Staci Keanan has starred in two of the most definitive family-oriented shows of the 80s and 90s. As smart-alecky Nicole Bradford, she kept her fathers in check on “My Two Dads” (1987-1990). And as bookworm Dana Bradford, she sparred with her fifty half-siblings on “Step by Step” (1991-1998). During this decade, Staci was featured in a myriad of teen magazines, and had legions of fans. So how could someone with so much potential seemingly disappear? After a strong start as a child actress, Staci (née Anastasia Sagorsky) was set to go the Alyssa Milano route with made-for-television thrillers like “Lisa” (1989), about a 14-year-old girl who mistakenly starts a phone relationship with a psycho killer (because this sort of thing can happen to anyone) before “My Two Dads” came calling. She received a Youth in Film Award for her work (which, we will soon see, means very little when it comes to career longevity), as well as Sixteen Magazine’s Top TV Newcomer Award. After “Step by Step” finally retired from ABC’s TGIF line-up, Staci fell into such projects as Ski Hard (1995), whose title seems pretty explanatory and is tagged at the Internet Movie Database with such keywords as “cleavage,” “flatulence,” and “hot tub.” Next came Nowhere (1997), an ensemble film by Gregg Araki (who went on to direct Mysterious Skin), where Staci co-starred along actors who went on to achieve considerably more success, like Debi Mazar, Christina Applegate, Ryan Phillippe, Heather Graham, and Rose McGowan. She also appeared in the dramatic short Stolen Poem (2004), and Hidden Secrets (2006) as Rachel Wilson, a conniving wife in danger of losing her husband. Surprisingly, the film has an official site, where I learned that Reginald VelJohnson, the father from “Family Matters,” also stars in the film. Not much is known about Staci’s current projects, but her fan sites appear to be updated, and I did find out that her favourite ice cream flavour is Baskin Robbins’ World Class Chocolate, and she is sometimes credited as Staci Love, a name that no doubt garnered identity confusion in the porn industry.
Everyone remembers Winnie Cooper from “The Wonder Years.” She was the on-again, off-again, and on-again soft-spoken girlfriend of narrator Kevin Arnold and, for six years, Danica McKellar entertained viewers across North America in the coming-of-age dramedy, literally maturing before our eyes. But when the show ended in 1993, whatever became of Winnie Cooper? Well, although we haven’t heard much of her since then, Danica has been staying afloat with acting gigs like one-episode deals on “Babylon 5” (1994), “Walker, Texas Ranger” (1994), and a brief stint on “Working” (1998), the short-lived Fred Savage sitcom that no one saw. She also starred in Sex and the Teenage Mind (2002), of which one user on the Internet Movie Database was compelled to post, “Oh Lord…why?” She then followed this project up with independent films Jane White Is Sick and Twisted (2002), and catch-phrase ridden Hip, Edgy, Sexy, Cool (2002), as well as Black Hole (2002), which was apparently never released. To avoid falling into the B-movie abyss, Danica has honed her thespian skills behind the camera, writing, producing, directing and starring in Speechless (2001), a short film about a grad student who falls for a speech-impaired man. The film starred Wil Wheaton and “The Wonder Years” dad Dan Lauria, and garnered an award at the 2002 Hollywood Underground Film Festival. In addition, Danica went back to school, attending UCLA from 1993 to 1998. All the brain power and hard work paid off, and she graduated summa cum laude with a math degree, and co-authored a scientific paper which appeared in The Journal of Physics: Mathematics & General. If you ever come across the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem, you’ll be happy to learn that it’s named after Danica. In fact, Danica loves math so much that her official site includes free online tutoring for students. The next couple of years saw Danica go from great stints as Elsie Snuffin on “The West Wing” (2002-2003) to so-so stints on “King of the Hill” (2004) and “Navy NCIS” (2005) to hilarious made-for-television films like Sci-Fi Channel’s Path for Destruction (2005), with a cover so horribly Photoshopped that it looks like it was made by me. Perhaps in an attempt to reinvent herself, Danica next posed in the July 2005 edition of Stuff Magazine, in a special issue which saw readers vote for which 90s star they’d most like to see in lingerie (sadly, Steve Urkel failed to place on the list). She also wrote, produced, and directed a short fantasy film called Broken (2005), and will be starring in Lifetime Television’s “Inspector Mom” series. Her next project, the horror spoof Hack!, is slated for a 2007 release.
