Among a revival of all things nostalgia in the 2020s, one of the shows to gain a surprising amount of attention in recent weeks, following a cast reunion, is the sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
The show, which initially premiered on CBS before moving to ABC, centered around the (mis)adventures of a young boy named Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in suburbia, surrounded by a colorful cast of friends and his family.
The show premiered in 1957 and ran for six seasons before concluding in 1963 and is one of the most beloved sitcoms of the classic TV era. But, nearly 70 years on, what's happened to the stars since?
While the show had a host of supporting characters to boot, here we explore the lives of the main four cast members of Leave It to Beaver in the nearly seven decades since the show premiered…
© Getty ImagesJerry Mathers aka Theodore Cleaver
As the youngest in the cast, Jerry Mathers is the only surviving main cast member. Now 77 years old, he continues to make appearances at fan conventions fondly sharing recollections of filming and other members of his TV family.
Jerry took a step back from acting after the show's conclusion to focus on his education, and subsequently joined the military, named a member of the 146th Airlift Wing aka The Hollywood Guard from 1966-69.
After earning a college degree, he worked as a commercial loan officer, real estate developer and DJ before returning to acting. He performed on stage in the late '70s before returning to the Beaver franchise with 1983's Still the Beaver, reprising his role once again in the revival The New Leave It to Beaver from 1983-89. He made his Broadway debut in a production of Hairspray in 2007 and last appeared on screen in 2008.
Jerry has been married three times. He met his first wife, Diana Platt, in college, and they were married from 1974–1981. He then married Rhonda Gehring in 1983, welcoming three children together before their 1997 split. In 2011, he tied the knot with Teresa Modnick.
© Getty ImagesBarbara Billingsley aka June Cleaver
Barbara Billingsley became renowned nationwide for playing family matriarch June Cleaver, but found it hard to break out of being typecast following its end. Following a 17-year hiatus from the screen after the show's conclusion, she found success once again playing "Jive Lady" in 1980's Airplane.
She parlayed that success into several more TV appearances, most notably in the Beaver revival and as the voice of Nanny on Muppet Babies from 1984-1991, which earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination. Her final screen role was in 1997's Leave It to Beaver movie playing Aunt Martha.
Barbara's second marriage ended just before her stint on Leave It to Beaver began when her husband, Roy Kellino, died of a heart attack. She married William S. Mortensen in 1959, and remained with him until his death in 1981. Barbara passed away in 2010 at the age of 94 at her home in Santa Monica, California.
© Getty ImagesHugh Beaumont aka Ward Cleaver
Hugh Beaumont achieved mainstream success as TV dad Ward Cleaver, and was instrumental in writing and even directing several episodes of the show, including the series finale, "Family Scrapbook."
After production ended, he devoted more time to acting in community productions and small cameos while developing a thriving career as a writer, selling several TV screen plays and scripts. He retired from acting in 1972 after suffering a stroke two years prior, and became a Christmas tree farmer in Minnesota.
Hugh was married to Kathryn Adams during the production of Beaver, but they divorced in 1974 after over three decades of marriage. They had three children together, with their son Hunter becoming a noted psychotherapist and author in Germany. Hugh passed away in 1982 at the age of 72 from a heart attack.
© Getty ImagesTony Dow aka Wally Claever
Tony Dow became one of TV's earliest teen heartthrobs thanks to his role as older brother Wally Cleaver on the popular sitcom, reprising his role in the revival in the late '80s as well.
He continued to act after the show's run in several other smaller TV and film projects, last appearing on screen in 2003. Tony established a career for himself as an actor, writer, producer, director and even VFX designer, all while studying journalism and filmmaking.
Tony took a break from acting to serve with the military during the Vietnam War from 1965-68, and has also worked in the construction industry, plus was a sculptor for the majority of his life. He married twice: to Carol Marlow, from 1969-1980, welcoming one son, and then to Lauren Shulkind from 1980 until his death in 2022 aged 77 of liver cancer.
