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.
