After four years as Carrie Brady on “Days of Our Lives” (1982-1986), a guest appearance on “Growing Pains” (1990), and a supporting role in The Skateboard Kid II (1995), Barber went on to star as the lovably obnoxious and fashionably-challenged Kimmy Gibler, D. J. Tanner’s best friend and neighbour, on the ABC sugary comedy, “Full House.” What started off as a guest spot on the 1987 premiere season quickly led to regular cast billing through to the finale in 1995. After the show ended its run, Barber appeared on the “Entertainment Tonight” special, “Behind the Walls of Full House” (2000) – and then, not much else. But she did return to school, graduated from Whittier College in 1999, and subsequently worked as an assistant to the Whittier College Director of International Programs. In September of 2002, Barber married Jeremy Rytky and moved to England to attend the University of York, eventually completing her Masters in Women’s Studies at the school. Two years later, the newlyweds had their first child, Tate James. Professionally, Barber seems to have vanished from acting, save for an appearance at the 1997 finale of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” where she reunited with the “Full House” cast (minus the Olsen twins, who were probably too busy buying sunglasses or dating Greek playboy millionaires to make it). On Wikipedia, Barber is listed among the cast for Denzel Washington’s upcoming crime thriller, Déjà Vu, though it’s safe to say that the entry was probably made in jest. Barber also popped up at Candace Cameron’s wedding, as well as Cameron and Lori Loughlin’s joint baby shower in 2000 (the Olsen twins were able to make it this time). Barber has also interned with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and aspires to be a writer.
I don’t know about you, but frankly, I couldn’t imagine a world without “Booker,” the 1989 television show about a suave but kind of greasy private investigator, who was portrayed so convincingly by a then 24-year-old Richard Grieco. Although the show’s run only lasted one season, it cemented Grieco’s rise to fame as one of the new faces to watch. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a heck of a lot to see. Predecessors to Grieco’s turn as Dennis Booker were brief stints on “Who’s The Boss” and, predictably, the soap opera “One Life to Live” (1985-1987). After appearing on the 1988-1989 premiere season of “21 Jump Street,” Grieco’s heartthrob status began to grow, and even a failed television spin-off couldn’t stop the inevitable force. First came the comedy If Looks Could Kill (1991), where Grieco plays a high school student (and you thought the cast of “Beverly Hills, 90210” was stretching it) who is mistaken for a secret agent. The film did so-so, but it paved the way to Mobsters (1991), where he co-starred with other notable Hollywood pin-ups Christian Slater and Patrick Dempsey. After this, Grieco seemingly disappeared from the limelight. But don’t cry for him yet – from 1993 to 2001, he was still participating in about two to four projects a year. Admittedly, these projects were things like Inhumanoid (1996), a made-for-television film about a killer android (he was the baddie), The Gardener (1998), where an evil greenhouse starts doing whatever it is that evil greenhouses do, and Point Doom (2001), a film that is surprisingly not a low-budget horror film and follows the life and scandals of a talent agent (Grieco) who gets caught up in a world of sex, drugs, and deadly motorcycle gangs. He starred in this gem alongside other potential “Whatever Happened To?” candidates Angie Everhart, Andrew Dice Clay, and Sebastian Bach. In conjunction with a frightening prolific career in B-movies, Grieco also took some time out to release a CD under a German label, Waiting For the Sky to Fall (1995). The album was a “smash hit” in Europe, and to prove it, Amazon UK is currently out of copies. Grieco also found time to father a son with ex-girlfriend Kimberly Sissons in 1999, date Yasmine Bleeth in 2001, and move onto Stephanie Niznik. As of late, Grieco is planning a European tour with his band, Wasteland Park, and continues to take part in charity events; the last one he was spotted at was the Dennis Quaid Charity Weekend in May 2006. His latest project, Forget About It (2006), with Burt Reynolds, is waiting for a release date but has already won the Film of the Festival at the New Jersey International Film Fest. Well…at least that’s a start.
