Slammin’ 70’s
Do you remember the 70’s? A time when there were long hair and a shaggy carpet and “groovy.” There was no DVR or Netflix back in those days, and viewing TV was a family affair. Every family had a favorite, Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, What’s Happening, or Good Times. In this popular series, you probably remember the child stars, too. To see who some of these actors and actresses are, keep reading and what keeps them busy these days!
Slammin’ 70’s
David Cassidy – Then
In the popular The Partridge Family series, David was Keith Partridge. The lead singer of the family band was Keith. His good looks actually earned David the part. The producers of the show did not even care whether or not David could sing!
David Cassidy – Then
David Cassidy – Now
David and The Partridge Family released ten albums, selling one million or more copies after he convinced them that he was actually singing. David quickly shot to superstardom but sadly died of liver failure on November 21, 2017.
David Cassidy – Now
Helen Hunt – Then
Since Helen was only eight years old, she has been acting. Through her teens, she enjoyed an incredible career in television and film. She has appeared in numerous shows, including The Fitzpatricks (1977-78), Robinson, Swiss Family (1975-76), and Amy Prentiss (1974-75). She also starred in Rollercoaster, a 1977 film, and other movies.
Helen Hunt – Then
Helen Hunt – Now
Helen is still going strong, with regular television and film appearances. As Good As It Gets, where she won an Oscar for her performance, and the 2014 comedy Ride, which she wrote, directed, and starred in, are a few of her most famous films. Fact: from her New York apartment, Helen saw the 9/11 attacks. She took her entire staff with her three days later, and they all flew to Connecticut for safety.
Helen Hunt – Now
The Jacksons – Then
Tito, Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael were members of the popular group “Jackson Five.” Their first four singles reached the number one spot on the Billboard charts (“I’ll Be There,” “The Love You Save,” “ABC,” and “I Want You Back”). Back in 1970, this was a record in music-business history. Within a nine-month period, the singles were released, and “I’ll Be There” was at number one place for five weeks.
The Jacksons – Then
The Jacksons – Now
After a 17-year long break, the Jacksons reunited in 2011 to celebrate their brother’s solo career (the late Michael Jackson). They also performed as part of the group’s Unity Tour. A while ago, their brother Randy retired, but the rest of the Jacksons remain active, performing at different events and venues and touring the world.
The Jacksons – Now
Janet – Then
Janet is the youngest member of the Jackson family. She may have performed on variety shows with her older brothers, but Janet preferred acting more than singing. On the Good Times sitcom, she played the frightened and battered child named Penny, who lived in the same neighborhood as the Evans family, one of the biggest roles she played when she was a little girl. Fame and Diff’rent Strokes are also other hit shows where Janet appeared. She managed to have a singing career of her own as well.
Janet – Then
Janet – Now
Only her brother, Michael, is more popular than Janet. She remains one of the most celebrated musicians in the recording industry, selling millions of records, multi-platinum albums, selling shows, and starring in hit movies. She married Wissam Al Mana, a billionaire, and the reason for the cancellation of her most recent tour was her wish to start a family.
Janet – Now
Kim Richards – Then
Kim starred in many television shows and films in the ’70s as one of the most well-known child actors around. Kim appeared to be everywhere, from shows like James at Sixteen and Nanny and the Professor to headlining movies like Escape to Witch Mountain and the sequel Return from Witch Mountain.
Kim Richards – Then
Kim Richards – Now
When she joined Beverly Hills’ hit reality TV show The Real Housewives with her sister Kyle in 2010, Kim entered the spotlight again. However, rumors of possible alcohol and drug problems started spreading shortly after Kim began appearing in the series, partly due to her erratic behavior on camera. She was in rehab a few times, claiming sobriety, but was arrested at Beverly Hills Hotel in 2015 for public intoxication, trespassing, battery on an officer, and resisting an officer. The series immediately let her go, but Kim returns as a guest star.
Kim Richards – Now
Mindy Cohn – Then
Many remember that between 1979 and 1988, Mindy Cohn played the irrepressible student Natalie on the Facts of a Life television show. Her character Natalie, sincere but sarcastic, was an essential part of the show’s success. In a way, because she was typecast as a “nice girl,” the role became a curse for Cohn. It became difficult for her to land more significant roles on television afterward.
