In the late ‘90s, actress Megan Parlen charmed young viewers every Saturday morning as Mary-Beth on NBC’s Hang Time. Yet after Hang Time bounced its final basket in 2000, its magnetic lead star soon bounced from public life altogether.
So for nostalgic audiences, the looming question remains — whatever happened to Megan Parlen?
Background Info and Early Life
Megan Parlen was born on July 9th, 1980 in Los Angeles, California. She landed her first acting role at the age of three when she appeared in a milk commercial.
Four years after the commercial aired, she landed her first credited acting role as the “Little Girl” in the movie, Walk Like a Man alongside Cloris Leachman, Howie Mandel, and Christopher Lloyd.
Acting Career
Megan’s acting career began with her first credited role in the 1987 box office bomb “Walk Like a Man,” followed by minor TV roles, leading to her significant break as Young Ro Laren in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in 1992. Her journey also included various roles in series like “Hardball,” “Shannon’s Deal,” “L.A. Law,” and “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.”
Despite acting for close to a decade at this point, Megan had her first real break after this when she landed the role of Mary-Beth Pepperton on the show Hang Time in 1995.
Hang Time
Hang Time, which ran on NBC for six seasons from September 9, 1995, to December 16, 2000, focused on seven teenagers who played on the fictional Deering High School basketball team.
Like many teen sitcoms of the time, it tackled serious issues such as sex, drug usage, and underage drinking and mixed them with quirky comedy.
Megan played Mary-Beth Pepperton, the wealthy head cheerleader, whose character evolved through various experiences, including working as a waitress, organizing team dinners, and addressing sexual harassment, appearing in a total of 104 episodes.
She would star in the show alongside: Amber Barretto, Daniella Deutscher, Chad Gabriel and Adam Frost.
What Did She Do After Hang Time?
After “Hang Time” ended in 2000, Megan ventured into voice acting, contributing to games like Disney’s “Peter Pan Adventures in Never Land, “Gladius”, and “Tony Hawk’s Underground”, while pursuing her education.
She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (1998-2002), and a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication (2003-2005).
Megan then transitioned into production, working as an associate producer on “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” and “Young Scientist Challenger,” and later producing episodes for series like “Through the Wormhole” and “Food: Fact or Fiction?,” along with other projects like “Vanished From Alcatraz” and research work for “I Survived…”
What Is Megan Parlen Doing Now?
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Megan Parlen is currently channeling her creative talents as a full-time Creative Director at MasterClass, an innovative online streaming platform known for its diverse range of video lessons taught by industry experts.
In her role as Creative Director, Megan has been instrumental in shaping various episodes that stand out for their educational and inspirational content.
Parlen has spearheaded episodes such as “Elevate Your Singing and Stage Presence with Christina Aguilera” and “Capture Your Vision Through Photography with Petra Collins.”
So while no longer gracing screens as an actress, the former sitcom star utilizes her creative knack for visual media behind the scenes.
Personal Life
Megan is married to David Isser, an editor who has worked on different series including Jailbirds, Indian Matchmaking, Undercover Billionaire, Through the Wormhole, and Man vs. the Universe. They have been married since 2006.
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