If you watch the extras on the Family Affair DVDs you'll notice that in several places Kathy Garver states that Anissa Jones was 9 years old when the show first started. Also she and many others have claimed that at the end of the show she was "a teenager playing a little girl."

While it is true that she was older than the character she played (not an unusual situation for child actors!), anyone who bothers to check the facts and do the math will discover that both of those claims are false.

Anissa Jones was born on March 11, 1958. The first episode was broadcast on Sep 12, 1966. So she was only 8 1/2 when the first episode was broadcast. When you consider that it had to have been filmed prior to that and the she may have been cast in the role several weeks prior to the beginning of filming, she may have been just barely 8 when first cast in the role.

The last first run broadcast was on March 4, 1971. This was a week before Anissa Jones turned 13. The actual production would have been at least several weeks before that, of course. So Anissa Jones, like Susan Olsen, didn't become a teenager until after she last performed the role in the series she became famous for.

Of course, the show wasn't canceled until after she turned 13, but the fact remains that she didn't play the role as a teenager.

Yes, she was 8 when the show began and nearly 13 when it ended. And her and Johnny were almost 2 years apart.

Anissa: March 11, 1958

Johnny: December 13, 1959

Well, regardless of their ages, the casting of these two, as orphaned twins, was sit-com magic!!! It worked!

Well, regardless of their ages, the casting of these two, as orphaned twins, was sit-com magic!!! It worked!

Exactly!!

Exactly!!
She was small for her age and that's one reason they decided to have them be twins.

What was Buffy and Jody's age suppose to be at the start of the show? I do remember watching one of the shows where Buffy and Jody go to there first day of school. That would make them around 6 years old I guess.

They are said to be 6 years old at the start of the show.The only thing that is hard to believe is they are said to be twins,but one has blondish hair and the other has red hair.Is it possible for twins to be born like that ?

They are said to be 6 years old at the start of the show.The only thing that is hard to believe is they are said to be twins,but one has blondish hair and the other has red hair.Is it possible for twins to be born like that ?


Of course it is. Fraternal twins - which male and female twins must be - look no more or less alike than any other siblings.

Of course it is. Fraternal twins - which male and female twins must be - look no more or less alike than any other siblings.


Right! ;) And I think they were casted well, they looked like they could be brother and sister, and acted very close like twins do too! ;) :)


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Such adorable kids -- I love how Johnny pronounces "hair" in the early episodes (sounds like hay-ah).

I'd known for many years about Anissa Jones' passing at age 18 -- such a sad outcome. And later found out about the death of Bobby Buntrock (Hazel) at 21 and Heather O'Rourke (Happy Days) at just 12. These to me are among the all-time most tragic losses of very young sitcom actors.

Judith Barsi was another child actress victim of casting directors making her play younger than her actual age - weeks before she turned ten years old, she filmed the guest part of a six or seven year old in "St. Elsewhere".

Regardless if they were a little older than the age they were playing on the show there chemistry together was fantastic and was one of the major reasons the show was a success.

If you watch the extras on the Family Affair DVDs you'll notice that in several places Kathy Garver states that Anissa Jones was 9 years old when the show first started. Also she and many others have claimed that at the end of the show she was "a teenager playing a little girl."

While it is true that she was older than the character she played (not an unusual situation for child actors!), anyone who bothers to check the facts and do the math will discover that both of those claims are false.

Anissa Jones was born on March 11, 1958. The first episode was broadcast on Sep 12, 1966. So she was only 8 1/2 when the first episode was broadcast. When you consider that it had to have been filmed prior to that and the she may have been cast in the role several weeks prior to the beginning of filming, she may have been just barely 8 when first cast in the role.

The last first run broadcast was on March 4, 1971. This was a week before Anissa Jones turned 13. The actual production would have been at least several weeks before that, of course. So Anissa Jones, like Susan Olsen, didn't become a teenager until after she last performed the role in the series she became famous for.

Of course, the show wasn't canceled until after she turned 13, but the fact remains that she didn't play the role as a teenager.


Wow! Anissa Jones and I were almost exactly the same age....I was born on May 19, 1958......so she was exactly 70 days older than me.....just over 2 months. Sorry, I just found that interesting.

Something else that I found interesting.....Kathy Garver was cast to play a 15 yr old Cissy.....when she was in fact, 20 yrs old. Cissy was my first crush......remember it like it was yesterday. There was just something about Cissy that really cranked my gears, if ya know what I mean...even though I was only 8 yrs old when the show first aired. Guess I had a thing for older women even back then.