Life and career
McNichol was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Carollyne, a business manager and actress, and Jim McNichol, a carpenter.[3] Her father was Scottish and her mother of Palestinian background.[citation needed] McNichol appeared with her brother Jimmy in commercials and later, on her own, in guest appearances on such series as Starsky and Hutch, The Bionic Woman, Love American Style and The Love Boat thanks to family friend Desi Arnaz. Her first stint as a series regular came with the role of Patricia Apple in the short-lived CBS television series Apple's Way (1974).
In 1976, McNichol was cast as Buddy in the television drama series Family (1976–80), for which she earned two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series (1977 and 1979). Many future actors and actresses also guest-starred on the show, including Helen Hunt, Michael J. Fox and Leif Garrett. The show, produced by Aaron Spelling, was considered a breakthrough for television drama that dealt with "real life" issues.[citation needed]
In December 1977, McNichol appeared on The Carpenters at Christmas TV special, performing several musical numbers with the duo. Following this in 1978, McNichol and her brother Jimmy made their own foray into music and recorded an album, Kristy & Jimmy McNichol, for RCA Records. The album included the single "He's So Fine" (a cover of The Chiffons 1963 hit) which peaked at #70 on the Billboard chart. The McNichols promoted the album at New York's Studio 54 discothèque, with other big-name celebrities in attendance such as Brooke Shields. In December 1978, McNichol would appear in another Carpenters holiday special, The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, this time with her brother Jimmy.
By this time, McNichol was one of the biggest teen stars of the era and appeared on various chat shows, including The Mike Douglas Show and Dinah!, as well as several appearances on Battle of the Network Stars and other celebrity-based shows. Also in 1978, she starred in the acclaimed made-for-television film adaptation of Bette Greene's Summer Of My German Soldier.
McNichol began her feature film career in the Burt Reynolds comedy The End in 1978. She later co-starred with Tatum O'Neal in the hit teen coming of age story, Little Darlings, in 1980. She appeared with Dennis Quaid and Mark Hamill in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), for which, at age 19, she received an unprecedented six-figure salary. The same year, she co-starred in Neil Simon's Only When I Laugh for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
However, by 1982, McNichol's fortunes began to decline. She starred in the musical film, The Pirate Movie, alongside Christopher Atkins, but the film was a huge box office flop despite its multi-million-dollar budget. Later that year, McNichol stormed off the set of the film Just The Way You Are. By this time, rumors of McNichol's alleged drug use were rife and it was often attributed as the cause of her increasingly problematic on-set behaviour. She was later diagnosed with clinical depression, and although she eventually completed the film, her reputation was severely damaged by the incident and she was subsequently offered only B-film titles and TV movies. In 1986, McNichol supported lead actress Susan Sarandon in the TV movie, Women of Valor, about American nurses being incarcerated in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II.
In 1988, McNichol played Barbara Weston on the NBC sitcom Empty Nest, a spin-off from The Golden Girls. However, McNichol's problematic on-set behaviour once again became a concern, and she left the series in 1992 when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[4] She returned to the series for its final episode in 1995, which was effectively her last ever screen appearance as an actress, though she went on to voice characters in the animated TV series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) and Invasion America (1998).
In March 1999, McNichol was the subject of an edition of E! True Hollywood Story, in which she spoke candidly about her career, alleged drug problems, and her mental health problems. McNichol's last public statement was in June 2001, when she said:
"A lot of people have wondered what I've been up to. I retired from my career after 24 years. My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part — MYSELF! I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. So many fans are disappointed that I'm not currently acting, however some may not realize that the process I'm in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being."
McNichol was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Carollyne, a business manager and actress, and Jim McNichol, a carpenter.[3] Her father was Scottish and her mother of Palestinian background.[citation needed] McNichol appeared with her brother Jimmy in commercials and later, on her own, in guest appearances on such series as Starsky and Hutch, The Bionic Woman, Love American Style and The Love Boat thanks to family friend Desi Arnaz. Her first stint as a series regular came with the role of Patricia Apple in the short-lived CBS television series Apple's Way (1974).
In 1976, McNichol was cast as Buddy in the television drama series Family (1976–80), for which she earned two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series (1977 and 1979). Many future actors and actresses also guest-starred on the show, including Helen Hunt, Michael J. Fox and Leif Garrett. The show, produced by Aaron Spelling, was considered a breakthrough for television drama that dealt with "real life" issues.[citation needed]
In December 1977, McNichol appeared on The Carpenters at Christmas TV special, performing several musical numbers with the duo. Following this in 1978, McNichol and her brother Jimmy made their own foray into music and recorded an album, Kristy & Jimmy McNichol, for RCA Records. The album included the single "He's So Fine" (a cover of The Chiffons 1963 hit) which peaked at #70 on the Billboard chart. The McNichols promoted the album at New York's Studio 54 discothèque, with other big-name celebrities in attendance such as Brooke Shields. In December 1978, McNichol would appear in another Carpenters holiday special, The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait, this time with her brother Jimmy.
By this time, McNichol was one of the biggest teen stars of the era and appeared on various chat shows, including The Mike Douglas Show and Dinah!, as well as several appearances on Battle of the Network Stars and other celebrity-based shows. Also in 1978, she starred in the acclaimed made-for-television film adaptation of Bette Greene's Summer Of My German Soldier.
McNichol began her feature film career in the Burt Reynolds comedy The End in 1978. She later co-starred with Tatum O'Neal in the hit teen coming of age story, Little Darlings, in 1980. She appeared with Dennis Quaid and Mark Hamill in The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), for which, at age 19, she received an unprecedented six-figure salary. The same year, she co-starred in Neil Simon's Only When I Laugh for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.
However, by 1982, McNichol's fortunes began to decline. She starred in the musical film, The Pirate Movie, alongside Christopher Atkins, but the film was a huge box office flop despite its multi-million-dollar budget. Later that year, McNichol stormed off the set of the film Just The Way You Are. By this time, rumors of McNichol's alleged drug use were rife and it was often attributed as the cause of her increasingly problematic on-set behaviour. She was later diagnosed with clinical depression, and although she eventually completed the film, her reputation was severely damaged by the incident and she was subsequently offered only B-film titles and TV movies. In 1986, McNichol supported lead actress Susan Sarandon in the TV movie, Women of Valor, about American nurses being incarcerated in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II.
In 1988, McNichol played Barbara Weston on the NBC sitcom Empty Nest, a spin-off from The Golden Girls. However, McNichol's problematic on-set behaviour once again became a concern, and she left the series in 1992 when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[4] She returned to the series for its final episode in 1995, which was effectively her last ever screen appearance as an actress, though she went on to voice characters in the animated TV series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) and Invasion America (1998).
In March 1999, McNichol was the subject of an edition of E! True Hollywood Story, in which she spoke candidly about her career, alleged drug problems, and her mental health problems. McNichol's last public statement was in June 2001, when she said:
"A lot of people have wondered what I've been up to. I retired from my career after 24 years. My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part — MYSELF! I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. So many fans are disappointed that I'm not currently acting, however some may not realize that the process I'm in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being."
Personal life
McNichol has never married and resides in Los Angeles, California. Since retiring from the screen, she has taught acting at a private school in Los Angeles and devoted much of her time to charity work.
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