https://popculturereferences.com/perfect-strangers-rebeca-arthur-speaks-out-against-bronson-pinchot/

Rebeca Arthur made some rather shocking accusations about her former Perfect Strangers co-star, Bronson Pinchot, in a 2020 interview.

https://popculturereferences.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rebeca-arthur-header-1024x625.jpg

Today, we look at Rebeca Arthur (Mary Anne on Perfect Strangers) talking about her problems with Perfect Strangers star, Bronson Pinchot, including some shocking allegations about his conduct during the series.

This is Quite a Story (https://popculturereferences.com/category/quite-a-story/), a sort of catch-all feature where I share short, interesting anecdotes from interviews or books that don’t really fit into any other feature.

Perfect Strangers was a star vehicle for Bronson Pinchot, whose Serge character was a standout part of the 1984 hit film, Beverly Hills Cop. ABC basically took the “foreign man” character that Pinchot did in that film, dropped the gay aspect of the character and gave him his own sitcom where he plays a man coming to America from the fictional island of Mypos. He moves to Chicago where he stays with his distant cousin, Larry Appleton (played by Mark Linn-Baker). The two are very different from each other (perfect strangers, you might even say). Melanie Wilson and Rebeca Arthur played Larry and Balki’s love interests, respectively, for most of the show (they eventually had a double wedding and even had kids at the same time).

Arthur talked to the very interesting Perfect Strangers Reviewed blog a couple of years ago (https://perfectstrangersreviewed.wordpress.com/) and when Arthur was asked about her castmates, she spoke volumes in what she DIDN’T say. She explained to Casey (the person who runs the blog):

Melanie and I were, and still are, very close. She is one of my dearest friends. We leaned on each other through those years of standing behind a door waiting to knock and we are still leaning on each other in life! Mark is the consummate professional and just a doll. He’s a man of very few words but very quick to laugh and a pure delight to work with. If you can’t tell, I just love him. Sam Anderson is the sweetest guy and so funny! He could take anything and make pure comic gold out of it. I love when I see him pop up in films or TV. Belita Moreno is also hysterically funny and such a great gal. She got pregnant during season 3 or 4 and I remember they just kept hiding her behind stuff and she was a riot. Jo Marie [Payton, who was spun off into Family Matters] was also a hoot to work with could pull down a laugh with just a look. It’s really too bad they weren’t utilized more in the show because they always delivered brilliantly.

Sort of speaking volumes with who she DIDN’T mention, right?

However, Arthur then later DOES discuss Pinchot, and she explains why she didn’t talk about him while then making a shocking accusation about the actor:

If you have wondered why I haven’t said anything about Bronson, it’s because I adhere to the old adage that if you can’t say anything nice about someone then don’t say anything at all.

But the truth is there are some nice things I can say about him.

He was a true Jekyll/Hyde. In the beginning, he was so sweet and fun to work with but as we got further into the success of the show, he morphed into a monster. I was the one member of the cast that seemed to draw his wrath. It was quite the paradox living my dream of being on a sitcom but subjected to being sexually assaulted by him regularly. At the time, there was nothing I or anyone else could do about it. He held all the cards.

It’s fascinating that I haven’t seen anyone follow up on those accusations since 2020.

My question is if Bronson is aware of what’s been said about him, why hasn’t anything come from him about it in return yet?

God bless him always!!!

Holly in east TN (a girl who will forever remain loyal to him)

I believe her.

^^^ I don't, and the reason why is because Bronson could've meant one thing in whatever he did or said while she only saw his words and action in a whole other way leading me to this question: Why should Bronson be punished anyway if there was truly nothing illegal about his frame of mind?

God bless you and him and Rebecca always!!!

Holly

^^^ I don't, and the reason why is because Bronson could've meant one thing in whatever he did or said while she only saw his words and action in a whole other way leading me to this question: Why should Bronson be punished anyway if there was truly nothing illegal about his frame of mind?

God bless you and him and Rebecca always!!!

Holly

You're entitled to your opinion, but I know that you love Bronson, so I believe you're biased.

