Curtis Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Curtis Armstrong is an American
actor
best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds
movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting
, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün
in the film Ray
.
, the son of Norma E. (née
D'Amico), a teacher, and Robert Leroy Armstrong. He graduated from Berkley High School
in Berkley, Michigan
and later attended and graduated from Oakland University
in Rochester, Michigan
.
. However, he is probably best known for his next role, that of Dudley "Booger" Dawson in the 1984 hit comedy movie Revenge of the Nerds
and its 1987 sequel Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
. He later reprised his role as Booger in the 1992 television movie
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation
and once again in the 1994 television movie Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love
. Armstrong's typecasting
in the role was mocked in The Simpsons
episode “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)
”. His other films include Better Off Dead, Big Bully
, One Crazy Summer
, Bad Medicine
, National Lampoon's Van Wilder
, Smokin' Aces
, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
, Jingle All The Way
, Southland Tales
, and Beer for My Horses
. He also had a recurring role as Herbert Viola on the television series Moonlighting
, and played the part of Ahmet Ertegün
in the biographical film Ray
(2004).
He provided the voice for Mr. Moleguaco on the Disney Channel
original series The Emperor's New School
. Curtis was also in Akeelah and the Bee
& Max Keeble's Big Move
. He played "Farley", a fictional composite character based on members of Elvis Presley's real entourage in the 1997 cult-comedy film Elvis Meets Nixon
. He also had a bit part as "Russel" in the short-lived TV show Reaper.
He voices "Snot" on the animated sitcom American Dad!
, parodying his role from Revenge of the Nerds. He also had a role as Double Wide in the cartoon series Stroker and Hoop
on Cartoon Network
. He appeared in the 2006 production of Akeelah and the Bee
as Mr. Welch. He was on VH1
's 100 Greatest Teen Stars despite being thirty when he played his first role. He played "Mecklen" in the 2007 film, Smokin' Aces
.
In the feature film Ray
, for preparation for his role as music executive Ahmet Ertegün
, he had the top part of his head shaved to simulate male pattern baldness. He guest starred in episode 10 — "Much Too Much" and had a much smaller part in episode 11 — "Owner of a Lonely Heart" in season two of Grey's Anatomy
. Armstrong played a deejay
named Jerry Thunder in That '70s Show
, episode 315, "Radio Daze."
In 2008, he guest starred in the iCarly
episode "iStakeout" as a convenience store clerk who was suspected of pirating movies. In 2009 he appeared in Ratko: The Dictator's Son
, and Locker 13
. He played fictional astronaut Chaz Dalton on an episode of the TV series My Name is Earl
.
2009 found Armstrong playing a paranoid character in a mental institution on the House
season six premiere, Broken
. Also in 2009 Armstrong appeared in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, as a teacher obsessed with the principal of the school, and he also appeared as a bumbling bandit in the movie "Gold Retrievers".
In 2010 he made a guest appearance on the television show Glory Daze
and currently voices the main character on the animated series Dan Vs.
. He also appeared on Spike TV's Blue Mountain State
(S01E11). In 2011 he appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm
, and has a recurring role as attorney Peter Goldman in season seven of The Closer
.
On October 27, 2011, he appeared as himself on the television show Rules of Engagement
.
In addition to his acting career, Armstrong's affinity for the music of Harry Nilsson
has prompted him to become an expert on Nilsson's work. He has written liner notes for CD reissues of Nilsson albums, and has been instrumental in archival and bonus track preparation for these reissues. Additionally, Armstrong is an avid fan of Washington Irving
, Laurel and Hardy
, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
's Sherlock Holmes
stories.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for his portrayal as Booger in the Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
movies, as Herbert Viola on Moonlighting
Moonlighting (TV series)
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
, and as famed record producer Ahmet Ertegün
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
in the film Ray
Ray (film)
Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...
.
Early life
Armstrong was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, the son of Norma E. (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
D'Amico), a teacher, and Robert Leroy Armstrong. He graduated from Berkley High School
Berkley High School
Berkley High School is a public high school in Berkley, Michigan with a 2005-2006 enrollment of 1,348 students. Berkley High's colors are Maroon and Blue and the school's mascot is the Bears. Berkley is well known for its college prep courses, high standardized test scores, and teachers and...
in Berkley, Michigan
Berkley, Michigan
Berkley is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is an inner suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.-Downtown, Dream Cruise, etc.:...
and later attended and graduated from Oakland University
Oakland University
Oakland University is a public university co-founded by Matilda Dodge Wilson and John A. Hannah whose campus is located in central Oakland County, Michigan, United States in the cities of Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills. It is the only major research university in Oakland County, from which OU...
in Rochester, Michigan
Rochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
.
