Stephen Furst
| Stephen Furst | |
|---|---|
Stephen Furst in July 2014.
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| Born |
Stephen Nelson Feuerstein November 8, 1955 Norfolk, Virginia, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Known for |
Vir Cotto in Babylon 5 Dr. Elliot Axelrod in St. Elsewhere Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in Animal House |
| Spouse(s) | Lorraine Wright (1976–present; 2 children) |
| Website | stephenfurst |
Stephen Furst (born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; November 8, 1955) is an American actor and film and television director. Furst was a regular in the science fiction series Babylon 5 playing Centauri diplomatic attaché Vir Cotto and as Dr. Elliot Axelrod on St. Elsewhere. He was also featured, before appearing in either of those roles, as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the film National Lampoon's Animal House and its spin-off series, Delta House.
Stephen Furst was born Stephen Nelson Feuerstein in Norfolk, Virginia. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University's theater program. In 1972, Furst's father died from diabetes complications. Years later, Furst himself was diagnosed with type II diabetes. After almost needing to have his left foot amputated due to diabetes complications in 1996, Furst reduced his weight from 260 lbs to 175 lbs. When filming started for the fourth season of Babylon 5, the show's producers found that all the costumes he had worn during the previous seasons were now too large for him. He wrote the book Confessions Of A Couch Potato (Or, If I'm So Skinny, Why Do I Still Feel Like Flounder?) about his weight loss and diabetes, and co-wrote and directed a video called Diabetes for Guys, an attempt to educate about diabetes management through humor.
Furst has two sons, both in the entertainment business. His older son, Nathan Furst (b. 1978), is a television and film composer. His younger son, Griff Furst (b. 1981), is an actor, director and musician. His wife Lorraine Wright is an entertainment lawyer.
Furst delivered pizza while looking for acting jobs in the mid-1970s, and included his headshot in boxes. After Matty Simmons saw his photo, Furst was cast as Flounder in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). He reprised this role in the 1979 spin-off series Delta House. Others include 'Junior' Keller in The Unseen (1980), as Gonzer in the feature film Up the Creek (1984), as Dr. Elliot Axelrod in the television series St. Elsewhere (1983–1988), and as Vir Cotto in the science fiction television series Babylon 5 (1994–1998).
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