Dylan and Cole...or Cole and Dylan

Well the interesting thing to know about Mr Sprouse is that he is one of two. Yes that zygote went all ‘splitty’ and Mrs Sprouse got a two-for-one-deal that year and they were all about the showbusiness…

Friends wasn’t Cole’s first role – he and his brother Ben had together played Patrick in sitcom Grace Under Fire for five years, long before signing up to be the offspring of Ross ‘The Divorcer’ Geller.

It’s a common occurrence in telly and film for children to split the acting load with their twin – lazy sods. In fact the first toddler-type Ben was played by twins John Christopher Allen and Charles Thomas Allen.

Anyway, they also tag-teamed playing the bed-wetting ‘Frankenstein’ opposite Adam Sandler in Big Daddy in 1995.

In 2000 though, Cole went solo to star in Friends for seven episodes. He was so sweet until he learned how to be annoying from ‘Cool Aunt Rachel’…

Check out this gallery to see what all the Friends cast look like these days.

Since Friends though the twins realised that there’s strength in numbers and the pair became huge in America – who knew?

Here's what Cole looks like today

In 2005, they landed their own Disney channel sitcom The Suite Life of Zack & Cody which ran for three years before being spun-off into The Suite Life on Deck which ended only last year.

They enjoyed Disney-laden fame for years without being as annoying at The Jonas Brothers and wrapped up their franchise in 2011 with a The Suite Life Movie.

By 2010 they were the highest paid teenage Disney television actors and MSN even reckoned that they were the richest twins since Mary Kate and Ashley Olson.

At the mo though, they’re both in Uni – or ‘college’ as the Americans say – and they’re both studying at New York University.

…and check out this Wikipedic fact: In 2011, Dylan was elected president of the Third Avenue North residence hall – now that’s power.

Watch Friends weekdays at 5pm/8pm on Comedy Central.

Raising a smile every time she appears on screen Ellen played the adorable Rosie in the classic Adam Sandler comedy who paid Robbie in meatballs for giving her singing lessons so she could perform at her 50th wedding anniversary…and what a performance it was.

Beginning her on-screen career in the mid-80s the feisty Ellen can be found rocking out with Whoopi Goldberg in both Sister Act films, K-9, The Wonder Years, Family Matters and Seinfeld.

Having looked the same age for the past two decades (bravo Ellen, what’s your secret?) the question you’re all probably asking right now (and feeling slightly bad about) is probably ‘is she still alive?’

YES! As of 2012 she reached the incredible age of 93 and she’s still working!

Since The Wedding Singer, Ellen appeared in movies like Road Trip and Wedding Crashers and in a lot of telly like Will & Grace, Scrubs, Six Feet Under, My Name is Earl and she played Aunt Ginger in the US remake of Shameless.  She’s also voiced various ‘old women’ in American Dad! And Family Guy.

Forthcoming projects Ellen can be seen in are a Hilary Duff and Charlie Sheen-starring comedy She Wants Me and a thriller titled Frank the Bastard.

Keep it up Ellen!

Altogether now ‘I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you don’t stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat!’

MORE WHERE ARE THEY NOWS:
Janice from Friends – Maggie Wheeler
The Cast of Sesame Street
Kenan & Kel

‘Janice Friends’ (Maggie Wheeler) can proudly call herself the loudest person in sitcom history. As the on-off girlfriend of Chandler, she appears in every single series, laughing like an asthmatic farmyard animal at his jokes and screaming “OH…MY…GAWD” in her famous New Yorkian drawl every time he bumps into her, breaks up with her or tells her he’s moving to Yemen.

But after being snubbed once and for all by her beloved Mr Bing, who went on to live happily ever after with Monica and the mini-Bings, what became of Maggie Wheeler? Did she manage to get other acting jobs without a laugh transplant or elocution lessons? Okay, we know that’s not her real voice but whatevs. Let’s find out…

Since Friends, Maggie has been in numerous TV shows and movies. She appeared in The X Files with David Duchovny (more on him later), Ellen, The New Batman Adventures and Love Boat. She was in the movie The Parent Trap (with a very young, innocent Lindsay Lohan), before landing roles in shows including Will & Grace, C.S.I and Lilo & Stitch.

