Nice Guy Johnny Whitaker

Not all child stars turn out to be fodder for tabloid tv shows.  Some grow up into nice people with their feet firmly planted on the ground.
Johnny Whitaker is one of my favorite former child stars.  Whitaker first starred as Jody on tv's Family Affair and followed that with a role as Johnny on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.  Whitaker also appeared in some movies and other episodic tv. He pretty much stopped acting in early adulthood and did some missionary work.
I have met Whitaker a few times and he is really simply genuinely nice.  He talks fondly about this time in th limelight, but he shows no signs of regret.  He seems happy and it comes off so refreshing.  I always come away from meeting him feeling good.  It's a nice mix of nostalgia nd contentment.

Johnny Whitaker and me in Rosemont, IL-Mid 1990's.

Cissy, Jody and Johngy

When I was a kid, Family Affair was one of the top-rated tv shows. Who didn't think Uncle Bill was cool? Who didn't like the three children, Cissy, Buffy and Jody? Even Mr. French was highly likable (although his brother didn't do much for me).
At a Hollywood Collectors Show, I was excited about meeting two of the three siblings. (Sadly and widely known, the third was Anissa "Buffy" Jones, who died a while back.) Kathy "Cissy" Garver and Johnny "Jody" Whitaker were awesome. These two seem to have avoided the often-publicized pitfalls of childhood celebdom.
Garver has gone on to have a solid career, filled with many guest-starring roles on tv. She has also done some voice-over work.
Whitaker went on to do a couple more tv series and had a bunch of guest-starring roles. He eventually went into missionary work.
At the convention, Garver and Whitaker seemed completely relaxed and having fun. We talked for a bit and then I got to pose with both of them. I just remember the experience as so much fun, almost like seeing old friends again! Theirs is definitely a childhood star story that has ended well.

Kathy Garver, Johnny Whitaker and me in Rosemont, IL-mid 90's.