What is it about the lives of child stars that captivates our imaginations so much? Perhaps its the novelty of watching someone grow up right before our eyes in the brutal arena that is the limelight. Or maybe its the fact that a lot of us were also kids when we first started watching them. We identified with them more the the adult actors because they looked and talked like we did.
But then there’s the fact that so many kids end up crumbling under the pressure fame and go on to lead the most turbulent of lives. We don’t want them to fail, but it’s a lot like a car crash happening in slow motion. We just can’t seem to look away when it’s happening.
Regardless of the reasons, child stars are incredible fascinating so let’s take a closer look at some from one of the most iconic decades of he last century, the 1960s. In this video we’re going to be showing you where some of the biggest child stars of the 60s ended up once they reached adulthood. We’ve done our best to dig up the details on some actors whom you probably lost track of over the years. So let’s get down to it. Join Facts Verse to learn more about the 60s Child Stars Then and Now.
Hayley Mills
A lot of Hollywood stars struggle for quite some time to make it to the A-list. But this wasn’t the case for 60s teen icon Hayley Mills. Her first major acting credit at the age of 13 was in the British crime drama Tiger Bay. She won the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer for that role and just like that a star was born.
Hayley followed that up by winning the last ever issued juvenile Academy Award for her performance in Pollyanna. She next portrayed a set of identical twin sisters in the original film adaption of The Parent Trap.
Even though she was never quite able to reach the same kind of prestige as she did back in her childhood years. She still had a fairly successful acting career in theater and on television. You might recall that she played Miss Bliss in Good Morning, Miss Bliss. The show that inspired Saved By The Bell.
More recently, Mills starred in the British mini-series Pitching In. It’s also worth mentioning that Mills is a breast cancer survivor and is currently dating actor and writer Firdous Bamji who is twenty years her junior.
By the way, if you haven’t already go ahead and subscribe to Facts Verse and give this video a like. And stick around to see who we think is the most successful former child star. We’ll give you a little hint, it isn’t Mccauley Culkin.
Marc Copage
Copage rose to fame after the sitcom Julia debuted In 1968. Julia was trailblazing in that it was the first weekly TV series to depict a Black woman as a professional. And rather than in some kind of stereotypical – and demeaning – housekeeper role. Copage won over the heart of America playing Julia’s adorable so, Corey.
Copage became a lot more famous that he probably ever expected to. At one point even Michael Jackson wanted his autograph. On another memorable occasion, he almost fell off the stage at the NAACP image awards while trying to doge a kiss from Diana Ross.
After his first brush with fame, Marc Copage decided that maybe acting wasn’t really right for him. So he went back to school to become a jazz musician. He does occasionally dabble in acting still, however, and most recently he has appeared in 2018s The Meg. These days he’s pretty devoted to his love of jazz music and works as a leasing agent and assistant manager of an apartment building. While that life might not seem very glamorous to some, he’s perfectly content with his low-key life out of the spotlight. Join Facts Verse to learn more about the 60s Child Stars Then and Now.
Erin Murphy
The world fell head over heels for Erin Murphy when she played the eldest child in the hit situational comedy Bewitched. Murphy portrayed Tabitha, a young girl who inherited her mother’s magical powers. And routinely contributed to the show’s shenanigans with a simple twitch of her nose.
After Bewitched went off the air in 1972, Murphy guest-starred on Lassie and appeared in over 100 television ads. But she never again quite found the same level of fame as she did on Bewitched.
Even though she still occasionally makes an appearance in reality shows like Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling. Murphy for the most part has switched her focus from the entertainment industry over to the lucrative world of business.
She is co-owner of Slim Chillers, a low-carb alcoholic Popsicle company that has been serving up tasty adult treats since 2014. She also runs Erin Murphy Knits, which makes environmentally friendly clothing items out of alpaca hair. In 2018, she bought a $2.8 million home in Malibu.
Jay North
As the tittle character in Dennis The Menace, North became one of the most influential child stars of the 1960s. After Dennis was canceled, North struggled to find work as an actor. Much like a lot of other former child stars, he found himself typecast and the public wasn’t about to forget about the time that he spent in that iconic role.
North did eventually get the chance to do some voice-over work in The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show before making an appearance in the 1974 teen film The Teacher. But after those projects, North found himself disillusioned with Hollywood and pretty much quit acting entirely.
Since the mid 1980s, his only credits have been in an episode of The Simpsons and in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. After his dear friend and fellow child star, Rusty Hamer, took his own life. North revealed that he too had been the victim of abuse while on the set of Dennis the Menace. He now takes an active role in the organization ‘A Minor Consideration’. And which helps child stars receive counsel when dealing with the same pressures. And also the problems that he did when he was in their shoes.
