Brian Bonsall
Encyclopedia
Brian Eric Bonsall is an American former child actor
. He is best known for playing the youngest Keaton child, Andy, on the NBC
sitcom Family Ties
from 1986 through 1989. He is also known for his portrayal of Alexander Rozhenko, the son of Worf
, on Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
. At the age of five, he won the role of Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. Bonsall won three Young Artist Award
s 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 the horror film
Mikey
, playing the title role, a demon
ic young boy who terrorizes his adoptive parents.
In science fiction circles, he is predominantly known as 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
. In the same year, he played the main role in the thriller Mikey
. This caused controversy in the UK owing to its depiction of a child killer at a time when the murder of Jamie Bulger had caused sensitivity about violent behaviour by children. As of August 2011, the film is one of the few banned in the UK. 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
.
. He attended Boulder High School
, graduating in 2000. He also became a musician
, forming a rock band
with his friends called "Late Bloomers" in 1998. He has also been in the Boulder-based punk bands "Thruster" as well as "The Light on Adam's Stereo". 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.
of driving under the influence
, and in 2004, he was arrested under suspicion of drunk driving. On March 28, 2007, Bonsall was arrested for charges of second degree assault
and false imprisonment
after an altercation with his girlfriend. In a plea bargain
, Bonsall pleaded guilty to third degree assault and the other charges were dropped. He was then sentenced to 24 months' probation
on August 31.
In June 2008, Bonsall was accused of violating the conditions of his probation by failing to pay for domestic violence
classes
, missing daily Breathalyzer
tests, failing one Breathalyzer test, and walking out on a urine test. He was due to appear in a court hearing scheduled for July 16, 2008, to answer for these alleged probation violations. Bonsall failed to show at the hearing, however, and an arrest warrant
was issued, coupled with a $2,500 bail bond. After more than a year on the lam
, on December 5, 2009, Bonsall was arrested by the Boulder Police Department on the Failure to Appear warrant after being picked up for assaulting his best friend with a bar stool. In the police report for the assault incident Bonsall stated that he has bipolar disorder
. Bonsall also admitted to drinking heavily and being a heavy drug user to the degree that they make him "forget things".
On December 11, 2009, Bonsall was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wooden stool in a bar brawl on December 5.
On February 19, 2010, Bonsall was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana in violation of his probation.
On April 9, 2010, Bonsall pleaded guilty to menacing
and third degree assault in connection with the bar brawl in Colorado and was sentenced to two years' probation.
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
. He is best known for playing the youngest Keaton child, Andy, on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
from 1986 through 1989. He is also known for his portrayal of Alexander Rozhenko, the son of Worf
Worf
Worf, played by Michael Dorn, is a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in seasons four to seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appears in the films based on The Next Generation. Worf is the first Klingon main character to appear in Star Trek, and has appeared in more Star...
, on Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Early life and acting career
Bonsall was born in Torrance, CaliforniaTorrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
. At the age of five, he won the role of Andy Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. Bonsall won three Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
s 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?
Do You Know the Muffin Man?
Do You Know the Muffin Man? is a CBS Network docudrama starring Pam Dawber. It was directed by Gilbert Cates and also stars Stephen Dorff, John Shea, Anthony Geary, Dee Dee Rescher and Brian Bonsall....
in 1990. He made his feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
debut in the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Mikey
Mikey (film)
Mikey is a 1992 horror film directed by Dennis Dimster and starring Brian Bonsall. The film centers on the character of Mikey Holt, a young boy who is adopted by a family after his previous adoptive family dies...
, playing the title role, a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
ic young boy who terrorizes his adoptive parents.
In science fiction circles, he is predominantly known as Alexander Rozhenko, son of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
s Klingon security officer, Mr. Worf
Worf
Worf, played by Michael Dorn, is a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in seasons four to seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appears in the films based on The Next Generation. Worf is the first Klingon main character to appear in Star Trek, and has appeared in more Star...
. A recurring role he played for 7 episodes across several seasons.
He played Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
's son in the 1993 film Father Hood
Father Hood
Father Hood is a 1993 comedy-drama film starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry and directed by Darrell Roodt.- Plot :The kids of small-time crook Jack Charles are put in a corrupt state-run home when their mother dies of cancer...
. In 1994, he starred in the Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
comedy Blank Check
Blank Check (film)
Blank Check is a 1994 film directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, Tone Lōc, Michael Lerner and James Rebhorn and released by Walt Disney Pictures.-Plot:...
and co-starred with Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
in the TV movie comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
Father and Scout
Father and Scout
Father and Scout is a 1994 comedy film, starring Bob Saget and Brian Bonsall.- Synopsis :Father and Scout chronicles the tale of love and love lost within a family. Writer Spencer Paley agrees to go on a getaway father-son camping trip with his son Michael . Their love is tested and ultimately...
