A popular child star has surprised her fans with her new look. The Los Angeles actress was best known for her portrayal of Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the popular series Family, in the 80s.
At the time, she was only 14 years old when she got her big break onscreen in 1976.
The hit TV show went on for four seasons, and each year that the show ran, she was nominated for an Emmy in the categories of Outstanding Supporting and Lead Actress.
Can you guess who it is? If you guessed, Kristy McNichol, you are correct!
Despite her successful career, in 2001, she took a pause from acting. Since then, she's only made a few public appearances.
The 80s star made her comeback by participating in the Hollywood Show pop culture convention this past June.
© InstagramThe actress enjoyed meeting her fans
Ageless beauty
Susan donned a red t-shirt, blue eyeliner and a pixie cut. She enjoyed taking pictures with fans and looked ageless.
One fan posted a lovely selfie with the actress and captioned it: "Me & Kristy McNichol! What a great chat we had! Sweet!" The post garnered many comments from nostalgic fans.
© Getty ImagesThe actress is 62 now
The glowing 60s
One person wrote: "She was my favorite growing up! I watched little darlings too many times and could relate to her fighter but silent attitude! Much love girl! You look great!"
A second person added: "I worshipped her growing up. I'm glad she's well and I'm happy to see her." A third person commented: "She's still adorable. Great to see her. Kristy McNichol was a huge part of my childhood. I never missed a show or movie."
© Getty ImagesKristy opened up about why she really left acting
Transparency about mental health
The actress will celebrate her 63rd birthday this September. Although she may have quietly left the acting scene, years later she revealed why she made the bold change.
In 2001, she revealed: "Many people have asked me why I left the show. It was because I was suffering from manic depression [now more commonly called bipolar disorder], but I didn’t want to talk about it at the time. It was very private. Now I want to tell people the truth," per Woman's World.
© Getty ImagesThe star went into voiceover acting
New beginnings
Kristy went on to take on voice roles for animated series such as Extreme Ghostbusters and Invasion America in the late 90s. The actress later taught acting in Los Angeles in a private school.
She made a significant comeback in 2012, when she publicly came out as gay in a statement through her publicist, and she showed her support for the LGBTQ+ community.
© Getty ImagesKristy used her platform to advocate for others
No regrets in life
The statement in part read that she wants to "help others who feel different," and that her goal was to "support kids who are being bullied."
Kristy added that she is "very happy and healthy," that she chose to come out publicly.
