Back to the Future Part II star says she was once Elton John's 'beard' for a night: 'Got to keep ...

Darlene Vogel appeared as villain Spike in the 1989 movie. Back to the Future Part II star says she was once Elton John's 'beard' for a night: 'Got to keep up the image, darling' Darlene Vogel appeared as villain Spike in the 1989 movie. By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek. EW's editorial guidelines March 19, 2026 5:21 p.m.

Darlene Vogel appeared as villain Spike in the 1989 movie.

*Back to the Future Part II *star says she was once Elton John's 'beard' for a night: 'Got to keep up the image, darling'

Darlene Vogel appeared as villain Spike in the 1989 movie.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

EW's editorial guidelines

March 19, 2026 5:21 p.m. ET

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Darlene Vogel in 2019; Elton John in 2025. Credit:

JB Lacroix/Getty; Cindy Ord/Getty

- Darlene Vogel recalled a night in Hollywood decades ago when she was Elton John's "beard."

- The *Back to the Future II *star described the "Rocket Man" singer as "so nice" and compared it to hanging out with an old friend.

- "I felt like I was just hanging out with a buddy...I didn't even understand that it was like 'Elton John,' " said Vogel.

Darlene Vogel is reflecting on an evening with Elton John.

During the March 10 episode of *The Patrick LabyorSheaux* podcast, the *Back to the Future Part II** *actress recalled one night out with the "Tiny Dancer" singer in the 1980s.

Vogel, who played Leslie "Spike" O'Malley in the beloved franchise, knew the musician's manager through a friend and was able to see him at [former restaurant in West Hollywood] Le Dome. Later that night, Vogel suggested going to the China Club.

"So we all hop in his limo and we and I'm with Elton John going to the China Club in Hollywood, hanging out with him. He gets up on stage, blows Michael Bolton off the stage, and starts performing. And I'm hanging out with him," Vogel said.**

Darlene Vogel in 'Back to the Future Part II'.

Universal Pictures

"And then we leave and Elton has his arm around me and he go he's like 'got to keep up the image darling.' I'm like, 'Use me.' "

Vogel noted that there was no paparazzi or iPhones at the time. "I was hanging out with Elton John. I was his beard," she said, laughing.

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The actress then detailed what it was like spending time with the "Rocket Man" singer, calling him down to earth. "He was so nice. He was great," she said. "I felt like I was just hanging out with a buddy...I didn't even understand that it was like 'Elton John.' "

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In 1976, John came out as bisexual in an interview with *Rolling Stone*. He later said in his 2019 memoir, *Me**,* that he felt the statement was a compromise in order to maintain his fan base. "You can see that as fudging the issue if you want, but in fairness I'd had a relationship with a woman before, and I had a relationship with a woman afterward," he reflected in his memoir.

In 1992, he told *Rolling Stone *that "quite comfortable being gay." The following year, John began dating David Furnish. They entered a civil partnership in 2005 and got legally married in 2014. They share sons Zachary, 15 and Elijah, 13.

Elton John in New York in November 2024.

Bruce Glikas/Getty

Elsewhere in her podcast interview, Vogel spoke about an accident involving her stunt double in a hover-boarding scene in the 1989 movie. "The one thing that I am surprised that a lot of [fans] don't know about, which I see on Facebook, is that, like, my stunt double got hurt in the crash," Vogel said. "And they think it was me. And they thought I died or whatever."

Cheryl Wheeler, her stunt double, survived the accident but didn't come out unscathed. She broke several bones and required four reconstructive surgeries over the course of two years.

"When you watch the movie, if you really pause it for that second," the actress explained, "she crashed into the pole and drops down."

Watch Darlene Vogel's full interview on *The Patrick LabyorSheaux *podcast in the video above.

Original Article on Source

Source: "EW Movies"

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Source: Movies

Published: March 21, 2026 at 11:38AM on Source: RON MAG

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