What happened to the “Revenge of the Nerds” cast? See the Tri-Lambs more than 40 years later
The titular nerds in ‘Revenge of the Nerds’Credit: EverettGrab your pocket protectors and catch up with cinema’s most beloved dorks and jocks.
Cinema of the 1980s is fondly remembered for its action-packed blockbusters, but the era’s raunchy teen comedies deserve as much love as anything that starred Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Spawned from the success of Animal House (1978) and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), the R-rated subgenre quickly became as popular as a college keg party.
But while the appetite for these juvenile romps ensured there was never any shortage of horny teenagers on the big screen, few entries have endured like 1984’s Revenge of the Nerds. Sure, it was crude and not all of its comedy has aged well, but it also balanced its crassness with lots of heart and a colorful cast of misfits you couldn’t help but root for.
Nerds’ memorable ensemble played a big part in ensuring it stood out among a category that was more crowded than a gymnasium-turned-dorm.
So what became of the Tri-Lambs, Alpha Betas, and the rest of the Adams College clan? Read on to find out where the cast of Revenge of the Nerds is today.
01 of 12
Robert Carradine (Lewis Skolnick)
Robert Carradine as Lewis; Carradine at the L.A. premiere of ‘Sentimental Value’Credit: 20th Century Studios; Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Before donning the horn-rimmed glasses and high-wasted trousers of Lambda Lambda Lambda’sLewis, Robert Carradine already had dozens of acting credits to his name. He got his start playing bit parts in big movies — like The Cowboys (1972) with John Wayne and Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973) — and shows, including the long-running Western Bonanza.
He eventually graduated to meatier supporting roles on the big screen, including in the Oscar-winning Coming Home (1978), Samuel Fuller’s The Big Red One (1980), and alongside brothers David and Keith in Walter Hill’s The Long Riders (1980).
That prolific acting family dates back to Robert’s father, legendary character actor John Carradine. Robert also appeared in David’s classic martial arts series Kung Fu. But Skolnick was arguably his most memorable role, one he would reprise in 1987’s follow-up, Nerds in Paradise, as well as its two made-for-TV sequels: Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation (1992) and Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love (1994).
Small, but steady parts followed — including a brief reunion with his Nerds costar Anthony Edwards in a 1995 episode of ER — but his next big break came with the Disney Channel sitcom Lizzie McGuire as the clueless but supportive dad to Hilary Duff’s eponymous teen.
The veteran actor continued to appear in supporting roles in film and television, including Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012).
Carradine had a daughter, actress Ever Carradine (The Handmaid’s Tale), with Susan Snyder in 1974. In 1990, he married Edith Mani, with whom he had two more children, Marika and Ian. The couple separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in 2018.
The actor’s family said he had lived with bipolar disorder for two decades. In February 2026, Carradine died by suicide at age 71.
02 of 12
Anthony Edwards (Gilbert Lowe)
Anthony Edwards as Gilbert; Edwards at ‘SNL50’ in 2025Credit: 20th Century Studios; John Nacion/Variety via Getty
Two years before proudly sporting a pocket protector alongside his character’s bestie, Anthony Edwards made his teen movie debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) as one of Jeff Spicoli’s stoner buds.
Edwards scored a lead role opposite Linda Fiorentino in the espionage-themed college comedy Gotcha! (1985), before feeling the need for speed with Tom Cruise as “Goose” in the summer blockbuster Top Gun (1986).
After reprising Lowe in the 1987 Revenge of the Nerds sequel, the actor headlined the apocalyptic cult classic Miracle Mile (1988) and popped up in a variety of smaller roles before breaking out as Dr. Mark Greene on ER. This remains his most memorable character — which he played for the series’ first eight seasons — and earned him four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe.
After departing the hit drama in 2002, he landed key supporting roles in the Polish brothers’ acclaimed Northfork (2003) and as one half of a homicide detective duo in David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007), alongside Mark Ruffalo.
In recent years, he had a run on Designated Survivor and recently booked a guest spot as a judge on Law & Order.
Edwards was married to makeup artist Jeanine Lobell, with whom he shares four kids, from 1994 to 2015. In 2021, he and fellow ‘80s staple (and Miracle Mile love interest) Mare Winningham eloped.
03 of 12
Timothy Busfield (Arnold Poindexter)
Timothy Busfield as Poindexter; Busfield at the premiere of ‘For Life’ in 2020Credit: 20th Century Studios; Steven Ferdman/Getty
Then-newcomer Timothy Busfield broke out as Poindexter, the film’s farsighted, violinist introvert, a role he’d reprise three years later in the sequel.
The success of the franchise helped Busfield land a series regular gig in later seasons of Trapper John, M.D. before scoring what may be his most acclaimed role, ABC’s yuppie drama Thirtysomething. His role as graphic designer/family man Elliot Weston earned him an Emmy in 1991.
The Michigan native became a reliable and recognizable character actor during those years, famously playing Kevin Costner’s jerk brother-in-law in Field of Dreams (1989). He also appeared in Sneakers (1992), Quiz Show (1994), and Little Big League (1994).
