Kristy McNichol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kristy McNichol
McNichol in 1991
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
Partner(s)	Martie Allen
Relatives	Jimmy McNichol (brother) Kellee Maize (niece)

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

Early Life and Family

McNichol in 1976

Kristy McNichol was born on September 11, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. Her parents were James and Carolyn McNichol. Her dad was a carpenter. Her mom did many different jobs to help the family. She was a secretary, sold makeup, and even worked as an extra in movies. Kristy's dad had Scottish and Irish family roots. Her mom's family came from Lebanon.

Acting Career Highlights

Kristy appeared in commercials with her brother, Jimmy McNichol. Later, she appeared on her own in TV shows like Starsky & Hutch, The Bionic Woman, and The Love Boat. Her first regular role was as Patricia Apple in the TV series Apple's Way in 1974.

In 1976, she was chosen to play Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the TV show 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 for another Emmy for Family.

Publicity photo of child actress Kristy McNichol promoting the September 28, 1976, premiere of the second season of the ABC television series Family.

In 1977, Kristy performed in a TV special called The Carpenters at Christmas. She sang several songs with the famous music duo. In 1978, Kristy and Jimmy recorded their own music album. It was called Kristy and Jimmy McNichol. They released two songs from the album.

Kristy was one of the biggest teen stars of her time. She appeared on many talk shows. She also took part in celebrity sports shows like Battle of the Network Stars. In 1978, she starred in the TV movie Summer of My German Soldier.

Kristy started her movie career in 1978. She starred with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in the movie The End.

In 1980, she played a main role in the popular movie Little Darlings. Tatum O'Neal also starred in this movie. Many critics praised Kristy's acting. Later in 1980, she appeared in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia. She earned a lot of money for this role, which was very unusual for a teenager. In 1981, she co-starred in Only When I Laugh. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her role in this movie.

In 1982, Kristy faced a difficult time while filming a movie in France. She later shared that the pressure of acting since childhood was very hard on her.

In 1986, Kristy appeared in Women of Valor. This was a TV movie about American nurses during World War II. She made two more movies in 1988: You Can't Hurry Love and Two Moon Junction.

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

Life After Acting

Kristy McNichol in 2009

In June 2001, Kristy McNichol announced that she had stopped acting. After retiring, she taught acting at a private school in Los Angeles. She also spent a lot of her time doing charity work.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kristy McNichol para niños