Ilan Mitchell-Smith

Ilan Mitchell-Smith (born June 29, 1969) is an American academic and former actor best known as the co-star of the film Weird Science (1985).

Acting career

Mitchell-Smith's very first passion was ballet. He studied as a child and even won a scholarship to dance with the School of American Ballet. While there on his scholarship, he was discovered by a casting director and his film career began in 1982 at age 12 when he played a younger version of the title character in Sidney Lumet's Daniel. After a starring role in the 1984 film The Wild Life, he was cast as Wyatt Donnelly in the 1985 teen classic Weird Science by writer/director John Hughes. The film focuses on two nerdy teenage boys who create a woman of their own (played by Kelly Le Brock), as they are unable to find girlfriends.

Mitchell-Smith starred in several other films and TV series, most notably The Chocolate War and Superboy; none of these brought him the same degree of recognition. He decided to leave acting entirely in 1991, his final role being a guest appearance on Silk Stalkings. Recently Mitchell-Smith has done select voice over work (recording for two episodes -- "Moon Warriors" and "Heads Will Roll"—of Fox ADHD's "Axe Cop").