Nostalgia
Beloved Emmy-Winning Child Star Turns 64 After Walking Away From Hollywood
Kristy McNichol, beloved child star known for ‘Family’ and ‘Empty Nest,’ turned 64 on September 11.
A beloved former child star who now lives almost entirely out of the spotlight is celebrating her birthday on September 11. Kristy McNichol, who played Buddy on the television show Family, is now 64 years old.
McNichol hasn’t taken on any acting roles in years, but her fans still adore her. She’s not on social media, but many of her supporters took to social media to share their birthday wishes for her.
On Facebook, one fan noted that McNichol was “My fav teenager actress.”
A fan on Reddit wrote, “She has been my favorite as we are the same age and I was always able to relate to her. So wholesome and real, she has had some great roles in her career.”
In the same thread, another fan added, “Man, she was such a big deal back in the day. I thought she was absolutely gorgeous, and I was jealous of her feathered hair, hair I couldn’t duplicate because mine’s curly.”
Most fans likely remember McNichol for her work on Family, a show she began when she was just 13 years old. Family aired from 1976 to 1980, and she won two Primetime Emmys in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category.
In the early days of her career, she acted in a handful of projects with her brother, Jimmy McNichol, and the two also sang together.
Fans may remember the siblings appearing in the February 1976 ABC Afterschool Special titled Me and Dad’s New Wife, or the 1978 episode of Dick Clark’s Live Wednesday, where they appeared together and sang “He’s a Dancer.”
Much more recently, they worked together on the 2013 IMAX movie Planet View.
From 1988 to 1992, she starred in the sitcom Empty Nest, a spinoff of Golden Girls. During season 5, however, McNichol quietly stepped away from acting almost entirely.
As Woman’s World noted, McNichol released a statement in 2001 addressing her decision.
“Many people have asked me why I left the show. It was because I was suffering from manic depression, but I didn’t want to talk about it at the time. It was very private. Now I want to tell people the truth,” McNichol explained.
McNichol may not have any interest in taking up acting again, but her fans still adore her and remember her work fondly.
