Child actors who became famous as kids, but disappeared when they got older

[um]

Petrer Ostrum played "Charlie" in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" but it was the only movie he ever made. Reportedly he chose not to pursue a show business career after that movie . He reportedly denied being the kid who played "Charlie" whenever anyone asked.

David DOremus played "Hal" in "Nanny And The Professor" It was not a particularly prolific role, but after that show went off the air, he quit acting and disappeared and like Peter Ostrum he reportedly would try to deny or not talk about the fact that he played "Hal" in Nanny And The Professor"


Anissa Jones played "Buffy" in "Family Affair" and was said to be the "Shirley Temple" of her day. But after the show was cancelled, she did not want to go back to acting and even became a juvenile delinquent and spent time in a juvenile detention center and when she temporarily worked in an ice cream parlor she did not like it when people recognized her. It is reported that her mother had her audition for "The Exorcist" but she was not chosen because the producers felt that people could not see Anissa as anyone other than "Buffy."
Of course, Anissa Jones died at the age of 18 from a drug overdose.


Brian Forster who played "Chris" on "The Partridge Family" never really went on in show business and eventually became a race car driver. Ricky Seagall who was a regular for a short time on some of the very last episodes of The Partridge Family became a minister. Suzanne Crough who played "Tracy" on PF, did not continue in show business and became the manager of a Staples store.

Who else?

[Dianne3]

Two pre-teen actresses from the early 1970's.

I forget her name at the moment, but she played Phyllis daughter on the MTM show.

Pamela Ferdyn - Her most continuous role was on Lassie. She also played Edna #1 on the Odd Couple. On an episode of Marcus Welby, she had a few scenes with Paris Hilton's mother, Kathy Hilton.

The Step-by-Step kids.

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by Dianne3

Two pre-teen actresses from the early 1970's.

I forget her name at the moment, but she played Phyllis daughter on the MTM show.

Lisa Gerritsen.

[um]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

Lisa Gerritsen.

I was not familiar with her name, or maybe I had not heard it in such a long time that I forgot it. After a while it did sound familiar. I looked it up.
I remember her from other TV shows. I might have sometimes confused her with Dawn Lyn (who I think is Leif Garrett's sister) and/or Erin Moran.

I think Lisa Garritsen was a regular in the TV show "My World And Welcome To It." I don't recall the name of her character.
I must have been under 10 years old when that was originally on the air.
I do recall an episode in which a boy who had a crush on Lisa Garritsen's character had to put up with another boy who was a bully and also had a crush on the same girl. And the first boy talked with an old man ( and I am not sure if it was the grandpa of Lisa Garritsen's character) who encouraged him to be courageous and stand up to the bully. Then by the end of the episode, the first boy hits the bully in the nose after the bully dares him to try something, and the bully just holds his nose and cries, and Lisa Garritsen's character then feels sorry for the bully and tells the other boy off and invites the bully inside for cake to cheer him up. Lisa Garritsen's character's parents saw the incident and the mother asks the father "What is she doing?" (regarding why their daughter was so fickle and sided with the bully instead of the more gentlemanly other boy) and the father says "She is just being a girl."
Anyone recall this episode and what its name was? I might have to ask in a different thread.

[William Hogan Jr]

Originally Posted by Dianne3

Two pre-teen actresses from the early 1970's.

I forget her name at the moment, but she played Phyllis daughter on the MTM show.

Pamela Ferdyn - Her most continuous role was on Lassie. She also played Edna #1 on the Odd Couple. On an episode of Marcus Welby, she had a few scenes with Paris Hilton's mother, Kathy Hilton.

The Step-by-Step kids.

Pamela Ferdyn was also the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the Charlie Brown specials in 1969-1971 and in A Boy Named Charlie Brown movie.

[um]

Originally Posted by William Hogan Jr

Pamela Ferdyn was also the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the Charlie Brown specials in 1969-1971 and in A Boy Named Charlie Brown movie.

Wasn't she in an episode of Star Trek in which she was in some kind of "Kid's Cult" ? (Try the link below. I hope it works).
I hear that in reality, she grew up to be radical animal-rights activist and got in trouble with the law.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onntXB7qRts

[Retro4Life]

Lance Kerwin

[Torgo]

Mark Lester. Played the title role in Oliver! (1968), Black Beauty, Run Wild Run Free, also the underrated Our Mother's House. His last movie was in 1977.

[gidgetgrape]

Eric Shea - did guest spots on Gunsmoke and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Was in Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball.


If acting isn't their thing anymore, I think it's a good thing if child actors disappear when they get older. Most of the time, if you hear about an ex-child actor, it's a bad thing.

[Zoneboy]

Tracy Stratford who also voiced Lucy Van Pelt and had other various acting roles including 2 Twilight Zone episodes. Last acting job was in 1969 according to IMDb, now a librarian in Washington state.

[factsoflife]

The season 1 cast of "Facts of Life" (minus Molly Ringwald) who didn't become series regulars in season 2----Felice Schachter, Julie Anne Haddock, Julie Piekarski. I don't think any of them did much work after FOL.

Ami Foster and Casey Ellison from "Punky Brewster" basically vanished from acting after the early 1990's, and haven't done anything since. Soleil Moon Frye continued acting until she had children and has been retired from acting ever since. She apparently does some TV hosting occasionally. Cherie Johnson continued acting post-Punky with a recurring role on "Family Matters" but has only worked sporadically since then.

Two cast member from "Just The Ten of Us" cast vanished after the show--- Heidi Zeigler and Matt Shakman. The other kid's from the show Brooke Theiss, Jamie Luner, Heather Langenkamp and Joann Willette continued acting and became working character actresses.

[Retro4Life]

Ike Eisenmann (the boy from the "Escape from Witch Mountain" films, and many other TV movies of the 1970s)

[JamesG]

Twins Joseph and Christian Cousins were mostly in the same movies and tv shows throughout their childhood acting careers.

They appeared in the films Kindergarten Cop (1990), Critters 3 (1991), and Twin Sitters (1994).

On TV they had a few bit parts but are mostly known for their stint on "Knots Landing" as 'Bobby Ewing'. They haven't acted since the 1997 mini-series "Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac".


According to many "Where Are They Now?" articles, Joseph is now a hair stylist and Christian is a furniture salesman.

[treky]

Originally Posted by um

Wasn't she in an episode of Star Trek in which she was in some kind of "Kid's Cult" ? (Try the link below. I hope it works).
I hear that in reality, she grew up to be radical animal-rights activist and got in trouble with the law.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onntXB7qRts

I didn't click on the link, but I think you're referring to the episode "MIRI". If so, no she wasn't in that. It was Kim Darby.

(trivia: that STAR TREK episode was partially on the main street of Mayberry from THE ANY GRIFFITH SHOW)

[Zoneboy]

Originally Posted by um

Wasn't she in an episode of Star Trek in which she was in some kind of "Kid's Cult" ?

That episode was "And the Children Shall Lead" which is among the worst of the series.