Jerry Mathers

Last updated
Jerry Mathers
Jerry Mathers (53042377191).jpg
Mathers in 2023
Born
Gerald Patrick Mathers

(1948-06-02) June 2, 1948 (age 76)
Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.
Education Notre Dame High School
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active1950–2016
Known forPortrayal of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in Leave It to Beaver
Spouses
Diana Platt
​
(m. 1974⁠–⁠1981)​
Rhonda Gehring
​
(before 1997)​
Teresa Modnick
​
(m. 2011)​
Children3
Relatives Jim Mathers (brother)
Website www.jerrymathers.com

Gerald Patrick Mathers (born June 2, 1948) is a former American actor best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver , originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963. He played the protagonist Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, the younger son of the suburban couple June and Ward Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont, respectively) and the younger brother of Wally Cleaver (Tony Dow).

Contents

Early life and family

Mathers was born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1948, the son of a high school principal, and grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. [1] Mathers has one sister and two brothers, including Jimmy Mathers.

Early career

Mathers began his career at the age of two when he appeared as a child model for a department store ad. [2] Soon after, he starred in a commercial for PET Milk opposite vaudeville comedian Ed Wynn. [1]

His early movies included This Is My Love (1954), Men of the Fighting Lady (1954), The Seven Little Foys (1955) and Alfred Hitchcock's black comedy The Trouble with Harry (1955), in which he plays Arnie, the son of Shirley MacLaine's character, and finds Harry's body in the nearby forest.

Leave It to Beaver

Mathers in a 1959 publicity shot Jerry Mathers 1959.JPG
Mathers in a 1959 publicity shot

Mathers states that he got the role of Beaver Cleaver after telling the show's producers he would rather be at his Cub Scout meeting than to do an audition for the part. The producers found his candor appealing and perfect for the role. [1] [3] Mathers played the Beaver for six years, appearing in all 234 episodes of the series. He was the first child actor to have had a deal made on his behalf to get a percentage of the merchandising revenue from a television show. Leave It to Beaver still generates revenue more than six decades after its original production run.

The original sitcom has been shown in over 80 countries in 40 languages. Mathers 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!'" [4]

When asked in a 2014 television interview whether he had known at the time of the filming of Leave it to Beaver that the show was special, and would be in perpetual syndication, Mathers responded: "No, not at all. I had worked since I was two years old. I did movies. I didn't do any other series, but I had done a lot of movies and things like that so, in fact, every year it was a question whether we would come back for the next year 'cause you had to be picked up. So you would do 39 shows and then we would go to New York and meet all the press, and then we'd go to Chicago to meet the ad people, then we'd come back and take about five to six weeks off, and if we got picked up, then we'd start again. So we did that for six years because that was the length of the contracts at those times. So that's why there are 39 [episodes] for six years, and then it was off the air. Not off the air, but we didn't film any new ones [after that.]" [5]

Mathers remained friends with Barbara Billingsley, who played his TV mother June Cleaver, and he remembered her after her death as "a good friend and an even better mentor. For me she was like the favorite teacher that we all had in school." [6]

Music

In 1962, near the end of the run of Leave It to Beaver, Mathers recorded two songs for a single 45 rpm: "Don't 'Cha Cry," and for the flip side, the twist ditty "Wind-Up Toy". [7] During high school, Mathers had a band named Beaver and the Trappers. [8]

Education and military service

Mathers in U.S. Air Force uniform USAF Sergeant Jerry Mathers.png
Mathers in U.S. Air Force uniform

As he moved into his adolescence, Mathers retired from acting to concentrate on high school. He attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. During this time, he led the musical band Beaver and the Trappers. [1]

While still in high school, Mathers joined the U.S. military. From 1966 to 1969, he was a member of the 146th Airlift Wing, nicknamed The Hollywood Guard, [9] of the California Air National Guard in Van Nuys, California. [10] [11] In 1967, while wearing his dress uniform, Mathers, along with child actress Angela Cartwright, presented an Emmy Award to Gene Kelly. In December 1969, a rumor began that Mathers was killed in action in the Vietnam War. Although the origin of the rumor is unclear, [12] Mathers never saw action and was never stationed outside the United States. [13] [14] 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. [15]

