WATN: Steve Guttenberg

By Gareth Bunkham / August 21, 2008

STEVE GUTTENBERG

AS CAREY MAHONEY

(1-4)

Steve Guttenberg is arguably the most famous of the Police Academy alumni, having gone on to star in several 80s hit movies, many of which spawned lesser sequels in which he also appeared. After Academy in 1984, Guttenberg went on to appear in Cocoon, Short Circuit and Three Men and a Baby and their subsequent sequels, he also returned for three of the six Police Academy sequels! Prior to Police Academy, Guttenberg had spent time with improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, alongside the future Pee Wee Herman Paul Ruebens, hed also appeared in his own failed sitcom; Billy in which he played a morticians clerk with a vivid imagination. While his roots were firmly in the theatre, he also found time to squeeze in several TV movies, including sci-fi The Day After about a nuclear apocalypse and Miracle on Ice about an improbable hockey victory at the 1980 Olympic Games. But it was 1982s Diner that Guttenberg was most well known for before Police Academy, directed by Barry Levinson, Diner features a collective whos who of 80s stalwarts; Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke and Daniel Stern among others.

It was his turn as Cadet Carey Mahoney though that finally made Guttenberg a household name. He plays the lovable rogue Mahoney to perfection and it is arguably his best ever role. Guttenberg returned for Academys 2, 3 and 4 before finally departing before the fifth installment, although the quality diminished with each film it was the loss of Guttenberg that really hit the franchise hard. While they tried to replace him Matt McCoy in 5 & 6 and Diagnosis Murder's own Charlie Schlatter in 7 neither could match Guttenbergs roguish charm. Following Police Academy, he even, with hindsight somewhat unwisely, turned down the title role in Big, which eventually went to Tom Hanks, who never looked back. The 90s werent as kind to Steve Guttenberg however and he spent much of the decade appearing in dire family fare such as Zeus & Roxanne alongside a dog and a dolphin and It Takes Two alongside a still thin Kirstie Alley and the commercial juggernaut that is The Olsen Twins. An honourable mention also goes to Airbourne, not the Australian rock band, but the horrific action-thriller Guttenberg appeared in with Sean Bean in auto-pilot bad guy mode. These days Guttenberg, tirelessly performs charity work, trying to improve life for the homeless and under privileged young people. He recently appeared on the US version of Strictly Come Dancing; Dancing With the Stars, and while the novelty of Steve Guttenberg performing a Foxtrot would have appealed to yours truly, not so much to the American public He was eliminated after three episodes. Guttenbergs recent history of straight to DVD garbage looks set to continue this year with Major Movie Star a Private Benjamin-esque comedy with Jessica Simpson in the lead role. These days The Stonecutters have obviously decided to stop making Steve Guttenberg a star, but he will always be regarded as one of the 80s most popular actors.

NEXT: MICHAEL WINSLOW!

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