Caryn Ward

 

Caryn Ward was born on 15th August 1980 in Los Angeles and was 5 years old when she got the part of Tina Johnson on "Fame". In 1985 and 1986 She appeared in 4 episodes in the 5th and 6th Seasons playing Leroy's Niece.

Caryn also appeared in Webster, Paradise and Family Matters. From 1990 to 1991, she co-starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom You Take the Kids.

Studying at Howard University Caryn has a degree in Psychology. She also studied dance with the Alvin Ainley American dance theater in New York.

Having taken a break from acting for most of the 90s Caryn began appearing in episodes of Friends, Strong Medicine, The Shield, and Lincoln Heights. In 2004, she made her movie debut appearing in an supporting role in the thriller Motives.

Other featuring films, including Boss'n Up (2005), Traci Townsend (2006), and N-Secure (2009). From 2006 to 2015, she had a recurring role in the comedy series, The Game.

Caryn starred in and produced films The Affair (2014) and Zodiac Sign (2015). She starred in the short-lived  TV sitcom Grown Folks in 2017.

In 2018, she received Indie Series Awards nomination for her performance in the Victoria Rowell comedy series The Rich and the Ruthless. She also created alongside her husband Craig Ross Jr the drama series Monogamy.

She now goes by the name of Caryn Ward Ross and currently stars in the TV series Mind Your Business.

Debbie Allen Cast Member of the Month Part 2

 

After "Fame" Debbie Allen continued to work both in front and behind the camera in television and film. 

She went on to star in shows like: In The House, Quantum Leap, The Cosby Show,  Sinbad, Everybody Hates Chris, The Old Settler, Jane The Virgin, Grace and Frankie, to name just a few.

She also went on to direct shows like: All of Us, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Scandal, Empire, Hellcats, Everyone Hates Chris, Polly Comin' Home, That's So Raven etc...

In 1988 she choreographed the short lived Broadway musical "Carrie", which featured Gene Anthony Ray  she would also continue doing the choreography on a number of shows she worked on as an actress and producer.  She would choreograph the Academy Awards show 10 time.

In 1989 she had her own TV Special to showcase her acting, singing and dancing and also released her solo album on MCA records titled "Special Look".

She became the producer and director of  "A Different World" transforming the Cosby Show spin off into a popular and groundbreaking TV show in it's own right which helped triple the enrollment in black colleges.

In 1991 Debbie was awarded a star on the Hollywood walk of Fame. Her other awards include 6 Emmy Award Wins, NAACP Image Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Essence Black Women in Hollywood Award, Black Reel Awards For TV, Online Film and TV Association, PGA Awards, Golden Apple Award, Acapulco Black Film Festival Award and in 2020 she became a Kennedy Center Honoree. In addition George W Bush appointed her as a member of the Presidents Committee  

One project that Debbie was specifically passionate about was "Amistad" which Debbie was a producer for and was eventually made and released in 1997. Debbie had spent 10 years trying to get the story made into a feature film but kept coming up against brick walls until a meeting with Steven Speilberg changed the course of events.

Over the course of her illustrious career Debbie has worked with, directed, produced or choreographed for the likes of Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Michael Jordan, Sammy Davis Jnr, to name just a few.

In 2001 Debbie decided to invest her money in another special project. Having played a teacher on "Fame" and been involved in creating and choreography so many shows, she felt she needed provide a facility where young people could study dance and performing. The Debbie Allen Dance Academy (DADA) was born. A non profit organisation, that gives scholarships to young people who want to be dancers. 

As well as acting, dancing and being creative behind the scenes of so many productions in the Theatre, Television and films, Debbie published her first book titled "Dancing In The Wings" in 2003.

As well as her other projects Debbie started guest starring on Grey's Anatomy in 2011. The following year she began directing the show and now is the Executive Producer director.

Debbie has created many shows over the years including "Freeze Frame - Stop the Madness" dealing with gun crime and the annual "Hot Chocolate Nutcracker" spectacular. She has also lent her name and celebrity to many causes to highlight issues and help support people, including Diabetes awareness, Eye Care awareness and the One Billion Rising campaign to end rape and sexual violence.

