By Stephen Whitty, ReMIND Magazine
“Where were you in ’62?” the movie posters asked. But more importantly, what did you see in ’73? Probably “American Graffiti,” one of the year’s biggest hits and a film that created plenty of stars. But who were they then and where are they now, 45 years later? Let’s pull out our yearbook …
Homecoming King: Ron Howard
Howard was a child star on The Andy Griffith Show, but his career had slowed when director George Lucas cast the 18-year-old as Steve. The film’s success convinced ABC to go forward with Happy Days, which then gave Howard the clout to begin a directing career with Grand Theft Auto in 1977. He’s been a busy filmmaker ever since, turning out hits like Splash and Apollo 13. His latest is Solo: A Star Wars Story, a prequel to Lucas’ amazing Star Wars saga.
Homecoming Queen: Cindy Williams
Williams was a busy but not famous 25-year-old actress when Lucas cast her as Steve’s sweetheart Laurie. It quickly led to bigger things: Francis Ford Coppola, who’d helped produce American Graffiti, cast her in The Conversation, and a guest spot on Happy Days led to eight seasons of Laverne & Shirley. Two follow-up sitcoms in the ’90s sputtered out, though; since, she’s mostly done TV guest spots.
Most Likely to Succeed: Paul Le Mat
Le Mat was already 27 (and a decorated Vietnam vet) when he was cast as the way-cool John, the reluctant babysitter of a preteen Mackenzie Phillips. A breakout star, the sweetly shy Le Mat briefly became indie cinema’s go-to guy, starring in Citizens Band and Melvin and Howard. Although his stardom seemed set, his career cooled in the ’90s; his most recent credit, a sci-fi B-movie, is from 2009.
Big Man on Campus: Harrison Ford
Ford had given up acting for carpentry when a casting director got the 31-year-old an audition for the role of drag racer Bob Falfa. Coppola later gave him small parts in The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, but it was Lucas who clinched the actor’s stardom when, after many auditions, he cast Ford in Star Wars. Getting the lead in the Lucas-produced Raiders of the Lost Ark didn’t hurt either. A fifth Indiana Jones movie arrives in 2020.
Class President: Richard Dreyfuss
Dreyfuss, 25, had been kicking around for years when he landed the part of Curt, obsessed with a mysterious blonde (played by Suzanne Somers). The next year Dreyfuss got his first lead in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz. Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland’s Opus and other hits followed. Still busy, he is the only American Graffiti cast member to win an Oscar for acting (The Goodbye Girl). Ron Howard won two Oscars for A Beautiful Mind (Best Picture and Best Director).
Class Clown: Charles Martin Smith
It’s not easy to shine playing a guy called Toad. But the 19-year-old Smith’s role as the geeky tagalong — a stand-in, Lucas admitted, for himself — was a standout and became a major part of the sequel, More American Graffiti, in 1979. Smith later had good parts in The Untouchables and Never Cry Wolf. His busy directing career has centered on animal pictures like Air Bud, Dolphin Tale and the upcoming A Dog’s Way Home.
Brought to you by the publishers of ReMIND magazine, a monthly magazine filled with over 95 puzzles, retro features, trivia and comics. Get ReMIND magazine at 70% off the cover price, call 1-855-322-8784 or visit remindmagazine.com.
