Stephen Furst facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen Furst
Furst in 2014
Born	Stephen Nelson Feuerstein (1954-05-08)May 8, 1954 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Died	June 16, 2017(2017-06-16) (aged 63) Moorpark, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Virginia Commonwealth University
Occupation	Actor, director, producer
Years active	1973–2016
Known for	Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in Animal House Dr. Elliot Axelrod in St. Elsewhere Vir Cotto in Babylon 5
Spouse(s)	Lorraine Wright ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	2

Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; May 8, 1954 – June 16, 2017) was an American actor, director, and producer. He became well-known for playing Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the movie National Lampoon's Animal House. He also starred as Dr. Elliot Axelrod in the TV show St. Elsewhere. Later, he played Vir Cotto in the science fiction series Babylon 5.

Early life

Stephen Nelson Feuerstein was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on May 8, 1954. He later attended Virginia Commonwealth University.

Career

As an actor

Furst at the 2013 Phoenix Comicon

In the mid-1970s, Furst worked as a pizza delivery driver. He put his acting photos in pizza boxes. This helped him get noticed for the role of Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). He played this role again in the TV show Delta House. He even repeated his famous line, "Oh boy, is this great!", in a Twisted Sister music video.

Furst had many other roles. He played Dr. Elliot Axelrod in the TV series St. Elsewhere from 1983 to 1988. He was also Vir Cotto in the science fiction TV series Babylon 5 from 1994 to 1998. He found it funny when he heard that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un copied his haircut from Furst's character in Babylon 5.

In 1979, he was in the movie Take Down. He played a high school tuba player who joined the wrestling team. In 1980, he was Harold in the movie Midnight Madness. He also appeared in an episode of Newhart in 1982. In 1983, he played Aldo in the TV movie The Day After. In 1989, he was Albert Ianuzzi in the film The Dream Team.

In 1995, he voiced the character Fanboy in the cartoon series Freakazoid!. He also voiced Booster in the 2000 series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. He was the voice of a walrus named Dash in the 2000 Disney movie The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. He also starred in Magic Kid and its sequel.

In 2002, he was a guest star in an episode of Scrubs. That same year, he was cast as Walter Nichols in the first pilot of the TV series Drake & Josh. However, he was replaced by another actor because he was not available for future episodes.

As a director

Furst started directing episodes of Babylon 5. He directed many independent movies. These included Title to Murder (2001) and the children's movie Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure. He also directed three movies for the Sci Fi Channel. These were Dragon Storm (2004), Path of Destruction (2005), and Basilisk: The Serpent King (2006). He also acted in the last two films.

As a producer

Furst produced the movie My Sister's Keeper. It was based on a book by Jodi Picoult. He produced other films through his company, Curmudgeon Films. Atomic Shark was shown in 2016. Christmas in Homestead premiered on the Hallmark Channel in 2016. Cold Moon, a thriller, won "Best Horror Film" at the 2016 Laughlin Film Festival.

Personal life

Furst was married to Lorraine Wright from 1976 until he passed away. They had two sons. Both of their sons work in the entertainment business. His older son, Nathan, is a composer for TV and movies. His younger son, Griff, is an actor, director, and musician.

Both of Furst's parents died from problems caused by diabetes. Furst himself was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when he was 17. He weighed 320 pounds by age 40. In 1996, he almost lost his left foot due to diabetes. After this, he worked hard to lose weight. He went from 260 pounds to 175 pounds.

Furst became a spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association. He wrote a book called Confessions of a Couch Potato. He also co-hosted a webcast called "KidneyTalk". As a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, Furst said he decided to take control of his health.

Death

Stephen Furst died on June 16, 2017. He was 63 years old. He passed away at his home in Moorpark, California, due to complications from diabetes.

Selected filmography

• John Belushi: Dancing on the Edge (2010) – Himself

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Furst para niños