00:00The Facts of Life was a spin-off of the popular sitcom Different Strokes.
00:28It used its main characters to show the struggles real young women go through.
00:32The show was almost canceled after its first season, but then it hit its stride when it
00:36got a fully fleshed-out cast.
00:37It also introduced the world of future megastars like George Clooney and Molly Ringwald.
00:42They didn't always get along like a found family, though, behind the scenes.
00:46Keep watching as The Facts of Life cast reveals the co-star who everyone hated.
00:50Happy Reunions The Facts of Life cast reunited online.
00:54Lisa Welchel and Jerry Jewell posted photos of the on-screen cousins together wearing
00:59red shirts and heart-shaped necklaces.
01:01She captioned them,
01:02Quote,
01:03We aren't technically family, but since we played one on TV, and we've known each
01:07other for almost half a century, it sure feels like it.
01:09So good to catch up with the funny and wise and deep and talented Jerry Jewell.
01:14Nancy McKeon and Mindy Kohn also dropped in to surprise mega-fan Drew Barrymore on her
01:19talk show.
01:20She described the show's influence on her.
01:21The individual characters were also influential to her.
01:24Nancy was proud to hear that her work as Jo was a major inspiration for Drew's character
01:29in Charlie's Angels.
01:30She showed the world that girls could be strong and tough.
01:33Lisa's character of Blair helped her be more empathetic and less intimidated by the
01:37world.
01:38Natalie was a major moral compass and the voice of reason that she didn't have growing
01:42up.
01:43The Reboot That Never Was Norman Lear had great luck not only with
01:47his sitcoms but with their revivals and live remakes.
01:51He was surprised by the reception when they tried this for Facts of Life.
01:55Mindy said,
01:56He called all of us and said, I knew you guys were still popular, but holy hell.
02:01He contacted her and her former co-stars Lisa, Kim, and Nancy to do a full reboot before
02:06his death in December 2023.
02:09She said,
02:10So when he did, he said, are you guys interested?
02:11And we had all never really talked about it.
02:15But we all started to consider it a little bit and we got into talks and we started,
02:19we hired a writer and the four of us got together on Zooms.
02:22This was during COVID and we had meetings with Norman about it.
02:26The dreams were dashed because of on-site drama.
02:29In an interview, Michael Hitchcock said,
02:31Quote, there's always a greedy bitch.
02:33And she agreed.
02:34This other cast member was apparently trying to make a separate spinoff deal behind the
02:38other cast members' backs.
02:40It was devastating to them and made them feel that they weren't as united as they thought
02:44they were.
02:45She said,
02:46They are so desperate for either money or fame that it causes them to do things that
02:53to me, I guess I'm still not that jaded.
02:57It shocks me.
02:58It always just kind of shocks me.
02:59You're going to do that over money or that over becoming famous.
03:02Like it always just kind of freaks me out that people will do that.
03:05We've talked about friendships of deep, true friendships under the bus for a dollar.
03:11Mindy wouldn't name names but said that her Instagram gave clues as to which actress she
03:16was referring to.
03:17She told fans to look out for who she hangs out with the most.
03:21The only one she follows is Lisa.
03:23They appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show together this year and were at Norman Lear's 100th
03:27birthday party in 2022.
03:29None of the other castmates have commented on her claims.
03:32Mindy says that not only is the reboot dead, but they don't want to work together again.
03:37It's up to the public to speculate and try to solve the mystery.
03:40Some believe that the offending cast member has to be Kim.
03:43She's the only one missing from Mindy's Instagram recently.
03:46Others think that it has to be Lisa, with her character on the show affecting their
03:49opinion.
03:50They assume that the mean girl on the show had to be the quote, greedy bitch.
03:54Where Are They Now?
03:55The beauty of a reunion is that it gives fans the chance to check in on their favorite cast
03:59members.
04:00The Facts of Life cast went on to have wonderful careers.
04:03Not all are still with us, but their impact will be felt forever.
04:06George Clooney This two-time Oscar winner has to be the
04:09biggest breakout star from The Facts of Life.
04:12He was an unknown when he came along in Season 7 as handyman George Burnett.
04:16That role led to guest spots on The Golden Girls and a supporting role on Roseanne.
04:21He then found a breakout role in the medical drama ER as Dr. Doug Ross from 1994 to 1999.
04:27He eventually became a movie star with hit films such as his Oscar-winning stints for
04:312005's Siriana and 2012's Argo.
04:35Molly Ringwald Molly had a temporary role as Molly Parker
04:39on The Facts of Life.