Admittedly, Devon Odessa was never nearly as high-profile as some of the actresses here, but at one point, she was part of a cast in one of the best but sadly overlooked shows of the 90s. As Sharon Cherski, Devon played Angela Chase’s ex-best friend on ABC’s “My So-Called Life,” and was a far superior actress than she was given credit for. Despite the show winning a Young Artist Award for its predominantly teenage cast, the show was cancelled in 1995 after a short season. But even before “My So-Called Life,” Devon had appeared in a variety of television shows, including “Highway to Heaven” (1987), “The Facts of Life” (1988), and “Good Morning Miss Bliss” (1989). She also did Pumpkin Head (1989) and Uncle Buck (1989), as well as “Step by Step” (1992) with Staci Keanan, and “The Wonder Years” (1993) with Danica McKellar. She has been more prolific than some of her “My So-Called Life” co-stars, appearing in at least one project per year since 1987. You may have seen her in the made-for-television film Her Last Chance (1996) with Kelli Martin and Jonathan Brandis, or in Nowhere (1997) and the horror flick Campfire Tales (1997). She’s also appeared in “Touched by an Angel” (1998) and the syndicated “Pacific Blue” (1999), a show described on the Internet Movie Database as “sexy cops on bicycles.” The Omega Code (1999), Punks (2000) with Vanessa Williams and Loretta Devine, and a guest role on “That’s So Raven” (2005) followed. As of late, Devon has escaped to the indie circuit, appearing in the horror Mad Cowgirl (2006) and the thriller Fade (2006), which has no planned release date outside of the Czech Republic. She has been spotted at the 2004 premiere of Meet the Fockers, so at least we know she’s still being invited to places.
It’s hard to believe that Hilary Banks, the spoiled and flighty cousin of Will Smith in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” could have been played by any actress besides Karyn Parsons. From 1990 to 1996, Karyn amused us with her valley girl impressions. And others were also impressed by her performance – during the show’s run, she starred in Kid & Play’s Class Act (1992) as well as Major Payne (1995), back when Damon Wayans was actually funny. But when “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” went off the air, Karyn’s well ran dry. Another sitcom attempt, “Lush Life” (1996) with Lori Petty, failed miserably after a handful of episodes and was only slightly more popular than one of Karyn’s first roles, Death Spa (1998), also hilariously known as Witch Bitch in some countries. Karyn returned to film with the independent Mixing Nia (1998), starring as the titular character, and got to make out with Isaiah Washington. The movie scored Best of Festival at the Acapulco Black Film Festival and Audience Choice Award at the Bermuda International Film Festival. A bit role on “Melrose Place” (1999) and a bigger role in The Ladies Man (2000) followed, as well as a multi-episode role in Denis Leary’s “The Job” (2001). She went back to school in 1999, and studied writing at Santa Monica College. Her present husband, Alexandre Payne, directed Karyn in 13 Moons (2002) before marrying her in 2003. The film coincidentally also starred Jennifer Beals, who is Payne’s ex-wife. Voice work for the cartoon “Static Shock” (2002) is listed as Karyn’s last acting gig. But she hasn’t completely disappeared from the industry – as producer and partner of Sweet Blackberry, Karyn heads a team of animators and writers who produce culturally education DVDs for children. She has a child with her husband, as well as two children from a previous marriage, and regularly updates her blog on the Sweet Blackberry website.
