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Spaceballs

1987

When the nefarious Dark Helmet hatches a plan to snatch Princess Vespa and steal her planet's air, space-bum-for-hire Lone Starr and his clueless sidekick fly to the rescue. Along the way, they meet Yogurt, who puts Lone Starr wise to the power of "The Schwartz." Can he master it in time to save the day?

Dick Van Patten

Cast · Known for Spaceballs

Dick Van Patten was an American actor best known for his role as Tom Bradford on the TV show Eight Is Enough. Van Patten also made appearances in the films Spaceballs, Soylent Green, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Julianne Grossman

Cast · Known for Star Trek: Discovery

Julianne Grossman was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: Discovery (2017), Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010) and Spaceballs: The Animated Series (2008).

Donfeld

Costume Design · Known for Spaceballs

Donfeld (born Donald Lee Feld; July 3, 1934 – February 3, 2007) was an American costume designer who was known for his work on films such as Spaceballs, Prizzi's Honor and The Great Race. He was also know for making the costumes for the action adventure fantasy television series Wonder Woman, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1978.

George Wyner

Cast · Known for Spaceballs, The Devil's Advocate, Hill Street Blues

George Wyner (born October 20, 1945) is an American actor. A native of Boston and graduate of Syracuse University, George has worked extensively in TV and film since 1972. Notable film roles include Rabbi Nachtner in the Coen Brothers' best-picture nominee A Serious Man (2009) and Colonel Sandurz in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987). and his To Be or Not to Be (1983). Other credits include To Be or Not to Be (1983), Fletch (1985), Fletch Lives (1989), The Devil's Advocate (1997), and Trouble with the Curve (2012). George has guest starred on over 150 TV shows, and has been a series regular on nine. He is perhaps best known for his six seasons as Deputy D.A. Irwin Bernstein on Hill Street Blues (1981).

Daphne Zuniga

Cast · Known for Spaceballs, Melrose Place

Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (born October 28, 1962) is an American actress best known for her roles as Jo Reynolds on Melrose Place, Victoria Davis on One Tree Hill, Lynn Kerr on the drama series Beautiful People, and Princess Vespa in Spaceballs. She made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) at the age of 19, followed by a lead role in another slasher film The Initiation (1984) two years later. She went on to star in several comedies, including Rob Reiner's The Sure Thing (1985), opposite John Cusack, and the cult comedies Modern Girls (1986), and Spaceballs (1987). She also starred opposite Lucille Ball in the television drama film Stone Pillow (1986), and in the science-fiction horror sequel The Fly II (1989). She later gained major exposure as a television actress for her role as Jo Reynolds on the Fox primetime soap opera Melrose Place from 1992 to 1996. Other television credits include roles as Victoria Davis on One Tree Hill (2008–2012), and as Lynn Kerr on the drama series Beautiful People.

Leslie Bevis

Cast · Known for Spaceballs

Leslie Bevis (born February 13, 1954, in Washington, D.C.) is an American former model and actress. She began her career modeling in Europe before transitioning to film and television. Bevis is best known for her role as Ruth Perkins on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (1998–1999). She has appeared in numerous TV series including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Dallas, Murder, She Wrote, Night Court, MacGyver, Falcon Crest, and Who's the Boss? Her film credits include memorable roles such as Commanderette Zircon in Spaceballs (1987) and Cassandra in Alien Nation (1988). Bevis studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has been married to former NFL player Pat McInally since 1984, and they have one child together.

