Principal Figgins in The West Wing, 1999

I recently moved into a new apartment, in the process of which I regained a roommate from this past summer who possesses, along with baking skills and a robust liquor supply, a copy of the first season of The West Wing. Moseying my way through it I saw – though it had lingered as a distant memory – the now-ubiquitous Dr. Cuddy engaged in a bizarre career lacuna in which, sandwiched between undergrad and a brilliant subsequent career as a doctor medical school and a hospital administrator, she went to Georgetown Law and became a hooker to pay her way, slept with the Deputy Communications Director of the White House and lived in an inappropriately-posh townhouse for someone in her station. It was a decade ago, so perhaps it was the wrong side of Dupont Circle at the time. Anyway as in addition to being a club princess in the 90s Lisa Edelstein has been in perhaps every television show on air (and some not) I didn’t think it worth making hay.

What had not lingered in my memory, however, was the sight of Glee’s own Principal Figgins as the much younger Indian Ambassador to the United States in an episode inappropriately entitled “Lord John Marbury.” (It is inappropriate because only the second and later sons of marquesses and dukes are titled “Lord Firstname Lastname” – in the show his senior title, if memory serves, would be Marquess of Needham and Dolby and therefore he’d be called Lord Needham, as would the episode, which is entirely beside the point.) Incidentally, in the minute or so he is featured Indian Ambassador Figgins was considerably more reasonable than High School Principal Figgins ever was. He was probably forced to resign in disgrace after railing about the dangers of Muslim vampirism.

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John Oliver in Green Wing, 2004

This whole “where were they then?” idea requires a little bit more follow-through than I’d initially anticipated.  But I just stumbled on John Oliver as a used car salesman in the premiere of Green Wing, so there you go.

To think, this was 5 years after he was in the Footlights.  I’d better start holding out for my 30s now.

(Incidentally, the episode’s here.  Gratis Hulu. He’s in the first three minutes.)

I fear the Toys R’ Us song was more prescient than I then realized

Sing it with me:

Incidentally, that strapping young black man is apparently Jaleel White, who would grow up to be both horribly typecast on Family Matters (which the kids starting college now probably don’t remember at all because they were 5) and ironically good-looking. He starred with Reginald VelJohnson, whose name is actually VelJohnson. My friend Amy would tell you that that’s nothing in terms of ridiculous names. But people don’t often get goofy with the surname.

Really I just wanted an excuse to post a picture of Reginald VelJohnson.

This post (I was trying to write something vaguely coherent?) has been brought to you by Charlie Brooker, who feels precisely the way I do about aging.  Of course he has it slightly worse: he’s old.

P.S. Though he’s totally right about old people and Lady Gaga.

Where were they then?

It’s always a sick little secret pleasure for me to watch old/older movies and see celebrities, especially actors, in unexpected microscopic roles from long before they were famous.  (This happens frequently as I’m uncomfortable with anything less than five years old.)  Just from the last week:

• Taub and Cuddy from House as a couple on a date in Jack Nicholson’s restaurant in As Good As It Gets; and
• Oscar from The Office as a security guard who calls a cable repairman at Edward Norton’s house in the remake of The Italian Job

Feel free to post others.  I’ll add more as I see them, since it means I can post without actually writing anything.

A blogger I am become!