A dark-haired, puppy-eyed TV and screen actor whose career had been somewhat overshadowed by that of his older brother James, David Naughton trained as a dancer at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before returning to the US in the mid-1970s. Settling in NYC, he appeared onstage in several shows, including "The Fantasticks" and a supporting part in "Hamlet" for The New York Shakespeare Festival. Fame came in the late '70s, when Naughton was chosen to star in a series of Dr. Pepper TV commercials, singing and dancing the soon-ubiquitous "I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper" theme.
These iconic commercials led to Naughton's own sitcom, the short-lived "Makin' It" (ABC, 1979) as well as his hit record of the same name. He appeared in two unsuccessful films before nabbing the starring role in John Landis' ahead-of-its-time horror/comedy film, "An American Werewolf in London" (1981). Naughton's endearing "Everyman" performance, the haunting transformation effects, and some said, Naughton's excessive nude scenes, helped make "Werewolf" a minor hit at the box office. Critics, however, were less than kind as they could not put the cutting edge flick in a safely defined category. With the passage of time, the film gained a newfound respect and audience, cementing its place in the horror film firmament.
Sadly, Naughton never achieved the leading man status afforded him by donning fangs and fur. He appeared in mostly low-budget or low-brow thrillers and comedies such as "Hot Dog...The Movie" (1984), "The Boy in Blue" (1986), "Wild Cactus" (1993), and "The Ice Cream Man" (1995).
Naughton's luck was a little better on the small screen. After another flop series in 1983 ("At Ease", ABC), he was cast as Pam Dawber's goofy ex-boyfriend in the hit sitcom, "My Sister Sam" (CBS, 1986-88). Although he had lost his dancer's physique and become a tad portly, Naughton showed a talent for neurotic light comedy. He also appeared in a number of TV films such as the mystery, "I, Desire" (ABC, 1982); the appalling "Pygmalion" update, "The Goddess of Love" (NBC, 1988) co-starring Vanna White; and the Showtime anthology "John Carpenter Presents Body Bags" (1993). Naughton also did a number of episodic guest turns in "Murder, She Wrote" (CBS, 1988), "MacGyver" (ABC, 1991), "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1991) and "Melrose Place" (Fox, 1996).