Viewers of The Orville have likely been wondering why Scott Grimes seems so familiar. On the show he's the loveable and highly inappropriate ship pilot Gordon Malloy, but beyond The Orville you've been watching him for decades. He started out as a child actor and has subsequently moved into a working career as an adult actor (an actor who is an adult and not an actor who makes adult movies. *ahem*), a voice actor, and a singer.
Among his many credits are episodes of Who's The Boss, The Twilight Zone, Charles in Charge, 21 Jump Street, My Two Dads, Wings, NCIS, Suits, Criminal Minds, Justified, and so many more. He also has a number of films under his belt, including Crimson Tide and two Russell Crowe films - Robin Hood and Mystery Alaska.
Considering his current role on The Orville, it is noteworthy that he also once had a role in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 3's opening episode Evolution) playing . His role was cut from the episode, but you can still see part of his head in a scene at the end of the episode.
These are the movies and shows you will definitely remember him from (probably):
Series co-star Scott Grimes is insistent that you tune in to watch The Orville on SBS VICELAND every Friday. Source: SBS
Critters
Following the unexpected success of Gremlins in 1984, the very similarly themed Critters was released into cinema, featuring a teenage Scott Grimes as Brad Brown, an all-American boy whose family finds itself at the centre of an alien invasion of, well, critters. In his review of the film, celebrated film critic Roger Ebert referred to Grimes' role as "a plucky kid who goes into battle against the invaders".
The film, made for just $3 million, made four-times that at the box office, with a further three sequels made. While Scott Grimes tapped out of the franchise after the second film, Critters 4 is notable for starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio. A TV series adaptation was recently filmed for streaming service Shudder.
Party of Five
Grimes appeared in 70 episodes of the 90's drama playing Will McCorkle, a friend of the Scott Wolf character Bailey. His first appearance on the show was in the second episode of the show in 1994, but he made recurring appearances in the show right up to the second last episode of the show in 2000.
It's hard to believe that you don't remember a character named 'Will McCorkle'!
Band of Brothers
Scott Grimes was one of the lead actors in Band of Brothers, performing alongside another notable TV ginger Damian Lewis. In the HBO World War II drama, he portrayed Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey. As in The Orville, often Grimes is cast in roles that require him to play the comedic relief, but it's in productions like Band of Brothers that remind us that Grimes actually has some serious acting chops. This scene from the show is one of its best remembered moments, in no small part due to his performance.
ER
Grimes joined the cast of ER in 2003 and remained with the show until it finished in 2009. Playing Dr Archie Morris, he was a deliberately annoying character on the show who proved also to be highly incompetent. But, as the series went on he went from being an annoyance to one of the shows most beloved characters. By the end, Dr Morris was practically the heart and soul of the series.
American Dad
Over the years Grimes has recorded a significant amount of voice work, including appearances on Family Guy and American Dad, where he appeared on 250 episodes of the show. He played the geeky teenaged son in the family, Steve Smith.
Soap Talk
In 2005 Scott Grimes appeared on a daytime talk show called Soap Talk. He was there to promote his role on ER, but he also takes the opportunity to plug his then-new album. He performs a song called Sunset Blvd off the album. It's a pretty fun TV appearance on what was a pretty forgettable chat show.
The Orville airs Sundays from 5PM on SBS VICELAND. You can also watch episodes from season 1 at SBS On Demand (available until 3 October).
If you're enjoying The Orville (and we'd be SHOCKED if you were not, also check out SBS VICELAND'S companion podcast ORVILLELAND:
