Film and Television Career
During one performance in 1988, he was spotted by a casting director, and was asked to audition for the Michael J. Fox film Bright Lights, Big City. This led to his first film appearance, as the younger brother of Fox's character.
Charlie starred in 1988's Heartbreak Hotel (directed by Chris Columbus) where he kidnaps Elvis Presley to make his mother (Tuesday Weld) happy. His most highly acclaimed role in an American film was in the 1988 film, 18 Again!, in which his 18-year-old character swapped body and mind with his 81-year-old grandfather, played by George Burns. His work in this film was described as "displaying enormous range and extraordinary skill as an actor in his comedic starring role".
Schlatter also starred in the successful 1989 Australian film, The Delinquents with co-star Kylie Minogue. In 1990, he was cast in the role of Ferris Bueller for NBC's sitcom Ferris Bueller, which was based on the John Hughes film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1992, he co-starred in Sunset Heat with Michael Paré, Dennis Hopper and Adam Ant. In 1994, he starred in Police Academy: Mission to Moscow as Cadet Kyle Connors.
In 1996, Schlatter began his role as Dr. Travis on the television series Diagnosis: Murder. His character was introduced as a comic relief character in the third season after Scott Baio's character moved to Colorado, and never returned. Schlatter remained with the show for the next five seasons, until the end of the series in 2001. During the series, he began writing episodes, such as "A Resting Place".
Schlatter was initially cast as Philip J. Fry, one of the main characters in the animated series Futurama, which premiered in 1999. Due to a casting change, Billy West landed the role after auditioning for the part again. In early 2007, Schlatter appeared in the films Out at the Wedding and Resurrection Mary.
Read more about this topic: Charlie Schlatter
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