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‘Leave It to Beaver' star Jerry Mathers grateful show still helps people 'in this crazy world'

‘Leave It to Beaver' star Jerry Mathers grateful show still helps people 'in this crazy world'

Fox News21-06-2025

The gang is back together again.
Jerry Mathers, who starred as Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in the hit '50s sitcom "Leave It to Beaver," recently reunited with the surviving cast members at The Hollywood Show in Burbank, California.
"It was so wonderful to be with my friends from 'Leave It to Beaver' – Stephen Talbot (Gilbert Bates), Jeri Weil (Judy Hensler), Luke Tiger Farfara (Tooey Brown) and Veronica Cartwright (Violet Rutherford) for a reunion," the former child star told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"We took photos and signed autographs with the fans who were so gracious and happy to be with us," the 77-year-old shared.
"Hard to believe it is almost 70 years since 'Leave It to Beaver' first aired on television. Our fans are so devoted, and many write to me that they record the show in the morning and watch it at night so they can have a peaceful sleep in this crazy world."
"I am very grateful to be associated with such a heartfelt show that touches the lives of so many families in such a positive way," Mathers added.
"Leave It to Beaver," which was synonymous with the wholesome image of the 1950s American family, aired on the small screen from 1957 to 1963. According to People magazine, the show still has a legion of fans, thanks to syndication. The outlet noted that the first season is streaming on Peacock.
According to the outlet, Mathers and his onscreen brother Tony Dow, who played Wally, starred in the reboot of "Leave It to Beaver," titled "The New Leave It to Beaver," from 1983 to 1989.
The castmates have endured loss in recent years. Ken Osmond, who played two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell before leading a second career as a police officer, died in 2020 at age 76. Dow, who later found success as a sculptor, passed away in 2022 at age 77.
WATCH: LEAVE IT TO BEAVER STAR JERRY MATHERS REVEALS WHY HE WAS READY TO LEAVE HIT 50S SITCOM
Mathers' on-screen dad, played by Hugh Beaumont, died in 1982. The family matriarch, played by Barbara Billingsley, passed away in 2010. She was 94.
Back in 2023, Mathers described to Fox News Digital how he had been just a teen when he found himself out of a job once the series came to an end.
"It ended at the right time for me," he said at the time. "I wanted to play sports and, of course, working in the studio, that wasn't something I was able to do. I was [now] able to be on the track team and football team. That was something I really wanted to do."
"It was nice being in [a normal school]," he reflected. "I had a private tutor for the whole time that I was on the show. Now I was at a regular school, and it was a lot of fun. And I made a lot of good friends."
Mathers said his family was just as supportive when he was ready to take on a completely different role in life.
"I spent six years in the National Guard," he said. "There [wasn't] any kind of combat or anything like that, but we were a transport unit. A lot of times, the planes would come back, and they had a lot of damage to them. . . . It was not a lot of fun, because we were doing very, very hard work, but it was something that I [felt] I should do for my country. . . . It was something I was proud to do."
Over the years, Mathers focused on life outside the spotlight. At one point, he became a real estate agent.
There was no urgency to return to acting, he insisted.
"It was something that I liked doing, but I also liked being able to have my own life," he said. "Life for me today is very, very good. I have 'Leave It to Beaver,' but I can also go out and meet people."
"I'm a grandfather now. . . . It's wonderful," he continued. "I also have a wonderful wife, and we have a great time with the grandchildren. We get to babysit them every once in a while. . . . I still do autograph shows, because those are fun. I get to go all over the country.
"People still come up to me with questions about the show and what I'm doing. . . . I'm just so grateful. . . . I just have a wonderful life because 'Leave It to Beaver' has made me so many friends. . . . All the things that happened to me were so good."

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