seaQuest – Where are they now?

[  Mood: Distorted ]
A recent email on a mailing list asked what Ed Kerr, one of the seaQuest was upto now. After I went off to find that answer, I got to thinking about the rest of the actors from that series.

So I present to you:

seaQuest Actors: Where Are They Now – Season 1 – the RIPs

Season one was the best season of seaQuest. Based on science, the series explored what would happen in the near future, as the oceans were increasingly explored and colonized to access their rich resources. Yes, some of the plots were stilted and dull, but remember Next Gen or B5 in the first season? Snoring!

Roy Schieder
Giant of the screen, Roy Schieder played Captain Nathan Bridger, the main character of the season. He was the designer of the sub and would be tricked into becoming its captain. Roy asked to be released from the show at the end of the campier season 2. He would make a couple of guest appearances in season 3, but his loss was mourned by the fans.

Already nominated for two Oscars, Roy would go on to act in many movies and take on many guest spots in the years following the end of the show. He would also return to the theatre. Roy died of cancer February 10, 2008. He is survived by his wife Brenda and and their two children, plus a child from a previous marriage.

Royce D. Applegate
Royce played Chief Manilow Crocker, one of the most beloved characters of the series. The senior NCO of the boat, Crocker was the old salt of the boat and was respected by all. His character was lost as part of the end of season one purge as incoming producer Patrick Hasburgh wanted to "young up" the cast.

Royce would go on to get rolls in movies like Oh Brother! Where Art Though? and Gods and Generals, in addition to making the guest star rounds. (Interestingly enough, he was a guest star in the CSI pilot). Tragically, Royce died in a New Year’s Day housefire in 2003.

Jonathan Brandis
The breakout star of the series, Jonathan Brandis had a long career before seaQuest, including Ladybugs and Sidekicks. Playing the role of teen genius Lucas Wolenczak, Brandis became a teen heart-throb. Originally envisioned as Bridger’s surrogate son, the Wolenczak role grew in importance as NBC sought to translate his popularity into ratings. This meant that Brandis would appear in every episode of the series.

Like many a child actor before him, Brandis found it difficult to build a career post seaQuest. His career seemed to stall. He did get some roles in independent films and made for TV movies, he even auditioned for Anikan Skywalker. His struggles caught up with him as he became depressed and alegedly began to abuse alcohol and drugs. He hung himself in his apartment on November 12, 2003.

Next time! Season 1 continued!