MovieChat Forums > Fame (1980) Discussion > So, which actor got Fame after Fame?

So, which actor got Fame after Fame?

posted 15 years ago by johnnymonsarrat
25 replies | jump to latest

Hi!

The cast of Fame was entirely made of unknowns. So, 30 years later, did any of the actors from Fame become a movie star? The answer is not really. I think it's really ironic that a movie about Fame didn't lead to genuine Fame.

However, there are some exceptions. As I was watching the movie, I did some exploration on IMDB. I clicked on every actor with a named character from Fame (1980) and then clicked on "votes". This gives a good sense of whether they've been in films or TV that were widely seen. Then I looked at all those films that came after 1980 to see if the actor had a role in the top 5, one of the "stars".

So, from 53 actors, only 3 made it to a starring role:

1. Barry Miller, who played Ralph (the comedian), was #3 in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), which gets a 6.3 on IMDB and was quite profitable.

2. Maureen Teefy, who played Doris (the meek girl), was #4 in Grease 2 (1982), which only got a 3.6 on IMDB and was marginally profitable.

3. Boyd Gaines, who played Michael (who??), was #4 in The Sure Thing (1985), which got a 6.8 on IMDB and was quite profitable.

However, reading through the biographies, I also discovered that outside of movies and TV:

-- Boyd Gaines won the Tony award 3 times

-- Irene Cara, who played Coco (the black singer), won an Academy Award & Golden Globe for her song in Flashdance (1982), and two Grammys

-- Debbie Allen, who played Lydia (who??), is a famous choreographer who won an Emmy for Fame (1980) and has won two since then.

Honorable mention goes to Albert Hague, the Old Music Teacher, but the height of his career was way before 1980, and to Richard Belzer, the M.C. at the comedy club, who basically played himself and that doesn't count.

Yeah, I have too much time on my hands. :)

-Johnny

Johnny Monsarrat Consulting. All content by Jon Monsarrat!

[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

In short: NO ONE. I mean, some of them took part in some interesting proyects but none of them reached what everybody understands as "Fame".
Most people remembers those actors only because of this movie, which speak volumes about how famous they really are.

Another example of life imitating art.

[–] activista 10 years ago

@Seis

Hold on---Irene Cara became the biggest young star out of this movie---she was a hugely popular singer (and a good actress,as well as one of my favorite singers at the time---I loved her FLASHDANCE hit) on the pop charts throughout the first half of the '80s, until she would up blacklisted from the biz,sadly. Too bad, because she was talented as hell. You should track down a soundtrack to a 1983 flick called D.C. CAB---she has one of the best songs on the entire soundtrack (which is really good in itself)---it's called, "The Dream" which she co-wrote---it's played in the end credits of the film, too. And the reality is, fame isn't guaranteed to anyone in show business no matter how talented they are-----all you have to do is look through IMDB at the resumes of actors you always thought were talented enough to have hit the big time and never did,for whatever various reasons---the cast of FAME was no exception. Just shows what a luck of the draw fame is,that's all. Bottom line, though-----not everyone who goes into show business is going to be famous, but at least some of them have long steady careers as working actors, and in a fickle business like the movies, that's really what counts most of all.

[–] morris18 15 years ago

- You forgot about Paul McCrane, who played Montgomery McNeil. He had small roles in a bunch of movies (RoboCop, Shawshank Redemption), but then had a major part on E.R. as Dr. Robert Romano.

- The character 'Michael' was the senior whom Doris had a crush on.

[–] eward196563112 15 years ago

i have to disagree some what. there are different levels of "fame". everyone cannot be a superstar!

jimi hendrix, janis joplin, and james dean had very short careers. not superstars in their day, but remain famous.

yet michael jackson, madonna and bon jovi are considered superstars! michael is gone now, but he was never going to regain that thunderous mega super stardom he attained in the 80's, it was just not going to happen. same thing with madonna and bon jovi.

it will be the same with beyonce, lady gaga and the like. in 20 years, people will still know who they are and their names but their level of fame will decrease over time. that's just the way it is.

in saying all of that i would definately say the the breakout star of fame was/is irene cara, who played coco. ms. cara was very well known in the black community years before fame the movie was even a thought!

she's been in the public eye since "the electric company" in the early 70's. then went on to do broadway and even more television and film projects such as "sparkle", "roots II", "what's happening", "the medgar evers story", "d.c. cab" and few others.

along with a moderately successful recording career: 8 top 40 hits of the 80's, an oscar, golden globe, people's choice, billboard awards and two grammys. she was previously nominated for two grammys and a golden globe for fame, and it was her voice that prompted the academy to pick both of her songs from the movie and nominate them in the same category for the first time in oscar history, with fame the song winning the award. so this, as you call it "fame-less" woman will go down in history for singing 3 oscar nominated songs (2 won), double golden globe nominee (winning 1), 4 time grammy nominee (winning 2), double image award nominee (winning 1). and is the only woman of color to win an oscar in a non-acting category, as well as the youngest person of color overall winning an oscar, male or female, beating jennifer hudson by 142 days. irene was 25yrs and 21 days old, while jennifer hudson was 25 yrs and 163 days old when she won. some in hollywood should be so fortunate!! maybe not as popular as janet jackson, but just as talented. different levels my kind sir, different levels...

so in closing i say "fame" is in the eye of the beholder. now who's gonna live forever?????

p.s. and the o.p. said he had to much time on HIS hands!!! lol

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] jgroub 13 years ago

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and James Dean - not superstars? Pass me that crack pipe, I want to get as stoned as you.