Rick Moranis

Cast · Known for Spaceballs, Ghostbusters

Frederick Allan Moranis (born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian actor, comedian, musician, producer, songwriter and writer. Moranis appeared in the sketch comedy series Second City Television (SCTV) in the 1980s and starred afterwards in several Hollywood films, including Strange Brew (1983), Streets of Fire (1984), Ghostbusters (1984) and its sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Spaceballs (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989, and its 1992 and 1997 sequels), Parenthood (1989), My Blue Heaven (1990), and The Flintstones(1994). In 1997, Moranis began a long break from acting to dedicate his time to his two children as a widower. He has not appeared in a live-action film for over 28 years. However, he provided voice-over work for a few animated films, including Disney's Brother Bear (2003). He also released comedy albums and made appearances at fan conventions. In 2020, after a hiatus of nearly 23 years from live-action films, Moranis signed to reprise his role of Wayne Szalinski in a new sequel to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, called Shrunk, before the project was put on hold.

Lynn Stalmaster

Casting · Known for Have Gun, Will Travel, Spaceballs, Superman

Lynn Stalmaster (November 17, 1927 – February 12, 2021) was an American casting director born in Omaha, Nebraska. Over a career of more than five decades he cast films and television productions including Superman, The Right Stuff, Tootsie, First Blood, Spaceballs and The Bonfire of the Vanities, as well as Brian De Palma's Blow Out and Casualties of War. In 2016 he received an Academy Honorary Award, becoming the first casting director to be honored with an Oscar.

Mel Brooks

Cast · Creator · Known for Spaceballs, Robots, Hotel Transylvania 2

Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 21 entertainers to win the EGOT (which includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony). He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015, a National Medal of Arts in 2016, a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2024. Brooks began his career as a comic and a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show of Shows(1950–1954). There, he worked with Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Larry Gelbart, and Carl Reiner. With Reiner, he co-created the comedy sketch The 2000 Year Old Man. He released several comedy albums, starting with 2000 Year Old Man in 1960. Brooks received five nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, finally winning in 1999. With Buck Henry, he created the hit satirical spy comedy series Get Smart (1965–1970) on NBC television. Brooks won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers (1967). He then rose to prominence by directing a string of successful comedy films such as The Twelve Chairs (1970), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Silent Movie (1976), and High Anxiety (1977). Later, Brooks made History of the World, Part I (1981), Spaceballs (1987), Life Stinks (1991), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). A musical adaptation of his first film, The Producers, ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2007 and earned Brooks three Tony Awards. The project was remade into a musical film in 2005. He wrote and produced the Hulu series History of the World, Part II (2023). Brooks was married to actress Anne Bancroft from 1964 until she died in 2005. Their son, Max Brooks, is an actor and author known for his novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006). In 2021, Mel Brooks published his memoir titled All About Me!. Three of his films are included on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years (1900–2000), all of which were ranked in the top 15: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.

Stephen Tobolowsky

Cast · Known for Californication, Memento, Basic Instinct

Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American character actor. He is known for film roles such as insurance agent Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day and amnesiac Sammy Jankis in Memento, as well as such television characters as Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood, Bob Bishop in Heroes, Sandy Ryerson in Glee, Stu Beggs in Californication and White Famous, "Action" Jack Barker in Silicon Valley, Dr. Leslie Berkowitz in One Day at a Time, Principal Earl Ball in The Goldbergs, and Dr. Schulman in The Mindy Project. Tobolowsky was born on May 30, 1951, in Dallas, Texas. He studied geology at Southern Methodist University but switched to theater after being cast in a production of "The Crucible." He later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated with a degree in drama. Tobolowsky began his acting career in the early 1980s, appearing in films such as The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Nobody's Fool (1986), and Spaceballs (1987). He also had a recurring role on the television series Seinfeld (1989-1998). Tobolowsky's breakthrough role came in 1993, when he played Ned Ryerson in the comedy Groundhog Day. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed, and he has since become one of the most recognizable character actors in Hollywood. Tobolowsky has continued to work steadily in film and television over the years. He has appeared in numerous other films, including Memento (2000), Mulholland Drive (2001), and The Informant! (2009). He has also had recurring roles on the television series Deadwood (2004-2006), Heroes (2006-2007), Californication (2007-2014), and Silicon Valley (2014-2019). In addition to his acting career, Tobolowsky is also a writer and a podcaster. He has written two books, The Dangerous Animals Club (2002) and The Tobolowsky Files (2017). He also hosts the podcast The Tobolowsky Files, in which he tells stories about his life and career.

