Iconic 80s heartthrob who starred with Sean Penn in coming-of-age classic is seen at 69… who is he?
An actor who starred in one of the most enduring films of the 1980s and two of the most beloved television series was spotted in Los Angeles this week.
His most remembered role was in the film that made Sean Penn a movie star and created an actor who would later become one of Quentin Tarantino’s leading men.
In the same decade, she played recurring characters in an iconic musical TV series and a hit sitcom about an all-girls boarding school.
In recent years, he has appeared in films with the likes of Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart and in many TV series, from Will & Grace to Family Guy and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
The now 69-year-old looked cheerful as ever when he went grocery shopping in a casual ensemble of jeans, a hoodie and tortoiseshell tones.
Can you guess who he is?
An actor who starred in one of the most enduring films of the 1980s and two of the most beloved television series was spotted in Los Angeles this week.
His most remembered role was in the film that made Sean Penn a movie star and created an actor who would later become one of Quentin Tarantino’s leading men.
He is none other than Robert Romanus, known to movie fans as scalper Mike Damone in the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
This coming-of-age film, based on a book by Cameron Crowe, marked a turning point in the careers of Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold, as well as first-time director Amy Heckerling, who also directed Clueless.
Born in Connecticut to Lebanese parents, Romanus first moved to Los Angeles to become a musician, working as a singing waiter at a restaurant until a customer said in a thinly veiled tone, “You know, you should be an actor.” Cult Movie Freak.
She enrolled in an acting course, fell in love with the craft, and soon made her first film, the 1980 coming-of-age drama Foxes, starring Jodie Foster.
Directed by Adrian Lyne, who later directed Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction and Indecent Proposal, Foxes featured Romanus in a cast that included Scott Baio, Randy Quaid, Sandy Kellerman and The Runaways’ lead singer Cherie Curie.
Three years passed before placing Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Although Heckerling pressured her to get the role, she had to audition seven times because the producers were not convinced of her work.
He won the hearts of his fans with his portrayal of Mike Damone, who has the misguided idea that he is a womanizer and gives stereotypical tips on developing ‘attitude’ to attract girls.
“Oh, it was all fun, man,” he later recalled while shooting the film. ‘It was very nice because no one had a big ego. It was truly a summer movie. “It wasn’t a huge budget.”
He is none other than Robert Romanus, known to movie fans as scalper Mike Damone in the 1982 high school movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
This coming-of-age movie, based on a book by Cameron Crowe, was a breakthrough for Sean Penn and Jennifer Jason Leigh; the last one is depicted with Romanus.
The now 69-year-old looked cheerful as ever when he went grocery shopping this week in a casual ensemble of jeans, a hoodie and tortoiseshell tones.
She enrolled in an acting course, fell in love with the craft, and soon made her first film, the 1980 coming-of-age drama Foxes, starring Jodie Foster.
Three years passed before she landed Fast Times at Ridgemont High, where she had to audition seven times because the producers were not convinced.
Romanus noted: ‘All the players were fairly new. I think Sean Penn, who was probably the most well-known person at the time, was coming out of TAPS…So there was no such thing as: “This is who I am, this is who I am, I want a big trailer, blah blah blah… I’m a star.”’
He added: “It was just: ‘Let’s have some fun. Let’s make this movie.” I’d go on set and watch Sean do a scene and I was thinking, “Oh man, these guys are so good. I have to go home and do my homework.’ That made me want to go home and study harder because everything looked so good.’
As the decade progressed, he made recurring appearances in the musical TV series Fame, about a performing arts high school in New York, a real-life institution that has produced stars from Al Pacino to Jennifer Aniston to Timothee Chalamet.
She also had a memorable turn in The Facts of Life, a long-running sitcom about an all-girls boarding school; here he played the boyfriend of Mindy Cohn’s character, Natalie Green, who loses her virginity to him.
Romanus has since guest-starred in a number of TV series, including 21 Jump Street, Weird Science, Will & Grace, Family Guy, Cold Case, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
His films include American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, the fourth installment of the series, and the reality show parody A Halfway House Christmas.
In a moment of complete absence, he played the guitar teacher in the 2010 rock biopic The Runaways, starring Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Curie — 30 years after the real Curie and Romanus made their film debut in Foxes.
