Blossoming starlet

Inspired by Hot Lunch, I have been playing the "What ever happened to" game with Blossoming actress (insert groan for bad punnage here) Mayim Bialik, star of the 1990's sitcom Blossom.

Mayim finished her tenure at Blossom and decided to take a break from acting and pursue her second love.

Neuroscience.

Of course. What a logical extension.

After being accepted by both Harvard and Yale, she headed off to UCLA so she could remain closer to her parents. She has completed her doctorate in Neuroscience and lives with her husband, child, bird and cat in LA. She has also adopted a whale, a wolf and a manatee.

WHOA! (to quote good old Joey)

During the completion of her doctorate, she decided that she missed the footlights and decided to return to acting. Hence her appearance in Fat Actress. She also made a movie titled Kalamazoo...

Three women return home for their ten year high school reunion to discover that a time capsule made on graduation night, predicting where everyone would be in ten years' time, is due to be opened and read aloud at the impending event. Horrified at the thought of their unfulfilled goals being revealed, they embark on a 'search and destroy' mission to get their hands on the capsule and chaos ensues! Meanwhile, the spirits of their three deceased grandmothers come down to help guide the gals through this transitional point in their lives.

The trailer is truly something to behold. I tried to link it, but my computer kept vomiting. Go and look for yourselves. You will not be disappointed.

She appeared in a documentary titled "Child Star Confidential" which follows a whole bunch of child stars and "where they are now".

Including Candace Cameron Bure from Full House.
She grows up well. Apparently being married to a hockey star does wonders for you!

What a BRILLIANT way for me to while away my Tuesday morning...thanks Hot Lunch!

Whatever happened to the Spellbound kids?

I loved the movie Spellbound. What's not to love though? Its a movie that celebrates the geek, and we have all been the geek in one situation or other.

This movie was on the other night while I was at home looking after the fiance who had just had laser eye surgery. He is doing very well, thanks for asking. I almost fainted when they were describing the procedure to him, which didn't really help him relax at all funnily enough. I have no problem with medical stuff-I can watch medical shows, I used to be a cracker jack first aid attendant that had to deal with a range of marvellous injuries, but I think my imagination is too strong, so the description almost killed me. Sad. He looks quite dashing in his sunglasses, although he is going TOTALLY stir crazy and he is probably reading this right now, which he shouldn't be doing as the glare from the computer is bad for his eyes so STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW FIANCE OF MINE!! Alright, back to Spellbound...

Spelling Bees are big money. The Scripps National spelling bee is one of the most watched events on ESPN. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a Tony Award winning Broadway Musical that was written I am sure in response to the buzz that Spellbound got. Imagine my delight when I went to the website for the aforementioned musical and saw Jesse Tyler Ferguson as one of the spellers. Jesse who plays Ritchie Veltch, my FAVOURITE character on the Class. (Jesse is number 17 in the photo below)

And who can forget that smash hit Akeelah and the Bee (seriously...did anyone see that? I really should...).

But while the bees may be big money, what does it mean to the participants? Where do they go after their brush with stardom of spelling bees, or specifically, being in the documentary Spellbound?

So, I decided to check out three of my favourite spellers Harry, George and Ashley...

Harry Altman
I loved this kid. I mean LOOK AT HIM! Dorky jokes, random robot impressions. love him. Harry attended the Academy for Engineering and Design Technology in Hackensack, New Jersey. He enrolled in the University of Chicago in autumn of 2005 (gotta love the internet and wikipedia) and has participated in a variety of academic quiz competitions at the university level including the College Quiz Bowl and the National Academic Quiz Tournament. Once a geek always a geek I guess.

George Thampy
Ah George. Slight speech impediment, wearing a suit that made him look 90 and a homeschool religious fanatic. Magic. Trust in Jesus was George's motto. He won in 2000, attended Harvard with the intention of becoming a doctor and now works for the Scripps Spelling Bee. I guess spelling really is his life.

Ashley White
Ashley was the one I was rooting for because she came from "the wrong side of the tracks" and she had such an amazing outlook on life. Five years after participating in the bee she became a single mother who bounced between the homes of her relatives. This article profiles her story and the changes that have come from the community rallying around her to allow her to pursue the dreams that she had when she was in the bee. I hope she reaches them!

Whatever happened to Meryn Cadell?

Back in 1991 I was focused on being terminally hip. I had completed my first year of University, had just started dating someone who I thought was the man of my dreams (we had met when we were 11 and had been flirting for 7 years so I assumed he was the one. Obviously I was wrong as he became a stalker who spouted terms like "I am a lone wolf...we mate for life and you are the one". I evidently was in training to meet THE man of my dreams- a tall, dark handsome French Canadian who I am engaged to-YAY!). I had really big hair and had been accepted into the Acting Fine Arts program at the University, I was 18 going on 19 and I was COOOOL!

My then boyfriend was a music geek (my fiance is one as well...apparently that is a trait that attracts me). Because of him, I was introduced to some great artists through his endless production of mixed tapes for me and I was the lead singer in his band (sadly, this band was the worst in the universe. seriously. the worst.).
One of the artists he introduced me to was Meryn Cadell for her FANTASTIC girl anthem... The Sweater

Girls,
I know you will understand this
and feel the intrinsic incredible emotion
You have just pulled over your head the worn,
warm sweater belonging to a boy

Feeling nostalgic, I decided to explore the web and see whatever happened to Ms. Cadell.

Meryn Cadell is now teaching song lyrics at UBC and since 2003 has been living as a man and is the happiest he has ever been. GO MERYN GO!

Here is a very recent interview with him in the Torontoist. Apparently I was not the only one wondering "what ever happened to Meryn Cadell?"