What Became Of Your Favorite Child Stars From The ’50s, ’60s & ’70s

Character: Little Ricky
As Seen In: I Love Lucy (1951)
Estimated Net Worth: $1 million*

I Love Lucy just wouldn’t have been the same without Little Ricky. The pint-sized character was played by Keith Thibodeaux, who was just five years old when he was cast in Lucille Ball’s hit show. Following his appearance on the series, the actor moved into the music scene and enjoyed success with David and the Giants.

Keith Thibodeaux @madhotcollectibles/Pinterest | ©Bobby Bank/Getty Images

After battling addiction in the early ‘70s, Thibodeaux rediscovered Christianity which helped him get clean and sober. These days, he is the Executive Director of the international dance company Ballet Magnificat! His wife Kathy Denton founded the business back in 1986.

Character: Dennis the Menace
As Seen In: Dennis the Menace (1959)
Estimated Net Worth: $500,000*

Dennis the Menace might be better known to today’s kids as a cartoon character, but back in the ‘60s, he was a live-action mischief-maker. Jay North had already been in the business for some time before landing the lead role in the CBS sitcom. Like many child actors, North found the industry and his treatment on set too much to bear. 

Jay North @Classic Hollywood Legend/Youtube

When the show ended, the star continued to work until the roles dried up. After a stint in the Navy, he returned to acting with limited success. Now 68, North no longer auditions, but instead has worked as a correctional officer in Florida’s juvenile justice system.

Character: Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver
As Seen In: Leave It to Beaver (1957)
Estimated Net Worth: $7 million*

Sioux City native Jerry Mathers started his professional career when he was just two years old, but he wasn’t overly passionate about it. In fact, when he auditioned for the role of Beaver Cleaver, he told producers he didn’t want to be there. They hired him on the spot. 

Jerry Mathers ©ABC Television/Wikimedia | ©Eugene Powers/Shutterstock.com

Mathers enlisted in the U.S. Air Force when he was just a teenager, before taking a job as a commercial loan officer. By 1978, he retired from the industry but didn’t stay out of the spotlight for long, going on to star in multiple guest roles. Now 71, the actor was seen as recently as last year promoting Leave It To Beaver on the MeTV channel. 

Character: Eddie Munster
As Seen In: The Munsters (1964)
Estimated Net Worth: $250,000*

Little Eddie Munster wasn’t your average schoolboy, but a werewolf. It would’ve seemed strange if his father wasn’t something out of Dr. Frankenstein’s lab and his mother wasn’t a vampire. The Munsters is a cult classic that spawned its very own movie. 

Butch Patrick @blakeshelton/Twitter | ©s_bukley/Shutterstock.com

Butch Patrick played the part of the hairy youngster superbly, even though he wasn’t the original choice. Patrick left acting in 1975 to work for his father, but briefly ventured into the music scene, teaching himself bass guitar and releasing a song titled “Whatever Happened To Eddie?” Patrick has since battled and beaten prostate cancer and married his second wife in 2016.

Character: Opie
As Seen In: The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
Estimated Net Worth: $160 million*

Ron Howard is arguably one of the most successful child stars on the planet. His big break came when he landed the part of Opie Taylor in The Andy Griffith’s Show. Howard’s profile was boosted further after playing Richie Cunningham in Happy Days from 1974 to 1980.

Ron Howard @Google/Pinterest | ©Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com

Now, Howard is best known for being a world-class director. With movies like Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code, and more under his belt, little Opie Taylor grew into a pillar of the Hollywood community. He also made time to settle down and have four children, one of whom is actress Bryce Dallas Howard. 

Character: Timmy Martin
As Seen In: Lassie (1957)
Estimated Net Worth: $4 million*

What’s that, Lassie? Little Timmy went on to become a real estate agent? Jon Provost had the pleasure of playing Timmy Martin in the hit series, Lassie, from 1957 to 1964, alongside Baby the dog. Hollywood continued to open doors for the actor when the series ended, but Martin eventually retired and went into the real estate business. 

Jon Provost ©CBS Television | ©Tallmantz/Wikimedia

The icon can occasionally be seen in guest spots, but largely lives his life away from the cameras. Despite his inactivity, Provost was still recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.  In 2007, he released a memoir detailing his life titled Timmy’s in the Well: The Jon Provost Story.

Character: Kathy or “Kitten”
As Seen In: Father Knows Best (1954)
Estimated Net Worth: $6 million*

Lauren Chapin may have played a character who’s family life was bared for all to see in 1954’s Father Knows Best, but her reality was quite different. The actress had an extremely troubled childhood that she later revealed in her biography. When the show was canceled, Chapin found herself unable to land a job. 

