“Whoa!” Where did Joey Lawrence go?
The early ’90s playboy seemingly disappeared after a handful of mediocre roles and forgettable guest appearances.
While he was once ranked No. 21 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Kid Stars, the only memorable thing about Lawrence now is his “Whoa!” catch phrase.
Beginning his career at age three in local TV commercials, Lawrence quickly blossomed into a full-fledged child star. At seven, he starred in the popular sitcom Gimme a Break as the orphan child Joey.
However, his big break came when he landed a spot on Blossom, as the role transformed him into a teen idol. He even became popular enough to release an album, which included the single “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix.”
Lawrence then starred in the made-for-TV movie Prince for a Day, an NBC production inspired by The Prince and the Pauper.
Unfortunately, he soon became a pauper himself, as a string of regrettable performances pushed him out of teen star status and into has-been land.
The first sign of a choke-fest began with the sitcom Brotherly Love — also featuring his younger brothers Matthew and Andrew — which was quickly dropped by NBC.
Although Joey starred in some decent movies, including a role as John Candy’s son in the 1985 flick Summer Rental and the voice of the kitten Oliver in the animated Oliver and Friends, his big screen fame died faster than his TV run.
But when your most renowned movie role in 10 years is in Urban Legends: The Final Cut, you know it’s time to re-examine your life.
However, he can still boast about his idol image, as TV Guide ranked him No. 25 in its 2005 “TV’s 25 Greatest Teen Idols” issue.
Although he managed to land a stand-in role for a few American Dreams episodes in 2002, Lawrence hasn’t made a solid return to the big or small screen since Blossom. And, given his film roles, we hope the only Joey Lawrence news we hear from now on starts and ends with “Whoa!”


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