# Stephen Furst
**Stephen Furst** (birth name Stephen Nelson Feuerstein; 1954 – 16 June 2017) was an American actor, director, and producer best known for playing the fraternity pledge Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in the 1978 comedy *National Lampoon's Animal House*, and for the television roles of Dr. Elliot Axelrod on *St. Elsewhere* and Vir Cotto on *Babylon 5*.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | Born 1954 in Norfolk, Virginia; died 16 June 2017 at his home in Moorpark, California, aged 63[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/18/stephen-furst-actor-who-shone-in-animal-house-dies-aged-63) |
| Signature role | Kent "Flounder" Dorfman in *National Lampoon's Animal House* (1978); reprised in the ABC sitcom *Delta House* (1979)[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) |
| Long-running TV roles | Dr. Elliot Axelrod on *St. Elsewhere* (1983–88); Centauri attaché Vir Cotto on *Babylon 5* (1994–98, 110 episodes)[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/) |
| How he was discovered | As a Hollywood pizza delivery driver he placed his photograph and resume in pizza boxes; producer Matty Simmons received one and cast him in *Animal House*[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) |
| Health advocacy | Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1996, lost more than 85 pounds, and appeared in an educational video for the American Diabetes Association[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) |
| Family | Married actress Lorraine Wright on 13 June 1976; sons Nathan (composer) and Griff (actor and director)[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/bio/) |
## Early life and education
Furst was born in [Norfolk, Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/norfolk-virginia), in 1954 as Stephen Nelson Feuerstein.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/) One obituary, Michael Carlson's in *The Guardian*, gives his birthplace as [Newport News, Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/newport-news-virginia), a discrepancy among the published accounts.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) He lost both his parents to diabetes-related diseases when he was 16.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary)
He began acting in high school in Virginia Beach, partly, he said in a 1985 [Chicago Tribune](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-tribune) interview, because he was self-conscious about his weight: "when you're a fat kid, you try to make the fat jokes before other people make them."[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) He studied acting at [Virginia Commonwealth University](https://www.edgepedia.org/virginia-commonwealth-university), where he met his future wife, Lorraine Wright, in a production of *Equus*; the two married in 1976 and moved to Los Angeles after his graduation.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/bio/)
## Animal House and typecasting
**The pizza-box discovery.** While looking for acting work in the mid-1970s, Furst delivered pizzas in Hollywood and put his photograph and resume inside the boxes. One delivery went to *Animal House* producer Matty Simmons, who cast him as Kent "Flounder" Dorfman.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) The film, directed by [John Landis](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-landis) and set at the fictional Faber College, was a massive hit with audiences and critics; *New York Times* reviewer Janet Maslin singled out Furst for "some very successful scene-stealing as the house blimp."[6](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/stephen-furst-who-played-flounder-in-the-hit-comedy-animal-house-dies-at-63/2017/06/19/ecd6f89e-5507-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html) Flounder's most quoted moments include being told by Dean Wormer ([John Vernon](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-vernon)) that "fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son," and a midnight prank in which his character fired a gun loaded with blanks into a ceiling, frightening a horse to death.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/)
The role defined his casting for years. After *Animal House* he played overweight students finding sports success in *Take Down* and *Swim Team* (both 1979), reprised Flounder in the short-lived ABC sitcom *Delta House* (1979), and appeared in *Animal House*-style comedies including *Getting Wasted*, *Midnight Madness* (both 1980), *National Lampoon's Class Reunion* (1982), and *Up the Creek* (1984).[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) Later parts in *Going Greek* (2001) and *[Sorority Boys](https://www.edgepedia.org/sorority-boys)* (2002) had become, by his own account, ironic homages to the role, and he remained a gracious participant in *Animal House* reunions.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary)
## Television: St. Elsewhere and Babylon 5
**St. Elsewhere.** Furst's most substantial dramatic role was Dr. Elliot Axelrod on the NBC medical drama *St. Elsewhere* from 1983 to 1988. His character fought questions about his competency and obesity, a struggle that mirrored Furst's own; he weighed more than 300 pounds at times.[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) He described his five years on the show as "one of the most gratifying experiences of my life, even though I played this bumbling doctor, as each year evolved I was given just wonderful acting chances."[7](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/interviews/furst.htm)
**Babylon 5.** From 1994 to 1998 he played Vir Cotto, the Centauri diplomatic attaché on the science-fiction series *Babylon 5*, a character who began as a bumbler and grew into what one obituary calls the conscience of the series.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) He appeared in 110 episodes.