Tony Dow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Dow
Dow in 1961
Born	Anthony Lee Dow (1945-04-13)April 13, 1945 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	July 27, 2022(2022-07-27) (aged 77) Topanga, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor director producer sculptor
Years active	1949–2022
Spouse(s)	Carol Marlow ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1980)​ Lauren Shulkind ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	1

Anthony Lee Dow (born April 13, 1945 – died July 27, 2022) was an American actor. He also worked as a film producer, director, and sculptor. He was best known for playing Wally Cleaver in the popular TV show Leave It to Beaver. This show ran from 1957 to 1963. Later, from 1983 to 1989, Dow played Wally again in a TV movie and a new series called The New Leave It to Beaver.

Early Life

Tony Dow was born in Hollywood, California. His mother, Muriel Virginia, was a stuntwoman in western movies. His father, John Stevens Dow, was a designer and builder. When he was young, Tony was a talented swimmer. He even won a Junior Olympics championship in diving.

Acting Career

Tony Dow (top) with his Leave It to Beaver co-stars. From left to right: Hugh Beaumont, Barbara Billingsley, and Jerry Mathers, around 1959.

Tony Dow started his acting career with very little experience. He went to an open audition and got the part of Wally Cleaver. This was for the TV show Leave It to Beaver. From 1957 to 1963, he played the older son in the Cleaver family. His TV parents were June (played by Barbara Billingsley) and Ward (played by Hugh Beaumont). He was also the older brother of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (played by Jerry Mathers).

Wally was seen as the "all-American" boy. He was smart, polite, and trusted by his parents. He was also popular with his friends and liked by his teachers. As the show went on, Tony Dow became a popular teen idol. The show's writers created episodes about Wally's dating life, his after-school jobs, and his friends.

After Leave it to Beaver, Tony Dow appeared in many other TV shows. These included My Three Sons, Dr. Kildare, and Mr. Novak. From 1965 to 1968, he served in the U.S. National Guard. This paused his acting for a while. When he returned, he appeared in shows like Adam-12, Knight Rider, and Emergency!

In the 1970s, Tony Dow continued acting. He also worked in construction and studied journalism and filmmaking. In 1977, he made fun of his Wally Cleaver role in a movie called The Kentucky Fried Movie.

From 1983 to 1989, Tony Dow played Wally Cleaver again. This was for a reunion TV movie and a new series, The New Leave It to Beaver. He even wrote an episode for the new series in 1986. In 1987, he received an award for his role as Wally Cleaver. It was called the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award.

Directing and Producing

In 1989, Tony Dow started directing TV shows. His first directing job was for an episode of The New Lassie. He then directed episodes for shows like Get a Life, Harry and the Hendersons, and Coach. He also directed for science fiction shows such as Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Tony Dow also worked as a visual effects supervisor for Babylon 5. In 1996, he helped with visual effects for the TV movie Doctor Who.

Tony Dow also worked as a producer. He co-produced The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space in 1995. He also produced It Came from Outer Space II in 1996.

Art Career

Besides acting, directing, producing, and writing, Tony Dow was also a sculptor. He created abstract bronze sculptures. He explained that his sculptures were not meant to look exactly like real life. Instead, they showed the feelings and truths of interactions as he saw them. He found wood in the hills of Topanga Canyon to create his art. Each piece came from his own thoughts and feelings. He made limited numbers of bronze sculptures using a special process called lost wax casting.

In December 2008, Tony Dow was chosen to show his sculptures in Paris, France. This was at a special exhibition called the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He represented the United States at this event. His sculpture shown in Paris was called Unarmed Warrior. It was a bronze figure of a woman holding a shield.

Personal Life

Tony Dow was married twice and had one child. He married Carol Marlow in 1969, and they later separated. In 1980, he married Lauren Shulkind.

In the 1990s, Tony Dow shared that he had experienced clinical depression. He later appeared in videos to help others who were feeling sad or down. One of these videos was called Beating the Blues in 1998. In 2021, he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Death

In May 2022, Tony Dow was diagnosed with liver cancer. He passed away on July 27, 2022, at the age of 77. He was at his home in Topanga, California.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Tony Dow para niños