Thomas later enlisted in the US Army at the age of 23, and after his time serving, he decided acting just wasnt of interest to him. Eugene "Porky" Lee Everett Collection/YouTube Screenshot The vice-president of the 'He-Man Women Haters Club', Stymie was played by Kevin Jamal Woods. He did this up until his passing in January 1981 at the age of 56. They were born from the 1922-1938 'Our Gang' shorts from MGM. He became an avid speaker about his days as a part of The Little Rascals. Hood was busy organizing the 1980 Little Rascals reunion for the Los Angeles chapter of The Sons of the Desert when she underwent an appendectomy at Canoga Park Hospital, Canoga Park, California. Sadly, at age 16, just two weeks after his parents gifted him a scooter. Buckwheat was originally a background member of the gang. Its, like, really embarrassing to watch and I dont want to act anymore.. After outgrowing Our Gang, Hood continued her education in high school, where she organized a vocal group called the Enchanters. Tedford, along with the rest of the main cast, reunited in 2014 for a 20th anniversary photo shoot organized by production company 22 Vision. Additionally, theres her mischievous nature and her ability to mimic other characters lines in a humorous way, which gave her the nickname Echo.. Matthew Beard Jr. was born on January 1, 1925, in Los Angeles. As a result, Lee nicknamed Porky by the studio joined the cast as Spankys little brother. Online reports that as of 2020, Holmes currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband. Besides the MySpace page she had in the early-to-mid 2000s, her social media presence is pretty sparse. Half a century before Haim, another former child star, slugging away in anonymity after his career fizzled, died in violence. On May 29, 1936, when he was only 21, Norman died of myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle. But Buckwheat slowly morphed into a boy. She and Granson had three children. Lane is a writer who loves entertainment and media and watches as many movies as she reads books. His final television performance was in 1993, playing himself in the opening of the Cheers episode Woody Gets An Election. He died shortly thereafter, in June of that year, of a heart attack. She reportedly retired formally at age 7 though that 2014 role suggests something lured her back, if only momentarily and completed high school like a normal kid. The 1994 film portrayed the children in a modern setting. At the time of this writing, she hasn't appeared in anything since. he continued acting for a bit, including a small role in. Distractifty reported Collins was working as an assistant cameraman on "Sons of Anarchy," but it's not on his IMDb. They are in their late 80s and mid-90s respectively. Darla was introduced to the gang with the very popular short, . When Our Gang stopped production in 1944, Laughlin appeared in Johnny Doesnt Live Here Anymore (1944), then left show business to enjoy his teenage years. Im a guy who likes to eat and I found I couldnt do it without working. His image appeared in every form of Our Gang merchandise, but unfortunately, he never saw the happiness or money from using his likeness. He was played by child actor Matthew Beard. Carl was dubbed Alfalfa and, over the course of the films, he became best friends with Spanky and, of course, was always pursuing Darla. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of music teacher Elizabeth Davner, and James Claude Hood, who worked in a bank. He was known for wearing his thick glasses to correct his crossed eyes and had a distinctive Popeye-Esque voice. Rivkin, who discovered her as a child, cast her in The Bat her last film role in 1959. She also doesnt seem active on social media. It was a pleasure to be able to see children playing together again without any guns or violence. She played Darla in Our Gang except for her Our Gang debut in which her character's name was "Cookie". Her last public appearance, as far as we can tell, was at the 20th reunion celebration for The Little Rascals, during which she revealed that she. What a gang! He was able to turn his life around, though, and after rehabilitating, he appeared as a guest star on Sanford and Son and The Jeffersons, and had a recurring role on Good Times as Monty. In 1978, he appeared in The Buddy Holly Story as a member of the backstage crew at the Apollo Theatre, wearing his trademark bowler hat. He has also indulged in other pursuits such as being a DJ, an employee at a consulting firm, and a real estate agent. Ironically, this would end up being a preview of what would ultimately be in store for him. Ashtons