Famous kid TV sitcom star from the 1950's "Leave it to Beaver," which actually was often a pretty funny show, though of course it showed life in an idealized suburban white nuclear family America in a way that rarely existed.
Jerry Mathers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jerry Mathers | |
|---|---|
in 2007
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| Born | Gerald Patrick Mathers June 2, 1948 Sioux City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Jerry Mather |
| Education | Notre Dame High School |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Known for | Portraying Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver |
| Spouse(s) | Diana Platt (m. 1974–81) Rhonda Mathers (m.?-?) Teresa Modnick (m. 2011) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Jim Mathers (brother) |
| Website | |
| www.jerrymathers.com | |
Contents
Early acting career
Mathers was born in Sioux City, Iowa, the son of a high school principal. He has two younger siblings, Susie and Jim Mathers, who also became child actors. Mathers began his career at the age of 2 when he appeared as a child model for a department store ad.[1] Soon after, he starred in a commercial for PET Milk opposite vaudeville comedian Ed Wynn.[2]His early movies included This is My Love (1954), Men of the Fighting Lady (1954), The Seven Little Foys (1955) and The Trouble with Harry (1955).
Leave It to Beaver
The original sitcom has been shown in over 80 countries in 40 languages. Mathers has noted that the Leave It to Beaver phenomenon is worldwide. "I can go anywhere in the world, and people know me," Mathers has said. "In Japan the show’s called 'The Happy Boy and His Family.' So I’ll be walking through the airport in Japan, and people will come up and say, 'Hi, Happy Boy!'"[3]
Music
In 1962, near the end of the run of Leave It to Beaver, Mathers recorded two songs for a single 45rpm: "Don't 'Cha Cry", a retread of "Spanish Harlem" and for the flip side, the twist ditty, "Wind-Up Toy".[4] During his high school years, Mathers had a band called Beaver and the Trappers.[5]Later career
As he moved into his teenage years, Mathers retired from acting to concentrate on high school. He attended Notre Dame High School, in Sherman Oaks, California. While he was still in high school, Mathers joined the Air Force Reserve. He appeared as a presenter at the 1967 Emmy Awards ceremony in his dress uniform. After graduating high school in 1967, Mathers continued to serve in the Reserve and made the rank of Sergeant.[6] In December 1969, a rumor began that Mathers was killed in action in the Vietnam War. Although the origin of the rumor is unclear, Mathers never saw action and was never stationed outside of the United States.[7][8] Years later, in 1980, Mathers and Dow appeared with Bill Murray on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update segment, making fun of the Vietnam War death rumor.[9]Mathers later attended the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1973. He then worked as a commercial loan officer at a bank before using well-invested savings from his acting career, which began at $500 a week,[10] to begin a career in real-estate development. In 1978, he reentered the entertainment industry. That year, he and Tony Dow starred in the play Boeing, Boeing which ran for ten weeks in Kansas City. Mathers and Dow then toured the dinner theater circuit in a production of So Long, Stanley for 18 months. In 1981, he worked as a disc jockey at KEZY-AM radio in Anaheim, California.[5]
In 1983, Mathers reprised his role in the television reunion film Still the Beaver, which also featured the majority of the original Leave It to Beaver cast.[5] The success of the television film led to the development of a sequel series of the same name. The series began airing on the Disney Channel in 1984, then went on to be picked up by TBS and broadcast syndication, where it was retitled The New Leave It to Beaver and ran until 1989.[11]
Mathers has since continued his career in films and television roles. In the 1990s, he guest starred on episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Vengeance Unlimited, and Diagnosis Murder. In 1998, Mathers released his memoirs, And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver.[12] On June 5, 2007, he made his Broadway debut with a starring role as Wilbur Turnblad in the Tony winning best musical Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theater.[3]
Other ventures
