Troop Beverly Hills Then and Now

Today, it’s possible to purchase Girl Scout Cookies online, and Culver City has become a popular spot teeming with bars and eateries.

But 36 years ago, few things signified that you’d made it big more than a Beverly Hills address.

In a different wording, the movie “Troop Beverly Hills” featured Shelley Long as Phyllis Nefler, a spoiled housewife who sought to demonstrate her ability to handle situations beyond shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue to her daughter Hannah (later known as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, who mentioned this role and its outfits in her music video for “She’s Not Me”) and her absent husband Freddy (portrayed by Craig T. Nelson).

The hilarious comedy movie produced by Jeff Kanew premiered on March 24, 1989, and though it didn’t initially dominate at the box office, it has become a beloved favorite among audiences ever since.

To illustrate, the camp-style event at the Beverly Hills Hotel, as seen in “Troop Beverly Hills,” was the inspiration for the pajama-themed baby shower that Kim Kardashian organized in 2015. It was certainly a nod to the traditional campfire song, “Kumbaya.

But you want s’more, right?

During the filming of this movie, Long, who had previously appeared in “Cheers” and comedies like “The Money Pit” and “Outrageous Fortune,” was the main attraction. However, upon closer inspection of the group of women surrounding him, you’ll notice a few familiar faces.

Take a peek at how the cast from the movie “Troop Beverly Hills” has evolved over time, turning your khaki aspirations and cookie fantasies into reality!

Ultimately, Phyllis Neffler demonstrated that she was far more than just a resident of Beverly Hills, as she excelled in various areas beyond her role as a housewife. Whether it was assisting her daughters in breaking sales records for cookies, triumphing at the annual Jamboree, or revolutionizing the concept of troop leader fashion, Phyllis left an indelible mark in these realms.

For five seasons, Long, a multiple award-winning actress, engaged playfully with Ted Danson’s character Sam Malone on the show “Cheers.” Later, she graced our screens in comedies like “Money Pit,” “Outrageous Fortune,” and “Hello Again.” Interestingly, she reprised her role as Diane Chambers for the “Cheers” finale in 1993, and then starred as Carol Brady in “The Brady Bunch Movie” and its sequel.

Additionally, she played a significant recurring role as Jay Pritchett’s ex-wife DeDe on Modern Family until 2018. The character’s death off-screen added a deep emotional element to the usual comedic tone as the Emmy-winning series approached its 10th season, with co-creator Steve Levitan stating that Long was “very accommodating” about it.

Long is mother of daughter Juliana with ex-husband Bruce Tyson.

In this scenario, the character is Chica, the daughter of globetrotting parents who often forget things, and she’s the star of “The Haunting of Hill House”. A birthday party is thrown for her by Phyllis and Rosa, during which Chica extinguishes the candles on a cake that has layers of lasagna instead of the traditional frosting.

Since then, Gugino has been consistently working, with notable film roles such as “Son In Law”, the “Spy Kids” series, “Sin City”, and the upcoming 2024 project “Lisa Frankenstein”. Her television work is extensive, including appearances in “The Girls on the Bus”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “Manhunt”. She also provides voice-overs for Netflix’s “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and portrays the Kyptonian ship A.I. in “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”, also known as “the Snyder Cut.

She’s been in a relationship with filmmaker Sebastian Gutierrez since the 1990s. He is the creator of the series “Jett,” where she played an expert thief recently released from prison, only to be drawn back into her old lifestyle again.

In 2019, Gugino stated on Today that he wrote non-commissioned work for nine hours, without charge, referring to the four-year project that was a labor of love for both. He explained, “…We waited a considerable amount of time to create it as we envisioned, unsure if we would ever get the opportunity to do so.

She mentioned, “I don’t believe there’s a quick fix solution [for building a strong partnership],” she continued, “However, I’d like to point out that in our case, what works well is our ability to excel at different skills, which creates a harmonious balance…And you do have trust. I think that’s essential for fostering creativity.

Emily, a member of Troop Beverly Hills, faced difficulties in paying her dues due to her father (portrayed by Edd “Kookie” Byrnes) being between acting jobs at the time. However, when Emily encountered financial troubles, Tiffany stepped in and lent Emily the money. This situation emphasized the importance of having considerate friends who are financially well-off.

