Pop culture in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s was heavily influenced by several TV shows and films. Do you ever wonder what happened to the kids from The Brady Bunch or The Partridge Family?
Quinn Cummings
Quinn Cummings was launched into stardom at the mere age of 10 with the titular role of precocious Lucy. Bored of the fame, she quit acting in the early ‘90s. In 2005, she started a blog titled “The QC Report” and has come out with three memoirs since. Motherhood inspired her to create the HipHugger baby-carrying sling.
Lauren Chapin
Lauren Chapin’s character in the 1954 sitcom Father Knows Best, Kathy Anderson, may have had a stable family life, but it wasn’t the case for the young actress. According to her biography, she had an extremely difficult childhood. After the show was canceled, Lauren couldn’t find any more jobs. She had worked as a dog groomer and a stewardess to bear her expenses by the early ‘80s. These days, she runs a live version of the only show she did, which conducts paid performance on various events.
Hayley Mills
Hayley was just 13 when she bagged the role of the eponymous character in Pollyanna, a live-action Disney drama adapted from a book of the same name. Thanks to her character’s upbeat attitude, she soon became a child icon and appeared in many more movies. The leading lady has appeared in many roles, both big and small since then, ranging from movies to theater. She might not be a big deal now, but she was a household name back in the day.
Kym Karath
When movies are as groundbreaking as The Sound of Music, it presents many promising stars, and Kym Karath is one of them. She played the role of Gretl von Trapp; and even though she wouldn’t have known it, things panned out well for her. Kym exited the industry in 1981, preferring education to the media. In her early twenties, she moved to Paris where she studied Art History and did modeling. She’s now married and acts on the side. However, she has no film or TV credits post 1981.
Johnny Crawford
Many people remember Johnny Crawford for his role as Lucas McCain’s son on the Western fan-favorite The Rifleman, but he’s also on the original lineup of Mouseketeers in 1955. For his incredible performance in The Rifleman, he was nominated for an Emmy. After the show’s end in 1963, Johnny continued starring in guest roles on television. He shifted out his acting career for a dancing one in the early ‘90s. As of today, he’s the proud leader of a California-based vintage-themed band named Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra.
Jerry Mathers
This Sioux City resident wasn’t overjoyed about starting his acting career at the age of two – so much so that when he auditioned for the part of Beaver Cleaver, Jerry told the producers he didn’t want to be there. He enlisted to be a part of the U.S. Air Force as a teen before making a career out of commercial loan handling. He retired from the industry in 1978 but did make guest appearances on occasions. The actor even promoted Leave It to Beaver a few years back.
Kristy McNichol
In the mid-’70s, Kristy McNichol started her journey in the TV industry. Her biggest role has to be on Family, where she portrayed Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence. She received four Emmy nominations, and subsequently won two of them in 1977 and 1979. She had a steady career in the ‘80s but faced some difficulties in the ‘90s due to rumors of substance usage. Kristy also had mental health issues in 1992 and left the sets of Empty Nest. She currently teaches acting at a private school.
Jay North
Before the menacing cartoon character became well-known to today’s generation, Dennis the Menace was a live-action trouble-maker in the ‘60s children’s show of the same name. He had been active in the industry prior to scoring the leading role in the CBS sitcom. Like many other child actors, Jay found the industry a bit overbearing and retired after doing a few more roles post the show’s curtain drop. At the age of 68, he works at Florida’s juvenile justice system as a correctional officer.
Tommy Norden
In recent times, shows with animal stars aren’t that common, but turn the clock back and you’ll know they were all the rage. NBC’s Flipper, the story of a bottlenose dolphin, instantly became popular. He had already worked on other shows but hit golden with his role as Bud Ricks on the show. Tommy left the industry and started a family soon after Flipper ended. Rumor has it that he currently owns an executive recruiting company in NYC.
Ron Howard
One of the most prominent child stars in the world, Ron Howard has had a successful career through and through. His first major role was as Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith’s Show, and his profile got better with the addition of starring in Happy Days. He’s now known for being an amazing director. With films like A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, The Da Vinci Code, and many more to call his own, he’s an icon in the Hollywood community.
