Keeping Up With Nancy McKeon

"Just understand that you'll never miss out on anything that's meant to be yours.  It will find you somehow, someway.  And sometimes we just have to breathe and have patience."

- Nancy McKeon, 2025 interview with Adam Rothenberg on Call Me Adam

Nancy Justine McKeon was born in Westbury, New York on April 4, 1966.  She is the daughter of Barbara McKeon and travel agent Donald McKeon.  At the age of two, Nancy began modelling clothes for the Sears & Roebuck catalogue.  She and her elder brother, Philip McKeon, appeared in numerous commercials.  When Philip was cast as Tommy Hyatt in the TV sitcom Alice, the family relocated to Los Angeles.  

The move to California wasn't an easy one for Nancy.  "I was getting up at quarter to five,"  she said, "practicing singing and dancing before school and again when I came home, but nothing was happening.  I thought of quitting."  Of course, she didn't quit and things began to happen for her.  She made her television acting debut as Vikki Mayer in a 1977 episode of Starsky and Hutch entitled "The Crying Child" (Season 3, Episode 6, Air Date: October 22, 1977).

In 1979, Nancy appeared on the soap operas Secret Storm and  Another World.  That same year, she was discovered by a casting director for the sitcom The Facts of Life, an NBC series that began in 1979 as a spin-off of Diff'rent Strokes.  The show followed the fortunes Edna Garrett (Charlotte Rae), the Drummonds' housekeeper, as she became the housemother of Eastland School, a fictional all-girls boarding school in Peekskill, New York.

The Facts of Life did not have an auspicious first season.  It was not originally a ratings hit in its summer debut in 1979.  For the second season, there was an overhaul of the show.  The producers felt that there were too many characters, and four of the original actresses were written out, including Molly Ringwald.  14-year-old Nancy McKeon was introduced as the gritty, street-wise Joanne "Jo" Polniaczek, a new student from the Bronx.  The show lasted nine seasons and became one of NBC's hit comedies of the 1980s.  When it ended in 1988, Nancy was able to continue her career successfully.

Nancy as Jo

During the 1980s and 1990s, Nancy starred in many made-for-TV movies, including Strange Voices (1987), A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story (1989) and In My Sister's Shadow (1997),  In a Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story, she had the lead role as a victim of domestic violence.  In Strange Voices, she portrayed a college student who is diagnosed with schizophrenia.  In In My Sister's Shadow, she played Joan Connor, a florist who falls for her younger sister's ex, despite the fact that he is stalking her younger sibling.  

Nancy dated Michael J. Fox after they met on the set of High School U.S.A. (1983).  At first, they kept their relationship secret, but appeared as couple on the game show Tattletales, hosted by Bert Convy.  Their relationship ended after three years, and they have kept the circumstances of their breakup a private matter.  In October of 1985, Nancy and Michael attended Ronald and Nancy Reagan's state dinner for Prime Minister Lee Kuan of Singapore.  

Nancy with Michael J. Fox and Nancy and Ronald Reagan

In 1995, Nancy starred in her own TV sitcom, You Can't Hurry Love.  She played Annie O'Donnell, a single woman living in a New York studio apartment.  The CBS series focused on the romantic interests of Annie and her friends.  Despite having average household ratings, it was cancelled after only one season of 19 episodes.

In 1998, Nancy and Jean Smart starred in Style and Substance.  Jean Smart portrayed Chelsea Stevens, the star of her own how-to home show, while Nancy played Jane Sokol, her producer.  The CBS series was short-lived.  

On June 8, 2003, Nancy McKeon  married film technician Marc Andrus, primarily recognized for his work behind the camera.  According to his IMDb biography, Marc grew up in Texas and has worked on films such as Escape from L.A. (1996), Arlington Road (1999) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004).  The couple met on set of the 1995 Hallmark TV movie A Mother's Gift.  Their wedding was intimate, with only 20 guests in attendance.  The couple has two daughters: Aurora Andrus (born March 6, 2004) and Harlow Andrus (born December 2006).  They reside at a ranch near Austin, Texas.

