Nancy McKeon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nancy McKeon
Born	Nancy Justine McKeon (1966-04-04) April 4, 1966 (age 59) Westbury, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1977–present
Known for	The Facts of Life The Division Can't Hurry Love Comfort and Joy
Spouse(s)	Marc Andrus ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2
Relatives	Philip McKeon (brother)

Nancy Justine McKeon, born on April 4, 1966, is an American actress. She is famous for playing Jo Polniaczek in the TV show The Facts of Life. She also starred as Jinny Exstead in the series The Division.

Early Life and Family

Nancy McKeon was born in Westbury, New York. Her parents are Barbara and Donald McKeon. She started her acting journey very young, modeling baby clothes for a catalog when she was just two years old. During her childhood, her family lived in Forest Hills, New York.

Nancy McKeon's Acting Career

Starting Out in Youth Roles

Nancy McKeon appeared in TV shows like The Secret Storm and Another World. In 1979, a casting director noticed her in a Hallmark advertisement. She was really good at crying on cue!

Because of this, she was chosen for the role of Jo Polniaczek in The Facts of Life. Jo was a tomboy character, and Nancy joined the show in its second season in 1980.

Nancy also used her voice for many cartoon characters in ABC Weekend Special shows. One of her roles was the voice of Scruffy.

While working on The Facts of Life, Nancy had tutors on set for her schoolwork. She had gone to Catholic school before that. She once joked that she got detention sometimes for not following the strict school rules.

Acting as an Adult

In 1994, Nancy McKeon and Courteney Cox both tried out for the role of Monica Geller in the TV show Friends. The part eventually went to Courteney Cox.

In 1995, Nancy starred in her own TV series called Can't Hurry Love. This show lasted for one season. Later, in 1998, she appeared with Jean Smart in the sitcom Style & Substance.

From 2001 to 2004, Nancy played Inspector Jinny Exstead in the police drama The Division. Her real-life pregnancy was even written into the show's story during its last year.

From 2009 to 2010, she had a repeating role in the Disney Channel Original Series Sonny with a Chance. She played Connie Munroe, the mother of the main character, played by Demi Lovato.

Nancy also starred in many TV movies during the 1980s and 1990s. In A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, she played the real-life person Tracey Thurman. In The Wrong Woman, she played a woman who was wrongly accused of a crime. She even produced many of these movies through her own company, Forest Hills Entertainment.

In 1999, Nancy wrote and directed her own short film called A Wakening. She said that directing was always something she wanted to do. This film won two awards at film festivals. She also directed two episodes of The Division.

In 2003, Nancy starred in the movie Comfort and Joy. She has also narrated several audiobooks.

In 2019, Nancy had a small appearance in the movie You Light Up My Christmas. This movie starred her Facts of Life co-star Kim Fields and included other actors from the show. Nancy was supposed to have a bigger role, but a family emergency kept her from filming more.

Also in 2019, Nancy shared that she was part of a new Amazon series called Panic. This show is based on a young adult novel. The first season of Panic came out in 2021.

Personal Life

While Nancy was on The Facts of Life, she and her parents had a special meeting with Pope John Paul II. She described the experience as "electric," saying he had a special "aura" around him.

Nancy dated actor Michael J. Fox for three years after they met on the set of High School U.S.A. in 1983. They kept their relationship private. Nancy and Michael appeared together on the game show Tattletales.

In 2003, Nancy McKeon married Marc Andrus, who is a film technician. They had met eight years earlier while working on the movie A Mother’s Gift. They wanted a small wedding and only had 20 guests.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

Nancy McKeon has won and been nominated for several awards for her acting and directing work.

Marco Island Film Festival

• 2000: Won, "Audience Award for Best Short Drama"—A Wakening
• 2000: Won, "Crystal Palm Award for Best Short Film"—A Wakening

Prism Awards

• 2003: Nominated, "Best Performance in a Drama Series Episode"—The Division
• 2003: Nominated, "Best Performance in a Drama Series"—The Division
• 2004: Nominated, "Best Performance in a Drama Series Multi Episode Storyline"—The Division

TV Land Awards

• 2007: Nominated, "The 'When Bad Teens Go Good' Award"—The Facts of Life

Young Artist Awards

• 1982: Nominated, "Best Young Comedienne in Motion Picture or Television"—The Facts of Life
• 1983: Won, "Best Young Actress in a Television Special"—Please Don't Hit Me, Mom
• 1983: Won, "Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television"—The Facts of Life Goes to Paris
• 1983: Won, "Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series"—The Facts of Life
• 1984: Nominated, "Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series"—The Facts of Life

See also

In Spanish: Nancy McKeon para niños