Tony Dow
What’s a family show if there aren’t two siblings butting heads? Tony Dow’s Wally Cleaver acted as the quintessential elder brother alongside Jerry Mathers in Leave it to Beaver. Tony was offered roles in other shows like Never Too Young and Mr. Novak. After a brief stop at the National Guard, he resumed acting in the early ‘70s but soon inclined towards filmmaking, construction, and journalism. At 72 years old, Tony promotes Leave it to Beaver on MeTV similar to Mathers.
Jimmie Walker
For his performance as the eldest son of the Evan family, J.J. Evans in the CBS sitcom Good Times, Jimmie Walker received not one, but two Golden Globes. He coined the iconic catchphrase that’s still remembered: “Dy-n-omite!” He later explored the world of radio, hosting shows on WOAI, KKAP, WHIO, and WLS. As an homage to his catchphrase and the show that made him a star, the Brooklyn-born actor released an autobiography in 2012 talking about his time there. To this day, he continues with his stand-up comedy regime.
Danny Bonaduce
A staple of ‘70s television, The Partridge Family included teen sensation David Cassidy, but Danny Bonaduce got much appreciation for his hilarious character Danny Partridge. Throughout his career, Danny experimented with almost all aspects of the entertainment industry. He released his own album, had a VH1 reality show, became a professional wrestler, and a well-known radio personality. On top of that, he’s an ordained minister. In 2017, he popped up on the ABC comeback of Battle of the Network Stars.
Eve Plumb
Another The Brady Bunch famed child star, Eve Plumb created waves with her role as Jan Brady, the middle sister. The then 11-year-old made the line “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” iconic. In 1976, she starred in a much more mature role in the NBC TV movie Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, she took up many guest roles in TV shows and even appeared in the spin-offs of the Brady Bunch series. The actor excelled in painting too.
Marc Copage
On the revolutionary 1968 sitcom Julia, little 5-year-old Marc Copage played Corey, Diahann Carroll’s character’s son. The actress spoke about her TV son fondly, stating that he was just so lovable. Marc returned to school and took up jazz improvisation in 2014. Work was scarce, so he eventually had to take up something less hectic. Currently, he’s a singer and dancer based in L.A. and his Facebook page states “social dance instructor.”
Jon Provost
Sure, the rough collie Lassie was the undisputed star of the eponymous TV show that ran for almost two decades, but people also loved Timmy Martin, a character played by Jon Provost. He grew tired of Hollywood soon and looked into a career in real estate. He can still be seen in guest spots from time to time, but for the most part, he stays away from the public eye. He released an autobiography titled Timmy’s in the Well: The Jon Provost Story in 2007.
Erin Murphy
This blue-eyed cutie landed the role of Tabitha Stephens on the hit ‘60s sitcom Bewitched. She starred in over 100 television commercials throughout the runtime of the show but retired from acting when it ended in 1972. After she graduated from San Diego State University, she worked as an acting teacher, a casting director, a fashion stylist, a makeup artist, and a stunt double. She reappeared on the silver screen in 2010, taking on roles like a television correspondent and infomercial host for FOX Reality Channel and E!
Angela Cartwright
Angela Cartwright had all eyes on her for her role in the 1965’s beloved musical The Sound of Music, playing Brigitta – one of the von Trapp children. Alongside that big role, she would star as Penny in Lost in Space. After her marriage in 1976, Angela took the opportunity to get behind the camera and managed to establish a renowned photography business in L.A. Currently, she can be seen playing Dr. Smith’s mom in Netflix’s adaptation of Lost in Space.
Brooke Shields
At only 11 months of age, Brooke Shields modeled for Ivory Soap – her first ad. When she was 12, she acted as a protagonist in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, portraying a controversial role of child courtesan Violet. At the age of 14, she became the youngest person to appear on the cover of Vogue. Her roles helped her get more noticed until she hit the nail on the head with her sitcom Suddenly Susan. Her career afterward contains some cameos here and there.