Lisa Loring
As the pig-tailed yet spooky Wednesday Addams on the hit comedy show The Addams Family. Loring became one of the most famous kids in the country. But as we all know, fame rarely leads to lasting happiness.
By the time she was just 16, Loring was already a divorce single mom whose own mother had just died from alcoholism. She couldn’t find work no matter how hard she tried but eventually she was able to stage a bit of a comeback – albeit briefly – in the early 80s appearing for three seasons on the soap opera As The World Turns, but after that gig dried up so did her chances of finding continued success in Hollywood.
In the late 80s, Loring married porn star Jerry Butler. Their relationship was quite problematic and Loring eventually found herself completely strung out on heroin. Not wanting to end up like her mother, Loring got clean and now works in public relations for a popular chain of hotels. She also occasionally makes an appearance at pop culture conventions to sign autographs and take pictures with her adoring fans. Join Facts Verse to learn more about the 60s Child Stars Then and Now.
Angela Cartwright
Angela skyrocketed to fame in the late 50s while starring on The Danny Thomas Show. In the 60s, however, she became a full-fledged child star while portraying Penny Robinson in the beloved sci-fi series Lost in Space. She also played Von Trapps straight-laced middle child in The Sound of Music.
After experiencing so much success as a child, Cartwright still continued to act periodically. For example, she appeared in the 1970s film Beyond The Poseidon Adventure and most recently her voice was featured in the animated films The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas and Elf Sparkle and the Red Dress.
Cartwright’s primarily passion these days is photography. She had her own studio and gallery in Los Angeles if you ever want to check out her work. She has also been blissfully married for over 4 decades now. So it looks like her life turned out pretty alright if you ask us.
Butch Patrick
Patrick is best known for his role as little Eddie Munster, the werewolf boy on The Munsters. He landed that role in part due to his tiny stature when compared to his towering television dad Herman Munster.
Patrick went on to become one of the biggest child stars of the 1960s. After The Munsters came to an end, Patrick continued to find success in acting roles. He went on to appear in the film The Phantom Tollbooth and the eccentric kids series Lidsville which took place in a magical realm inhabited by giant hats of all things.
At 19, however, Patrick decided to say goodbye to Hollywood and acting to focus on his other passions, driving fast cars and surfing. He also joined a rock band in the mid 80s called Eddie. And the Monsters which ended up becoming the first unsigned band to have their music video featured on MTV in 1983.
Patrick eventually returned to acting but has only appeared in low-budget, and largely forgettable films, like Bite School and Zombie Dream. Patrick is also proudly ten years sober after having fallen into the trap of alcoholism and drug abuse that so many other former child stars find themselves in. Join Facts Verse to learn more about the 60s Child Stars Then and Now.
Johnny Crawford
Most people remember Crawford as the son of Lucas McCain on the classic western series The Rifleman. At 13, Crawford was nominated for an Emmy for his strong performance in that program. After The Rifleman came to a close in 1963, the young actor continued to appear in a handful of television shows in guest roles. These days, he fronts the Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra – an oldies throwback band based in southern California.
Ron Howard
Let’s wrap this video up on a positive note while taking a look at one of the most successful former child stars of all time, Ron Howard.
Most people remember Howard as little Opie on The Andy Griffith Show. And then there was his tenure as Richie Cunningham on Happy Days. Millennials probably remember his role as director for critically acclaimed films like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Really, at no point has Howard’s career showed any signs of slowing down.
Most recently he has directed films like 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story and 2020s Hillbilly Elegy which he also produced. You might also have recognized him as the narrator on the cult hit sitcom Arrested Development.
With a net worth estimated around $200 million. We can say with a great deal of confidence that Ron Howard is absolutely the most successful former child star. In his case, the trick to making his life in Hollywood work after reaching adulthood was by hopping behind the camera instead of in front of it.
Alright, well this is the end of the road. We’ve run out of time even though we would love to sit here and chat about former child stars all day with you. Join Facts Verse to learn more about the 60s Child Stars Then and Now.
At least we were able to find some child stars that grew up to be pretty well-rounded, functioning adults. All too often we hear about child stars whose lives quickly go down the drain after their cute-appeal wears off. So even though not even we’ve discussed is super rich and famous these days. It’s refreshing to see that they found their place in life and are continuing to do what they love.
Now’s your turn to let your voice be heard. In the comments section below let us know which former child star was your favorite as a kid. Personally, I grew up watching reruns of Dennis the Menace so Jay North really stands out to me. But then again I was a huge fan of the Munster’s too, so it’s hard to decide.
And before you go, please take a moment to give this video a like and subscribe to Facts Verse if you haven’t already. Tap the bell icon to turn on notifications. That way you can keep up with all of latest and upcoming videos.
