Who Is Still Alive From ‘Make Room for Daddy?’

MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY, Rusty Hamer, Angela Cartwright, Danny Thomas, Marjorie Lord, Sherry Jackson (standing), 1953-65
Everett Collection

Make Room for Daddy (later called The Danny Thomas Show) was an American sitcom that ran in the ’50s and ’60s. It started on ABC from 1953 to 1957 and later on CBS from 1957 to 1964. It starred Danny Thomas as a nightclub entertainer but mainly focused on his relationship with his family. The show was filmed by Desilu Studios, co-owned by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

All of the characters helped make this a classic sitcom of yesteryear, but most of them have since passed away. First, let’s discover who is still alive from the series and what they are up to now.

Angela Cartwright (72)

Linda Williams

Angela Cartwright

Everett Collection; Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images

Angela Cartwright and her sister Veronica Cartwright both moved to Los Angeles and became child stars. Angela was best known for Make Room for Daddy and Lost in Space but soon left the world of acting behind for another creative career, although she did appear in the Lost in Space reboot in 2018. She is now an artist and photographer, often mixing medias and showing her art in galleries. In recent years, she has not lost sight of her TV roots and has connected with fans at events as well as discussed her experiences on the classic shows.

She shares her life and art on social media and has written a book called Styling the Stars, about the behind-the-scenes styling and costuming processes at 20th Century Fox Films. She also wrote a book about Lost in Space with her former costar Bill Mumy. Cartwright has been married to Steve Gullion since 1976 and they have two children.

Sherry Jackson (82)

Terry Williams

Sherry Jackson

Everett Collection

Sherry Jackson was best known for her role in Make Room for Daddy but went on to appear in several big shows as a guest star including Batman, Gunsmoke, Star Trek and The Twilight Zone. Many Star Trek fans celebrate her role in the episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” as the android Andrea. Her last appearance was in an episode of the soap opera Guiding Light in 1992 and she has since retired from acting. While she keeps a pretty low profile, she does occasionally attend fan conventions.

MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY, aka THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW, from left: Marjorie Lord, Danny Thomas, Angela Cartwright, Rusty Hamer, Sherry Jackson, 1953-1965

TV Guide/Everett Collection

As far as the rest of the main cast goes, Danny Thomas (Danny Williams) died on Feb. 6, 1991, at the age of 79 from a heart attack; Jean Hagen (Margaret Williams) died on Aug. 29, 1977, at the age of 54 from throat cancer; Marjorie Lord (Kathy Williams) died on Nov. 28, 2015, at the age of 97; Rusty Hamer (Rusty Williams) died on Jan. 18, 1990, by suicide at the age of 42; and Sid Melton (Charlie Halper) died on Nov. 2, 2011, at the age of 94 from pneumonia.

Who was your favorite character from Make Room for Daddy?

 

Classic TV Shows of the ’50s & ’60s
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Classic TV Shows of the ’50s & ’60s

September 2020

Test your knowledge, from Bonanza and Gunsmoke to I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek and more fun TV of the 1950s and 1960s.

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