Nancy and Marc

From 2001 to 2004, Nancy played Inspector Jinny Exstead on the Lifetime police drama The Division.  She was pregnant with her daughter Aurora at the time, and her pregnancy was written into the storyline.  From 2009 to 2010, Nancy appeared in a recurring role in the Disney Channel Original Series Sonny with a Chance.  She portrayed Connie Munroe, the mother of Devi Lovato's title character.

In 2019, Nancy appeared in the TV drama You Light Up My Christmas.  In 2021, she appeared as Jessica Mason in six episodes of the Amazon Prime psychological thriller series Panic.  In 2025, she made her Off Broadway debut in Michael Griffo's play Pen Pals, about two women who live in two different countries, but maintain an extraordinary friendship over decades.

END NOTES

* Nancy McKeon's brother Philip died in Texas on December 10, 2019, following a long illness. He was 55 years old at the time of his passing.  His family did not disclose the specific nature of his illness publicly.  However, various sources confirmed that he died of cancer.

Linda Lavin, who portrayed the title character in the sitcom Alice, saw Philip in a Broadway performance and was impressed by his talent.  She recommended that he play the role of her TV son Tommy.  Philip played Tommy from 1976 until 1985.  He also made guest appearances on CHiPs (1979), Fantasy Island (1984), The Love Boat (1984).  His last TV credit is the 1988 miniseries Favorite Son.  

Philip was one of the producers of 1994 action comedy Teresa's Tattoo, which featured his sister Nancy.  He later worked in radio in Los Angeles and then in Wimberly, Texas.

Child star Philip in 1976

* In 1994, Nancy auditioned for the role of Monica Geller on Friends, but Courtney Cox was chosen for the role.

* In 2018, Nancy competed on Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars.  She finished in 11th place with her partner, professional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy.

SOURCES: Do you remember? (doyouremember.com), "At 59, Nancy McKeon Misses Famous Brother And 'Facts of Life' Reunion," by Dana Daly, August 7, 2025; Yahoo.com, "Who is Nancy McKeon's husband?  Marc Andrus' Job & Kids," Arpita Adhya; May 1, 2025; Wikipedia; IMDb

- Joanne

Whatever happened to child star Ricky Schroder?

Richard Bartlett Schroder was born on April 13, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York City.  He was raised on Staten Island.  Ricky is the son of Diane Katherine Bartlett and Richard John Schroder, both former employees of AT&T.  After Ricky and his older sister were born, their mother quit her job at AT&T.  She began taking her son to photo shoots when he was only months old.

By the age of six, Ricky had appeared in numerous catalogues and advertisements. A few years later, he made an impressive screen debut in Franco Zefferelli's 1979 film The Champ, portraying T.J. Flynn, the son of Jon Voight's character in a remake of the 1931 film of the same title.  Ricky was seven years old when he was cast for the movie, and eight years old when he acted in it.  At the age of nine, he received the Golden Globe Award for "Best New Male Star of the Year," becoming the youngest ever Golden Globe recipient.

Ricky in 1976

After his successful debut in The Champ, Ricky Schroder moved to Los Angeles with his mother.  He appeared in the 1980 Disney film The Last Flight of Noah's Ark, alongside Elliott Gould and Genevieve Bujold.  He also starred in the 1980 version of Little Lord Fauntleroy alongside Alec Guinness.

Ricky then went on to become a child television star on the NBC sitcom Silver Spoons.  He was 12 years old when the series began in 1982.  It ran for four seasons on the network and an additional first-run syndication during the 1986-87 season.  In Silver Spoons, Ricky played Ricky Stratton, the son of divorced parents, whose mother had remarried and sent him to military school.  The youngster finagled an invitation to live in the palatial home of his wealthy father, Edward Stratton III, played by Joel Higgins.  The elder Stratton, whom Ricky had never known, was more childlike than his son.  His massive estate was filled with video games, stuffed animals, and a miniature railroad.

