Paris Themmen
Paris Themmen | |
|---|---|
 Themmen at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 1, 2010 | |
| Born | June 25, 1959 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1967– |
| Spouse |
Nikki Grillos (m. 2014) |
| Website | paristhemmen |
Paris Themmen (born June 25, 1959) is an American entrepreneur, real estate broker, commercial casting director and former child actor, who is best known for his role as Mike Teavee in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Early life
Themmen was born in Boston to Ivana Marburger (born 1936) and Harold B. Themmen, both classical musician parents.[1] Themmen's mother was a renowned composer for orchestras in the late 20th century.[2][3] A guitar concerto of hers was in final contention for the 1982 Kennedy Center Friedheim Award.[4] Themmen's father, a graduate of the New England Conservatory, was a clarinetist and librarian for the American Ballet Theatre, and also played for the Boston Pops.[5]
Career
Themmen appeared in radio and TV commercials, voice-overs and theater before playing the role of Mike Teavee in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, when he was 11 years old. He performed on Broadway in Mame with Ann Miller in 1967 and in The Rothschilds in 1970.
Declaring a hiatus from acting at age 14 to "just be a kid," Themmen went on to receive a B.F.A. in theatre from New York University. Smitten with the urge to travel, he founded Access International, a travel service that arranged Europe-bound charter flights for backpackers. Themmen's passion for travel has taken him to over 60 countries.
Following brief stints in real estate, film production, commercial casting, business representation at Walt Disney Imagineering and a few other ventures, he now signs autographs at movie conventions, runs a photography business, and makes sporadic appearances in commercials, plays and TV shows.[6]
Themmen's adult acting appearances include "Virtuoso", a 2000, sixth-season episode of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager,[7] as a fawning fan. He also as himself billed as a "former child star" in two 2008 episodes of the American game show Duel.[8][9]
On May 4, 2011, Themmen appeared on the British television morning show Daybreak, alongside the other child actors from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket), Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt), Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde) and Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop). They made an additional 40th Anniversary reunion appearance on NBC's Today Show eleven days later.[10] Paris also appeared on the TV version of Trivial Pursuit in Summer 1993 and won, and was on Win Ben Stein's Money and lost.
On January 23, 2015 Themmen appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor Podcast. The episode was recorded live in Wilmington, Massachusetts during North East ComicCon.
On October 28–30, 2015, his wife appeared on Jeopardy! as a contestant, returning twice as a champion before being defeated on her third appearance.[11] Themmen himself was a Jeopardy! contestant on March 13, 2018, finishing in second place.[12]
Personal life
Themmen has been married to Nikki Grillos since 2014. Together, the couple currently resides in Los Angeles, California.[13]
Themmen's sister Allegra Themmen-Pigott (1967–2019) was a coloratura soprano opera singer and music therapist.[14] His sister Tania is married to voice actress and voice director Susan Blu.[15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory | Mike Teavee |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | The Rock 'n' Fun Magic Show | Himself | |
| 1994 | Macross Plus | Additional Voices | TV Mini-Series |
| 1999 | Screenplay | Mail Room Clerk | Television Film |
| 2000 | Star Trek: Voyager | Fawning Fan | Episode: "Virtuoso" |
| 2003 | After They Were Famous | Himself | Documentary |
| 2011 | Daybreak | ||
| Pure Imagination: The Story of 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory | Documentary | ||
| Today Show | |||
| Top Chef: Jest Deserts | Episode: "Pure Imagination" | ||
| 2012 | Beyond the Marquee | Episode: "Meet the Wonk Kids" | |
| Men with No Lives | Episode: "Who Is Hugh Jardon? Stan Lee's Comikaze Special" | ||
| 2016 | Cake Wars | 1 episode | |
| LeagueOne: In the Spotlight! | Episode: "Child Star Remembers Gene Wilder!" | ||
| 2018 | Jeopardy! | 1 episode |
Film work
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Until the End of the World | Production Assistant | Uncredited |
| 2005 | Citizen Candy Man: A Chocumentary | Special Thanks | |
| 2011 | Something Borrowed | Production Assistant | |
| 2012 | The Owner | First Assistant Director |
References
- ^ Fanfare Magazine, Volume 6, Issues 3-4, 1983 page 276
- ^ Remember Music You Could Hum? Retrieved May 10, 2019
- ^ American Woman Composers News, Volume 1, Issues 2-3
- ^ Pone's 'Avanti!' Wins Friedheim Prize Retrieved May 10, 2019
- ^ Teck, Catherine. Music for the Dance: Reflections on a Collaborative Art. Greenwood Press, 1989, page 108
- ^ "The Official Paris Themmen Website". paristhemmen.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
- ^ "Paris Themmen: From Willy Wonka To Voyager". Star Trek.com. June 8, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ^ Duel April 18, 2008
- ^ Duel, July 4, 2008 broadcast
- ^ Wonka kids on today show. YouTube. 15 May 2011.
- ^ Jeopardy! broadcast of October 28, 29, and 30, 2015
- ^ "Today's Final Jeopardy - March 13, 2018 – The Jeopardy! Fan". The Jeopardy! Fan. 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
- ^ Gurliacci, David (January 14, 2017). "Celebrity Chefs and The Amazing Kreskin at Chocolate Expo on Jan 29". Darienite.com.
- ^ Themmen-Pigott, Allegra. Life in the Key of Allegra: A Personal and Professional Journey with the Healing Powers of Music. 2019
- ^ Susan Blu: Transformation of an Animation Icon Retrieved May 10, 2019
External links
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| National | |
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