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Catching Up With TV’s Top Child Stars: Where Actors Who Grew Up on Television Are Today
Being a child star has led to massive fame for some young actors, including many who were the center of their own shows. However, some completely ditched the spotlight after their time in Hollywood, going on to have careers far away from show business. Here’s where your favorite child stars are today.
Jerry Mathers: Leave It to Beaver
“After Leave It to Beaver, I went up to Berkeley. I hold a degree in philosophy,” Jerry, 75, tells Closer. Apart from an occasional autograph show, he’s largely retired. Jerry and his wife, Teresa, enjoy growing heirloom roses and playing with their five grandkids. “The nice part is you can get them all riled up,” he says,“then send them home.”
Ron Howard: The Andy Griffith Show
“By the time I was 15, I knew I wanted to be a director,” says Ron, 69, whose time as a USC film student was cut short by his casting on Happy Days. Ron, who’s won two Oscars, has four children with wife Cheryl, two of whom are successful actors.
Maureen McCormick: The Brady Bunch
Inspired by her brother Denny, Maureen, 67, is a supporter of Best Buddies International, which helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “[I’ve also been] married to a wonderful man named Michael for 38 years,” says the mom of one.
Kristy McNichol: Family
“I stepped away from Hollywood to find myself,” says Kristy, 61, who has taught acting and helped raise money for school music programs. She publicly came out as gay in 2012. “I want to be open about who I am,” she says.
Mayim Bialik: Blossom
She has a neuroscience Ph.D., two sons, a podcast and a gig hosting Jeopardy!, but Mayim, 47, is also planning a Blossom reboot! “All of the cast and the original creator and producers are on board,” she says, adding the new show would be a drama, not a comedy!
Jay North: Dennis the Menace
“I can find a happy life because I’m not a slave to Hollywood anymore,” says Jay, 72, who served in the Navy, worked in the health food industry and spent 20 years as a corrections officer in Florida. “A lot of the inmates that I’ve guarded remember the show,” says Jay, who has been wed to wife Cindy since 1993.
Ricky Schroder: Silver Spoons
“At 18, I won the Toyota Grand Prix, which was really neat,” says Rick, 53. This NYPD Blue alum is a father of four and an avid hunter and fisherman. His more recent roles include playing Dolly Parton’s father in two TV movies based on her life.
Melissa Gilbert: Little House on the Prairie
“Now what I’m most proud of is learning how to quilt,” says Melissa, 59. A mom and grandma, she divides her time between NYC and a home in the Catskills she shares with two dogs, three chickens and husband Timothy Busfield. In 2022, she launched a lifestyle brand called Modern Prairie.
Keshia Knight Pulliam: The Cosby Show
Keshia, 44, hosts Married at First Sight and shares her love of cooking at Keshiaskitchen.com. A mom of two, she lives with hubby Brad James on a farm outside Atlanta. “[We’re] taking care of chickens and goats,” she says.
Johnny Whitaker: Family Affair
“I speak five languages,” Johnny,63, tells Closer. “I’m a drug and alcohol counselor, and have been for 20 years. I have a nonprofit called Paso Por Paso Inc., specifically to help non- English-speaking people find treatment and recovery.” Johnny is also set to return to acting in the film Prepper’s Grove.