appearance at the shoot seemed to briefly reignite Ashtons passion for film. It all stems from the fact that they just wanted to see each other.. He was 16 as old as Billy Froggy Laughlin when he died. , and his final actin endeavor was in 1958, in the Tony Curtis-led film. From 1935 to 1941, she continued to play in Our Gang. While Holmes did go on to play in a handful of TV movies and even had an appearance in a McDonald's commercial in 1995 (above), she wasn't seen in anything after 1996 until 2014. Hood was busy organizing the 1980 Little Rascals reunion for the Los Angeles chapter of The Sons of the Desert when she underwent an appendectomy at Canoga Park Hospital, Canoga Park, California. She went on to reprise her role as Raven Baxter in the Disney series Raven's Home while appearing in a plethora of other TV shows. In 1955, she was a leading lady in the act of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. She made her debut at age four in the 1935 film Our Gang Follies of 1936 and was soon given a role in The Bohemian Girl with Laurel and Hardy. According to Brittany Ashton Holmes' old MySpace page (remember MySpace? as Donna Reeds date at the high school dance. Its no wonder so many spinoffs and revivals happened through the years, including the 1994 feature film. What a gang! Look at them! I have no regrets. Here's what the cast, including Raven-Symon, the Olsen twins, and Blake McIver Ewing, are up to now. She was five when the movie was filmed, and later went on to finish school and earn a degree in political science, ditching her on-screen past. She was then taken to Culver City, California, to appear in the Our Gang movies. Besides that, he works as a realtor, DJ, and actor, according to Instagram. He went on to maintain his sobriety and often gave lectures on drug abuse awareness. He was one of the breakout stars of the film. He died on Aug. 31, 1948. Warkol was a working actor in the '90s. Lee retired and became analternative school educator at Broomfield High School inColorado. Elsewhere online, Holmes doesn't appear to have a presence which, again, may be by design. In a behind-the-scenes video from the reunion shoot, shared on the 22 Vision YouTube page, Brittany Ashton Holmes enthusiastically argues that "everybody still has that core rascal inside of them" after Hall, standing next to her in a throwback to their onscreen relationship of Darla and Alfalfa, admitted "it feels like no time has passed" since they shot the movie. She then stepped back from acting entirely until 2014, when the Little Rascals star featured as "Townslady Britt" in TV short We Hate Paul Revere. I was a curious kid, and I got a charge out of Stan Lauren, and he knew it. Eugene retired from show business after Our Gang and became an alternative school educator at Broomfield High School in Colorado. The family moved to New York to seek opportunities for fame for Darla, that was when Joe Rivkin, a casting director for Hal Roach Studios, cast her in the Gang shorts. There's nothing wrong with not being present on social media, but we're all dying to know if her husband is a fan of TheLittle Rascals, too. Advertisement. But after the photos were done, Brittany effectively disappeared again. Travis Tedford played Spanky, the president of the "He-Man Woman-Haters Club." IMDb lists seven acting credits, including an appearance on 'Ellen' in 1995, a few TV movies, and an appearance on one episode of 'Red Shoe Diaries.'. Brittany later wrote on MySpace that she had no plans to rekindle her acting career. The sisters founded fashion label The Row in 2006 and are still working on it today, with a children's line launching in September 2021. I dont think Ill ever forget him as General Spanky. Doesnt get any cuter than that! Hood was married twice, first to singer and insurance salesman Robert W. Decker (19491957), then to record-company executive Jose Granson (19571979). He was posthumously honored with a star on Hollywoods Walk of Fame in January 1994. She's the focus of the entire story when you consider Alfalfa just wants to prove his love to her but can't manage it with his devious friends around. Brittany Ashton Holmes, then a 5-year-old, played Darla Alfalfas sweetheart and forbidden love interest. William Thomas Jr. was born on March 12, 1931, in Los Angeles. Porky reminds most viewers of a young Spanky, Hes best friends with Buckwheat and joined the same time as Darla in 1935. Darla is the love interest of Alfalfa, a kind-hearted girl who eventually joins the 'Rascals' despite Spanky's initial hatred towards her. Coincidentally the final appearance of crooked hat Scotty Beckett. There