If you grew up in the nineties, you probably spent a significant portion of your childhood trying to build a "Blurpmobile" out of trash cans or attempting to sing "You Are So Beautiful" in a high-pitched rasp. We’re talking about the 1994 classic The Little Rascals. It wasn't just a movie; it was basically a cultural reset for every kid who ever felt like girls had "cooties" or wondered why Alfalfa’s hair stayed in that gravity-defying spike. But it’s been over thirty years. Thirty years! That realization hits like a sack of bricks. Looking at the cast of Little Rascals then and now, it’s a wild mix of Hollywood success, quiet exits from the spotlight, and the kind of normal lives you wouldn't expect from child stars.
Honestly, the transition from being a world-famous seven-year-old to a functioning adult is a gauntlet. Some of these kids handled it with total grace. Others found out that the industry is a lot less welcoming once you lose those chubby cheeks. Let's get into where they ended up.
Alfalfa and Spanky: The Dynamic Duo Decades Later
Bug Hall, the kid who played Alfalfa, was the face of the movie. That cowlick was iconic. After the He-Man Woman Haters Club disbanded, Bug actually stayed in the game for quite a while. He popped up in The Stupids, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, and even did guest spots on big-time shows like CSI and Criminal Minds. But if you look at him today, he’s unrecognizable. He traded the bowtie for a massive beard and a much more private life. Bug eventually moved away from the Hollywood machine, embracing a very traditional, religious lifestyle with his family in the Midwest. He's spoken openly about his shift in values, and while he still does the occasional project, he’s mostly focused on being a dad and living off-grid-adjacent. It's a far cry from singing to Darla in a rowboat.
Then there’s Travis Tedford. Spanky McFarland. The "president" of the club.
Travis was arguably the most natural actor of the bunch. He had that comedic timing that you just can't teach a kid. However, he basically looked at Hollywood around 2002 and said, "I'm good." He moved back to Texas, got a degree, and started a career in the credit union industry. Seriously. The guy who led the He-Man Woman Haters Club is now a marketing professional in Garland, Texas. He’s active on social media and has a great sense of humor about his past, often posting "then and now" shots that poke fun at his childhood fame. It’s actually refreshing to see someone walk away from the fame and just... be a normal guy with a 9-to-5.
The Darla Factor and the Rich Kid Rivalry
Brittany Ashton Holmes played Darla, the girl who broke Alfalfa’s heart and inadvertently burned down the clubhouse. She was the "It Girl" of 1994. But unlike many child stars who chase the dragon of fame into their twenties, Brittany stopped acting almost immediately after the mid-nineties. Aside from a tiny role in 1996 and a pilot that didn't go anywhere, she vanished.
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She chose a life of total privacy.
Reports suggest she pursued a degree in political science and lives a quiet life in Los Angeles. During the 20th-anniversary photo shoot organized by 22 Vision, she joined the rest of the cast of Little Rascals then and now reunion, and fans were shocked at how little she had changed—still has that same smile, just without the pigtails.
And we can’t forget Waldo. The rich kid. The villain. Blake McIver Ewing played the "tapered hair" antagonist perfectly. Blake didn't disappear; he just pivoted. He became a very successful singer and songwriter, and he’s been a prominent voice in the LGBTQ+ community. He also worked as a host on Bravo’s The People’s Couch. Blake is one of the few who stayed comfortably in the entertainment industry, though he’s swapped the snobby "Waldo" persona for a much more soulful, artistic vibe. Seeing him and Bug Hall interact during reunions is always a trip because their real-life friendship is the exact opposite of their onscreen rivalry.
The Supporting Crew: From Buckwheat to Petey the Dog
Ross Bagley, who played Buckwheat, was everywhere in the nineties. If he wasn't in the clubhouse, he was playing Will Smith’s cousin Nicky on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Out of the entire cast, Ross probably had the most consistent run as a child star. He even appeared in Independence Day. Nowadays, Ross is a real estate agent and a DJ. He still hangs out with the cast, and he’s often the one sharing behind-the-scenes stories about what it was like on set with Penelope Spheeris (the director).
What about Stymie? Kevin Jamal Woods. He was the voice of reason in the group. Like Travis Tedford, Kevin decided that the Hollywood life wasn't the long-term goal. He ended up pursuing a career in media and marketing, and he also spent time working in the automotive industry. It’s a recurring theme here: these kids grew up, looked at the industry, and decided to find stability elsewhere.
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The Weird Truth About Petey
People always ask about the dog. Petey, the American Pit Bull Terrier with the circle around his eye. Sadly, since dogs don't live thirty years, the original Petey passed away long ago. But here's a fun fact: the circle around his eye was actually added by a makeup artist. The original 1920s Petey had a natural partial circle, but for the 1994 movie, they used a "human-friendly" permanent marker to recreate the look.
Why This Movie Still Hits Different
You have to wonder why we’re still obsessed with the cast of Little Rascals then and now. There’s a specific kind of nostalgia attached to this film. It was one of the last great "kids being kids" movies before everyone had a smartphone in their pocket. They were building go-karts and having meetings in a shack.
- Authenticity: The kids weren't "Disney-fied." They felt like real, slightly grubby children.
- Cameos: We didn't appreciate it then, but the movie was packed with stars. Reba McEntire, Whoopi Goldberg, and even a pre-presidency Donald Trump played Waldo’s dad.
- The Costumes: They perfectly bridged the gap between the 1930s original and the 1990s aesthetic.
The 22 Vision reunion photo shoot a few years back really cemented how much people care. They recreated the movie poster, and it went viral instantly. It showed that despite the different paths they took—marketing, real estate, religion, music—they still share this weird, specific bond of being part of a cult classic.
The Struggles of the Transition
It wasn't all sunshine and go-karts for everyone. Growing up in the public eye is brutal. Brandon Hall (Bug) has talked about the struggles of being "Alfalfa" for his entire life. When you’re that famous at seven, people never want you to grow up. They want you to stay that little kid in the bowtie forever.
"It’s a weird thing to be a piece of someone’s childhood," is a sentiment several cast members have echoed.
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Sam Saletta, who played the bully Butch, also transitioned into music. He’s a talented singer-songwriter now. It’s funny because Butch was the most intimidating kid in the neighborhood, and in reality, Sam is this incredibly soulful musician. It just goes to show how much the "then" vs. "now" can surprise you.
Key Takeaways for Fans of the Rascals
If you’re looking to catch up with the gang, here’s the reality of where they are:
- Don’t expect a sequel: Most of the cast has moved on to "civilian" jobs. They’re happy, they’re healthy, but they aren’t looking for a comeback.
- Follow the reunions: Groups like 22 Vision are the best place to see high-quality updates. The cast is surprisingly close and they do get together for big milestones.
- Appreciate the pivot: It’s actually a success story that so many of them turned out "normal." In a town that often breaks child stars, the Little Rascals cast seems to have escaped the "curse" that plagued so many other child actors from that era.
The best way to honor the legacy of the cast of Little Rascals then and now is to simply revisit the work. The movie holds up surprisingly well. The jokes are still funny, the chemistry is undeniable, and that go-kart race is still one of the best-choreographed sequences in 90s cinema. If you want to see what they're up to today, check out Ross Bagley’s Instagram or Blake McIver’s music. They’re still out there, just living much quieter lives than they did in the summer of '94.
For those wanting to dive deeper into 90s nostalgia, your next step should be checking out the behind-the-scenes documentaries or the "20 Years Later" photo series. It provides a fascinating look at the production design and how they managed to cast such a perfectly mismatched group of kids who, for one brief summer, convinced us all that a "He-Man Woman Haters Club" was a viable social organization.