Tony Dow

At the age of 12, Tony Actor landed the role of Wally Cleaver in the classic family sitcom "Leave It to Beaver." When the show came to a close in 1963 he had brief roles on a number of series, including the comedy "My Three Sons" and the teacher drama "Mr. Novak." In 1965 Dow entered the National Guard, halting his acting career for several years. He quickly returned to acting once he was back, and throughout the 1970s worked in construction while studying journalism and film. Sporadic acting roles continued throughout this period, including a teaming with Beaver himself, Jerry Mathers, for dinner theater, until he reprised his role as an adult Wally Cleaver on the 1980s hit "The New Leave It to Beaver."

Dow managed to direct five episodes of the show, which led to further work behind the camera as he directed episodes of the sitcom "Coach," the sci-fi series "Babylon 5" and the short-lived "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show." Since giving up acting in the late 1990s Dow became a respected abstract sculptor, working with bronze and wood, before falling back into contracting and construction work, building luxury condominiums. Tony Dow died on July 27, 2022 in Topanga, CA at the age of 77.