^^^ To be honest it is more than just that. At the end of the day, who hasn't been misconstrued in one way or another at least once in their life? Another thing is the possibility of Rebecca having a track record before ever having anything to do with Bronson. If other guys that she came into contact with were an issue, why should Bronson or any other guy be punished for it when they didn't have anything to do with anything that may or may not have happened in her past?

God bless you and Rebecca and Bronson always!!!

Holly

I believe her.

I believe her too. BP has a history of inappropriate sexual behavior.

^^^ I've never read such stuff before. What else is Bronson supposedly guilty of?

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly

He’s a disgusting pig.


https://perfectstrangersreviewed.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/bronson-pinchot-a-pattern-of-behavior/

^^^ I guess that it all depends on how people look at what other people decide to do or say. Because charges or a prosecution have never once been on his plate, my feelings for him have not changed, especially when his words and thoughts apparently were never once explained to those who obviously need an explanation.

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly

He’s a disgusting pig.


https://perfectstrangersreviewed.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/bronson-pinchot-a-pattern-of-behavior/

Yikes! He's even worse than I thought he was.

I don't want to think about Bronson Pinchot in that way since I loved his portrayal of the character Balki ever since I was 8 or 9 years old back in the late 80's. To me the character was all i knew until I saw him as the horid character on the Langoliers and enjoyed him in second site and to hear him without his accent would have seperated the character i believe was so kind, compassionate, thoughtful, loving person. Only thing I could remember though about this topic is if you watch the blooper reel. the episode where Balki and Larry buy a house to flip and install a chandelier to increase their profit, Maryanne's character has a line where she says "It's so big." Bronson asked her to repeat that line again. This might lead people to believe that the article might be true how he might have been perverse back then. I hope as he's matured over the years he'd outgrown such a behavior and learned to respect women. But I also read that he never really connected with anyone he was seeing intimately one of them was Carrie Fisher. He had a hard upbringing of poverty. He was also sensitive and intelligent or seemed to be during interviews. I want to believe he's respectful.

Judging from just the Regis and Kathee Lee video, she seemed to be ok with Bronson as a person even though she could just be putting on a show because she wouldn't want to cause any trouble with a co-star who is one of the main characters in a show she was an actress on. I might be reading too much into this but he just doesn't seem like a person who sexually harrases people to the point where it becomes an issue with an actress who doesn't talk about a co-star at all. Wish there was a way to ask Arthur directly about this.

^^^ I second this. I think that some people only want to paint others in a negative light no matter what is said or done by the person. Why do those people choose to possess such a frame of mind? Who the heck knows?

God bless you and Bronson always!!!

Holly

If she was so uncofmfortable being around Bronson I don't think she would have done the Regis and Kathy Lee's show.

What might have happened is the Regis interview was shot in 1990. Bronson's antics may have reached a level where it was too out of control for Arthur a few years after the 1990 Regis show and the interview where she speaks of everyone she was fond of might not have included Bronson because he may have crossed a line long after the Regis show aired their interview if even that but who knows.

Just finished reading the entire interview Rebecca gave. She had some interesting things to say about working on Perfect Strangers:

https://perfectstrangersreviewed.wordpress.com/2020/02/06/interview-with-rebeca-golden/

I just can't believe any of that about Bronson. Yes, he was a bit inappropriate on Surreal Life, but I don't think he did anything over the top.

^^^ The sad reality of it all is that everyone is going to have their own opinion concerning what they think is over the line and what isn't.

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly

I was a fan of Bronson Pinchot for many years. My mom and I would often watch Perfect Strangers together before she died. These are some of my favorite memories of being home with her. Years later, I wrote to him during The Bronson Pinchot Project. I told him how much I enjoyed the show and shared the story about my mom. I mentioned that she had once encouraged me to send him a fan letter, but I was too shy to do it. As an adult, I still admired his talent and remained a fan. I included my email address but never received a reply. Even one or two sentences would have been fine. Bronson's time in PA didn't end well and I've read several unflattering articles about him since then. He's extremely intelligent and of course, very talented. But I can't say I'm a fan anymore. Not the great guy I always thought he was.