Career
His first role came in the 1983 hit film Risky BusinessRisky Business
Risky Business is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written by Paul Brickman in his directorial debut. It stars Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. The hit film launched Cruise to stardom.-Plot:...
. However, he is probably best known for his next role, that of Dudley "Booger" Dawson in the 1984 hit comedy movie Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds
Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 comedy film satirizing social life on a college campus. The film stars Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb...
and its 1987 sequel Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise is the 1987 sequel to the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds. Its cast featured most of the main actors from the earlier film, including Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong, Larry B. Scott, Timothy Busfield, Donald Gibb, and Andrew Cassese....
. He later reprised his role as Booger in the 1992 television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation is a 1992 sequel to the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds.-Plot:In the beginning of the movie a new generation of nerds rule the Adams College campus, upholding the traditions of nerds from the first film. The Alpha Betas are now respectful of the nerds'...
and once again in the 1994 television movie Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love
Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love
Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love is a 1994 sequel to the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds and the follow-up films in 1987 and 1992.-Plot:...
. Armstrong's typecasting
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
in the role was mocked in The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)
"E-I-E-I-" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 7, 1999. In the episode, inspired by a Zorro movie, Homer begins slapping people with a glove and challenging them to duels...
”. His other films include Better Off Dead, Big Bully
Big Bully (film)
Big Bully is a 1996 comedy-drama film starring Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold. The film was directed by Steve Miner.-Plot:Growing up in Hastings, Minnesota, young David Leary was constantly bullied by Roscoe Bigger , nicknamed "Fang" because of a pointed tooth. David is ecstatic when his parents...
, One Crazy Summer
One Crazy Summer
-Production:Several locations on Cape Cod, Massachusetts were used for the film: Barnstable High School , Hyannis West Elementary School , the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard And Nantucket Steamship Authority ferry dock in Woods Hole, where the characters board the ferry, and the motorcycle gang...
, Bad Medicine
Bad Medicine (film)
Bad Medicine is a 1985 comedy film starring Steve Guttenberg, Alan Arkin, and Julie Hagerty. The film was written and directed by Harvey Miller, and was based on the novel Calling Dr. Horowitz, by Steven Horowitz, MD and Neil Offen....
, National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
National Lampoon's Van Wilder is a 2002 comedy film directed by Walt Becker that stars Ryan Reynolds as the main character. The film also stars Kal Penn, Tara Reid, and Daniel Cosgrove. It features Sophia Bush's acting debut...
, Smokin' Aces
Smokin' Aces
Smokin' Aces is a 2006 crime film, written and directed by Joe Carnahan. It stars Jeremy Piven as a Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant and Ryan Reynolds as the FBI agent assigned to protect him...
, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, commonly referred to as simply DodgeBall, is a 2004 American sports comedy film produced by 20th Century Fox and Red Hour Productions, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and starring Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, and Rip Torn...
, Jingle All The Way
Jingle All the Way
Jingle All the Way is a 1996 American family comedy film directed by Brian Levant and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Jake Lloyd, James Belushi and Robert Conrad...
, Southland Tales
Southland Tales
Southland Tales is a 2006 American-Franco-German science fiction dark comedy-drama film written and directed by Richard Kelly. The title refers to the Southland, a name used by locals to refer to Southern California and Greater Los Angeles...
, and Beer for My Horses
Beer for My Horses (film)
Beer for My Horses is a 2008 American feature film comedy. The film stars country music entertainer Toby Keith and is based on his song by the same name...
. He also had a recurring role as Herbert Viola on the television series Moonlighting
Moonlighting (TV series)
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
, and played the part of Ahmet Ertegün
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
in the biographical film Ray
Ray (film)
Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...
(2004).
He provided the voice for Mr. Moleguaco on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original series The Emperor's New School
The Emperor's New School
The Emperor's New School is an American animated television series that airs on Disney Channel, ABC Kids, and Disney XD and is produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. The show is based on the characters from The Emperor's New Groove and its direct-to-video sequel Kronk's New Groove...
. Curtis was also in Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
& Max Keeble's Big Move
Max Keeble's Big Move
Max Keeble's Big Move is a 2001 Disney live-action teen comedy film directed by Tim Hill, written by David L. Watts, James Greer, Jonathan Bernstein, and Mark Blackwell, and starring Alex D. Linz as the title character. The film is set in University Place, Washington. It was released in North...