Mathers graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from University of California, Berkeley in 1973. [16]

Later career

Mathers in 2021 Jerry Mathers ( The Beaver ).jpg
Mathers in 2021

After college, Mathers worked as a commercial loan officer at a bank. He then used well-invested savings from his acting career, in which he earned a starting weekly salary of $500, [17] to begin a career in real estate development.

In 1978, he reentered the entertainment industry. That year, he and Tony Dow starred in a production of the comedy play Boeing, Boeing which ran for 10 weeks in Kansas City, Missouri. Mathers and Dow then toured the dinner theater circuit in a production of So Long, Stanley, written specifically for the TV brother duo, for 18 months. [18]

In 1981, he worked as a disc jockey at KEZY radio in Anaheim, California. [8]

In 1983, Mathers reprised his role in the television reunion film Still the Beaver , which featured the majority of the original cast from Leave It to Beaver. [8] The success of the television movie led to the development of a series with the same title. The series began airing on the Disney Channel in 1984, then aired on TBS and broadcast syndication, where it was retitled The New Leave It to Beaver and ran until 1989. [19]

In the 1990s, Mathers guest-starred on episodes of Parker Lewis Can't Lose , Vengeance Unlimited , Diagnosis: Murder , and as himself on Married... with Children . In 1998, he released his memoir And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver. [20]

In 2001, he appeared on a special episode of Weakest Link , titled "Child TV stars edition," where he got voted off in the first round. On June 5, 2007, he made his Broadway debut with a starring role as Wilbur Turnblad in the musical Hairspray at the Neil Simon Theatre. [4] In 2009, Mathers became the national spokesman for Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and its Partnership for Prescription Assistance. [21]

In 2018 and 2019, Mathers promoted Leave It to Beaver and other classic television shows on MeTV.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Mathers in 2007 Jerry Mathers.jpg
Mathers in 2007

Mathers has been married three times. He met his first wife, Diana Platt, in college. They married in 1974 and later divorced. [16] [22] Mathers met his second wife, Rhonda Gehring, while touring in the production of So Long, Stanley. They have three children: Noah, Mercedes, and Gretchen. Mathers and Gehring divorced in 1997. [23] Mathers married his third wife, Teresa Modnick, on January 30, 2011. [24]

