A summer free from parents is pretty much the dearest dream of every adolescent, but Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead serves as a hilarious yet cautionary tale against that fantasy. Sure, there will be no shortage of wacky hijinks (Embezzling! What a gas!), but then the simultaneously boring and terrifying parts of adulthood, like responsibility, bills, and needing a job are bound to catch up with you. As Sue Ellen and her four siblings find when their babysitter croaks on the clock, maybe you shouldn’t be such a jerk to your mom. Oh, and also that dropping off a corpse on the porch of the funeral home is a pretty bogus way of disposing of a body.
Because we caught up with the cast of Adventures in Babysitting last week, let’s check in with the Crandell five and the rest of the cast to see what they’ve been up to since Mrs. Sturak shuffled off this mortal coil.
Sue Ellen — Christina Applegate
When Babysitter came out in 1991, Christina Applegate was well into her run as Kelly Bundy on Married… With Children, a show she would star in for ten seasons. Applegate would go on to find success in a number of mediums after the show’s run. In 1995, she helped inspire The Pussycat Dolls (pre-pop star version). She also starred in a number of televisions shows over the years, including Jesse, Samantha Who?, and Up All Night, and also appeared in a few episodes of Friends as Rachel’s sister, Amy. Applegate has appeared in a number of films like The Sweetest Thing, View From The Top, Anchorman and its sequel, the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise, Going the Distance, Hall Pass, and Vacation. Not just a regular on the screen, Applegate has been in a number of stage productions, and was nominated for a Tony in 2005 for her performance in the revival of Sweet Charity.
She recently signed on for what’s described as “The Hangover for moms” with Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell.
Rose Lindsey — Joanna Cassidy
Rose may not have been adept enough to notice that she hired a teenager, but Joanna Cassidy has been working steadily in Hollywood for decades (Blade Runner). She had a solid career before Babysitter, and has kept it going ever since. She was in the films Vampire in Brooklyn, Ghosts of Mars, and The Grudge 2, as well as numerous made for TV movies. Her most notable regular TV role was in Six Feet Under as Brenda’s mother. Cassidy has also made guest appearances on shows like Melrose Place, Diagnosis Murder, Star Trek: Enterprise, Boston Legal, Heroes, Franklin & Bash, and Body of Proof.
Bryan — Josh Charles
Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead was Josh Charles’ big followup to Dead Poets Society, although “Bryan” isn’t nearly as cool of a name as “Knox Overstreet.” Charles worked mostly in film in the ’90s, with movies like Threesome, Little City, and Pie in the Sky. However, his big break came in 1998 with Aaron Sorkin’s show Sports Night where he played fast-talking sports highlight show anchor Dan Rydell, a character loosely based on Sportscenter anchor Keith Olberman. His next big role was as Will Gardener on The Good Wife, for which he was nominated for an Emmy. He also did additional films like S.W.A.T., Four Brothers, The Darwin Awards, and Brief Interviews With Hideous Men. More recently, you can find Charles taking some pretty hilarious turns on Inside Amy Schumer and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp.
Fun fact: Charles is a Baltimore native and a huge Orioles fan, which is why his LA based character wears an Orioles hat in Don’t Tell Mom.
Kenny — Keith Coogan
Keith Coogan is the grandson of the original Uncle Fester, Jackie Coogan, and between Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead and Adventures in Babysitting, he was the foremost child star from babysitting-adjacent films. However, his career did cool a bit after those films, though he appeared in episodes of Tales from the Crypt, Diagnosis Murder, Joan of Arcadia, and Married to the Kellys. He also appeared as himself in a web series about former child stars called The Comeback Kids.
Mom — Concetta Tomei
Her absence was the impetus of the film, so viewers don’t see much of Concetta Tomei in Babysitter, but her exasperation in her brief screen time makes it clear that this mom needs a break. Maybe leaving her five kids in veritable squalor and flying off to a summer in Australia wasn’t the best way to handle it, though. Tomei (no relation to Marisa) also had roles in Deep Impact and View From The Top, as well as a long list of made for television movies. The largest percentage of her work has been done in television, With a starring role on Providence, and guest spots on LA Law, Wings, Murphy Brown, Nip/Tuck, Rubicon, and Necessary Roughness. She also appeared on stage in the 2007 Broadway production of Cyrano, opposite Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner.
Bruce — David Duchovny
David Duchovny has come along way since playing greasy office narc, Bruce. Shortly after the release of Babysitter, he booked his iconic role of Fox Mulder on The X-Files, which is on its way back to television (although it never left our hearts). He followed it up with films like Return To Me, Connie and Carla, House of D, Trust The Man, and The Joneses. He returned to television with Californication, which ran for seven seasons, and this past season’s Aquarius event series. Duchovny released a novel called Holy Cow and an album called Hell or High Water in 2015, so it’s safe to say that Duchovny is a busy man.
Carolyn — Jayne Brook
Every classic hero needs a nemesis, and Carolyn (who was both an at work enemy and Bryan’s overbearing sister) is Sue Ellen’s. Trying (and failing) to thwart Christina Applegate at every turn, Jayne Brook was a great ’90s villain. After Babysitter, Brook did the films Bye Bye Love and Gattaca, and co-starred in the ’90s other succesful hospital drama, Chicago Hope. More recently, she’s popped up as a guest star… everywhere. We’re talking Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal, NCIS, Private Practice, Brothers & Sisters, Castle, Off the Map, and Revenge. You may not remember the character actress in every role, but I can almost guarantee that she’s popped up in one of your favorite shows or another.
Walter — Robert Hy Gorman
Robert Hy Gorman played the youngest Crandell, Walter, who just wanted to enjoy his rad new entertainment unit in peace. Gorman booked quite a bit of work as a child actor, following up Babysitter with Forever Young, Leprechaun, the Hulk Hogan classic Mr. Nanny, and Rookie of the Year. He also had recurring roles on the shows Joe’s Life and Home Court. He doesn’t act regularly now, although he did have bit roles on One Tree Hill and Drop Dead Diva semi-recently.
Melissa — Danielle Harris
Mrs. Sturak had the gall to make this tomboy wear a dress, so obviously Sturak had to go. Danielle Harris had the recurring role of Molly on Roseanne, and did extensive voice work as Debbie Thornberry on The Wild Thornberries. However, most of Harris’s work has been in the horror genre, as she was in the films Urban Legend, Halloween (2007), Left For Dead, Halloween II, Stake Land, Hatchet II, Hatchet III, Camp Dread, and Night Of The Living Dead: Darkest Dawn. She also directed the horror comedy Among Friends in 2013.
Zach — Christopher Pettiet
Christopher Pettiet was a fairly prolific child actor prior to Babysitter, and followed it up with small roles in Point Break and Boys. He also did some television work, appearing on Chicago Hope, Undressed, and Judging Amy. Unfortunately, Pettiet died of an accidental drug overdose in 2000 at the age of 24.
Gus — John Getz
Sexual harassment lawsuit, thy name is Gus. After he skeezed out everyone in the Babysitter audience, John Getz had roles in the films Curly Sue, Mojave Moon, Zodiac, The Social Network, Jobs, and the upcoming Trumbo. The character actor has done tons of television work as well, most recently on How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, Prison Break, Scandal, Law & Order: SVU, Halt & Catch Fire, How To Get Away With Murder, and Homeland.
Mrs. Sturak — Eda Reiss Merin
Known for her work in Turner & Hooch, Ghostbusters, and Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead, Eda Reiss Merin was an iconically imposing old lady. Sadly, she passed away in 1998 in Los Angeles at the age of 85.
