Stuti Gokhale
Peacock’s ‘Angelyne‘ is an intriguing biographical drama TV series created by Nancy Oliver. It documents the life of Angelyne, an iconic media influencer who became famous for featuring on a series of Los Angeles billboards in the 80s. Apart from the titular icon’s rise to fame, the series also delves into her professional and personal relationships over the years, as she makes her way through the industry. One person who loyally supports her in her journey is Rick Krause, the President of Angelyne Fan Club and her trusted friend. But is the character based on a real person in the diva’s life? Let’s dig in and find out!
Is Rick Krause Based on a Real Person?
Yes, Rick Krause in Angelyne is allegedly based on Scott Hennig, Angelyne’s manager, close friend, and the Angelyne Fan Club President. Scott is a portrait illustrator from Idaho who met her in the late 80s and has remained by her side ever since. He coordinates Angelyne’s in-person meetups and helps facilitate communications with those who wish to interview her. In 2017, when Gary Baum wrote a feature on Angelyne for The Hollywood Reporter, he contacted Scott for clarifications on the information he had obtained on her early life.
As per Gary’s findings, Angelyne’s birth name is Ronia Tamar Goldberg (later Renee Tami Goldberg), and she was born in Poland in 1950. Angelyne’s parents, Hendrik and Bronia, were Jewish Holocaust survivors and had immigrated to America in 1959. However, Scott vehemently denied all these points and stated, “This stuff comes up every few years — it seems to get more and more ridiculous…My favorite one of all was this 300-pound black woman who claimed to be her mother. ‘I’m your long-lost brother,’ ‘your twin sister.’”
Scott further added, “Chalk it up to life in Hollywood. I’ve never heard of ‘Renee Goldberg.’ It’s laughable, it’s outrageous.” When Gary showed Scott the proof of Angelyne petitioning to change her name, he did not deny it but evaded explaining further. “I’m not saying the paperwork isn’t legitimate…I’m saying it ain’t her. Look, I get emails from another Scott Hennig, a karate expert in Texas. People think that’s me. There are a lot of girls out there named Angelyne. I don’t know what to tell you. And who knows how legitimate this old stuff is, going back to World War II?”
Not just that, Gary spoke to Jesse Small, who had earlier tried making a documentary on Angelyne in 2012. Jesse elaborated on Scott’s equation with her, saying, “Scott’s such an interesting character because he knows more than he would ever let on, and yet he works really hard to not acknowledge it, publicly for professional reasons, but also I think that while it’s her longest relationship of the people in her life, I think that she keeps up that same barrier with him as she does with most other people.”
In addition, Jesse alleged that both Scott and Angelyne had confessed to having a romantic relationship earlier. Jesse further shared that Scott had full faith in Angelyne and seldom questioned her about her past. Earlier in 1995, Scott had reportedly shared some press material for a newspaper feature on Angelyne. The data about her age did not match the public records that Gary found so many years later with the help of a “hobby genealogist.” Thus, it can be said that Scott is Angelyne’s confidante and tightly guards the information that she does not wish to share in public.
Where is Scott Hennig Now?
Scott Hennig prefers to stay away from the limelight and does not interact much with the media either. Moreover, he does not seem to have any social media presence. As far as we can tell, he is currently in his 60s and lives in Boise, Idaho. Despite Scott’s secretive nature, Jesse had seemingly visited him while making his documentary. According to Jesse, Scott likes to lead a private life in his somewhat secret apartment.
Furthermore, Scott has created a small Hollywood memorabilia museum in his apartment with lots of old movie posters and celebrity sketches he has made, apart from Angelyne’s pictures and posters. Jesse later told Gary that visiting Scott helped him comprehend the relationship between him and Angelyne. He said, “Initially I had a difficult time understanding Scott and why he was sticking around all these years — what was he getting out of the relationship — and until I went to this place I didn’t understand it.”
Jesse further added, “And I’m, like, whoa, that’s what it is. He is kind of living in his dream of this Hollywood that I believe doesn’t really exist. And this is the closest thing that he could get to that, by being with Angelyne, because she keeps up the façade, the appearance, unlike most other big Hollywood stars who, if you were to get to know them, you’d be having a regular conversation. Not Angelyne.”