Diabetes

Mathers was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1996. [25] On the advice of his doctor, Mathers enrolled in a weight loss program in May 1997 and lost over 40 lb (18 kg), [20] and later became the company's first male spokesperson. [26] [8] He represented a Type 2 diabetes reversal program's publications in a television ad. [27]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
1952 Son of Paleface Child at FinaleUncredited
1954 Men of the Fighting Lady Richard DodsonUncredited
1954 This Is My Love David Myer
1955 The Seven Little Foys Bryan Lincoln Foy - Age 5Uncredited
1955 The Trouble with Harry Arnie Rogers
1956 That Certain Feeling Norman Taylor
1956 Bigger Than Life FreddieUncredited
1957 The Shadow on the Window Petey Atlas
1958 The Deep Six Steve InnesUncredited
1987 Back to the Beach Judge #2
1990Down the DrainPoliceman (desk)
1994The Other ManSergeant DunAlternative title: Sexual Malice
1998Playing Patti
2002 Better Luck Tomorrow Biology Teacher
2005 Angels with Angles Mr. Cohiba
2008Will to PowerMr. Simpson
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1952 The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Trick-or-treating ChildEpisode: "Halloween Party"
1955 Lux Video Theatre Little BoyEpisode: "The Great McGinty"
1955 General Electric Theater TommyEpisode: "Into the Night"
1955 NBC Matinee Theater Episode: "Santa is no Saint"
1956 Screen Directors Playhouse Peter at 5Episode: "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"
1966 The Dating Game Himself
1968 Batman Pop, the Stage DoormanEpisode: "The Great Escape"
Uncredited
1968 Lassie Ken HinesEpisode: "Lassie and the 4-H Boys"
1970 My Three Sons Joe LawrieEpisode: "Love Thy Neighbor"
1978 Flying High Chuck WallaceEpisode: "Fear of Cheesecake"
1981 The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite Deputy Henry Thomas WattsTelevision film
1983 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour HimselfGame Show Participant / Celebrity Guest Star
1983 Still the Beaver Theodore "Beaver" CleaverTelevision film
1983–1989 The New Leave It to Beaver Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver101 episodes
1984 Hardcastle and McCormick Cameo AppearanceSeason 1; Episode 19 "The Homecoming: Part 2"
1987 The Love Boat "Beaver" CleaverEpisode: "Who Killed Maxwell Thorn?"
1991 Married... with Children HimselfEpisode: "You Better Shop Around (Part 2)"
1991 Parker Lewis Can't Lose Theodore MussoEpisode: "Jerry: Portrait of a Video Junkie"
1999 Vengeance Unlimited Lucas ZimmermanEpisode: "Friends"
1999 Diagnosis: Murder Mr. LustigEpisode: "Trash TV: Part One"
2001 Weakest Link HimselfChild TV Stars Edition
2006 The War at Home PrincipalEpisode: "Back to School"
2008Mother Goose ParadeTelevision film

Awards

YearAwardCategoryTitle of work
1984 Young Artist Award Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award [28] Leave It to Beaver

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<i>Leave It to Beaver</i> American television sitcom (1957–1963)

Leave It to Beaver is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It stars Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Cleaver</span> American television fictional character

June Evelyn Bronson Cleaver is a principal character in the American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. June and her husband, Ward, are often invoked as the archetypal suburban parents of the 1950s. The couple are the parents of two sons, Wally and "Beaver". Wally is twelve years old and in the seventh grade when the series opens; Beaver is seven years old and in the second grade. Episodes followed the escapades of Wally and Beaver and usually ended with a moral lesson delivered to the boys, but also often included reminders of childhood and minor lessons for the parents through the adventures of their boys. She was included in Yahoo!'s Top 10 TV Moms from Six Decades of Television for the time period 1957–1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Billingsley</span> American actress (1915–2010)

Barbara Billingsley was an American actress. She began her career with uncredited roles in Three Guys Named Mike (1951), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Invaders from Mars (1953), and was featured in the 1957 film The Careless Years opposite Natalie Trundy. She then appeared in recurring TV roles, such as The Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Beaumont</span> American actor (1910–1982)

Eugene Hugh Beaumont was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Ward Cleaver on the television series Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963, and as private detective Michael Shayne in a series of low-budget crime films in 1946 and 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Haskell</span> Character in Leave It to Beaver

Edward Clark Haskell is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver, which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957, to 1958 and on ABC from 1958 to 1963. He was played by Ken Osmond. The character was also featured in the later series Still the Beaver, and in the 1997 film remake of the original series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Osmond</span> American actor and police officer (1943–2020)

Kenneth Charles Osmond was an American actor and police officer. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of four, Osmond played the role of Eddie Haskell on the late 1950s to early 1960s television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver and reprised it on the 1980s revival series The New Leave It to Beaver. Typecast by the role, he found it hard to get other acting work and became a Los Angeles police officer. After retiring from police work, he resumed his acting career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Dow</span> American actor, film director and film producer (1945–2022)

Anthony Lee Dow was an American actor, film producer, director and sculptor. He portrayed Wally Cleaver in the iconic television sitcom Leave It to Beaver from 1957 to 1963. From 1983 to 1989, Dow reprised his role as Wally in a television movie and in The New Leave It to Beaver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wally Cleaver</span> American television fictional character

Wallace "Wally" Cleaver is a fictional character in the iconic American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. Wally is the thirteen-year-old son of archetypal 1950s suburban parents, Ward and June Cleaver and the older brother of the seven-year-old title character, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver. The characters grew older along with the actors.

