It might not be the first pick when someone says the words “Christmas movie,” but once you hear the iconic theme music, it’s hard not to get nostalgic for Gremlins (which is available as a part of the Warner Bros. Holiday Gift Guide), the immortal 1984 horror/comedy genre mashup. Written as a spec script by Chris Columbus, the film — which took a look at an urban legend involving havoc-causing monsters who cause death and destruction across the small town of Kingston Falls on Christmas Eve — caught the eye of Steven Spielberg, who in turn gave it to Joe Dante to direct based on his proven ability to merge comedy and horror.
Released the same weekend as Ghostbusters, another supernatural-themed comedy, Gremlins went on to become a cultural and merchandising phenomenon, with viewers eager to see the film’s over-the-top, kitchen appliance-tinged violence. And now, more than 30 years after the release, it’s safe to say that Gremlins fans might be eager to see what the cast has been up to, so here’s a look at what the years have been like to Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, and all the rest.
Zach Galligan – Billy
After only a couple of minor TV roles, Galligan made his big-screen debut in Gremlins, playing underdog Billy Peltzer, whose reckless irresponsibility with his pet mogwai, Gizmo, promptly causes a town-wide infestation of gleefully kill-happy monsters. After Gremlins, Galligan continued to work in TV, turning up for bit parts in shows like Melrose Place, Tales from the Crypt, and Doctor Quinn: Medicine Woman.
The actor also stayed close to the horror/comedy movie genre, appearing in the Waxworks franchise and reprising his role in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. He also has a number of upcoming horror-themed projects, including the Bigfoot movie Kampout, co-starring Clint Howard, and The Chair, featuring the late Roddy Piper. And there are also those persistent Gremlins 3 rumors.
Phoebe Cates – Kate
Already immortalized for her work in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cates played Kate, Billy’s co-worker-turned-love-interest, whose speech about her father dying in the chimney while dressed as Santa — a scene Dante had to fight to keep — epitomized both the horrific and hilarious aspects of the movie. She’d only appear in a handful of roles in the decade after Gremlins, including the sequel in 1990. The wife of actor Kevin Kline, she retired from acting in 1994 to focus on raising her children, only appearing in 2001’s The Anniversary Party as a favor to her former Fast Times co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh. Cates has been running her boutique, The Blue Tree, since 2005 on New York City’s illustrious Madison Avenue.
Judge Reinhold – Gerald
Having appeared in both Stripes and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, along with Cates, Reinhold appears briefly as the extremely well-to-do Gerald, who’s only real purpose seems to be as a way to measure Billy’s relative inability to get his life together. The same year Reinhold co-starred as Detective Billy Rosewood in Beverly Hills Cop, a role he’d reprise in two big-screen sequels. He also played one of the more memorable one-off characters in Seinfeld history as Aaron, the close-talker. Reinhold also managed to land not one, but two separate roles capitalizing on his name, appearing as the “The Honorable Judge Reinhold” in the Clerks animated show in 2000, and then again in Arrested Development six years later. He’s next set to appear in the upcoming Highly Functional, starring Bruce Campbell.
Jonathan Banks – Deputy Brent
After he played the role of Deputy Brent, the shockingly ineffective police officer who watches the town’s Santa get eaten alive, Banks drifted from bit part to bit part in TV and movies for more than 20 years before landing the role of fan-favorite Mike Ehrmentraut on a little show called Breaking Bad. The character’s popularity earned him a spot as a major character in the prequel/spinoff Better Call Saul. Recently, he also played Professor Buzz Hickey during Community’s fifth season, as well as guest roles on Parks and Recreation, Axe Cop, and Modern Family. Banks also ventured into the world of video games, lending his voice to the character of Commissioner James Gordon in Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight.
Corey Feldman – Pete Fontaine
Like Galligan, Feldman’s career as a movie actor also started with Gremlins, playing the role of Pete, the precocious neighborhood kids who spills water on Gizmo, resulting in the first round of aggressive Mogwai spawns, including their villainous alpha, Spike. Feldman would go on to play Mouth the following year in Goonies before becoming a certifiable teen heartthrob, and half of the infamous “Two Coreys” duo along with the late Corey Haim. Despite his well-publicized substance abuse problems, Feldman has continued to work steadily year after year, appearing in everything from classics like The Burbs, Stand By Me, and The Lost Boys. He also voiced Donatello in the early 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, a franchise which he’s recently returned to as the voice of Slash in the new cartoon that is currently airing on Nickelodeon.
