10 Things You Never Knew About The Cast Of Blossom

Blossom (1990-1995) was an NBC series about a young woman whose mother left the family to pursue her career. Blossom (Mayim Bialik) goes through her teenage years with her father, grandfather, brothers, and best friend, Six. The show has maintained relevance for its balance of sitcom humor and real-life issues.

Blossom had quite a unique, multi-talented cast, and there’s plenty that fans of the show don’t know about the actors who were involved. What can fans learn about the cast of Blossom?

10 Mayim Bialik Was Meant To Play A Real Girl All Along

Mayim Bialik is often asked about her iconic role, and she told Today in 2015 that Blossom’s creator, Don Reo, designed her character to be “a real girl — one who didn’t have to choose between being popular and being smart.” In a 2020 episode of Jaleel White’s Ever After podcast, Mayim Bialik told her story of becoming Blossom and said she had been told that the role was created with her in mind.

When asked if Blossom Russo would be friends with Amy Farrah Fowler from The Big Bang Theory, Bialik told Today, “Yeah, Blossom was kind of the person who tries to be nice to everyone, so I think Amy would fall into that.”

9 Joey Lawrence Released Music While Working On Blossom

Even longtime fans of Joey, Matt, and Andy Lawrence might not realize that the talented brothers are musically gifted. As with their acting careers, the Lawrences have collaborated on songs and have worked individually.

Joey released his self-titled solo album in 1993, midway through his Blossom days. Inquiring fans might want to check out “Nothing My Love Can’t Fix,” which includes Joey rapping.

8 Michael Stoyanov Wrote For Television In The 90s, Too

The entire main cast of Blossom is multitalented, and Michael Stoyanov quickly began exercising his writing talents for television after Blossom. Stoyanov played Blossom’s eldest brother, Anthony Russo.

While continuing to act on numerous films and series, most recently Billions, Michael Stoyanov has also written for The Dana Carvey Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, MADtv, and more.

7 Mayim Bialik Had A Crush On Michael Stoyanov On Set

Although Joey Lawrence is known as a teen heartthrob, Mayim Bialik had a crush on Michael Stoyanov while she worked on Blossom with him.

She told Vulture, “He was much more my type, sort of the dark brooding type. He turned me onto Elvis Costello when I was 16. Joey Lawrence was much more the generic mainstream kind of guy; I went for very quirky guys.”

6 The Grandfather Was Played By A Tony Award-Winning Actor

Buzz Richman, Blossom’s grandfather, was played by Barnard Hughes, who passed away in 2006. Hughes won the Tony for Best Actor in a play for Da as the title character in 1978.

He also won a Primetime Emmy for Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series after appearing in Lou Grant in 1977, a dramatic spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

5 Jenna Von Oÿ Was Up Against Melissa Joan Hart For Role Of Six

On Jaleel White’s Ever After podcast, Melissa Joan Hart explained to White that she did not recall whether or not she auditioned for the role of Blossom, but she did audition for the role of Six.

Hart ultimately chose to be Clarissa Darling on Clarissa Explains It All. She praised Jenna von Oÿ for the “funny and fast-paced way” in which von Oÿ presented the character.

4 Mayim Bialik Auditioned For Role Of DJ Tanner Before Blossom

It’s fun to see where some of the hit stars of the 1990s aligned as their careers began. Mayim Bialik told Jaleel White that her first audition ever was for the role of DJ Tanner on Full House.

She was 11 at the time and was not far from her breakout role in Beaches (1988), for which she won a Young Artist Award. Bialik says that she feels as though “everything happened exactly the way that it was supposed to.”

3 Ted Wass Is A Seasoned Director & Directed Blossom Episodes

One would look at Ted Wass’s IMDb and you can see a lengthy list of sitcoms from the 1990s to the 2010s. The fact is, he directed them! Ted Wass played Mike Russo, Blossom’s father. He had been acting for many years when he landed the role, and Wass is credited with directing eighteen episodes of Blossom.

After the series ended, he went on to direct a multitude of shows, including The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Smart Guy, Caroline in the City, Spin City, Less Than Perfect, Melissa & Joey (with his co-star, Joey Lawrence), 2 Broke Girls, Last Man Standing, and more.

2 Joey Lawrence & Jenna Von Oÿ Were Voices In A Goofy Movie

As Blossom was coming to an end in 1995, Joey Lawrence and Jenna von Oÿ both lent their voices to A Goofy Movie. Joey was the voice of Chad, and Jenna was the voice of Stacey.

The castmates had other experiences in voice acting. Jenna von Oÿ had a different role in An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000) and was also on Pepper Ann (1997-2000). Back in 1988, Joey was the title character of Oliver in Oliver and Company.

1 The Main Cast Continued To Find Success On Sitcoms

Several main cast members continued working steadily in sitcoms throughout their careers. Of course, Mayim Bialik is known for her role as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory from 2010-2019. Most recently, she has the starring role of Kat on Call Me Kat.

Joey Lawrence was on Brotherly Love with his real-life brothers from 1995-1997 and has worked on many other sitcoms, including a starring role opposite Melissa Joan Hart in Melissa & Joey (2010-2015). While staying busy with many other projects, Jenna von Oÿ was a main character on The Parkers (1999-2004).

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