Below is a photo of Joel Higgins as Edward Stratton III in a conductor's hat, riding the train with son Ricky.  In a February 2010 interview with Will Harris for Bullz-Eye.com, Schroder stated, "I cannot tell you how many people were, like, blown away by and lost themselves in the world of Silver Spoons.  And everybody asks about the train.  Everybody!  I think the train is in a train park at Griffith Park, over by Universal"

In 1988, the year after Silver Spoons ended its run, Ricky starred in Too Young the Hero, a prime time CBS TV movie based on a true story.  He portrayed 12-year-old Calvin Graham, who poses as a 17-year-old to enlist in World War II.

After graduating from Calabasas High School in California., Ricky enrolled in Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado.  He continued his acting career, searching for more mature roles, and billing himself as "Rick Schroder."  In 2007, however, he stated that he was changing his credit back to "Ricky" because "no one wanted to call me Rick."

In 1989, Ricky played played Newt Dobbs in the television Western miniseries Lonesome Dove, an adaptation of the 1985 novel by Larry McMurtry.  The four-part series had an ensemble cast, including Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Danny Glover, Diane Lane and Angelica Huston.  Lonesome Dove garnered very high ratings.  It earned 18 Emmy nomination and seven wins.

Ricky in Lonesome Dove

 

From 1988 until 2001, Ricky played Detective Danny Sorenson in 59 episodes of the police series NYPD Blue.  In 2007, he portrayed Mike Doyle in 12 episodes of the action series 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland. He also played Robert Lee Parton, Dolly's father in the 2015 TV movie Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Color and its 2016 sequel Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love.

Ricky Schroder has been married twice.  On September 26, 1992, he married 20-year-old Andrea Bernard, a Canadian-born interior designer/real estate developer.  The couple met in  Canada in 1991 while Ricky was filming Blood River in Calgary.  In 2008, Andrea appeared as a contestant on Top Design, Bravo's interior design competition.   In 2017, she became a reality star after appearing in the Lifetime docuseries Growing Up Supermodel.  The show, which focused on the careers of the children of celebrities as they attempted to build their own careers in the fashion industry.  

Andrea Bernard

Andrea took the last name "Schroder." and Ricky eventually converted to Andrea's Mormon faith.

The couple had four children: sons Holden, (born January 8, 1992) and  Luke (born August 1, 1993), and daughters Cambrie (born September 14, 1997) and Faith (born August 8, 2001).  Son Holden is named after actor William Holden with whom Ricky co-starred in film The Earthling (1980).  Faith and Cambrie starred in Growing Up Supermodel, along with their mother.

Ricky and Andrea maintained a residence in Grand Junction Colorado, but Arizona was their year-round home of record.  They owned a sprawling ranch-style residence in a gated community near the DC Ranch area of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Below are photos of daughters Faith (left) and Cambrie

In September of 2016, after almost 24 years of marriage, Andrea filed for divorce in the Los Angeles Superior Court, citing "irreconcilable differences."  After the breakup of him marriage, Ricky went through a difficult period.  In 2019, he was arrested twice within a month on suspicion of domestic violence,  However, no charges were laid.  

During COVID pandemic, Ricky clearly opposed the wearing of masks.  In May of 2021, he uploaded a controversial video that showed him pressuring a Costco employee about the company's policy and California's mandate requiring wearing face masks or coverings in stores.  Ricky later uploaded a second video apologizing for his treatment of the employee, but stating that he stood by his beliefs regarding the mask mandate.

On July 9, 2025, Schroder wed for a second time.  He married theatre actress Julie Trammel at the Four Seasons resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.  The couple shared photos of their seaside beach wedding on Instagram.  Ricky and Julie told People that their nuptials were a "dream come true" and that they chose their venue after viewing the latest season of White Lotus.  "Cabo is much closer than Thailand," they said.      

Julie Trammel

END NOTES

* Ricky Schroder has an older sister, Dawn Schroder, sometimes known professionally as Dawn A. Gregg.  Dawn and her husband, Bradley Gregg. are filmmakers.  They have five children.