Throughout her long and creative career Debbie has always been loyal to "Fame". In 2003 she became a judge on the Fame talent show and was the school Principal in the 2009 remake Movie. She has also taken part in Reunions for the BBC in 2003, The ET 40th Anniversary Reunion in 2022 and joined her cast members on stage at the Troubadour in 2017 for a Reunion concert to raise funds for the Actors funds. 

She has stated that she has also tried to get the rights to "Fame" to produce a reboot of the TV. So far that hasn't been successful but with Debbie anything is possible.   

Debbie Allen Cast Member of the Month Part 1

""In places around the world where we do not speak the same language, or even understand that we pray to the same God, we dance to the same beat, that is "the one".

Debbie Allen was born Deborah Kaye Allen on 16th January 1950, making her star sign Capricorn. Capricorns have been described as hard working, persistent, creative and possess a strong willpower.

Born in Houston , Texas Debbie is the daughter of orthodontist Andrew Arthur Allen and Pulitzer Prize  nominated poet, artist and scholar Vivian Elizabeth (Ayers) Allen. Debbie has 2 brothers: Andrew Jnr (Tex) and Hugh and older sister Phylicia Rashad, who is also an actress and performer. 

Debbie was raised in Texas, although when her parents divorced, when she was 10, for a brief period her mother took the family to live in Mexico so that they could live without being subjected to the chronic racism and segregation that existed in Texas in the 1950s. This resulted in Debbie becoming fluent in Spanish.

Back in Houston Debbie graduated from the Jack Yates Senior High School in 1967 and then attended Howard University, from where she graduated in 1971 with a B.A. in Greek literature, Speech and Theatre. She later studied acting at the non profit HB Studios in New York City.

Whilst growing up Debbie had been interested in dance since the age of 3 and aged 5 her parents enrolled her in dance classes.

At the age of 12 she had auditioned for the Houston Ballet Academy. When she was 16 she auditioned for the North Carolina School of the Arts and although the latter had her demonstrate technique to others who were auditing, neither school admitted her due to the colour of her skin. The North Carolina school told her that her body was not suited for ballet. This experience became the inspiration for the season 2 episode of "Fame" titled "Beginnings".  

The rejection led to Debbie putting her dancing on hold and concentrated on her academics. Whilst at Howard University she met Mike Malone who was a choreographer and dancer. He became Debbie's mentor and inspired her to continue with the dancing. Mike would also work as choreographer on "Fame" in 11 episodes from seasons 3 and 4.

After college, Debbie went to New York City and tried out for various shows on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of "Purlie" and later created the role of Beneartha in the Tony Winning musical "Raisin" in 1973. During that show she met her first Husband Win Wilford who was also part of the cast and the 2 were married in 1975.

In 1976 Debbie made her first appearance on  TV in a 2 part episode of the sitcom "Good Times" where she played JJ's drug addicted girlfriend. 

In 1977 she became one of the leads in the short lived variety show "3 Girls 3".

In 1979 she appeared in "Roots The Next Generation" and made her feature film debut in a supporting role in the movie: "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh", which also featured Valerie Landsburg. Also that year she was cast in the original "Fame" movie. The original idea was that Debbie played a senior student who helped with auditions for the new students and would become a rival for Coco and a love interest for Leroy. She was due to be part of a big production number but Alan Parker had filmed so much footage that he had to make cuts and sadly Debbie's part was one of them and she ended up with only a brief scene in the movie.

In 1980, Debbie received critical attention for her performance as Anita in the Broadway revival of "West Side Story" which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and won her a Drama Desk Award. Also in 1980 she was involved in the pilot for the TV show "Fame", where she would play dance teacher Lydia Grant.

Debbie was a creative driving force on the TV series. During the 6 year run Debbie would choreograph, stage, produce and direct as well as act, sing and dance on the show. Debbie featured in 104 episodes and the work load was immense but Debbie lapped it up. She would also lead the cast and dancers during the the Worldwide concert tours. 

