William Ragsdale

I've met him at horror conventions and he was just at one near where I live again this year. A nice guy. He kind of reminds me of Zach Galligan. I grew up LOVING Fright Night and had a huge crush on him. Never knew about the trivia OP gave. I loved Herman's Head and had no idea Yeardly and Hank hated it, nor did I know that William was cast in Charmed or that he didn't want to kiss Ellen. Maybe I'll bring one of them up if I get to meet him again!

[quote]Herman's Head was so bad that both Hank Azaria and Yeardley Smith refuse to talk about their time on the show.

??? Herman’s Head was very cleverly done.

[quote]He then was cast as Ellen DeGeneres boyfriend, only to be fired when he refused to kiss her, stating her breath was the worst in all human history

Just thought you could slip that in there, eh? (For those unfamiliar with "Ellen," he appeared in several early season episodes and reprised the role for a single episode in a later season.)

There is something funny about two of his more memorable onscreen love interests being lesbians. He was like a more boring Rob Morrow.

Ellen's shows was horrible except for the coming out episode---it was retooled every year and her "nervous version of Seinfeld" schtick was tiresome.

It was on a DVD commentary of "The Simpsons" with Hank and Yeardley.

Azaria and Smith said they didn't love Herman's Head, But refused to give details saying it was over.

I think they were just lazy and working on the Simpsons is an easy gig compared to having to show up and ACT in front of people.

R2 I loved HERMAN'S HEAD, too. Granted, I was in middle school when it originally aired, but I stumbled upon the entire series on YouTube last summer and decided to rewatch. Granted, it is dated in several respects (e.g., technology, slang, fashion), but the humor holds up IMO and the acting/comedic timing is topnotch from all involved. Made me realize how modern Hollywood doesn't value talent.

If Herman's Head were renewed, for year four, they planned to get Herman and Heddy (Jane Sibbett) together and get this, give Heddy a "chorus" in her head too.

You can see at this point it ran out of ideas.

[quote]Herman's Head was so bad that both Hank Azaria and Yeardley Smith refuse to talk about their time on the show.

Link or just more misinformation, typical Datalounge.

[Quote]He was cast in the pilot for Charmed, but refused the series to feature in the short-lived situation comedy Brother's Keeper (also starring sexually fluid Sean O'Bryan)

[Quote]He then was cast as Ellen DeGeneres boyfriend, only to be fired when he refused to kiss her, stating her breath was the worst in all human history

That would be quite a trick since Charmed and Brother's Keeper started in 1998, a year after the Ellen character came out (and right after the show was cancelled). Was he a time traveler?

But yeah, his appearances on Ellen were years earlier, and it's hard to imagine there was bad blood since they had him back later. (After Ellen the character came out, he, as her old boyfriend, returned hoping to restart things, only for her to reveal she was gay now.)

I always liked him well enough, but honestly I'd rather hear more about sexually fluid Sean O'Bryan.

r8

It was on the DVD commentary. Go through 32 years of them and you'll find it, if you want to hear it

[quote] and it's hard to imagine there was bad blood since they had him back later

Yeah stuff like that NEVER happens

[quote]It was on the DVD commentary

How convenient.

“Herman’s Head” was at least creative and memorable if not “peak TV.” Azaria and Yeardley sound like assholes.

Didn’t Ari Gross also play Ellen’s love interest and didn’t he also leave the show and say not-so-nice things about her?

what's this about Sean O'Bryan being sexually fluid?

Yeardley Smith was on "Mama's Family" and her character was supposed to be a regular but she was fired for staring at Bubba's ass.

Smith and Azira didn't like a TV show big deal. Many people don't.

When Ann Sothern was asked why she did the terrible TV show "My Mother The Car," she said, she got the script delivered to her home, she showed up once a week and recorded her lines, which she read off the script. "It's TV money for radio work."

Plus the characters Smith and Azira played had taken a major back seat not only to Heddy and Herman but Herman's "Chorus of the Mind."

As Anne Schedeen said about the problems on Alf, "none of us were upset when it ended."

Looking at his IMDB file he certainly does have a lot of one off acting jobs.

So I guess he falls into the category of "working actor" not "star"

r18

link to IMDB page

Terrible name for show business.

[quote]Plus the characters Smith and Azira played had taken a major back seat not only to Heddy and Herman but Herman's "Chorus of the Mind."

Also, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria's characters ended up becoming a couple in Season 3, which was really weird in every way. Certainly to us. Most likely to them, too.

