With the comedy Revenge of the Nerds from 1984, Hollywood turned geek antics into movie office gold long before there was any sort of Big Bang on network TV. Nerds follows a group of outcasts as they strive to put an end to “nerd persecution” on a college campus where jocks and campus bullies have picked on and continually put them down. The story is humorous. They had no idea that Revenge of the Nerds would pave the way for decades of geek adoration and inspire a whole generation of outcasts to embrace their inner nerd.
It’s hard to realise that Nerds altered the world more than 30 years ago. The movie, a milestone for 1980s comedy, also started the careers of practically all of its cast members. As you may expect, these stars have undergone significant modification over time. Who’s interested in learning what happened to the Tri-Lambs since the 1980s?
Andrew Cassese – Wormser
You may be wondering about Lamar’s BFF from Revenge of the Nerds, Wormser. Who could forget the precocious adolescent wonderchild who anchored a tug-of-war trick for the ages with his wide eyes and nasty grin? You may recall the actor’s face, but we guarantee you’ll have a hard time remembering his name.
Not to worry, we did some research. Andrew Cassese is here. When Revenge of the Nerds debuted in theatres, he was just 12 years old. One can only imagine how much fun he had filming the wild comedy, especially when he spoke with the Omega Mu sisters in person. It was at least sufficient for Cassese to reprise the role for the 1987 film Nerds In Paradise, the first Nerds sequel, but not sufficient for the young actor to want to continue appearing in films. After his Nerds days, he all but gave up on the big screen and preferred a life in the theatre. In 1995, he would earn a degree from the NYU film school.
Anthony Edwards – Gilbert
Anthony Edwards is most likely familiar to you because to his eight seasons as Dr. Mark Greene on the enduring NBC drama ER. You may also be familiar with him from his performance as Goose in Top Gun or from supporting parts in Northfork and Zodiac. But what really launched Edwards to fame was his performance of the quiet, good-hearted Gilbert in Revenge of the Nerds.
The former adolescent star has performed a variety of roles over the past 30 years, bringing warmth, depth, and intelligence to almost every one with the same gentle eyes and collected demeanour that earned him his Nerds role. He has also performed on stages, driven race vehicles, and flown aeroplanes. In the underappreciated 2013 film Big Sur, he portrays Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In the same year, he contributed some voice work to Disney’s animated adventure Planes as Echo. Even in 2016, he used his skills behind the camera to helm the comedy My Dead Boyfriend. Even though his present appearance is very different from the shaggy-haired Gilbert, we can’t help but think he now has a more respectable appearance than ever. And we’re eager to find out where Edwards will pop up next.
Bernie Casey – U.N. Jefferson
One Nerds icon, the late, great Bernie Casey, who passed away in September 2017 at the age of 78 after having a stroke, has sadly never again been a member of the Tri-Lambs. The actor spent eight seasons as a professional football player before switching to acting once his playing career was ended. In addition to working with Martin Scorsese on Boxcar Bertha, appearing alongside David Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth, and giving new meaning to the term “black hero” in I’m Gonna Get You Sucka, Casey would go on to star in iconic blaxploitation films like Cleopatra Jones and Black Gunn. But he delivered Revenge of the Nerds’ biggest “stand up and cheer” moment by rallying the extended Lambda Lambda Lambda to help their Adam’s College brothers in the closing moments. For that reason, he will always be remembered. Goodbye, Mr. Casey. Already, you are missed.
Brian Tochi – Takashi
In film and television, Brian Tochi had already established himself by the time he played Takashi Tohiro in Revenge of the Nerds. He had actually been in the business since he was a ripe nine years old, making appearances in popular shows like Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, and The Omega Man. Even his own television series, The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan, featured him as the lead. But Tochi had the opportunity to show himself in a “adult” role in Revenge of the Nerds, and to say that he made an impression as the illiterate Takashi is an understatement.
Perhaps you might recall his teaching Booger how to play poker. Perhaps you recall his famous tricycle race while inebriated. Whatever Takashi moment you consider to be your favourite, it would be difficult to imagine Nerds without him. Tochi capitalised on the opportunity and built a successful career that lasted for many years. In Robert Altman’s Hollywood comedy The Player, he played himself, and he garnered chuckles in the Police Academy films. But Tochi has gotten the most employment because to his voice. You can hear it everywhere, from The Lion King to the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle flicks from the early 1990s (he voiced Leonardo). We must admit, it’s good to witness a nerd find his or her identity—and voice.
