Animal House revisted: Where the heck is Tom Hulce in all the hoopla?

Cafe Society
1

As we all know Animal House hit its 25th anniversary recently. I mean, God, the hoopla was inescapable – which is okay by me 'cuz I loved the movie. Even NIGHTLINE did a whole segment on it. Nightline!

Okay, so in the past month or so everytime there’s been an AH retrospective segment on some show I’ve watched it. I’ve caught interviews with everyone still alive from movie – even minor characters like the blonde bimbo sorority princess and her Ken-doll boyfriend who she gives the handjob to in the car.

But no Tom Hulce! I mean even the clips they show from the movie don’t feature him. And no one in the cast talks about him as they stroll down memory lane.

What gives? Is it like Alec Guiness and Star Wars? He hates being reminded of the role and won’t talk about it? Or is there bad blood from the other side and everyone from the production hates him.

It was so odd watching the segments without a single mention of the guy. I mean he scored pretty high with Amadeus and has done some impressive theater work, so it’s not like he fell entirely off the showbiz radar screen.

Who knows the skinny?

2

According to imdb, it looks like he hasn’t done that much (other than Disney voice work) since '95. Some stage directing, but even that isn’t recent, according to this.

Should I link to the “do entertainers ever retire?” thread?

3

It looks like maybe he’s become fairly reclusive. I’m sure they wouldn’t have ignored him on purpose, since Amadeus pretty much made him a major star for life.

4

I find that odd, too. Although I think he’s always been one for the stage more than the screen. A year or so ago they released the Director’s Cut of Amadeus and he was on the “Making Of” or “Looking Back” documentary on the movie. That’s the last I’ve seen of him anyway.

5

Bumpity-bump for the weekday crowd.

6

Maybe once he made Amadeus he convinced himself that he was a “real” actor and “above” such adolescent filth (shudder).

Or maybe he hated the rest of the cast and didn’t want to associate with them or even talk about them.

Until he talks about it, who knows?