Martin was a bustling child actress who later became known for her roles as Becca Thatcher in ‘Life Goes On’, the troubled doctor Lucy Knight on ‘ER’, and the lead teacher in the 1912-set ‘Christy’ alongside Emily Schulman. More recently, she has appeared in the ‘Hailey Dean Mystery’ series, Hallmark’s ‘Christmas in Montana’, and Lifetime’s ‘An Amish Sin’.

The Yale graduate has two daughters with husband Keith Christian, whom she married in 1999.

In the future, the breakout star of “Beverly Hills, 90210”, who later appeared in reality TV and some notable TV films such as “Death of a Cheerleader” and “Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?”, had minor roles in various productions by her powerful producer father, Aaron Spelling, prior to being cast as Jamie, Cleo’s mostly silent Red Feather companion, in his shows like “The Love Boat” and “Fantasy Island”.

In a conversation with ET in 2019, the author of ‘sTORI TELLING’ reminisced about her character’s journey, reflecting that she had ventured from Beverly Hills to ‘Troop Beverly Hills’, starred in ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, and felt a strong connection to the city. She mused that, given this history, it would be natural for her to revisit her roots and take on another role set in Beverly Hills.

Successfully completed: She featured in the 2019 revival series “BH90210” and jointly hosts the “9021OMG” podcast with Jennie Garth.

She has sons Liam, Finn, and Beau, as well as daughters Stella and Hattie, with her second spouse, Dean McDermott. They parted ways in 2023, ending their 17-year relationship.

If you prefer indie pop music, you might recognize Hannah, the lead singer of the band Rilo Kiley. This group was established by her and Blake Sennett, who is known for his role in Salute Your Shorts. The band is based in Los Angeles.

In 2014, they broke up, but Lewis has been part of other bands such as The Postal Service and the band Nice as Fk, in addition to releasing four solo albums, with the latest one being “Joy’All” in 2023. This was preceded by the more somber “On the Line” from 2019, which delved into her feelings of loss following her mother’s passing and a difficult separation.

Lewis explained to 303 in 2019 that life and work are interconnected, reflecting each other. He admitted, “I’m not sure,” but he emphasized that the album isn’t solely about a breakup because breakups don’t occur in isolation. Instead, a myriad of events unfold simultaneously. While people may find it appealing to label the album as a breakup record, Lewis believes it can indeed serve that purpose, yet it also tackles themes like a rebound, rebirth, and even death. To him, viewing a breakup as an ending is a mistake; instead, it represents a new beginning.

Lewis’ post mentions that the film credits for Troop Beverly Hills feature titles such as Big Girls Don’t Cry…They Get Even, Foxfire, and Pleasantville. In 2015, she also starred on the Netflix special A Very Murray Christmas, sharing a duet with Bill Murray on the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside.

Lily Marcigan, in this rendition, was the child born to a jovial ruler (feel free to address him as “Bong Bong”), whose nation’s identity remains undisclosed, and his compulsive-shoe-collecting spouse. Her character appears to have been drawn from the lives of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

In the 1990s, Soriano made a few more appearances, notably on shows like Blossom and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper. However, she decided to quit acting and shifted her focus towards her family and advocacy for the Filipino community. This dedication was recognized in 2016 when she received an honor for her work as executive director of the Pilipino Workers Center from the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Besides portraying Phyllis’ separated spouse, Freddy “The Muffler Man” Neffler, Nelson had recently kicked off an eight-year stint playing university football coach Hayden Fox on the ABC sitcom Coach. In this role, he received the Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 1992.

Without a doubt, Nelson, known for his tough-yet-terrified portrayal in the 1982 horror film “Poltergeist,” lends his voice to Mr. Incredible in Pixar’s blockbuster “The Incredibles” and its 2018 sequel. He also played Ryan Reynolds’ father in “The Proposal,” and he pulled at everyone’s heartstrings as family head, Zeek Braverman, on the NBC drama “Parenthood.

