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| Wait a minute, that's not the real Carol Seaver! |
When Growing Pains first aired in 1985, there was some weird mystery surrounding the role of Carol Seaver. Teen magazines like Bop, Tiger Beat and Teen Beat had us tweens pumped about the new show and it's new heartthrob, Kirk Cameron as Mike Seaver. The mags ran promotional photos of the young cast and also introduced us to Elizabeth Ward as Carol, Mike's brainy younger sister.
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| Jonathan Ward as Douglas Pembroke on Charles in Charge. |
Actress, Elizabeth Ward hailed from Elkridge, Maryland and had a brother named Jonathan Ward best known as Douglas Pembroke during the first year of Charles In Charge. Here's where the confusion comes in. When Growing Pains first aired, that chick Elizabeth wasn't Carol! Carol was played by Benson star Missy Gold's little sister Tracey Gold!
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| Growing Pains cast with Tracey Gold as Carol. |
It turns out test audiences weren't feelin' the original Carol. Could you imagine being Elizabeth Ward? Seriously, picture it ... You're cast in a big-time sitcom alongside cute Kirk Cameron, promo photos are distributed to the media, you've told your friends to watch out for your new show and then in a flash the dream is over.
A quick search on Elizabeth's IMDB resume shows her career in acting sorta ends around the time of the Growing Pains debacle. How devastating. According to Wikipedia, today Jonathan Ward owns an auto restoration shop, His sister is no longer acting. Her married name is Elizabeth Ward Langson and I found her on Facebook. Don't worry I didn't message her or anything.
Click here to view the original Growing Pains pilot featuring Elizabeth Ward as Carol Seaver.
18 comments:
I remember the show, but don't recall that. Poor girl!
Very interesting!
Huh. Learn something every day. I liked Tracy though - and she looked more "related" to Kirk.. I guuuess.
But yeah, poor girl, indeed.
Is it bad that looking at the first picture, I wasn't feeling Carol either??
I loved Tracy Gold. I WAS Tracy Gold. Except I wanted a make out sesh with Kirk Cameron, so I guess that would be a bit weird. :)
Charles in Charge! I reference that show in one of my novels.
Crazy that you found her on Facebook. Our world is so, so different than it was in the '80s. Much more egalitarian and democratic in very fundamental ways.
I never really watched that show.
awww, that's kinda sad! for elizabeth ward, anyway. tv life can be harsh.
coincidentally, the pembroke family didn't last too long on charles in charge either (from what i remember). didn't they move and then another family took the house, along with charles? that's pretty weird when you think about it happening in real life.
That is really interesting and sad, Ally. I loved the show but didn't know this. Wish there was a happier "ending" for Elizabeth.
xoRobyn
That's the acting industry for you I guess :/
Learned something new here today!
Wow! I never knew this! I can't imagine anyone but Tracey Gold as Carol.
interesting history. must of been a crappy feeling
Never seen this show, so I have idea what's going on >_<. But it sucks that they aren't in acting anymore =(
Show business is sure hard on a person's feelings. Poor girl. I hope she had a happy life afterwards.
I had no idea...
I remember the show, but didn't even know about it...
I loved the theme song of this show...in fact, I still love it today.
I Feel Badly For Elisabeth,But Tracey Just Made More Sense
It's on The 1st Season DVD
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