Keith Thibodeaux
Keith Thibodeaux’s Little Ricky might just have been the heart and soul of the ‘50s sitcom I Love Lucy, acting like a cute glue holding the audience in place. He started playing the role when he was just five. After that, he moved on to the more musical aspects. Keith battled with addiction in the early ‘70s but got clean and sober after rediscovering Christianity. He now acts as the Executive Director of Ballet Magnificat – an international dance company founded by his wife Kathy in 1986.
Peter Ostrum
Peter Ostrum had an unfortunately short but pleasant acting career as it launched off with the role of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. After the film, he was offered a tri-film contract, which he denied before fading into the background. Although he did consider returning to Hollywood, in the end, he decided to get a degree in veterinary medicine. He now lives with his happy family in a rural state of New York and is in practice at the Countryside Veterinary Clinic.
Lisa Loring
In addition to the The Munsters, The Addams Family was getting popular for its eerie concept in the ‘60s. While the newer audience might know Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams, the part was played by Lisa Loring first. Lisa married for the first time in 1973 and welcomed her first child at the tender age of 16. She worked as a make-up artist and did smaller roles in soap operas. Since 2014, she continues to live a life away from the cameras.
Barry Williams
Before playing the life-changing role of Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch at 15, Barry Williams guest starred in Here Come the Brides, The Mod Squad, and Bartleby, the Scrivener. The character made him one of the teen heartthrobs of the ‘70s. Post cancellation of the show, he focused on theater. His 1990 book Growing Up Brady: I Was a Teenage Greg became a New York Times bestselling novel. These days, he acts as spokesperson for the MeTV television network.
Linda Blair
Linda began her career as a commercial actress and model, but she shook the entire world with her portrayal of possessed child Regan MacNeil in one of the most terrifying movies ever made, The Exorcist. Her performance brought her fame, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. During the late ‘70s, Linda ran into some trouble with law enforcement due to charges regarding substance abuse. She failed to resurrect her career afterward. The former actress runs her own animal-rights organization, The Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation.
Justin Henry
Acting as the adorable son of Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman in the blockbuster hit Kramer vs. Kramer, Justin managed to take the spotlight with his performance as Billy Kramer. He became the youngest person in history to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Justin continued his film career through the ‘80s before beginning a decade-long hiatus to concentrate on his studies. He founded the Slamdunk Film Festival that operated from 1998 to 2003. He’s now working as a sales director at eyeReturn Marketing, L.A.
Jackie Earle Haley
Jackie initiated his acting career with TV commercials at the age of six. He guest-starred in many popular ‘70s series before getting the breakout role as Kelly Leak, a baseball bad boy in the Bad News Bears franchise. After a long hiatus that started in 1993, he returned to the big screen and climbed his way up to an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Little Children. He now lives with his third wife and his two children in San Antonio, Texas.
Harvey Stephens
If you want to forget sleep for a couple of days, what better way than to watch the 1976 spine chilling flick The Omen? The 4-year-old child actor Harvey Stephens made sure no one would dare name their child Damian with his performance as The Antichrist. The best definition of a one-hit-wonder, Harvey flopped at the box office later on. He did get some small roles but disappeared from the industry soon. He now resides in England with his family where he works as a futures trader.
Suzanne Crough
The sweet redhead played Tracy on the ‘70s sitcom The Partridge Family, making everyone smile with a shake of her tambourine. Although it was her second audition ever, she passed with flying colors and became a valuable addition to the cast. The end of the ‘70s marked the end of Suzanne’s career in Hollywood. She did manage to get a few under-the-radar roles but was last credited in a 1980 TV movie called Children of [Separation]. Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 52 in 2015.
Alison Arngrim
Although she tried for the roles of both Mary and Laura Ingalls, she ended up playing Nellie Oleson on the ‘70s historical drama series Little House on the Prairie. It later became difficult for her to grow out of her Nellie Oleson mold. She turned to stand-up comedy after the show ended and keeps herself busy with various charitable organizations. Her 2010 memoir titled Confessions of a Prairie B–: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated became a New York Times bestseller.
