Joey Lawrence gained mainstream fame in 1990 when he was cast as the cool older brother on the NBC sitcom, Blossom. Lawrence became well-known and well-liked for his good looks and great hair. By the show’s end in 1995, Lawrence and his character had become a lasting part of pop culture after popularizing the catchphrase “Whoa!” Throughout the 90s, Lawrence maintained his status as a heart-throb and landed starring TV roles including the role as Joe Romano in the series Brotherly Love which he starred in alongside both of his younger siblings. By the late 90s, Lawrence’s career seemed to be slowing down, and he was no longer considered the teenage hunk he’d been during his time on Blossom. However, Lawrence has somehow managed to never completely disappear from the spotlight, and by the early 200s he was back on both the big and small screens. In 2010, Lawrence was cast alongside fellow 90s teen star, Melissa Joan Hart, on ABC Family’s sitcom, Melissa & Joey. Now in its fourth season, the show has given a whole new generation of viewers the change to watch Lawrence do what he does best.
Although Joey Lawrence’s career has lasted for more than three decades, there are many things about the star that have gone unnoticed. Here are five things you didn’t know about Joey Lawrence.
5. Joey Lawrence has released two albums.
Joey Lawrence may be best known for his acting roles; however, he has also tried his hand at music. In 1003 he released his self-titled debut album which spawned several moderately successful singles including the hit “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix.” In 1997, Lawrence released his sophomore album, Soulmates, in 1997; however, his second attempt failed to produce any successful singles. Although his music career has been put on the back burner, Lawrence says he hopes to return to the recording studio eventually.
4. Joey Lawrence credits his family with helping him stay grounded.
Joey Lawrence is one of the few celebrities who was able to successfully transition from a child star to an adult actor. Lawrence credits his mother and his grandparents with helping him stay on track and avoid some of the pitfalls that are common for young stars. Lawrence says, “I was taught from a young age about personal accountability…These kids don’t have the support system, I guess, and then there’s zero personal accountability. They should be able to, at some point, look at a mirror and go, I need to get myself under control. It comes down to family, it comes down to the right thing going in your ears from a very young age, and realizing that life is so fragile and a blessing, and you have to treat it with love because it’s precious.”
3. Joey Lawrence doesn’t spend a lot of time on Twitter.
If you’re one of Joey Lawrence’s fans whose been waiting for a reply, you might not want to hold your breath. Lawrence has admitted that while he sees the importance of social networking, he also sees the downsides, and doesn’t spend as much time on Twitter as he probably should. During an interview, Lawrence said: “I do like being able to communicate directly with people out there who are fans of my work, and people who aren’t fans of my work.”
2. Joey Lawrence’s famous “Whoa!” started off as a joke.
Joey Lawrence’s legendary character, Joey Russo, became famous during the 90s for his “Whoa!” catchphrase. However, the phrase that many people have come to know and love almost never made it into the pop culture history books. Originally, the phrase was meant to be a typical ‘surfer dude’ whoa; however, the audience failed to find it funny. Lawrence said the final version of the producer came into existence when producers came to him and asked if he could “try something else.” The new “Whoa!” became an instant hit and Lawrence stated: “I don’t know where that came from! I just tried it once and did this weird thing and people laughed. They laughed tremendously long. We did a second take and they laughed again.”
1. Joey Lawrence views George Clooney as a mentor.
Similarly to Lawrence, George Clooney gained popularity for playing the role of a dumb jock. However, Clooney was able to move past the stereotypical career and enjoy an extremely successful career. Lawrence, who has had many other roles, but none as big as his role on Blossom, hopes to be in Clooney’s shoes one day. During an interview, Lawrence stated: “We often talk about it-he was playing a dumb, dimwitted jock on The Facts of Life in the ’80s, but he was 25 years old. He said, “You’ve done some amazing work over 25 years. It will happen. Believe me. It’s just going to be that right time. For you, and for me and a lot of leading men, it doesn’t really happen until you’re in your mid-to-late 30s.” Something like that makes you feel great. I hope and pray that I have an opportunity like he had with ER, to really show people there’s something here.”
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Entertainment Weekly)
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