ABC's hit family sitcom The Goldbergs is a loose biographical retelling of Adam F. Goldberg's early years growing up with his family in the 1980s - here's what each character looks like compared to their real-life counterparts. From the first season of The Goldbergs the show creator, Adam F. Goldberg (who the main character is based on) has made sure to include audiences in on some of the more carefree moments of growing up. He does this by providing footage at the end of each episode, along with the occasional interview, of the true story that provided inspiration for the installment. Viewers get to see the characters in real-life and gain insight into how the show matches the true story. It's a unique way to draw audiences in that hasn't been encountered often in the world of sitcoms.
After George Segal's tragic death, season 9 of The Goldbergs paid a heartwarming tribute to the actor who played Albert "Pops" Solomon. Though that's not the only issue season 9 had to face. Jeff Garlin's exit from the show has been tinged with controversy. The actor, who plays Murray Goldberg, has had multiple misconduct allegations, and according to Variety he trashed the series in a comedy show just days before his exit. Season 9 is only about halfway through airing and audiences are starting to wonder if it will be The Goldbergs final run. There's no word as of yet whether the show will get a 10th season. However, Black-ish, another ABC show that has often been paired with The Goldbergs, is ending after its 8th season, which may be foreshadowing The Goldbergs sooner-than-expected completion.
Between Jeff Garlin's exit from the show and George Segal's passing, viewers are starting to focus in on the true story behind the series. Since the real-life Adam F. Goldberg included a ton of footage in The Goldbergs over the years, audiences can easily connect the dots between how close the characters and their counterparts act and react. That being said, the clips are from a 1980s camcorder in a family home and therefore, grainy and difficult to track. Comparing how each character looks with their real-life counterparts is somewhat hard for casual watchers. Not to fear, here's a glimpse behind The Goldbergs true story and what each character looks like in real-life during that time period.
Sean Giambrone As Adam Goldberg
Sean Giambrone of the Solar Opposites cast plays Adam F. Goldberg in The Goldbergs. The youngest of the family, Adam has a deep interest in films and topical movies of the time such as The Goonies, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. As shown above, Sean Giambrone does differ from the real-life Adam Goldberg at that time. For instance, Giambrone is a blonde whereas Adam is a brunette. As well, the show's Adam wears glasses nearly all of the time, whereas the real-life one is shown often both with or without large coke-bottle glasses. That being said, the two boys are relatively the same size and stature. Based on the video footage Giambrone does a great job of copying the real Adam F. Goldberg's personality and mannerisms, despite the noticeable aesthetic differences.
Troy Gentile as Barry Goldberg
Troy Gentile got a comeback from his child-star days to play Barry Goldberg in The Goldbergs. Among the many pop-culture tributes The Goldbergs makes one of the biggest ones for Barry is starting a Beastie-Boys type band and calling himself "Big Tasty." When comparing the cast to their true inspirations, Troy bears one of the more similar resemblances as the titular chaotic middle child. While the real-life Barry Goldberg has straighter hair and a fairer complexion, their facial structures are reminiscent of one another. His costuming is particularly accurate and Troy brings his own comedic flair to the character. There's a fair amount of footage of the true Barry to know that Troy Gentile does a stand-up job of portraying the boisterous sibling.
Hayley Orrantia as Erica (Eric) Goldberg
The biggest change that The Goldbergs made to the portrayal of their real-life family was changing the eldest brother Eric Goldberg into Hayley Orrantia's Erica Goldberg. Hayley Orrantia got to act alongside music superstar Rick Springfield in his The Goldbergs cameo while trying to further Erica's musical ambitions by working at a new karaoke bar. There's obviously the biggest physical difference between Erica Goldberg and her real-life counterpart Eric Goldberg, though many of her storylines are taken from Eric's life. While the real Eric Goldberg had no musical ambitions (he became a doctor like most of the family), stories like breaking into a pool, stealing a knish, and getting arrested for it came from Eric's real life. Erica beats up on her brothers in a similar way to the true eldest child and Hayley Orrantia's performance as the somewhat-real characterization stands out.
Wendi McLendon-Covey as Beverly Goldberg
Wendi McLendon-Covey is one of the more familiar faces featured on The Goldbergs. Her resemblance to the real-life matriarch Beverly Goldberg is particularly striking. The Bridesmaids star looks very similar to the actual Beverly Goldberg and based on stories from Adam F. Goldberg her portrayal of the mom is eerily accurate. Of course, McLendon-Covey brings her own unique brand of over-the-top comedic stylings to the role which may overexaggerate the real Beverly Goldberg. The Goldberg matriarch is pretty active on Twitter. Her bio includes things like "Smother of 3" and "professional guilter." It seems that McLendon-Covey's portrayal of the true Beverly Goldberg is accurate both in terms of appearance and personality.
Jeff Garlin as Murray Goldberg
Despite the controversy surrounding Jeff Garlin, the actor had a funny eight-season run on The Goldbergs as patriarch and loveable curmudgeon Murray Goldberg. Though Murray is a used-furniture salesman on the show, the real-life Murray became a doctor and only sold used furniture during his college days. The Curb Your Enthusiasm star, who goes by Jeff in that particular show, does look like his real-life counterpart; especially after his major weight loss. The two have a similar bone structure in their faces and their statures are comparable. The real Murray isn't featured as much as other characters in Adam F. Goldberg's footage. Though, when he is there, it does make it seem like Jeff Garlin's performance as the grumpy dad is on point.
George Segal as Albert "Pops" Solomon
George Segal's tragic passing occurred when Adam's character is in high school, though the real Albert "Pops" Solomon passed when Adam was in college. George Segal plays the heartwarming, yet somewhat lewd grandfather in The Goldbergs. Beverly's father lives in the home with the family and sometimes ends up being Adam's best friend. George Segal had a brief stint on Entourage, another show inspired by real-life, and looks pretty similar to the real Albert Solomon. The glasses featured in the photo above also appear in the show a couple of times. Out of everyone in the cast, George Segal looks the most similar to his real-life counterpart. The relationship between Adam and his grandfather is a big highlight of the show, so the real Adam and Albert must've had the same meaningful relationship while he was growing up.
What the real-life Goldbergs look like compared to their casted doppelgangers provides a lot of interest among viewers. It's entertaining to see how most of the characters are comparable to their inspirations, while others deviate significantly like Hayley Orrantia's Erica. As season 9 of The Goldbergs continues to air viewers can expect more real-life family footage so they can make their own comparisons between the inspirations behind the show and their onscreen counterparts.
