Irwin Murray "Skippy" Handelman is a recurring character in all seven seasons of the NBC sitcom Family Ties. He is the neighbor of the Keaton Family, and has a crush on Mallory Keaton. He is portrayed by Marc Price.
Background[]
Skippy was born to Elizabeth, who adopted him out to Rose and Harry Handelman a few weeks later. Skippy doesn't learn he's adopted until Baby Boy Doe, when he stumbles upon his adoption papers.
Skippy has been in love with Mallory Keaton since he was six months old. Mallory couldn't stand him, and when they were two she responded to his advances by trying to glue him to the playhouse door. When they were older, Mallory babysat Skippy even though they were the same age.[9]
He has a younger sister named Arlene Handelman who plays on Jennifer’s baseball team. Skippy once saved Arlene's life through "simple reflexes," although we never learn the details.[10] His family has pet guinea pigs[11] and two turtles.[12] When he was five, he had hamsters.[13] He used to have a cat, also named Skippy.[14]
Skippy was in the Cub Scouts.[15]
On the series[]
Skippy attends Harding High School for the first four seasons. He spends most of that time pursuing Mallory, even after she starts dating Nick Moore, but in Fool for Love, the two agree to interact with each other in a more mature manner, instead of Skippy constantly declaring his love for her and Mallory being mean to him.
In Season 5, Skippy starts attending Grant College. He tries and fails to get accepted into a fraternity. He works as a roadie and backup dancer for The Permanent Waves, despite his habit of accidentally dropping or knocking into amps. He also gets his first girlfriend, Amy Sussman. However, after Season 6, Amy transfers to Yale, and she and Skippy agree to see other people.[16]
In Season 7, Skippy, desperate to find something he's good at, joins the army. He endures several weeks of basic training at Fort Wharton, during which time he constantly screws up his inspections and gets the whole platoon's weekend passes revoked. He becomes so miserable that he goes AWOL by climbing over a wall and flees to the Keatons' house, after which Sgt. Davis gives him a trainee discharge for unadaptability.
Personality[]
Skippy is clumsy, and constantly gets himself into situations of danger. He is close with the Keaton family. He is friends with Alex P. Keaton. Skippy notably has a huge crush on Mallory throughout the series, but Mallory often rejects him, and is rude to him.
Skippy is dimwitted and bad in school. In Sherry Baby, we learn that Alex made a bet with Skippy that Skippy would never get a grade higher than a C. It isn't until years later that Skippy wins the bet by getting a B- on a hygiene paper.
Relationships[]
Trivia[]
His favorite food is peanut butter and carrot sandwiches.[17]
He has a trampoline in his room.[18]
He likes to go to Grover Lake after he makes a fool out of himself.[19]
He usually works as a mall Santa, but during the 1987 Christmas season he works as an abominable snowman instead in the hopes that it will lead to employment as an Easter Bunny.[20]
He has asthma.[21]
He has an old blue security blanket.[22]
Gallery[]
- ↑ Baby Boy Doe
- ↑ My Brother's Keeper
- ↑ Skippy is in the same year as Mallory, and according to Baby Boy Doe he was born in March
- ↑ My Best Friend's Girl
- ↑ The Freshman and the Senior
- ↑ All in the Neighborhood: Part 1
- ↑ Higher Love
- ↑ Basic Training
- ↑ Fool for Love
- ↑ Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger
- ↑ Batter Up
- ↑ Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger
- ↑ Dear Mallory
- ↑ Sign of the Times
- ↑ Cold Storage
- ↑ My Best Friend's Girl
- ↑ Baby Boy Doe
- ↑ Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger
- ↑ My Brother's Keeper
- ↑ Miracle in Columbus
- ↑ Basic Training
- ↑ Basic Training