David Naughton (actor)
Encyclopedia
David Walsh Naughton is an American
actor
and singer best known for his starring roles in the 1981 horror film
An American Werewolf in London
, the 1980 Walt Disney
comedy, Midnight Madness, the 1984 comedies Hot Dog... The Movie
and Not for Publication
and the mid-80's CBS sitcom My Sister Sam
.
He is also known for starring in the sitcom Makin' It
and for singing its hit theme song "Makin' It
".
, the son of Rosemary (née
Walsh) and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teacher
s. He is the brother
of theater and film actor James Naughton
. His family is Irish American
. Naughton attended the University of Pennsylvania
.
Naughton first became widely known as a result of his singing and dancing appearances in Dr Pepper
TV
commercials. He starred in the sitcom
Makin' It
and hit the Billboard Top Ten in 1979 with the show's theme song
, also titled "Makin' It
". A US
million selling disc, the track also peaked at #44 in the UK Singles Chart
. In 1980 he starred in Midnight Madness followed in 1981 by his lead role in the Academy Award-winning horror film An American Werewolf in London
. He also appeared in the television series My Sister Sam
and also in episodes of MacGyver
, Melrose Place, Murder, She Wrote
, JAG
and Seinfeld
.
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...
and singer best known for his starring roles in the 1981 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...
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
, the 1980 Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
comedy, Midnight Madness, the 1984 comedies Hot Dog... The Movie
Hot Dog... The Movie
Hot Dog…The Movie is a teen comedy film released in January 1984. The film went on to gross over $17 million and became one of the iconic teen comedies of the 1980s.-Premise:...
and Not for Publication
Not for Publication
Not for Publication is an American screwball comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Nancy Allen. It premiered at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival before being acquired for distribution by Thorn EMI....
and the mid-80's CBS sitcom My Sister Sam
My Sister Sam
My Sister Sam is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS from 1986 to 1988. It was created by Stephen Fischer and executive produced by Diane English.-Synopsis:...
.
He is also known for starring in the sitcom Makin' It
Makin' It
Makin' It is an American sitcom starring David Naughton as a disco dancer in the late 1970s. The series only lasted nine episodes, airing on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 through March 23, 1979 before being canceled...
and for singing its hit theme song "Makin' It
Makin' It (song)
"Makin' It" was a 1979 pop song performed by David Naughton. It was the theme song for the television show Makin' It, in which Naughton starred. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, the team also responsible for Gloria Gaynor's #1 hit "I Will Survive" and Peaches and Herb's #5 hit...
".
Life and career
Naughton was born in West Hartford, ConnecticutWest Hartford, Connecticut
West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford....
, the son of Rosemary (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....
Walsh) and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s. He is the brother
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
of theater and film actor James Naughton
James Naughton
James Naughton is an American director, theater, film and television actor.-Early life:Naughton was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Rosemary and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teachers He is the brother of actor David Naughton.-Career:Naughton graduated from Brown University and...
. His family is Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
. Naughton attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Naughton first became widely known as a result of his singing and dancing appearances in Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commercials. He starred in the sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Makin' It
Makin' It
Makin' It is an American sitcom starring David Naughton as a disco dancer in the late 1970s. The series only lasted nine episodes, airing on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 through March 23, 1979 before being canceled...
and hit the Billboard Top Ten in 1979 with the show's theme song
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, also titled "Makin' It
Makin' It (song)
"Makin' It" was a 1979 pop song performed by David Naughton. It was the theme song for the television show Makin' It, in which Naughton starred. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris, the team also responsible for Gloria Gaynor's #1 hit "I Will Survive" and Peaches and Herb's #5 hit...
". A US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
million selling disc, the track also peaked at #44 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. In 1980 he starred in Midnight Madness followed in 1981 by his lead role in the Academy Award-winning horror film An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
. He also appeared in the television series My Sister Sam
My Sister Sam
My Sister Sam is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS from 1986 to 1988. It was created by Stephen Fischer and executive produced by Diane English.-Synopsis:...
and also in episodes of MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
, Melrose Place, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
and Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
.
Filmography
- Psych: "Let's Get Hairy" (2009) (TV) (Guest Star)
- Astepro: Nasal spray commercial (2009)
- Brutal Massacre: A Comedy (2007)
- Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder (2005) (TV)
- Wonderful DaysWonderful DaysWonderful Days is a South Korean animated science fiction film, released in 2003, written and directed by Kim Moon-saeng...