Apart from that, Nelson has appeared in the court drama series titled “The District” which aired between 2000 and 2004. He also portrayed the role of Mary Steenburgen’s husband in the ‘Book Club’ films. Since 2017, he’s been cast as Sheldon’s sister’s baseball coach and love interest for his grandmother on the popular CBS series “Young Sheldon.

He has been wedded to Doria Cook-Nelson, his second spouse, since the year 1987. He has three adult children who were born during his previous marriage.

17 hours of her mother’s labor held no significance for relentless Cleo Plender, a child born into the competitive spirit of Velda, head of the Culver City Red Feathers.

Following her stints on “The Jeffersons,” “Facts of Life,” “Life Goes On” among others, Lacey took a break from acting in 1990. However, she delighted fans of “Troop Beverly Hills” when she appeared at Wondercon in 2019 and participated in the “ET” reunion as well.

The actress who starred in Hillstreet Blues was nominated for seven Emmys and won one in 1985, all for her outstanding performance as the tough-as-nails adversary of Phyllis, Velda Plender, head of the Culver City Red Feathers gang.

After graduating from Second City, it was evident that she had an abundance of comedic timing. However, her last acting role (except for a portrayal of herself in a 2018 episode of Kidding) was in Troop Beverly Hills. Since then, she has shifted focus to directing and achieved significant success. She won an Emmy for directing an episode of HBO’s comedy Dream On, followed by creating HBO’s The Late Shift, collaborating with Shelley Long on The Brady Bunch Movie, directing the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts, working with Eddie Murphy on Doctor Dolittle, and teaming up with Sandra Bullock in 28 Days. She also directed John Tucker Must Die, among other projects. Lately, she has been directing episodes for the Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie.

Originally named Betty Nienhauser, she goes by Thomas in her married life. When asked about where her character from ‘Troop Beverly Hills’ would be now (in 2019), she responded to ET by saying, “I believe Velda would be running for president, given her tendency to lie and lack of truthfulness.

Prior to portraying Tessa, a young lady who has a knack for psychoanalyzing others due to her own therapy sessions, Hopper had previously acted as Nikki on the television series ‘Good Morning, Miss Bliss’, which later transformed into ‘Saved by the Bell’.

After starring briefly in “Troop Beverly Hills,” she primarily appeared on shows like “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “The Shield,” and the daytime soap opera “Passions.” However, she decided to prioritize raising her daughter, born in 1998, over her acting career.

Tessa generally keeps a low profile living in California, yet managed to participate with the rest of the cast for a 30th anniversary reunion at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2019. As Entertainment Tonight was informed by Hopper, given her extensive therapy sessions throughout her life, it is plausible that she would have been drawn towards becoming a therapist, psychiatrist or psychologist. In fact, he strongly believes that her career path would lie within this field.

Before securing the role as Tiffany, the diamond lover and daughter of a well-known plastic surgeon, the child actor had previously portrayed Harriet Brindle, the curious neighbor living next door, in the television series that depicted a family pretending a robot was a real girl named Small Wonder.

Apart from starring in nearly 200 commercials, she also featured in television series such as “The Wonder Years” and “ALF”, and was the lead in the brief family drama “Christy” alongside her “Troop” co-star Kellie Martin. Schulman took a break from acting in the mid-90s and post-high school, transitioned to being a commercial talent agent. Later, she moved to Connecticut and took up teaching acting as a profession. She has been married to Derek Webster since 2002 and is a mother of three children.

Previously recognized for her role as the wealthy girl Margaux in Punky Brewster, Foster demonstrated her innate ability to portray both wealth and kindness as Claire, the daughter of a renowned romance novelist and successful divorce lawyer (who coincidentally represents Freddy’s spouse, Phyllis).

“You might remember me from some classic 80’s television,” Foster notes in her Instagram bio.

Following a bustling first half of the 1990s, marked by roles on shows like Quantum Leap, The Wonder Years, Step by Step, and others, leading to a 1994 CBS Schoolbreak Special addressing gun violence in schools, the versatile child actor decided to step away from acting. However, she later reappeared as Margaux in an episode of the 2021 revival of Punky Brewster on Peacock.

