WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The biggest child stars of the 1960s
Angela Cartwright, who played Brigitta von Trapp in "The Sound of Music," continued acting, while Kym Karath, who played Gretl, left show business.
Ron Howard, who appeared in "The Music Man" and "Dennis the Menace" in the 1960s, became an Oscar-winning director.
Maureen McCormick wrote a memoir titled "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice."
In the 1960s, shows like "The Brady Bunch," "Dennis the Menace," and "Leave it to Beaver" invited audiences into the lives of fictional families, while movies like "The Sound of Music" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" became cultural touchstones.
Some of the actors who appeared in movies and TV shows in the 1960s have remained in show business, while others have left Hollywood behind.
Here's what your favorite 1960s child stars are doing now.
Hayley Mills starred in Disney blockbusters like "Pollyanna" and "The Parent Trap" throughout the 1960s.
Mills starred in multiple successful films including "In Search of the Castaways," "Summer Magic," and "That Darn Cat!" Walt Disney called her "the greatest movie find in 25 years."
Mills pivoted to theater, appearing in "The King and I," "The Vagina Monologues," and the off-Broadway play "Party Face."
She still acts in front of the camera occasionally, most recently in the 2019 British drama "Pitching In."
Ron Howard, then known as "Ronny," appeared in classic films such as "The Music Man" and TV shows such as "Dennis the Menace."
He went on to land small parts in numerous TV shows of the 1960s, including "Route 66," "The Eleventh Hour," "The Fugitive," and "I Spy."
Howard became an Oscar-winning director.
He became a household name for his leading role in "Happy Days," which premiered in 1974, when Howard was 19. Before he left the show, he started directing, and his directorial debut, "Grand Theft Auto," was released in 1977.
He has since achieved great success, winning the Academy Award for best director for "A Beautiful Mind," which also won best picture, in 2002. He directed other well-known films such as "Apollo 13," "Cinderella Man," "The Da Vinci Code," and "Frost/Nixon."
His latest project, "Hillbilly Elegy," is slated for release on November 24.
Marc Copage played Corey Baker in the groundbreaking TV show "Julia."
Baker starred on the show from 1968 to 1971 alongside Diahann Carroll and Lloyd Nolan. It was the first TV show with a Black female lead in a non-stereotypical role, such as a maid.
Copage still acts occasionally, though he has also worked as a waiter.
His most recent role was in "The Meg" in 2018. Before that, he last appeared in "The Kid" in 2000 and a few episodes of "Cop Rock" in 1990. After Carroll's death, Copage wrote about working with her for the New York Times in 2019, and shared that he has worked as a waiter when having difficulty booking acting jobs.
Kurt Russell played the titular character in "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" from 1963 to 1964, among other '60s movies and TV shows.
He starred in movies like "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," "Guns in the Heather," and "Follow Me, Boys!" as well as a slew of TV shows.
Russell became a bonafide movie star.
Among his most iconic movies are "The Hateful Eight," "Escape from New York," "Silkwood," and "The Thing." He most recently appeared in "Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood" with Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.
He has been in a relationship with Goldie Hawn since 1983.
Mary Badham played Scout Finch in 1962's "To Kill A Mockingbird."
Badham was just 9 years old when she was cast in the role, and she earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.
Badham retired from acting at age 14 and works as an art restorer.
In 2005, director Cameron Watson convinced her to act again in "Our Very Own." Badham appeared in one other film, the TV movie "Erasing His Past" in 2019, but has mostly left Hollywood behind.
Jerry Mathers starred on "Leave It to Beaver" from 1957 to 1963.
He reprised the role in "The New Leave It to Beaver" from 1983 to 1989.
Mathers took a break from acting to join the Air Force and study at the University of California, Berkeley, before returning to the industry.
Mathers most recently appeared in the short film "Lucky Day" in 2015.
Tony Dow played Beaver's brother Wally on "Leave It To Beaver."
He continued acting for TV with roles in "Mr. Novak," "Never Too Young," and "Lassie." He went on to have a recurring role in "General Hospital."
