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Stephen Furst

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Not to be confused with Steve Furst.

Stephen Furst
Furst in 2014
Born
Stephen Nelson Feuerstein

(1954-05-08)May 8, 1954
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJune 16, 2017(2017-06-16) (aged 63)
Moorpark, California, U.S.
Cause of deathComplications related to Diabetes mellitus
Alma materVirginia Commonwealth University
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1975–2006
Known for
Spouse(s)
Lorraine Wright
​
​
(m. 1976; "his death" is deprecated; use "died" instead. 2017)​
Children2
Websitestephenfurst.com

Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017) was an American actor and film and television director. Furst was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Elsewhere. He was also featured, before appearing in either of those roles, as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the film National Lampoon's Animal House and its spin-off series, Delta House.[1]

Career

As actor

Furst at the 2013 Phoenix Comicon

Furst worked as a pizza delivery driver while looking for acting jobs in the mid-1970s, and included his head shot in pizza boxes. After Matty Simmons saw his photo, Furst was cast as Flounder in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).[2] He reprised this role in the 1979 spin-off series Delta House. Others include 'Junior' Keller in The Unseen (1980), as Gonzer in the feature film Up the Creek (1984), as Dr. Elliot Axelrod in the television series St. Elsewhere (1983–1988), and as Vir Cotto in the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1994–1998). Furst was amused by the report that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un modeled his haircut after Furst's character in Babylon 5.[3]

In 1979 he played the role of an overweight high school tuba player coerced onto the wrestling team in Kieth Merrill's feel-good underdog film, Take Down. Also in 1979, as pointed out above, he reprised the Flounder character in the ABC sitcom Delta House. He also reprised the character and repeated his famous line, "Oh boy, is this great!" in the Twisted Sister music video for "I Wanna Rock."[4]

In 1980, he played the character of Harold in the cult classic movie, Midnight Madness,[5] and the character of "Junior" Keller (the unseen) in the horror movie The Unseen.[6] In 1983, he also appeared in a supporting role as Aldo in the provocative ABC TV movie The Day After.[7] In 1989, he played the character of Albert Ianuzzi in the film The Dream Team.[8]

In 1983, Furst also appeared in an episode of CHiPs titled "Fun House," alongside Erik Estrada, Tom Reilly, and Heather O'Rourke; in this installment, Furst acted out a student who belonged to the college fraternity "DDT."[9]

In the 1995 animated TV series Freakazoid!, he voiced the character Fanboy. Also in 1995, he took a hiatus from Babylon 5 to star in a short-lived TV series, Misery Loves Company. In 1997, he played Derby Ferris in Little Bigfoot 2: The Journey Home.[10] He also voiced a young Colonel Hathi in Season 2 of Disney's Jungle Cubs, had a starring voice role as Booster in the 2000 series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command,[11] and also played a hulky walrus named Dash in the 2000 Disney movie The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.[12] He starred in Magic Kid[13] and its sequel.[14]

In 2002, he guest starred in an episode of Scrubs.[15]

As director

Furst directed many independent and/or low-budget movies, including the low-budget movie Title to Murder starring Christopher Atkins and Maureen McCormick in 2001,[16] and the direct to video children's movie Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure.[17]

Furst directed three low-budget movies for the Sci Fi Channel, Dragon Storm in 2004;[18] Path of Destruction in 2005 and Basilisk: The Serpent King in 2006; he also co-starred in both of the latter two films.[19][20]

As producer

Furst produced My Sister's Keeper, based on the Jodi Picoult novel, starring Cameron Diaz and Alec Baldwin.[21]

Furst produced other several films under his production company Curmudgeon Films.[22] Atomic Shark aired in August of 2016 on Syfy, during "Sharknado Week". Christmas in Homestead premiered on the Hallmark Channel during the holiday season of 2016. Cold Moon, a psychological thriller based on the Michael McDowell book, is set for a theatrical release in October 2017 in the United States.[22] Cold Moon won "Best Horror Film" at the 2016 Laughlin Film Festival.[23]

2016 Criticism of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Furst wrote a letter, later published in Variety, criticizing the Academy's portrayal of its own members as racist and resistant to diversity and suggested the Academy's response to the 2016 #OscarsSoWhite was ageist and sexist. He suggested that most members of the Academy don't watch the films nominated for awards, and that the Academy should start by ensuring those who vote have watched the films.[24]

Battle with obesity and diabetes, and activism

Cast in early roles as a fat kid, Furst used humor to help him cope with his insecurities about his weight. He said, "when you're a fat kid, you try to make the fat jokes before other people make them."[25] Both of Stephen's parents died at age 47 from complications of diabetes. When Furst was just 17, and only weeks after his father's death, his doctor told him he had diabetes. He reached a weight of 320 pounds and out-of-control type 2 diabetes by age 40.[26] He stepped on a piece of glass which resulted in a limb-threatening foot infection.[27] He said, "I finally admitted that obesity and diabetes were a part of a life-threatening legacy — and I had to deal with it or die." He started an aggressive diet and dropped to 164 pounds and was able to stop taking insulin, but much damage had already been done. Furst developed end-stage renal disease and started dialysis, which severely limited his life. While at a casting call for a play he was producing in Cincinnati, Furst mentioned that he was on dialysis for two years. An anonymous donor heard about his plight and offered to donate a kidney.[28] Astonishingly they were a tissue match. Starting in June 2006, Furst co-hosted the Renal Support Network's webcast KidneyTalk with Lori Hartwell.[29]

Furst became a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association and authored the book Confessions of a Couch Potato.[30]

As a celebrity spokesperson for the American Heart Association, Furst said, "I thought I was more powerful than the disease of diabetes, but in reality, I was letting it take control of me. Now, I've decided to take control of my life."[31]

In later years, suffering from more foot problems and at risk for amputation, Furst became an advocate for the use of total contact cast[32] and amniotic tissue to heal diabetic foot ulcers.