But Wheeler’s meatiest non-Friends acting job was being cast as Linda Gruenfelder in Everybody Loves Raymond, in which she starred for eight years. Her voice was, well, quite normal on that show but interestingly, one episode (selected here at random of course) was entitled ‘Blabbermouths’. Hmm.

Since then, the artist-formerly-known-as-Janice has enjoyed several other small-ish telly roles, in shows such as Fat Actress, E-Ring, Drake & Josh, E.R., Friday Night Lights, The War At Home, How I Met Your Mother and Without A Trace.  Again, all without nasal voices or stupid laughs (yawn!).

Maggie in 2010

But in 2009, it was time for Linda to make use of those world famous vocal chords – providing the voice for two characters in the TV series, Archer. Okay, the characters didn’t sound exactly like Janice, but you could still tell.

In other news, she recently appeared in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm in the intriguingly titled episode: ‘Palestinian Chicken’.

Beyond that, she married a dude called Daniel (Borden-Wheeler), had two kids (the elder of which she was pregnant with during the episode of Friends where she turns up up-the-duff), oh and she used to go out with… David Duchovny! But now he’s in her ex-files. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *punches self in face*

More ‘Friends’ Where are they nows:

Where are they now? Gunther from ‘Friends’ aka James Michael Tyler
Where are they now? Tag from ‘Friends’ aka Eddie Cahill

Gunther declaring his love for Rachel in the final episode of Friends. Aww.

For years, ‘Gunther Friends’ (James Michael Tyler) slaved away in Central Perk, sprinkling and serving up cappuccinos ad nauseam to be guzzled ungratefully by Ross, Monica and the gang. He didn’t do it for the money; the money was rubbish. He did it for love. And cos he fancied Rachel.

According to Friends folklore, Tyler was cast as the coffee shop because he was on the only extra on set who could work the coffee machine. And it just so happened he was perfect.

But what became of Friends’ most popular supporting actor? Did he try his hand at soaps (like Gunther)? And has he had a haircut? Let’s take a look…

Things were relatively quiet for Mr Tyler after hanging up his Central Perk apron, with only a few minor TV roles to speak of. He had brief appearances in Just Shoot Me, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Scrubs, in which he played a therapist.

He also appeared in a couple of small movies: a short called Live With It about the consequences of a dangerous affair and Jason’s Big Problem – the story of a shy man with a tragically small penis (medically known as ‘micropenis’) who takes a fringe herbal remedy that makes him “grow and grow and grow.” Yes, really.

James celebrated 15 years of Friends with...Mat Horne?!

Beyond that, James spends a lot of time concentrating on his music. Yes people, Gunther is a rock star (okay, he writes nice songs at home on his keyboard but he’s still a serious musician!). He’s also an active trooper for the Lili Claire Foundation and AIDS Project charities in L.A.

For kicks, Tyler loves his tennis, golf and jogging with his hot personal-trainer wife, Barbara.

Sounds like Gunther’s done alright for himself. Oh and he’s had a haircut.

More ‘Friends’ ‘Where are they Nows’:

Where are they now? Eddie Cahill aka Tag from ‘Friends’
Where are they now? Janice from ‘Friends’ aka Maggie Wheeler

That's a good look

When Tag walked into Rachel’s office on the off-chance he’d hire her (he did have surname but Rachel will be damned if she can remember it. It was Jones FYI.) Rachel extensively interviewed him for the role and acted in a highly professional manner throughout.

Yeah right. Instead we like to refer to it as the time when Rachel listened to her foo-foo instead of her brain.

With Tag having a penchant for putting the phone down his pants and Rachel not inclined to get fired, the couple had to keep their relationship on the DL until inevitably, on Rachel’s 30th birthday, she saw sense and reluctantly ended it with ol’ puppy-dog eyes. Bye bye Tag.

But where is Tag from Friends now?

Right under our noses actually. Nowadays Eddie Cahill can be seen playing homicide detective Don Flack in CSI:NY – a character which he’s played since the series’ inception in 2004.

