Kathy Garver has that same sparkle today that enchanted audiences from the 1950s onwards.
The former child star, now 80, took to her social media page with a pair of new photos from a recent outing with an old friend on August 11.
"Great luncheon at Lure with my sorority sister, past roommate and good friend," she captioned the snaps. "Nothing like long time friends." The actress was pictured in a green cotton dress with a pearl necklace, sporting a bold red lip and her blonde bob down to her shoulders.
© FacebookFans quickly showed their love for the snaps, with one commenting: "You're both beautiful ladies! Hopefully you had a good time," another adding: "Great picture Kathy!!" and a third saying: "Imagine sitting in a casual restaurant, and you look over and see Kathy Garver dining with a friend!! You both look fabulous!"
Kathy Garver's start as a child star
While many know Kathy for her work as a young adult on TV, her breakthrough actually came through her work in film. She first appeared on screen in the 1955 movie The Night of the Hunter at age nine as an uncredited extra.
She was then cast as an extra in Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 epic The Ten Commandments, now considered one of the greatest epics in Hollywood history and to this day one of the highest grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation.
© Getty ImagesAs the story goes, Kathy was initially just recruited to appear as an extra. However, when the legendary filmmaker spotted her during a shot, and they had a brief conversation, she charmed him enough to win an actual role as one of the child slaves, with DeMille even writing scenes for her. What would've been a one-and-done role ended up becoming six weeks of work.
Kathy Garver's breakout with Family Affair
The actress appeared in one more film that same year, The Bad Seed, and lent her voice to radio dramas. She then pursued higher education at the University of California, Los Angeles.
© Getty ImagesWhile studying at UCLA, she auditioned for the sitcom Family Affair, landing the role of Cissy Davis, the eldest of three siblings who move in with their wealthy uncle in New York City after the deaths of their parents.
The show was a hit, earning multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and made Kathy a household name for its five-season run. While she played a teenager on the show, by that point, Kathy was already 20 years old.
© Getty ImagesKathy Garver's life post-Family Affair
Since the show, Kathy has consistently worked in front of and behind the camera, especially lending her voice to a variety of animated series like Dennis the Menace, Droopy, Master Detective, and The All-New Super Friends Hour, among others.
She also co-hosted the Comcast show Backstage! With Barry & Kathy from 2008 to 2012, and appeared in commercials for ClearCaption, which brought her renewed attention. In 2025, she was even nominated for a Grammy for her work narrating the audiobook version of Elvis, Rocky and Me: The Carol Connors Story.
© Getty ImagesKathy married her husband David Travis in 1981 and they welcomed a son together, Reid. David passed away in 2025, and she now primarily resides in California with Reid and his family.