isn't a lot known about her final role in a movie, and there's not a clear reason why she seemingly retired from acting, but we can guess that it just wasn't her passion to be in the spotlight. Cookies help us deliver our Services. He appeared in bit parts and B movies as an adult, including the classic Its a Wonderful Life(1946). Ewing hosted a few episodes of Bravo's talk show "The People's Couch" from 2013 to 2014. All of us at DYR sincerely hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane to check out the original cast of The Little Rascals! Their mystery series "The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley" also began in 1994. She noted simply, "The whole movie was a dream." The group remained with Murray's Blackouts during its long run in New York City and Hollywood. Brittany is 31 now, and though she had a handful of projects post-'Little Rascals,' she never really cracked Hollywood. Whatever Happened To Alfalfa From The Little Rascals? Our Gang [ edit] Technicolor Paradise: Rhum Rhapsodies & Other Exotic Delights, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Darla_Hood&oldid=1135577796, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Turner Classic Movies person ID same as Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 15:05. The general feeling throughout the shoot is of old friends reconnecting after years apart, as though nothing has changed, because their first film experience was so wonderful. Hal Roach noted how much the 18-month-old toddler looked like Our Gang star Spanky McFarland, also from Texas. Daryl Hannah was easily one of the most popular female movie stars of her time. On the big screen, she also appeared in the two "Dr. Doolittle" films in 1998 and 2001, and she starred in 2008's "College Road Trip.". According to Vulture, Holmes expressed a desire to reunite with Bug Hall again someday on her MySpace page (alongside Orlando Bloom and "billie-joe," which either means the singer from Green Day or is a typo and she meant to reference Billy Joel). McFarland was a passionate golfer who, in his later years, could be seen on the pro-am circuit. To date, he's been credited in the music department of 44 projects, as well as composer for 15 more. You might also remember Brittany from Baby. Thomas initially played Buckwheat speech impediment and all as a girl dressed as the stereotypical African-American pickaninny. He wore bowed pigtails, a large hand-me-down sweater, and oversized boots. More than two decades have passed since the film's release. The film turned out to be a moderate success, but what about the actors? During the making of what would be his final film,The Defiant Ones(1958), he told a newspaper, I look just like I did when I was a kid. He co-starred with Will Smith again in the 1996 film "Independence Day.". According to his LinkedIn profile, he currently serves as a manager at Texas Trust Credit Union. I used to follow him around the lot, hed buy me ice cream and one day he said, Well, give this kid a derby. Thats why it never fit me; it belonged to Stan Laurel.. The Buckwheat character was originally a female, portrayed by Matthew Stymie Beards younger sister, Carlena. He released a self-titled EP in 2015. Other notable roles from the 1990s include Cynthia Coates in Death Benefit, Amy Carver in Circuit Breaker, and "Girl on Boat" in Humanoids from the Deep. Les meilleures offres pour The Little Rascals: The ClassicFlix Restorations, Volume 5 [Trs bon Blu-r utilis sont sur eBay Comparez les prix et les spcificits des produits neufs et d 'occasion Pleins d 'articles en livraison gratuite! After leaving the show, McFarland enlisted in the US Air Force. For anyone who grew up in the '90s, or has a love of '90s-era films, 'Little Rascals' was iconic. He played the role of Pete the Pup. He played Eddie Munster in the 1996 TV film "The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas," and starred in "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," "The Stupids," "The Big Green," "Get a Clue," "Safety Patrol," and "Hercules.". You'll Barely Recognize Darla From Little Rascals Now The 1990s were a great decade of movies that now pack so much nostalgia, it's sometimes too much . After completing 61 shorts, his final one was the one reel, Kiddie Kure completed when he was 12 years old. He also has a younger sibling, whose name was never released . Woods appeared in 14 episodes of "Blossom" from 1994 to 1995, around the time that the film came out. It's, like, really embarrassing to watch and I don't want to act anymore," (via Screen Rant). Laughlin rose to fame at the age of 8, joining Our Gang in 1940.