“Salute Your Shorts” Made Nickelodeon Viewers Dream of Camp Anawana. Now More Than Half the Cast Has Walked Away from Acting
“Salute Your Shorts” Made Nickelodeon Viewers Dream of Camp Anawana. Now More Than Half the Cast Has Walked Away from Acting
Angela AndaloroThu, April 2, 2026 at 8:39 PM UTC
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The cast of "Salute Your Shorts"Credit: Nickelodeon/Everett Collection -
Salute Your Shorts aired on Nickelodeon from 1991 to 1992
Many of the young stars who made up the cast continue to work in creative industries today
The cast most recently reunited in 2019; here's what they're up to all these years later
Camp Anawanna, we hold you in our hearts!
From 1991 to 1992, Nickelodeon's Salute Your Shorts followed a group of teenagers and their myriad adventures while attending summer camp at the fictional Camp Anawanna, based on Steve Slavkin and Thomas Hill's 1986 book Salute Your Shorts: Life at Summer Camp.
The original cast that filmed the pilot wasn't the cast that ended up on TV screens. The unaired pilot featured a number of actors who'd end up outgrowing their roles by the time it was picked up as a series. As a result, we met a fresh and fun cast when the show made its July 4 premiere in 1991.
While the show was relatively short-lived, the cast formed a serious bond and remained close. In 2015, the core actors reunited at Portland's Everything Is Festival, Entertainment Weekly reported at the time. They reunited again in 2019 to celebrate the opening of Nickelodeon's Good Burger pop-up in Los Angeles.
What is everyone up to now? Here's what we know about the cast of Salute Your Shorts and what everyone is doing now.
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Trevor Eyster as Sponge Harris
Trevor EysterCredit: NickRewind/YouTube
Trevor Eyster started acting at 9 years old, getting his start on the soap opera Santa Barbara in 1987. He continued to get bit parts on television and in film until landing the role of Eugene "Sponge" Harris.
After Salute Your Shorts, Eyster appeared in just one episode of a show called Babylon 5 before largely taking a break from acting for nearly 20 years. When he came back in 2013, his name had changed from Tim to Trevor, and he has since appeared in a number of roles across television and short films, and even produced his own docudrama series.
In interviews and a 2011 Reddit AMA, Eyster opened up about struggling with his sexuality growing up, sharing "I thought I was gay, until I met the right woman when I was about 28... and then went, 'WHOA. Maybe I'm not.' So it actually happened backwards for me. I'm what many people believe doesn't exist: bisexual."
In 2016, Eyster created a docudrama, SpongeyLeaks, in which he discovered his disabled aunt was being abused by her caretaker, documenting the process of discovering the abuse and learning more about elder abuse and dependent adult abuse. He's also engaged in advocacy around homelessness, animal care and the "empathy deficit."
Danny Cooksey as Bobby Budnick
Danny CookseyCredit: Amazon Prime; Bobby Bank/Getty
Danny Cooksey had nearly a decade of acting under his belt already when he was cast on Salute Your Shorts, having appeared in Diff'rent Strokes, The Cavanaughs, Little Clowns of Happytown and more.
In the years since, Cooksey has been focused on voice acting, lending his voice to shows such as Tiny Toon Adventures, Hey Arnold, Pepper Ann, Xiaolin Showdown and Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil. He is also a musician who has contributed to several different acts from 1992 to as recently as 2015.
Cooksey was married to Amber Leigh, a makeup artist whose life was changed by epilepsy, from 1998 to 2009. Their contentious divorce saw Amber seek a restraining order on two occasions, in 2019 and 2022, per TMZ. Accusations of domestic abuse led Cooksey to complete a Batterers Intervention Program in 2024.
The two share two children, daughter Zoe and son Jackson, who also lives with epilepsy. Zoe has two children, with Cooksey sharing many photos of his time with his grandchildren on Instagram.
Michael Bower as Eddie 'Donkeylips' Gelfen
Michael BowerCredit: NickRewind/YouTube; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Michael Bower got his start in acting in 1988, appearing in Michael Jackson's musical movie, Moonwalker. This led to appearances in a number of series, including The Wonder Years and Doogie Howser, M.D.
In addition to Salute Your Shorts, Bower went on to appear in shows such as Friends, Dark Angel and Bones, as well as films like Dude, Where's My Car?, Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School and Dumbbells.
Bower has also lent his voice to video game characters, making several appearances in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, as well as Red Dead Redemption and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
In 2025, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, Bower admitted to struggles and asked fans for support, sharing his Paypal, Venmo and Cashapp, as well as a link to his Cameo account. Sharing his gratitude, he wrote, "You all sometimes are the greatest gifts in my life and you did not know it. But I do.”