Having moved to Los Angeles to do "Fame" the workload took a toll on her marriage to Win Wilford who was working in New York and this led to the couple divorcing in 1983. However, Debbie soon became involved with basketball star Norm Nixon and the 2 married in 1984, with whom she has 2 children Vivian and Norm Jnr (Thump).

Debbie won a number of awards and nominations for "Fame". Winning 2 Emmy's for choreography and winning a Golden Globe for best Actress in a musical or comedy in 1983. Debbie became the first African American woman to win the best actress award in this category.  Debbie was nominated for 4 consecutive years for the Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a drama series during her time on "Fame" she didn't win but this was significant as it was the first time a black woman had ever been nominated. It would take until 2015 for an African American Woman to win the award.  

During "Fame's" final season in 1986 Debbie would star in the Broadway revival of "Sweet Charity" for which she was nominated for a Tony award. Still loyal to "Fame" she filmed scenes for the first half of the season during the day on location in New York.

To be Continued Next Month.

Olivia Barash Cast Member of the Month

 

Olivia Barash was born on 11th January 1965 making Capricorn her star sign. People born under the sign of Capricorn have been described as ambitious, hardworking, driven, pragmatic and proud.

Born in Miami, Florida, she was raised in New York and then her family moved to Hollywood, when Olivia was a teenager, where she attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, and graduated in 1982.

Olivia's career began in the Entertainment industry began at the age of 5 and she would appear on stage in New York Shows. She also guest starred in  the TV shows "The Secret Storm" and "A World Apart".

In 1974 She played the role of Baby June  in "Gypsy" opposite Angela Landsbury and was the first child actress to win the New York Critic's Circle Award.

In Hollywood during the late 70s Olivia guest starred in numerous American TV shows like The Incredible Hulk, Charlie's Angels and Alice.  Her Controversial role in " Little House On The Prairie", playing the role of Sylvia propelled her to receive consideration for an Emmy nomination.

She was also a main cast member on shows "In The Beginning" and "Into The Blue", as well as starring in films "Repo Man, and "Tuff Turf" in the early 80s.

Then came "Fame", where she replaced Nia Peeples and joined the series part way through Season 6 in 1987 appearing in 10 episodes of Season 6 and child star Maxine (Maxie) Sharp, who decides despite the career she's already had she need to attend the school to study her craft and also discover who the real Maxie is.

After Fame Olivia  comtinued to guest star on shows like "St. Elsewhere" and "21 Jump Street" as well as movies like "Patty Hearst" and "Dr Alien".

In the 90s Johnny Depp hired Olivia as the in house promoter of his nightclub, The Viper Room. Crossing over as a songwriter/singer, she signed with Warner Chappell Music, placing her original songs in motion pictures such as Oliver Stone's, The Doors.

These days Olivia, who lives in California,  owns her production company with record producer, Dave Jerden, called Original Pixel Cowboys and creates TV shows, Indie Movies and writes music.

Elisa Heinsohn - Cast Member of the Month

 

Elisa Heinsohn was born on 11th October 1962 and named Marvel Elisa Heinsohn. Her star sign is  Libra.  Librans have been described as extroverted, cosy, and friendly people. Like the Scales that symbolize the sign, they are often concerned with attaining balance, harmony, peace, and justice in the world.

Born in Butler Pennsylvania Elisa had a sheltered upbringing in Hudson Ohio. Her father Marvel  was in sales and marketing and her mother Shirley was an accountant. She graduated Hudson High school in 1980.

Growing up Elisa wanted to be a Ballerina and studied at the Cleveland School of Ballet. She performed with both the Cleveland and Baltimore Ballet companies.

In 1981 Elisa joined American Dance Machine and made her stage debut in Japan. Having moved to New York she appeared ion dinner theatre productions of Oklahoma and The Sound of Music.

