Summary
“Where is theHey Dudecast now?” is what some fans of the Nickelodeon Western sitcom have been wondering now that the show is over 30 years old.Hey Dudeis likely aNickelodeon sitcom that most people have forgotten about. Premiering in 1989 and lasting for five seasons,Hey Dudewas the first full-length original live-action comedy on the network and the second scripted series, premiering only afterThe Third Eyefrom 1989.
Hey Dudestars Ben Ernst Sr. (David Brisbin), a divorced, bumbling father from New Jersey who decides to quit the fast-paced life of the East Coast, and move out west with his son Buddy (Josh Tygiel) for a change of scenery, buying the “Bar None Dude Ranch” in Tuscon, Arizona. WhileHey Dudemay have gotten lost in the procession of memorable shows that quickly came after, it remains one of thebest shows Nickelodeon has ever made. The small but talented cast makes the series a funny and nostalgic watch. Many of the actors got their start onHey Dude, but surprisingly, many stopped acting soon after.
David Brisbin As Benjamin Ernst Sr.
Date Of Birth: August 21, 2025
Actor:David Brisbin had only a few roles before his starring performance onHey Dudeand afterward he continued a career of primarily guest and one-episode appearances in shows.His notable TV roles include the recurring character Dr. Alexander Babcock onERand Dr. Sugarman on an episode ofDesperate Housewives. Brisbin’s film credits include Dr. Jaffe inErin Brockovichand the second woodsman in bothTwin Peaks: Fire Walk With MeandTwin Peaks: The Missing Pieces. His last acting credit was in 2016.
Justified(2015)
Winston
Character:Benjamin Ernst Sr. was a successful accountant in New Jersey before moving to Arizona to become a ranch owner. Benjamin, who has always been a bit inept, iscompletely out of his element on the ranch, but his constant efforts to learn how to be a cowboy are always funny.
10 Best Live Action Nickelodeon Shows Of The 90s
Nickelodeon’s live action shows were an after-school ritual for ’90s kids, and these were definitely the top ten greatest among them.
Date Of Birth: Unknown
Actor:Kelly Brown’sfirst role was starring onHey Dude, and she only had one more performance after. She appears in the schlock horror comedy,Danger Zone 4: Mad Girls Bad Girls, as Samantha, which came out direct-to-video in 1992. Brown left the industry soon after,citing stalkers as one of the reasons she began to feel uncomfortable in Hollywood(viaSlimed Oral History). She now runs a fashion boutique in the Hamptons called Kelly B (viaGofG).
Danger Zone 4: Mad Girls Bad Girls(1992)
Samantha
Character:Brad Taylor isa riding instructor from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, who grew up in a wealthy family. She’s a sassy instructor who works on the Bar None Ranch and also has a crush on Ted (David Lascher), whom she eventually shares an onscreen kiss with.
Debra Kalman As Lucy
Date Of Birth: July 27, 2025
Actor:Debra Kalman first appeared on screens inHey Dudeand then, after the series ended, waited 15 years before appearing on camera again, inThe Visitationas Delores the Waitress. Since then, Kalman has appeared in a handful of movies, includingHalfway Homeas Eloise andAt the End of the Dayas Mrs. Waters.
At the End of the Day(2018)
Halfway Home(2020)
Eloise
Character:Lucy isa ranch hand foreman and supervisor at the Bar None Dude Ranch. She is the most level-headed one in the show and often the only responsible adult considering how Benjamin is often getting himself and his employees in trouble.
David Lascher As Ted McGriff
Date Of Birth: July 14, 2025
Actor:David Lascher appeared onHey Dudeearly in his career and went on to have a successful career with performances in some notable productions. On TV,Lascher played a character named Josh in two of his biggest roles. The first was in theCluelessTV series and the second was inSabrina the Teenage Witch, where he was in aforgotten ’90s teen drama relationshipwith Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart). He also costarred onBlossomas Vinnie Bonitardi. Lascher’s only feature film performance came inWhite Squallas Robert March.
Sabrina the Teenage Witch(1999-2002)
Josh
Character:Ted McGriff isa senior staff member inHey Dudeand the object of Brad’s romantic interest. His and Brad’s will-they, won’t-they romance provided another dimension to the show and positioned Lascher as a teen heartthrob.
Christine Taylor As Melody Hanson
Date Of Birth: June 28, 2025
Actor:Christine Taylor may be the most famous actor to come out ofHey Dude. For one, she is married to Ben Stiller, whom she has two children with. However, her acting career is a standout on its own. Taylor is one of a few notableactors who got very famous after appearing on a Nickelodeon show.On TV, Taylor has played Dianne inHigh Desert, Sally Sitwell inArrested Development, and Gail inSearch Party.
Taylor is probablybetter known for her movie roles, appearing as key characters in several notable comedies. She plays Matilda Jeffries in theZoolandermovies, Katherine “Kate” Veatch inDodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and Rebecca inTropic Thunder.
Arrested Development(2005-2018)
Sally Sitwell
Character:Melody Hanson isa lifeguard and dance instructor in Tuscon with seemingly boundless energy. She’s also a bit boy-crazy, but she has a heart of gold and always looks out for her friends first. Melody is from Allentown, Pennsylvania, just like Christina Taylor in real life.
Hey Dude Supporting Cast & Characters
Hey Dude Has A Small Cast Of Supporting Actors
Joe Torres as Danny Lightfoot:Danny Lightfoot is a Hopi teenager and Ted’s right-hand man. Casting director Michael Koegel said it was very difficult finding a Native American actor for the part and admitted they “fudged” it by casting the Mexican-American actor Joe Torres instead (viaSlimed Oral History), referring to the unfortunate casting dilemma, not Torres' portrayal. This was Joe Torres' only credited role in his career, and it’s unknown what he did after.
Geoffrey Coy as Kyle Chandler:Geoffrey Coy plays Kyle Chandler inHey Dude, notCoach Taylor fromFriday Night Lights. Kyle is Lucy’s ex-boyfriend’s son who develops a crush on Brad and a rivalry with Ted.Coy never appeared in another production besidesHey Dudeand is currently the Vice President and General Manager at Photocure, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company (viaLinkedIn).
Jonathan Galkin as Jake Decker:Jake Decker is Benjamin’s nephew from Los Angeles who comes to visit. He’s played by Jonathan Galkin, whoseonly other role came in the showWay Coolas an unnamed character. Galkin ended up founding an independent record label with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy called DFA Records. After Muprhy reportedly kicked Galkin out of the company (viaPitchfork), he began another label, FourFour Records.
Josh Tygiel as Benjamin “Buddy” Ernst Jr.:Josh Tygiel plays Buddy Ernst Jr. inHey Dude, Benjamin’s lackadaisical son who is unhappy about having to spend his summer on a ranch. This is Tygiel’s only acting role of his career, and he now works as a senior editor and investigator for BackTrack Reports, which provides background checks for executive-level headhunting firms (viaLinkedIn).
Cassie, Buddy’s dog, is also credited on 13 episodes ofHey Dude.
Where The Hey Dude Bar None Ranch Is Now
The Bar None Dude Ranch fromHey Dudewas built on a real ranch in Tuscon, the Tanque Verde Ranch, which has been in operation since 1860 (viaArizona Daily Star). Production was originally considering Colorado as a filming location, but associate producer Stephen Land fell in love with Tuscon, saying, “It’s a superb location. It offers a lot of looks.”
The set was built in a secluded area of the ranch so as not to disturb normal operations. It has since fallen into disrepair, but that hasn’t keptHey Dudesuperfans from touring the property (viaAnother Amazing Adventure).