* Ricky's paternal grandparents were German immigrants.

* Ricky played Jon Voight's son twice: first in the The Champ (1979) and 14 years later in Return to Lonesome Dove (1993).

* In 2000, Ricky delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in support of George W. Bush.   A 2001 article in the East Valley Tribune, a Phoenix, Arizona area newspaper, described Ricky as "one of the few out-of-the-closet conservatives in the entertainment industry."

* Ricky did not appear in the May 2001 season finale of NYPD Blue due to the impending birth of his youngest child, Faith.  He later announced his decision to leave the show in order to devote more time to his family.

* In 2004, Ricky made his debut as a writer and director with Black Cloud, a drama about a Navajo man who embarks on a journey of personal growth to prepare himself to box at the Olympics.  Eddie Spears played the title role of Black Cloud, while Ricky and Tim McGraw also appeared in the film, which marked McGraw's acting debut.

* Ricky is a strong advocate for Childhelp, a nonprofit organization devoted to preventing child abuse.

* Recently, Ricky and wife Julie travelled to Provo, Utah to support Charlie Kirk's family as the preliminary hearing for Kirk's alleged murderer began.  The former child star sported a grey beard, with his blond hair tucked underneath a tan trucker hat.  He wore black-framed glasses and a navy blue T-shirt with a blue patch that read "The Hell I Won't."

SOURCES

People, "NYPD Blue Star Rick Schroder Marries Theater Actress Julie Trammel in Seaside Cabo Wedding: 'Our Hearts Are Grateful," by Kimberlee Speakman and Erin Clack, August 25, 2025; East Valley Tribune (eastvalley.com), "From child star to director," by Craig Outhier, Septemeber 26, 2004, Updated October 6, 2011; In Touch, "Ricky Schroder Looks Unrecognizable in New Video as He Supports Charlie Kirk's Family at Trial," by Whitney Danhauer, July 8, 2026; Wikipedia; IMDb (Internet Movie Database

- Joanne

Y&R at crossroads

As regular readers know, I write a column called Y&R Report which appears on TV Banter every second Saturday.  At the moment, I am taking a summer break from writing the column until September 12th. However. something happened that has compelled me to comment.  The Young and the Restless is at a crossroads.  There has been a major shakeup at the soap.  Head writer Josh Griffith has suddenly decided to leave the show after six years on the job.  His departure was confirmed on June 26th, but he will remain with Y&R while CBS searches for his replacement  Griffith's departure comes weeks after he stepped down as executive produce.  Veteran producer Sally McDonald became the show's sole executive producer, while Griffith concentrated on his writing.  

So far, I have not been particularly impressed with the show's summer storylines.  Y&R really needs to lighten up.  I hope that Griffith's successor will not have as many dark storylines.  There have been far too many kidnappings, addictions and mental breakdowns.  Where are the summer barbeques and swimming parties?  Why was the Fourth of July completely ignored?  Younger characters such as Faith Newman, Lucy Romalotti, Johnny Abbott and Connor Newman seem to have disappeared.  

I also think that some of the show's storylines have been very uneven.  For example, we never did find out what happened to wicked Ian Ward.  After being assumed dead, he inexplicably opened his eyes in the ambulance.  Mariah had visions of him, but we have never learned his fate.  

Recently there was concern that singer Danny Romalotti was missing.  He showed up and the storyline was was quickly dropped.  For months, Holden and Audra have been keeping a secret about their connection to the death of a man in L.A.  Will anything ever come of that?  Sometimes the writers just drop stories as if they hadn't been planned.  

Furthermore, there doesn't seem to be any storyline right now for Daniel and Tessa.  Mariah seems to be out of the picture.  I like Detective Burrow, but they should use him more,  His appearances have been few and far between.  The writers should give him a real storyline and a first name.

 

The choice of Y&R's new head writer is crucial.  It will direction of the soap for years to come.

- Joanne