Apparently, the character of “Bela” on the CBS comedy, “Ghosts”, is a Wesleyan alum. She’s the thirty-something sister of the co-owner of a haunted, 200 year-old country estate that Bela’s brother and sister-in-law now operate as a hotel. The Wesleyan connection came to light on tonight’s 2-hour season premier, during the course of a Halloween party when Bela (played by actor Punam Patel) is joined by two other Wesleyans and they reminisce about being on the Ultimate Frisbee team.
Bela didn’t go to Wesleyan. Evan - the hot guy from the gym - and Amanda - who works in Jay’s restaurant - did. It was established in an earlier season that Bela attended Penn State Altoona, although she didn’t graduate.
And the premiere was one hour, not two.
Ah! There was a lot of overlapping dialogue going on and it did seem as if the three of them were interacting. Thanks for the correction. And yes, it was two half-hour episodes back-to-back.
Other recurring Wesleyan TV characters include “Dot Com” from “30 Rock”, played by actor/comedian Kevin Brown; Liz Lemon’s boyfriend (and eventual husband), Criss Cross (played by James Marsden); and, of course, three of the principal characters in “How I Met Your Mother”.
Wes is a smart play from a marketing angle because it impresses multiple demographic cohorts:
- Protestants and probably even some Catholic Christians who are aware of John and Charles Wesley’s stature and their (Wesleyan) namesake denomination.
- College gurus, especially in the northeast
- Fans of the Princess Bride
That incorporates likely every American who is not an uneducated atheist who hates fantasy adventure movies.
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As you wish!
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Wesleyan is super-overrepresented among Hollywood creatives. So it’s not surprising that it is so many fictional characters’ alma mater.
(Another example: the college selection process for the main character’s daughter in Shrinking was a major sub-plot last season. Her dream school? Wesleyan. The women’s soccer coach even made a cameo! [correction: no she didn’t! It was an actress!] The season ended with the daughter heading off to Middletown.)
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That wasn’t the real coach, it was an actress!
Ah, my mistake. I had seen an Instagram post with the actual coach that referenced a cameo by the coach, but I guess they meant the coach as a character. 
Anyway, the storyline was very Wes-forward!
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