Was the heartthrob of Fame. The show dealt with Leroy's struggles to balance a difficult home life and his talent: his life reflected the same. Dismissed from the cast for repeatedly not turning up on time - or at all - to rehearsals and filming, Ray battled various addictions, contracted HIV and died aged 41 after a stroke in 2003 Photograph: MGM/Everett Collection
Curreri has had a successful career composing for film and television, and maintaining his hairdo. Which, according to his website at least, is still pleasingly large and bouncy Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features
Gimpel maintained more of a level of Fame than many other of the kids from Fame, appearing in popular TV series including ER, Law And Order, House and Boston Legal Photograph: NBCUPHOTOBANK/Rex Features
Allen spoke those immortal lines: “You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying . . . in sweat." A successful choreographer, producer and director, 2009 finds Allen back at the school, the only actor to have appeared in all three incarnations of Fame. But now she's the headteacher Photograph: NBCUPHOTOBANK/Rex Features
Since Hague, a Broadway composer, musician and teacher, was basically playing himself on camera, when Fame ended he simply went back to playing himself off it. Hague worked creating music and musicians until his death in 2001 at 81 Photograph: NBCUPHOTOBANK/Rex Features
Landsburg has said that playing the awkward music student Doris was not always easy. “I was a big drunk and I did drugs as well. I’m just thankful the fans never noticed.” But she continued to appear in various shows including Nip/Tuck, and The Unit. She has also directed several feature films and TV shows, and released an album in 2001, which included a re-recording of High Fidelity Photograph: Beverley Goodway/Rex Features
