In the Season 5 premiere episode of The Goldbergs, “Weird Science,” while Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) has trouble letting go of Erica (Hayley Orrantia) who’s off to college, Adam (Sean Giambrone) tries to build the perfect girlfriend for Barry (Troy Gentile). They got the idea from watching the 1985 movie Weird Science (see link below). In this episode, the science teacher Mr. Connell is portrayed by Ilan Mitchell-Smith, the actor who played young Wyatt Donnelly in the original John Hughes movie Weird Science.
Trained at a young age as a ballet dancer, Mitchell-Smith was discovered by director Sidney Lumet in New York. Mitchell-Smith eventually quit acting in 1991 and pursued an education in medieval studies and a career in academia. He earned a B.A. from University of California at Davis and a master’s degree from Fordham. The Goldbergs airs Wednesdays at 8pm on ABC.