Elisa toured America as the prima ballerina in Woman of the Year in 1983 and then returned to Broadway in Michael Bennett's workshop of Scandal. Encouraged by her boyfriend she started auditioning for film and TV work. Her first film was Joey which was released in 1986.

Then came "Fame", which was Elisa's television debut playing the character of Jillian Becket in 19 episodes of season 6. "It was one of my all time favorite shows ever, way long before I got on the show. And definitely one of my favorite jobs to date. Jillian Beckett experienced it all, way more than I did in high school."

Filming the show meant moving to L.A. for the first time and being converted to driving a car.

After Fame Elisa returned to Broadway and played Meg Giry in the original Broadway cast of Phantom of the Opera.

In 1993 she played Sam Collins in the TV Series Dark Justice and appeared on other TV shows like the Crew and Caroline In the City.

Elisa now lives in New Jersey with her husband and son.

Gene Anthony Ray Cast Member of the Month

 

Gene Anthony Ray was born in Harlem, New York City on 24th May 1962, making his star sign Gemini.  Represented by the sign of the Twins, Gemini's have been described as witty, charming, intelligent and agile although on the downside they can be indecisive and unreliable.

Gene was raised by his Mother Jean, in the Neighbourhood of West 153rd Street. He has an older Sister, Pearl and a younger brother Nairobi. His father was a businessman and his Mother owned shops.

Gene stated he was 3 and a half when he first started dancing. He had no formal training but would enter street dancing competitions, which he usually won.  "All I ever wanted to do was dance. I wasn't interested in anything else - It was just in me".

Gene attended the Julia Richman High School, which was the building used for exterior shots in seasons 4 to 6 of Fame and aged 17 enrolled in the real School of the arts but he was a rebel and only lasted 6 months before they expelled him for unruly behaviour.  "When they chucked me out they said I'd never make it in show business - which made me determined to prove them wrong."  

 Gene had skipped school to attend his first audition which was for the "Fame" Movie. He was one of the last to be seen. Louis Falco the choreographer loved Gene's raw talent and he was instantly given the role.

Gene's explosive performance and dancing ability brought him much critical acclaim. He then worked on a French film "Vendredi ou la vie sauvage" with Michael York, which was based on Robison Crusoe. Then came the Pilot for the Fame TV Series, where Gene reprised his role of Leroy Johnson from the movie.

Gene was often late to set, would miss rehearsals and sometimes didn't show up at all causing lots of problems for filming. Debbie Allen protected Gene and always had Michael Delorenzo ready to replace Gene in the dance numbers. Producers suspended Gene a couple of times from the show but his charming nature meant people struggled to stay mad at him. Michael Delorenzo also took over some of Gene's storylines in Season 3 when Gene was completely absent from filming.

During that season his home in New York was deliberately set on fire and then his Mother was arrested for selling drugs. Gene missed the Press Conference in June 1983 to announce that Fame was going into production for a 3rd season in syndication. At the trial in 1984 Gene's mother and grandmother would be sentence to prison.

Many of Gene's issues stemmed from his own misuse of alcohol and drugs, making him unreliable.

In 1985 Gene starred the The Weather Girls video for their song "Well A Wiggy” often misreported that he was in their big hit "It's Raining Men".

Despite being reported by an American Newspaper that Gene was fired from Fame in 1984 he remained with the show for all 6 seasons until  Fame came to an end in 1987 appearing in 100.  

Gene had a promising career ahead of him and things started well with the role of Billy in the stage musical "Carrie", which was choreographed by Debbie Allen. After a successful run in the U.K. it transferred to Broadway but closed  after 16 previews and 5 performances.

During the 90s/00s there were a few dancer roles in film and TV with "Out of Sync", "Austin Powers in Goldmember", "Eddie", "The Drew Carey show" and "Linc's".

Gene spent much of his later years living in Italy, making appearances on Italian TV, attempting to set up his own dance school there and also revive his career with a tour but none of these ventures succeeded. He would make club appearances in Milan performing and stripping under his character name Leroy Johnson. He would also appear on Cruise ships.