Mindy Cohn – Then
Mindy Cohn – Now
When Cohn earned a degree in cultural anthropology, she was working as an actor. Later, she helped set up the WeSPARK Cancer Support Center. She’s a television guest star, but her talents have led her to do more voiceover work. In the animated series Scooby-Doo, she voiced “Velma” for many years now, and her work even got her nominated for an Emmy.
Mindy Cohn – Now
Johnny Whitaker – Then
In numerous television shows, including Family Affair and General Hospital, Johnny shows up. Actually, when they starred in the movie Tom Sawyer, it was Jodie Foster’s first on-screen kiss. Johnny had some extreme struggles when his friend Anissa Jones died, and he took a break from acting for quite a long time. She played his sister on Family Affair.
Johnny Whitaker – Then
Johnny Whitaker – Now
Johnny had been through a long and challenging substance abuse period, so his family decided to intervene to force the actor to get help. It was a twelve-step program that helped him overcome his substance abuse problems, and he has been clean for 12 years now. Fact: Like Spanish and Portuguese, and American and French Sign Language, Johnny speaks various languages fluently.
Johnny Whitaker – Now
Mike Lookinland – Then
In The Brady Bunch series, Mike played Bobby Brady, the youngest son in the family. The character is energetic and nice, but in some of the show’s episodes, Lookinland surprisingly showed a range of emotions when playing Bobby. Fact: Naturally, Mike’s hair is curly and sandy brown in color. The actor had to get his hair straightened and dyed to match the show’s other male characters to portray Bobby Brady’s character. Sometimes, this caused problems because the hair dye ran down his face if the set lights got too hot!
Mike Lookinland – Then
Mike Lookinland – Now
Before leaving show business completely, Mike appeared in various shows such as Little House on The Prairie, various Brady Bunch specials, and films such as The Towering Inferno. He lives a happy life with his wife and two children while running his own Utah-based decorative concrete business. Mike has revealed that he is a Dead Head.
Mike Lookinland – Now
Erin Murphy – Then
In the massive hit series Bewitched that ran between 1964 and 1972, the American actress Erin Margaret Murphy is best known for starring. She shared the spotlight with her twin sister, Diane, playing the young Tabitha Stephens during season one. They looked less alike as the girls grew older, so Erin played the character by herself. She became one of the world’s most famous young actresses thanks to her role.
Erin Murphy – Then
Erin Murphy – Now
After Bewitched ended, Murphy bounced around various auditions, turning down various modeling gigs and commercials. Her family moved to Orange County and had the opportunity to begin sixth grade as a “normal child,” she married at 21 and bore her first child while living in Arizona. Since she loved acting, she taught the craft and worked in makeup and production when film shoots came to town. She returned to Los Angeles ten years ago and started working as a celebrity judge in commercials and reality shows. She now owns two firms, one selling martini ice pops.
Erin Murphy – Now
Robbie Rist – Then
During the last six episodes of the show, Robbie joined The Brady Bunch. Since they saw competition from other shows such as Sanford & Son, he was brought on to be an alternative to the other Brady kids who were older and to support the show’s ratings. He played Oliver’s eight-year-old cousin, but Rist was nine years old at the time.
Robbie Rist – Then
Robbie Rist – Now
In movies such as The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and many animated shows, including Batman: The Animated Series, Rist has been doing voiceover work as an adult. For movies such as Sharknado and Sharknado 2, the talented Robbie has recently garnered notice on movie soundtracks. In addition to all these things, he performs for several rock bands in Los Angeles as the lead singer, drummer, bassist, and/or guitarist.
Robbie Rist – Now
Tina Majorino- Then
In a hit film titled Waterworld, where she played the role of Enola, child actress Tina Majorino starred. She didn’t disappear at all after that. She stayed in Hollywood and continued to make films; she was in other films like Corrina, Corrina as a child, and she played Alice’s role in Alice In Wonderland’s TV film version.
