Ilan Mitchell-Smith
| Ilan Mitchell-Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ilan Mitchell-Smith June 29, 1969 New York City, New York, USA |
| Alma mater | AB from UC Davis MA from Fordham University Ph.D. from Texas A&M University |
| Occupation | actor professor |
| Years active | 1983–1991, 2013 |
| Spouse(s) | Susannah Demaree (1995-present) (2 children) |
| Children | Asher Smith (b. 2000) Eloise Smith (b. 1998) |
Ilan Mitchell-Smith (born June 29, 1969) is an American academic and former actor best known as the co-star of the film Weird Science (1985).[1]
Contents
Acting career
Mitchell-Smith's very first passion was ballet. He studied as a child and even won a scholarship to dance with the School of American Ballet. While there on his scholarship, he was discovered by a casting director and his film career began in 1982 at age 12 when he played a younger version of the title character in Sidney Lumet's Daniel. After a starring role in the 1984 film The Wild Life, he was cast as Wyatt Donnelly in the 1985 teen classic Weird Science by writer/director John Hughes. The film focuses on two nerdy teenage boys who create a woman of their own (played by Kelly Le Brock), as they are unable to find girlfriends.
Mitchell-Smith starred in several other films and TV series, most notably The Chocolate War[2] and Superboy; none of these brought him the same degree of recognition. He decided to leave acting entirely in 1991, his final role being a guest appearance on Silk Stalkings. Recently Mitchell-Smith has done select voice over work (recording for two episodes -- "Moon Warriors" and "Heads Will Roll"—of Fox ADHD's "Axe Cop").
Academic career
Mitchell-Smith received his AB in Medieval Studies from UC Davis and his MA in Medieval Studies from Fordham University. He received a doctoral degree from Texas A&M University in 2005, and he is currently an associate professor in the English department at California State University, Long Beach.[3] Mitchell-Smith publishes on chivalry in the later Middle Ages, and he also publishes on cinematic, television, and video game versions of medieval culture.
Table Top Gaming
Mitchell-Smith has published on Dungeons & Dragons,[4] and he is a Staff Writer for Talk Wargaming and writes a column for Forces of Geek called "Playing the Nerd." He works as a technical writer and editor for smaller independent game producers, and he is an active table top gamer and an organizer of tabletop game events in Southern California.
Personal
Mitchell-Smith met Susannah Demaree at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California. They were married in 1995. They have two children, born in 1998 and 2000.
Filmography
- How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days (1983)
- Daniel (1983)
- The Wild Life (1984)
- Weird Science (1985)
- The Equalizer (1985 TV series, one episode)
- Superboy (1988 TV series)
- The Chocolate War (1988)
- Journey to the Center of the Earth (1989)
- Identity Crisis (1989)
- Silk Stalkings (1991 TV series, one episode)
- Axe Cop (2012 TV series, two episodes)
References
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- ↑ English Department Faculty, California State University Long Beach
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External links
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1969 births
- Living people
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male child actors
- Male actors from New York City
- Angelo State University faculty
- Santa Monica College alumni
- Pasadena City College alumni
- California State University, Long Beach faculty
- University of California, Davis alumni
- Fordham University alumni
- Texas A&M University alumni