. In the same year, he played the main role in the thriller Mikey
Mikey (film)
Mikey is a 1992 horror film directed by Dennis Dimster and starring Brian Bonsall. The film centers on the character of Mikey Holt, a young boy who is adopted by a family after his previous adoptive family dies...
. This caused controversy in the UK owing to its depiction of a child killer at a time when the murder of Jamie Bulger had caused sensitivity about violent behaviour by children. As of August 2011, the film is one of the few banned in the UK. His other acting credits include the TV movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is a 1990 musical TV movie that aired on the Disney Channel starring Shelley Duvall as Little Bo Peep and Dan Gilroy as Gordon Goose, the son of Mother Goose along with a star-studded supporting cast of various other actors and...
and guest appearances on television series such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! is an American television series based upon Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2 video games. It was originally broadcast via first-run syndication to mostly independent or Fox television stations from September 4, 1989, to December 1, 1989, with...
and The Young Riders
The Young Riders
The Young Riders is an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War...
.
Life after acting
In 1995, Bonsall retired from acting and moved with his mother and stepfather to Boulder, ColoradoBoulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. He attended Boulder High School
Boulder High School
Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado. It is a part of the Boulder Valley School District.-History:Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as part of the University of Colorado at Boulder as a preparatory school for the University...
, graduating in 2000. He also became a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, forming a rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
with his friends called "Late Bloomers" in 1998. He has also been in the Boulder-based punk bands "Thruster" as well as "The Light on Adam's Stereo". He was in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-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.
Legal and substance abuse troubles
Since he left acting, Bonsall has had a number of run-ins with the law. In 2001, he was convictedConviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
of driving under the influence
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
, and in 2004, he was arrested under suspicion of drunk driving. On March 28, 2007, Bonsall was arrested for charges of second degree assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and false imprisonment
False imprisonment
False imprisonment is a restraint of a person in a bounded area without justification or consent. False imprisonment is a common-law felony and a tort. It applies to private as well as governmental detention...
after an altercation with his girlfriend. In a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
, Bonsall pleaded guilty to third degree assault and the other charges were dropped. He was then sentenced to 24 months' probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
on August 31.
In June 2008, Bonsall was accused of violating the conditions of his probation by failing to pay for domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
classes
Class (education)
A class in education has a variety of related meanings.It can be the group of students which attends a specific course or lesson at a university, school or other educational institution, see Form ....
, missing daily Breathalyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
tests, failing one Breathalyzer test, and walking out on a urine test. He was due to appear in a court hearing scheduled for July 16, 2008, to answer for these alleged probation violations. Bonsall failed to show at the hearing, however, and an arrest warrant
Arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by and on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual.-Canada:Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or justice of the peace under the Criminal Code of Canada....
was issued, coupled with a $2,500 bail bond. After more than a year on the lam
On the Lam
"On the Lam" is a song by Kele Okereke, lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the band Bloc Party, released as the third single from his debut solo album The Boxer. The music video was released on October 8, 2010, with the digital EP being released on October 25....
, on December 5, 2009, Bonsall was arrested by the Boulder Police Department on the Failure to Appear warrant after being picked up for assaulting his best friend with a bar stool. In the police report for the assault incident Bonsall stated that he has bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. Bonsall also admitted to drinking heavily and being a heavy drug user to the degree that they make him "forget things".
On December 11, 2009, Bonsall was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wooden stool in a bar brawl on December 5.
On February 19, 2010, Bonsall was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana in violation of his probation.
On April 9, 2010, Bonsall pleaded guilty to menacing
Menacing
Menacing is a violent crime in most state jurisdictions of the United States. Although the wording and degrees of offense vary slightly from state to state, the criminal act of menacing generally consists of displaying a weapon to a person with the intention of threatening them with bodily harm...