[quote]Also, Yeardley Smith and Hank Azaria's characters ended up becoming a couple in Season 3, which was really weird in every way.

I didn't know that, that was weird. Azaria's character was a huge lady's man, how he get with mousey little Louise?

I knew a former girlfriend of his. He’s well endowed.

If Sean O'Bryan is sexually fluid who cares. He's fatter and less attractive than Ragsdale now.

I loved Fright Night, but it was Christopher Sarandon who made me smile.😍

I thought he was so adorable in MANNEQUIN 2.

I remember as a gayling preferring the sequel, because I thought William Ragsdale was cuter than Andrew McCarthy and Hollywood Montrose had more to do and was even funnier.

Yeah he had those boyish good looks, but he's not good looking, but he is in a cute way. Matthew Perry had that as well...And we all know where that lead.

led

I enjoyed "Herman's Head" too. I liked the concept.

If I remember, Hank Azaria was really built back then.

R29 yes, I remember there was an episode where the gang attended a nude seminar.

Brewster, you’re so cool!!

Pixar stole the concept for Herman’s Head.

He is going to be in that new gay horror film by M. Night Shyamalan.

He plays one of the gay couple’s dads.

[quote] Hank Azaria and Yeardley Smith refuse to talk about their time on the show.

Neither was very important to the show. They got their paychecks but Jane Sibbert and Molly Hagan were very good

r22,

Damn, I KNOW I used to watch Herman's Head back then, but I can't remember a single thing about it now.

But Ragsdale did star in the terrific but underrated Grosse Pointe TV series in 2000-2001.

I wanted to give Herman head.

Jane Sibberthad had an extreme nose-job like Lisa Kudrow.

Ragsdale is a dead ringer for the guy from Nip/Tuck

Fright Night is one of those films that becomes more popular with each decade, similar to Blade Runner and The Thing. I love that movie and it's still as entertaining as ever. Ragsdale, McDowall and Sarandon were perfect in that film.

I like both the original and the original's sequel with Julie Carmen. Such a shame that the Menéndez murder ruined the sequel's commercial success (and more sequels?).

Julie Carmen showed her boobies on late-night cable shows and movies, IIRC.

More about Sean O’Bryan, please

He was cute when he was young.

[quote]Ragsdale is a dead ringer for the guy from Nip/Tuck

I always thought so too.

Oh please R42, no one cares about or has ever heard of that person. This is about Ragsdale.

R39, I agree with you about "Fright Night." It's been a long time since I saw it, so it's time to seek it out again. That was before Amanda Bearse was a lesbian, wasn't it? 😉 I wanted Chris Sarandon to seduce William Ragsdale's character (or me!) instead.

Re FRIGHT NIGHT: Stephen Geoffreys who played 'Evil Ed,' took a strange detour in the '90s and did gay porn under the name Sam Ritter.

This after a Tony nomination for the Broadway play THE HUMAN COMEDY and supporting roles in FRIGHT NIGHT, HEAVEN HELP US (with Andrew McCarthy & Kevin Dillon), and AT CLOSE RANGE (with Sean Penn & Christopher Walken).

He was a recurring character on FX's Justified (great show) playing a sleazy real estate agent.

Stephen Geoffreys was never going to have a long career as a major film star - he was too, um... "quirky."

That said, he likely wouldn't have ended up in porn if not for his drug addiction. Hopefully he stays clean and sober.

*****BREAKING NEWS*****

Ellen is the kiss of Death

Was Herman's Head the one that also had that dead comedian who screamed a lot? Sam Kinison? He was on a TV show when he was killed.

Sam Kinison was only one one episode. He was in Herman's Head so to speak.

Has there ever been an official confirmation of the drug thing R48? That’s interesting if it was true. I wasn’t aware that Geoffreys has acknowledged his porn detour publicly before. I always assumed it has to do more with a sex addiction and an exhibitionism fetish that took over, like those guys who film themselves jerking off in a car so that a stranger will catch them.

It is a fascinating story, albeit one that is always brought up in the context of Fright Night. I did like his other big horror movie 976-EVIL, as cheesy as it was.

Stephen briefly mentioned his foray into porn in this magazine interview (close to the end of the article in the link below). According to him, he did porn during a self-imposed hiatus from film and tv work.

I have this one on VHS. There’s no sex, but there are plenty of hot guys horsing around in the buff, Stephen included.