Dow continued to work in show business as an actor and director, but he has also found success as a sculptor.
One of Dow's bronze sculptures was displayed at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris in 2008. He most recently acted in a few episodes of "Suspense" in 2015 and 2016.
One of Angela Cartwright's most famous roles was Brigitta von Trapp in "The Sound of Music," released in 1965.
Before "The Sound of Music," she starred as Linda Williams on "The Danny Thomas Show."
Cartwright became an artist, photographer and designer, but she makes the occasional cameo.
Having starred on "Lost in Space" from 1965 to 1968, she made cameos in the 1998 film version and the 2018 Netflix remake.
Kym Karath played Gretl, the youngest von Trapp, in "The Sound of Music."
Karath played Gretl when she was 5 years old, and had been acting since she was 3.
Karath took a break from acting to raise her son.
Her last film role was in the TV movie "Midnight Offerings" in 1981.
Johnny Crawford rose to fame in the Western TV show "The Rifleman."
Crawford played the protagonist's son, Mark McCain, from 1958 to 1963. Before that, he was a Mouseketeer.
Crawford continued acting, but focused more on his work as a singer and musician.
Crawford first launched his music career in the 1960s, and he has continued recording music, founding the Johnny Crawford Orchestra in 1992. Since then, he's been in three movies: "Rupert Patterson Wants to Be a Super Hero," "The Thirteenth Floor," and "The Marshal."
Maureen McCormick starred as Marcia Brady, the family's oldest daughter, on "The Brady Bunch."
Before "The Brady Bunch," McCormick had small roles on shows like "Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie."
McCormick has since opened up about her struggles with substance abuse and mental health. She continues to act.
In recent years, McCormick has appeared in movies like "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and "Accidentally Engaged" and TV shows such as "The Loud House" and "Nightmare Next Door."
She has also participated in the reality TV shows "Dancing with the Stars" and "Celebrity Fit Club."
McCormick published a 2009 memoir, "Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice," in which she detailed her struggles with depression, bulimia, and drug use.
Jay North played the titular character in "Dennis the Menace."
North held the role from 1959 to 1963. He went on to star in the film and TV adaptation of "Maya."
After North left Hollywood, he became an advocate for child stars and a correctional officer.
In 1993, North told the Los Angeles Times Syndicate of his struggles in the industry and living at his aunt and uncle's home as a child. "I always hated being Dennis the Menace. I hated the show and the entire experience of being a kid actor. It was not fun," he said.
After getting help from his friend, fellow former child star Paul Petersen, North joined Peterson's non-profit, A Minor Consideration, which works to protect the physical, mental, and emotional health of child actors. As part of A Minor Consideration, he now uses his experiences to help other child actors.
In 2017, he told the Washington Times he had also been working as a correctional officer in Florida for 20 years.
Erin Murphy starred as Tabitha Stephens on "Bewitched" from 1966 to 1972.
She also appeared in "Lassie" in 1973 and "Deadly Fighters" in 1979.
Murphy has since held a variety of jobs, with the occasional game show appearance.
Murphy has worked as an acting teacher, producer, casting director, makeup artist, and motivational speaker. As the mother of six children, one of whom has autism, she is also an autism advocate.
She has appeared on TV shows such as "Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling," "Drag U," and "I Know My Kid's a Star."
Jon Provost rose to stardom in "Lassie."
Provost held the role from 1957 to 1964.
Provost left acting to study at Sonoma State University and work in real estate. He still makes occasional film and TV appearances.
He appeared in "The New Lassie" from 1989 to 1992, and the movie "Susie's Hope" in 2013.
Butch Patrick played werewolf Eddie Munster in "The Munsters."
Before landing his breakout role, Patrick had small parts in "The Untouchables," "General Hospital," and "The Real McCoys," among others.
Patrick took a break from Hollywood between 1974 and 1991, but returned to acting.
He most recently appeared in "He Drives at Night" and the short film "I Am John 5" in 2019, and has several projects in the works for 2021.
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