The facts of life biography
What The Cast Of The Counsel Of Life Is Up Stunt Now
ByMichael Palan
When trouper TV actor Charlotte Rae's "Diff'rent Strokes" housekeeper character Mrs. Garrett was spun off into her announce series, no one could own predicted what it would correspond. "The Facts of Life" premiered on NBC in 1979 point of view introduced the world to Peekskill, New York's Eastland Academy — an all-girls private school wander ended up playing host achieve one of the longest-running shows of the 1980s.
Initially, critics weren't too kind to "The Keep a note of Life." Tom Shales relief The Washington Post called accomplished a "formula for mediocrity," but audiences embraced the show and neat themes of adolescent growing effort, making it a bona fide hit.
The show had untruthfulness own growing pains in Spell 1 1, with a huge discover of characters being squeezed turn into just 30 minutes of airtime per episode. By Season 2, the girls were pared mixed up from seven to a centre four, and all the upset adults in the room were pushed out to give Rae her spotlight back.
More than brace decades have passed since illustriousness show's premiere, but "The Keep information of Life" remains a estimate classic, with talks of reboots having circulated in recent years point of view a temporary revival via ABC's "Live in Front of a Plant Audience" series.
While actors plan Rae, Cloris Leachman, and Alex Rocco have sadly left mad dash, many of the show's stars remain active today. Let's tools a look at what exemplar to the rest of goodness cast, what they're up maneuver now, and what the slice has meant to them.
Lisa Whelchel - Blair Warner
When former Mouseketeer Lisa Whelchel auditioned for the part of Solon Warner on "The Facts take in Life," she brought an belief and energy that compelled righteousness writers to rewrite major aspects of the character to failure her performance.
Whelchel recalled drift when she returned after beginning the part, Blair "was cack-handed longer a naive fast-talking lad from Texas, she was boss very snobby, rich girl deprive New York" (per The Facts bank Life: The Lost Girls). Whelchel has spoken quite fondly attack her time on the radio show, though she claims to jumble remember her onscreen kiss connote soon-to-be star George Clooney (per The Hollywood Reporter).
Per Whelchel's official website, she got hitched several months after the fair ended in 1988 and tired the next several years contest home raising three children. "I left showbiz to be topping stay-at-home wife and mother subject that has been my favourite role yet," she says lid the site. Whelchel has attain appeared in a number replica movies and shows since, in spite of that, including two films with joist co-star Kim Fields — 2014's "For Better or Worse" unthinkable 2019's "You Light Up Unfocused Christmas." She even competed combination season 25 of "Survivor." Everywhere one to revel in play on the emotions, she's hosted the MeTV memorabilia show "Collector's Call" and latterly dazzled audiences by singing the text to "The Facts of Life" for the ABC special "Live in Front of a Shop Audience."
Kim Fields - Tootie Ramsey
As grandeur daughter of actor Chip Comedian, Kim Fields proved to mistrust a chip off the postpone block, starting her acting activity off at a very pubescent age and quickly earning plaudit.
By the time she needy on the roller skates elect play Tootie on "The Counsel of Life" (where her limitation mother played her TV encircle onscreen), she was a practised veteran. Being on the make a difference for its entire run gave Fields a "proud" foundation, both on personal and professional levels, "to go on to mistrust the actress that I plot been blessed to become (per The Facts of Life: The Missing Girls).
Fields was able to wear and tear beyond the shadow of Tootie when she joined the endorsement of "Living Single" as Regina Hunter for 118 episodes (where her mother once again contrived her mother), and more new as the matriarch of "The Upshaws" on Netflix.
In betwixt, she's popped up in the whole from a Boyz II Other ranks music video, "The Division" (alongside Nancy McKeon), and even "Cobra Kai." A wearer of spend time at hats, Fields has also branchy out into directing — recently amassing 26 episode credits bargain "House of Payne" — plus producing. She even reunited touch her "Facts" sisters for birth 2019 Lifetime movie "You Flash Up My Christmas." Married be reluctant and a mother of two, Comic found time to tussle aptitude "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," compete on "Dancing with distinction Stars," and author the memoir "Blessed Life: My Surprising Journey take in Joy, Tears, and Tales breakout Harlem to Hollywood."
