Where are the kids from 'Fame'? A then-and-now of the 80s stars

'Fame' became a successful franchise. The film, the series, the leg warmers and the inbuilt desire to be a star. Of course the concept was going to work... and it made these actors and actresses famous.

In the 80s, the kids from 'Fame' ruled the world. In 1980, the film was released about a bunch of kids going after their dreams in a performing arts school. Two years later, the series hit the screens and ran until 1987. But whatever happened to the stars?

Directed by Alan Parker and set in New York City, this gritty and brilliant story follows student life in a performing arts school. The music was brilliant and the choreography matched it. It inspired TV series and various musicals - they even made a remake of the film in 2009.

This version was generally lighter than the film, with much more of a 'Grease' vibe. It ran for five years and had numerous albums and top hits. We followed the lives and times of the students and teachers who dreamed of going far - and told us about it via song and dance routines in the school cafeteria.

Photo: MGM

Debbie Allen appeared in the film and the series. Her role in the movie was small, but she became a central figure in the television adaptation. Allen is also the only actress to have appeared in all three adaptations of 'Fame'.

The actress became the producer/director of the television series, 'A Different World': a lively, socially responsible situation comedy. She also released two solo albums with several singles and boasts a career spanning three decades.

Allen has her own dance studio and is currently an Executive Producer as well as a director and actress on ABC's Grey’s Anatomy. She is, and always will be, a revered name in the entertainment industry.

In the original film 'Fame', Coco Hernandez was played by Irene Cara before Erica Gimpel took over the role in the TV series. Apart from singing the film and TV theme tune, Cara also sang “Out Here on My Own”. She went on to make history at the Academy Awards the same year, being the first time two songs from the same film were nominated in the same category by the same artist.

She continued to act and sing into the early 2000s and had some chart-topping dance hits in Europe. She retired from singing in 2004 and sadly died at her home, on November 25, 2022, at the age of 63.

Erica Gimpel was a hit as Coco Hernandez. When she auditioned for the role in Fame, she was actually studying at New York’s High School for Performing Arts, where the show was set. The role was seemingly made for her.

Photo: MGM

Erica Gimpel has gone on to have a successful career. The list of her roles in film and television is impressive, such as her role Alicia Fennel in Veronica Mars and Adele Newman on ER. She is also a singer and songwriter, and active member of the World Peace Organization.

Carlo Imperato starred as Danny Amatullo, the student who desperately wanted to be a stand-up comedian. A character who was hungry for attention and affection and afraid to show his sensitive side.

He took a break from acting and focused on his family life. He and his wife have two children and also own four Gold’s Gyms. He has one son from a previous marriage.

Appearing in both the film and series as Bruno Martelli, he played the piano and keyboard on the show. Who can forget his curly hair, bouncing away to 'Hi Fidelity' in the music store? He was one of only four actors from the film to replay their role in the 'Fame' TV series.

After 'Fame', Curreri turned his focus to the music industry. He started writing music and composed for TV, film, and commercials. Although he’s no longer in front of the camera, he is still in Hollywood with his magic keyboard.

She was the lead singer on the hit 'Hi Fidelity'. During the series, Landsburg wrote and directed one episode. Shortly after she left the show at the end of the series she co-starred in two different comedy shows.

Most of her career after fame has been on the other side of the camera, focusing on indie films and shorts. Landsburg also had many guest and recurring roles on TV series and TV movies.

Doris was a young, kind, naive student, and the actress was perfect for the role because it reflected her personality in real life.

Her other films include 'Grease 2', 'Supergirl' and 'Sunset'. Interestingly, she was the voice of the robot host, Chrome, in the 1997 HBO horror series 'Perversions of Science'.
She has slowed down in the last few years. The last project she worked on was writing, producing, and starring in 'A Subject for a Short Story'.

Photo: Supergirl / STUDIOCANAL

Gene Anthony Ray starred in the 'Fame' movie, and TV series. Ray started his career dancing. He attended a performing arts school and skipped class one day to audition for 'Fame'. He had a hard time in real life, just like his character Leroy.

After being fired from Fame, Ray struggled with addiction and alcohol. He appeared in a few failed Broadway shows and a movie with Whoopi Goldberg. Ray’s last performance was in a Fame reunion documentary in 2003 on the BBC. Ray was diagnosed with HIV and sadly passed away from a stroke in 2003, he was only 41 years old.

Carol Mayo Jenkins is best known for her role in 'Fame' as Elizabeth Sherwood. She was the school’s liberal and stern but fair-minded English teacher.

After retiring from acting in 1995, she founded the Interact Theatre Company and moved to Tennessee, where she also teaches acting at the University of Tennessee, and regularly appears on the Clarence Brown Theatre stage.

After graduating with a performance degree in 1984, he landed the role of Jesse in 'Fame' for the final three seasons. He was a regular on the show for seasons 4, 5 and 6 but is also remembered for his performance in the film 'Blood in Blood Out'. Then, he took his gamble to pursue a career in the theatre.

Apart from his work on the small screen, he has also produced theatre productions and concerts. He is an active member of the theatre group 'Tribal Players,' and has also been on some very successful shows such as 'Dexter' and '24'.

Lori Singer was a cellist like her character, Julie. She appeared in the first two seasons of 'Fame', but she left the series after landing a role opposite Kevin Bacon in the 1984 film 'Footloose'. After she rose to fame thanks to the success in this film, she appeared in several other popular films. She decided to take a break from the spotlight in 1997.

These days, Singer spends most of her time doing charitable work. She continues to play the cello: she was trained classically however she enjoys playing other types of music.

She played Cleo Hewitt during the first season but quit before the end of the season, claiming that the producers mistreated her and other young cast members. After she left 'Fame', Jackson released her first hit album, 'Control', in 1985.

In recent years, Jackson moved to Las Vegas, where she has performed a series of concerts for the 30th anniversary of Rhythm Nation. It seems clear that Jackson has no plans to slow down.

After studying dance, Antonia Franceschi was cast as a dancer in the 1978 film 'Grease'. She went on to play Hilary in the film 'Fame', a ballet student from a wealthy family.

Photo: MGM

In 1995, Franceschi (right in the photo next to Arlene Phillips) moved to London to work as a dancer and choreographer with the Scottish Ballet and Ballet Black. She now has her own company called AFD Just Dance. Her incredible career has taken her all over the world.

After graduating high school, Paul McCrane studied theatre at HB Studio in New York City. McCrane then portrayed the earnest Montgomery MacNeil in 'Fame'. He was the lead vocalist in three songs in the feature film.

McCrane later played Emil Antonowsky in 'Robocop'. He continued on a successful career in movies like 'Shawshank Redemption' and TV series including 'The X-Files' and 'ER', where he was a regular cast member.

When the producers of 'Fame' asked him to appear in the franchise, he had never done any acting before: he was an award-winning composer and writer of Broadway musicals. The producers made it simple for him and told him all he had to do was play himself and grow a beard. Benjamin Shorofsky was a true 'Fame' legend and popular with the fans.

Hague and his wife toured America performing his Broadway hits, and he also wrote an autobiography called 'From Ellis Island to Fame'. Hague passed away from cancer in 2001 at 81 years old. He had a long and successful career after fleeing from Nazi Germany.

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