Lauren Chapin @Classic Retrovision Milestones/Facebook

By 1981, she had worked as an air hostess and a dog groomer to make ends meet. These days, the former actress runs a live version of Father Knows Best, which performs at different events as well as on cruise holidays. If that fails, she can always fall back on her evangelist license!

Character: Pollyanna
As Seen In: Pollyanna (1960)
Estimated Net Worth: $5 million*

Hayley Mills was 13 when she was cast as the titular character in Disney’s Pollyanna. Thanks to the upbeat nature of the role, Mills soon became a poster child for the studio and appeared in several movies. Notably, she starred in British TV series Wild at Heart from 2007 to 2012. 

Hayley Mills @Better With Bob?/Youtube | ©Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

Since her appearance as Pollyanna, this leading lady has starred in more movies, TV shows, and theatre productions than you can shake a stick at. She may not be a household name these days, but Hayley Mills certainly made a mark on the industry that can’t be denied. 

Character: Addie Loggins
As Seen In: Paper Moon (1973)
Estimated Net Worth: $500,000*

Tatum O’Neal holds the distinction of being the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar, an accolade she gained for her role as Addie Loggins in 1973’s Paper Moon. The black and white picture gave her a platform, leading to roles in other movies. 

Tatum O'Neal @Movieclips/Youtube | ©Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

O’Neal’s career slowed down in later years, but picked up again in the noughties with stints on shows like Wicked Wicked Games and Rescue Me. Interestingly, one of O’Neal’s first boyfriends was Michael Jackson. She later married John McEnroe and had three children. Sadly, the actress lost custody when she developed an addiction.

Character: Iris 
As Seen In: Taxi Driver (1976) 
Estimated Net Worth: $100 million*

Of all the members of this list, Jodie Foster is one of the most successful, career-wise. She stunned viewers when she had her debut role as Iris in Taxi Driver. Though she’d had some small roles before then, her role as Iris ensured her rise to fame. The fifty-seven-year-old has stopped taking on a lot of acting roles.

Jodie Foster ©ABC Television/Wikimedia | ©DFree/Shutterstock.com

Though she’s made a few appearances in shows like Black Mirror, Foster has turned to directing. She directed big-name films like The Beaver, which centers around a man with clinical depression who develops an alternative personality. Foster said the movie was her career’s “biggest struggle.” 

Character: Charlie 
As Seen In: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) 
Estimated Net Worth: $500,000*

Peter Ostrum played the role of Charlie in the hit movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. After he appeared in that role, he decided against signing a contract that would have locked him into three more movies. Ostrum chose to pursue a career in the non-showbusiness world.

Peter Ostrum @buzzfeed/Pinterest | ©David Livingston/Getty Images

As a child, he was always interested in horses. He studied to become a veterinarian. He graduated vet school, and he now works as a large animal veterinarian. He practices veterinary medicine in Lowville, New York, where he resides with his wife and their daughter, Helenka. His degree is from Cornell University. 

Character: Violet 
As Seen In: Pretty Baby (1978) 
Estimated Net Worth: $25 million*

Brooke Shields burst onto the scene with her provocative role in Pretty Baby, where she played a young street walker named Violet. This Louis Malle film (and the controversy that surrounded it) gave Shields widespread notoriety and fame. She continued to act before she put her career on hold.

Brooke Shields ©Avalon/Getty Images | ©Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

Shields stopped acting so that she could attend Princeton University. She graduated with a degree in Romance Languages, a subsection of a literary degree. Shields got back to acting in the nineties, and she now has become a voice actor. She voices Beverly in the animated show Mr. Pickles. 

Character: Mark 
As Seen In: Salem’s Lot (1979)
Estimated Net Worth: $23 million*

Lance Kerwin has had a less-than-stellar career after acting. After becoming a preteen and teen heartthrob in movies such as Salem’s Lot, he ended up having trouble getting more work. He moved to a Kauai, Hawaii, where he sells timeshares. He also briefly worked as a minister for U-Turn for Christ.

Lance Kerwin ©Crakkerjakk/Wikimedia | ©Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Kerwin and his wife stopped their ministry after they were caught falsifying documents in order to get free state medical assistance. They also included minors in their scam, which added a charge of recruiting minors for deviant behavior. They received a sentence of three-hundred hours of community service and five years’ probation.

Character: Prudence 
As Seen In: Nanny and the Professor (1970)
Estimated Net Worth: $100,000*

Technically, Kim Richards’ career began when she was only a few months old, when she appeared in a television commercial. However, it wasn’t until her role as a child star on Nanny and the Professor that she was able to become famous. Her sister, Kyle Richards, is also a former child star.

Kim Richards ©ABC Television/Wikimedia | ©Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.com

She and her sister were in the movie The Car in 1977. Now, Kim has turned to reality television. She is now a well-known reality TV personality on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Fun fact: Richards is the aunt of heiresses Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild.