The Sound of Music has remained one of the indelible musicals in the history of cinema, a groundbreaking box office success that is still one of the highest grossing films of all time adjusted for inflation. It also won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and made stars of its central cast, including Julie Andrews, the late Christopher Plummer, and its coterie of young actors, who played the seven von Trapp kids. And now, one of them, Nicholas Hammond, is sharing his own take on how his life changed after its release 60 years ago.
The actor, now 75, played the eldest of the two von Trapp boys, Friedrich, in the musical, and has continued his career on screen, including a memorable turn as Spider-Man in the 1970s TV series. "It was a joyous film to make," he recently told People. "I'm enormously proud of having a small part in it and being a part of something that's brought so much pleasure to so many, now billions of people over the years."
He did note, however, that the movie's instant success gave him a level of fame that proved overwhelming at times. "The fact that you go from just being a kid in the ninth grade at Williamsburg Junior High School in Arlington, Va., and by the time you come back from that, you are one of the seven most famous children in the world, that's a big thing to put on a 14-year-old."
While being a teenager itself came with its own challenges, overnight success proved to be a whole other beast, something he found solace in with his other six young co-stars "because we only had each other, really," adding: "It was only us seven [who] knew what that experience was like."
© Getty Images"Our own siblings and our parents kind of did, but didn't really. They didn't know what it was like to walk into the school cafeteria and suddenly 500 people just stop eating and turn and stare at you. And it's not what you want, but it happens," Nicholas continued, and speaking to the experience of young actors, he identified that his life after was a uniquely harmonious one.
"I know there are stories of child actors who have had really unfortunate times, and I feel for that, and I can see how it can happen," the Spider-Man star shared. "I just feel so blessed that I had a series of good, positive experiences working with people whom I admired and who treated me respectfully. And so to me, it was just the greatest job in the world."
© Getty ImagesHere's how the other child stars have fared in the 60 years since…
© Getty ImagesCharmian Carr aka Liesl
Charmian Carr appeared in a pair of TV pilots in 1965 and 1966 before leaving Hollywood altogether. She married dentist Jay Brent in 1967 and they welcomed two children before their 1991 divorce. After a career owning an interior design firm for several years, Charmian passed away in 2016 aged 73.
© Getty ImagesHeather Menzies aka Louisa
Heather Menzies appeared in the 1977-78 series Logan's Run, her best known role beyond The Sound of Music. She stopped acting by 1990. In 1974, she married actor Robert Urich, her second marriage. After his death in 2002, she devoted herself to the Robert Urich Foundation, created in his honor, and passed away in 2017 aged 68.
© Getty ImagesDuane Chase aka Kurt
Duane Chase, now 74, left acting soon after making the hit musical, obtaining a degree in geology and pivoting to geology, forestry and wildlife studies. He now lives outside of Seattle with wife Petra Maria, who he married in 1987.
© Getty ImagesAngela Cartwright aka Brigitta
Angela Cartwright, now 73, continued acting after The Sound of Music, appearing in Lost in Space from 1965-68, having reprised her role multiple times until 2018. She has also worked as a photographer for over three decades and tied the knot with Steve Gullion in 1976, welcoming two children.
© Getty ImagesDebbie Turner aka Marta
Debbie Turner, now 69, left Hollywood soon after appearing in the film. She relocated to Minnesota with her husband Richard Lanson, where they raised their four children and is now a floral designer.
© Getty ImagesKym Karath aka Gretl
Some of Kym Karath's, now 67, most memorable credits since the 1965 musical include TV shows like Peyton Place, Lassie, Lost in Space, Family Affair, All My Children and The Brady Bunch. She briefly worked as a model in Paris before marrying Philippe L'Equibec in 1985 and welcoming a son before their 2005 divorce. Since 2016, she has been married to Jeff Apple.
