Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
That noise you’re hearing is how old you are hitting home hard.
Seriously though, for people of a certain vintage they don’t come much more seminal than the story of a group of kids staving off the destruction of their neighbourhood by searching underground caverns for a long-lost pirate ship.
It’s hard to imagine a kids movie being made nowadays with something like the truffle shuffle in it.
They don’t make ‘em like they used to. If you haven’t seen it, we recommend you seek out a copy. It’ll cheer you up, promise.
But where are the Goon Docks saviours now? Here’s what became of the cast:
Brand Walsh (Josh Brolin)
Youtube / PA Images
Youtube / PA Images / PA Images
The hunk-a burning love that had 1985′s 15-year-old girls swooning in the aisles (probably) had a fairly inauspicious career for the most part in the aftermath of being chief Goonie.
Then 2007′s No Country For Old Men happened, and now Hollywood can’t get enough of the effortlessly craggy star – he’s a character actor very much in demand with an Oscar nomination under his belt (2008′s Milk), Inherent Vice being a recent standout.
Divorced from actress Diane Lane, he’s now 47 years old. His dad, fellow actor and 70s heartthrob James Brolin is married to Barbra Streisand
Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin)
Youtube
Youtube
Brand’s younger brother and the de facto, asthmatic leader of the Goonies, Mikey Walsh was the kid we all wanted to be.
Much like Brolin, Sean Astin had a fairly quiet career for a time. That is until The Lord of the Rings trilogy happened. As Samwise Gamgee, portly bodyguard to Elijah Wood’s Frodo, Astin achieved a certain immortality.
Since the final LOTR movie in 2003 the 44-year-old has continued to work steadily, if in rather unremarkable movies. He’s been married since 1992 and has three children. Bonus factoid – his dad was John Astin, who played Gomez Addams in the original 60s Addams Family series.
Not many people have been through as many highs and (mostly) lows as Feldman. An 80s movie staple, he was in them all: Gremlins, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, The Burbs, and License To Drive (with namesake and fellow 80s kingpin Corey Haim). In The Goonies he played smart-alec Spanish speaker Mouth.
Time hasn’t been too kind to Feldman though. Struggles with addiction and two marriages took their toll on his career. He was also a star of reality show The Two Coreys (with Corey Haim, who passed away in 2010)
Advertisement
Now 44, he was last seen in Sharknado 3. Oh dear.
Data (Ke Huy Quan)
Youtube
Youtube
Gadget-enthusiast and James Bond wannabee, Data was a loveable centre for the movie. Vietnamese actor Ke Huy Quan has the kudos of being involved in two stone-cold 80s classics (he was Short Round in 1984′s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to boot).
His career moved away from front of camera in the intervening years. Now aged 44 and a Taekwondo expert, he works mostly as a movie stunt co-ordinator, with credits including the original X-Men and The One. He also apparently attended the University of Manchester in the UK.
Chunk (Jeff Cohen)
Youtube
Youtube
The unfortunately-named liar extraordinaire, Chunk was the youngest Goonie with Cohen just 11 when the movie was released. His relationship with Fratelli black-sheep Sloth is one of the enduring memories of the movie.
Cohen abandoned movies soon after The Goonies and obtained a law degree. These days the 41-year-old runs his own law firm Cohen & Gardner in Beverly Hills. He also writes periodically for the likes of the Huffington Post.
The Fratellis (Joe Pantoliano & Robert Davi)
Youtube / PA Images
Youtube / PA Images / PA Images
Memorable bad guys (and inspiration for the UK band of the same name) the Fratellis were, well, murdering scumbags. The squabbling of the two brothers (together with Ma Fratelli, possibly the most terrifying matriarch of them all) and their inept pursuit of the Goonies in the bowels of the earth beneath Astoria, Oregon, mark them as characters a generation will never forget.
Proof that bad guys finish first, both Fratelli brothers’ careers have thrived in the interim. Robert Davi (Jake Fratelli) has been a swarthy Latino stereotype in movies constantly since 1985. He’s even been a Bond villain (in Licence to Kill), and can lay claim to one of 1988′s Die Hard’s most memorable bit-parts – that of Special Agent Johnson. Now 61, he’s most recently been seen in The Expendables 3.
Joe Pantoliano (preferred brother Francis Fratelli) meanwhile has been one of Hollywood’s busiest character actors (or “hey, it’s that guy”s) in the interim. From betraying Keanu in The Matrix, to keeping Tommy Lee Jones company in The Fugitive, to coming a cropper courtesy of Tony Soprano (as Ralphie in The Sopranos he played one of the series’ most repellent characters), the guy is in everything. He’s 64 now and married with four children.
Sloth (John Matuszak)
Youtube / Wikipedia
Youtube / Wikipedia / Wikipedia
They don’t come any more memorable. The deformed and outcast Fratelli brother Sloth was the movie’s heart. His relationship with the similarly pariah-like Chunk brought many’s a tear to a hard-hearted person’s face. ‘HEY YOU GUYS!’
Actor John Matuszak’s story is not so happy unfortunately. A two time Superbowl winner as an American Footballer in the 70s and 80s, he became an actor when his career ended in 1982. Unfortunately he was also packing enormous narcotic and painkiller addictions. He died of a suspected cocaine overdose aged just 38 in 1989.
One-Eyed Willy
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Hopefully still sailing around the North Pacific. God bless Willy and his ‘rich stuff’.
A Goonies reunion in 2001 Ambrose HeronAmbrose Heron
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Canada's 'old relationship' with the US 'is over' says new prime minister Mark Carney
45 mins ago
3.0k
24
Courts
Three men jailed for 'cruel and depraved' rape of woman they encountered in Dublin nightclub
20 hrs ago
48.1k
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 161 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 110 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 143 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 113 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 39 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 35 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 134 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 61 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 74 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 46 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 27 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 92 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 99 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 72 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 53 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 88 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 69 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say