As a young child, Hoffman was already acting alongside Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams (1989), John Candy in Uncle Buck (1989), Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and Mel Gibson in The Man Without A Face (1993). I don’t know about you, but when I was twelve, my biggest concern was how many sourballs I could fit into my mouth without choking. Hoffman’s mom, Viva, was an eclectic Andy Warhol muse who raised her children at the Hotel Chelsea, so it’s not shocking that the Hollywood crowd embraced Hoffman’s quirky bohemian demeanor. In 1994, Hoffman’s streak dried up prematurely when she signed onto the television show “Someone Like Me,” which was cancelled after a mere six episodes. In this would-be family sitcom, Hoffman lived with her crazy family, which included Patricia Heaton as mom, and Nikki Cox as older sis who returns home after a brief stint in prison. A reviewer on the Internet Movie Database sums up the show thusly: “Possibly the worst TV show ever made.” The next year, Hoffman appeared in the “Freaky Friday” made-for-television movie, which received very little fanfare compared to Lindsay Lohan’s 2003 film version. She also starred in the ensemble piece, Now And Then (1995), with notable actresses Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith, and Rita Wilson, as well as other up-and-coming teen actresses Thora Birch and Christina Ricci. Hoffman’s friendship with Ricci, which stemmed from on-set companionship, bloomed into a life-long bond. Everyone Says I Love You (1996), Volcano (1997), and Strike! (1998) paid the bills, but did little to elevate Hoffman’s faltering presence in Hollywood. She would again disappear into the background in the ensemble dramedy 200 Cigarettes (2000), and the controversial ensemble piece Black and White (1999), which aimed for Crash-like reverence but fell short of the mark. She appeared in the critically acclaimed You Can Count on Me (2000), and then followed it up with the little-seen Perfume (2001), yet another ensemble film where everyone seems to be related in some way and people talk way too much. Incidentally, Hoffman’s character isn’t mentioned in the plot synopsis, which suggests that her role was probably quite small. Little is known about Hoffman up until this point, and fan websites have either shut down or haven’t been updated since 1997. As of 1999, Hoffman was attending Bard College, and still planned to act.
The good news: Ribeiro hasn’t gone the way of many child actors and has yet to rob any sort of store. The bad news: in 2005, Ribeiro starred in a movie with Amanda Bynes. After a successful streak in television, beginning with “Silver Spoons” (1984-1987) and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1990-1996), and ending with “In the House” (1996-1999), Ribeiro supplemented his income with voiceover work in “Extreme Ghostbusters” (1997) and “Spider-Man” (1996-1997). He also did a straight-to-video horror film, Infested (2003), where he plays one of many teens being terrorized by mutant insects created by evil pot-growing farmers. When that failed to launch his film career, Ribeiro did guest spots on “One on One,” “The Rerun Show,” and “Cedric the Entertainer Presents.” Strangely, the latter two were cancelled after one season, prompting suspicion that Ribeiro is somehow cursed. But most likely, the shows weren’t that great to begin with. Ribeiro made an appearance at the 2005 BET Awards, and in the same year co-starred in the nautical Lovewrecked with Amanda Bynes, Lance Bass, and Kathy Griffin. The film was purchased by The Weinstein Company, but has yet to find a release date. If you’ve always dreamed of having a torrid love affair with Carlton Banks, it’s not your lucky day – Ribeiro married in 2002 and has a daughter, Sienna. He returned to the New York stage for several years, and popped up in a 2003 commercial for McDonald’s stroke-inducing McGriddle sandwich. He enjoys racing and frequently participates in car races around L.A. Even though his presence is all but gone from the screen, he’s still around – but this time, behind a video camera. Ribeiro frequently directs episodes for UPN shows “One on One” and “All of Us,” and actually holds a degree from the NY Film School. At one point, rumours that the “Fresh Prince” actor had died surfaced on the internet, but Ribeiro is still, in fact, very much alive.