Tina Majorino- Then
Tina Majorino- Now
You may remember Tina in Napoleon Dynamite from her role as Deb, but she has also been seen in hit shows such as Greys’ Anatomy, where she was featured in 22 episodes! She recently played Florence in 12 Scorpion episodes. It doesn’t look like Majorino will soon be going anywhere, and we’re happy to hear that.
Tina Majorino- Now
Valerie Bertinelli – Then
Valerie Bertinelli was 15 years old when she started appearing in the new sitcom One Day at a Time. Out of the show’s 209 episodes, she was in 208 of them. The series ended in 1984, but for the One Day at a Time Reunion Special in 2005, the show’s cast reunited. She won a Golden Globe in 1981 when the TV star was 21 years old. In recent years, it doesn’t seem like her career has slowed down.
Valerie Bertinelli – Then
Valerie Bertinelli – Now
Bertinelli may have achieved early success, but in the 1990s, she didn’t stop acting and starred in two sitcoms, Café Americain and Sydney. In 2001, an Angel joined Touched, although the show lasted only two seasons. She struggled with her weight for years but eventually overcame her problems and became a Jenny Craig diet company spokesperson, appearing in various commercials. She joined Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White on TV Land’s 2010 hit series Hot in Cleveland. After six hilarious seasons, the show’s final episode aired on June 3, 2015.
Valerie Bertinelli – Now
Robby Benson – Then
Robby, best known for his film work, was also a television star, appearing in shows such as the Search for Tomorrow soap opera. Jory, Jeremy, and the popular Ode to Billy Joe are some of his films. For his part in Ice Castles, one of the biggest movies he appeared in, he learned how to skate.
Robby Benson – Then
Robby Benson – Now
In the Disney animated film Beauty and The Beast, Benson’s best-known work these days is lending his voice to the ‘Beast.’ Since 1982, he has been happily married and has worked as a professor at various universities in Utah, South Carolina, New York, and, now, Indiana. Fact: Robby had heart problems, which he had never mentioned to directors and manufacturers since he thought he wouldn’t be thrown into anything. More than four heart surgeries have occurred in Benson.
Robby Benson – Now
Ron Howard – Then
Ron has been acting since the Sixties, starting as a child actor. The Andy Griffith Show was a prominent role, but his most successful role came later when he starred in Happy Days. Richie Cunningham, the centered and polite teenager who grew up in Milwaukee with his friends, played the main character.
Ron Howard – Then
Ron Howard – Now
Without a doubt, Ron Howard is a successful actor, director, and producer. Today, in Hollywood history, he is one of the most successful people in the world involved in TV and film. He has starred in more than 27 films, directed approximately 28 films, and produced over 20 films. Ron Howard shows everyone what a guy can do if the right chances are given to him.
Ron Howard – Now
Ron Paolillo – Then
Arnold Horshack is familiar to those who have watched Welcome Back Kotter. He was the class clown of the Sweathogs, a high school children’s crew. Ron Paolillo expertly portrayed the character. The actor even perfected the hyena-like laugh of his character.
Ron Paolillo – Then
Ron Paolillo – Now
Ron was in demand as well during his adult life. In television shows and movies like Friday The Thirteenth, Laverne and Shirley in The Army, and many others, he played a wide variety of characters. Moreover, he was a fashion designer, directed several musicals and plays on Broadway, and even wrote some children’s books. Ron Paolillo passed away at home from a heart attack on August 14, 2012.
Ron Paolillo – Now
Scott Baio – Then
Former teen heart-throb Baio is best known for his time on the Happy Days sitcom, where he played Chachi, the love interest of Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran). Years before, however, he was also the lead in the musical gangster movie Bugsy Malone, based on how gangsters like Bugs Moran and Al Capone of the 1920s lived during prohibition. The movie’s twist was that there were only child actors starring in it. Jodie Foster, a future Oscar winner, was one of them. Fact: Over two thousand other children have auditioned for Baio’s part.
Scott Baio – Then
Scott Baio – Now
Scott went on to star in the Joanie Loves Chachi spin-off sitcom after Happy Days. In several films, such as Skatetown USA, Zapped, and Foxes, he also had parts. For Nick at Nite, his most recent projects include starring in his own reality shows and producing several shows. Baio is a registered Republican. Since she refused to say the name of Trump, who was still the presumptive Republican nominee at the time, it was reported in 2016 that he got into an altercation with a barista.