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[–] sincbabe 15 years ago

Debbie Allen became "pretty" famous. She still works to this day.

[–] jtissothatch 15 years ago

Yes, Debbie Allen, who has about two lines in Fame, is arguably the most recognized name today.
But regardless, it was a talented bunch and Barry Miller, Laura Dean, Maurren Teefy, Gene Anthony Ray, Antonia Franceshi, Paul McCrane and Irene Cara should have all been biggger stars.

[–] Kareneeni 15 years ago

Don't forget Isaac Mizrahi. He has achieved a lot of fame as a fashion designer. Okay, he's not a movie star but he did get fame.

[–] JaneSchmo 14 years ago

Meg Tilly apparently was in there somewhere. She's listed on IMDB's cast list as a "dancer", though I remember her absolutely no where in the movie.

It's ironic that Belzer, Mizrahi and Tilly- people with bit roles- are the most famous people in the entire movie.

And Anne Meara, Ben Stiller's mother and Jerry Stiller's wife, as the teacher. She's famous.

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[–] dailynonn 13 years ago

She is featured quite prominently in the "Fame" song when they dance in the street. She has a bright blue shirt on and black pants and is lifted in the air a few times. Her one lift as kind of a famous shot from the film.

[–] unholyghost2003 14 years ago

What about Lee Curreri (Bruno Martelli)? Sure he isn't a big movie or TV star ... but he is a well known name in the music industry. I mean he is no Mutt Lange type household name ... but non-performer names that big in music are pretty rare.

Premature ejaculation is not a superpower.

[–] johnnymonsarrat 14 years ago

Thanks for the comment! You are right that, using IMDB as my source, I missed out on those who may have had big careers on the stage or in dance, etc. :)

Johnny Monsarrat Consulting. All content by Jon Monsarrat!

[–] shoopies 9 years ago

Lee isn't A giant TV or Movie star because dosen't wanted to be. I 've listened to him talk on specials about Fame. And that was enough for him. He said anymore fame than that and it would be annoying for him. He acted for awhile but His great passion is with music were he is happy. :)

[–] mistermycroft 9 years ago

Boyd Gaines was Valerie Bertinelli's husband on the TV sit-com "One Day at a Time" for the last 3 years or so, about 1981 to 1984.

[–] RubyRidingHood 14 years ago

Barry Miller (Ralph) also had a pretty noticeable role in Saturday Night Fever playing one of John Travolta's friends. He was the guy who fell off the bridge.

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[–] koppmeier_kevin 14 years ago

Albert Hague(Shorofsky) attained a degree of fame long before the movie. He wrote the music for How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

[–] laughingsbetter 14 years ago

Anne Meara was already known before Fame.

I would consider these four to achieve Fame:
Debbie Allen
Richard belzer
Isaac Mizrahi
HOlland Taylor
(I didn't see Meg Tilly, from a previous poster's note)

These three have had really amazing careers, but aren't household names:
Boyd Games
Barry Miller
Paul McCrane

I am sure the rest of the cast has done amazing work, too. Because they have not acchieved "fame" does not mean they are not amazing and talented people.

Thanks for starting this thread, it was fun to read and think about.

[–] juanmonge69 13 years ago

Boyd Gaines has appeared in many small television roles. I actually saw him at Lincoln center doing the musical "Contact". He really blew me away.

I was unaware that Barry Miller had also played the Hasidic Jewish student in the movie "The chosen". Talk about range.

[–] Amry0217 11 years ago

Richard Belzer who played the MC at the comedy club went on to play the character "John Munch" in a bunch of different prime time TV series including Law and Order and the spin-off, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Says IMDb:

His character Detective John Munch, whom he has played continuously on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) since January 1993, is currently the longest-running character on U.S. prime-time drama television.

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[–] littlebiatch 10 years ago

I agree with what everyone has said, in their own way they are all correct. It is true that there are varying levels of "Fame", and they have all reached one of those levels at some point after making this film.

The one that I would say that had the most enduring career in the industry after the film was Debbie Allen. She of course went on to continue her already stellar dance career, and not only starred but also choreographed and produced for Fame the TV Series.

This led to more work in staging and eventually directing that has seen her fully booked since 1979. You can see she's continued acting on and off in her spare time no doubt, recently starring in a recurring role on Greys Anatomy.

As a Director, she is still working on the top shows, Grey's, Scandal, Empire. In the Entertainment business, she's had a more profitable career than most famous actors could possibly dream of, and is one of the most respected people in the business today. I guess that's the benefit of being talented in multiple fields.

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