What Happened To The Cast Of Weird Science?
Kids who came of age in the '80s will likely remember John Hughes' Weird Science as one of the most awesome, rad, tubular comedies of that decade. In it, a couple of geeky teens, Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith), use their sweet computer skills to science up the perfect woman: Lisa (Kelly LeBrock), a magical virtual assistant who can do nearly anything, and who also has the added virtue of looking like Kelly LeBrock. Of course, things go slightly awry when Lisa proves to be a bit difficult to manage, and the boys also have to fend off bullying and potential snitching from Wyatt's brother Chet (Bill Paxton). This being an '80s comedy, everything turns out fine in the end, and Lisa takes up a post as the new gym teacher at the boys' high school.
Fans of the movie might not even remember that there was a spin-off TV series, but their younger siblings who grew up in the '90s might remember it fondly. Weird Science ran for five seasons on the USA Network between 1994 and 1997, continuing Gary and Wyatt's adventures alongside their magic virtual goddess with different actors in each role: John Asher took over as Gary, Michael Manasseri stepped in as Wyatt, Lee Tergesen played Chett (who inexplicably had an extra "T" added to his name for the show), and former Baywatch star Vanessa Angel portrayed Lisa. Since you're here, you must be curious as to what the cast of Weird Science is up to today, and we're ready to fill you in.
John Asher caught the directing bug after Weird Science
Since his stint on Weird Science, John Asher has continued to live the Hollywood life. According to his IMDb bio, Asher is dyslexic, and always knew that he wanted to be a director from a young age. He considered his Weird Science run to be his film school, and pretty much as soon as he got the chance, he helmed his first feature: the 1996 direct-to-video actioner Kounterfeit, starring Hilary Swank and Corbin Bernsen.
He went on to direct a handful of theatrical films (including Dirty Love, starring Jenny McCarthy, whom he married in 1999 and divorced in 2006) while also helming episodes of TV series such as Showtime's Going to California and the CW's One Tree Hill. He continued to act periodically as well, popping up in minor roles on shows like NCIS, Grace and Frankie, and Blue Bloods.
Most recently, Asher directed a pair of music videos for Sum 41 and New Kids on the Block, as well as the 2019 comedy flick I Hate Kids, which stars Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss Burgess and Better Call Saul's Rhea Seehorn.
Michael Manasseri followed in the footsteps of his Weird Science co-star
Michael Manasseri followed a pretty similar post-Weird Science trajectory as his co-star (without the whole "marrying Jenny McCarthy" part). He continued to pick up small roles in features and in TV series like Boston Public, The Road to Hell, and Yes, Dear, all while building his bonafides as a producer. His first producing gig, on Dirty Love, came thanks to his buddy Asher. He subsequently handled producing duties on a number of small features, including Forget About It with Burt Reynolds and Robert Loggia, Babysitter Wanted with Sarah Thompson, and the superhero spoof Mosquito-Man, which he also directed and starred in alongside Kimberly Kates and the infamous founder of Troma Entertainment, Lloyd Kaufman.
That flick also marked the beginning of a transition toward directing for Manasseri. He helmed five episodes of The Road to Hell and the 2016 feature The Pickle Recipe, and he currently has two projects in the pipeline: the action flick Overspeed (which is currently in pre-production) and an untitled project billed as "a new twist on the Snow White fairytale."
Lee Tergesen racked up tons of acting credits after Weird Science
If Lee Tergesen looks a bit familiar, it's probably because he's become an incredibly prolific character actor since his days on Weird Science. One of his first major roles after the series ended was as Tobias Beecher on the seminal HBO prison serial Oz, appearing in all 56 episodes. He used that plum gig as a springboard to dozens of television appearances, from one-off guest spots to recurring roles. He's popped up as a guest star on such wildly varied series as ER, The 4400, Rescue Me, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Criminal Minds, The Following, and Hawaii Five-O, to name a few. He's also landed recurring roles on shows like Desperate Housewives, Generation Kill, Army Wives, The Big C, The Americans, Longmire, and The Purge.
Tergesen has landed his share of feature film work, as well. His first few appearances came pre-Weird Science in flicks like Point Break and Wayne's World 2. After the show's run, he appeared in Shaft, Monster, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, among others. Most recently, you might have caught him in a pair of scintillating HBO miniseries: as Mister Shadow on Watchmen and as Agent McCorkle in The Plot Against America.
Vanessa Angel has been steadily working for years after Weird Science
Vanessa Angel has also kept herself plenty busy since her stint as a virtual genie. She appeared in a ton of minor feature films in the years since the show ended, including the thriller Made Men with Jim Belushi and Timothy Dalton, the action comedy Camouflage with Leslie Nielsen (co-written, interestingly enough, by Billy Bob Thornton), and the crime caper The Perfect Score with future Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Scarlett Johannson and Chris Evans.
She also continued to pop up all over the small screen, with roles in tons of TV movies; she scored a recurring role on Stargate: SG-1, and more recently has appeared as Dr. Lewis in the Brat TV series Crown Lake and as Jackie in the CBS network's Walker, Texas Ranger spin-off Sons of Thunder.
There's plenty more to come from Angel in the near future. She'll star in the upcoming feature Hustle Down opposite Tom Sizemore and Bai Ling, in the family flick Courting Mom and Dad with Kristy Swanson and Scott Baio, in the gonzo horror flick Zombie Bride with Danny Trejo and Jason Mewes (now there's an odd couple), and in the crime drama The Cincinnati Spin with Eric Roberts. She's also been cast in the pilot episode of the sports comedy series Puckheads, which is currently searching for a network or streaming home.
It appears that all of the stars of Weird Science have gone on to long and fruitful Hollywood careers. It's almost as if they'd had some help from a magical being of some sort — a computer-generated genie, perhaps. If you're a fan of the film who never caught the series, you can currently purchase episodes or entire seasons on Amazon Prime.