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So, it’s no secret that 99% of children born between 1970 and 2000 has seen and fallen in love with The Goonies. It has become one of the most quoted films of all time, “Don’t you realize? The next time you see sky, it’ll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it’ll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what’s right for them. Because it’s their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it’s our time. It’s our time down here. That’s all over the second we ride up Troy’s bucket.”
Aside from these boss quotes, part of what made it so amazing was the cast. We all had our favorites, and I guarantee yours is on this list. Haven’t you wondered what your childhood crush or BFF is up to these days? Are they better off than you? Are they…single, perhaps? Who knows, you will soon if you keep reading!
From Mikey to Sloth, let’s take a look at fifteen of the most popular characters from The Goonies and see where they’re at now, over 30 years later. This was 1985, as Bowling for Soup says, the year of Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, way before Nirvana, and music still on MTV. But what the band didn’t mention was one of the best movies of the year, The Goonies! So let’s do them justice and do a throwback, followed by what they’re up to in 2017! Goonies never die!
Mikey – Sean Astin
Mikey was the main character in The Goonies, so most people wonder how he is! In short, he’s great, still making movies and spreading love! Though he lost his lisp, he can bring it back for roles such as 50 First Dates. Here’s a little fact before we get started: did you know Sean is Patty Duke's son?! No wonder!
His next big role after The Goonies was as Samwise in Lord of the Rings. This guy’s the best! He has been seen (or heard?) voice acting in video games like Kingdom Hearts and TV shows like Meerkat Manor. But his biggest recent breakthrough is in the hit show Stranger Things as Bob Newby. When not acting, he can be found supporting Hillary Clinton, Bible-based content, and running marathons! What a combo!
Brand – Josh Brolin
Out of the entire cast, Brand is like the most famous today. It’s Josh Brolin! The 80s weren’t kind to Josh. He was caught up in a group of thieving drug-users. He found himself fortunate to be one of the few in the group that survived. And as sad as the loss of his friends is, we are glad that he made it!
His role of the Young Agent K in Men in Black 3 was phenomenal. Today, he is known for his role of Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On the same note, he just recently signed a contract to play Cable as well in Deadpool 2 and the X-men movies. To this day, he’s a hero (or villain) to many, not just Andy!
Mouth – Corey Feldmen
With a career that began at three, Corey Feldmen had made hundreds of appearances (commercials, on Disney channel, and in movies) by the time The Goonies rolled around. He got lucky that year, with several movies in the making or had just been released such as Stand By Me and Gremlins. With all this fame, by the time he was past his teens, he was into drugs as many actors his age were. He talks often about his struggles as a child star.
He speaks about Hollywood pedophilia to help others like him. He has been known to tour with his band that was established in the 90s but was unable to be focused on due to Corey’s acting career. It had its biggest spout of fame in 2009. Today, he can be seen with his band Corey Feldman and the Angels touring the US. Along with his band, he speaks on behalf of animals and their rights.
Chunk - Jeff Cohen
You’ll never guess what Chunk is up to today! Hey you guys, it’s Jeff Cohen, American attorney! As a child, the role of Chunk was good for him and he enjoyed the cast. But one thing did not do him justice. The fact that his name was Chunk and he was portrayed as a dumb, overweight kid. He was teased greatly for this, which inspired him to start playing football and get in shape.
He attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business in 1996. Soon after, he earned a J.D. degree from the UCLA School of Law in 2000. What a great investment with the money he earned from The Goonies! Along with being a lawyer, he can be found on The Huffington Post helping others with articles on business matters.
Andy – Kerri Green
Andy was the first crush for many. She was smart and beautiful. Unfortunately, The Goonies was her only big role. Afterwards, she took a break from acting to study art at Vassar College. Ironically, she was here to get away from acting and was roommates with Marisa Tomei's brother, Adam, and with BioShock developer Ken Levine.
She appeared as a guest star in shows like Law & Order, but ended up founding Independent Women Artists, with Bonnie Dickenson. Their first larger film was Bellyfruit (1999). These days, she likes to keep a quiet, private life with her unknown husband and children. Even her social media accounts are private! I hope she found the peaceful life she was looking for. Word is, she’s living in California, but an address is unobtainable. And is it just me or does Andy look like Emma Watson?
Stef – Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton’s breakthrough role was as Stef in The Goonies. Her next big role was in Parenthood with Joaquin Phoenix. In the 90s, she had several minor roles, along with a recurring role on ER. But her next known role was Virginia Chance in the hot show Raising Hope. This earned her multiple Emmy nominations. Around the same time, she received an Emmy for her role on The Good Wife! In 2016, she had a lead role in The Real O’Neals.
She is now a big political speaker and supporter of the LGBT community, as well as a vocal advocate for a woman's right to abortion. She’s very active on social media, and word is, in January, she purchased a million-dollar home. The expensive home is listed as a “Cozy City View Pied-a-Terre High Above Los Angeles.”
Data – Jonathan Ke Quan
Jonathan Ke Quan played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Data the same year. Born in South Vietnam, his family was exiled when the Army of the Republic of Vietnam was defeated during the Fall of Saigon.
He immediately went into acting after moving and played in films all over the world as he is fluent in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, and English! However, it didn’t take long for him to realize he had a different dream. When Philip Tan trained him in Taekwondo on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, his dream was realized. He loved martial arts! He now works as a stunt choreographer for the X-Men movies, Jet Li movies, as well as many others. His Twitter shows him with his wife and kids, as well as his interest in art and video games!
