WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Q: What are the former cast members doing now?
A: Let's take a look at each of them, in order of their departure:

JOSH

Josh "J. Elvis" Weinstein left the show after the end of the first season on national TV. In the first episode of the second season, Frank held up a milk carton with his picture on it and said, "He's missing."
Josh lives in the Los Angeles area. He most recently was a producer for ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos. He was a producer on the NBC series Freaks and Geeks. He also was producer for the short-lived WB series Dead Last, and the short-lived A Young Person's Guide to Being a Rock Star. He has his own humor website at stinkburger.com.
Josh is married to blues-rock singer Allison MacLeod; he performs with her as part of a backup band that also includes actors Dave Allen and Paul Fieg, both of whom were also involved in Freaks and Geeks. For more info, read our interview with him.
In 2007, he joined Joel's movie riffing venture Cinematic Titanic.

JOEL

Joel left the series in 1993, in the middle of the show's fifth season on national TV. His final episode as host was episode 512- Mitchell. In the episode, Gypsy, mistakenly believing The Mads planned to kill Joel, discovered that the SOL had an escape pod. Determined to save him, she threw him into and and sent it to Earth.

Q: Why did Joel leave?
A: It depends on whether you believe what he said at the time or what he says now.  At the time, he told the world that he was choosing to leave, pleading burnout. "It's time for me to hang up my red jump suit and move behind the camera," he said in the press release announcing his departure. "Besides, there's an old show business adage I once heard Adam West say: 'Stay in the same costume and before you know it, you end up signing pictures at an R.V. show.' Maybe it was Clayton Moore, now that I think of it."
At the time, fans were told that Joel was uncomfortable in front of the camera, with his growing fame and with his inability to move on to his next new creation. "I want to become a behind-the-camera guy," he said. "I want to get on to the NEXT weird show. I want to be an idea man." 

However, more recently, Joel has said he left the series because of growing friction with his partner Jim Mallon. "After the fifth season, he and I were on the verge of a fight that I think would have threatened the survival of the show. I decided to step down... I created the appearance to the press that I had other plans, but I didn't. It was all to keep the thing alive. On the bright side, it worked -- the show lived on."

Q: What is Joel doing now?
A: After he left MST3K, Joel moved to Los Angeles and now lives there full-time. He ran his own production company, with his brother Jim. He did some script doctoring with writer Nell Scovelle (executive producer at "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"). He was listed as one of the writers for the comedy gameshow You Don't Know Jack. He appeared in a theatrical production in L.A. called "Up Your Giggy"--something mysteriously described as "A New Comedy Play-Thing." Joel also filmed scenes for the Darkstar video game project. He spent some time on the writing staff of ABC's The Jimmy Kimmel Show. He also put on an annual party-performance-barbecue thing called "The Super Ball." 
For more information, read our interview with him.
In 2007, Joel announced his movie riffing venture, Cinematic Titanic.

FRANK

Frank's departure took place in episode 624- Samson vs. The Vampire Women, the final episode of season six. His character was assumed into "second banana" heaven, a "beautiful place where lackeys, toadies and whipping boys are forever safe and free from their oppressors." 
Since moving to the Los Angeles area, Frank has kept very busy. He joined the writing staff for the ABC series Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, and eventually became Executive Story Editor for the series. He left the series when its run ended on ABC. He appeared in 1999 with fellow MST alumnus Josh Weinstein in an improv comedy show in L.A. called Bob's Office Party. He was briefly the head writer of Invader Zim, an animated series on Nickelodeon. He also spent some time punching up scripts for The Drew Carey Show. He also worked on O2Be, a comedy series on The Oxygen Network. He later joined the staff of the short-lived Tom Green Show on MTV. Frank also filmed scenes for the Darkstar video game project. He worked as a writer for Air America. For a while he moved back to New York City but is now again making regular stand-up comedy appearances in Los Angeles. Most recently he has been working with the "Cartoon Dump" program.
In 2007, he joined Joel's movie riffing venture Cinematic Titanic.

