Date: ??
Jump Street
Bounces Back!
After Some Hard Times, 21 Jump Street's Back On The Map, With Some Fresh New Faces, As Well As Some Old Favorites!NO ONE can deny that it was a bumpy road for 21 Jump Street last year. First, the show's move to a new time slot on Monday nights didn't help ratings to climb. Then, there was the fact that "The Depp-ster"--the hotter-than-hot cop otherwise known as Johnny Depp, was pursuing "other interests" and only appeared in half the season's episodes. All of which made the Fox network decide to drop 21 Jump Street.
BUT soon after that dastardly decision was made, Jump Street proved that it would not be deserted! Thousands of letters poured in to protest the show's cancellation, and this made many TV honchos stand up and take notice. So much so, in fact, that brand new episodes of the ever-popular, realistic cop show are being shown, not on Fox, but on syndicated TV stations all around the country!
JUMP STREET is bouncin' back better than ever, albeit without the star power of Johnny Depp. Dustin Nguyen also decided to depart, but other original cast members have returned, including Holly Robinson and a much lighter Peter DeLuise (he's taken off about forty pounds!). The cast also has a couple of HOT fresh faces! One is none other than Peter's own real life brother, Michael DeLuise, playing the part--naturally!--of Doug Penhall's brother!
Meet Michael Bendetti!
JOHNNY DEPP may be forever off the set of 21 Jump Street, but with Michael Bendetti joining the team of hot cops, you can say hello to a gorgeous new crime-fighting face! Michael stars as Officer Tony McCann, a tough but vulnerable true-blue undercover detective, and this real-life Southern California native couldn't be happier about 21 Jump Street. He feels it conveys a valuable message about crime to teens and young adults. He says the rest of the Jump Street cast has made him feel totally welcome. "They've been terrific; they've really made me feel like a member of the Jump Street family!" he told 16.
A Tough Audition--
But Worth It!
THE SEARCH for someone to replace Johnny Depp was not an easy one, and 6', 165-lb. Michael auditioned six times for the part, beating out hundreds of other actors! ("I loved every minute of it!" he said.) Before auditioning for Jump Street, Michael had guest-starring roles on My Two Dads and Doogie Howser M.D., and on the ABC-TV movie, Lady Mobster. He's living in L.A. now, and in his free time he goes to the movies and writes short stories. He also loves to cook and makes a pretty mean linguini! You can write to Michael, c/o 21 Jump Street, Stephen J. Cannell Productions, 7083 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, and tell him 16 sent ya!(Please Note: This article was probably published around 1990-1991, so the info may not be completely current. Any mail sent to the address at the bottom of the article is very unlikely to reach Mr. Bendetti.)