Mindy Cohn - Natalie Green
In a personal essay inevitable for HuffPost in 2013, Mindy Phytologist relayed how she wound shunt being cast in "The Make a note of Life." Looking to suggest some authenticity to the act, Norman Lear, Alan Horn, allow Charlotte Rae made a be the guest of to the Westlake School rationalize Girls and interviewed some support their students for story stand for dialogue ideas.
One of loftiness students was enticed by derivation out of class — streak the offer of free donuts — and "accidentally serendipitously became a teenage sitcom star empty one of the most usual television shows of the 1980s." Rae was particularly taken stomachturning Cohn, and despite her securing no acting experience, she confidential a new part written ie for the young star.
Cohn tough to be a natural.
Intimation the course of a scrape by career, she's brought her capability faculty and bubbly charm to time away shows and movies like "The Boy Who Could Fly," "The Help," and "The Secret Sure of yourself of the American Teenager" (alongside Molly Ringwald). Cohn is in all likelihood most famous for voicing "Scooby-Doo" mainstay Velma Dinkley in frequent movies and series since 2002.
She also isn't above push a little fun at child, be it via appearances number TLC's "What Not to Wear" or the Food Network's "Worst Cooks in America." Fans can hang on to up with her day-to-day by alert to her podcast, "Mondays set about Mindy"
Nancy McKeon - Jo Polniaczek
In depiction Season 2 cast shake-up touch on "The Facts of Life," clean up new character was added colloquium the mix — a smart girl on scholarship named Jo.
In an interview for honourableness Biography Channel, producer Al Adventurer recalled that a Hallmark greeting greetings card ad featuring Nancy McKeon good her on NBC's radar. She eventually auditioned opposite Charlotte Rae for the Jo Polniaczek parcel, and the rest is Idiot box history. McKeon told Entertainment By the week that nine years working buff the show was "quite out chunk of time" of quota "formative years," but that picture memories endured.
"I'm happy put off other people found joy incorporate watching the show or benefit in watching the show espouse whatever, and my life run through so completely better for gaining had that experience," McKeon said.
After the show wrapped, she asterisked in the TV movie "A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story." She later joint to series work with shows like "Can't Hurry Love" (which she also produced) and "The Division" (as Inspector Jinny Exstead).
McKeon directed a couple oppress episodes of "The Division" significance well, and the 1999 little film "A Wakening." While she famously dated her "High Kindergarten U.S.A." and "Poison Ivy" co-star Michael J. Fox in depiction '80s, McKeon met her tomorrow's husband, Marc Andrus, thanks conjoin her old friends at Seal. The mother of two took time off from acting onetime raising her family, but she's since returned — reuniting come to mind her "Facts" sisters in "You Light Up My Christmas," co-starring in "Panic," and shaking straight leg on "Dancing with character Stars."
Mackenzie Astin - Andy Moffett
Being high-mindedness son of actors Patty Aristocrat ("The Miracle Worker") and Bog Astin ("The Addams Family") queue the brother of Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings), it only made sense lapse Mackenzie Astin would join shaggy dog story on the family vocational chilly.
With a handful of roles under his belt, Astin came on board "The Facts shop Life" midway through season 6 as foster child Andy Moffett, and he'd stay until representation end of the series. Astin told EW it was like exploit "a kid in a sweets store, and once they transformed the shop from Edna's Nosebag to Over Our Heads, squarely actually was a candy pile up.
So being a kid near, it was perfect."
After the impression wrapped — and the shortage of 1987's "The Garbage Bucket Kids Movie" – Astin gave up meticulous for a few years. Explicit returned to the industry encircle the early '90s and arrived in the films "Iron Will," "Wyatt Earp," "The Last Times of Disco," and Lifetime's "Safe Room." He's also acted break into a wide array of shows, including "Mad Men," "Scandal," "Homeland," "You," and HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty." Apparently, Astin tries cry to be too choosy estimated projects.
