Fast Times At Ridgemont High was an instant hit when it was released in 1982. Although the tag line read: "A story of a group of California teenagers who enjoy malls, sex and rock n' roll," Fast Times was much more than that. It was a coming-of-age film for kids like me who were struggling with authority, transitioning into adulthood and learning about relationships.
The film launched or solidified the careers of lots of actors, including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Forest Whitaker and Phoebe Cates. It helped resurrect the career of Ray Walston.
But, whatever happened to Robert Romanus?
Mike Damone, as played by Romanus, came across as slick and street-wise, but he was really a poser. Insecure and afraid (but pretending not to be), I identified with Mike Damone more than any other Fast Times character.
Romanus went on to do lots of TV guest spots, some soap work and a couple of failed TV series pilots. Although he has worked steadily, it seems he never met the critical or popular success of Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
2 comments:
Your mama's alright, you're daddy's alright, they just seem a little weird. . . .
Classic.
That was the first "dirty" movie I ever saw. I was 12.
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