Gene had always avoided talking to the press about his sexuality. In 1996 it was announced in the press that he was gay and had been diagnosed HIV positive.

In April 2003 the BBC reunited Gene with other members of the Fame cast for a Reunion to look back at 20 years of the show. This would be the last time Gene would be with his Fame Family.

In June 2003 Gene suffered a stroke from which he never recovered. On 14th November 2003 he died from complications from both the stroke and Aids.

Carlo Imperato Cast Member of the Month

 

Carlo Imperato was born Anthony Richard Imperato on 3rd August 1963 making his star sign Leo. People born on that date are well noted for their humorous and optimistic personalities.

Born in The Bronx region of New York City, Carlo was raised by his parents Leah and Richard. Growing up Carlo loved sports and karate and was black belt by the age of 7. As a youngster Carlo wanted to be a professional basketball player and had no interest in performing. Then one day when he was 13 a teacher wrote a number on the board for people to call if they wanted to be in a show. Not sure why, Carlo just decided to give it a go.

Despite having no previous experience he got the role in a play called “Runaways” which took him to perform on Broadway and lasted for the next 2 years. From there Carlo decided he wanted to be an actor and switched to a Children’s performing arts school in New York.  Carlo also secured a manager and started getting work in commercials. Then came TV and films; most notably in “The Man in the Santa Claus Suit” with Fred Astaire and the TV show “Angie”.

Carlo auditioned for the original “Fame” movie but was too young for the part. When the TV series came along he auditioned again, this time winning the role of wise cracking drama student and heart-throb Danny Amatullo; “I knew I`d get it because I didn`t want it... There I was in this Beverly Hills suite looking out the window at Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis, limousines. I was scared to death...  I was only 17.   I called my Mom. She said to read my lines as best I could; I planned to louse it up just so I could go home.”

However, when he met his rival for the part, who was less than polite, adrenalin and a sense of competition kicked in. Carlo changed his mind and worked hard to make sure he got the role.

Despite struggling with the transition of moving from New York to L.A. and not always being happy with the direction the show went, Carlo stayed with “Fame” for the whole of the 6 season run from 1982 to 1987 where he appeared in 119 episodes of the show. During that time he dated dancer Leanne Gerrish and co star Nia Peeples, who he as also briefly engaged to.

On April 14th 1987 the last scene of the last episode was filmed. Carlo remembers the last day of filming: “We finished the shoot and stopped. All of a sudden it hit us. ...We looked at the director. The crew looked at us. Everybody looked at everybody. They didn`t even say it was a wrap. Then everybody started crying and hugging... They were my family.”

After “Fame”, as well as starring in a number of stage plays including “West Side Story”, Carlo also had appeared in a few TV shows like “Friends” and “Grey’s Anatomy”.

These days family man Carlo, who lives in L.A . He's been married 3 times and has 3 children, Anthony, Vincent and Krisha. He is now more at home behind the scenes as a prop and set builder. He also deals in real estate and has invested in gyms. Although he hasn’t given up acting completely he still finds time to perform with his “Fame” co-star Debbie Allen in her annual “The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” production every Christmas.

Carlo is also involved with the Fameless project with cast mates  Lee Curreri and PR Paul.

He also has joined the Fame Reunions in Italy, L.A. and  in the U.K. although if he had his way he'd rather not have to keep performing "Friday Night"!

Thinking back on Fame Carlo said: “There are so many memories that are embedded in my heart but one that stands out was going on tour and seeing the response from fans overseas. It was Famemania. Just seeing the kids' faces and the love and admiration they expressed will always stand out to me."

Valerie Landsburg Cast Member of the Month

 

Valerie Landsburg was born on 12th August 1958 making her star sign Leo. People born on this date have been characterized as being ambitious, honest and having a special talent for connecting to other people.

Born in Manhattan, New York City Valerie was raised by her parents Sally and Alan in Los Angeles; “I grew up in a television environment but I didn't grow up in a show business family. My father was a producer and my mother was a college professor and writer. I went to Beverly Hills High, so I went to school with movie star kids”.

