# Sparky Marcus

Sparky Marcus (born Marcus Issoglio; December 6, 1967) is an American former actor.

## Early life

Marcus was born in Hollywood, California.

## Career

Marcus was well known for playing the role of the precocious child but also worked extensively as a voice actor for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1980s. He started acting at five playing Shelby on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973–1975). He also appeared on The Nancy Walker Show (1976), Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976–77) (Marcus played child evangelist Jimmy Joe Jeeter, who died of electrocution in the bathtub), Grandpa Goes to Washington (1978), The Bad News Bears and Goodtime Girls (1980).

### Voice acting

As a voice actor for cartoons, he is probably best known for his role as Richie Rich from the Hanna Barbera series Richie Rich (1980–1982). He later had regular roles as a voice actor on Shirt Tales (1982–1984), Space Stars (1981), Saturday Supercade as the voice of Dexter on Space Ace (1984), Challenge of the GoBots (1984), The Puppy's Further Adventures (1983), The Reluctant Dragon (1981), Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas (1984), Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), CBS Library (1980–1982) and The Get Along Gang (1984–86).

### Television guest appearances

Marcus has also made several TV guest appearances, including Trapper John, M.D., Happy Days, WKRP in Cincinnati, What's Happening!!, Maude, Emergency!, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, The Bob Newhart Show, Eight Is Enough and Starsky and Hutch.

### Film roles

Marcus also appeared in the feature films Freaky Friday (1976) and The Pinballs (1977), as well as in many TV movies, including The Stableboy's Christmas (1978) and Goldie and the Boxer (1979). His last movie role was a brief cameo as a bellboy in the 1983 Steve Martin comedy The Man with Two Brains.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1973–74 | Sigmund and the Sea Monsters | Shelby | Main cast (6 episodes) |
| 1975 | ABC Afterschool Special | Young Tuck | Episode: "The Skating Rink" |
| 1975 | The Last Day | Adam Spence | Television film |
| 1975 | Someone I Touched | Mathew | Television film |
| 1975 | Friendly Persuasion | Little Jess | Television film |
| 1976 | ABC Afterschool Special | Brian Varner | Episode: "The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon" |
| 1976 | Emergency! | Johnny Elder | Episode: "Grateful" |
| 1976 | Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Jimmy Joe Jeeter | Main cast (20 episodes) |
| 1976–77 | The Nancy Walker Show | Michael Futterman | Main cast (13 episodes) |
| 1976 | Starsky & Hutch | Tommy | Episode: "Nightmare" |
| 1976 | Freaky Friday | Ben Andrews | Feature film |
| 1977 | ABC Afterschool Special | Tootie | Episode: "Very Good Friends" |
| 1977 | Instant Family | Alexander Beane | Television pilot |
| 1977 | Eight Is Enough | | Episode: "Double Trouble" |
| 1977 | Insight | Jeffrey Drill | Episode: "Christmas 2025" |
| 1977 | The Bob Newhart Show | Billy | Episode: "Carlin's New Suit" |
| 1977 | ABC Afterschool Special | Thomas J. | Episode: "The Pinballs" |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Charles | Episode: "Will the Real Santa Claus...?" |
| 1978 | This Is the Life | The Stableboy | Episode: "The Stableboy's Christmas" |
| 1978 | Maude | Ian Harmon | Episode: "Arthur's Grandson" |
| 1978–79 | Grandpa Goes to Washington | Kevin Kelley Jr. | Main cast (7 episodes) |
| 1979–80 | The Bad News Bears | Leslie Ogilvie | Main cast (26 episodes) |
| 1979 | What's Happening!! | Danny | Episode: "First Class Coach" |
| 1979 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Arthur Carlson Jr. | Episode: "Young Master Carlson" |
| 1979 | Banjo the Woodpile Cat | Banjo (voice) | Animated short film |
| 1979 | Goldie and the Boxer | Petey | Television film |
| 1980 | The Furious Flycycle | Melvin Spitznagle (voice) | Animated short film |
| 1980 | Goodtime Girls | Skeeter | Episodes: "Homefront" and "Too Many Fiances" |
| 1980 | Happy Days | Billy | Episode: "The Hucksters" |
| 1980 | CBS Library | Melvin Spitznagle (voice) | Episode: "The Incredible Book Escape" |
| 1980–82 | The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show | Richie Rich (voice) | Richie Rich segment (21 episodes) |
| 1981 | The Reluctant Dragon | The Boy (voice) | Animated short film |
| 1981 | Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood | Petey | Television film |
| 1981 | CBS Library | The Boy (voice) | Episode: "Misunderstood Monsters" |
| 1981 | ABC Weekend Special | Petey the Puppy (voice) | Episode: "The Puppy Saves the Circus" |
| 1981–82 | Space Stars | Dorno (voice) | The Herculoids segment (11 episodes) |
| 1982 | Trapper John, M.D. | Richard Tobin | Episode: "The Peter Pan Syndrome" |
| 1982 | Shirt Tales | T.J. Tiger (voice) | 10 episodes |
| 1982–83 | The Pac-Man/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show | Richie Rich (voice) | Richie Rich segment (16 episodes) |
| 1983 | The Man with Two Brains | Bellboy | Feature film |
| 1983–84 | The Monchhichis/Little Rascals/Richie Rich Show | Richie Rich (voice) | Richie Rich segment (4 episodes) |
| 1984 | Saturday Supercade | Dexter (voice) | Space Ace segment (13 episodes) |
| 1984 | Cabbage Patch Kids: First Christmas | Xavier Roberts (voice) | Television special |
| 1984–85 | The Get Along Gang | Montgomery Moose (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 1984–85 | Challenge of the GoBots | Nick Burns (voice) | 7 episodes |