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Fox News
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
‘Leave It to Beaver' star Jerry Mathers grateful show still helps people 'in this crazy world'
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."
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jerry Mathers Reunites with Leave It to Beaver Cast at Fan Event
Jerry Mathers , who became famous for playing Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver during the 1950s series Leave It to Beaver, appeared publicly at the Hollywood Show in Burbank, California, on June 6 and 7. The 77-year-old actor took part in autograph signings and photo ops, getting back together with classic television show fans. The event also included a reunion of the cast from the original show. Mathers was accompanied by Luke "Tiger" Fafara, 80, who portrayed Tooey Brown; Stephen Talbot, 76, who played Gilbert; Veronica Cartwright, 76, who played Violet Rutherford; and Jeri Weil, 77, who played Judy Hensler. Leave It to Beaver initially ran from 1957 to 1963 and continued to be popular throughout decades of syndication. The initial season is now streaming on Peacock. After the show ended, Mathers retired from acting. He went on to high school, where he participated in football, and afterward went into the Air National Guard. Later, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, to study philosophy. While attending Berkeley, a false rumor spread that he had passed away in the Vietnam War and people sent condolence letters and flowers to his family. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Eat 1 Teaspoon Every Night, See What Happens A Week Later [Video] getfittoday Undo Mathers resumed his acting career in 1978, teaming up again with Tony Dow, his on-screen brother Wally, in the stage play Boeing, Boeing in Kansas City, Missouri. The two then performed in The New Leave It to Beaver, a revival that ran from 1983 to 1989. The majority of the original cast reprised their roles in the revival, aside from Hugh Beaumont, who portrayed Beaver's father and died in 1982. Tony Dow died in 2022, and Barbara Billingsley, who portrayed the Cleaver family matriarch, died in 2010.