Curtis Armstrong – Booger
In his first appearance on the big screen, Curtis Armstrong played Miles, Tom Cruise’s sleazy friend, in Risky Business. However, his signature performance as Booger in Revenge of the Nerds continues to be his defining moment. That’s a lot coming from an actor who has starred in movies like Ray, Southland Tales, and One Crazy Summer in addition to numerous TV shows like Moonlighting, Supernatural, and New Girl. His voice acting can be heard in programmes like American Dad! and Dan Vs., among others.
However, Armstrong will always be known to Nerds fans as Booger. Armstrong’s ability to humanise a character who effectively plays into every cliché of male vulgarity is a testimony to his acting, as is the fact that audiences have connected so strongly with the wisecracking, nose-picking, mega-burping, ganja-loving rogue who helped make him famous. To his credit, Armstrong has consistently acknowledged the love that people have for Booger. With his old friend Robert Carradine, he even played it up by co-hosting the TBS series King of the Nerds from 2013 to 2015, and he gave his 2017 autobiography the title Revenge of the Nerd: Or…The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger.
David Wohl – Dean Ulich
Even if the appearances of several of his Nerds co-stars have altered noticeably over time, David Wohl still resembles the Dean Ulich that the Coach harassed. Wohl may have built a career out of portraying bureaucratic/neurotic people in nearly every movie or television show in which he has starred, but he always manages to add something unique to those parts. It should not be surprising that Wohl brought both to Revenge of the Nerds, giving real emotion to the role—especially when his long-suffering Dean eventually confronts John Goodman’s obnoxious Coach Harris. Wohl can play humour (Hot Shots! Part Deux) or drama (Saving Private Ryan) with equal ease. The rom-com The Boy Downstairs, starring Zosia Mamet, will be Wohl’s second project to feature this fusion of genres.
Donald Gibb – Ogre
You are undoubtedly familiar with Mr. Donald Gibb’s striking face if you watched any movies or television in the 1980s or 1990s. Although his harsh features and huge biceps limited him primarily to supporting roles as bad guys—or muscle for bad guys—his resume reads like a greatest hits list of movies and television shows from both eras.
Unsurprisingly, Gibb began his professional football career with the San Diego Chargers. Though being an NFL star wasn’t in the cards, he returned to the field in Revenge of the Nerds as a simple-minded jock known as Ogre. If that sounds a little bit stereotypical, it was. To his credit, Gibb accepted the challenge, gave a fierce, hilarious performance, and turned the mindless dunce into one of the movie’s most memorable characters—just as he’s done with a tonne of other parts in the years afterwards.
James Cromwell – Mr. Skolnick
How are you, Farmer Hoggett? Yes, however the co-star of Babe who would later be nominated for an Oscar at the time took on the part of Mr. Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds under the name Jamie Cromwell. The initial sequences, which feature a few laughs and some touching moments with his youthful co-stars Carradine and Edwards, allow Cromwell to demonstrate his range despite the fact that his part is hardly more than a cameo.
Also for the first time, they witness Cromwell crack that Revenge of the Nerds laugh. According to rumours, Cromwell taught his co-stars how to laugh on set and may have accidentally modelled it after his ex-laugh. wife’s After the movie’s premiere, that chuckle would become recognisable. It only makes sense that Cromwell has evolved into somewhat of an icon in the intervening years.
John Goodman – Coach Harris
It’s simple to forget that the legendary John Goodman also starred in Revenge of the Nerds as the nerd-hating football coach because the movie has so many new, up-and-coming young actors. Goodman had only been in small roles in B movies and obscure TV shows before Nerds, but that all began to change with his charismatic performance as the egotistical Coach Harris. Goodman performed the part with an equal amount of danger and humour, scoring many of the movie’s biggest laughs along the way, including that absolutely brilliant speech he gives as a motivational speaker, which he ends with the iconic—and entirely improvised—line “s***, we forgot to practise.”
In a movie with many remarkable twists and turns, Goodman’s performance managed to stand out. A few years later, he was cast in the Coen brothers’ Raising Arizona, and after that, he dominated television with Roseanne. As they say, the rest is history. We won’t waste your time by cataloguing the remainder of Goodman’s outstanding performances; just be aware that he offered something distinctive to each one and, as a result, has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most enduringly captivating actors.
Julia Montgomery – Betty
even be characterised as misogynistic. Even while the movie aimed to challenge absurd preconceptions, it is still very much a male-driven ’80s comedy. Yes, the female characters are rather objectified, none more so than Betty Childs, the sorority girl played by Julia Montgomery. Her character is the unwitting victim of what can only be classified as sexual assault throughout the entire movie, regardless of how she responds after the fact, and has nude pictures distributed across campus without her knowledge, is treated disrespectfully and ignored by her jock of a boyfriend, and more.
