Curtis Armstrong
Curtis Armstrong (born November 27, 1953) is an American actor and singer best known for playing the roles of Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds movies, Herbert Viola on the TV series Moonlighting, Miles Dalby in the film Risky Business, famed record producer Ahmet Ertegun in the film Ray as well as for playing the role of Metatron on the TV series Supernatural.
Curtis Armstrong | |
|---|---|
 Curtis Armstrong at Phoenix Comicon in 2017 | |
| Born | November 27, 1953 |
| Occupation | Actor, voice actor, singer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse(s) | Elaine Aronson (m. 1994) |
| Children | Lily |
He is also known for providing his voice for such characters as Schmuley "Snot" Lonstein on the animated TV series American Dad! and Maru in the animated film Planes: Fire & Rescue in addition to portraying the title character on the animated TV series Dan Vs. and Ezekiel the Cockroach on Doom Patrol .
From 2013 to 2015, he served as the co-host of the TBS reality television competition series King of the Nerds.
Personal life
Armstrong was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Norma E. (née D'Amico), a teacher of Italian (Abruzzese) descent, and Robert Leroy Armstrong. He graduated from Berkley High School in Berkley, Michigan, and later graduated from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.[1] Armstrong had a Catholic upbringing, but converted to Judaism when he married Elaine Aronson.[2][3] His daughter Lily Armstrong was born in 1996. Armstrong announced via social media that his father died on May 25, 2020 of COVID-19.[4][5]
Career
His first role came in the 1983 film Risky Business. However, he is best known for his role of Booger in Revenge of the Nerds and its sequel Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise. He later reprised his role as Booger in the 1992 television movie Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation and the 1994 television movie Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love. Armstrong's typecasting in the role was mocked in The Simpsons episode "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)". His other films include Better Off Dead, Big Bully, One Crazy Summer, Bad Medicine, National Lampoon's Van Wilder, Smokin' Aces, DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, Jingle All The Way, Southland Tales, and Beer for My Horses. He also had a recurring role as Herbert Viola on the television series Moonlighting, and played the part of Ahmet Ertegun in the biographical film Ray (2004).
Armstrong provided the voices for Mr. Moleguaco and Mr. Bugspit on the Disney Channel original series The Emperor's New School and The Buzz on Maggie. Armstrong was also in Akeelah and the Bee. He played "Farley", a fictional composite character based on members of Elvis Presley's real entourage in the 1997 cult-comedy film Elvis Meets Nixon. He also had a bit part as "Russ" on the short-lived TV show Reaper.
Armstrong was cast in the 2000 film Shanghai Noon as Wild West hawker Bulldog Drummond, but all three scenes in which his character appears were cut from the film during the editing phase.[6] He voices "Snot" on the animated sitcom American Dad!, parodying his role from Revenge of the Nerds. He also had a role as Double Wide in the cartoon series Stroker and Hoop on Adult Swim. He appeared in the 2006 production of Akeelah and the Bee as Mr. Welch. He was on VH1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars despite being thirty when he played his first role. He played "Mecklen" in the 2007 film, Smokin' Aces.
In the feature film Ray, for preparation for his role as music executive Ahmet Ertegun, he had the top part of his head shaved to simulate male pattern baldness. He guest starred in episode 10 — "Much Too Much" — and had a much smaller part in episode 11 — "Owner of a Lonely Heart" — in season two of Grey's Anatomy. Armstrong played a deejay named Jerry Thunder on That '70s Show, episode 315, "Radio Daze." In 2006 Armstrong was in an episode of Boston Legal. In 2008, he guest starred on the iCarly episode "iStakeout" as a convenience store clerk who was suspected of making unauthorized copies of movies. In 2009 he appeared in Ratko: The Dictator's Son, and Locker 13. He played fictional astronaut Chaz Dalton on an episode of the TV series My Name is Earl. From 2008–2013 he portrayed Dr Parker/Dr Dawson on The Game.
2009 found Armstrong playing a paranoid character in a mental institution on the House season six premiere, "Broken". Also in 2009 Armstrong appeared in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, as a teacher obsessed with the principal of the school, and he also appeared as a bumbling bandit in the movie "Gold Retrievers".
In 2010, he made a guest appearance on the television show Glory Daze and began voicing the main character on the animated series Dan Vs. He also voices Robot in Robot and Monster. He also appeared on Spike TV's Blue Mountain State (S01E11). In 2011, he appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and has a recurring role as attorney Peter Goldman on season seven of The Closer. He reprises this role in season four of Major Crimes.
On October 27, 2011, he appeared as himself on the television show Rules of Engagement.
In addition to his acting career, Armstrong's affinity for the music of Harry Nilsson has prompted him to become an enthusiast of Nilsson's work. He has written liner notes for CD reissues of Nilsson albums and has been instrumental in archival and bonus track preparation for these reissues. Additionally, Armstrong is an avid fan of Washington Irving, Laurel and Hardy, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
Armstrong and former Revenge of the Nerds co-star Robert Carradine host the TBS reality TV competition series King of the Nerds. The series, which pits contestants with expertise in a variety of geek interests to see who will be crowned with the eponymous title, premiered in January 2013.
In May 2013, Armstrong appeared as Dr. Foster in an episode of New Girl.
He continues to play the angel Metatron in several episodes in the 9th, 10th and 11th seasons of Supernatural.
Also, he is currently playing the pizza delivery guy in Domino's homage to Tom Cruise's role in Risky Business.