TRACE

Trace left the series at the end of the seventh season on national TV. His last episode was 706- Laserblast. See the Comedy Central section for details on that episode. He moved to the L.A. area. Trace had a small part in a 1998 movie called With or Without You, appeared in five episodes of the NBC series Freaks and Geeks and made an extremely brief cameo in  an episode of "The West Wing." He also hosted and was a writer for "People Traps," a pilot for the Animal  Planet cable channel, but the pilot did not go series. Most recently he worked as a staff writer for the ABC series America's Funniest Home Videos, but he has now left the series.
Trace wrote the script for a one-time-only special comic book for Event Comics called Here Come the Big People. If you'd like signed copies (it was released with two different covers), send a check for $9.00 (made out to "Trace Beaulieu") to him at: P.O. Box 311, Marine On St. Croix, MN 55047. He'll ship  you out the two books, signed within 2-3 weeks. Trace also filmed scenes for the Darkstar video game project.
For more information, read our interview with him,
In 2007, he joined Joel's movie riffing venture Cinematic Titanic.

MIKE

Mike Nelson has written three books: a novel called "Mike Nelson's Death Rat," and two collectons of essays, "Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters" and "Mike Nelson's Movie MegaCheese." He also did a lot of freelance writing, including an occasional column for TV Guide called "The  Watch Dog." He his own website, michaeljnelson.com. He was also part of the Web site venture timmybighands.com along with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett.
In 2005 Mike began working with a San Diego company called Legend Films. He provided commentary tracks for several of their DVDs and roped Kevin  Murphy and Bill Corbett into another one. The relationship eventually blossomed into his latest project: Rifftrax.com. He blogs regularly here.
In additon, he, Kevin and Bill produced four DVDs under the name The Film Crew. Originally produced for Rhino Home Video, they were later released by ShoutFactory.

KEVIN

In 2002, Kevin Murphy's published "A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey" for Harper Collins. He has his own website, ayearatthemovies.com. He was also part of the Web site venture timmybighands.com along with Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett.
For a while he was the semi-official movie commentator for NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday." He had a recurring column entitled "The Bottom Shelf" running in Total Movie  & Entertainment magazine, but it has been discontinued. 
Kevin has done a number of Rifftrax commentaries with Mike and Bill. He blogs regularly here.
In additon, he, Mike and Bill produced four DVDs under the name The Film Crew.

MARY JO

Mary Jo Pehl did a great deal of traveling after MST3K ended. She finally settled in New York City, where she got a job as a magazine editor and did a lot of freelance writing. Her work has appeared in the Minnesota Women's Press, and Funny Times. She has been a commentator on National Public Radio and Public Radio International, and on KTCA-TV's Almanac. She also has been as a consultant for the PBS show "Mental Engineering."
She's done some work on several independent film projects, as well as appearing in the Darkstar video game project. Her book "I Lived With My Parents," was published by Plan Nine Publishing. Most recently, she appeared in "Master Pancake Theater," a comedy troup that performs live riffings of movies at the Alamo Drafthouse.
In October, 2007, Mary Jo married Ronald DeGroot. Vist her blog here.
In 2007, she joined Joel's movie riffing venture Cinematic Titanic.

PAUL

When MST3K closed down, Paul Chaplin became a prolific freelance writer. Paul dropped out of sight in 2004 to care for his wife Paula, who suffers from Hodgkin's disease.
In October 2007, Paul rejoined the relaunched Best Brains Inc.

BILL

Bill Corbett's solo comedy stage play, "Heckler," has been performed in several cities. Two of his other plays "Hate Mail" and "The Big Slam," have been performed by several theatre companies around the country. He was also part of the Web site venture timmybighands.com along with Kevin Murphy and Mike Nelson.
Bill did some teaching at the University of Minnesota and at Minneapolis Guthrie Theater and Kenyon College in Ohio. 
He has done a number of Rifftrax commentaries with Mike and Kevin. He blogs regularly here.
In additon, he, Mike and Kevin produced four DVDs under the name The Film Crew.
He wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Eddie Murphy movie "Starship Dave."

JIM

Jim Mallon is now the sole owner of the rights to MST3K. When the show left the air in 1999, Jim and the few remaining staffers at Best Brains continued to sell MST3K merchandise. Jim began a new business and seemed to have dropped out of show business.
But in 2007, he launched a new Web site at MST3K.com which includes web animation, a new merchandise store and more.
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