<i>The New Leave It to Beaver</i> American television series

The New Leave It to Beaver is an American sitcom sequel to the original 1957–1963 sitcom Leave It to Beaver. The series began with the 1983 reunion television movie Still the Beaver that aired on CBS in March 1983. The success of the television movie prompted the creation of a revival series, also titled Still the Beaver, that aired on The Disney Channel from 1984 to 1985. In 1986, the series was picked up by TBS, where it aired until June 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaver Cleaver</span> American television fictional character

Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver is the fictional title character in the American television series Leave It to Beaver. Originally played by Jerry Mathers, Beaver is the son of June and Ward Cleaver and the brother of Wally Cleaver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumpy Rutherford</span> Fictional character

Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. The show aired from October 4, 1957 to June 20, 1963. Lumpy is a bit of a bully and, with Eddie Haskell, is one of Wally Cleaver's friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Rutherford</span> Fictional character

Frederick "Fred" Rutherford is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. The show aired October 4, 1957 to June 20, 1963. Fred is portrayed by Richard Deacon. Alan Rachins played the character in the 1997 film adaptation of the series, Leave It to Beaver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty Stevens</span> American actor

Robert "Rusty" Stevens is an American former child actor best remembered for his role as Larry Mondello, Beaver Cleaver's friend and classmate, in the original Leave It to Beaver television series. Stevens appeared in 68 of the show's 234 episodes, between 1957 and 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Mondello</span> Fictional character

Larry Mondello is a fictional character from the iconic American television series Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963). He is portrayed by child actor Robert "Rusty" Stevens. Larry Mondello appears in 68 of the show's 234 episodes over the first few seasons. Although Larry is mentioned in the premiere episode, "Beaver Gets 'Spelled", it is not until the eighth episode, "Beaver's Crush", that he actually makes an appearance.

"Family Scrapbook" is the series finale of the American television series Leave It to Beaver. It is the 39th episode of the sixth season, and the 234th episode overall. Written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher and directed by series star Hugh Beaumont, the episode originally aired on ABC on June 20, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaver Gets 'Spelled</span> 1st episode of the 1st season of Leave It to Beaver

"Beaver Gets 'Spelled" is the series premiere of the American television series Leave It to Beaver. The episode is the first episode of the first season of the show. It was written by Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, and directed by Norman Tokar. The episode originally aired on CBS on October 4, 1957. It is also available on DVD.

Its a Small World (<i>Leave It to Beaver</i>) Episode of Leave It to Beaver

"It's a Small World" is the pilot episode from the American television series Leave It to Beaver (1957–1963). The pilot was first televised April 23, 1957, on the syndicated anthology series, Studio 57, without a laugh track nor the series' well known theme song, "The Toy Parade". It never aired as an episode within the series. Following its April 1957 telecast, the episode was subsequently misplaced and was feared lost until a copy was found in a film vault in Illinois. After rediscovery, it was aired as the third-season premiere for the 1980s TBS revival series The New Leave It to Beaver on October 4, 1987, exactly 30 years after the original series officially premiered on CBS. It was televised again in October 2007 as part of TV Land's 50th anniversary celebration of Leave It to Beaver. It was released to DVD in 2005. The series made its CBS debut several months later on October 4, 1957, with the episode, "Beaver Gets 'Spelled".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Bronson</span> Fictional character

Martha Bronson is a fictional recurring character in the American television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. "Aunt Martha," as she is known in the series, appears in five of the show's 234 episodes and is mentioned occasionally but not seen. The character is portrayed by Madge Kennedy.