Scott Baio – Now
Susan Dey – Then
Susan Dey (pictured left) was Laurie Partridge as part of the hit series The Partridge Family. With big names like the mega-talented David Cassidy and acclaimed star Shirley Jones, she joined the show’s cast. She was a fashion model before Dey was cast in the show. Fact: Before entering the show, seventeen-year-old Dey had no acting experience.
Susan Dey – Then
Susan Dey – Now
In several movies, such as Skyjacked, Disappearance, and Little Women, and television series, Dey continued to appear, including the massively popular L.A. Law. The actress is refusing to attend The Partridge Family’s reunion shows. She and co-star David Cassidy briefly dated after the end of the show, but things didn’t work out, and to this day, the two don’t talk to each other.
Susan Dey – Now
Karen Carpenter – Then
As an American singer and drummer, Karen Anne Carpenter became a household name. Her instrument skills were quite outstanding, and she even earned the admiration of various luminaries of drumming. What really made her a star, though, was her counter-vocal range. She performed as a duo with her brother, Richard, and their 1970 album, “Close to You,” became a huge hit. It featured two hit singles that peaked at #2 and #1 on the Hot 100, “We’ve Just Begun” and “(They Long To Be) Close to You.”
Karen Carpenter – Then
Karen Carpenter’s Passing In 1983
At the young age of 32, Karen Carpenter sadly passed away in 1983. Karen collapsed suddenly at her parent’s house and was taken to Downey Community Hospital, 25 minutes away. In fact, she suffered from anorexia nervosa, a compulsive diet-related disorder, and cardiac arrest was the cause of her death. The cancellation of the 1975 performance of The Carpenters for Queen Elizabeth and their concert tour in Europe and the Orient was Karen’s anorexia. Almost until her sudden death, however, she continued to perform.
Karen Carpenter’s Passing In 1983
Barry Williams – Then
Barry Williams was cast as Greg Brady, the eldest child, in the hit show The Brady Bunch, at only 14 years of age. He quickly became a heartthrob teenager who had millions of female fans across the U.S. Barry also recorded four albums together with his well-known TV siblings, aside from his acting chops. This helped his popularity among the female population grow even more.
Barry Williams – Then
Barry Williams – Now
In 1989, the Young Artist Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Williams. He published his 1992 autobiography, entitled “Growing Up Brady… I Was A Teenage Greg,” on the best-seller list for three months. His book was adapted in 2001 as an executive producer for an NBC television film. In recent years, Williams has had guest roles, including a few Brady Bunch specials, Three’s Company, and That 70’s Show. He also spent several years in musical theater, playing West Side Story, Grease, and Sound Of Music.
Barry Williams – Now
Maureen McCormick – Then
Now that we have mentioned some of the guys from The Brady Bunch sitcom, it’s time for us to talk about one of the show’s leading ladies. Maureen McCormick played Marcia Brady, the oldest of the Brady girls, from 1969 to 1974. Marcia was pretty, smart, and confident, and inside her own home and at school, she was incredibly popular. Maybe she was always worried about her appearance, but she was really interested in politics as well. She was just 12 years old when Maureen began playing the iconic role.
Maureen McCormick – Then
Maureen McCormick – Now
In 1985, they married Maureen McCormick and Michael Cummings, and in 1989 they welcomed their daughter Natalie. McCormick struggled with drug addiction after her TV show ended, but she ultimately overcame her addiction. She appeared on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club in 2007 and became a popular contestant, winning the whole thing eventually.
Maureen McCormick – Now
Danny Bonaduce – Then
Thanks to his part in the hit series The Partridge Family, Danny Bonaduce became a popular child actor in the ’70s. Danny Partridge, the bright (red) haired, wisecracking middle child, was on the show. Danny was the fictional family band’s bass guitar player. On the show, his co-stars included David Cassidy. The men have remained close friends since the pilot of the show.