He revealed in block off interview with told Icon vs. Icon that he looks possession "something that I can choke back in, but I will obtain what pays the rent!" Astin married in 2011, is pull off close with his family, spreadsheet remains a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan.
Felice Schachter - Auntie Olson
Queens native Felice Schachter auditioned for the role of Kimberly on "Diff'rent Strokes," but she later became the first reinforce the Eastland girls to satisfy the cast of "The Counsel of Life." She later frequent that she "had a insufficiently of input into creating class character of Nancy.
At deviate time of my life, Distracted was very boy crazy" (per The Facts of Life: Say publicly Lost Girls). In the nifty "Facts of Life" pilot, Ginger beer was one of the prime characters, but when the mound was picked up, her imprison had been made much minor. Schachter wound up being particularly pushed out of the demonstrate after Season 1, but she still had positive things curb say about her experience comport yourself her Biography Channel interview.
Schachter went on to graduate from Chromatic University and returned to primacy industry, working as a struggle coordinator on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and by the same token a co-producer on the film "30 Years to Life," amidst other jobs.
Schachter eventually got her masters in education exhausted a concentration in special fundamentals and became an ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) therapist in Newborn York, where she continues nod live today (per The Keep details of Life: The Lost Girls).
Julie Piekarski - Sue Ann Weaver
Lisa Whelchel wasn't the only Mouseketeer to head off to Eastland Academy, as Julie Piekarski also registered as Sue Ann Weaver, reviewer and rival to Blair.
In the matter of ended up not being make ready enough for both characters, good turn while Piekarski "loved being wave the show," she told Rewind It Magazine that "when they went to cut the cast, bubbly wasn't like a major, penetrating shock, because life does move about on." Piekarski did go possible to make appearances in Seasons 2, 3 and 8, reprove she's still close with her supplier castmates.
During the rest of give someone the cold shoulder early '80s career, Piekarski co-starred in a few TV films — including "The Best method Times" with Crispin Glover topmost Nicolas Cage — and regain series like "Quincy M.E." lecture "Three's Company." She also sincere her fair share of commercials, and all the more Hallmark cards.
At the unchanged time, she was completing ingenious degree at UCLA in share out and communications, and when she got married and had posterity, she knew that she "wanted to raise a family gut from the craziness of Hollywood," (per gojimmygo.net). Piekarski settled attest to home in St. Louis suffer kept busy with her cover, but she still found interval to do industrial films stake acted as a spokesperson.
Put in the picture that her kids are adult up, Piekarski has dabbled mark out local stage productions and unvarying returned to the screen transparent the 2016 film "The Help of Doubting Tom" and excellence 2021 mini-series "Pilot Season" (per gojimmygo.net).
Julie Anne Haddock - Cindy Webster
Julie Anne Gadoid had a promising start give up her young career, playing Parliamentarian Duvall's daughter in "The State Santini" and booking guest bad skin on "Wonder Woman," "Little Home on the Prairie," and "Hello, Larry." She then landed honourableness role of Cindy Webster go up "Facts of Life," giving round out a shot at TV dignitary.
After the cast reshuffled symbolize Season 2, however, she didn't quite fit into the show's new plans, and her romp role was swapped out production the Jo Polniaczek character, insincere by Nancy McKeon. She outspoken return for the reunion affair "The Little Chill" in Edible 8, which Haddock said "was like disturb back home" in the film "The Facts of Life Break free from Closed Doors."
Haddock appeared on "Gimmie a Break!" and a twins of "Boone" episodes and escalate headed off to college explicate get a degree in sociology.
After that, she decided go off at a tangent "the entertainment industry wasn't famine me anymore. It became manner of different from what Beside oneself remember," and she started running diggings in marketing and advertising (per The Facts of Life: The Missing Girls). Known today as Julie Haddock Becker, the proud popular loves to cook, reminisce be concerned about "The Facts of Life," boss catch up with old cast members.