Dey Young

Dey Young is an American actress and sculptor. Young was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the daughter of Pauline, a sociologist, and Donald E. Young. Her sister is Leigh Taylor-Young and her brother is Lance Young, a writer and producer in the film industry. Among Young's acting credits is the part of Kate Rambeau in Rock 'n' Roll High School, a character she re-visited in the 1994 film Shake, Rattle, and Rock! She has also appeared in films such as Strange Behavior, The Running Man, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Spontaneous Combustion, Pretty Woman, No Place to Hide, Conflict of Interest, National Lampoon's Barely Legal, and Flicka. She has also performed in several guest roles in the Star Trek franchise, as Hannah Bates on the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Masterpiece Society", Arissa on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "A Simple Investigation" (two seasons before her sister guested in an episode), and Keyla on the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Two Days and Two Nights". Her science fiction credits also extend to playing a waitress in the 1987 Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs. In 1995 she appeared in the TV series Extreme based on a Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue team. She appeared in a two-part episode of Diagnosis Murder "Fatal Impact" in 1997. On May 23, 2008, Young appeared on The Young and the Restless as Elizabeth Hartford, the ex-wife of the character David Chow. Young is also a professional sculptor, working in stone, clay, and bronze.

Sal Viscuso

Cast · Known for Spaceballs, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

The dedication of Sal Viscuso to the craft of acting can be dated to a singular evening in 1967. A college freshman, he happened upon a teleplay of Ronald Ribman's CBS Playhouse: The Final War of Olly Winter (1967) and was so inspired by Ivan Dixon's Emmy-winning rendition of the title role that he entered the drama department the very next day, later explaining, "I felt that there I had found my family." He earned his BA from the University of California at Davis, then went on to study with Olympia Dukakis at NYU School of the Arts, from which he graduated with an MFA. Opportunities presented themselves rapidly, and Sal made his film debut in the classic The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). An introduction to Burt Metcalfe, associate producer of the iconic series M*A*S*H (1972), led to his move to Los Angeles, and soon Sal was a regular on NBC's sitcom The Montefuscos (1975). He was an off-screen loudspeaker announcer (as well as various other characters) on M*A*S*H (1972); appeared in Gene Wilder's homage to 1920's Hollywood, The World's Greatest Lover (1977); improvised in Robert Altman's Three Women (1977); and played multiple parts on the beloved Barney Miller (1975) (one of which was written especially for him by the show's creator, Danny Arnold). He was also to feature in what TIME magazine has rated as one of the "Top 100 TV shows of all time," Susan Harris's Soap (1977). His vocationally challenged Father Timothy Flotsky (and the show's depiction of one of the first openly gay characters on network television), created instant controversy that attracted 19 million viewers to the series premiere. Shortly thereafter, Sal commenced his professional association with the Bancroft/Brooks combine of talent, first appearing in Anne Bancroft's Fatso (1980), and then in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987), about which he has remarked, "I continue to get more attention from that project than from anything I've ever done!"

