Adrian Zmed Detailed Biography

Adrian Zmed (born March 4, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois) is an Romanian-American television and film actor. Zmed is better known for his roles as "Johnny Nogerelli" in Grease 2, and as "Officer Vince Romano" in the T.J. Hooker television series, where he starred alongside William Shatner. Zmed took on the role of Danny Zucko in "Grease" on Broadway in the 1990's. He starred with Jeff Conaway (as Kenickie), who played Danny in the original broadway production (for film John Travolta was chosen for the role of Danny) and Kenickie in the film "Grease." Zmed became a member of a group of older actors who played teenagers in 1980s films, when he landed his character of "Johnny Nogerelli" in Grease 2. This group would later include such other actors as Michael J. Fox and Ralph Macchio. Using adults to play teenagers in film was a trademark of the Hollywood industry during the era. Adrian Zmed made his television debut as "Socks Palermo" in the 1979 series "Flatbush". In 1980, he went on to participate in another television series, "The Goodtime Girls", playing "Frankie Millardo". Zmed, it can be said, looked like an Hispanic and Italian person. This has led him to play many Hispanic and Italian-American characters during his career. After "The Goodtime Girls", a job as "Fernando" in "For the Love of It" followed. This television movie was followed by a guest appearance in 1982's "An Evening at the Improv". Next was his work as "Johnny Nogerelli", the new leader of the "T-Birds", in "Grease 2". In that movie, he played Michelle Pfeiffer's former boyfriend who still believed she was in love with him. His characterization of "Johnny" led Zmed to a short period where he played other teenagers in film, including 1983's "The Final Terror', where he played "Gerone". While "The Final Terror" "bombed" at the box office, his next movie, while not necessarily a hit by Hollywood movie economical standards, did much better: in 1984's Bachelor Party, he played "Jay O' Neill". Later on that year, he participated in a television show named "Glitter". Zmed reached celebrity status when he began to play "Officer Romano" in his next series, the aforementioned "T.J. Hooker", which was a series based on the life of a real Los Angeles cop of the same name. He lasted there until 1985. "Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story" followed, with Zmed playing "Fred Feliciano". Zmed, who is bilingual as he also speaks fluent Romanian, took a hiatus from acting after that, marrying actress Susan Wood and having two children in between his portrayal of "Fred Feliciano" and his next job, 1991's "Eyewitness to Murder", where he played "Tyler". In 1992, he played "Greg Mathews" in "The Other Woman", which was followed by 1994's "Improper Conduct', as "Doug". Adrian Zmed took another hiatus from acting following that television movie. But in 1998, he returned, playing characters in some B-rated or sexually charged movies, one exception being the 2002 video game, "Star Wars Jedi Starfighter", where he voiceovered "Toth". He recently completed work on Shira: The Vampire Samurai, a martial arts/horror movie slated for upcoming DVD release. Zmed's other notable appearances include one in MTV's "I Love the 80s", and another one in "Saturday Night Live".