Jerry Mathers started his acting journey by featuring in commercials and minor roles in films before securing his life-changing role as Theodore ‘Beaver’ Cleaver and becoming a child star at age nine when he starred in the ’50s classic Leave It to Beaver. Following the conclusion of the TV series, Mathers continued to pursue acting. However, he never came close to the immense fame he experienced on the show.
In a recent interview, the now 75-year-old Mathers fondly reminisced about his acting career, particularly his rise to stardom through his portrayal of the Beaver. This character resonated with audiences worldwide, captivating them with his innocence, curiosity, and endearing misadventures.
Jerry Mathers says his foray into TV was unplanned
During his conversation with Closer, Mathers disclosed that his path to childhood fame was spontaneous. He explained that it all began with an unplanned modeling opportunity, eventually leading him to live television. “My mom happened to be at a department store, and a lady came up to her and said, ‘Is this your little boy? We have a fashion show — could he be one of our models?’ That’s how I got started,” he told the news outlet. “At the time, live TV was just getting started, so I started doing live TV because I was used to walking out in front of an audience [from the fashion shows].”
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Speaking of his experience on Leave It to Beaver, he expressed that he thoroughly enjoyed his time on the show, reminiscing about the wonderful moments and significant connections he made during his tenure. “Yes, it was so much fun. I had so many friends on the set, not only the people that were the actors, but all the sound and camera people and the crew,” Mathers added. “It was a really nice way to grow up. I met a lot of nice people that I would never have known if I’d been in a regular school situation.”
Mathers, who reprised his role as Beaver as an adult in the 1983 movie Still the Beaver, expressed his excitement about being involved in the sequel. He mentioned that it allowed him to meet with some of the individuals he had collaborated with in the original installment. “That was really nice because I got to move into the part of the father. We got a lot of the original crew back, too,” Mathers admitted.
The actor also mentioned that he is incredibly proud of Leave It to Beavers because it remains relevant even after several years.”Probably Leave It to Beaver. It’s a show that started in 1957 and is still on the air. It’s not only in the United States but all over the world. I think it’s in 15 languages,” he confessed. “It really is kind of interesting when people come from out of town, and they don’t understand why when I’m on their television, I can speak their language, and now I can’t!”