My Nostalgic Meeting with the Cast of Starman TV Series all these years later….
On my recent visit to the Hollywood Show, I took a walk down memory lane when I met the cast of Starman the TV series at The Hollywood Show. Starman was a science fiction television series starring Robert Hays and Christopher Daniel Barnes. The series continued the story from John Carpenter’s 1984 film and ran on ABC in 1986 and 1987.
Hays and Barnes were very welcoming to fans. I walked over to them to introduce myself and ask for a short interview. I found them to be very down to earth guys. I even brought my sister-in-law along who was a huge fan of the Starman TV series back in the day. She was so ecstatic to meet them that she could not sleep that night.
I have to admit, as a teen, I was also a fan of teen heartthrob CD Barnes. I remember writing a fan letter to him in 1987. He replied to me in a typewritten letter with an autographed photo. In fact, I showed it to him and he was like awestruck. You can see the photo below.
CD Barnes Interview
Popbuff: So what’s keepin’ you up on your toes?
CD: You know I actually left the business many years ago and after 9/11 I kinda made a whole transition in my life … went back to school..I got my bachelors, I got my masters and I actually worked for the navy. I’m an analyst for the navy. That’s what I do now. Very different thing now but I keep getting brought back into vo ice-over work because through a series of events they wanted me to do this video game for Spider-man and I started doing voice-over again. So I still do voice-over work sort of on the side and then this kinda stuff. It’s a blast, it’s loads of fun. It’s not a lot of time. Now I do villain in voice-over work. I play Electro on Spider-Man.
Popbuff: What is one of your most memorable moments in the entertainment biz?
CD: Let’s see. Not that I would probably share …. ha ha ha (uproarious laugh). Let’s see…you put me on the spot. With voice-over work…working with Mark Hamill. One story I’d like to tell because he played the hobgoblin in Spider-Man and he was a real intense guy. He had a vein poppin’ on the side of his head and he is like rrrarrrrrrrrrr. So I think that is one story I think it is funny. He played the villain and I thought he was going to kill me in the booth because I was playing Spider-Man at that time.
Popbuff: What’s on your bucket list?
CD: Do more traveling. Travel the world. Earn a couple more languages. Write more. I write short stories now so do more writing.
Popbuff: Would you consider a reality show?
CD: A reality show? First of all I would laugh if anybody thought I would even be like interesting enough to be on a reality show (chuckles). If I was even on the rung of celebrity to be worthy of a reality show…ah.no, I wouldn’t. I just think it’s just too funny that anybody would ask me because we joke about stuff like that.
Popbuff: Any words for the fans?
CD: You know, I look on these blogs and I read the reviews the fans would write on projects that I do…if you want honest feedback, just read the blogosphere. I mean, just go on the internet and read, man, they don’t hold any punches. If they don’t like you, they will tell you. I mean they are ruthless so I have to say thank you because I’ve gotten so much overwhelmingly positive feedback for projects like on Spider-Man and Brady Bunch. The feedback is so pleasant and favorable. It just means so much to me that they are out there. My word is just “thank you:” Gratitude.
Ginger with Robert Hays and CD Barnes
Robert Hays Interview
I remember first seeing Robert Hays in the movie Airplane. He had the most hilarious lines in the movie as Ted Striker. Remember this line from the movie?
Ted Striker: These people need to go to a hospital.
Elaine Dickinson: What is it?
Ted Striker: It’s a big place where sick people go.
Hays has starred in several movies and tv series over the years. I remember him in the Larry Sanders Show, Touched by an Angel but his credits are pretty extensive.. His most recent gig was on Sharknado 2: The Second One as Captain Bill Wilson.
PopBuff: What are you workin’ on right now?
RH: Got a film supposed to be doing in a couple of months. An indie film by a friend of mine and then a couple projects that we’re working on development..and then other than that playing around..goofin’ off.
PopBuff: How do you like being in the Hollywood Show?
RH: This is great. This is a lot of fun. I see a lot of friends I haven’t seen for a long time. This is really really fun. We just got back from London so I’m still jet lagged. If I sound silly because I am, I am jet lagged.
PopBuff: Can you share with us a memorable moment from your Hollywood career?
RH: Oh gosh…
Popbuff: That’s a million dollar question
RH: yeah, a million answers to it. Doing Airplane, and doing Starman the TV series and all the great folks that I met. Great people I got to work with and I hope it’s not over yet.
PopBuff: Would you consider a reality show?
RH: The answer is no.
PopBuff: Any words for the fans?
RH: Finish your vegetables. Always eat your vegetables that’s the most important part of your meal. And pay attention to your parents. Be good.
I loved meeting Hays and Barnes. When it was all over, my sister-in-law and I continued to reminisce about our fond memories around the show. You know? It felt like we had a sort of closure from our high school days with all the TV star fan clubs we loved. What special memories do you have of Robert Hays and Christopher Barnes?
Oh this is so great photos of them too. My young brain when the show came latched on the funniness & the father and son bond just filled me with smiles. I was
rooting for them to escape Fox’s radar. Now, I wonder how the show would have ended did Starman became jaded or Jenny remained hidden. I wish there was a TV movie made to wrap all this. 😀 Aww lovely letter from C.B. 👍
I wrote and got the same letter addressed to me along with that same exact picture with signature back when I was a teen. It’s a glossy photo.
Yes Jennifer. We fans got those glossy photo. LOL
Wow! Totally cool! I stumbled across your page and I love the series, the movie, Airplane and Spider-Man (both, great actors)! I was about the same age as CB/CD Barnes when the series aired. I wondered about the “CB” thing for a long time and your letter from him explains that, in part.
The series, especially, caught my attention because, several years earlier, my dad and I had taken a, somewhat, “forced” trip around the western US for about a year. It was an amazing experience, at that age, seeing how people in different areas lived (desert, snow, Vegas, lol) and it really changed how I would view things later in life. Because of that, the series really struck a chord with me.
Thank you for a great interview and pictures!
I’m glad you like the article