Iconic 80s heartthrob who starred with Sean Penn in coming-of-age classic is seen at 69… who is he?

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A famous actor from a classic 1980s movie and two popular TV shows was seen in Los Angeles this week.

He’s most famous for a film that launched the careers of Sean Penn and an actress who later became a frequent star in Quentin Tarantino’s movies.

Throughout the 1980s, he appeared in regular roles on both a famous musical television series and a popular comedy centered around a girls’ boarding school.

More recently, he’s acted in films alongside stars like Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, and has made appearances on popular TV shows including Will & Grace, Family Guy, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

At 69 years old, he was seen this week looking energetic and fit while picking up groceries. He was dressed casually in jeans, a hoodie, and sunglasses.

Can you guess who he is?

He’s Robert Romanus, an actor many moviegoers recognize as Mike Damone, the ticket scalper from the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

This coming-of-age movie, adapted from a book by Cameron Crowe, launched the careers of Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold. It also marked the directorial debut of Amy Heckerling, who later became known for the film Clueless.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE how it all started for Romanus! He grew up in Connecticut, with the most amazing Lebanese family, but he always dreamed of being a musician. So, he packed up and moved to LA, seriously hustling as a singing waiter – can you imagine?! But get this, some guy, totally unappreciative of his talent, basically told him he should be an actor! Romanus told Cult Film Freak about it, and it’s just… iconic. It’s like fate intervened, honestly!

He took an acting class and quickly discovered a passion for acting. Soon after, he got his first movie role in the 1980 film Foxes, which featured Jodie Foster and explored themes of growing up.

Adrian Lyne, known for directing films like Unfaithful, Fatal Attraction, and Indecent Proposal, directed Foxes. The movie starred Romanus alongside Scott Baio, Randy Quaid, Sandy Kellerman, and Cherie Curie, the lead singer of The Runaways.

I remember it took him three whole years to finally get the role in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’! It’s incredible to think he had to audition seven times. The producers just weren’t seeing what director Amy Heckerling did – she really believed in him and kept pushing for him, thankfully. It’s a testament to her faith in his talent that he eventually landed the part.

He became a fan favorite playing Mike Damone, a character who mistakenly believes he’s a ladies’ man and gives out old-fashioned, unhelpful advice on how to impress women.

He remembered making the movie as a really enjoyable experience. Everyone worked well together because no one was overly concerned with themselves, and it felt like a classic summer project with a modest budget.

Romanus observed that the cast was largely made up of newcomers. Even Sean Penn, who was probably the most recognizable among them after appearing in ‘Taps,’ didn’t have a big ego. No one was demanding special treatment or acting like a star.

He explained that the whole thing started with a simple idea: ‘Let’s have some fun and make this movie.’ Watching Sean perform on set was incredibly inspiring. It motivated me to go home and push myself to improve, because everything I saw looked so fantastic.

Later in the decade, he began appearing regularly on the TV show Fame, which followed students at a New York City high school for the performing arts. The school, like the one in the show, was known for launching the careers of famous actors, including Al Pacino, Jennifer Aniston, and Timothée Chalamet.

He also appeared on the popular sitcom The Facts of Life, which followed the lives of girls at a boarding school. He played the boyfriend of Mindy Cohn’s character, Natalie Green, and her storyline involved losing her virginity to him.

Since then, Romanus has appeared as a guest star on many TV shows, including 21 Jump Street, Weird Science, Will & Grace, Family Guy, Cold Case, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

He’s worked on films like American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, which was the fourth movie in the American Pie series, and the comedic special A Halfway House Christmas.

It was a fitting role for him: he played a guitar teacher in the 2010 film The Runaways, which told the story of Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Curie (Dakota Fanning). This came three decades after he first appeared alongside the real Cherie Curie in the movie Foxes.

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2026-02-13 18:50