Star Trek, Goonies, Ninja Turtles Stars Among First Main Wave Of FAN EXPO Philadelphia Celebrities

Joining the previously revealed Lord of the Rings “Four Hobbits” Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and Elijah Wood at Fan Expo Philadelphia are a total of 12 new additions to the annual pop culture gathering that celebrates everything from the worlds of movies, television, art, science fiction, anime, animation, cosplay, gaming, literature, and more. The event will take place May 29-31, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City.

Attending FAN EXPO Philadelphia from the Star Trek universe are:

• Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed “William Riker” in numerous iterations of the series, including The Next Generation, Insurrection and Picard. He has appeared on dozens of popular series and recently lent his voice to the Guardians of Galaxy animated series among numerous voice acting credits.

• Gates McFadden, who played “Doctor Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other versions of the Star Trek franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”

• For 15 years (seven on TV and four feature films), TNG fans were treated to the talented Brent Spiner in the role of “Lt. Commander Data,” an android with superhuman abilities. Spiner may not have all of those same powers, but FAN EXPO attendees will have the opportunity to meet this personable, quick-witted star of stage and screen.

The Goonies is well represented by:

• Corey Feldman, the child star turned prolific actor who has more than 100 film and TV credits. In addition to Stand by Me and The Goonies, Feldman also appeared in the popular Gremlins and The Lost Boys after first catching fans’ attention in TV roles like The Bad News Bears, Mork & Mindy and The Love Boat.

• Kerri Green, who as a teen played “Andy,” and later that year portrayed one of the children in the John Candy vehicle Summer Rental. Later she starred opposite Corey Haim in Lucas.

• Martha Plimpton, “Stef” in The Goonies, has nearly 100 film and TV credits, notably a key role supporting Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton and Natalie Portman in Beautiful Girls, and currently stands out in the HBO Max crime drama Task with Mark Ruffalo

• The aforementioned Astin, who has demonstrated his innate ability to share his heart with the world through such iconic roles as “Mikey Walsh” in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, “Samwise Gamgee” in the LOTR trilogy, and “Bob Newby” in Stranger Things 2.

And TMNT enthusiasts will be hearing (and shouting) “Cowabunga” upon meeting the sextet of:

• Judith Hoag (“April O’Neil,” also Armageddon)

• Robbie Rist (“Michelangelo,” also The Brady Bunch)

• Ernie Reyes Jr. (“Donatello,” “Keno, also Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)

• Brian Tochi (“Leonardo,” also Revenge of the Nerds)

• Kenn Scott (“Raphael,” also director/Adventures of Johnny Tao)

• François Chau (“Shredder,” also Lost)

Many additional FAN EXPO Philadelphia guest announcements will follow in the coming weeks, including world-class lineups of comic creators, voice actors, cosplayers, and more.