Monica Green: Where are they now?

March 17, 2008 12:02 pm

— I’m so thankful the writers’ strike is over. Too bad my favorite shows — all the crime shows like “CSI,” — won’t be back on air for another month.
In their absence, and after seeing every rerun about 10 times, I have found a fondness for older shows. Though they are reruns as well, at least they’re ones I haven’t seen before.
While watching an old episode of “Family Matters” the other night I began to wonder what happened to Steve Urkel, the funniest character on the show. While searching for information about him online, I stumbled across www.celebritynooz.com. The site has an amazing “Where are they now?” section with tons of actors’ and singers’ history and what they are doing.
The site told me that Jaleel White is now a professional writer and has his own blog on NBA.com. He guest stars on television sitcoms and writes scripts. He was one of the writers of the movie “Dreamgirls.”
After reading about Urkel’s life, I began to wonder about some of my other favorite actors. One I immediately thought of was Candace Cameron, who was D.J. Tanner on “Full House.”
I had no idea she was the sister of Kirk Cameron, who is famous from “Growing Pains” and the “Left Behind” series. They are both now devout Christians and spend lots of time traveling and speaking about their faith.
I was surprised how many of my favorite actors from shows past have appeared in newer shows I like as well.
For example, Barbara Eden, who played Jeannie from “I Dream of Jeanie,” appeared in several episodes of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” which I watched in high school and college. She also appeared in “Desperate Housewives,” although I don’t make a habit of watching that show.
Jenna Von Oy, who played in “Blossom,” plays on “Cold Case,” coincidentally one of my favorite shows. She also does voice-overs and has done so on “Dr. Dolittle 3,” “Family Guy” and others. She released her first CD last year.
My favorite movie is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Mia Sara, who plays Sloane Peterson in the movie, has appeared in “CSI: NY,” another favorite of mine. She also played in “Birds of Prey.”
What about the “Karate Kid?” I loved watching all of those movies when I was younger. Ralph Macchio appeared in “Entourage” and “Beer League.” The site congratulates him for his long “un-Hollywood” like marriage.
“Three’s Company” star Joyce DeWitt also appeared in “Desperate Housewives” and starred in several theatrical productions. She also appeared in one of my favorite movies, “Airplane II.”
The research was a fun trip down memory lane, reminiscing about my favorite shows. I’m sure 10 years from now I’ll wonder “What ever happened to ... Gil Grissom?”