Lady in 2012.

He also manages the American Lady, Alaskan Lady, and Constellation, which are part of the family fleet.

He joined the cast of Deadliest Catch in season 20 and brought a calm but firm leadership style to the screen.

He is often professional even when faced with adversity and has recently acquired a new vessel named Bountiful.

He is still committed to keeping the family’s name and legacy alive.