Kristy McNichol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kristy McNichol
McNichol (1991; age 29)
Born	Christina Ann McNichol (1962-09-11) September 11, 1962 (age 62) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1970–2001
Known for	Family Little Darlings White Dog Only When I Laugh Empty Nest
Relatives	Jimmy McNichol (brother) Kellee Maize (niece)

Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American former actress. She started acting when she was a child. She became famous in 1976 for playing Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV show Family. For this role, she won two Emmy Awards. She also starred in movies like Little Darlings and Only When I Laugh. Later, she played Barbara Weston in the TV show Empty Nest. McNichol stopped acting in 2001.

Kristy McNichol's Early Life

McNichol (1976; age 13).

Kristy McNichol was born on September 11, 1962. Her birthplace was Los Angeles, California. Her parents were James and Carolyn McNichol. Her father worked as a carpenter. Her mother was a nurse. Kristy's family background includes Scottish and Irish roots from her father's side. Her mother's family came from Lebanon.

Kristy McNichol's Acting Career

Kristy McNichol began her career appearing in commercials. She often worked with her brother, Jimmy McNichol. Later, she appeared alone in TV shows. These included Starsky & Hutch, The Bionic Woman, and The Love Boat. A family friend, Desi Arnaz, helped her get these roles. Her first regular role was Patricia Apple in the TV series Apple's Way in 1974.

Becoming a TV Star

In 1976, McNichol got a big role. She played Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV drama Family. This show ran from 1976 to 1980. She was nominated for an Emmy Award three times for this role. She won the award in 1977 and 1979. In 1980, she was nominated again for a lead actress Emmy for Family.

In 1977, Kristy appeared in a TV special. It was called The Carpenters at Christmas. She sang several songs with the music group. In 1978, she and Jimmy tried singing. They recorded an album called Kristy and Jimmy McNichol. They released two singles from the album. One was "He's So Fine".

Kristy McNichol (age 13) promoting the second season of the TV series Family in 1976.

Kristy McNichol was a very popular teen star. She appeared on many talk shows. She also took part in celebrity sports shows. In 1978, she starred in the TV movie Summer of My German Soldier. This movie was highly praised.

Moving to Movies

Kristy started her film career in 1977. She was in the movie Black Sunday. However, her scenes were later removed. In 1978, she starred with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. This was in the movie The End.

In 1980, McNichol played a main role in Little Darlings. This was a popular movie about growing up. She starred with Tatum O'Neal. Matt Dillon and Cynthia Nixon also had roles. Many reviewers praised her acting. Later in 1980, she appeared in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia. She earned a very large salary for this movie. In 1981, she co-starred in Neil Simon's Only When I Laugh. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role.

In 1982, she was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for The Pirate Movie. The same year, she faced health challenges. This happened while filming Just the Way You Are in France. She later shared that she had trouble sleeping and cried a lot. She had nightmares and cried on set. She did not return to finish the movie after Christmas. Filming had to stop for a year while she recovered. She later said this was due to the stress of acting since childhood.

In 1986, McNichol was in Women of Valor. This was a TV movie about American nurses. They were in a World War II prison camp. She made two more movies in 1988. These were You Can't Hurry Love and Two Moon Junction.

Later TV Roles

In 1988, McNichol began playing Barbara Weston. This was on the TV show Empty Nest. It was a spin-off from The Golden Girls. She left the show in 1992 due to a health condition. She returned for the final episode in 1995. This was her last on-screen acting role. However, she later did voice work. She voiced characters in Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) and Invasion America (1998).

Kristy McNichol's Life After Acting

McNichol (2009; age 56).

In June 2001, Kristy McNichol announced her retirement from acting. Her publicist shared a statement from her. She said she had acted for 24 years. She felt it was time to "play my biggest part – myself!" She said it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She understood fans might be sad. But she said this time was important for her happiness.

After retiring, McNichol taught acting. She taught at a private school in Los Angeles. She also spent a lot of time helping charities. In 2012, she shared more about her personal life. She stated she had no plans to return to acting.

Kristy McNichol's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kristy McNichol para niños