In addition to acting, Mathers has also owned and operated a catering business and has done commercial work for national and regional spots for advertisers such as PET Condensed Milk, Kellogg’s (he and Tony Dow were the first non-athletes on a box of corn flakes), General Electric, Purina, Kern International, Chevrolet, Toyota, General Mills, AOL, Coca Cola, Jim Beam and Biogen.In 2009, Mathers became the national spokesman for PhRMA and their Partnership for Prescription Assistance program. The organization helps uninsured and financially struggling patients obtain prescription medicines.[13]
Personal life
Mathers has been married three times. He met his first wife, Diana Platt, in college. They married in 1974 and later divorced.[14][15] Mathers met his second wife, Rhonda Gehring, while touring in the production of So Long, Stanley. They have three children, a son (Noah) and two daughters (Mercedes and Gretchen). Mathers and Gehring later divorced.[16] Mathers married his third wife, Teresa Modnick, in Huntington Beach on January 30, 2011.[17]Diabetes
Mathers was diagnosed with diabetes in 1996.[18] On the advice of his doctor, Mathers enrolled in a weight loss program with Jenny Craig in May 1997 and lost over 40 pounds.[12] He later became the first male spokesman for Jenny Craig.[5]Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Son of Paleface | Child at Finale | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Men of the Fighting Lady | Richard Dodson | Uncredited |
| 1954 | This Is My Love | David Myer | |
| 1955 | The Seven Little Foys | Bryan Lincoln Foy - Age 5 | Uncredited |
| 1955 | The Trouble with Harry | Arnie Rogers | |
| 1956 | That Certain Feeling | Norman Taylor | |
| 1956 | Bigger Than Life | Freddie | Uncredited |
| 1957 | The Shadow on the Window | Petey Atlas | |
| 1958 | The Deep Six | Steve Innes | Uncredited |
| 1987 | Back to the Beach | Judge #2 | |
| 1990 | Down the Drain | Policeman (desk) | |
| 1994 | The Other Man | Sergeant Dun | Alternative title: Sexual Malice |
| 1998 | Playing Patti | ||
| 2002 | Better Luck Tomorrow | Biology Teacher | |
| 2005 | Angels with Angles | Mr. Cohiba | |
| 2008 | Will to Power | Mr. Simpson |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | Trick Or Treating Child | Episode: "Halloween Party" |
| 1953 | I Love Lucy | Dream Little Ricky | Episode: "Ricky's Old Girlfriend" Uncredited |
| 1955 | Lux Video Theatre | Little Boy | Episode: "The Great McGinty" |
| 1955 | General Electric Theater | Tommy | Episode: "Into the Night" |
| 1955 | Matinee Theater | Episode: "Santa is no Saint" | |
| 1956 | Screen Directors Playhouse | Peter at 5 | Episode: "It's a Most Unusual Day" |
| 1957–1963 | Leave It to Beaver | Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver | 234 episodes |
| 1963 | Insight | Episode: "The Boy and the Bomb" | |
| 1968 | Batman | Pop, the Stage Doorman | Episode: "The Great Escape" Uncredited |
| 1968 | Lassie | Ken Hines | Episode: "Lassie and the 4-H Boys" |
| 1970 | My Three Sons | Joe Lawrie | Episode: "Love Thy Neighbor" |
| 1978 | Flying High | Chuck Wallace | Episode: "Fear of Cheesecake" |
| 1981 | The Girl, the Gold Watch and Dynamite | Deputy Henry Thomas Watts | Television film |
| 1983 | Still the Beaver | Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver | Television film |
| 1983–1989 | The New Leave It to Beaver | Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver | 101 episodes |
| 1984 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Beaver | Episode: " The Homecoming: Part 2" Uncredited |
| 1984 | High School U.S.A. | Mr. Sirota | Television film |
| 1987 | The Love Boat | "Beaver" Cleaver | Episode: "Who Killed Maxwell Thorn?" |
| 1991 | Married... with Children | Self | Episode: "You Better Shop Around (Part 2)" |
| 1991 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Theodore Musso | Episode: "Jerry: Portrait of a Video Junkie" |
| 1999 | Vengeance Unlimited | Lucas Zimmerman | Episode: "Friends" |
| 1999 | Diagnosis: Murder | Mr. Lustig | Episode: "Trash TV - Part One" |
| 2006 | The War at Home | Principal | Episode: "Back to School" |
| 2008 | Mother Goose Parade | Television film |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Young Artist Award | Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award[19] | Leave It to Beaver |
Bibliography
- And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver; Mathers, Jerry and Fagen, Herb; Berkley Trade (1998)
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