Brent Chalem

Last updated
Brent Chalem
Born(1975-02-00)February 1975
Westlake Village, California
Died9 December 1997(1997-12-09) (aged 22)
Henderson, Nevada
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active1985–1989

Brent Chalem was an American child actor.

Early life and schooling

Chalem was born in Westlake Village in February 1975 (either February 1 or February 7) to Allen and Bettyanne Chalem. [1] [2]

Contents

In 1980 and 1981, Chalem played in the American Youth Soccer Organization's Division VII (Pee Wee Division), first as a defender for the Yellow Jackets, and then as a goalkeeper for the Dragonflies. [3] [4] In 1982, Chalem progressed to the American Youth Soccer Organization's Division VI, playing for the Golden Eagles. [5] In 1985, he played in the Senior Division of the Conejo Youth Flag Football Association as a defender for the Raiders. [6] Chalem pursued various interests in 1986, including acting, baseball, baseball cards, being in the school choir and a flute player in the school band. [7]

Chalem was an honour student at Westlake High School in 1993, was awarded a scholarship by the Westlake High School Scholarship Foundation, and later graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in environmental science. [1] [2] [8] In 1993, he was one of the organisers/presenters of the Condomania workshop during a HIV/AIDS conference "For Youth by Youth". [9]

Career

When Chalem was 7, he secretly applied to join an agency for child acting extras, looking to follow in the footsteps of his friends, despite his mother's initial opposition to such roles. [7] He only told his parents about his application when the agency asked to interview him, and his parents acquiesced to support him. [7] Chalem later applied to star in commercial advertisements, and his parents again supported, thinking that he would not be easily accepted. [7] However, Chalem passed his first two career interviews to start his career. [7] By the age of 11, Chalem had appeared in the movie Moving Violations , and on television in Small Wonder , Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Crazy Like a Fox, Happy, as well as five commercial advertisements, promoting McDonald's, hot dogs, frozen fish, computers, and bags. [7]

Chalem's first featured movie acting role came in the comedic adventure film The Monster Squad , which was filmed in 1986 and released in 1987; Chalem endured four solo auditions before being selected to play Horace / Fat Kid, one of the children battling monsters such as Wolfman, Dracula, The Mummy and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. [10] [11] In the movie, Chalem's character was initially cowardly and mocked for being fat (the latter was part of a recurring pattern that occurred in 1980s horror movies), with his character being addicted to eating unhealthy food and nearly eating garlic bread which was a potential weapon against Dracula, but his character eventually has a heroic turn, inspiring many children who watched the movie and believed that they were similar to the character. [12] [13] [14] Chalem learned how to use and shoot a shotgun during the filming of this movie, as his character used a shotgun to defeat the Creature from The Black Lagoon, helping two boys who had been mocked him earlier. [10] [15] Chalem later became known for his character's "Wolfman's got nards" quote. [16] [17]

Chalem by 1987 had landed a recurring role in the television program Punky Brewster . [10] He acted in Dance 'Til Dawn , a 1988 television film, and the television series Quantum Leap . [2]

Death

Chalem died on December 9, 1997, aged 22, due to pneumonia. [1] Chalem died in Henderson, Nevada, where he had lived for a month. [18] According to a friend of his family, Chalem was being treated with oxygen at his residence, but the oxygen supply malfunctioned, with Chalem later suffering respiratory arrest and entering a coma. [2] Chalem's mother died before him. [1]

Before his death, Chalem was employed as a legal assistant at a law firm, in preparation for beginning law school in 1998. [2] [18] After his death, the Westlake High School Scholarship Foundation awarded a scholarship in tribute to Chalem, while the Wolfman's Got Nards documentary on the cult following of The Monster Squad paid tribute to Chalem. [8] [12]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985 Moving Violations Boy hit by car
1987 The Monster Squad Horace
1988Home FreeLittle Dominic
1988 Dance 'til Dawn Tubby

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985 Small Wonder WillardEpisode: "The Bully"
1987 Punky Brewster Spud Blugner3 episodes
1988 Mr. Belvedere MillerEpisode: "Pigskin"
Quantum Leap Bat Boy2 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Brent Russell Chalem; Actor and UC Graduate". Los Angeles Times . 13 December 1997. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Westlake High graduate, child actor dies at 22". Ventura County Star. December 12, 1997. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Huemme gets his kicks as Coral Snakes Slay Dragons". News Chronicle. October 9, 1980. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Cranberry Crush sparkles in win over Jackie's Gems". News Chronicle. October 22, 1981. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Victory". News Chronicle. October 22, 1981. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Murray's two TDs lead Steelers". News Chronicle. November 12, 1985. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hughey, Ray (June 20, 1986). "The commercial kid". News Chronicle. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Westlake gives honor, money to top students". Ventura County Star. June 26, 1999. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  9. ↑ Grennan, Karin (February 24, 1993). "HIV/Aids Conference to be taught by teens". Ventura County Star. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 Hughey, Ray (August 14, 1987). "Hoping for a Monster Summer". News Chronicle. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  11. ↑ Fahy, Thomas (2019). Dining with Madmen. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   9781496821553 . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Desneux, Jonah (November 2, 2020). "Wolfman's Got Nards works even if you've never seen The Monster Squad". The Pitch . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  13. ↑ Fahy, Thomas (2019). Dining with Madmen. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   9781496821553 . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  14. ↑ Variety Film Reviews Volume 20. Garland Pub. 1987. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  15. ↑ Lester, Catherine (2021). Horror Films for Children. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9781350135284 . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Jeremy (October 25, 2013). "See the Kids of 'The Monster Squad' Then and Now". KLIX (AM) . Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  17. ↑ Rockelman, Ernie; Falvo, Antonetta (October 25, 1999). "Read this". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved July 13, 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Obituaries for December 15, 1997". lasvegassun. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
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