Child Stars: So What Ever Happened To...?

With the antics of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan constantly in the news, it's got me to thinking about what has happened to some other child stars. Indeed, child stars have long been known for crashing and burning after their few years of fame are up. A few, like Jodie Foster, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ron Howard manage to continue into adulthood with successful careers in the entertainment field. But many child stars get into trouble or simply fade out of the limelight. Here are some updates on some blast-from-the-past child stars:

Jay North (b. 1951) - Adorably cute and precocious, Jay North landed the role of "Dennis the Menace" in 1959, the television version of Hank Ketchum's popular comic strip. But when the cuteness started to wear off, North had a hard time finding acting jobs. He did small guest roles on shows like "My Three Sons' and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E" and even voiced the Bam Bam Rubble character on the animated "Pebbles and Bam Bam Show". But North, who had a hard time adjusting to his fleeting fame, had problems with drugs, as well as an obesity problem. In recent interviews, North had bitter feelings about his time as a child star. He has since come to peace with his past and, after 2 previous divorces, now resides in Florida with his third wife Cindy Hackney.

Lisa Gerritsen (b. 1957) - Best known as William Windom's daughter Lydia on the 1969 short-lived show "My World and Welcome to It", Gerritsen was later cast as Bess Lindstrom, Cloris Leachman's daughter on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". She guested on many popular shows in the early 1970's and also appeared in the movie "Airplane". Gerritsen left the showbiz world for good in 1977. Today, at 50 years old, she lives in California and works for a software company.