Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Wyatt From 'Weird Science'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:58:00 GMT

If you grew up in the '80s, and especially if you're a guy, you may harbor special affection for "Weird Science," the oh-so-poignant coming-of-age tale about two nerdy teenagers who become total stallions after creating a hot chick on their computer. One of those nerdy dudes was Anthony Michael Hall, and we all know what became of him (see TV's "The Dead Zone," not to mention this summer's "The Dark Knight.") But what about the other dorky kid? Whatever happened to Ilan Mitchell-Smith, the squeaky-voiced adolescent who played Wyatt?

Smith continued acting for a few years after "Weird Science" was released, playing roles in minor movies like "The Chocolate War" and bit parts in occasional TV shows. But by the early '90s, he was done with Hollywood and turned his attention to academia. He got a degree in medieval studies from University of California-Davis, followed by a master's from Fordham University and a Ph.D from University of Texas A&M. That's right: Wyatt Donnelly is Dr. Wyatt Donnelly to you. Suck on that, Chet!

In all serious, Mitchell-Smith is now an English professor at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Tex., where, according to the school's Web site, he focuses on medieval literature and gender studies, among other topics. Imdb.com's bio says he is married and has two elementary school-aged children.

So congratulations to Mitchell-Smith on his noble pursuits. It has to be hard to ditch the John Hughes alter ago, but here's hoping he has continued success doing that. With all due respect to the prof, I also must note that the guy has done exceptionally well considering he used to be a goofball who wore a bra on his head.

Rich or Rehab appears every Tuesday morning on Strollerderby.

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