Whatever Happened to the Cast of ‘Short Circuit’?
The quirky science fiction movie Short Circuit turns 40 on May 9, 2026, and for anyone who grew up with Johnny 5 declaring, “Number 5 is alive,” it is worth revisiting the main cast now. Directed by John Badham, the film followed a military robot that is struck by lightning and develops a personality and escapes into the world with the help of a kindhearted animal lover named Stephanie Speck.
The movie starred Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton, and G. W. Bailey, with Tim Blaney providing the voice of Number 5, later known as Johnny 5. Here’s a look at the main cast members who are still alive today and what happened to their careers after the 1986 film.
Ally Sheedy as Stephanie Speck
TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection; Stephanie Augello/Getty Images
Ally Sheedy, 63, played Stephanie Speck, the woman who first finds Number 5 and helps him understand the world around him. By the time Short Circuit came out, Sheedy was already closely associated with the ’80s thanks to WarGames, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Blue City. Sheedy continued acting after Short Circuit, though her career shifted in different directions after her Brat Pack years. She appeared in Betsy’s Wedding, Only the Lonely, and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, then earned major acclaim for High Art in 1998, winning the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.
In more recent years, she played Mr. Yang on Psych and Carol Fink on Single Drunk Female. Sheedy has also worked as an author, literary editor, and teacher, and since 2022, she has been a professor in the theater department at the City College of New York.
Steve Guttenberg as Newton Crosby
TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/God’s Love We Deliver
Steve Guttenberg, 67, played Newton Crosby, the scientist who helped create the S.A.I.N.T. robots and slowly realizes that Number 5 may truly be alive. Guttenberg was one of the most recognizable comedy stars of the mid-’80s, following Police Academy and Cocoon. Guttenberg’s career kept going strong after Short Circuit, especially with Three Men and a Baby, Three Men and a Little Lady, and more Police Academy films.
He later worked in television, theater, writing, producing, and directing, with credits ranging from Veronica Mars to Ballers. As of 2026, Guttenberg remains an active actor while producing his autobiographical stage show, Tales from the Guttenberg Bible. He also focuses his attention on charity work for the homeless and children.
Fisher Stevens as Ben Jabituya
TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for BEYOND THE STREETS
Fisher Stevens, 62, played Ben Jabituya, Crosby’s assistant and fellow robotics expert. Ben became one of the movie’s most recognizable characters. However, the role is also one of the parts of Short Circuit that has been reexamined in later years because Stevens, who is not Indian, played the character with darkened makeup and an accent. Stevens has since expressed regret over taking the role, and Badham has also addressed the casting decision.
After Short Circuit, Stevens built a wide-ranging career as an actor, director, and producer. He returned for Short Circuit 2, appeared in films including Hackers, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch, and Asteroid City. In 2009, he became an Oscar-winning producer for the documentary The Cove, and was introduced to a new generation with the role of Hugo Baker on Succession.
Austin Pendleton as Dr. Howard Marner
Paramount/Everett Collection; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Austin Pendleton, 86, played Dr. Howard Marner, the president of Nova Robotics. Marner is one of the people most focused on recovering Number 5. Pendleton had already been working for decades by the time Short Circuit came out, with a career that stretched across film, television, stage acting, playwriting, and directing. His credits include What’s Up, Doc?, The Muppet Movie, My Cousin Vinny, and A Beautiful Mind. Pendleton has remained active well into his 80s.
G. W. Bailey as Captain Skroeder
Everett Collection; Angela Weiss/Getty Images
G. W. Bailey, 81, played Captain Skroeder, Nova’s security chief, who sees Number 5 less as a living being and more as a military problem to be eliminated. Bailey was already familiar to TV viewers from M*A*S*H, where he played Luther Rizzo, and he had also become closely tied to the Police Academy movies as Captain Harris. Bailey continued working steadily in film and television after the movie, appearing in more Police Academy films and later playing Louie Provenza on The Closer and Major Crimes.
Brian McNamara as Frank
Warner Bros./Everett Collection; Alfeo Dixon/Lifetime Television/Everett Collection
Brian McNamara, 65, played Frank, Stephanie’s rude ex-boyfriend. McNamara was still early in his screen career at the time, after appearing in The Flamingo Kid a couple of years earlier. After Short Circuit, McNamara continued acting in both movies and television, with credits including Caddyshack II, Arachnophobia, Mystery Date and many TV shows. He later became especially familiar to Lifetime viewers as Michael Holden on Army Wives.
Tim Blaney as the Voice of Number 5 / Johnny 5
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Tim Blaney, 67, gave Number 5 his voice. Blaney returned as Johnny 5 in Short Circuit 2 and later became known for another memorable voice role, Frank the Pug in the Men in Black movies. He has also worked as a puppeteer and voice actor across film and television.
In Memoriam
Penny Santon, who played Mrs. Cepeda, died in 1999 at age 82.
Barbara Tarbuck, who played Senator Mills, died in 2016 at age 74.
Where to Watch Short Circuit
You can purchase the film or rent it on the app Hoopla.
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