On My Teenage Idols

So I’m stuffing around on the internet today and all of a sudden I come across a signature on somebody’s comment saying “RIP Jonathan Brandis“. I irk. Physically. Is that for real? I google it and there it is.

Jonathan Brandis, of IT, Neverending Story 3 and all-round long-forgotten teen idol over whom both my sister and I used to obsess (is this Comic Mummy coming clean week or what?!), took his own life way back in 2003. Allegedly triggered in part by his dismay at the state of his career. Boy oh boy.

Now, without meaning to negate the obvious tragedy of this horrible occurrence, for now I wish to avoid the obvious depressing reactionary rant to this news and instead share something else that this has led to me contemplatin: some of my other teen celebrity crushes, specifically in the where are they now? sense.

Firstly, Chad Allen – I used to dream of marrying this guy, seriously. He was so clean-cut, but then went so bad boy in that terrible tele-movie about the woman getting her student to kill her husband (I think it co-starred Helen Hunt). He’s now making something of a comeback on television and is officially gay, gay, gay.

Wil Wheaton – I loved this guy so badly, I used to rewind the part in Toy Soldiers where he says “I wanna go to sleep man, I wanna dream about Jennifer,” over and over. And even though I hate it when people call me Jennifer, Wil Wheaton, shirtless and crucifixed-earringed, made it work. Now? He’s writing books as well as a rather popular blog, doing the Star Trek conference circuit and is shacked up with a lady plus step-kids, all of which he seems suitably fond of. In a shameless side-note, he has emailed me before (I nearly screamed) but that’s a whole other story.

Scott Weinger – He played DJ’s boyfriend on Full House, and I, of course, wanting to be just like DJ (cos as a 10-year-old, wasn’t she, like, the coolest girl ev-EEERRRRR?) wanted to have a boytoy just like him. Yum-ness. He’s apparently now focusing on the screenwriting thing, no deets on the personal life front.

And finally….

Johnny Depp – Who I’ve never lost track of and I’m sure I never will.

*said in a very non-stalkerish way*

P.S. You’re welcome.