Personal life and death

In 1972, Furst's father died from diabetes complications. Years later, Furst, too, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. After almost needing to have his left foot amputated due to diabetes complications in 1996, Furst reduced his weight from 260 lbs to 175 lbs.[33] When filming started for the fourth season of Babylon 5, the show's producers found that all the costumes he had worn during the previous seasons were now too large for him.

Furst had two sons, both in the entertainment business. His older son, Nathan Furst (b. 1978), is a television and film composer. His younger son, Griff Furst (b. 1981), is an actor, director and musician.[34]

Furst was married to Lorraine Wright, an entertainment lawyer, from 1976 until his death.[34]

On June 16, 2017, Furst died from complications related to diabetes at his home in Moorpark, California, at age 63.[35]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ^ "Animal House Gallery". New York Daily News. June 25, 2011.
  2. ^ Neumer, Chris (2003). "Animal House: The Movie that Changed Comedy". Stumped. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  3. ^ "Kim Jong Un gets a Babylon 5 Centauri hair-do". Boing Boing. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  4. ^ "TWISTED SISTER's 'I Wanna Rock' Featured In WaMu Commercial; Video Available". BLABBERMOUTH.NET.
  5. ^ Maltin, Leonard (1995). The Disney Films (3, illustrated, revised ed.). Disney Editions. p. 316. ISBN 9780786881376.
  6. ^ Mulay, James J. (1989). The Horror film: a guide to more than 700 films on videocassette. CineBooks. p. 245. ISBN 9780933997233.
  7. ^ Parish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. (1990). The great science fiction pictures II, Volume 2 (2, illustrated ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 102. ISBN 9780810822474.
  8. ^ Gritten, David, ed. (2008). The Movies That Matter: From Bogart to Bond and All the Latest Film Releases (24, illustrated, revised ed.). HarperCollins Publishers Limited. ISBN 9780007271061.
  9. ^ "CHiPs S6, E19 - Fun House". Goojara.
  10. ^ Grant, Edmond (1999). The Motion Picture Guide: 1999 Annual (The Films of 1998) (revised ed.). CineBooks. p. 236. ISBN 9780933997431.
  11. ^ Evans, Greg (June 17, 2017). "Stephen Furst Dies: 'Animal House', 'St. Elsewhere' Actor Was 63". Deadline. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  12. ^ Hischak, Thomas S.; Robinson, Mark A. (2009). The Disney Song Encyclopedia. Scarecrow Press. p. 202. ISBN 9780810869387.
  13. ^ Television Guide, Volume 42. Triangle Publications. 1994. p. 289.
  14. ^ Craddock, Jim (2004). VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever, Volume 2005. Visible Ink. p. 511. ISBN 9780787674700.
  15. ^ Rosen, Christopher (June 17, 2017). "Animal House star Stephen Furst dies at 63". EW.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  16. ^ "Title to Murder". HOLLYWOOD.COM. {{cite web}}: Text "2001" ignored (help)
  17. ^ Ellis, Ralph; Andone, Dakin (June 18, 2017). "Stephen Furst, actor who played Flounder in 'Animal House,' dies at 63". CNN.com. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  18. ^ "Dragon Storm". Scifi-Movies.
  19. ^ Freer, Sloan. "Path of Destruction". RadioTimes.
  20. ^ "Basilisk: The Serpent King (2006)". The Bad Movie Marathon.
  21. ^ Pinkerton, Nick. "My Sister's Keeper (PG-13)". LA Weekly.
  22. ^ a b "Stephen Furst, actor who shone in Animal House, dies aged 63". The Guardian. Associated Press. June 18, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  23. ^ "2016 FILM SCHEDULE". Laughlin International Film Festival 2016.
  24. ^ Staff, Variety (January 26, 2016). "'Animal House' Star Stephen Furst Protests Academy Rule Changes". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  25. ^ "Stephen Furst Quotes". BrainyQuote. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  26. ^ "Stephen Furst: Laughter Is the Best Medicine". Diabetic Living Online. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  27. ^ "USATODAY.com – Stephen Furst redirects life after diabetes". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  28. ^ "leewochner.com  » Blog Archive  » Flounder gets a kidney". leewochner.com. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  29. ^ "Renal Support Network". RSNhope.org.
  30. ^ Furst, Stephen (September 9, 2002). Confessions of a Couch Potato (1 edition ed.). Alexandria, Va.: American Diabetes Association. ISBN 9781580401449. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  31. ^ "'Animal House' Star Ignored Diabetes Alarms". Consumer HealthDay. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  32. ^ "An Actor's Story, starring Stephen Furst | Derma Sciences". www.dermasciences.com. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  33. ^ Wulff, Jennifer (June 4, 2001). "Fratboy Slim". People.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "Stephen Furst". HOLLYWOOD.COM.
  35. ^ "Stephen Furst, Flounder in 'Animal House,' Dies at 63". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 17, 2017.
  36. ^ a b c d e Tyrkus, Michael J. (2000). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, Volume 28 (illustrated ed.). Gale. p. 122. ISBN 9780787631871.
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