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Kirk Baily as Kevin 'Ug' Lee
Kirk BailyCredit: NickRewind/YouTube; Richard Cartwright/Touchstone/Kobal/Shutterstock
Kirk Baily was in the early stages of his career when he was cast in Salute Your Shorts as camp counselor Kevin 'Ug' Lee. While on the show, Baily reportedly ruptured his left eardrum during the filming of an episode titled "Mail Carrier Mona." At a 2012 cast reunion at Stan Lee's Comikaze, Baily said he still couldn't hear well out of his left ear.
After the show, Baily went on to appear in other TV series, including Models Inc., Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Melrose Place, Star Trek: Voyager and NYPD Blue.
As a voice actor, Baily appeared in a number of anime projects, such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop and Fushigi Yûgi. He also contributed to films, including Frozen, Big Hero 6 and DC League of Super-Pets,
Baily performed with The Groundlings and Second City, while also working as a high school drama teacher and acting coach, per the A.V. Club.
Baily died in March 2022 at the age of 59, six months after he was first diagnosed with lung cancer. He is survived by daughter Bella Clare and son Bowen William, whom he shared with ex-wife Peggy Ziegler, and his domestic partner, actress Ranjani Brow.
Megan Berwick as Z.Z. Ziff
Megan BerwickCredit: NickRewind/YouTube; VivaKivaRTP/YouTube
Megan Berwick had just one acting credit when she landed the role of Z.Z. Ziff on Salute Your Shorts. After the show ended, she only landed one more credit, appearing in 1993's The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom.
Berwick moved on from acting, attending Colorado College from 1996 to 2000 and receiving a B.A. in International Political Economy, followed by an M.A. in the same from Stanford University. Her work in international policy has taken her around the globe, from China to Haiti, per a 2020 interview.
Venus DeMilo Thomas as Telly Radford
Venus DeMilo ThomasCredit: Amazon Prime; Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty
Venus DeMilo Thomas had her first series regular role as Salute Your Shorts' Telly Radford. It was just the beginning for the actress, who went on to appear in In Living Color, My So-Called Life, Family Matters, Sister, Sister and Smart Guy.
DeMilo Thomas has also explored working behind the camera, as a director, producer and writer. Most recently, she's shared interviews with celebrities and other prominent figures on behalf of New York Amsterdam News on Instagram.
Heidi Lucas as Dina Alexander
Heidi LucasCredit: NickRewind/YouTube; Fitzroy Barrett/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com
Salute Your Shorts was Heidi Lucas' introduction to the industry. After her time as Dina Alexander, she made appearances in Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell: The New Class and The Wayans Bros.
Lucas left acting to pursue higher education, and today, she works in family law in the Arizona area. In October 2018, Lucas married her husband, Hans Conrad.
Henry W. Laster as Kent Flankman
Henry W. LasterCredit: Amazon Prime
Henry W. Laster first caught the audience's attention in 1988, voicing L.E.S. in Small Wonder. The early '90s were busy for Laster. In addition to playing Kent Flankman on Salute Your Shorts, he also appeared in Parker Lewis Can't Lose and The Adventures of Pete & Pete.
From 1996 to 2008, Laster stepped away from acting. He returned with a number of film appearances. Laster is also active in advocacy, speaking out in support of anti-racism, anti-bullying and LGBTQ rights campaigns, per the Spokane Film Project.
Erik MacArthur as Michael Stein
Erik MacArthurCredit: NickRewind/YouTube; trand Releasing / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Erik MacArthur got a taste of the life of an actor as Michael Stein in Salute Your Shorts. The young actor found it overwhelming, however, and he decided to leave the industry to live a quieter life and focus on school, per a 2011 interview with She Said Media Said.
MacArthur returned to acting after graduating high school, appearing in shows like The Byrds of Paradise and Weird Science. Later, the actor appeared in We Were Soldiers and Pleasantville.
MacArthur has also explored writing and directing, both of which he continues to focus on today.
Blake Sennett as Ronnie Pinsky
Blake SennettCredit: Amazon Prime; Rick Kern/Getty
Blake Sennett got into acting on sitcoms, appearing in Family Ties, My Two Dads and The Wonder Years before landing the role of Ronnie Pinsky on Salute Your Shorts. When the show ended, Sennett found a recurring role on Boy Meets World, also appearing in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
In the early 2000s, Sennett turned his focus from acting to music. He focused on his indie rock band, Rilo Kiley. Sennett also dated bandmate Jenny Lewis for several years during the band's original run, calling it quits in 2002. In the early 2010s, the band went on hiatus, ultimately reuniting in 2025.
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