Despite all of that, Montgomery’s tenacity and, ultimately, his dignity, are qualities that must be admired. Her Betty is cunning, intelligent, attractive, and unafraid to pursue her goals. While Montgomery has continued to work frequently in cinema and television over the years, including two more appearances as Betty in the Revenge of the Nerds sequels, the success that seemed inevitable after her Nerds debut never quite materialised. However, she will always be the most popular Pi Delt.
Larry B. Scott – Lamar
Facebook Revenge of the Nerds is highly regarded, but it doesn’t receive nearly enough credit for questioning societal standards of the day. And no figure went further than Larry B. Scott’s outwardly gay Tri-Lamb Lamar in challenging those standards. It’s true that he frequently resembles a pastiche of gay stereotypes. However, the mere fact that the character appears in the movie is noteworthy, and Scott gave the part a sincere, unpretentious humanity.
It was a dangerous job. The actor who played him deserves praise, especially considering that Scott is not gay. Did we mention that he is a person of colour as well? That kind of risky move could ruin a budding career. Scott capitalised on the opportunity and played the same character in all three Revenge Of The Nerds sequels. He also starred in a few more 1980s favourites, such as The Karate Kid, Iron Eagle, and SpaceCamp. At W.I.T. Filmwerks, Scott spends his time right now mentoring aspiring performers.
Michelle Meyrink – Judy
Michelle Meyrink is one of the Revenge Of The Nerds actors that shunned the entertainment industry, but she also may have made the most of her brief acting career. Meyrink only has 10 credits on her resume, but practically all of them are for movies from the 1980s that are now regarded as masterpieces, like The Outsiders, Valley Girl, Joy of Sex, and Real Genius, which are among those with which she worked. Meyrink reportedly beat out Sarah Jessica Parker and Joan Cusack in the competitive audition process for the part of Judy, Gilbert’s prescription-sharing love interest. Despite giving a subtle, moving performance in Nerds, Meyrink wasn’t really impressed by the female actors Hollywood had to offer in the 1980s. So much so that following 1988’s Permanent Record, she gave up acting, converted to Zen Buddhism, and never looked back.
Robert Carradine – Lewis
Robert Carradine didn’t really fit the mould of a traditional leading man in Hollywood with his angular features and silly grin. But Revenge of the Nerds wasn’t exactly a mainstream film. Although it was Carradine’s breakthrough role, it wasn’t his first foray into Hollywood; the young actor had already drawn attention with minor roles in Samuel Fuller’s grim WWII drama The Big Red One and Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. Naturally, Robert was already a part of a Hollywood legacy thanks to one iconic father (John Carradine), an Oscar-winning brother (Keith Carradine), and a Kung Fu fighting half-brother (David Carradine). One that now features his daughter Ever, who is presently visible in the wildly popular Emmy-winning rendition of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Since Revenge of the Nerds, Carradine has steadily landed roles in movies like Django Unchained and The Tommynockers as well as on television shows like The Tommynockers and Lizzy McGuire. But Lewis Skolnick, the uncomfortable, Betty-obsessed Tri-Lamb, will live on in our memories forever.
Ted McGinley
In relation to attractive youthful faces, Ted McGinley’s was regarded as one of the most attractive to appear in Revenge of the Nerds. McGinley was the ideal choice for wicked super-jock quarterback Stan Gable because to his blonde hair, blue eyes, and square jaw. They also provide a dramatic contrast to the ungainly appearance of the Tri-Lambs.
McGinley has never been hesitant about exploiting his classic good looks to his advantage as an actor, frequently undercutting his “pretty-boy” roles with sleazy smugness and ego-driven fears. Of course, viewers of Happy Days and The Love Boat had already taken notice of McGinley’s excellent looks. Due to this combination, McGinley is now a versatile actor who can portray both drama and lowbrow comedy, as evidenced by his appearances in The West Wing and Mad Men as well as his part on Married With Children.
Timothy Busfield – Poindexter
In the 33 years since he played the worried, visually impaired, violin-playing Arnold Poindexter, Timothy Busfield has been quite busy. He has established himself as a successful actor in both cinema and television, including Field of Dreams, Quiz Show, and Save the Date (thirtysomething, The West Wing, Sleepy Hollow). Even better, his work on thirtysomething earned him an Emmy.
Busfield has been spending a lot of time lately working behind the camera. In his 30s, the actor first took the helm, and since then, he has gone on to direct episodes of popular shows including Ed, Without a Trace, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Night Shift. However, we can’t help but believe that one of his favourite assignments was directing Robert Carradine, an old Revenge of the Nerds co-star, in a one-off project for Lizzy Maguire. Poindexter, you go.
