The Facts of Life, The Division
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"I started working at the age of 2, doing commercials and modeling in New York." Nancy McKeon was metaphorically born into the entertainment industry. Her older brother, Philip, had been blazing a trail as an actor before she even came into her family's lives. However, once McKeon got started, she was quick to catch up with Phil. Raising one child star may seem hard enough, but raising two? There must have been something special in their genes!
Nancy McKeon is a well-regarded actress known for her work on shows like The Facts of Life and The Division. Born and raised in New York, McKeon found herself at the center of the television world while she was still a child. Now, decades later, McKeon is still lighting up the television screen.
McKeon has had a fascinating career filled with ups-and-downs. Let's take a moment to get to know the former child star.
Family of Stars
Nancy McKeon was born on April 5, 1966, in Westbury, New York. McKeon was born into a family that had already grown roots in the industry. Her elder brother, Philip McKeon, had already established himself as an actor by the time that Nancy was learning to walk. Philip would appear in Alice (1976) and Favorite Son (1988) before transitioning to film work and, ultimately, retiring in 1994. For her part, Nancy was quick to follow suit.
At just 2-years-old, McKeon was tearing up the commercial world with appearances for several New York-based promotions. Soon after, McKeon's family would begin to take her career seriously. They would pick up their roots in order to move across the country to Los Angeles. The move was ostensibly to support Philip's career but Nancy began to quickly overtake her elder brother. There was even a moment in time when Nancy was dating Michael J. Fox! While the relationship didn't last, that is still one heck of an accomplishment.
Nancy McKeon is relatively quiet with regard to her early childhood. We do know that she loved performing as a child and that she has fascinated by the work.
Heading to Los Angeles
Nancy McKeon and her family would set up shop in Los Angeles in 1975. Once they were settled down, brother Philip would begin to work in commercials. Before moving to L.A., Nancy was gaining attention for her work on then-popular soap operas, The Secret Storm and Another World. After the move, Nancy was quick to gain the attention of the casting director for the show, The Facts of Life. The casting director had seen Nancy in a Hallmark commercial, and he was impressed by her ability to 'cry on cue'.
Nancy would end up cast as Jo Polniaczek in Facts of Life (1980). McKeon would appear in 189 episodes from 1980 to 1988. After the series wrapped, McKeon would continue her work with the franchise. McKeon would appear in almost every Facts of Life made-for-TV movie including The Facts of Life Goes to Paris (1982) and The Facts of Life Down Under (1987).
While McKeon had enjoyed her time on Facts of Life, she was eventually ready to move on to other projects. McKeon would land several made-for-TV movie roles in the early '90s, including The Hitchhiker (1990), Lightning Field (1991) and Baby Snatcher (1992). Following her string of made-for-TV roles, McKeon would find herself starring on the TV series, Can't Hurry Love (1995) as Annie O'Donnell.
As a child star, there were moments when Nancy could have seen her career hit completely different heights. She famously auditioned for the part of Monica Geller on the legendary TV show, Friends. As you know by now, McKeon would lose out on the part to Courteney Cox. McKeon has been effusive in her praise of Courteney saying, "The role went to the right person. Courteney was brilliant. Now, I can't see anybody playing the role, not even myself." It is clear to see that McKeon hasn't held a grudge over the years.
After missing out on Friends, McKeon would navigate the TV world while looking for a new home. She'd appear in a smattering of episodic appearances on programs like Touched by an Angel (1999) and Style & Substance (1998). Following this, McKeon would land her second high-profile television role in The Division (2001). The Division ended up becoming a cult classic for the Lifetime television station. McKeon would play an inspector on the police force and the drama would garner rave reviews. Unfortunately, her commitment to the program would prevent McKeon from appearing in a Facts of Life television movie, released in 2001. Eventually, Nancy would make her way to the Disney Channel where she would land the role of Connie Munroe on the show, Sonny With a Chance (2009). McKeon would play the mother of Demi Lovato's lead character.
McKeon has seen a recent surge in popularity due to her appearance on the reality show, Dancing With the Stars (2018). McKeon appeared on the 27th season of the show alongside her dancing partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy. McKeon would be the third celebrity to get eliminated from the program. This was Nancy's most recent high-profile acting role. Since the show ended in 2010, McKeon has been focused on building a life with her family. McKeon married Marc Andrus in 2003 and the couple has two children together.
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