Following Thirtysomething’s four-season run, the actor scored notable recurring parts on Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. By that point he’d started moving behind the camera; his directing career began with three episodes of Thirtysomething, before he went on to become a TV regular, helming episodes of everything from Sorkin’s Sports Night and Without a Trace to This is Us, Nashville and, most recently, The Cleaning Lady.
Busfield has been married to Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert since 2003, and has three children from previous marriages.
In February 2026, the actor was indicted on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13. He pleaded not guilty and has denied the allegations. His trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2027.
04 of 12
Andrew Cassese (Harold Wormser)
Andrew Cassese as Harold; Cassese at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2019Credit: 20th Century Studios; Bobby Bank/Getty
Twelve-year-old Andrew Cassese landed his first major film role as Harold, the Adams College prodigy who moonwalked the Tri-Lambs to a talent show victory.
Following his breakout in Nerds, Cassese appeared primarily in TV commercials before reprising the bowtie-wearing boy genius in Nerds in Paradise.
He later scored a regular gig on TV 101, a short-lived CBS drama that also gave a young Matt LeBlanc his first small-screen credit. Cassese then pivoted to theater work, portraying a famous real-life nerd, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, in Nerds://A Musical Software Satire, which chronicled the rise of Silicon Valley titans Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
Cassese has largely retired from acting, but makes occasional appearances at conventions and cast reunions to meet fans of his most famous character.
05 of 12
Curtis Armstrong (Dudley “Booger” Dawson)
Curtis Armstrong as Booger; Armstrong at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2019Credit: 20th Century Studios; Bobby Bank/Getty
Thanks to a stretch in the early ‘80s that saw Curtis Armstrong appear in Risky Business (1983), Better Off Dead (1985), and One Crazy Summer (1986), it seemed the singular comedic actor was in everything.
But while he’s certainly one of the era’s teen-movie poster kids, he’s best known for his portrayal of Tri-Lamb’s slobbish, belching contest winner, Booger. The colorful role led to him regularly playing quirky, misfit characters, including Herbert Quentin Viola, the temp-turned-detective — and Agnes DiPesto’s (Allyce Beasley) boyfriend — on the Bruce Willis/Cybill Shepherd classic Moonlighting.
The longtime character actor’s other notable roles include real-life Atlantic Records producer Ahmet Ertegun in the biopic Ray (2004) and Metatron on Supernatural. He returned as Booger in both Nerds sequels, and later appeared in Dodgeball (2004), Akeelah and the Bee (2006), and Southland Tales (2006).
He’s also booked guest spots on a long run of popular series, including Felicity, Grey’s Anatomy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Closer.
Armstrong, who shares a daughter with wife Elaine Aronson, continues to keep busy, primarily doing voice work in animated shows, such as Doom Patrol, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, and Monsters at Work.
06 of 12
Larry B. Scott (Lamar Latrelle)
Larry B. Scott as Lamar; Scott at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2019Credit: 20th Century Studios; Bobby Bank/Getty
As Tri-Lambda’s flamboyantly gay Lamar, Larry B. Scott stole more than his share of Nerds scenes. But long before playing the aerobics-loving, limp javelin-tossing frat brother, Scott had already established himself as a regular onscreen presence.
In 1977, he starred alongside Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield in A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich,before appearing in a number of ‘80s television classics (Barney Miller, Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues, Benson) and made-for-TV movies (One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story).
You can also spot him in a brief appearance in The Karate Kid (1984), where he gets swiftly defeated by Daniel LaRusso during the tournament’s rousing “You’re the Best Around” montage.
But it was Nerds’ popularity that led to Scott securing cult favorites like Iron Eagle (1986) and SpaceCamp (1986). Years later, he had a starring role in another cult classic, the mockumentary Fear of a Black Hat (1993).
The actor has continued to work steadily over the years, most recently in BET+’s action movie War Dawgz (2025).
07 of 12
Brian Tochi (Toshiro Takashi)
Brian Tochi as Toshiro Takashi; Tochi at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2019Credit: 20th Century Studios; Bobby Bank/Getty
Before Brian Tochi’s Toshiro Takashi bested the Alpha Betas in Nerds’ beer-chugging tricycle race, the actor had already racked up an impressive resume of television roles, beginning in the late ‘60s. As a busy child actor, he appeared in many popular ‘70s series, from the original Star Trek and The Brady Bunch to The Partridge Family and Hawaii Five-O.
Tochi’s successful turn in Nerds led to more fan-pleasing characters, including Officer Tomoko Nogata in Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986) and Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987) as well as the voice of Leonardo in the original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies.
Since his prolific run in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, he has largely moved into voice work. His resume is stacked with voice roles in countless animated films, TV shows, and video games.
08 of 12
Julia Montgomery (Betty Childs)
Julia Montgomery as Betty; Montgomery at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena in 2017Credit: 20th Century Studios; Tara Ziemba/Getty
As Pi Delta Pi’s sorority president and Stan Gable’s main squeeze Betty, Julia Montgomery played one of the original mean girls. Of course, the pretty blonde cheerleader ultimately sided with the nerds and ended up falling for Lewis.
