We recently had a visit from notable KD Studio alumni Travis Tedford. Although you may not recognize him now that he’s all grown up, some of his early work may ring a bell – namely, his 1994 portrayal of Spanky in the film version of The Little Rascals.
Travis was born and raised in the Dallas area. He was taking the Kreative Kids 1 course at KD Studo when he was cast as Spanky in The Little Rascals. Around the same time, he also appeared in a national TV ad campaign as the Welch’s Grape Juice Spokeskid.
In case you’ve never seen The Little Rascals (or to refresh your memory if it’s been awhile), Spanky is the president of the He-Man “Womun” Haters Club, main character Alfalfa’s best friend, and go-cart racing enthusiast. As implied by the name of the club he heads up, he refuses to play or associate with girls.
The film prominently features guest appearances by some big names, including Mel Brooks, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Trump, the Olsen twins, and Reba McEntire – from whom Spanky receives two big kisses on the cheeks (although we won’t tell you why, in case you haven’t seen the movie).
The He-Man Womun Haters Club gets into a variety of antics over the course of the movie, which results in young Travis riding a fire hose while dressed as a fireman. Or dressing up in a girl’s ballet tutu and wig to perform in a recital. Or poorly disguising himself as an adult.
The Little Rascals is on the list of favorite childhood movies for many who grew up in the early to mid 1990s. It’s also filled with nostalgic references to the original Our Gang and Little Rascals shorts of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Many of the gags and plot lines in the movie are derived from the original Little Rascals (yes, including the scene where Spanky rides the fire hose).
After The Little Rascals
Travis Tedford has since appeared in a few movies (most recently the 2010 horror film The Final), lent his voice to some animated projects, and guest starred on some ensemble Nickelodeon shows. He graduated from college with a degree in liberal arts in 2008 and currently works at a Dallas-area credit union as a marketing specialist. If you’d like to catch up with him, he’s active on Twitter and Facebook.
We were so happy Travis stopped by to see us! KD Conservatory loves hearing from our former students. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like to drop by for a visit.
Do you want to be an actor?
KD Conservatory has acting, musical theatre, and motion picture production programs to help prepare students for careers in the entertainment industry. Contact us with any of your questions, or check us out on Facebook for ongoing updates and information!