She may not be a household name, but we’ll all remember that fateful summer in 1993 when we watched a young Ariana Richards cringe in terror at the giant T-Rex staring back at her. As Lex Murphy, Ariana managed to score herself a lead role in one of the most successful films of the 90s, only to see it all slip away with follow up projects like Angus (1995) and “The Princess Stallion” (1997), a delightful romp about a girl and her horse. So what happened to the awkwardly cute Jurassic Park girl? After gaining some acting chops in a slew of made-for-television movies and Tremors (1990), Ariana landed her career-making role, winning a Youth in Film Award for Best Young Actress along the way. In the same year, she released a pop music album with the tacky title of First Love under the Japanese label Pony Canyon. In a case of too much, too soon, First Love failed to make a splash in Japan, and a European deal fell through. In between a smattering of acting jobs, Ariana attended Skidmore College in New York and graduated with a B.S. in fine arts and drama, continuing her education at the Art Center of Design in California. Now an aspiring artist, Ariana has been featured at the Lee Youngman Gallery in Calistoga, California, and has placed first in American Artist Magazine’s National Professional Oil Painting Competition. As for acting, there’s been “Race Against Fear: A Moment of Truth Movie” (1998), which scored a viewer review of nine out of ten on the Internet Movie Database, as well as a straight-to-video reprise of her role in Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001). A 2006 interview in UK Movie Magazine Empire revealed a possible return to acting, with a small role in independent Star Wars-based film 5-25-77 in the works, as well as a possible role in the straight-to-video Jurassic Park IV, scheduled for a 2008 release. But don’t feel too bad for Ariana’s fleeting fame: in a June 8, 2003 post on her official website (www.ariana.org, which hasn’t been updated since April 2004), Ariana says, “I still get treated like royalty. Artists are celebrities too! I enjoy the glamour of dressing up in evening wear and going to gala art events. I still find myself featured on the covers of magazines, and I'm often asked to sign my autograph on my articles.” Really? She is currently finishing her graduate studies at Western Oregon University.
As bohemian Winifred “Freddie” Brooks on the series “A Different World,” established voice actress Cree Summer (neé Cree Summer Francks) was finally given a chance to showcase her talents in front of the camera. But after the five-season show ended in 1993 (as did her relationship with co-star Kadeem Hardison), what became of the woman with the distinctive locks and voice? After gaining some notoriety with a guest spot on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1994) and Michael Jackson’s ground-breaking music video, “Black or White” (1991) (for all you trivia buffs, she’s the last face to be morphed in the video), the woman who got her start by originating the voice of Penny in the kids’ television series “Inspector Gadget” (1983) remained in our collective conscious, but behind the scenes doing voice work for numerous cartoons. With over 70 voices credited to her name, Cree, the sister of ex-Much Music VJ Rainbow Sun Francks, was featured in successful animated series like “Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990) as the animal-loving Elmyra Duff, The Rugrats Movie (1998) and all its subsequent spawns as Susie Carmichael, and “Dannie Phantom” (2005) as Valerie Gray. She was also involved in the Disney disappointment Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) as Princess “Kida” Kidagakash, alongside Michael J. Fox, John Mahoney, and Leonard Nimoy. In front of the camera, Cree has starred in the short-lived television series “Sweet Justice” (1994), and the independent film Tuesday Morning Ride (1995), which was nominated for an Oscar in its year. She has also started a fleeting singing career, first as a back-up singer for “A Different World” co-star Jasmine Guy’s self-titled LP in 1990, and then as front-woman for aggressive rock-soul band Subject to Change. The group’s debut album was eventually shelved by Capitol Records over creative differences. In 1991, Cree emerged as a solo artist and, with the help of friend Lenny Kravitz, released Street Faërie to little fanfare. The album features a song called “Miss Moon,” which is an ode to lovemaking while a woman is menstruating. Cree was eventually dropped by her label, The Work Group. Presently, she is back in the studio doing voice work for shows like “Garbage Pail Kids” (2006) and “Robot Chicken” (2006). She is also a regular on Comedy Central’s risqué “Drawn Together” (2004-2007) as Foxxy Love, although the status of the show’s fourth season has been undecided.