The first season of the American television situation comedy Leave It to Beaver premiered on October 4, 1957 and concluded on July 16, 1958. It consisted of 39 episodes shot in black-and-white, each running approximately 25 minutes in length. This was the only season that the show originally aired on CBS.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 O'Toole, Caitlin (May 14, 2007). "Interview with Jerry Mathers: 'I've Had a Charmed Life'". Parade . Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ Foster, Barbara (March 1984). "Celebrity Update". Orange Coast Magazine. p. 149. ISSN   0279-0483.
  3. ↑ Jerry Mathers on auditioning for "Leave it to Beaver" Emmy TV Legends video. (posted in 2010)
  4. 1 2 Robertson, Campbell (June 5, 2007). "And Jerry Mathers as ... Tracy Turnblad's Father?". The New York Times . Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Jerry Mathers, the "Beaver," – Guest 02/13/2014". kenboxerlive.com. February 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Barbara Billingsley - A Pearl of a Lady". JerryMathers.com. March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Singles Review". Billboard . No. 6–2510. August 25, 1962. p. 25.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hammer, Josh (February 7, 1983). "Still the Beaver After 20 Years, Jerry Mathers Joins Tony Dow for a Bittersweet Return to Mayfield". People . Vol. 19, no. 5. ISSN   0093-7673.
  9. ↑ Ulber, Michelle (June 13, 2020). "'Hollywood Guard' reaches milestone with 6-ship formation flight". 146th Airlift Wing. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  10. ↑ "1966 - Gerald Patrick 'Jerry' Mathers is an actor who served in the California Air National Guard from 1966 to 1969". Air National Guard. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  11. ↑ Searles, Jack (April 27, 1990). "Air Wing That Reached the Stars Has a New Home". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  12. ↑ Jerry Mathers discusses the urban myth of his "death in Vietnam" Emmy TV Legends video (posted 2010)
  13. ↑ "Believe It to Beaver". Snopes . January 9, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Jerry Mathers of 'Leave It to Beaver' Now Collegian". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . April 8, 1970. p. 12–C. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Saturday Night Live Transcripts, Rodney Dangerfield, 03/08/80". JT.org. 8 October 2018.
  16. 1 2 "The Odyssey of Child Actor Jerry Mathers: from Beaver to Banker to Real Estate Broker". People. Vol. 7, no. 15. April 18, 1977. ISSN   0093-7673.
  17. ↑ Lamparski, Richard (1982). Whatever Became Of ...? Eighth Series . New York: Crown Publishers. pp.  200–201. ISBN   978-0-5175-4855-4 . Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  18. ↑ Cowan, Richard (November 18, 1979). "It's Wally and the Beaver". The Washington Post . Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Mathers Taking 'Beaver' Persona, Friends To WTBS". The Toledo Blade . Knight Ridder News Service. June 11, 1986. p. P–4. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Child Star Jerry Mathers". Palo Verde Valley Times. North American Precis Syndicate. June 26, 1998. p. 10. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  21. ↑ Pulliam, John R. (April 6, 2009). "'The Beav' pitches prescription assistance". The Register-Mail . Galesburg. Archived from the original on February 20, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  22. ↑ Reilly, Pattie (May 5, 1980). "Leave It to Beaver: Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers Find a New Channel for Their Talent—Dinner Theater". People. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  23. ↑ Schoenberg, Nara (May 7, 1999). "Catching up with the 50-year-old Beaver". The Robesonian . Lumberton, North Carolina. p. 4B. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  24. ↑ Bersebach, Paul (January 30, 2011). "'Leave it to Beaver' star gets hitched in H.B." Orange County Register . Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  25. ↑ Trecroci, Daniel (August 1, 1999). "Jerry Mathers Leaves it to Weight Loss to Control His Diabetes". Diabetes Health. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
  26. ↑ Schoenberg, Nara (29 September 2005). "The Beaver' stops leaving life to chance". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  27. ↑ Mathers, Jerry (January 16, 2016). Diabetes Solution Kit (Television advertisement). Barton Publishing. I'm Jerry Mathers, and if I can do it, you can do it.[ permanent dead link ]
  28. ↑ "6th Annual Youth in Film Awards". Young Artist Awards. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
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