‘Six Feet Under’: Lauren Ambrose Was the Only Actor Who Didn’t Play Her Character at the End of the Finale

Some people may remember the early 2000s HBO TV show called Six Feet Under. Critics praised the writing and cinematography, and the series won several awards. Of course, the drama broke grounds for depicting a realistic gay married couple. 

The cast included notable names like Michael C. Hall and Lauren Ambrose. Ambrose played Claire for the entire show but stopped before the character’s death scene in the series finale. Someone else got the opportunity to be in the role for those last moments. 

Lauren Ambrose played Claire in ‘Six Feet Under’

Ambrose was part of the main cast of Six Feet Under for all five seasons. In the drama series, the actress portrayed the youngest child of the Fisher family, Claire Fisher. Claire is the only daughter in the family, and she appears rebellious as a teenager. However, she is creative and likes to partake in photography and art. 

While Claire does act selfishly from time to time, she does show genuine concern for her family. Viewers watch as she goes from high school to adulthood. In the last season, Claire works at a legal office as a temp before moving to New York City. 

Throughout the show, Claire has several relationships. She ends up marrying former boyfriend Ted when she returns to her hometown for her mother’s funeral. In the end, she becomes an award-winning photographer. Viewers see that Claire dies of natural causes at an old age after a long and prosperous life. 

Another person portrayed Claire at the end of the show

In Six Feet Under, Claire is the last member of the original Fisher family to pass away. She manages to live to the ripe old age of 101 in the year 2085. She is lying on her bed with pictures of her family surrounding her. Her death scene is part of a montage that includes the final moments of other characters. 

Several of the stars of the show wore prosthetics to appear older at the end. However, the Claire that fans see in the finale is not Ambrose. According to Mental Floss, Ambrose was the only cast member who did not portray her character. The producers used an extra to play the role of a 101-year-old woman. 

Since the show has Claire reach such an old age, a random extra got hired for the scene. However, the name of the person is unknown. The woman was in her 70s, and she wore contact lenses for the last shot of her eyes.  

Sometimes, prosthetics and makeup are not as convincing. It can be easier to use someone closer to Claire’s age in the finale. 

What Lauren Ambrose has been up to after ‘Six Feet Under’

After Six Feet Under ended in 2005, Ambrose continued to find work as an actress. Some may recognize her from several episodes of Torchwood: Miracle Day. Ambrose worked on multiple stage productions, and she also starred in films like Sleepwalk with Me and Grassroots. 

Some fans of The X-Files may remember that the series got revived for two seasons several years ago. Ambrose played one of the new junior agents, Agent Einstein. Einstein is a recurring character who is a medical doctor and a skeptic. Currently, Ambrose is starring in a psychological horror series as the main character. 

The show is titled Servant, and it is about a married couple that loses an infant son. Ambrose plays Dorothy, and Dorothy is the wife who believes the therapy doll is her son. People can watch the series on Apple TV+, and they may recognize a couple of the other cast members as well.