After High School, Valerie worked in her father's TV production office, learning invaluable behind the scenes lessons. She then got her first acting role on the TV show “The Kids from C.A.P.E.R” in 1976.

Having signed with an agent she starred in the 1978 film “Thank God It’s Friday”, followed by “The Triangle Factory Fire Scandal” TV movie in 1979 and the Neil Simon play “I Ought To Be In Pictures”.

Valerie auditioned for the 1980 Fame Movie and was stunned not to get the part. Undeterred she auditioned for the TV series and this time was successful. She played Doris Schwartz for the first 4 seasons from 1982 to 1985 and returned for the final episodes in 1987. starring in a total of 81 episodes.

During her time on the show Valerie co-wrote the episode “Signs” and in her final year she got her first opportunity to direct on the episode “Reflections”; “It’s one of the things I’m still proudest of as a director”. 

In 1984 Valerie married her long time partner James McVay and all the Fame cast attended. They had 2 children, Taylor and Brooklyn. Taylor features as baby Jenny in the final episode of Fame. Valerie describes her children as her greatest works to date. The couple remained together for over 20 years and now class each other as brother and sister. 

After leaving Fame Valerie co-starred in, “You Again?” and “All Is Forgiven”, with recurring roles in “Hotel” and “Dream On”. Valerie has appeared in a dozen made-for-TV movies with guest appearances on other TV series including “Murder, She Wrote”, “Beverly Hills, 90210”, “Empty Nest”, “Nip/Tuck” and “The Unit” as well as appearing in numerous stage plays.

As well as acting Valerie has a real passion for directing and has directed several feature films and television shows. She also directed the music video for The Friends of Fame song “Satellite”.

 In 2001, Valerie released her first solo album of mostly her own compositions, called “Grownup” and among the tracks was a re-recording of "Hi Fidelity".

Currently living in Maine with her partner Jim, Valerie has worked as on/off set coach for both actors and directors. She travels extensively teaching at colleges and universities as well as conducting her own workshops for actors, writers and directors.

Valerie’s last project is the independent film “Love & Debt” which has been a couple of years in the making, but is a real labour of love. Originally titled “Offer & Compromise”, Valerie is the director and she worked very hard crowd funding to raise the money to get the film produced.

In 2019 and 2022 Valerie was a major part of the Fame UK Reunions. Having been a friend of producer, Sue Hinds for many years. In 2022 Valerie performed her first U.K. concert of her own music in Liverpool.

“There is something very special about coming back to the UK for this concert. I was sent to London to do press for FAME in 1982. I was bowled over by the effect the show had in the U.K. None of us had any idea. Coming back again to perform feels like a perfect circle, back to these roots with the fans!”

Valerie works hard in her local community in Maine and is currently working on a project to  renovate an old theatre space in the town and is working on a second solo album which will hopefully be released in the next year. Although she states herself that timescales get pushed when she is involved in other projects..

“Do I have regrets? Would I change anything? No. Every bit of it made me the person I am today.”

Billy Hufsey Cast Member of the Month

 

Billy Hufsey was born on December 8th 1958 in Brook Park, Ohio. Billy was born under the star sign Sagittarius. Sagittarians have been described as adventurous, risk takers with a sharp business and sports mentality. 

Billy is the youngest child in a close knit Irish/German family. His father Bill Sr was a recreation director, his Mother's name is Joanne and he has two older sisters, Willene and Darlene. The hometown was a semi rough area and everyone knew the family because of his father's work.

"One thing my Father taught me when I was growing up: If you start something, don't quit -no matter what- because that's the only way to be truly successful at anything."   

Growing up Billy was short. Up until 10th Grade he was only 5 feet 2 inches. This led to him being really shy. He started to grow almost over night and is now 6 feet. He's still says he's shy but not as much, although he's not shy when he's performing. 

Billy was always very keen on sports and particularly Boxing. whilst at school he was an undefeated welterweight Golden gloves competitor and enjoyed the honour of "Outstanding athlete of the year."

