A still from a late '80s Skittles commercial
A Halloween commercial from the 1980s inspired today’s Friday Video Picks…
I was watching the above Skittles commercial from the late ’80s when I spotted child star Jenny Lewis (she’s the one in the glasses who asks “Is this the house that gives Skittles?” at the end of the piece). Surely you remember Jenny Lewis, who appeared in many an ’80s TV commercial, as well as films like The Wizard and Troop Beverly Hills:
Jenny Lewis then and now
It’s always nice to hear a child actor “Where are they now?” story that doesn’t involve multiple arrests. After her childhood days of stardom, Ms. Lewis went on to form the well-loved indie band Rilo Kiley in 1998. The group had a great run, and while there are no current plans for a reunion, Lewis now performs with boyfriend Jonathan Rice under the name Jenny & Johnny. I love Jenny Lewis’ flair for sporting drum majorette-reminiscent rompers. Check out the 2007 video for Rilo Kiley’s “Silver Lining” (one of my personal favorites) below:
I was also happy to find this gem of an ’80s commercial featuring another redheaded child star of the ’80s. See if you can spot Seth Green in the piece below (he’s the one who opens the commercial with a line while leaning against a lamp post). More on Seth in a moment… On a side note, the commercial is for Pudding Roll-Ups, an invention that makes about as much sense as ice cream-flavored cookies. Enjoy:
Surely you remember Seth from movies like Radio Days and Can’t Buy Me Love:
Seth Green then and now
Mr. Green went on to star as Oz on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, and in films such as Can’t Hardly Wait and the Austin Powers series. In addition to being a voice actor for shows such as Family Guy, his most recent success is the Adult Swim stop-motion series Robot Chicken, which he co-created and co-produced. This is no surprise given the humor and savviness he displayed in his earliest days of fame. He also provides many voices for the series. Check out “Jar Jar Returns,” an amazing and hilarious segment from Robot Chicken: Star Wars.
A special thanks to Jenny Lewis and Seth Green, who have proven that it’s possible to survive child actor status by continuing to creatively evolve. It’s easier said than done, but somehow these two have done it!
Happy Friday!
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