So whatever happened to the cutesy and sometimes lisp-y Stephanie Tanner of “Full House,” the forgotten middle child who spawned phrases like “how rude!” and “pin a rose on your nose”? When the show ended in 1995, Jodie Sweetin found herself jobless. As she stated in a later interview, "It is kind of hard to figure out who you are when you've lost your job at age 13, when that was basically how you identified yourself." Indeed, when your resume consists of more E! and VH1 specials than it does actual acting jobs, maybe it’s time to reevaluate vocations. Jodie decided to step away from the limelight for a while, and went back to school, graduating from Los Alamitos High School in 1999. During this time, she appeared in an episode of “Brotherly Love” (1996) and “Party of Five” (1999) as Rhiannon Marcus, Claudia Salinger’s friend. While attending California’s Chapman University, she also did a one episode stint on “Yes, Dear” (2003) and commercials for family-friendly brands Cheerios, Sea World, and Disneyland. But Jodie’s story doesn’t end at the happiest place in the world: in 2002, she married police officer Shaun Holguin in a ceremony attended by most of her “Full House” co-stars, and with Candace Cameron as her matron of honour. Jodie was also addicted to crystal meth (which was cited by ABC News as a result of being “unemployed and bored”), and hid it from her husband and most friends until a night of hard partying prompted Jodie to check herself into rehab. In February 2006, she appeared on “Good Morning America” and spoke about her addiction, revealing that her marriage had ended in divorce. Now two years sober, Jodie often does speaking engagements at universities. She also made a return to television, landing a gig as the host of Fuse TV’s “Pants-off Dance-off,” a show where viewers can show off their striptease moves. She’s also slated to make a voice-over cameo on straight-to-video Farce of the Penguins (2007), alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Alexander, Christina Applegate, James Belushi, Dane Cook, Whoopi Goldberg, and “Full House” co-star Lori Loughlin. Jodie has stated that she hopes to get into teaching, and might currently be dating “Laguna Beach”’s resident scumbag, Jason Wahler – proving that one bad vice can only be replaced by another. She also has numerous fan websites that are updated regularly, as well as a regular page on Fuse TV’s website where viewers can catch a glimpse of her comedic prowess.
There’s not much to remember about the CBS sitcom “The Nanny,” and even if there were, it would certainly not be Madeline Zima. As the youngest Sheffield, Madeline played Gracie, the shy, intelligent and wise-beyond-her-years precocious girl who rarely got any screen time. Had the show not gently ended its run in 1999, Gracie would have surely been relegated to Richie Crawford on “Family Matters” status. (Who? Exactly.) But the show did earn Madeline some experience and cash, and she matured from an eight-year-old girl into a fourteen-year-old teenager by the time the show ended. She went on to appear in Lethal Vows (1999), a made-for-television thriller starring John Ritter and a pre-“CSI” Marg Helgenberger. She also starred in The Sandy Bottom Orchestra (2000), a heartwarming made-for-television movie about a family who brings the joy of music to their small town. Subsequent roles were small, mostly consisting of guest spots in “The Nightmare Room” (2001), which also guest-starred other teen stars like Keiko Agena, Dylan Sprouse, Allison Mack, and Frankie Muniz, “Gilmore Girls” (2001), and “7th Heaven” (2003). In 2004, Madeline climbed the Hollywood alphabetical hierarchy by co-starring in the Hilary Duff romantic comedy A Cinderella Story (2004) as Brianna, a wicked stepsister. This didn’t push Madeline too far up the ladder, but she did land another starring role in the horror Dimples (2006) with Gabrielle Carteris, Ashley Peldon, and Randy Spelling. The film does have an official website, but someone who is seemingly affiliated with the film has confirmed on the Internet Movie Database that the film has yet to find a distributor. Next came the indie Looking For Sunday (2006), as well as a guest spot on the medical drama “3 lbs.” (2006). The show has since been cancelled, but Madeline’s performance in the pilot was lauded on Entertainment Weekly as one of the few reasons to watch the show. She will soon be appearing in the dark comedy Legacy (2007), about a sorority house under investigation after an unpopular rushee is found dead. The film co-stars the other (and probably much cheaper to get) Duff, Haylie, and Tom Green. She has also filmed the pilot for an upcoming David Duchovny series, which has been tentatively picked up by Showtime. The show’s title is up for grabs, but has been listed as both “Californication” and “Addicted Dad” while in production, prompting two guesses as to the premise of the show. More information on Madeline can be found on her “official” but rarely updated website, which she shares with her thespian sisters. ¤ C.Ho.