The little boy from Free Willy (1993) is all grown up now, and after enduring puberty through Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), and Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997), Richter has chosen to go the way of many ex-actors by immersing himself in music. A brief history of Richter’s trajectory in Hollywood might shed some light as to why he’s disappeared from the spotlight: after gaining notoriety for Free Willy, a heart-warming story about a boy and his killer whale, Richter filmed The Neverending Story III (1994) before reprising his role as Jesse in the sequel to Free Willy. A one-episode appearance on the short-lived television show “The Client,” as well as an appearance on “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch,” did nothing to dissuade him from coming back to Free Willy 3. While Richter had matured into a young and experienced man at this point, audiences were too busy watching L A. Confidential and Good Will Hunting to notice. The film appears to be a straight-to-video deal, and the official 1997 website is but a mere splash page with “Coming soon to a theatre near you!” prophetically emblazoned under a small movie poster. However, Jeff Craig from Sixty Second Review does call the film "breathtaking!" A search on Rotten Tomatoes also yielded a scant eleven reviews, with the film ultimately scoring a 4.8 out of ten. Richter returned once more to the silver screen in the 1998 Ricochet River, where Kate Hudson made her motion picture debut as his on-screen girlfriend. After this project, he moved onto music, playing with Blueroot from 2000 to 2005. He is currently a bassist for the California band Fermata, which, coincidentally, is also the name of a Wisconsin band. If you’re a fan, or are just curious to see Richter post-Free Willy, Fermata has some upcoming shows lined up throughout California this summer.
Fred Savage’s little brother seems to have gone the way of big brother, but he’s still (somewhat) around. After a successful child career that began with Little Monsters (1989), a Fred Savage vehicle, and included guest spots on “The Wonder Years” and “Dear John,” Savage emerged from under big brother’s wing and won supporting roles in Big Girls Don’t Cry…They Get Even (1992), the annoying Clifford (1994), where a incorrigible ten-year-old Martin Short ran amuck, and “Party of Five.” In 1993, Savage struck sitcom gold with “Boy Meets World,” and stayed on the show for seven solid seasons. Savage moved to stage, and in 1998 won a Best Actor Ovation Award for his turn in the play Unexpected Tenderness. After a brief hiatus, Savage returned to film with Swimming Upstream (2000), where he played the best friend and comedic relief to a dying teenager. The movie, which has the unfortunate luck of being similarly named to a much more successful and acclaimed Geoffrey Rush film, won the Best Dramatic Feature Film at the Angel City Film Festival. It’s hazy as to whether the film received a theatrical release or not, and Amazon doesn’t have any copies although Netflix, who purports to have DVDs to rent, lists the film as being released in 2002. Savage holds a degree in political science from Stanford University, and seems to be heading into a career in politics. He has interned for Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter in 2003, and regularly volunteers for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. E!’s “50 Cutest Child Actors: All Grown Up” (2005) special features Savage, as well as other Whatever Happened To? inductees Candace Cameron and Jaleel White. In 2005, Savage guest-starred on the unfunny CBS sitcom, “Still Standing,” and stars in the upcoming Car Babes (2006), which is currently in post-production. In Car Babes, Savage plays a listless graduate who ends up working at his father’s car dealership, Davis Automobile. When rival Ron Harper, who owns the R.V. dealership across the street, wants to buy out the flailing company to expand, Savage bands the misfit group of salesmen together for a sales showdown. It sounds just as interesting as it is to type out, so it’s unlikely that the film will receive a theatrical release (the official website cites spring/summer 2006 as its release date, which is such a lie). There is very scant information about Savage at the moment, and the only thing I learned is that there is a Ben Savage who lives in the U.K. Forums for the actor obsess over his relationship with “Boy Meets World” co-star Danielle Fishel (they never dated) or his chances of playing Jimmy Olsen on “Smallville.” Savage has a fish and two cats, and is very good friends with “Boy Meets World” co-star Matthew Lawrence.