(2003) (voice) - Flying VirusFlying VirusFlying Virus is a 2001 American-Brazilian horror film written and directed by Jeff Hare, which starred Gabrielle Anwar and Rutger Hauer...
(2001) - Out of the WildernessOut of the WildernessOut of the Wilderness is a 2001 television movie directed by Steve Kroschel.-Plot:This is the story of a raven, considered by ornithologists to be the most intelligent of birds, who through its antics disrupts a family, even to causing enough problems that the town finally decides to put the bird...
(2001) (TV) - A Crack in the FloorA Crack in the FloorA Crack in the Floor is a horror movie directed by Sean Stanek and Corby Timbrook.- Plot :For the past 33 years Jeremiah Hill has lived alone, with no contact with the outside world, and he intends to keep it that way...
(2000) - Little Insects (2000) (voice)
- Chance of a Lifetime (1998) (TV)
- Urban SafariUrban SafariUrban Safari is a 1996 comedy film directed by Reto Salimbeni starring David Naughton....
(1996) - Ice Cream Man (1995)
- Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995)
- Beanstalk (1994)
- Caribbean Kill (1994)
- Amityville: A New GenerationAmityville: A New GenerationAmityville: A New Generation is the seventh installment in the Amityville Horror saga. It was released direct to video in 1993. Republic Pictures released this movie in R-rated and unrated versions...
(1993) (TV) - Basic Values: Sex, Shock & Censorship in the 90's (1993) (TV)
- Body Bags (1993) (TV)
- Wild CactusWild CactusWild Cactus is a 1993 thriller film directed by Jag Mundhra starring David Naughton and India Allen.- Plot :Philip and Alexandria Marcus are a young couple who decide to take a vacation to a friend's house in the Arizona desert to rekindle their passion, only to have their vacation turn into a...
(1993) - Steel and Lace (1991)
- Overexposed (1990)
- The Sleeping Car (1990)
- Desert Steel (1989)
- Goddess of LoveGoddess of LoveGoddess Of Love is the sixth album by American Soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman. It was released by Arista Records in 1983 ....
(1988) (TV) - Ti presento un'amica (1987)
- Separate Vacations (1986)
- "My Sister SamMy Sister SamMy Sister Sam is an American situation comedy series that aired on CBS from 1986 to 1988. It was created by Stephen Fischer and executive produced by Diane English.-Synopsis:...
" (1986) TV series - The Boy in Blue (1986)
- Kidnapped (1986/I)
- Terror in the AislesTerror in the AislesTerror in the Aisles is a 1984 documentary film about horror films featuring clips from Friday the 13th I and/or II, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween I and II, Jaws 1 and 2, Alien, John Carpenter's The Thing, The Shining and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and The Birds. The film is hosted by...
(1984) - Getting Physical (1984) (TV)
- Hot Dog... The MovieHot Dog... The MovieHot Dog…The Movie is a teen comedy film released in January 1984. The film went on to gross over $17 million and became one of the iconic teen comedies of the 1980s.-Premise:...
(1984) - Not for PublicationNot for PublicationNot for Publication is an American screwball comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Nancy Allen. It premiered at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival before being acquired for distribution by Thorn EMI....
(1984) - "At EaseAt Ease (TV series)At Ease is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from March to June 1983. The series features an ensemble cast led by Jimmie Walker.-Synopsis:...
" (1983) TV Series - Desire, the Vampire (1982) (TV)
- An American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in LondonAn American Werewolf in London is a 1981 British-American horror film, written and directed by John Landis. It stars David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, and Griffin Dunne....
(1981) - Separate Ways (1981)
- Midnight Madness (1980)
- "Makin' ItMakin' ItMakin' It is an American sitcom starring David Naughton as a disco dancer in the late 1970s. The series only lasted nine episodes, airing on Fridays at 8:00PM on ABC from February 1 through March 23, 1979 before being canceled...
" (1979) TV series - The Other Side of Victory (1976) (TV)
External links
- [ David Naughton] at Allmusic
- David Naughton at The Official John Carpenter
- Interview with David Naughton 2011 (video) at 9. Weekend of Horrors