# How many actors started off on children's shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702 "2004-11-14T14:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/21 "2004-11-14T22:42:11Z")
I remembered one more – though her acting credits are not the focus of her career, Alanis Morrisette started out on the Canadian/Nickelodeon program _You Can’t Do That on Television_. And seriously folks, if you want to protect your posts, lock your doors when you sleep. I keep odd hours and I’m a tiny woman who can fit through 99% of household windows. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/22 "2004-11-15T00:38:53Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > And Laurence Fishburn (Cowboy Carl) and Phil Hartman used to be on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” as well. Yet another nitpick: Laurence (then billed as Larry) Fishburne’s role was Cowboy Curtis. Also, I thought “Alanis!” about halfway through reading this thread, only to see **TeaElle** had mentioned Ms. _Morissette_. Hey, there’s another nitpick, although I admit I had to check the trusty old [IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001551/) to make sure I had the spelling correct… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/23 "2004-11-15T04:44:08Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Did he host it, or just play some roles like ‘Easy Reader’? He didn’t host the show. He was just one of several featured actors. The show didn’t really have a host. BTW, Easy Reader was my idol when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/24 "2004-11-15T13:11:42Z")
Leonardo DiCaprio was on the new Romper Room. ---
**Author:** ![gooti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gooti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooti)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/25 "2004-11-15T13:49:41Z")
Rita Moreno was also on _The Electric Company_ and Christina Aguilera was a Mousketeer around the same time as Britney & Justin. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/26 "2004-11-15T14:04:02Z")
> [@Sternvogel](#): > > Yet another nitpick: Laurence (then billed as Larry) Fishburne’s role was Cowboy Curtis. D’oh! Thanks! Wasn’t there a “Carl” on the show? Maybe Hartman was Captain Carl? Or I’m just imagining things. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/27 "2004-11-15T14:14:23Z")
> [@gooti](#): > > Rita Moreno was also on _The Electric Company_… If my Lynne Thigpen nomination isn’t kosher because of her prior credits, I’m going to challenge [Rita Moreno](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001549/) on the same grounds. ---
**Author:** ![gooti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eb8c5e/32.png) [@gooti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooti)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/28 "2004-11-15T14:22:42Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > If my Lynne Thigpen nomination isn’t kosher because of her prior credits, I’m going to challenge [Rita Moreno](http://imdb.com/name/nm0001549/) on the same grounds. Cool with me. I thought about that after I posted. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/29 "2004-11-15T14:29:52Z")
Steve Burns from _Blue’s Clues_, though he hasn’t done much non-Blue related acting yet. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/30 "2004-11-15T15:02:18Z")
Burns has turned to a recording career, though he did have a memorable guest role in **Homicide: Life on the Streets** [Chuck McCann](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0564841/) started out as a kid’s show host in NYC and went on to a long career as a bit actor and voice actor in cartoons like Powerpuff Girls and Duck Tales. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702/31 "2004-11-15T15:43:11Z")
Does [Soupy Sales](http://www.tvparty.com/soupy.html) count? His kid’s show was his first national exposure but he hosted a Cincinnati dance show aimed at teenagers before that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-actors-started-off-on-childrens-shows/274702.md?page=1)