Danny Bonaduce – Then
Danny Bonaduce – Now
After his hit TV show ended, Bonaduce went on to wear many hats. He became a personality on radio/TV, a comedian, and even a professional wrestler. He starred in other TV series following the show, such as the 2005 VH1 reality series Breaking Bonaduce. He has also been the host of several Philadelphia and Los Angeles radio shows. He has been hosting a morning talk and music show on Seattle’s KZOK-FM radio station since November 2011.
Danny Bonaduce – Now
Tatum O’Neal – Then
Tatum O’Neal took home an Academy Award back in 1974 when she was just 10 years old. This is an absolutely impressive statistic. In Paper Moon, where she played Addie Loggins, she won for her performance. Tatum appeared in the Bad News Bears and Nickelodeon movies in 1976. In Hollywood, being raved about at a really young age is a rare thing to see.
Tatum O’Neal – Then
Tatum O’Neal – Now
In 1986, Tatum O’Neal married John McEnroe, a tennis star, and they had three children together. They decided to separate in 1992, but both were divorced by 1994. She appeared in just five movies in the next 15 years, following a string of successful movies in the 70s. Tatum began acting again in the 2000s, with guest appearances on Sex and the City, 8 Simple Dating My Teenage Daughter Rules, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. In 2005, she took on a recurring role in Rescue Me and continued to act, focusing on her TV show work.
Tatum O’Neal – Now
Linda Blair – Then
Before projectile vomiting pea soup, Linda Blair may be best recognized for her head spinning around in circles. Born in 1959, when she landed the role of a possessed girl in The Exorcist, she was just 14 years old. She reprised her role in The Exorcist II: The Heretic, the 1977 sequel. Blair received an Academy Award nomination for her first role and won a Golden Globe. She started acting and being a child model at the age of six. She had a short-lived role in Hidden Fences, a daytime soap opera, between 1968 and 1969.
Linda Blair – Then
Linda Blair – Now
Blair appeared in some low-budget horror and exploitation movies throughout the 1980s, such as Hell Night, Savage Streets, and Chained Heat. She made fun of her roots in horror movies in the 1990 comedy Repossessed, and she had a cameo in 1996 in the well-known film Scream. She has also been on stage for the show L.A. (via Grease) and BBC TV. 7. From 2000 to 2006, Blair hosted the Fox Family show Scariest Places on Earth, and she had a guest appearance on people’s favorite Supernatural.
Linda Blair – Now
Melissa Gilbert – Then
In the late ’60s, Melissa Ellen Gilbert started her career and continued to be a child actress in the early’ 70s. She was in several commercials, and on TV shows, she had guest-starring roles. The part of Laura Ingalls Wilder landed on Little House on the Prairie, the hit NBC show, for her big break. From 1974 to 1984, Melissa starred in the TV series, and while doing so, she also appeared in TV films, including The Diary of Anne Frank and The Miracle Worker.
Melissa Gilbert – Then
Melissa Gilbert – Now
In her adult years, Gilbert didn’t stop acting, though she mostly appeared on TV shows. She gave her voice to the animated show Batman: The Animated Series and agreed to play Caroline “Ma” Ingalls on the Prairie’s Little House Musical Tour. Her fans loved seeing her on the 2012 hit NBC reality series Dancing with Stars, a contestant. She was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 2001 to 2005 and ran for Congress in 2016 as a Democrat but had to withdraw from the race in Michigan due to some health-related issues.
Melissa Gilbert – Now
Jodie Foster – Then
Jodie Foster, born in 1962, had already begun her acting career in 1965. She joined the cast of the show Mayberry R.F.D two years later. By the late ’60s, the young girl had become a regular fixture on primetime TV. She also starred in several films for children, but in her teens, her breakout roles came. She was cast in Taxi Driver, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, and Candleshoe, Disney’s Freaky Friday.
Jodie Foster – Then
Jodie Foster – Now
She decided to go to Yale while Foster continued to enjoy a lot of success in Hollywood. She starred in the really controversial film The Accused at that time, and her performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. She won a second Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs three years later, where she played Clarice Starling. Foster has not stopped taking on lead roles and turning heads in Hollywood after more than five decades.
Jodie Foster – Now