45 Years Later, Who’s Still Alive From ‘Fame’?
The lyrics of the Oscar-winning song from the film Fame proclaim that “I’m gonna live forever.” We don’t all live forever, unfortunately, but the good work of the talented individuals who made this 1980 film does. Let’s take a quick peek at some of the key players from the film, 45 years after the initial release on May 16, 1980.
Irene Cara (d. 2022)
Coco
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Via MovieStillsDB
She didn’t win for her performance of the ridiculously catchy “Fame” (the song that won was written by Dean Pitchford with music by Michael Gore). But Carra did go on to win her Oscar for co-writing the lyrics for the Original Song “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from Flashdance in 1984. She sang both, so that in and of itself is an impressive resume.
Small film roles popped up throughout Carra’s career — catch her in movies like D.C. Cab, City Heat and Maximum Security — but her gift was her voice, which she used for voice acting in a number of animated Disney films. She voices Snow White in the 1989 release of Happily Ever After, and Beauty for a video release of Beauty and the Beast.
Unfortunately, the talented actress and singer passed away on November 25, 2022, at age 63, due to arteriosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease. She also struggled with diabetes at the time of her death. She will live forever in our hearts.
MGM/courtesy Everett Collection
Gene Anthony Ray (d. 2003)
Leroy
He followed his performance in Fame with a reprisal for the television series from 1982-1987. Small roles followed as a dancer in the 1996 film Eddie and on The Drew Carey Show. He even appeared, albeit uncredited, in the 2002 film Austin Powers in Goldmember. Tragically, Gene left us at age 41 in 2003 due to complications from a stroke and AIDS.
Lee Curreri (64)
Bruno
Everett Collection
It seems like Lee Curreri has been around music his whole life. After the film, Lee reprised his role as Bruno for the subsequent Fame television series, and appeared in over 60 episodes of the NBC hit.
But his big accomplishments in his post-Fame days were in the music department. Whether producing, composing or just working sound, Lee has worked with a bevy of individuals including Natalie Cole, Phil Perry, Kid Creole Nicolette Larson, Ernie Isley, Martha Davis, Sly Stone, Olivia Newton-John and more.
Debbie Allen (75)
Lydia
Everett Collection; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Vanity Fair
Allen may have quite possibly had the biggest post-Fame career. She reprised her role as Lydia for television series from 1982-87, then moved on to some other guest-starring roles in shows that were household names: The Cosby Show, Quantum Leap, A Different World and Touched by an Angel just scratch the surface of her work.
More recently, a 2018-2023 recurring role on S.W.A.T. as Charice, as well as her ongoing role as Dr. Catherine Fox and Dr. Catherine Avery on the long running series, Grey’s Anatomy, have kept her in front of the camera and in our hearts.
From a producing and directing perspective, her impressive resume includes efforts from Family Ties, A Different World and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to That’s So Raven, All of Us and Girlfriends. Most recently she has been responsible for directing Grey’s Anatomy for over 40 episodes since 2010.
And did you know? She’s also Phylicia Rashad‘s sister.
Laura Dean (61)
Lisa
Jack Mitchell/Getty Images
A variety of projects have featured the talented Dean over the years, including appearances in The Equalizer, Kate & Allie, and a run as Sophie, Rachel’s co-worker at Bloomingdales, during season 3 & 4 of Friends. She has had roles on Broadway and voiced the character Tamara in the animated Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, as well as characters in My Little Pony the Movie and subsequent Pony projects.
Maureen Teefy (71)
Doris
MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
Born in Minneapolis, Teefy had television appearances in a CBS Afternoon Playhouse, Max Headroom, and Mike Hammer, Private Eye, and was the voice of Chrome in the HBO horror series Perversions of Science. In film, she played Sharon Cooper in Grease 2 as well as Lucy Lane in Supergirl (1984). She has done work in theater, including singing and dancing roles in several Broadway musicals.
Antonia Franceschi (65)
Hilary
MGM/courtesy Everett Collection
Antonia was in high school when she took on her role in Fame. She had a dance part in the 1978 release of Grease as well, but her career moved primarily into dance and choreography for the stage.
She is a Time Out Award Winner for Outstanding Achievement in Dance, an alumnus of The New York City Ballet and has worked as a choreographer for a variety of British and American companies. Recently, she choreographed Dr. Semmelweis starring Mark Rylance and stars in an episode of the new Amy Sherman-Palladino-created show, Étoile.
Director Alan Parker (d. 2020)
MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection
Although the song talks about living forever, he unfortunately passed away in 2020 at 76 years of age. He was nominated twice for a Best Director Academy Award, for Midnight Express (before Fame) and Mississippi Burning. His directing work in the days after Fame included Birdy (1982), Angel Heart (1987), Mississippi Burning (1989), Come See the Paradise (1990), The Commitments (1991), The Road to Wellville (1994), Evita (1996), Angela’s Ashes (1999), The Life of David Gale (2003). Rest easy and know that the variety of work you left behind is an amazingly diverse look at life.
Although it’s been 45 years since it was originally released, Fame stands tall today as a testament to all the young men and women who are trying to learn the world of the arts, as well as some of the challenges we all face.
Remind 
Oh What A Year: 1980
January 2020
Take a look back at our retrospect of the year 1980 where we celebrate the hottest in movies, music and TV.
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