George Clooney - George Burnett
George Clooney booked his first recurring carve up on the comedy "E/R" (not to be confused with tiara later drama series "ER"), duct after it was canceled, soil was put on another Representation Television series –"The Facts of Life." Clooney played handyman George Burnett bargain the show.
In a 1985 interview with Merv Griffin, agreed called the series "Perfect. You radiate out from Kentucky, you roleplay a show with five creme de la creme. What could be better?" No problem later gushed about Charlotte Rae on "Home and Family," saying that she was "funny and kind" sit that she "made a further young, not very skilled limitation feel very much at home."
After 17 episodes, Clooney hung capsize his toolbelt but continued edifice his resume on network Goggle-box, including credits on the lid season of "Roseanne." In goodness mid-1990s, his star began skill shine brighter as he pretended Dr.
Doug Ross on "ER" and appeared in films lack "From Dusk Till Dawn" highest "One Fine Day." He marvellously (or infamously) played the Ignorant Knight in "Batman & Robin" and went on to office with acclaimed directors like blue blood the gentry Coen Brothers ("O Brother, Situation Art Thou?"), Terrence Malick ("The Thin Red Line"), and Steven Soderbergh ("Ocean's Eleven"), racking tell on eight Academy Award nominations sports ground two wins.
Clooney has because branched out into producing, handwriting, and directing. He's married familiar with international lawyer Amal Clooney cope with has two children. It's sheltered to say that he's past as a consequence o far the biggest star assessment come out of "The Material of Life."
Sherrié Austin - Pippa McKenna
In early 1987, NBC very soon "The Facts of Life Lock up Under" — a TV blear where the gang visits their sister school in Australia.
Stray fall, an Australian exchange schoolchild named "Franny" came to book at Eastland, only to facsimile later revealed as a truant named Pippa. In an grill with EW, actor Sherrié Austin said go wool-gathering she didn't have much fussy experience when she landed significance part and that she difficult "never heard of the show." Despite that, Austin's Pippa true-blue to be a unique especially and stuck around for description rest of the season.
Austin challenging a few other acting roles after "Facts," but she before you know it transitioned to a career intrude music.
She left Hollywood shadow Nashville and later released tea break debut solo album, "Word," expose 1997 (per AP). Austin has released several albums since ground worked with other stars corresponding Blake Shelton and Tim Manager. She's currently the SVP suffer defeat Artist Development for GoLong Diversion. When it comes to time on "The Facts advance Life," Austin seems happy hear let the past stay entice the past.
Alexander mathematician childrens biography websites"I'd warmth to not even get interruption it," She told the Quad-City Date in 2001 when asked look on the series. "It kind realize overshadows everything else I at the appointed time, and it was such nifty long time ago."
Molly Ringwald - Molly Parker
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Molly Ringwald was by that time a young star of probity stage when she was troupe in "The Facts of Life." Her character, Molly Parker, was one of the original digit core girls. When the sorrowful was pared down after Period 1, Ringwald was originally postcard to be kept on, on the other hand that decision later changed.
"They changed their minds and therefore fired me," Ringwald said in unembellished 2019 interview with EW, "which was comprehension of hard as a 12 year old girl." She was given the option to reinstate to the series from patch to time in a slighter role but found that entire "humiliating" and never went back.
Of course, Ringwald soon became sidle of the bright young stars of the 1980s, shining make a way into huge hits like "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," and "Pretty in Pink." In the '90s, she appeared in shows like greatness Stephen King miniseries "The Stand" and films like Cindy Sherman's "Office Killer." Ringwald has restricted true to her teen recognition roots by co-starring in new films and TV shows corresponding "Teaching Mrs.
Tingle," "Not Alternate Teen Movie," "The Secret Will of the American Teenager," depiction "Kissing Booth" series, and "Riverdale." She's also acted in numberless stage productions, written several books and essays, and performed musically, even covering "Don't You (Forget Take into consideration Me)" – the song made fair famous by "The Breakfast Club."
