Brian Bonsall (Actor)

Brian Bonsall stars on Family Ties. (Photo: NBC)

About Brian Bonsall

A precocious blond moppet of TV who graduated to features with adolescence, Bonsall was Andrew Keaton, the adorable little brother of Michael J Fox, during the last three seasons (1986-89) of the hit NBC sitcom "Family Ties". So cute as to tug at maternal heartstrings, he proved a natural for issue-oriented TV-movies about juvenile AIDS ("Go Toward the Light", CBS 1988) and child molestation ("Do You Know the Muffin Man?", CBS 1989). Bonsall's credits include various TV specials and series guest spots. Under heavy make-up, he portrayed the Klingon youth Alexander, the son of Worf, on the syndicated "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In his feature debut, "Mikey" (1992), Bonsall improbably was cast as a psychotic kid who murders a succession of foster families. He reverted to type as the innocent son of Patrick Swayze in "Father Hood" (1993).

By 1994, though, Bonsall was tiring of the acting grind and after appearing in that year's uninspired "Blank Check" and two TV-movies "Father and Scout" (ABC) and "Lily in Winter" (USA Network), more or less retired when his mother and future stepfather relocated to Denver. Proving unruly in school, he was sent to the Missouri Military Academy for a year before returning to Colorado. In Denver, he and two friends formed the punk rock band Late Bloomers and issued a recording ("This One's for Dick"). Unlikely to return to acting (although one never can say never), Bonsall has stated he plans to defer college and concentrate on a music career when he graduates from high school in 2000.

Notes

Brian Bonsall was arrested May 2004 on suspicion of drunken driving