Polly Holliday – Ruby Deagle
The mean-spirited Mrs. Deagle spent the first half hour of Gremlins repeatedly telling Billy her plans to slowly torture his dog, Barney, which all but guaranteed that her death in the film would be met with resounding audience cheer.
Kingston Falls’ very own Grinch was played by renowned theater actress Polly Holliday, who is best known as the waitress Flo, first on the sitcom Alice, then in her own self-titled spinoff. She’d later appear in Mrs. Doubtfire and the Lohan-era incarnation of Disney’s The Parent Trap. Holliday also had a regular role on Home Improvement. Her last role was in 2010’s CIA spy thriller Fair Game alongside Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.
Glynn Turman – Roy Hanson
The same year Gremlins was released, Turman had guest spots on Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and T.J. Hooker — the ’80s TV holy trinity. He also played three different characters on Murder She Wrote in four years, which is a different kind of holy trinity. Turman eventually landed a regular role on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World as Col. Taylor. That was probably his most notable role until he took on the part of the scheming Mayor Clarence V. Royce from The Wire. More recently, Turman has found success in a recurring role as Jeremiah Kaan on Showtime’s House of Lies.
Dick Miller – Murray Futterman
A character actor whose career goes back to the mid-1950s, Miller was born to play a character named Murray Futterman. Right down to his name, this lovably cantankerous neighbor complains about foreign cars while simultaneously foreshadowing his own character’s death when talking about the “gremlins” that would infest machines and wreak havoc. Since then, he’s appeared in everything from The Terminator, ER, and Small Soldiers, and taken on numerous voice roles in cartoons like Looney Tunes: Back In Action and Justice League. Miller worked with Gremlins director Joe Dante again both reprising his role in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and again in 2014’s Burying The Ex, which co-starred Uproxx favorite Alexandra Daddario.
Howie Mandel – Gizmo (voice)
When Mandel provided the voice for Gizmo in 1984, he was already a household name, playing Dr. Wayne Fiscus on TV’s St. Elsewhere. He was also, at the time, working as the voice of Animal, Skeeter, and Bunsen on the animated Muppet Babies series. Later, Mandel would go on to voice Bobby Generic in Bobby’s World, which was based on a character from his stand-up career. As far as live-action work, Mandel co-starred with Fred Savage as an under-bed monster in Little Monsters and popped up as Mister Mxyzptlk in an episode of Lois and Clark. There are other one-offs along the way, but you just got the best of it.
Mandel has had something of a career renaissance in recent years, starting in 2005 when he began hosting the hit game show Deal Or No Deal. More recently, he’s been sitting on the panel of judges on America’s Got Talent and appeared in the HBO TV movie 7 Days In Hell, which stars Andy Samberg and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harrington.
Gone But Not Forgotten: Hoyt Axton (1999) and Harry Carey Jr. (2012)
Billy’s hapless, but well-meaning, inventor father was actually both an actor and a folk singer in real life. His first record came out in 1962, and he wrote a number of songs, including “Joy To The World,” which would be made famous by Three Dog Night. Axton’s work has been covered by everyone from Joan Baez to John Denver and Waylon Jennings. His acting career goes back almost as far, first appearing in Bonanza back in 1965. Having suffered from health problems late in his life, Axton died from a heart attack in 1999. His songs still appear frequently in TV and movie soundtracks.
The actor who portrayed the man who assures Mrs. Deagle that her plan to cook Billy’s dog on high heat in her dryer would do the job, Harry Carey Jr. started working in movies as far back as 1946, earning more than 150 screen credits across his long career. He was a staple of the Western genre, appearing in 11 movies with John Wayne. Carey also appeared in Back To The Future III and Tombstone. His last role was in 1997 before retiring. He died of natural causes in 2012.
We hope you enjoyed our look back at Gremlins. Our friends at Warner Bros. asked us to remind you that you can purchase Gremlins here.
