'Quantum Leap' on NBC: Where are the cast members of the OG sci-fi show now?
'Quantum Leap' is an OG late 80's pop-culture famous science fiction television series, created by Donald P Bellisario, that originally aired on NBC for five seasons, from March 25, 1989, to May 5, 1993. It stars Scott Bakula as Dr Sam Beckett, a physicist who involuntarily leaps through spacetime during experiments in time travel, by temporarily taking the place of other people to correct what he consistently discovers were historical mistakes.
The series features a mix of humor, drama, romance, social commentary, and science fiction. It was ranked number 19 on TV Guide's 'Top Cult Shows Ever' in 2007. Although the series had a slow start in the ratings, and its timeslot was moved often, it did well in the 18–49 demographic. The finale was viewed by 13 million households, overall. So what are the superstars of this famous cult show doing now? Read more to find out!
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Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula, 65 years old played time traveler Dr Sam Beckett, who was trapped by a malfunction of his time machine to correct things gone wrong in the past. Sam Beckett is a quantum physicist with six doctoral degrees. He grew up on his parent's farm in Elk Ridge, Indiana, with an older brother (Tom) and a younger sister (Katie). Sam's idol is Albert Einstein. Bakula's performance in this sci-fi show earned him a Golden Globe Award along with three nominations and four Emmy Award nominations for Best Actor, as well as five consecutive Viewers for Quality Television Awards for Best Actor in a Quality Drama Series. Recently though, NBC has passed on Bakula’s ranch drama 'Unbroken', seems like he won't leap his way back into the network this year at least.
Dean Stockwell
In 1989, Stockwell appeared as the second lead in the show 'Quantum Leap', which ran for five seasons. Stockwell's character Albert "Al" Calavicci is a womanizing US Navy rear admiral and Sam's best friend, who grew up in an orphanage and was later active in the civil rights movement. At the time of Sam's leaps, Al spends his free time with his lover and the project's medical technician Tina Martinez. However, he was also nominated for Best Supporting Role Actor at Emmy but did not win it. He retired from acting in 2015 following health issues and focused his later life on sculpture and other visual art. The legendary Dean Stockwell died of natural causes in New Zealand on November 7, 2021, at the age of 85.
Deborah Pratt
Deborah Pratt was a co-executive producer and a writer on the Quantum Leap TV series, which was created by her then-husband, Donald Bellisario. Deborah Pratt also frequently starred in the show as both the narrator and the voice of Ziggy. You may wonder who is Ziggy, Ziggy is the self-aware artificial intelligence "parallel hybrid computer" with an ego that runs Project 'Quantum Leap' and helps Sam throughout his leaps. Deborah is a five-time Emmy nominee, a Golden Globe nominee, and recipient of The Lillian Gish Award from Women in Film, The Angel Award, The Golden Block Award, and Five Black Emmy Nominees Awards. She is currently producing the new reprised version of 'Quantum Leap', and directs another highly renowned show called 'Grey's Anatomy'.
Dennis Wolfberg
Wolfberg was born on March 29, 1946, on Long Island to Frances and Sidney Wolfberg, Wolfberg was a school teacher before launching a full-time comedy career in 1979. Wolfberg attended Queens College, where he received a master's degree in clinical psychology. He played Irving "Gooshie" Gushman in 'Quantum Leap'. Gooshie is the project's often-mentioned head programmer, who is said to have bad breath. He appears in five episodes, including the pilot and the finale. However, Wolfberg died of melanoma on October 3, 1994, aged 48. He had been diagnosed with cancer at least two years before his death, and he continued to work through the end of August 1994. At the time of his death, he was negotiating a deal for his own TV show.
In the 1980s series viewers could see in each episode, a different cast of guest characters appears, mostly the ones who would have interacted with the person Sam replaces with his leaps. Several other characters are referred to regularly throughout the series but are mostly unseen. Donald P Bellisario, Kevin Light, Richard White, and lastly 'Sex and the City' famous Stanford aka Willie Garson were seen as guests appearing in the show through the course of time. However, the new show is all set to release on NBC itself on Monday, September 19th, 2022.