Jerry Mathers was just nine years old when he rocketed to national fame as the titular star of Leave It to Beaver. On June 2, Mathers turned 75, and today, he is the last surviving cast member of the show that made him a household name.
In contrast to other young actors, Mathers managed to avoid the pitfalls that have affected some former child stars. He kept a comfortably low profile in the entertainment industry and found success in various other areas, including acting, producing, and even working as a motivational speaker. Looking back today, at 75, Mathers can say he is in a good place and has few horror stories of life after his rise to fame. Catch up with Mathers on this milestone birthday today!
Jerry Mathers is 75 and has few regrets
Sadly, most of his peers from Leave It to Beaver have predeceased him, including Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Eddie Haskell, and most recently, Tony Dow in 2022. “It is with the utmost sadness I learned this morning of my co-star and lifelong friend Tony Dow’s passing,” Mathers said in tribute on Facebook. “He was not only my brother on tv, but in many ways in life as well. Tony leaves an empty place in my heart that won’t be filled.”
“Tony was so grateful for all of the love and support from our fans across the world,” noted Mathers, who wrapped up Leave It to Beaver as a young teen suddenly shouldering national attention as an undisputed star. While this could throw many child actors-turned-civilians off their axes, Mathers employed some important strategies from the start that kept him grounded.
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After the show ended, Mathers dove into his high school studies and went through all the major milestones every other kid his age encountered. He tried out for his school’s football team like any other student would and earned his stripes as anyone else was expected to, eventually playing center and linebacker.
Today, Mathers can look back with pride on a full, well-rounded career
“I thought of trying to keep up with football,” revealed Mathers. “Until my senior year, when a big freshman really knocked me around on the practice field one day. So I realized I’d better find something else.”
That something else ended up being serving his country, some more acting, working behind the camera, and using his charisma to motivate others. Even through his Leave It to Beaver stardom, Mathers maintained his desire to go to college, eventually attending the University of California at Berkeley, but not before serving in the Air Force. Then, he even got close with a Berkley bank and was offered a job.
Ultimately, Mathers found that living a normal life not unlike his peers left Mathers “very happy” to this day. The fame didn’t hurt, though – when Mathers got into real estate, “People liked having the Beaver as their realtor.” He’s also added to his resume, most recently appearing in Lucky Day and Dad Dudes in 2015.
At 75, he may even return to the Cleaver household, under the right circumstances. “I’d want to read the script first,” he stipulated. “But as long as it stuck with the same morals and things that we did on the original shows, I’d be very happy to do it. A lot of the cast members [from the sequel series] are still alive, so it’d be fun to go back and see all of those people again.”
Happy 75th birthday, Jerry Mathers!