CPFOG the blog: TOP FIVE "OTHER GUY'S" AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW for Tuesday, January 19, 2010

#5: THE OTHER GIRL FROM THE TV SHOW SQUARE PEGS

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WHO?: AMY LINKER
CLAIM TO FAME: Co-star of the show Square Pegs, opposite future Preakness winner and Sex in the City star Sarah Jessica Parker.
SHORT BIO: Born in 1966 in Brooklyn, NY. I know it’s not the best Bio ever, but it’s all I could find. Her childhood is a mystery, so I’m going to say she was raised by a Sasquatch and went to school on Mars.
FAME GAME: Her first IMDB credit is something called A Time For Miracles in 1980. Five years later she quit acting … to found an underwater colony .. I guess … maybe. Oh yeah, she did a voice on the Mr. T cartoon show, which would make anyone quit acting.
WHAT HAPPENED?: She went to school for a bit, graduating from Wellesley College in 1989 with a degree in French Studies. Her post acting life is hard to find as well so let’s say she went around the world in 80 Days and ended up as an internet researcher in Santa Monica, CA. (That part is real).
WHERE IS SHE NOW?: Living the high life as a substitute teacher in L.A. and as a part time time traveller … I guess. One thing we do know is that she once won a TV Land award for best braces, so she’s got that going for her.

#4: THE OTHER GUY FROM THE MOVIE WEIRD SCIENCE

WHO? Ilan Mitchell-Smith
CLAIM TO FAME: The movie Weird Science (1985), which had a stellar cast (for the time). Written and directed by John Hughes, the cast included Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr, Kelly LeBrock and Bill Paxton.
FAME GAME: What? You don’t know who Ilan Mitchell-Smith is? Not that I blame you. Weird Science was his biggest credit in a career that lasted less than ten years and included guest starring roles in The Equalizer and Superboy.
SHORT BIO: Born in New York, Mitchell-Smith started out as a young dancer until legendary director Sidney Lumet discovered him and cast him as young Timothy Hutton in the film Daniel (1983). Three credits later he co-starred in Weird Science and six credits later his career was over.
WHAT HAPPENED?: He quit, plain and simple. He discovered another passion and followed it. That passion just happened to be Medieval Studies, which he has a degree in.
WHERE IS HE NOW?: Currently he is a teacher of history at Texas A&M and does not like having his picture taken, in case his student recognise him as “Wyatt” from Weird Science.

#3: THE OTHER GUY FROM THE BAND WHAM!

WHO?: Andrew Ridgeley.
CLAIM TO FAME: Doing the Jitterbug opposite George Michael. (That’s sounds worse than it is.)
SHORT BIO: Ridgeley met George Michael when Michael enrolled in Bushey Heath Primary School (No word if they met in a public washroom). Ironically it was Ridgeley who took Michael under his wing. The two were members of various bands before they formed Wham! and recorded a demo in Ridgeley’s living room, which they peddled to various record companies before Interscope Records signed them.
FAME GAME: Wham!’s first album was released in 1982. In 1984 their most famous song, Wake me up Before You Go Go! was released. By 1986 Wham! was over.
WHAT HAPPENED?: George Michael wanted to make more mature records and, apparently, have more sex in public washrooms.
WHERE IS HE NOW? After Wham!, Ridgeley moved to Monaco and took up Formula Three Racing, and apparently he was pretty bad at it. So he moved to L.A. to try and start an acting/solo music career, but since Don Johnson had that cornered he moved back to England.
In 1990 he was able to release a solo album, Son of Albert, a guitar and percussion heavy release. Since then he has stayed in the background, writing music under various pen names. Also, he lost his hair. Where is the dignity in that?

#2:THE OTHER GUY FROM THE TV SHOW BOSOM BUDDIES

WHO?: Peter Scolari.
CLAIM TO FAME: Wearing woman’s clothes opposite some guy named Tom Hanks for two seasons on Bosom Buddies. He later went on to play wanna be TV exec Michael Harris on Newhart.
SHORT BIO: Born in 1955, Scolari became an accomplished juggler at a young age and discovered acting at the age of 16 while performing in a high-school production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
FAME GAME: He has appeared on stage and on both the big and little screens. His first TV credit was on some show named Take Off in 1978, and in 1980 he and Tom Hanks put on the dresses for Bosom Buddies.
WHAT HAPPENED?: Nothing. While Hanks went to make such classic movies as Bachelor Party, The Man With One Red Shoe and Dragnet, Scolari has mostly remained busy on stage, TV and doing voice-over work. I mentioned he played Michael Harris on Newhart, a role he is still associated with even today. His IMDB page lists 84 credits, not bad no matter how you look at it. Add to that all of the theatre work he does and Peter Scolari is one busy guy.
Oh yeah, that other guy, Tom Hanks, he and Scolari are still very good friends. (So he’s got that going for him.)

#1: THE OTHER KID FROM THE TV SHOW WONDER YEARS

Who?: Josh Saviano
CLAIM TO FAME: As Paul, best friend to Kevin Arnold on the show The Wonder Years.
SHORT BIO: Born in New York, raised in New Jersey, the person who may or may not grow up to become Marilyn Manson did his first commercial for Aim Toothpaste. Next came a role in the movie The Wrong Guys in 1988, the same year he took the role of Paul Pfeiffer, the nerdy best friend to Fred Savages character Kevin Arnold on The Wonder years.
FAME GAME: The Wonder Years lasted until 1993. He has no more credits to his name.
WHAT HAPPENED: He went to some school called Yale University where he majored in Political Science.
WHERE IS HE NOW?: In 1998 he became a paralegal for a New York City law firm. He liked it so much in 2000 he went back to school and came out a lawyer. He is currently an associate with Morrison Cohen LLP.
YOU’RE MY INSPIRATION: It’s hard to deny, but many people claim that the character of Milhouse on The Simpsons is inspired by Josh’s performance of Paul.

URBAN LEGEND: For some strange reason some people think that Josh grew up to be shock rocker Marilyn Manson. This, of course, is not true. Fred Savage became Manson. (Think about it. It explains a lot.)