and third degree assault in connection with the bar brawl in Colorado and was sentenced to two years' probation.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 to 1989 | Family Ties Family Ties Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young... |
Andrew "Andy" Keaton | 78 episodes |
| 1988 | Mickey's 60th Birthday Mickey's 60th Birthday Mickey's 60th Birthday is the 1988 television special broadcast on the Walt Disney anthology television series on November 13, 1988 on NBC. As the title suggests, it was produced for the 60th anniversary of the Mickey Mouse character... |
Andy Keaton | Television special |
| 1988 | Go Toward the Light Go Toward The Light Go Toward the Light is a 1988 television film starring Linda Hamilton, Joshua Harris and Richard Thomas. The film first aired on CBS on November 11, 1988- Plot :A young couple face the realities of life with their child who is diagnosed with AIDS... |
Zack | Television movie |
| 1988 | Day by Day Day by Day (TV series) Day by Day is an American sitcom starring Douglas Sheehan, Linda Kelsey, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Courtney Thorne-Smith , and Thora Birch... |
Andrew "Andy" Keaton | Episode: "Trading Places" |
| 1989 | Do You Know the Muffin Man? Do You Know the Muffin Man? Do You Know the Muffin Man? is a CBS Network docudrama starring Pam Dawber. It was directed by Gilbert Cates and also stars Stephen Dorff, John Shea, Anthony Geary, Dee Dee Rescher and Brian Bonsall.... |
Teddy Dollison | Television movie |
| 1989 | Booker Booker (TV series) Booker is an American crime drama series starring Richard Grieco that aired on the Fox Network from September 24, 1989 to May 6, 1990. The series was a spin-off of 21 Jump Street... |
Billy | Episode: "Deals and Wheels: Part 1" |
| 1989 | On the Television On the Television On the Television was the cable network Nick at Nite’s first attempt at original late-night programming. The sketch comedy show, can be described as a satirical television critic show in the style of Siskel and Ebert. The one line pitch was "a fake Siskel and Ebert reviewing fake TV shows." It... |
Googie Chowder | Episode: "Stupid People's Court" |
| 1990 | Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme is a 1990 musical TV movie that aired on the Disney Channel starring Shelley Duvall as Little Bo Peep and Dan Gilroy as Gordon Goose, the son of Mother Goose along with a star-studded supporting cast of various other actors and... |
Michael | Television movie |
| 1990 | Angel of Death Angel of Death Angel of Death may refer to:- Religion :Hebrew Bible* Destroying angel , the angel of Passover, the destroying angel of 2 Samuel 24Later Judaism* Michael , carries Adam to his grave in some texts* Gabriel - angel of death over kings... |
Josh | Television movie |
| 1990 | Married People Married People Married People is an American television situation comedy that aired on ABC as part of its 1990-91 schedule.-Synopsis:The series follows three couples in different stages of their relationships who lived in the same building in New York City... |
Brian | Episode: "To Live and Drive in LA" |
| 1991 | The Young Riders The Young Riders The Young Riders is an American Western television series created by Ed Spielman that presents a fictionalized account of a group of young Pony Express riders based at the Sweetwater Station in the Nebraska Territory during the years leading up to the American Civil War... |
Episode: "Old Scores" | |
| 1991 | Shades of L.A | Andy Makowski | 2 episodes: |
| 1991 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose Parker Lewis Can't Lose Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris... |
Andrew Keaton | Episode: "Civil Wars" |
| 1991 | False Arrest False arrest False arrest is a common law tort, where a plaintiff alleges they were held in custody without probable cause, or without an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction... |
Jason Lukezic | Television movie |
| 1992 to 1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production... |
Alexander Rozhenko | 7 episodes |
| 1992 | Mikey Mikey (film) Mikey is a 1992 horror film directed by Dennis Dimster and starring Brian Bonsall. The film centers on the character of Mikey Holt, a young boy who is adopted by a family after his previous adoptive family dies... |
Mikey Holt | |
| 1993 | Distant Cousins | Alex Sullivan | |
| 1993 | Father Hood Father Hood Father Hood is a 1993 comedy-drama film starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry and directed by Darrell Roodt.- Plot :The kids of small-time crook Jack Charles are put in a corrupt state-run home when their mother dies of cancer... |
Eddie Charles | |
| 1994 | Blank Check Blank Check (film) Blank Check is a 1994 film directed by Rupert Wainwright, starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, Tone Lōc, Michael Lerner and James Rebhorn and released by Walt Disney Pictures.-Plot:... |
Preston Waters | |
| 1994 | Father and Scout Father and Scout Father and Scout is a 1994 comedy film, starring Bob Saget and Brian Bonsall.- Synopsis :Father and Scout chronicles the tale of love and love lost within a family. Writer Spencer Paley agrees to go on a getaway father-son camping trip with his son Michael . Their love is tested and ultimately... |
Michael | Television movie |
| 1994 | Lily in Winter | Michael Towler | Television movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
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 |
| 1990 | Young Artist Award | Outstanding Performance by an Actor Under Nine Years of Age | Family Ties | Won |