04:40She was written out quickly, but it wasn't the end of her career.
04:42She starred in hit John Hughes films of the 1980s like Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink.
04:47She also appeared in other projects such as The Secret Life of the American Teenager and
04:52Riverdale.
04:53Charlotte Ray Charlotte was a favorite of the fan base
04:55and Norman Lear.
04:56It's not an exaggeration to say that the series may have never happened without her.
05:00She proposed the idea for the spinoff and played housekeeper Mrs. Edna Garrett through
05:04the first season.
05:06She then starred in the first seven seasons of The Facts of Life and its special two-part
05:10season eight episode.
05:12Her work earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination.
05:14She also co-starred in Ricky and the Flash.
05:16She died of bone cancer at the age of 92 on August 5, 2018.
05:21Lisa Welchel Lisa started her career early.
05:23She was a mouseketeer on the New Mickey Mouse Club.
05:26She stayed there from 1977 to 1978.
05:29She started playing Blair Warner the next year in all nine seasons of The Facts of Life.
05:34She even reappeared for a TV movie in 2001.
05:37She joined her castmates in the Lifetime movie Light Up My Christmas in 2019.
05:41That didn't stop her from showing off her other talents.
05:44She is a best-selling but controversial author and speaker.
05:47She released a Christian pop album during the show's run and was nominated for a Grammy.
05:52Lisa was a contestant on Survivor Philippines.
05:55She returned for a life in front of a studio audience version of her breakout role.
05:59She also hosts the series Collector's Call on MeTV and even offers life coaching services.
06:05Kim Fields Kim was familiar with the world of good
06:08times having played Kim on that show.
06:10She had also already played Tootie on Diff'rent Strokes, so she was a natural fit for the
06:14spinoff.
06:15The audience loved hearing her catchphrase, We are in trouble.
06:18Her mother, Chip Fields, even played her on-screen mother.
06:21Kim's work led to a prosperous career.
06:23She appeared in other sitcoms in the 1990s like Mork & Mindy, Martin, and The Fresh Prince
06:27of Bel-Air.
06:28Leaving single gave her another chance to star in a show with an all-female cast.
06:32Kim lent her directing talents to shows like Kenan & Kel and Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns.
06:37She got a main role in The Upshaws as well.
06:40She appeared on The Real Housewives of Atlanta from 2015 to 2016 and was a fan favorite on
06:44Dancing with the Stars.
06:46Mindy Cohen The producer of Facts of Life toured Mindy's
06:49school as research for the show.
06:51When they met, Charlotte Rae insisted that the part of Natalie Greene be written for
06:55her because she reminded her of her childhood best friend.
06:59Mindy went on to appear in other shows like Charles in Charge, 21 Jump Street, Hot in
07:03Cleveland, and The Middle.
07:04One of her most popular roles was providing the voice of Scooby-Doo's Velma Dinkley from
07:092002 to 2015.
07:11She had a private battle with breast cancer in 2012 but is now cancer-free.
07:16Nancy McKeon Nancy originally began acting in soap operas
07:19like Another World and The Secret Storm.
07:22She then played the tomboy character Joe in the second season of Facts of Life.
07:26Her role was the final missing piece in the show's core group.
07:30She went on to star in over a dozen TV movies after the show.
07:34She was also part of series like Can't Hurry Love and Style & Substance.
07:38She joined Dancing with the Stars in 2018, and she was featured in the 2021 Prime Video
07:43series Panic.
07:44Mackenzie Astin Mackenzie is the half-brother of Sean Astin
07:48and his parents are Patty Duke and John Astin.
07:51He began appearing on Facts of Life at the end of season 7.
07:54He was a top teen idol at the time who was meant to attract attention to the show.
07:59After it ended, he went on to find plenty of roles.
08:02He starred in the movie Iron Will and got recurring roles in shows like The Magicians,
08:06The Blacklist, Scandal, Homeland, You, and Winning Time, The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
08:12Cloris Leachman Cloris was a recognized name by the time she
08:15joined the show.
08:16She had experience with spin-offs, having been on the Mary Tyler Moore show's spin-off
08:20Phyllis from 1986 to 1988.
08:23Her career continued to grow after that.
08:25She starred in Raising Hope from 2010 to 2014.
08:28She also took on supporting roles in American Gods.
08:31Her pleasant voice became a go-to for old women animated characters in later life.
08:36She died at the age of 94 on January 27, 2021.
08:40Now it's time to hear from you.
08:41Who was your favorite character from Facts of Life?
08:43Let us know in the comments section below.
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