Brian Bonsall
| Brian Bonsall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Brian Eric Bonsall December 3, 1981 Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986 – 1994 |
Brian Eric Bonsall (born December 3, 1981) is an American former child actor. He played Andrew "Andy" Keaton, the youngest child on the NBC sitcom Family Ties from 1986 until 1989, and Alexander Rozhenko, the son of Worf and K'ehleyr, on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1992 to 1994.
Early life and acting career
Bonsall was born in Torrance, California. At the age of five, he won the role of Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. Bonsall won three Young Artist Awards for his performance on the series. He was also nominated for a Young Artist Award for his starring role in the made-for-TV movie Do You Know the Muffin Man? in 1990.
He made his feature film debut in 1991 in the horror film Mikey, playing the title role, a demonic young boy who murders his parents and terrorizes his adoptive parents. This caused controversy in the UK owing to its depiction of a child killer at a time when the murder of James Bulger had raised sensitivity about violent behavior by children. The film was initially passed uncut by the British Board of Film Classification, but its certificate was withdrawn by James Ferman in the wake of the Bulger killing.[1]
In science fiction circles, he is known for the part of Alexander Rozhenko, son of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Klingon security officer, Mr. Worf—a recurring role he played for 7 episodes across several seasons.
He played Patrick Swayze's son in the 1993 film Father Hood. In 1994, he starred in the Disney comedy Blank Check and co-starred with Bob Saget in the TV movie comedy Father and Scout. His other acting credits include the TV movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme and guest appearances on television series such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Young Riders.
Life after acting
In 1995, Bonsall retired from acting and moved with his mother and stepfather to Boulder, Colorado. He attended Boulder High School, graduating in 2000.[2] He also became a musician, forming the rock band Late Bloomers with his friends in 1998. He has also been in the Boulder-based punk bands Thruster as well as The Light on Adam's Stereo.[3] He was in the Los Angeles-based punk band This Life of Mine, but is also working on solo projects.
In a 2005 interview, he stated that he has no interest in returning to acting.
On March 28, 2007, Bonsall was arrested on charges of assaulting his girlfriend. He was sentenced to 2 years of probation on August 31, 2007.[4]
On December 7, 2009, Bonsall was arrested for third-degree assault and failure-to-appear in connection with the 2007 assault on his girlfriend.[5]
In February, 2010, Bonsall was arrested on charges of using marijuana in violation of the terms of his release. He was sentenced in April of 2010 to 2 years of probation.[6]
As of 2015, Bonsall plays guitar and sings in two bands, Lowjob and Bootjack & Bonz.
As of 2016, Bonsall has been touring with rock band The Ataris [7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-1989 | Family Ties | Andrew "Andy" Keaton | 78 episodes |
| 1988 | Mickey's 60th Birthday | Andy Keaton | Television special |
| Go Toward the Light | Zack | Television movie | |
| Day by Day | Andrew "Andy" Keaton | Episode: "Trading Places" | |
| 1989 | Do You Know the Muffin Man? | Teddy Dollison | Television movie |
| Booker | Billy | Episode: "Deals and Wheels: Part 1" | |
| On the Television | Googie Chowder | Episode: "Stupid People's Court" | |
| 1990 | Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme | Michael | Television movie |
| Angel of Death | Josh | Television movie | |
| Married People | Brian | Episode: "To Live and Drive in LA" | |
| 1991 | The Young Riders | Episode: "Old Scores" | |
| Shades of L.A. | Andy Makowski | 2 episodes: | |
| Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Andrew Keaton | Episode: "Civil Wars" | |
| False Arrest | Jason Lukezic | Television movie | |
| 1992 to 1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Alexander Rozhenko | 7 episodes |
| 1991 | Mikey | Mikey Holt | |
| 1993 | Distant Cousins | Alex Sullivan | |
| Father Hood | Eddie Charles | ||
| 1994 | Blank Check | Preston Waters | |
| Father and Scout | Michael | Television movie | |
| Lily in Winter | Michael Towler | Television movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Under Ten Years of Age in Television or Motion Pictures | Family Ties | Won |
| 1989 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Under Nine Years of Age | Family Ties | Won |
| 1990 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a TV Movie, Pilot or Special | Do You Know the Muffin Man? | Nominated |
| Young Artist Award | Outstanding Performance by an Actor Under Nine Years of Age | Family Ties | Won |
References
- ↑ Banned: The most controversial films The Independent. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ↑ Miller, Vanessa (2009-12-07). "Former 'Family Ties' star Brian Bonsall arrested again in Boulder". Colorado Daily.
- ↑ "Brian Bonsall - The Light on Adam's Stereo (Eight songs by Brian Bonsall: "Restart", "Just Calling to Say Goodbye", "Never Drinkin' Again", "Picture Perfect", "My Condolences", "Destiny", "Another Chapter", "On Our Way"; 26:09 free audio)". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
- ↑ "Brian Bonsall". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "Former 'Family Ties' star Brian Bonsall arrested again in Boulder". Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ "'Family Ties' child star Brian Bonsall sentenced to two-years probation". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
- ↑ Childers, Oakland L. (2015-10-27). "Lowjob Heading Into the Blasting Room With Jason Livermore". Westword. Retrieved 2016-04-10.