Outside the professional sphere, she is nurturing her daughter Tessa and son Brock alongside her spouse, firefighter Trent DeFries.

Scott was the standout, as Jasmine questioned the officer, “Officer, do you recognize this man?” Shakar, the beaming daughter of a renowned boxer. Later, she appeared on television shows, notably in sitcoms such as South Central with Larenz Tate and The Parent ‘Hood with Robert Townsend, and portrayed Dorothy in a 1996-97 touring production of The Wiz.

Following a 20-year hiatus from acting, she made a comeback in the 2018 independent film “Bluest Moon” and her EP titled “Moon Child” is available for streaming. According to IMDb, she is set to appear in an upcoming series named “The Bostons”.

As a devoted admirer, I found myself captivated by the portrayal of a British actress, embodying Vicki – Claire’s mother, Phyllis’ closest confidante, and a woman who was visibly dismayed upon witnessing her dearest friend, in a state of despair, drowning her sorrows with an entire case of Evian.

Notably, Beacham is recognized for portraying Sable Colby in Dynasty, as well as her own series, The Colbys. She acted alongside Charlton Heston in these shows. Additionally, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as a nun caring for a group of children in the brief sitcom Sister Kate. Furthermore, Beacham played Iris, Dylan McKay’s artistic mother, on Beverly Hills, 90210.

In 2009, she appeared as Martha on the extended British soap opera “Coronation Street” and headlined the BBC One sitcom “Boomers,” which aired from 2014 to 2016. Additionally, she has been featured in several contemporary romantic comedies, such as the 2022 release “Christmas in the Caribbean” alongside Elizabeth Hurley.

Beacham is a woman who has two daughters from her past marriage to the late actor John McEnery, which ended in the 1970s. Since then, she has been in a relationship with Dr. Bernie Greenwood starting from 2008.

Beacham, born in February 1947, shared with BANG Showbiz in 2022 that he had encountered numerous successful women in their forties who were single, but it wasn’t until he turned 60 that he met Bernie. Let this serve as an inspiration! Keep in mind that at this stage, menopause and child-rearing are typically behind us. However, many other aspects of life remain unexplored – for instance, falling deeply, unreservedly in love, without any compromise.

For four years, Gross honed her comedy skills as both a cast member and writer on Saturday Night Live, which made her surprisingly excellent in the role of Annie Herman, the soft-spoken character who initially worked as Velda’s spy but blossomed under Phyllis’ guidance.

Over the years, I’ve had the incredible privilege of bringing to life a diverse array of characters, from lending my voice to Katie’s mom on “Animaniacs” to donning the role of Mrs. Quick in “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” and making appearances on shows like “Boston Legal,” “Californication,” and “Hart of Dixie.” It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m truly grateful for each and every opportunity.

Fun fact: Her older brother is Michael Gross, best know as dad Steven Keaton on Family Ties.

As an integral part of Phyllis’ household, Rosa played a pivotal role and delivered one of the most memorable lines in the entire movie, reminiscent of the “Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” she exclaimed, “We don’t need any dirty rags!

Ten years later, the actress born in the Bronx secured a recurring role as the sharp-tongued maid Rosario on “Will & Grace”. For this performance, she was nominated for two Screen Actors Guild Awards for ensemble performance. After Morrison passed away in December 2019 at 83, the revived “Will & Grace” featured an unusual yet emotional (and still comical) tribute to Rosario from character Karen.

Prior to portraying Frances Temple, the leader of the LA County Wilderness Girls program, Lindley had an extensive career in theater and films. However, she was most recognized by viewers for her role as the flamboyant caftan-wearing landlady, Mrs. Roper, on “Three’s Company”.

Later, the Golden Globe nominee appeared as Phoebe’s grandmother Frances in an episode of Friends (1995) and held a recurring role playing the mother of Cybill Shepherd on the CBS sitcom Cybill. This twice-divorced mother of five passed away in 1997 at the age of 79.

The person who was once nominated for a Golden Globe later played Phoebe’s grandmother and Cybill Shepherd’s mom on TV shows, and she died in 1997 when she was 79 years old after being divorced twice and having five kids.

2025-03-24 19:18

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