. He played "Farley", a fictional composite character based on members of Elvis Presley's real entourage in the 1997 cult-comedy film Elvis Meets Nixon
Elvis Meets Nixon
Elvis Meets Nixon is a 1997 film purporting to tell the true story of Elvis Presley meeting then President Richard Nixon on December 21, 1970.- Plot :...
. He also had a bit part as "Russel" in the short-lived TV show Reaper.
He voices "Snot" on the animated sitcom American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
, parodying his role from Revenge of the Nerds. He also had a role as Double Wide in the cartoon series Stroker and Hoop
Stroker and Hoop
Stroker and Hoop is an American Flash animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programming block, Adult Swim. The series is a parody of buddy cop films and television series such as Starsky and Hutch, and features the voices of Jon Glaser as Stroker and Timothy "Speed" Levitch as...
on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
. He appeared in the 2006 production of Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee
Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
as Mr. Welch. He was on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Teen Stars despite being thirty when he played his first role. He played "Mecklen" in the 2007 film, Smokin' Aces
Smokin' Aces
Smokin' Aces is a 2006 crime film, written and directed by Joe Carnahan. It stars Jeremy Piven as a Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant and Ryan Reynolds as the FBI agent assigned to protect him...
.
In the feature film Ray
Ray (film)
Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...
, for preparation for his role as music executive Ahmet Ertegün
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegün was a Turkish American musician and businessman, best known as the founder and president of Atlantic Records. He also wrote classic blues and pop songs and served as Chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and museum...
, he had the top part of his head shaved to simulate male pattern baldness. He guest starred in episode 10 — "Much Too Much" and had a much smaller part in episode 11 — "Owner of a Lonely Heart" in season two of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. Armstrong played a deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
named Jerry Thunder in That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, episode 315, "Radio Daze."
In 2008, he guest starred in the iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
episode "iStakeout" as a convenience store clerk who was suspected of pirating movies. In 2009 he appeared in Ratko: The Dictator's Son
Ratko: The Dictator's Son
Ratko: The Dictator's Son also known as National Lampoon's Ratko: The Dictator's Son is a 2009 teen comedy directed by Savage Steve Holland. The film was produced by Intermedia Films and Cinetel Films and was distributed by National Lampoon Inc...
, and Locker 13
Locker 13
Locker 13 is a 2009 thriller directed by Bruce Dellis, George Huang, Jason Marsden, Matthew Mebane, Adam Montierth, Donovan Montierth, and Rick Schroder....
. He played fictional astronaut Chaz Dalton on an episode of the TV series My Name is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
.
2009 found Armstrong playing a paranoid character in a mental institution on the House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
season six premiere, Broken
Broken (House)
"Broken" is the joint title for the first and second episodes of the sixth season of the television series House. It is a two-part season premiere, being first broadcast on the Fox network on September 21, 2009...
. Also in 2009 Armstrong appeared in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, as a teacher obsessed with the principal of the school, and he also appeared as a bumbling bandit in the movie "Gold Retrievers".
In 2010 he made a guest appearance on the television show Glory Daze
Glory Daze (TV series)
Glory Daze is an American comedy-drama television series. The one-hour series revolves around a group of college freshmen who pledge a fraternity in 1986...
and currently voices the main character on the animated series Dan Vs.
Dan vs.
Dan Vs. is an American flash animated cartoon series created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson. The series premiered on January 1, 2011 on The Hub. Dan Vs. ended its first season on July 9, 2011. The series' second season began on November 19th and will continue through the 2011-2012 lineup.-Plot:The...
. He also appeared on Spike TV's Blue Mountain State
Blue Mountain State
Blue Mountain State is an American comedy series that premiered on Spike on January 11, 2010. The series producers include Chris Romano and Eric Falconer and is produced by Lionsgate Television...
(S01E11). In 2011 he appeared on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Curb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
, and has a recurring role as attorney Peter Goldman in season seven of The Closer
The Closer
The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
.
On October 27, 2011, he appeared as himself on the television show Rules of Engagement
Rules of Engagement (TV series)
Rules of Engagement is a sitcom that debuted on CBS on February 5, 2007, as a midseason replacement, immediately following Two and a Half Men, in the time slot that was occupied by now-cancelled The New Adventures of Old Christine...
.
In addition to his acting career, Armstrong's affinity for the music of Harry Nilsson
Harry Nilsson
Harry Edward Nilsson III was an American singer-songwriter who achieved the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. On all but his earliest recordings he is credited as Nilsson...
has prompted him to become an expert on Nilsson's work. He has written liner notes for CD reissues of Nilsson albums, and has been instrumental in archival and bonus track preparation for these reissues. Additionally, Armstrong is an avid fan of Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
, Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
stories.