He was also into disco dancing. He had no real formal training but would go out to clubs and enter disco competitions. In 1979 he won the United States Singles disco championships. 

Billy left home to go to New York to get some formal dance training and studied with JoJo Smith, Phil Hatchet and Frank Black. 

With $100 in his pocket he moved to Hollywood to further his dreams. Billy has mentioned in interviews that there were times he was living on the streets but he never gave up.

He got work as a catalogue model and small roles in The Young and the Restless and General Hospital. Then came roles in films titled "Graduation Day" and "Off The Wall".

In 1983 he audition for Fame and won the part of Christopher Donlon, a role he would play for 4 seasons until 1987 when the show was cancelled. Billy starred in 76 episodes of the show and perform in concerts around the World. By season 4 Billy was the most popular cast member in terms of how much fan mail he was receiving. At the time he said "I get 1700 a week. I answer s many of them as I can. I love my fans. I love it when people recognize me on the street and when the girls scream. If it weren't for those my fans I wouldn't be where I am today."

As well as acting singing and dancing, Billy is a musician who plays guitar, drums, saxophone and piano. Billy has released solo music in the form of his 1989 single "Contagious" and his 2009 "Confessions" album where he also wrote some of the songs.

After Fame Billy continued acting working on shows like "Married With Children", "Webster" and "Rags To Riches" before taking the role of Emilio on daytime Soap "Days of Our Lives", where he appeared in 256 episodes.

There were further roles throughout the 90s as well as live shows in Las Vegas but Billy lost the fire in his belly for performing.  Throughout the 80s and 90s he'd invested in real estate and in 2001 he decided to quit acting and move into business. During the next 8 years Billy founded and owned a number of successful companies.

At some point it appears that Billy got married to a woman named Margaret but very little seems to have been written about his personal life and it's unknown if he is still married.

In 2009 Billy decided to restart his preforming career and was part of the VH1 TV Show "Confessions of a Teen Idol" which featured 7 former teen idols and their quest to return to performing.

Billy also set up the Billy Hufsey School of Professional Performing Arts which has branches in L.A and LAs Vegas and he trains young people for careers in the arts. He is also a manager and has released a motivational book titled "Living the Dream".

In 2017 he reunited with the fame cast at the L.A. Reunion at the Troubadour  and also joined them at a Convention in New Jersey in 2019. 

Michael Delorenzo - Cast Member of the Month

 

Michael Delorenzo was born in the Bronx, New York City on 31st October 1959, making his star sign Scorpio. Scorpios have been described as Ambitious, Honest, Loyal and Determined. For those individuals born on Halloween, it is said that they have an increased sense of loyalty and dependability and have great leadership skills.  

Michael is half Italian and half Puerto Rican. His Father Arthur is Italian and his Mother Carmen is Puerto Rican. Raised in the Bronx, Michael is the second oldest of four children. He has one sister and 2 brothers. 

He started dancing at age 7 when his Mother insisted on him taking dancing lessons to give him something to do afterschool to avoid him getting into any trouble with the other kids. He developed a passion for Ballet and studied it for 8 years. In that time he won Scholarships to the School of American Ballet and The New York School of Ballet. "I couldn't tell a lot of people I was doing ballet... I used to run home from school and get my ballet slippers, but I had to tell people I was going to the dentist like three times a week. It was a good thing I had braces then.”

His dream of becoming a top Ballet Dancer ended when he was 16 after he had an knee injury and he took a break from dancing for around a year. 

 

Michael then decided to turn his talents to acting and attending the real School of Performing Arts in New York. When the Fame Movie was casting he decided to audition but as an actor rather than a dancer. The casting people asked if he could dance, when he said he'd had some training they asked him to perform and were very impressed. so then they asked him to dance for Louis Falco, the choreographer and he got the part. 

"My mother always told me, 'You can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. Don't let people tell you that you can't. And I've always kept that with me."