Eddie these days as Det. Don Flack in CSI:NY

Pre-Friends you may have spotted Eddie in Sex and the City episode ‘Boy, Girl, Boy, Girl’ playing the openly bisexual character Sean and also in an episode of Charmed playing…Sean. He must have a ‘Sean’ face.

Post-Friends Cahill cropped up in a few TV series such as Demontown, Haunted and Dawson’s Creek as well as films such as Miracle, Lords of Dogtown and The Narrows. (We hadn’t heard of them either).

At home he’s happily married with a mini-Cahill and he loves a bit of ice hockey. Well who doesn’t?

So now you know what happened to Tag from Friends. Sleep well citizens.

Roz back in the day

A polar opposite to Frasier’s pretentious ways, the straight-talking Roz kept Frasier somewhat tethered to this intellectual plane.

Did you know? The character of Roz is a tribute to Peri Gilpin’s producer on ‘Wings’ was who sadly died of breast cancer in 1991.

But since the sitcom ended way back in 2004 the stars have gone their separate ways. Kelsey Grammer joined the X-Men, David Hyde Pierce flourished onstage and Jane Leeves is getting Hot in Cleveland – but what happened to Peri Gilpin? Well that’s why we’re here.

Since hanging up her headphones at KACL, Peri Gilpin stayed in showbiz starring in a few TV movies and lending her voice to various characters on King of the Hill. She also voiced Professor Kate Corrigan in the animated Hellboy TV movies Sword of Storms and Blood and Iron.

Did you know? Gilpin actually appeared in ‘Cheers’, the sitcom from which ‘Frasier’ was born, but not as Roz, just some random lady named Holly in an episode of season eleven.

Peri Gilpin looking lovely for 'Make It Or Break It'

These days she’s still inseparable from her Frasier co-star Jane Leeves. Not only are the pair godmother to each others children – aww – they founded a production company Bristol Cities whose last reported project was a pilot for an American remake of The Vicar of Dibley starring Kirstie Alley. It didn’t get picked up.

Peri also recently made a guest appearance in Hot in Cleveland which, wouldn’t you know it, stars Jane Leeves!

Peri’s also had guest spots in Desperate Housewives, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Medium but now plays Kim Keeler the mother of an Olympic gymnast wannabe in the ‘family drama’ Make It Or Break It.  Flexy.

There. Job done. Want us to find out what happened to any other obscure TV stars? Comment below and we’ll get our investigators on it. Maybe.

Bucks Fizz - Fit

Step 1: Enter Eurovision Song Contest, 1981.
Step 2: Attach Velcro to ladies garments
Step 3: Whip it off mid-song, threatening all with imminent knicker-viewage but really reveal a shorter skirt
Step 4: Leave judges and audience dumbfounded
Step 5: Reap the rewards

Fast forward 30 years and we’ve only won once since then!

But for Eurovision 2011, after last year’s debacle (sorry Josh), we’re sending in the big guns with man-band Blue to rake in the points. But can they hold a torch to 1981 Brit winners Bucks Fizz? Come to think of it where are they now?………….

After their Eurovision triumph Bucks Fizz aka Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, went on to become one of the biggest British pop groups of the 80s.

Churning out hits like ‘The Land of Make Believe’, ‘My Camera Never Lies’ and ‘One of Those Nights’ the Fizz legacy carried on until the 90s and at one point there were even two lots of feuding fizzers! But let’s just focus on the original awesome foursome.

Bobby G

Bobby G these days

First off, what a name! The longest serving member of Bucks Fizz, Bobby G (the G stands for Gubby!) never officially left the group and, in the early 2000s, after numerous band member changes, he was embroiled in a legal battle with David Van Day (classic villain name) who left one Bucks Fizz and launched his ‘own version’ with original member Mike Nolan. It gets confusing…! Anyway long story short Bobby won – you can see watch the whole hullaballoo in the BBC documentary Trouble at the Top.

Cheryl Baker
Perhaps one of the more memorable faces of the four members, Cheryl Baker (real name Rita Maria Crudgington – wow) scarpered from Bucks Fizz in 1993 but she had already ventured into television presenting Record Breakers and The Saturday Morning Picture Show.

