Brandon Cruz (born Brandon Edwin Williams on May 28, 1962) is an American musician, actor, editor and consultant. He is best known as a child actor for his role as Eddie Corbett, son of widower Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), on the television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Cruz is also a punk rock musician, having sung for bands such as Dr. Know and the reunited version of the Dead Kennedys.
At age seven, he auditioned for and won his breakthrough role as Eddie Corbett in the television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father, which aired from 1969 to 1972. Co-star Bill Bixby and Cruz spent considerable time together, especially when the show was on hiatus, prompting Cruz to tell American Profile magazine "Bill Bixby was like my second father."[6] Cruz is the last living cast member of the series following co-star Kristina Holland’s death in 2023.
Cruz continued as a child actor for several years following the cancellation of The Courtship of Eddie's Father with a number of guest appearances in television shows like Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, and The Incredible Hulk—which reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner in the 1976 movie The Bad News Bears.[7]
Music
Cruz turned his attention to punk rock in the late 1970s, and in 1981 was performing with the hardcore punk band Dr. Know. The group released several records, and after a name change to KNOW, toured Europe in 2017. Cruz also was the lead vocalist with Dead Kennedys from 2001 until 2003.[8] Cruz was interviewed in the documentary American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock, 1980–1986. Reflecting on life after being a child star, which has brought tragedy to so many others, Cruz told American Profile "Surfing and punk rock probably saved my life."[6]Dr. Know still plays shows. They are writing a new album and will tour the world in 2024.
Cruz and nurse Elizabeth "Liz" Finkelstein[9][10] were married in 1994. They divorced in 2018. They have a son, Lincoln Bixby Cruz (born 1995), and a daughter, actress Ruby Jean Cruz (born 2000).[12][13] Cruz now works as a consultant to people suffering from addictions and is a practicing Buddhist. A book on his life is in the early stages.
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