Larry Mondello used to be in nearly every scene in Leave it to Beaver. He was either chomping apples or getting Beaver into trouble. But all of a sudden he was gone, there was no big goodbye, no final prank, just gone.
Larry, played by Robert “Rusty” Stevens, was one of the most relatable kids on Leave It to Beaver. He wasn’t the smartest or the slickest, but that was the point. He felt real. But midway through the show’s run, Larry vanished. And for years, no one really knew why.
Fans thought Larry Mondello’s exit from ‘Leave it to Beaver’ was a family move
@user80621203778214 Rusty Stevens (Larry Mondello) Reveals Why He Left Leave it to Beaver#news #celebity #hollywood ♬ original sound – user80621203778214
Leave It to Beaver aired from 1957 to 1963. It started on CBS, later switched to ABC, and ran for six seasons. Like the boys on the show, everything changed as time passed. However, people always wondered what happened to Larry. At the time, the common story was that Rusty’s family had to move to the East Coast because his dad got a new job. It was an easy answer that people accepted. But years later, rumors surfaced that something else involving Rusty’s mother happened.
Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver, even hinted in an old interview that Rusty’s mom caused problems on set by making too many demands. According to her, that might’ve led to Rusty being let go.
Rusty reveals the truth about why he left ‘Leave it to Beaver’
It turns out there’s more to the story, and Rusty himself finally shared it. He posted about it in the Leave It to Beaver fan club on Facebook, telling fans what really went on behind the scenes. When his role as Larry became more important, Rusty was offered a contract. Other than the main cast, no one else had one. At first, Rusty was excited, but being under contract meant he had to spend most of his time at the studio. That left little room for school, friends, or a regular childhood.
Eventually, Rusty told his parents he wasn’t happy. He missed being a kid, and he didn’t want to spend every day on set. We may never know exactly what was said between his parents and the producers, but not long after, the contract ended. Contrary to the earlier story, the Stevens family still lived in California when Rusty left the show.