It's been 20 years since Ally McBeal danced with those funny little babies. Where are the stars now?

It’s been 20 years since Ally McBeal first hit our TV screens and paved the path for female-led dramedies.

Ally McBeal was, in her own awkward way, a little bit of a trailblazer.

Two decades ago it was a big deal to watch a TV show that centred around a woman, her career, her female friendships, and her biological clock.

Ally McBeal introduced us to unisex bathrooms, dancing baby hallucinations, tiny skirt suits, and the notion that women could ‘have it all’. The show was quirky, fun, and the topic of water cooler conversations for at least a few years.

Obviously there were some elements of the show that were questionable, such as the fact the female leads kept getting skinnier and skinnier, and that Ally – in a lot of ways – was a lovelorn feminist anti-hero who spent a lot of time lusting after her latest crush.

But at the time Ally McBeal perfectly encapsulated a generation of women who were looking towards their careers for more fulfillment, while trying to drown out the deafening tick of their biological clock, and figuring out whether they really could ‘have it all’.

And they did all this in tiny skirt suits, apparently.

Here’s what all your favourite Ally McBeal stars have been up to since the show ended in 2002:

Calista Flockhart

Calista Flockhart played the role of the forever awkward, somewhat neurotic Ally McBeal. During the series we watched her grieve the death of her ex-boyfriend, Billy; really come into her career as a lawyer; fall in and out of love and lust; chase her biological clock around her apartment in the form of a dancing baby; and be reunited with the biological daughter she never knew she had.

Post Ally McBeal, Flockhart had a starring role as Kitty Walker in Brothers and Sisters and has also worked on Broadway.

Courtney Thorne-Smith

Thorne-Smith played Ally's ex-boyfriend's new wife, Georgia Smith. While they started out as enemies, Ally and Georgia became close friends throughout the series, eventually smashing the cliche that women with a love interest in common have to hate each other. Since the show ended Smith has had roles in According to Jim and Two and a Half Men.

Portia de Rossi

One of the break out stars of the series was Portia de Rossi. She played the role of Nelle Porter, a lawyer who joined the firm and had an on again/off again relationship with John Cage AKA The Biscuit AKA The Strange Little Man.

Since the series ended, de Rossi has starred in Arrested Development, Nip/Tuck and Scandal. Oh, and she also married Ellen DeGeneres.

Jane Krakowski

Jane Krakowski played Elaine Vassal, the firm's assistant, office gossip, and quirky inventor. Krakowski was hilarious in this role, creating things like 'The Face Bra' and making everyone perform a 'number' at the bar below the office. Krakowski has probably had the most unexpected rise to fame since the show ended - with roles on both 30 Rock, Younger and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Lucy Liu

Liu played the character of Ling Woo, a vicious lawyer who dated Richard Fish AKA The Fish and later joined the firm. Liu's role was only meant to be temporary but huge audience ratings meant she scored a more permanent gig.

Since leaving Ally McBeal, Liu has starred in over 20 movies as well as the TV series Dirty Sexy Money and Elementary.

Did you watch Ally McBeal? Tell us about your favourite scenes in the comments below. 

Love TV? Listen to the latest episode of The Binge. 

To read more about TV, click here. 

To read more about movies, click here. 

To read more about pop culture, click here. 

To read more from Keryn Donnelly, click here or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.