From that point he kept dancing and then came the Fame TV Series. Originally signing on to be a dancer. he was then given a small line in one of the episodes where he discovered acting paid a lot more money than dancing. From then his part of Michael was expanded. When Gene Anthony Ray was missing from either a dance routine or from the episode entirely Michael would take on the dance leads and some of Leroy's storylines.  

Michael stayed on Fame for it's first 3 seasons from 1982 to 1984. In that time touring with the cast and performing with them at Concerts and on TV Shows. The disappearance of his Character was never mentioned. He returned for the final episode of season 6.  

Whilst on Fame Michael also worked with the likes of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie in their Music videos. After fame he appeared in Dance movies "Fast Forward" and "Breakin Through" and TV shows like "Miami Vice", "A Different World" and "The Bronx Zoo". In 1989 he became a main cast member for the last 2 seasons of "Head of the Class".

In 1994 he took the lead in "New York Undercover" which he starred in for 3 seasons. He has continued to guest star on TV in shows like CSI: NY, Blue Bloods and SWAT. Michael has also turned his talents to directing and music, where he utilized his talents for songwriting and playing piano, guitar and drums when he released his first solo album titled "Rescue Me" in 2009. 

He is currently working on new music and his production company DeloVision Inc is looking at new TV and Movie projects. 

Lee Curreri - Cast Member of the Month

 

“I just had no idea of the impact of the movie and that it would become a career for the next four or five years.”

Lee Curreri was born Leonard Charles Curreri on 4^th January 1961 making his star sign Capricorn. Capricorns can be described as creative, strong-minded, mature and love to rise to a challenge.

 Born in the Bronx region of New York, Lee was raised by his parents, Domenica and Joseph, who were school teachers. Lee started playing the piano at 5 years old and also learnt to play the trombone. He made his professional debut aged 15 playing church organ for Masses and weddings. His parents became concerned at how obsessed with music he became; “Music was my art, my hobby and my escape”. 

Aged 16 he left home to live in Manhattan, “I was a very old 16 year old... I was about 99!” and started to attend the Manhattan School of Music. One of his teachers suggested him for the “Fame” Movie; “When I read the script, I thought my phone had been tapped and the writers knew me”.  Despite his lack of acting experience Lee got the job.

Lee then moved to L.A. when he continued his “Fame” role on the TV series. Lee played the sensitive, shy and brilliant music student Bruno Martelli from 1982 to 1984 in the first three seasons. After which Bruno simply disappeared from the show not to be mentioned again until 1987 when Lee returned for the final episode. Lee starred in 54 Episodes.

During his time on the show Lee wrote and performed seven songs as well as instrumental numbers for the dance scenes. Lee also turned his hand to script writing for the season 2 episode “Blood, Sweat and Circuits”.

After “Fame” Lee continued to act for a few years, most notably in the 1986 film “Crystal Heart” and the TV series “Danger Bay”. As the acting jobs came to an end  Lee went on to follow his real passion which was to compose, produce and perform music; “I just kind of went back to really what I enjoy doing which is music and also being behind the scenes.”

 During his eclectic career he has produced songs for Natalie Cole and Kid Creole, played keyboards for Olivia Newton-John and written music for TV shows including “Chicago Hope”, “Gun” and “Liquid TV” as well as ad campaigns for the likes of the Microsoft Network, Turner Broadcasting and Toyota.

In 2004, after years of scoring, record producing and performing, Lee composed and produced the first full length CD of his own original music, "Aquabox", which included the song “Sweet Clarity” which made it to number one on the dance charts. “Aquabox was music that I wanted to hear, but no one else had written it, yet!”

 Lee currently lives in Marina Del Rey in California with his wife Sherry, who is the sister of “Fame” Movie co-star Laura Dean and 2 sons Joey and Sammy. Lee is a keen photographer and also enjoys playing live whenever he can. He currently plays keyboards with a Sicilian band called MODE.

Lee is also working on a new TV series with PR Paul and Carlo Imperato called "Fameless".

“I’m grateful for my time in the movie and TV show for bringing me that audience and bringing me that kind of recognition.”