The Friday Flyer, August 22, 2008 - Article: Where Are They Now?: Child star returns to teach other kids the ropes

Public Notices - DBA Info • CONTACT US: News Department • Display Advertising • Classified Advertising

Search for Current and Archived Articles:

The community was sparsely populated and there weren't many planned activities for kids when Corky Pigeon moved to Canyon Lake in the mid-1970s at the age of 7. However, he loved swimming, fishing, water skiing, hanging out at the Lodge Pool and playing at the few parks that were developed. At top he is pictured at Sunset Beach and Lions Park. Then he started taking drum and dance lessons and is pictured below as the lone boy in a tap dance routine with the Freddie Finn Dancers. Corky is pictured with his wife, Bobbie, and daughter, Taylor. At the height of his acting career, he appeared on the cover of "Beverly Hills 213." Recently, he was featured with other child stars in a collector issue of People Magazine.

Where Are They Now?: Child star returns to teach other kids the ropes

By Sharon Rice
The Friday Flyer Editor

     People Magazine recently published a collector issue titled “Child Stars Then and Now,” with the subtitle, “Catching up with more than 100 showbiz kids – where are they today?” (The magazine is on newsstands until September 22.) One of the showbiz kids featured in the issue is Canyon Lake resident Corky Pigeon, best known for his role as Freddy on the 1980s sitcom, “Silver Spoons.”
     The son of well-known Canyon Lake Realtor Janet Pigeon, Corky moved here in the mid-70s at the age of 7 and lived on Skipper’s Way when there were only two houses. He is one of those kids who attended Jr. Golf Clinics, played at local parks, swam at the Lodge Pool, loved to fish and water ski and attended local schools until he graduated from Elsinore High in 1988. During all those years, he was also making a name for himself in show business, commuting to the Hollywood studios to be in movies, TV shows and commercials.
     Now Corky and his wife, Bobbie, are back in the community, raising their daughter, Taylor, 4, and preparing to help other Canyon Lake parents who are interested in having their children get involved in modeling and/or show business.
     Like many kids, Corky’s fascination with music and dancing began at a young age. His earliest inspiration was watching a dance class conducted at Blue Bird Hall by a woman named Geri Singer. Responding to this interest, his mother enrolled him in tap dancing classes at the Freddie Finn Dance Studio in Rubidoux and on “dance caravans” to large dance workshops in Las Vegas. He also took drum lessons at Lake Elsinore Music on Main St.
     He had already done a couple of bit parts in Hollywood but, it was during a dance recital at the age of 10 that one of the judges also happened to be a casting agent and referred him to an audition for the movie, “The Forest.”
     He was cast for the movie and says he had a great time on the set; however, Janet was none-too-pleased to learn it was a “slasher-flick” and promptly switched him to a different agent after the film was finished.
     After that, Corky got work making national commercials fairly regularly and, in 1982, he auditioned for and landed a role as Freddy in “Silver Spoons.” As the friend of main character Ricky Stratton, Corky wasn’t in every episode, but he was on the Universal Studios set often enough to feel like it was his second home. He still remembers the theme park tram cruising past his set and seeing tourists snapping his picture. He also mingled with kids from the nearby sets of “The Jeffersons,” “Facts of Life” and “Different Strokes.” Corky continued to work for “Silver Spoons” until 1986 at the age of 16.
     An interesting side note – before he ever began working on “Silver Spoons,” Corky says he learned in a roundabout way he had been accepted to play the lead role of Elliot in the 1982 blockbuster, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” However, because he was supposed to be working on a pilot for the show, “Great Day,” with Dick Van Dyke, the “E.T.” producers chose another boy in his place.
     Sadly, Corky remembers Van Dyke showing up intoxicated to an important meeting for “Great Day” and he was replaced by Tim Conway; the show later fizzled. Corky sometimes wonders what might have been if he had played Elliott, but then he probably wouldn’t have gotten the role in “Silver Spoons.”
     In 1987, he was a guest on the Johnny Carson Show and he also landed the role of Winslow in the movie, “Party Camp.”
     After doing that movie, Corky’s passion changed and he decided he wanted to be a rock star. He and a friend from Lake Elsinore started the pop punk band, “The Gain,” touring with such notable groups as “MXPX” and “Real Big Fish.” He stayed with The Gain from 1991 to ’98 until he and the bass player formed the group “Big in Japan” in 1999.
     During his 10 years as a professional musician, Corky married Bobbie, who was also a show business girl, having appeared in “Clueless,” “Baywatch,” “Camp Nowhere,” “The Wonder Years” and more.
     Recently, Corky returned to his roots – he and Bobbie now live in Canyon Lake, where they are raising their daughter and launching a new business that will kick off September 20 with a free acting and modeling workshop at Pepe’s Restaurant in the Towne Center.
     The free “On Camera Commercial, Acting and Modeling Workshop” is designed to introduce youngsters to auditioning skills, what to wear to an audition, how to book a job, how to choose correct head shots and how to get representation, to name a few. Special guests will include a casting director, a professional photographer/cinematographer and a professional actress.