In the 1970s, Dow worked in the construction industry while he studied film and journalism hoping to pave a way for his career to continue to develop. During that time he served in the United States National Guard. He took a step away from acting for a bit between the years 19.
Leave it to beaver show series#
In 1983, Dow reprised his role as Wally in the spin-off series ‘ Still The Beaver’ directed by Steven Hillard-Stern.ĭow went on to appear in films like Death Scream, The Kentucky Fried Movie, and Back to the Beach. Stick around to see what Tony Dow and his former co-star Jerry Mathers have been up to in recent times. Tap the bell icon to turn on notifications.Īnd don’t you dare think about going anywhere so soon. Hey, not to get too derailed, but if you’re enjoying this video so far and would like to show us a little bit of support, give it a like and subscribe to Facts Verse if you haven’t already. But even though he managed to find more work in the industry, he was never quite able to find the same level of success as he did playing Wally. Kildare, The Greatest Show on Earth, Never Too Young, and Mr. He later even admitted that he didn’t really come to appreciate Leave it for Beaver for what it was until he was in his 40s.Īfter Leave it to Beaver, Dow went on to appear in other television shows like My Three Sons, Dr. So for a time, he was a bit resentful but never specifically for doing the show. He found himself typecast, People in the industry either wanted him because he was Wally or they didn’t for the same reason. He hardly even expected anyone to see it two years from then let alone 60, but regardless he gave the series his all.Īfter Beaver wrapped up production in 1963, Dow found it relatively difficult to break away from the character of Wally. During its production, Dow had no clue that he was a part of something that would someday be looked back on as an iconic representation of an era. Other than the three hours of the day that he spent doing his schooling, the rest of the time was spent behind the camera.ĭow continued to portray Wally Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver for six years.
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He used to study his lines while he was on the way to the studio. While Dow certainly didn’t realize it at the time, he was a part of something that would live on as a testament of the period that it came out of for audiences to enjoy for many decades to come.ĭuring his time as Wally, Dow’s mom would drive him to work every day after breakfast. In a way, Leave It To Beaver is a bit of a time capsule. Not only did the music change, but so did the people and their desires in what they were seeking out of life. The world changed dramatically shortly after it wrapped up production. In a way, it represented the last wave of more innocent times in America. Leave It To Beaver was on the air before the assassination of JFK, the arrival of the Beatles, and the escalation of the American involvement in Vietnam. On Leave It To Beaver, Dow rose to fame through the 234 episodes that he appeared in. It was his mother’s involvement with show business that initially lured him in, but once he discovered that he had a knack for performing in front of the camera, he was hooked. In fact, he never really set his sights on acting. He scored the iconic role on the sitcom without having had previous acting experience.
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Dow was a trained diver who competed in the AAU Junior Olympic Games before changing course and becoming a child actor.