Like much of Nerds’ ensemble cast, Montgomery skipped the 1982 sequel, but returned — as Mrs. Lewis Skolnick, no less — in the two early ‘90s made-for-TV sequels. The intervening years saw Montgomery score small roles in movies — from The Kindred (1987) to Sylvester Stallone’s infamous buddy-cop comedy Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) — and television series (Magnum P.I., Full House, Cheers).
Prior to all that, Montgomery got her start as a regular on popular soap One Life to Live, a genre she returned to for one of her most recent TV credits, a 2022 episode of The Young and the Restless.
The mother of two also remains active in the Nerds fan community, regularly attending cast reunions and conventions.
09 of 12
Michelle Meyrink (Judy)
Michelle Meyrink as Judy; Meyrink in ‘Permanent Record’ in 1987Credit: 20th Century Studios; Everett
Canadian actress Michelle Meyrink played Gilbert Lowe’s accordion-playing love interest Judy, a role she was well suited for following her previous stints as quirky characters in both The Outsiders (1983) and Valley Girl (1983).
Meyrink went on to play another nerdy girl — main character Mitch Taylor’s (Gabriel Jarret) object of affection — in the Val Kilmer cult classic Real Genius (1985), in addition to a small handful of other roles. But she retired from Hollywood a few years later and now works as an acting teacher in Vancouver, where she resides with her family.
10 of 12
Ted McGinley (Stanley Harvey “Stan” Gable)
Ted McGinley as Stan; McGinley at Apple TV’s Primetime Emmy Party in 2026Credit: Everett; JC Olivera/Variety via Getty
Before landing the part of nerd-punishing Greek Council president Stan, Ted McGinley played a different kind of handsome jock on Happy Days. As Roger Phillips — naive nice-guy and nephew of Marion Cunningham — the actor cemented his place as a sitcom star.
McGinley was just as busy on the silver screen, appearing in supporting roles in dozens of films — from Physical Evidence (1989) to Pearl Harbor (2001) — but it was his small-screen work that made him a household name.
On top of recurring parts and one-off stints on everything from Fantasy Island to Mad Men, McGinley held starring roles on The Love Boat, Dynasty, Hope & Faith, and Married… With Children, wherehe played Bundy neighbor Marcy’s second husband, the shallow, conniving Jefferson.
The busy actor — who once had a rep for getting shows cancelled — recently struck TV gold again with the acclaimed Harrison Ford vehicle Shrinking, playing Jimmy Laird’s balcony buddy and Liz Bishop’s supportive, perpetually positive husband Derek.
McGinley shares two sons with actress Gigi Rice, to whom he’s been married since 1991.
11 of 12
Matt Salinger (Danny Burke)
Matt Salinger as Danny; Salinger in Madrid in 2023Credit: Everett; Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via Getty
Son of Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, Matt Salinger made his film debut in Revenge of the Nerds as Alpha Beta brother Danny.
But aside from sporting some memorable outfits, including a caveman toga and blonde cheerleader costume, the character played second fiddle to his frat boy bestie, Stan.
While he wasn’t much more than a generic jock in his signature role, he did score the notable part of Steve Rogers — 21 years before Chris Evans — in Albert Pyun’s straight-to-video Captain America (1990). In addition to that star-spangled turn — which has gained a cult following in the post-MCU era — he’s appeared in minor roles in a number of films. He played an underdog political candidate in Sidney Lumet’s star-studded Power (1986) and a reverend in Robin Williams’ afterlife fantasy What Dreams May Come (1998).
The Vermont native mirrored that career path on the small screen, typically appearing in single-episode roles in series such as Picket Fences, House, and the Law & Order franchise. He most recently popped up on Jon Hamm’s Apple TV series Your Friends & Neighbors.
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12 of 12
Donald Gibb (Frederick Aloysius “Ogre” Palowaski)
Donald Gibb as Ogre; Gibb at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2019Credit: Everett; Bobby Bank/Getty
Before Donald Gibb portrayed Alpha Beta house’s brawny, beer-guzzling, nerd-bullying “Ogre,” the 6-foot-4 actor had already inhabited other beefy, not-so-bright bad guys in Any Which Way You Can (1980), Stripes (1981), and Conan the Barbarian (1982).
But while Revenge of the Nerds allowed him to flex his comedic chops as much as his biceps — significantly expanding on the bouncers, henchmen, and other heavies he’d played — Gibb continued to be cast in similar supporting tough-guy roles as his career progressed.
Besides the “Nerds!”-screaming frat boy, he’s best known for playing bruiser Ray “Tiny” Jackson alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport (1988) and its Van Damme-less 1996 sequel. He also had one of the main starring roles in HBO’s forgotten gridiron comedy 1st & Ten, starring as Leslie “Dr. Death” Crunchner for six years alongside Delta Burke and, ahem, O.J. Simpson.
Following a lengthy career playing inmates, bikers, and ex-cons — including characters named “Scab,” “Psycho,” and “Spike” — Gibb’s final film credit was as a “convict” in Will Smith’s superhero flick Hancock.
The actor died in 2026, at the age of 71, from health complications relating to throat cancer.
Source: Entertainment
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