Chezza completing the London marathon

Aside from also being a regular guest on natter-panel show Loose Women Cheryl has also starred in Footloose The Musical and more recently Menopause The Musical (?!).

Lately Cheryl is the face of weight-loss company Jenny Craig after dropping two and a half stone in nine months. She also ran the London marathon with former bandmate Jay raising money for her HeadFirst charity.

Mike Nolan
In 1984 Bucks Fizz were involved in a coach crash while touring Newcastle. Bobby G suffered whiplash, Jay was hospitalised for back injuries and head pains and Cheryl broke three of the vertebrae in her back, but Mike suffered a head injury which saw him slip into a coma. Thankfully he survived but reportedly now suffers from epilepsy, short-term memory loss and tunnel vision.

Mike lookin' sharp

He and Baker then helped set up the HeadFirst charity for head injuries of crash victims which they still raise funds for today.

As mentioned Mike joined up with David Van Day in 1997 to form the rival Bucks Fizz and continued with them until 2001 when the legal sh*t really hit the fan.

Since then he opted to stay out of the limelight, save for an appearance on Ready, Steady, Cook with Cheryl Baker but he’s now back with the band touring with Chezza and Jay – yay! And ladies, if the rumours are to be believed…he’s single!

Jay Aston

Jay after running the 2011 London Marathon with Cheryl

Jay Aston, the youngest of the group, caused a ruckus when she was the first to leave the band ‘sensationally’ in 1985 while still under contract.

Since leaving the band she pursued a solo career releasing two solo albums ‘Alive and Well’ and ‘Lamb or Lizard’ and she also set up the ‘Jay Aston Theatre School’ where she teaches stars of the future.

She featured in the Identity Parade on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and her life was even parodied in the drag Edinburgh Fringe Show Night of a Thousand Jay Astons.

In 2009, Jay came home and rejoined the group. Nice.

What now?

In March 2011 they announced that they’ll be playing a special gig at the London Palladium in July to commemorate 30 years since winning Eurovision. Huzzah! But apparently minus Bobby G? We don’t know why…

You can keep up to date with the all latest fizzy business on their website: http://www.theoriginalbucksfizz.org/

Bruce Boxleitner as Tron

Bruce Boxleitner
In the movie, ‘Tron’ was played by Bruce Boxleitner and was the computer program developed by the character Alan Bradley who helped the recently ‘digitised’ Jeff Bridges run riot around the computer mainframe he was zapped into.

Post Tron, Bruce has been in many U.S. TV movies, including some great titles like Killer Flood: The Day the Dam Broke, Bone Eater and Pandemic – no not the South Park episode – although whilst we’re on the subject did you see Stan in Tron regalia last season? Brilliant.

Stan when he was sucked into Facebook

He also played Captain Duvall in the TV series Young Blades which involved sword fighting and Musketeers but his most notable role since Tron was in Babylon 5 playing Captain John Sheridan, *later promoted to ‘President of the Interstellar Alliance’ -not a bad job to have on your CV is it) for the entire series between 1994 and 1998.

Bruce has voiced his character on the Tron video games and also featured in a few episodes of Heroes.

To the present though – Tron Legacy wouldn’t be Tron without bringing its namesake back. Yup, keep your eyes peeled because Brucey’s in the reboot!

Cindy Morgan
No eighties movie would be complete without a strong, fiesty heroine and Yori, the digital counterpart of Dr Lora Baines was the lady who flicked Tron’s switches.

Cindy Morgan as Yori

Before Tron, Cindy Morgan had only been in the biz for only a few years but had already managed to get herself a part in the Chevy Chase / Bill Murray golfing comedy Caddyshack.

After Tron though, as is the case for many actors/actresses, you either hit the big time or spend many years with small TV roles or parts in TV movies (a bit like Bruce) and work seems to have dried up for Cindy of late.

Cindy featured in two TV series – the short-lived Bring ‘Em Back Alive in 1982 and as a recurring character in the more successful Falcon Crest.  Then TV movies beckoned and the odd appearance on shows like Harry and the Hendersons, Matlock and The Larry Sanders Show.

