Sparky Marcus

Last updated
Sparky Marcus
Born
Marcus Issoglio

(1967-12-06) December 6, 1967 (age 57)
Hollywood, California, United States
Other namesSparkey Marcus
OccupationActor
Years active1973–1986

Sparky Marcus (born Marcus Issoglio; December 6, 1967) is an American former actor. [1]

Contents

Early life

Marcus was born in Hollywood, California.

Career

Marcus was well known for playing the role of the precocious child but also worked extensively as a voice actor for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1980s. He started acting at five playing Shelby on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973–1975). He also appeared on The Nancy Walker Show (1976), Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–77) (Marcus played child evangelist Jimmy Joe Jeeter, who died of electrocution in the bathtub), Grandpa Goes to Washington (1978), The Bad News Bears and Goodtime Girls (1980).

Voice acting

As a voice actor for cartoons, he is probably best known for his role as Richie Rich from the Hanna-Barbera series Richie Rich (1980–1982). He later had regular roles as a voice actor on Shirt Tales (1982–1984), Space Stars (1981), Saturday Supercade as the voice of Dexter on Space Ace (1984), Challenge of the GoBots (1984), The Puppy's Further Adventures (1983), The Reluctant Dragon (1981), Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas (1984), Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), CBS Library (1980–1982) and The Get Along Gang (1984–86).

Television guest appearances

Marcus has also made several TV guest appearances, including Trapper John, M.D. , Happy Days , WKRP in Cincinnati , What's Happening!! , Maude , Emergency! , The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries , The Bob Newhart Show , Eight Is Enough and Starsky and Hutch.

Film roles

Marcus also appeared in the feature films Freaky Friday (1976) and The Pinballs (1977), as well as in many TV movies, including The Stableboy's Christmas (1978) and Goldie and the Boxer (1979). His last movie role was a brief cameo as a bellboy in the 1983 Steve Martin comedy The Man with Two Brains.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1973–74 Sigmund and the Sea Monsters ShelbyMain cast (6 episodes)
1975 ABC Afterschool Special Young TuckEpisode: "The Skating Rink"
1975The Last DayAdam SpenceTelevision film
1975Someone I TouchedMathewTelevision film
1975 Friendly Persuasion Little JessTelevision film
1976 ABC Afterschool Special Brian VarnerEpisode: "The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon"
1976 Emergency! Johnny ElderEpisode: "Grateful"
1976 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Jimmy Joe JeeterMain cast (20 episodes)
1976–77 The Nancy Walker Show Michael FuttermanMain cast (13 episodes)
1976 Starsky & Hutch TommyEpisode: "Nightmare"
1976 Freaky Friday Ben AndrewsFeature film
1977 ABC Afterschool Special TootieEpisode: "Very Good Friends"
1977Instant FamilyAlexander BeaneTelevision pilot
1977 Eight Is Enough Episode: "Double Trouble"
1977 Insight Jeffrey DrillEpisode: "Christmas 2025"
1977 The Bob Newhart Show BillyEpisode: "Carlin's New Suit"
1977 ABC Afterschool Special Thomas J.Episode: "The Pinballs"
1977 The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries CharlesEpisode: "Will the Real Santa Claus...?"
1978 This Is the Life The StableboyEpisode: "The Stableboy's Christmas"
1978 Maude Ian HarmonEpisode: "Arthur's Grandson"
1978–79 Grandpa Goes to Washington Kevin Kelley Jr.Main cast (7 episodes)
1979–80 The Bad News Bears Leslie OgilvieMain cast (26 episodes)
1979 What's Happening!! DannyEpisode: "First Class Coach"
1979 WKRP in Cincinnati Arthur Carlson Jr.Episode: "Young Master Carlson"
1979 Banjo the Woodpile Cat Banjo (voice)Animated short film
1979 Goldie and the Boxer PeteyTelevision film
1980The Furious FlycycleMelvin Spitznagle (voice)Animated short film
1980 Goodtime Girls SkeeterEpisodes: "Homefront" and "Too Many Fiances"
1980 Happy Days BillyEpisode: "The Hucksters"
1980CBS LibraryMelvin Spitznagle (voice)Episode: "The Incredible Book Escape"
1980–82 The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show Richie Rich (voice) Richie Rich segment (21 episodes)
1981The Reluctant DragonThe Boy (voice)Animated short film
1981Goldie and the Boxer Go to HollywoodPeteyTelevision film
1981CBS LibraryThe Boy (voice)Episode: "Misunderstood Monsters"
1981 ABC Weekend Special Petey the Puppy (voice)Episode: "The Puppy Saves the Circus"
1981–82 Space Stars Dorno (voice) The Herculoids segment (11 episodes)
1982 Trapper John, M.D. Richard TobinEpisode: "The Peter Pan Syndrome"
1982 Shirt Tales T.J. Tiger (voice)10 episodes
1982–83 The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show Richie Rich (voice) Richie Rich segment (16 episodes)
1983 The Man with Two Brains BellboyFeature film
1983–84 The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show Richie Rich (voice) Richie Rich segment (4 episodes)
1984 Saturday Supercade Dexter (voice) Space Ace segment (13 episodes)
1984 Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas Xavier Roberts (voice)Television special
1984–85 The Get Along Gang Montgomery Moose (voice)13 episodes
1984–85 Challenge of the GoBots Nick Burns (voice)7 episodes

References

  1. "NY Times: Sparky Marcus". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2010-02-20.