Friday, April 15, 2005

Steve Guttenberg: Remembering A Legend

It's True: He's Dead
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Looking back, it's easy to see how his star rose to the heights that it did. That glint in his eyes, that impish grin, the way he could step into a scene and make it his own. This was the power of one Steven Irwin Guttenberg VI, the star of such cinematic classics as High Spirits, It Takes Two, and the only mildly funny editions of the Police Academy franchise that mattered. His performances would inspire those around him to try to reach the same level he did. Political leaders would invite him to dinners, religions the world over would anoint him as one of their own (even heathens and blasphemers). As Entertainment Weekly recently commented while discussing the Three Men and a Little Lady 3-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition: "Guttenberg was easily the Brad Pitt of the 80's and very early 90's - but then the actual Brad Pitt showed up and kicked his ass." But things would take a tragic turn for one of the most respected comic actors in Hollywood history.

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The tabloids exploded in 1995 when it was reported that a feud between Guttenberg and Howie Mandel lead to the indefinite halt, and finally, cancellation of Gremlins 3. Guttenberg was devasted by this move, not just emotionally, but also because the decision would sink his newly-opened production company, Guttie-Boy Productions. In the red and drowning in debt, Guttenberg had no choice but to sell the company to Mel Gibson, who turned in into Icon Productions, which would go on to produce such blockbusters as Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ. Guttenberg, lost in his own grief, turned to the only friends he could count on; Ted Danson and Bob Sagat. He was given the chance to live in the couple's guest house until he could get back on his feet, but it would take time - time Guttenberg did not have. The first step was the hardest - doing cameos. He appeared as background and bit characters in the following films:
- Guy Buying Flowers: Bounce
- Guy Hailing Cab: Changing Lanes
- Guy in Dark Part of Club: Daredevil
- Guy Walking Around Aimlessly: Gigli
- Guy You Can't See: Paycheck
- Guy Cut Out Of Movie: Surviving Christmas
Friends strongly suggested that Guttenberg quit taking such tiny roles in only Ben Affleck movies. Facing the sad truth that Ben Affleck movies were not his ticket to reaching the top once more, Guttenberg sank deeper into depression and binge eating. That is, until January 13th, 2005 - the day Guttenberg went missing. The media, busy covering lots of other celebrities and their legal woes, skipped the story entirely. Police reports suggest Guttenberg may have been drinking heavily and wearing Bob Sagat's favorite blue kimono at the time of his disapperance.

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This, of course, leads us to remembering the man many in Hollywood once called "The Admiral", Steve Guttenberg. While his life ended unexpectedly in the womens' bathroom of a Las Vegas Fatburger, robbing us of the day he would once again grace us with that trademark smirk and childlike enthusiasm, we can all watch Short Circuit and remember the good old days. We can also laugh at how bad Short Circuit really was - but that was NOT Steve Guttenberg's fault. He made that movie the success it was, which lead to the dismal sequel that only starred the Indian guy from the original and ended with a gold-plated Johnny 5 being sworn in as an American citizen, as if. God speed, Steve. You will be missed...