Curtis Armstrong on his memoir 'Revenge of the Nerd'

You may not immediately recognize the name Curtis Armstrong, but if you've seen Risky Business or Revenge of the Nerds,you're familiar with his work. His most enduring role is perhaps that of Booger, the super-slob nerd in the 1984 raunchy comedy.

In his new memoir, Revenge of the Nerd,Armstrong shares stories from his exceptionally successful career as a character actor. This was not the life that Armstrong had planned as a young man, when he devoted himself to becoming a classically trained theater actor.

When he auditioned for the 1983 movie Risky Business, Armstrong expected this was just a brief break from his true calling. He played Miles, best friend of uptight high schooler Joel, played by the then 19-year-old Tom Cruise. In a memorable scene where Joel's parents head out of town, Miles encourages his friend to embrace a certain life philosophy: "Every now and then, say what the f---?'"

Risky Business launched Armstrong on a long career as a character actor, including that defining role inRevenge of the Nerds.Armstrong's credits also include the 1980's ABC seriesMoonlighting,with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis, and more recently, Fox'sNew Girland the CW'sSupernatural.

When he joined us on the show, he shared stories from his new book and reflects on a life spent playing, as he puts it, "second bananas."