Jack Riley

Cast · Known for Rugrats, Night Court

John Albert Riley Jr. (December 30, 1935 – August 19, 2016) was an American actor, comedian and writer. He was known for playing Elliot Carlin, a chronic psychology client of the main character on The Bob Newhart Show, and for voicing Stu Pickles, one of the parents in the animated Rugrats franchise. Riley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Agnes C. Riley (née Corrigan) and John Albert Riley. After attending Saint Ignatius High School and John Carroll University, he served in the U.S. Army. After being discharged, Riley became a popular radio personality in Cleveland, along with his radio partner and "straight man" Jeff Baxter; The Baxter & Riley Show on WERE (1300 AM) featured not only music but comedy sketches and a slew of offbeat characters that Riley and Baxter voiced. Riley gave up the radio show in the mid-1960s and moved to Los Angeles, where his Cleveland friend Tim Conway helped him obtain work writing comedy sketches, which later led to acting opportunities. First a semi-regular in the cast of the 1960s sitcom Occasional Wife, a short-lived show on NBC in which he played Wally Frick, Riley was perhaps most famous for playing Elliot Carlin, the neurotic, sour, and selfish patient on The Bob Newhart Show 1972–1978. In 1973, he was cast as Gomez Addams in The Addams Family Fun-House, then in 1979, he starred in ABC's holiday telefilm The Halloween That Almost Wasn't (a.k.a. The Night Dracula Saved The World) as Warren the Werewolf (Wolf Man) of Budapest. Riley then, in 1980, appeared in a comedy special for HBO called The Wild Wacky Wonderful World of Winter. He was a regular cast member in The Tim Conway Show, a comedy-variety show that aired on CBS from March 1980 through late summer 1981, acting in sketch comedy in each episode. In 1985, he reprised his Bob Newhart Show role of Elliot Carlin on St. Elsewhere, and did so again in a 1987 episode of ALF. Among his other TV credits are multiple appearances on such shows as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (parodying Lyndon Johnson), M*A*S*H, Barney Miller, Hogan's Heroes, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, One Day at a Time, Gomer Pyle, Diff'rent Strokes, and Night Court. He was also a favorite of Mel Brooks, appearing in several of his films: High Anxiety (1977), History of the World: Part I (1981), To Be or Not to Be (1983), and (cameo only) Spaceballs (1987). Riley often provided voiceovers for television and radio commercials, most notably in spots for Country Crock margarine. He also voiced the character "P.C. Modem, the computer genius" in radio commercials for CompUSA that aired in the 1990s. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Riley was known for voicing Stu Pickles (father of the main protagonist Tommy) in the animated series Rugrats. The franchise consisted of the TV series, the spin-off All Grown Up! and the film trilogy. He continued to make guest appearances during the 1990s in popular sitcoms, showing up in episodes of Seinfeld, Son of the Beach, Friends, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, That '70s Show, and, in a gag appearance, as an unnamed but obvious Mr. Carlin in a 1988 episode of Newhart. He made a cameo appearance on the November 23, 2013, episode of Saturday Night Live, as a subway passenger during the sketch "Matchbox 3". That episode would be his final acting role.

Rick Ducommun

Cast · Known for Scary Movie

Richard “Rick” Ducommun was a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. He was known for his supporting turns in various films, most prominently 1989's The 'Burbs and Little Monsters. Ducommun was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, on July 3, 1952. He grew up on a farm and began doing stand-up comedy in his teens. He moved to Vancouver in the early 1980s and hosted the children's television show Zig Zag. Ducommun's film career began in the mid-1980s with small roles in films such as No Small Affair (1984) and A Fine Mess (1986). He had his breakthrough role in 1989 as Art Weingartner, the nosy neighbor in Joe Dante's The 'Burbs. He followed that up with a starring role in Little Monsters (1989), as the monster-fighting kid's show host. Ducommun continued to work steadily in film and television throughout the 1990s, appearing in films such as Spaceballs (1987), Die Hard (1988), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), and The Hunt for Red October (1990). He also had recurring roles on the television shows Amazing Stories (1985-1987) and Max Headroom (1987-1988). Ducommun's career slowed down in the 2000s, but he continued to work in film and television. He appeared in films such as Scary Movie (2000) and MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000), and he had a recurring role on the television series Just Shoot Me! (1997-2003). Ducommun died in Vancouver on June 12, 2015, at the age of 62. He had been suffering from complications from diabetes.

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin (/ˈɔːldrɪn/; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. He was the Lunar Module Eagle pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission and became the second person to walk on the Moon after mission commander Neil Armstrong.