From 80s Teen Star to Medieval Scholar: Ilan Mitchell‑Smith’s Journey

Ilan Mitchell‑Smith first appeared on screen as Wyatt in the 1985 comedy Weird Science. He and Anthony Michael Hall played high school geeks who built a woman with a computer. The film became a cult favorite and made him recognizable to a generation.

After the movie, his acting jobs slowed down. He chose to study instead. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Medieval Studies at UC Davis, then a master’s in the same field at Fordham University in New York. He later completed a PhD in Medieval English Literature at Texas A&M.

Today he works as an associate professor at California State University, Long Beach. He teaches early‑ and late‑medieval British literature and co‑directs the university’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Students know him for his passion for old texts.

He still pops up in entertainment now and then. In 2013 he appeared in a Weird Science tribute on The Goldbergs and did voice work for the animated series Axe Cop. He also writes about Dungeons & Dragons and reviews medieval movies and TV shows, blending his two worlds.