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Steven Tash is an American actor best known to genre audiences for his roles in two iconic 1980s genre films: as Richie Trelawney in John Carpenter's Christine (1983) and as the unnamed Male Student in the opening ESP test sequence of Ghostbusters (1984). Beyond acting, he pursued careers in rock music photography and as a Hollywood talent agent.
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Detailed public records of Tash's birth date and early biography are not widely documented. He trained as an actor under the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler, studying at her conservatories in both Los Angeles and New York City.1 Adler, whose method-influenced approach emphasized imagination and character work over personal emotional memory, counted among her alumni Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro.2 Tash's grounding in this tradition informed his work in film and on stage.
Tash performed on stage in Los Angeles and New York, building the foundation for his film work in the early 1980s.
Tash's screen career was concentrated in the mid-1980s. His first credited film role was in the low-budget horror film Island of Blood (1982), in which he played Phil.3 He followed that with his most substantial acting credit: Richie Trelawney in John Carpenter's Christine (1983), an adaptation of Stephen King's novel.4 Richie is the best friend and second-in-command of antagonist Buddy Repperton's school bully gang, and meets a violent end when the sentient car takes its revenge, sending him into a gas station explosion.1
In 1984, Tash appeared in two high-profile projects: his cameo in Ghostbusters (discussed below) and a guest role as Weasel in the episode "Undercover Lover" of the long-running sitcom Diff'rent Strokes.3
He continued working in television and film through the late 1980s, with a recurring role as Simon in three episodes of the FOX sitcom Duet (1987-1988) and roles in the films Snowballing (1987) and Beach Balls (1988), in which he played a character named Scully.3
Alongside his acting work, Tash was an active rock music photographer, with work published in Rolling Stone and Creem magazines, two of the most prominent music publications of the era.1
After his on-screen acting career wound down, Tash transitioned into the business side of Hollywood, working as a talent agent representing Academy Award-winning sound editors and designers.1
Steven Tash plays the unnamed Male Student in the film's celebrated opening sequence, in which Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) conducts a fraudulent ESP experiment on two Columbia University students.5 Tash's character is subjected to escalating electric shocks while Venkman manipulates the results in favor of the Female Student (played by Jennifer Runyon).5 The Male Student becomes increasingly anxious and frustrated, providing crucial comic counterpoint to Venkman's smooth-talking manipulation, and ultimately storms out, refusing the offered five-dollar payment for his participation.
A key piece of business in the scene involves Tash's character spitting out a piece of chewing gum when jolted by one of Venkman's shocks, then putting it back in his mouth before the next round of tests. According to Tash, he obtained the chewing gum from actor Clarence Williams III (best known for The Mod Squad) during the audition process, and the bit of business with the gum helped secure him the role.
The sequence appears in Chapter 02 of the film ("Shock the Nerd" in chapter-title editions) and was filmed on location at Columbia University.6
The Male Student character reappeared, at a remove, in IDW Publishing's comics continuity: in Ghostbusters: Year One Issue #2, a character named Bob wears an outfit modeled on the one worn by Tash's character Richie Trelawney in Christine on the night of his death at the gas station.
Tash has appeared as himself in two Ghostbusters-related documentaries: Ghostheads (2016), the fan documentary about the Ghostbusters fan community,7 and Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019), the comprehensive retrospective documentary directed and produced by Anthony and Claire Bueno.8
Steven Tash participates in fan convention appearances, represented by Convention All Stars LLC.9 GBFans.com members seeking autographs or meet-and-greet opportunities may find him at genre and Ghostbusters-themed events.
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
Christine 40th Anniversary, "Steven Tash" (biography), accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.christine40thanniversary.com.au/copy-of-keith-gordon-1. Confirms Stella Adler training in Los Angeles and New York, photography credits in Rolling Stone and Creem, talent agent career representing Academy Award-winning sound editors and designers, and character description for Richie Trelawney as "second-in-command of the bully gang." ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
"Stella Adler," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Adler. Notable alumni include Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, and Warren Beatty; her technique emphasized imagination and given circumstances over personal emotional memory. ↩
IMDb, "Steven Tash" (nm0850865), filmography, accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0850865/. Credits include Island of Blood (1982) as Phil, Diff'rent Strokes "Undercover Lover" (Season 7, Episode 4, NBC, October 20, 1984) as Weasel, Duet (FOX, 1987-1988) as Simon (three episodes), Snowballing (1987), and Beach Balls (1988) as Scully. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
"Christine (1983 film)," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_(1983_film). Steven Tash credited as Richard "Ritchie" Trelawney; production: Columbia-Delphi Productions / Columbia Pictures, dir. John Carpenter. ↩
Ghostbusters (1984), dir. Ivan Reitman, Columbia Pictures. Cast: Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), Steven Tash (Male Student), Jennifer Runyon (Female Student). Opening ESP test sequence, Chapter 02. ↩ ↩2
Spook Central, "Columbia University" (Ghostbusters filming locations), accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.spookcentral.tk/sclib/new-york-columbia-university.htm. "The Paranormal Studies Laboratory scenes were filmed at Columbia University. In real life, Weaver Hall was filmed at Havemeyer Hall." ↩
Ghostheads (2016), dir. Brendan Mertens, prod. Tommy Avallone. Netflix, July 15, 2016. IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4976984/. Steven Tash appears as himself alongside Jennifer Runyon. ↩
Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters (2019), dir./prod. Anthony and Claire Bueno, Bueno Productions, UK. Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleanin%27_Up_the_Town:_Remembering_Ghostbusters. ↩
Convention All Stars LLC, "Steven Tash," accessed 2026-06-13, https://www.conventionallstars.com/steven-tash. ↩