Strollerderby : Rich or Rehab?

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Ralphie From 'A Christmas Story'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Most of us see him at least once a year -- more if we watch the "A Christmas Story" marathon on TBS -- when he professes his annual love for the Red Ryder BB gun. His name is Peter Billingsley, and he is best known as Ralphie Parker, the bespectacled, dimple-cheeked protagonist of one of America's most beloved holiday films.

Of course, a few of us remember the gig he had prior to that, as a delightful little scamp named Messy Marvin:

So what happened to young Mr. Billingsley after his "You'll shoot your eye out" days? He continued to act in movies and on TV throughout the '80s and '90s. And the pop-culture savvy no doubt know that he eventually grew up to become a producer who frequently works with his good buddies, Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn. He can be spotted in mostly brief cameos in some of the movies he produced, including "Elf," "The Break-Up" and this summer's "Iron Man."

In addition to remaining a major player in Hollywood, the FoF (that's Friend of Flick) celebrated his 37th birthday earlier this year. Strollerderby salutes you, Ralphie (see picture below), and promises that we would never, ever shoot your eye out.

Photos: Turner Broadcasting via MSNBC.com; reversemonster.org

Rich or Rehab: Whatever Happened to Paul Pfeiffer From 'The Wonder Years'?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:02:00 GMT

We all know what happened to Winnie Cooper -- she grew up and published books about how awesome math is. Kevin Arnold? He did a little acting here and there, then got a Razzie nomination for his notable direction of "Daddy Day Camp." But whatever happened to Paul Pfeiffer, Kevin's best friend on "The Wonder Years," a nerdy kid with a goofy sister who was allergic to virtually everything except the flirtations of one Carla Healey? Did he really turn into Marilyn Manson, as pop culture legend would have us all believe?

Um ... no. Paul, otherwise known as actor Josh Saviano, first got America's attention by starring in ABC's beloved comedy, where he got to do cool things like pretend he was Spock in a "Wonder Years" parody of "Star Trek":

After "Years" ended in 1993, Saviano moved on with his life, attending Yale University and majoring in political science. He later went to law school and passed the New York bar.

So where is he now? He's a corporate lawyer at Morrison Cohen LLP in New York. Seriously, his profile is listed on their Web site, complete with his e-mail address and phone number. But please, don't leave him messages asking to verify that he's really not Marilyn Manson. Pfeiffer deserves his privacy. After all, he wound up on the rich, not rehab, side of the child star equation, as you can see below:

Photos: Internet Accuracy Project and Morrison Cohen LLP

Rich or Rehab: Where is Danny Cooksey Today?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:02:00 GMT

Once upon a time, Gary Coleman starred in the delightful sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." He was cute. He was sassy. He said, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout?" a lot.

Then something happened: Gary Coleman started to get older and a little less cute. (This would be a brief pitstop for Coleman on the path to flat-out wacky adult). "Strokes" needed to resuscitate the adorableness factor, so the producers brought in a ringer: A tyke named Danny Cooksey. He played the role of Sam, the son of divorcee Maggie (Dixie Carter) who became a half-brother to Coleman's Arnold and Todd Bridges's Willis when Maggie and Mr. Drummond got married. Cooksey was cute. He was sassy. He said, "Hey, Mr. D!" a lot.

All this ringing only vague bells? Watch this semi-fuzzy intro to the show from the Cooksey years and see if the magic comes flooding back.

So whatever happened to Danny Cooksey? Well, after "Diff'rent Strokes," he guest starred on some TV shows here and there, did voice work for a few animated shows and scored a part in 1991's "Terminator 2." Today, he is a member of the rock band Arbuckle, provides the voices for characters in recent video games like "Meet the Robinsons" and "Medal of Honor: Airborne," is married to a make-up artist named Amber and is the father of young daughter Zoe. This is what he looks like:

By all appearances, he's leading a more normal, stable life than Coleman. Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

Rich or Rehab appears every Tuesday morning on Strollerderby.

Photos: Sitcoms Online and retrojunk.com

Rich or Rehab: Where is Jordy Today?

Jen Chaney — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:32:00 GMT

I know this question plagues your dreams every night: Whatever happened to Jordy? You know, Jordy, the 4-year-old French singer who captured the hearts of millions (okay, at least a few French people) with his 1992 hit single "Dur dur d'être bébé" (translation: "It's Tough to be a Baby"). The tyke who holds a place in the Guiness Book of World Records as the youngest person to ever score a No. 1 single. The boy whose parents actually opened an amusement park-like venue called "Jordy's Farm." You know, this kid:

So where is Jordy now? In 2005, he emerged as the winner on season two of "The Farm," a "Big Brother"-like French reality show. In 2006, he released his first solo single in more than a decade. Earlier this year he turned 20 and is now the frontman for an indie rock band, whose MySpace page can be found here. And this is what he looks like:

So final verdict: Rich or rehab? Answer: Rocker.

Photo: AOL