Did a Stranger Things My Two Dads collision occur in your head while watching the Season 2 premier? With Stranger Things back, we collectively tuned in for a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s. Like many, we played the game of “remember that?” – trying to name as many 80s references as we could. Excitedly, we found that the Duffer Brothers looked to one particular sitcom for inspiration – My Two Dads.
My Two Dads wasn’t a universally loved sitcom, but we definitely enjoyed it in its time. Two guys bumbled around, raising a daughter whose biological father was a mystery, the wacky 80s apartment with the car sofa, and a young Giovanni Ribisi!
Since Season 1 of Stranger Things, we’ve always felt there was a similarity between Nancy and Nicole. Just check out that brooding, 80s melancholy. This season, wardrobe really brought out My Two Dads’ Judge Wilbur in Jim Hopper’s secretary. They nailed it with the hair and 80s grandma glasses, all the way to the pink blouse. Judge Wilbur was of course played by actress Florence Stanley, whom Stranger Things honored by naming its character, “Florence.”
Finally, instead of a Michael Taylor doppleganger, they said screw it – and cast the actual Paul Reiser himself. Based on his performance, it was a great choice. We can’t wait for Season 3 of Stranger Things, where we can only hope for shout-outs to Mr. Belvedere.
What happened to the actors from My Two Dads?
After her breakout role in My Two Dads, actor Stacy Keanan was frequently seen throughout the 90s. She was on the Heather Locklear sitcom, Going Places, which only lasted one season (i-rony!). She landed her longest-running role as Dana Foster in Step By Step, starring Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers. She also made appearances on popular shows like Boy Meets World, Lois and Clark, and Cybil. She was most recently seen in Hollywood Darlings (2017).
Florence Stanley was already an established actor before My Two Dads, appearing on the hit series Barney Miller and its spinoff, Fish. She worked all the way up until her death in 2003, appearing in films, TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle and Family Guy, and even video games.
Giovanni Ribisi played Cory Kupkus on My Two Dads. He’s been a fixture in Hollywood for decades, with a resume too long to list here. Different audiences may remember him as Phoebe’s brother in Friends, the hilarious Eddie in A Million Ways to Die in the West, and as Seth Davis in one of our personal favorites, Boiler Room.
Greg Evigan, who played dad Joey, has worked in numerous projects since the 80s. Audiences might remember him from shows like Melrose Place and General Hospital. His latest credit on IMDB was 2021’s Blending Christmas.
Paul Reiser went on to play one of his best known characters, documentarian Paul Buchman, in NBC’s golden age sitcom, Mad About You. In addition to appearing in 2022’s Stranger Things Season 4, Reiser is reprising his role as Jeffrey Friedman in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, his third appearance in the franchise.
Originally posted by Royale with Tees, October 27, 2017. Updated October 12, 2022.
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