Bruce and Cindy reunited in 2010!

But aside from the acting malarkey, Cindy has associate-produced five films and is a keen supporter of the US military and helps to raise funds for families affected by those called upon to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She even organised a Caddyshack reunion golf tournament in 2006 in aid of the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund.

As for the return of Yori to Tron: Legacy, her character was actually killed of in the computer game Tron 2.0 and according to her the call from Disney never came…

The weight of the world on his tiny shoulders

Sangster and his massive love-struck eyes endeared him to the nation’s heart playing Sam, stepson to Liam Neeson who both were coming to terms with the death of Sam’s mother.  Poor little blighter.

The thing was Sam wasn’t miserable because his mother had passed away, it turns out he was struck down by the ‘total agony of being in love’.

So bless him, he locked himself in his room learning to play the drums just so that the girl of his dreams might notice him. THE THINGS WE BLOKES DO FOR YOU GIRLS!

Here’s a little bit of trivia for you: Thomas learned to play the drums specifically for his role in Love Actually and his co-star Hugh Grant is his second cousin once removed.

But enough of who he was then, where is he now?

Well the boy done good! You’ll see his cheeky mug on the cover art of Nanny McPhee where he played Simon alongside Love Actually co-star Emma Thompson.

He played the young version of James Franco in Tristan + Isolde and reunited with Colin Firth for The Last Legion in 2007.

Elsewhere on the big screen Thomas more recently starred in Nowhere Boy (2009) portraying none other than the legend Sir Paul McCartney himself.

Thomas in 2010. Exactly. The. Same!

Thomas had already been playing the guitar for years prior to his role but had to learn to play left handed to fully channel the McCartney within.

On television Thomas featured in two Doctor Who episodes in 2007 as well voicing Ferb in Phineas and Ferb.

In 2006 Thomas and his mother Tasha Bertram established Brodie Films ‘to create opportunities in the film industry for new British talent; innovative writers, actors and dire’ with which Thomas himself has directed a music video and a behind the scenes short film for their piece A Hat for the Camel.

The world definitely isn’t done with Thomas yet.  See him next in The Last Furlong and Death of a Superhero starring Gollum and King Kong himself Andy Serkis.

Santa Claus: The Movie tells the story of a 14^th Century peasant, Claus who, with his wife Anya (Onslow’s bird from Keeping Up Appearances), is rescued from near certain death in a blizzard by elves (or ‘Vendequm’ for all you elf fans) near the north pole.

David Huddleston as Santa

Taken in by the Vendequm, Claus discovers his destiny to deliver toys to all the children of the world and the legend of Santa Claus is born. Magic.

Born in 1930, Santa aka David Huddleston, served in the US Air Force before taking his acting seriously in the late 40s.

Before playing Santa, Huddleston co-starred in Blazing Saddles and appeared in a number of classic American TV shows like Bewitched, The Waltons, Charlie’s Angels and Hawaii Five-O.

But now for the actual point of the post – Où est-il maintenant? ¿Dónde está ahora? Where is he now?

When we do these ‘investigations’ (Google searches) there’s always the danger that they may have carked it but…drum roll please…he’s alive! Well he is Santa of course…It just happens to be the film’s 25^th anniversary this year so what has he been up to for the past two and a half decades?

Since disrobing as St Nick, David has stacked up a pretty healthy amount of credits on television and in film.

David in 2002

His most notable credit was in The Big Lebowski playing The Big Lebowski!

His TV work has included parts in Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Star Trek: TNG and playing Grandpa Arnold in The Wonder Years with everyone’s favourite inner-monologuer Fred Savage.

In more recent years he cropped up in Gilmore Girls and The West Wing playing Senator Max Lobell. He also found himself in nuclear fallout drama Jericho alongside Scream’s Skeet Ulrich and voicing a sea turtle for The Wild Thornberrys!

David recently celebrated his 80^th birthday and is often found trying to fit down his neighbours’ chimneys.

That’s a lie but wouldn’t that be great!?