Adrian Zmed

Adrian Zmed

Zmed in October 2008
Born Adrian George Zmed
(1954-03-14) March 14, 1954
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation Actor, singer and television personality
Years active 1978–present
Spouse(s) Barbara Fitzner (1976-; 2 sons)
Susan Wood (?-?)
Lyssa Lynne (2012-present)
Children Zachary Adrian (b. 1982)[1]
Dylan Zmed[2]

Adrian George Zmed (born March 14, 1954)[3] is an American actor, singer and television personality, noted for the roles of "Johnny Nogerelli" in Grease 2 and "Officer Vince Romano" in the T.J. Hooker television series.

Early life

Zmed was born in Chicago, the youngest of three sons of George Zmed,[4] later known as George Zmed-Smith (1916–2010), a Romanian Orthodox archpriest, who served from 1952 until his retirement in 1983, and his wife, Preoteasa Persida (née Golub) Zmed,[5] later known as Sadie Smith (1923-2015).[6] George Zmed was a first-generation American born in Chicago, to Romanian parents, Nicolae and Paraschiva (née Bălan), who had immigrated from Comloşu Mare, Timişoara in the early 20th century. At the age of five, George and his family returned to Romania, where he was educated, and lived there until returning to the United States in November 1952. George married Romanian-born Persida Golub on October 15, 1942 in Timisoara. The couple had three sons, in the following order: Cornel, Walter, and Adrian.[7]

Adrian Zmed graduated from Lane Tech High School in Chicago. He began playing football as halfback for the Lane Tech High School team until he broke a bone in his leg, which in turn punctured a major artery, while playing.[8] He quit sports and began acting, appearing in his high school's production of Guys and Dolls. After being featured on a local TV show as one of Chicago's top high school performers, Zmed transferred to the Goodman School of Drama and began studying voice at the Chicago Conservatory of Music.[8]

He graduated with a BFA from the famed Goodman School of Drama. His first major acting gig was the role of the male lead, Danny Zuko, in the national touring company production of Grease. He later appeared in the Broadway stage musical three times, twice in the role of Zuko. At 40, Zmed revived the role of Zuko in the 1995 Broadway revival.

Early TV career

In 1978, Zmed made his television debut, appearing as "Marty Decker" in two episodes of ABC's Starsky and Hutch. From there, he won the role of "Socks Palermo" in the short-lived CBS television series Flatbush (1979), based upon the Sylvester Stallone & Henry Winkler film, The Lords of Flatbush.[9] Following the show's cancellation, he was cast as "Frankie Millardo" in Goodtime Girls,[10] which lasted one season (1980). He had guest roles on such series as Angie,[11] I'm a Big Girl Now[12] and Bosom Buddies,[13] and made a guest appearance in 1982's An Evening at the Improv.

T.J. Hooker

Zmed reached celebrity status as "Officer Romano" in ABC's T.J. Hooker. He played "Fred Feliciano" in Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story (1984) and made guest appearances on a number of television shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including Hotel, Empty Nest, Murder, She Wrote and Caroline in the City. He left T.J. Hooker in 1985 when the show moved to CBS, choosing instead to replace Deney Terrio as host of Dance Fever for its final two seasons.

Movies

Following the huge success of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the movie version of Grease, Paramount Pictures quickly secured the rights to a sequel, and cast Zmed as "Johnny Nogerelli", the new leader of the "T-Birds", in Grease 2.[14] Zmed's performance in his first motion picture led to other movie roles, including The Final Terror (1983) and Bachelor Party (1984).[15]

Return to theatre

Zmed returned to stage work in the 1990s. He headlined the musical Children of Eden at the Paper Mill Playhouse, and starred in three shows on Broadway: Falsettos, Blood Brothers, and Grease. He most recently appeared as Noah in the musical The Ark[16] in New York City, and in the film The Craving Heart (2006).

Current work

Zmed provided the voiceover for "Toth" in the 2002 video game, Star Wars Jedi Starfighter. He was also under contract until April 2009 with Princess Cruise Lines to perform Adrian Zmed, In Concert... aboard the Coral Princess and the Island Princess, debuting June 25, 2008. He has appeared as himself on VH1's I Love the 80s, Saturday Night Live and also filled in on The Bozo Show. He appeared as Basil (the "floating head") on the NBC soap opera Passions and participated in VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol.[17] In 2006, he filmed a 30-second PSA for the humane non-profit Dogs Deserve Better organization.

Personal life

Zmed has two sons, Zachary and Dylan, with his first wife and high school sweetheart, Barbara Fitzner, whom he married in 1976.[18][19] Zmed married New Zealand actress/singer Susan Wood; that marriage also ended in divorce. He has been married to Lyssa Lynne since October 5, 2012. Zmed speaks Romanian.[20]

References

External links

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