The Actor Who Played Vinnie In Doogie Howser, M.D. Is Unrecognizable Now

“Doogie Howser, M.D.” wasn’t Max Casella’s first acting job, but it was his first major role. Early on, he landed a few gigs here and there, including a guest spot on “The Equalizer” and a recurring part on the sketch comedy series “Don’t Look Now.” However, at that point, his career was relatively fledgling. To stay afloat, he had to get another job while living with his mom. “I was working in an off-Broadway theater as a janitor. We were broke,” the actor told People in 2022. His career experienced a significant boost when “Doogie Howser, M.D.” came along. 

On the show, Casella’s character, Vinnie Delpino, is supposed to be the same age as Doogie, but in reality, Casella was already in his early 20s; Neil Patrick Harris was still a teenager when the series began. Nonetheless, it all worked out, especially since the actor bonded with Harris early on. “We had just a great time together. Like you said, we really had great chemistry, and I loved him,” Casella later told The A.V. Club.

“Doogie Howser, M.D.” fans may remember Vinnie speaking with a New York accent even though the character grew up in Brentwood, California. Turns out, Casella actually inspired this character detail. The actor auditioned with the New York accent and the show loved it. “They like it, and it’s funny — sort of — so they told me to keep on doing it,” he revealed during an interview with The Washington Post.