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/) By the time the show was made he had lost a large amount of weight; one report says he shed about 100 pounds between seasons.[8](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/st-elsewhere-animal-house-stephen-furst-die/) Furst also directed several episodes of *Babylon 5*, including "The Deconstruction of Falling Stars," which he described as one of the most acclaimed episodes, and episodes of the spin-off *Crusade*.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [7](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/interviews/furst.htm)
He made guest appearances on series including *Newhart*, *CHiPs*, *The Jeffersons*, *MacGyver*, *Night Court*, *Melrose Place*, *Chicago Hope*, *Diagnosis Murder*, and *Scrubs*, and voiced characters in the animated series *Bobby's World*, *Timon & Pumbaa*, *Buzz Lightyear of Star Command*, and *Jungle Cubs*.[9](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/stephen-furst) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) His film work in this period included a co-starring part as a semi-speechless mental patient in Howard Zieff's *The Dream Team* (1989), opposite [Michael Keaton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-keaton), Peter Boyle, and [Christopher Lloyd](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-lloyd).[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary)
## Directing and producing
From the mid-1990s Furst shifted toward writing, directing, and producing. He wrote dialogue for *The Magic Kid* (1993), in which he starred, then co-wrote, directed, and starred in the sequel *Magic Kid II* (1994).[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) He directed the direct-to-video children's film *Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure* (1999), for which he won a Directors Gold Award at the Santa Clarita International Film Festival, and low-budget features including *Stageghost* (2000), *Title to Murder* (2001), and *Game Day* (2006), the last made with his son Griff as producer and actor and his son Nathan providing the music.[10](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/furst-stephen-1955) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) Some of his low-budget TV movies were directed under the pseudonym Louie Myman.[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary)
Through his company Curmudgeon Films, founded with his son Griff, he produced mostly low-budget TV movies and the features *[My Sister's Keeper](https://www.edgepedia.org/my-sisters-keeper-film)* (2009), based on the [Jodi Picoult](https://www.edgepedia.org/jodi-picoult) novel and directed by [Nick Cassavetes](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-cassavetes), and the thriller *Cold Moon* (2016).[1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/18/stephen-furst-actor-who-shone-in-animal-house-dies-aged-63)
## Diabetes and advocacy
Furst was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1996, between seasons of *Babylon 5*. His increasing weight had exacerbated the disease and he faced amputation of a foot; describing the diagnosis as a wake-up call, he lost more than 85 pounds (one account puts the loss at about 100 pounds from a weight near 275).[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) • [8](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/st-elsewhere-animal-house-stephen-furst-die/) • [1](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary) He appeared in an educational video produced by the [American Diabetes Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-diabetes-association) and served as a national spokesman for the [American Heart Association](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-heart-association)'s "Heart of Diabetes" campaign on the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/) • [11](https://asitecalledfred.com/2017/06/17/stephen-furst-ken-plume-interview/) He died on 16 June 2017 at his home in Moorpark, California, of complications from diabetes, aged 63.[3](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/18/stephen-furst-actor-who-shone-in-animal-house-dies-aged-63)
## References
1. [Stephen Furst obituary, The Guardian (21 June 2017)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/21/stephen-furst-obituary)
2. [Stephen Furst, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/)
3. [Stephen Furst, actor who shone in Animal House, dies aged 63, The Guardian / AP (18 June 2017)](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/18/stephen-furst-actor-who-shone-in-animal-house-dies-aged-63)
4. [Stephen Furst, Actor Who Played Flounder In 'Animal House,' Dies At 63, CBS News (CNN Wire)](https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/stephen-furst-actor-who-played-flounder-in-animal-house-dies-at-63/)
5. [Stephen Furst - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0299122/bio/)
6. [Stephen Furst obituary, The Washington Post (19 June 2017)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/stephen-furst-who-played-flounder-in-the-hit-comedy-animal-house-dies-at-63/2017/06/19/ecd6f89e-5507-11e7-ba90-f5875b7d1876_story.html)
7. [Stephen Furst: Floundering onto Babylon 5, interview by Michelle Erica Green, The Littlereview.com](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/interviews/furst.htm)
8. ['St. Elsewhere,' 'Animal House' Star Stephen Furst Dies At 63, CBS Los Angeles](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/st-elsewhere-animal-house-stephen-furst-die/)
9. [Stephen Furst, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/stephen-furst)
10. [Furst, Stephen, Encyclopedia.com (Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/furst-stephen-1955)
11. [FROM THE VAULT: Stephen Furst Interview, FRED Entertainment](https://asitecalledfred.com/2017/06/17/stephen-furst-ken-plume-interview/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Ev to F*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license