Was it when he played troubled T. J. Latimer in the angst-ridden Family (1976-77)?
Shipwreck survivor Fred Robinson in The Swiss Family Robinson (1975-76)?
As early as his brief sitcom appearance as Paul Sorvino's kid in We'll Get By (1975)?
Certainly by the time he landed the role of troubled Tommy Bradford in Eight is Enough (1977-81), Willie Aames and his muscles were superstars.
Intensive buddy-bonding with the dreamy Scott Baio on Charles in Charge followed (1984-1990), though in order to keep viewers focused on Scott's dreaminess, the producers had to minimize Willie's buffness. They made his character, Buddy Lembeck, stupid, the butt of jokes rather than the source of sighs.
Willie thankfully never sang, but that didn't keep the teen magazines from going into hysterics about his incredible talent -- by which they meant physique.
After Charles, drug and alcohol addiction took their toll, and Willie's acting career fizzled. A stint as Christian fundamentalist superhero Bible Man didn't help him regain his followers or his fame. In 2005, he produced, wrote, directed, and starred in The Public Life of Sissy Pike, about a Christian fundamentalist girl.
There are nude photos of Willie Aames on Tales of West Hollywood.
He really had problems later. Grotesque looking and paranoid.
ReplyDeletethat's a good picture of rex smith.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are all of Willie Aames. I think I have another post on Rex Smith.
DeleteVery healthy looking in the black and white photo where hes wearing swim trunks
ReplyDeleteWillie AAmes was a dream for every gay teen at that time. He probably was very used untill left all this glamour behind. Directors and producers use all this pretty boys a lot
ReplyDeleteVery true. The producers are concerned about how much money they can get out of a young, naive, pretty actor, and they do whatever they can get away with, no concern at all for the teenager. They've done the same thing to Justin Bieber and Aaron Carter. They made them into idols, the boys couldn't handle the fame and money that came with it, and look how they've ended up.
DeleteHe actually did sing. He sang on eight is enough and he released a single which did not do anything. He did appear on American bandstand several times.
ReplyDeleteIf it was 1979, it was before Blue Lagoon. (It was 1982, for the record.)
ReplyDelete"Christian fundamentalist superhero" is funny to me because it makes me think of Wally West and how his religious beliefs are only there when it's convenient for writers, usually to start drama.
The shot of Willi and Scott on the bed looks like a still from a Falcon video- they really did make a cute couple- (I wonder if they were a couple off screen too?)
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of hookup stories about Scott Baio, but I don't think I have anything about Willie Aames.
DeleteHollywood producers have always exploited these young pretty things- both male and female- and sadly they are disposed one a new shiny model comes along,
ReplyDelete