One of the most beloved television stars of the 1980s had fans doing a double take on Tuesday as he proved he has aged like a fine wine in Los Angeles. The 72-year-old actor, best known for playing a lead on the sitcom My Two Dads alongside Paul Reiser, looked effortlessly spry as he tackled some landscaping errands.
In a relaxed t-shirt, shorts, and a battered baseball cap, the former heartthrob could not be further from his Grease days, when he strutted across the stage as Danny Zuko. Longtime fans will recall that his first major screen role came in 1978 as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a trucker whose best friend was a chimpanzee named Bear in the series B.J. and the Bear.
He also shared the screen with the late Kirstie Alley in the short-lived TV series Masquerade, before sending shivers down Melrose Place fans’ spines as an abusive doctor to Matt Fielding (Doug Savant). If you guessed Greg Evigan, give yourself a round of applause, you TV whiz.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
While his ageless appeal turns heads today, it is worth revisiting how Evigan became a television staple. Born in South Amboy, New Jersey, in 1953, Evigan was musically trained from age eight and played in teen bands, hinting at his future in show business. After graduating from Sayreville War Memorial High School in 1971, Evigan jumped straight into Broadway.
He began in the ensemble of Jesus Christ Superstar before landing the iconic role of Danny Zuko in Grease. Performing alongside Marilu Henner in Chicago, Evigan perfected the bad-boy persona that became his trademark.
Rise to Fame in Television
Hollywood quickly came calling. He made his feature film debut in 1976’s Scorchy, but it was the charming trucker B.J. McKay in B.J. and the Bear that truly catapulted him to fame. The show ran from 1979 to 1981, cementing Evigan as one of television’s go-to heartthrobs. The 1980s were a whirlwind of guest appearances, but it was his next big TV gig that would cement his status as a household name.
My Two Dads (1987–1990) paired him with Reiser in a charming odd-couple setup: two men co-parenting a teenage girl after her mother’s death. He later dabbled in sci-fi with TekWar, appeared as a sinister doctor on Melrose Place, and even had a stint on the soap Pacific Palisades.
Later Career and Personal Life
Movie fans caught him in indie dramas like Mel and Arizona Summer, as well as family-friendly fare including the Hallmark Channel’s Once Upon a Holiday, where he even shared the screen with his daughter, Briana. And yes, he still moonlights on soap operas, popping up as Jim Harvey on General Hospital in 2018.
Off-screen, Evigan’s life has been equally grounded. He has been married to dancer Pamela C. Serpe since 1979, and together they have raised three talented children: actresses Vanessa and Briana, and musician Jason.