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1989 | Moonlighting | Herbert Quentin Viola | |
| 1991 | Hi Honey – I'm Dead | Arnold Pischkin | TV movie |
| 1993–1997 | The Terrible Thunderlizards | Scooter | Voice; Main role |
| 1995 | M.A.N.T.I.S | B.B. Rantzer | Episode: "Fast Forward" Season 1 Episode 21[8] |
| Lois & Clark | Albie Swenson | Episode: "Resurrection" Season 2 Episode 17 [9] | |
| 1997 | The Hunger | Bart Brookman | Episode: "Room 117" |
| 1998 | Brimstone | Jimmy G. | Episode: "Repentance" |
| 1998 | The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer | Confederate soldier | Episode: "Up, Up and Away" |
| 1998 | Love Boat: The Next Wave | Mitch Beeber | Episode: "Remember?" |
| 1999 | Felicity | Danny | 3 episodes |
| 1999 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Ken Fretts | Episode: "The Baby Menace" |
| 2001 | The Amanda Show | Video Store Clerk | "Moody's Point Segment" |
| 2001 | That '70s Show | Jerry Thunder | Episode: "Radio Daze" |
| 2001-2002 | The Chronicle | Sal the Pig-Boy | 14 episodes |
| 2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Security Guard / God | Episode: "State of Grace" |
| 2004 | One On One | Matt | Episode: “Bright Lights, Big City” |
| 2005–present | American Dad! | Snot | Voice; Recurring role |
| 2005-2006 | The Buzz on Maggie | Mr. Bugspit | Voice; Recuirring role |
| 2005 | Grey's Anatomy | Robert Martin | 2 episodes |
| 2006–2008 | The Emperor's New School | Mr. Moleguaco | Voice; Recurring role |
| 2007 | Shredderman Rules | Mayor Izzo | TV movie |
| Wizards of Waverly Place | Zit | Episode: "Pop Me And We Both Go Down" | |
| Ghost Whisperer | Harold | Episode: "The Walk-In" | |
| 2008 | iCarly | Store Clerk | Episode: "iStakeout" |
| Psych | Jervis | Episode: "The Old and the Restless" | |
| 2008–13 | The Game | Dr. Parker/Dr. Dawson | |
| 2009 | My Name Is Earl | Chaz Dalton | Episode: "Chaz Dalton Space Academy" |
| House | Richter | Episode: "Broken" | |
| 2010 | Blue Mountain State | Ronnie Hayes | Episode: "Ransom" |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Clint Pudder | Episode: "The Panty Sniffer" | |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Computer Guy | Episode: "The Safe House" |
| Rules of Engagement | Himself | Episode: "Bros Before Nodes" | |
| That's Our Joe | Snot | Episode: "You Can't Do the 'Lunchables All Star Show', Joe" | |
| 2011–2012 | The Closer | Peter Goldman | Recurring role |
| 2011–2013 | Dan Vs. | Dan | Voice, Main role |
| 2012 | Scandal | Attorney Cole | Episode: "Hell Hath No Fury" |
| 2012–2015 | Robot and Monster | Robot, Marf, Robot-bot | Voice, Main role |
| 2013 | Bones | Oscar Schultz | Episode: "The Blood from the Stones" |
| Hot in Cleveland | Clark | Episode: "Lost Loves and Tangled Web" | |
| New Girl | Dr. Foster | Recurring role | |
| 2013–2015 | King of the Nerds | Himself, in reference to Dudley "Booger" Dawson | Main role |
| 2013–2016 | Supernatural | Metatron | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Workaholics | Richard Ottmar | Episode "Triva Pursuit" |
| 2015 | Highston | Uncle Billy | Amazon Originals Pilot episode |
| 2016 | Major Crimes | Peter Goldman | Episodes "Hindsight" Parts 1 through 4 |
| 2016 | Frequency | Karl | Episode: "Deviation" |
| 2017 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Super Amazing Bouncy Ball (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | MacGyver | The Pawn | Episode: "Packing Peanuts + Fire" |
| 2018 | Champaign ILL | Burt | Recurring role |
| 2019 | Doom Patrol | Ezekiel the Cockroach (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Happy! | Dayglo Doug | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Loud House | Mr. Gurdle (voice) | Episode: "Stall Monitor" |
Video games
| Year | Game | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption | Pink |
| 2010 | Mafia II | Civilians |
| 2017 | Style Savvy: Styling Star | Voice |
Music video
| Year | Music Video | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Supernatural Parody 2 | The Hillywood Show |
References
- Sandoval, Emiliana. "Five Things: about Curtis Armstrong", Detroit Free Press, May 1, 2006. Accessed May 31, 2007. "Local guy Curtis Armstrong has carved out a steady film career. His most recent movie, "Akeelah and the Bee," came out Friday. STARTING OUT Armstrong was born in 1953 in Detroit and graduated from Berkley High School."
- "Curtis Armstrong - My Life Of Dad". Lifeofdad.com, March 21, 2016.
- "PGP 797: Robot And Booger". Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- Armstrong, Curtis (May 26, 2020). "My dad Robert & me in London in 1973. I loved him. He loved his wife, my sister, Elaine and me. He adored my daughter Lily. He died yesterday of Covid-19, aged 92. He introduced me to Sherlock Holmes. Years later, I introduced him to Patrick O'Brian. So we're even.RIPpic.twitter.com/sUWIE3YOY0". @curtisisbooger. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- "Curtis Armstrong". www.facebook.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- Klein, James (July 28, 2013). "Shanghai Noon / Shanghai Knights (2000 / 2003)". Unrated Film. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
- "WATCH: 'Planes 2: Fire & Rescue' Full Length Trailer". Stitch Kingdom. February 5, 2014. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- "M.A.N.T.I.S.: Fast Forward". TV.com. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: Resurrection". TV.com. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Curtis Armstrong. |
- Curtis Armstrong at IMDb
- Curtis Armstrong at AllMovie
- "Curtis Armstrong: Booger and Beyond". Rocker: The Lifestyle Magazine for Mature Hipsters. Eldercore LLC. February 2014.
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