At the ripe ol’ age of thirteen, Williams was cast as Laura Winslow for the ABC family comedy, “Family Matters.” When the show ended its run in 1998, most – if not all – of the principal actors found themselves out of work. Most certainly, Jamiee Foxworth, who went on to become porn star “Crave,” was strapped for cash. (Strangely, I’ve become fascinated by one of her porn titles, More Black Dirty Debutantes 30. So they had enough material to fill twenty-nine films?). But this isn’t about Jamiee “Crave” Foxworth – it’s about Williams, who luckily found work in other PG venues like “Moesha,” “Girlfriends,” and “The Parkers.” In the late 90’s, Williams also appeared on numerous MTV specials. She graduated from UCLA College with a psychology degree in 2000, and landed a sitcom deal in 2001. Unfortunately, that sitcom was “What About Joan,” and by the lack of recollection emanating from our computer screens, we can discern that the show lived a short life. Off-screen, Williams manages (or managed, or pretended to manage – the verdict is still out on what she actually did) R&B group Amari. Members Sherri, and Sneezy and Poo, whose names were perhaps sadly inspired by the seven dwarves, were signed under Tommy Boy Records, but have only released one CD single, which appears on the soundtrack for Ride (1998), one of Williams’ earlier films. On her official site, which hasn’t been updated since her casting in “What About Joan,” we learn that Williams has her own production company, Kellie Williams Productions, as well as a fan club. The fee to join is a whopping $22.00, up from $16.00 when the club first began. With this $22.00, you can receive four quarterly newsletters, pictures of Williams, puzzles, a pen and pencil set, a signed poster, and what I’m sure is a very nice Christmas card. The “news” tab on her website doesn’t actually work, but I can tell you that she’s currently based in L.A.
You might remember Walters from the cancelled musical drama, ”The Heights” (1992) or from his stint on “Beverly Hills, 90210” (1994-1995) as Donna Martin’s brooding, and eventually abusive, musician boyfriend. But Walters wasn’t always a television favourite; he actually got his start in the 1991 film Shout, alongside John Travolta and Heather Graham. In Shout, Walters plays – what else – a misfit in 1955 west Texas who, under the tutelage of Travolta, finds love, redemption, and other nice things through music. This film opened the door to “The Heights,” which also afforded Walters a number one hit single with “How Do You Talk to An Angel?” In several VH1 shows, Walters admits that this caused friction between cast members, who felt that Walters had completely taken over the show. But their worry soon vanished when the show was cancelled, leading Walters to wander onto the set of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Again, Walters has been known to speak candidly of his experience as psycho boyfriend Ray Pruit, citing confusion among fans between his on-screen persona and his real-life persona as the reason why his musical career never quite took off. Roles in “Vanishing Son II” and “Vanishing Son IV” (no idea why the third sequel omitted his character) would be one of his last. In 2000, he reappeared in The Mumbo Jumbo, a British comedy about a magical amulet that probably didn’t make much sense. Walters has put out a total of three albums so far: a self-titled debut (1995), Ride (1997), and Believed (2002) under record label Leisure Records. Only “Hold On,” the 1995 romantic ditty, managed to break into the Billboard charts. In other unbelievable news, one – and possibly the last – copy of Believed is currently up for bid at Amazon for an outrageous fee of $1,386.45. In 1992, Walters had a much-publicized broken engagement to Drew Barrymore, but has since walked down the aisle with wife Patty. The couple has a young daughter, Elizabeth, from their union. Content with his guitar, Walters is concentrating on his musical career and spends his days as a paramedic for the Los Angeles Fire Department. His official website has expired, but a devoted fan base at Yahoo! is keeping the forums alive, and his artist page on Yahoo! Music is also active (the page contains links to “similar” artists like Jennifer Page, New Kids on the Block, Color Me Badd, and Exposé). Walters has since shed his bad boy sideburns. ¤ C.Ho.