Sloth – John Matuszak
Sloth will be our only entry on the list that is no longer with us. But, he deserves it, it’s Sloth, you can’t not like him! Before acting, John Matuszak was an American football defensive end in the National Football League that was the first draft pick of 1973. He generally played with the Oakland Raiders who won the second Super Bowl in 1981. During this time, he participated in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, where he placed ninth. On top of that, he was a nude model for Playgirl!
Sadly, the beloved John Matuszak died of an accidental propoxyphene overdose, though cocaine was also found in his bloodstream. If he was alive today, no doubt he’d be playing big roles as he didn’t get very many years in Hollywood before he passed before the age of 40.
Francis – Joe Pantoliano
Although we know Joe Pantoliano as Francis, most know him for his role in The Sopranos where he played Ralph Cifaretto. Throughout the 80s and 90s, he was renowned for playing villains in The Goonies, Baby’s Day Out, and Risky Business, among other big-time movies.
It wasn’t until 2007 that he announced his addictions on the National Alliance on Mental Illness blog. He claims he has been clinically depressed, addicted to just about anything you can be addicted to, and has learning disabilities. Though he enjoys helping others speak up and sharing his story, he is still big in the TV industry, starring in episodes of the Simpsons and SpongeBob Squarepants, and also in big film productions like Percy Jackson, Cats and Dogs, and The Perfect Match.
Jake - Robert Davi
This one’s cray cray, but the other half of that crazy old bat’s duo of sons is Jake (or Robert Davi), has taken a different path than expected. As in the movie, Robert is a singer, only there’s a big difference…he’s good. Oddly enough, his first role was alongside his idol, Frank Sinatra in Contract on Cherry Street. Soon after, he was seen in Die Hard, Showgirls, and more. But acting wasn’t his passion per se. However, it wasn’t until 2011 that he released his first album.
He still plays in movies like The Expendables 3, but he spends most of his time on tour or singing Sinatra covers. He has been called a sensational Sinatra cover artist that stays true to himself. He has recently reached the top ten Jazz Songs on Billboard!
Troy - Steve Antin
Troy Perkins was the annoying, obnoxious jock from The Goonies. Through the years, he starred in several smaller productions as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and stuntman. He has been behind the scenes more often than in the spotlight, but is commonly brought up due to being one of the first young actors to come out of the closet. He has dated several other stars, including David Geffen.
These days, he directs more than anything, his biggest film of the decade being Burlesque, starring Christina Aguilera. Since then, however, he’s disappeared from social media and the headlines on news sites. So either he’s settled down with a new boyfriend or is working on something big for us! No one really knows, but we hope he can come up with something as critically acclaimed as Burlesque.
Troy’s Friend – Jeb Stuart Adams
Although he didn’t play a big role in the movie, Jeb Stuart Adams came from a family of big stars. His father was Nick Adams, and his mother Carol Nugent. For those who don’t know it, Nick Adams was a good friend and Hollywood rival to James Dean and Elvis Presley. His role, however, in the Goonies wasn’t memorable, but his role as Christopher in the 1987 film Flowers in the Attic was huge!
Unfortunately, he retired from acting in the 80s and began a new career as a realtor. He serves Malibu, Agoura Hills, Calabasas and the surrounding areas. Most of his clients don’t know who he is, funny enough, which pleases him as his passion lies in real estate rather than acting. Perhaps being born into the trade gets to a person. Sometimes you want a change in scenery, no pun intended.
Data’s Dad – Michael Paul Chan
Another one with a small role in The Goonies was Michael Paul Chan, who played Data’s dad. Though his more famous roles include Lieutenant Michael Tao on the TNT series The Closer and Major Crimes. These days, however, though he guest stars on a regular basis, he is focusing on the Asian American Theater Company, which he founded.
The AATC is a non-profit theatre performance company based in San Francisco. Its stated mission is "To connect people to Asian American culture through theatre." They take young Asians, teach them the art, giving many of them their debut in small, local productions. Although it was established in 1973, it’s still a popular destination. Some of the most popular actors who got their start at AATC are Amy Hill and Victor Wong.
Richard Donner (Director) – Deputy
Funny enough, the creator and director of The Goonies, Richard Donner, made a cameo appearance in the movie. Before this movie, he directed The Omen and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. Soon after, he worked on Lethal Weapon and Scrooged. But today, he’s busy with his company that directed the X-Men movies. He has even been called "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters."
Somehow The Goonies skyrocketed his career, and why wouldn’t it? It’s now a cult classic! One of the best of its time, and lucky for Richard, he’s been hitting more than missing as far as that is concerned. Most of his movies have become blockbuster hits, setting records at every turn. It’s exciting to see what he’ll be doing in the coming years.
One-Eyed Willy – And His Ship
One-Eyed Willy was one of the most famous, highly-acclaimed pirates in 1632. That is, until he got trapped in a cave in Astoria, Oregon. He died protecting his treasure from those unworthy, and in the end it was discovered by innocent children looking for an adventure.
Although he died and most of his treasure was captured, his ship, The Inferno, was accidentally set free. No one knows where the Inferno went. Perhaps it took the spirit of Willy far away to search for more treasure. Perhaps it ended up in the hands of modern-day pirates or treasure hunters. Whether or not the spirit of One-Eyed Willy is alive is unknown, but someone had to lead The Goonies to him, right? So either Willy or Chester Copperpot was stirring something up that day in 1985 in Astoria, Oregon.
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