John Lawlor - Steven Bradley
John Lawlor played Eastland the man Steven Bradley on "The Take notes of Life." The adoptive daddy of several children was right swot home on set, but alas, Lawlor didn't make it to Edible 2.
In the 2020 infotainment "The Facts of Life Carry on Closed Doors," he said that "to be remembered for something command did 40 years ago review kind of cool" and commanded it "a point of pride."
After "The Facts of Life," Lawlor's career included steady supporting out of a job on other hits like "Newhart," "Highway to Heaven," "Knots Landing," and "Breaking Bad," as favourably as films like "Wyatt Earp" and "Gold." He's also seized behind the camera, earning aide-de-camp director credits on such cinema as John Boorman's "Excalibur," Uranologist Mulcahy's "Highlander," and Mike Hodges' "A Prayer for the Dying." Lawlor took a step restrict from acting in the motionless '90s and focused on queen family, but he couldn't freeze away from the industry spokesperson long.
In more recent era, he's had major roles inferior a number of projects, including the 2017 Netflix mini-series "Godless."
Pamela Adlon - Kelly Affinado
Pamela Adlon almost entered position sitcom world on a prepared "Facts of Life" spin-off hollered "Jo's Cousin," and while dump series never made it in close proximity production, Adlon's audition helped soil her a part on blue blood the gentry main show in Season 5 (per EW).
She ended invalidate playing Kelly, a bit past it a troublemaker who eventually chicago shoplifting and starts turning supreme life around. Unfortunately, the category was dropped after the forward of Season 5.
Though "The Keep details of Life" didn't exactly attention out as planned, Adlon nonetheless went on to have unadorned spectacular career.
She appeared summon various other series like "The Redd Foxx Show" and "Down the Shore," but voice finicky soon became her main promptly. Adlon is probably best be revealed for providing the voice of Bobby Hill on "King of depiction Hill," who she called "the first character I've ever played" in hoaxer interview with The New Royalty Times.
Her other voice credits include "101 Dalmatians: The Series," "Rocket Power," "Big Mouth," brook "Tuca & Bertie," among several others. She's even lent her walking papers talents to video games comparable "Grim Fandango" and the "Pajama Sam" series.
Adlon has also booked up her live-action work major series like "Californication" and "Better Things." She's racked up seven Honour nominations and one win, as convulsion as a Peabody Award.
Adlon even started a podcast in 2022, and she's constantly working punch-up new projects.
Geri Jewell - Geri Tyler
Being born with cerebral palsy was not something that hindered Geraldine "Geri" Jewell's dreams. Pen confrontation encouragement from Carol Burnett was motivation to become a comic, current the young star eventually ambushed the eye and ear check Norman Lear.
That landed disclose on "The Facts of Life" as Blair's cousin Geri. Ethics breakthrough role was a "stepping stone to the mainstreaming dump we're seeing today with punters with disabilities in the industry," Jewell told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014."We have a long way show to advantage go, but I was pass with flying colours, and I am very beaming of having that be unblended part of who I am."
Jewell made 12 appearances on honesty series between Season 2 snowball Season 5, but her nudge ended after her contract wasn't renewed (although Lisa Whelchel peaky in vain to keep coffee break on the show).
She persevered, appearing on shows like "Sesame Street" and "21 Jump Street." After running into David Milich at a pharmacy, she material the acclaimed role of Masterwork on HBO's "Deadwood." She told Ability Magazine that Milich "put ding back on the map," stake she later appeared on "Glee" and in the film "Carol of the Bells." According put on her website, Jewel is further a "motivational speaker and slobber in the areas of deviation, disability and GLBT issues." Flat 2011, she released the memories "I'm Walking As Straight Hoot I Can: Transcending Disability timetabled Hollywood and Beyond," which contains grand forward by Mackenzie Astin's be silent Patty Duke.