Tony Dow is an American actor, producer, sculptor, and director who is undoubtedly best known
for his role as Wally Cleaver on the iconic sitcom Leave it to Beaver.
It was a role that he held from 1957 to 1963.
Even though playing Wally throughout the influential show's run introduced the world to Dow, when
it came to an end after being on the air for six years, Dow found himself deeply angry
and wildly depressed.
He wrestled with those feelings for many years, but ultimately these difficult emotions helped
shape his entire life story.
Although he has now gotten his emotions under control, in recent years, he has opened up
about his story so that he can help guide others, encourage them to reach out and get
help when they really need it.
Join FactsVerse as we take a closer look at the life and career of Tony Dow and the pain
that he suffered through after Leave It To Beaver went off the air after its 234 episode
run.
But before we touch on that, let's take a little trip back in time and see where Dow
came from and how he managed to score his breakout role in the first place.
Dow Didn't Know He Wanted To Be An Actor
Tony Dow was born in Hollywood on the 13th of April, 1945.
Essentially, he got into acting by sheer happenstance when he was 11.
In an interview that he gave to Fox News, Dow recalled how he was a swimmer and the
junior diving champion that held a national recorder by the time he was 9.
While training at the Hollywood athletic club, he met a lifeguard who happened to be an actor.
The lifeguard told Dow's mother that he had planned on doing an interview for a TV series
in which they were searching for actors to play a father and son duo, and because Tony
bore a striking resemblance to him, he figured that bringing him along might just be the
only way that he could land the role.
So, after gaining his mother's consent, Dow donned a blue suit and went to the audition.
He had no idea what to expect, but everything about this new and exciting experience intrigued
him.
Being alongside his friend from the athletic club also put him at ease.
Things didn't go quite as planned however, Dow walked out of the audition with the part
while his buddy didn't.
The show in question was titled Johnny Wildlife, and it would have been the first color program
on TV to feature a wildlife photographer alongside his "son".
While that show never amounted to anything, possibly because it was a bit ahead of its
time, another show began development that was called Wally and the Beaver that did get
greenlit – although it would be renamed Leave it to Beaver.
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Leave It To Beaver Was A Modest Hit
While Leave It To Beaver never managed to crack the Nielsen top-30 ratings during its
original run – primarily due to the fact that it premiered during an era when Westerns
were the big trend in network television – it has since become known as one of the most
iconic and trailblazing shows of its age.
In fact, reruns of the series can still be seen in practically every country worldwide.
Leave it to Beaver told the wholesome story of the happy, carefree life of Wally Cleaver,
played by Dow, his younger brother Theodore 'Beaver Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers,
and their parents, played by Barbara Billingsley and Hugh Beaumont.
After its initial season, Beaver moved from CBS to ABC after a better deal was arranged
by the series sponsor Ralston Purina.
It remained on that network for its remaining five seasons.
Despite the fact that the ratings never were entirely in the show's favor, something magical
was happening in the fictional town of Mayfield that ended up standing the test of time.
The series creators Bob Mosher and Joe Connelly, who penned the scripts for the majority of
the series early episodes, based a lot of the humor included in the show on their own
lives.
Both writers had children of their own, and they knew how to take their personal experiences
with raising a family and translate that into a television show that felt relatable.
They ended up telling their stories from a child's point of view instead of from an adult's
perspective, such as how previous offerings such as Father Knows Best had.
Dow told Fox that he can't think of another show besides perhaps The Wonder Years that
have gone that route.
Tony believes that the way Leave it to Beaver told its story through a kid's eyes made the
series such a memorable and meaningful experience.
Even though the show's ratings weren't the greatest, it was still considered to be a
commercial and critical success.
Unfortunately, seldom do directors think of others roles for their stars after their shows
wrap up production.
Even though the role of Wally put Tony Dow in the spotlight, after Beaver ended, not
many people were still thinking about him.
Dow Fell Into Depression After Leave It To Beaver Ended
Tony felt extremely frustrated after Leave It To Beaver had ended.
He didn't want to spend the rest of his life only ever being known as the person who once
played Wally Cleaver.
He felt like he had just started getting his feet in the waters of the entertainment industry,
but just as quickly as he had achieved a bit of fame, it appeared as if his career had
already dried up.
This is a fairly typical experience, unfortunately for a child star.
Rarely are child actors able to actually having thriving careers in show business in their
adulthood.
Some lucky stars like Ron Howard, for example, manage to break this stereotype, but the chances
of actually pulling that stunt off are pretty slim.
After Beaver, Dow began making guest-star appearances on various television shows and
made a handful of film appearances as well.
In 1977, he parodied his Beaver years in a witty courtroom segment in the comedy film
Kentucky Fried Movie.
At the time, he figured there wasn't any harm in lampooning the character that had launched
his career as he had no plans to reprise the role.
But lo and behold, he would actually return to the role of Wally in the 1980s – first
for a reunion TV film, and later in the reboot series, The New Leave it To Beaver.
After that series wrapped up, Dow started directing episodes of television series such
as Coach, The New Lassie, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Babylon 5.
For the latter, he also served as visual effects supervisor.
Dow would likewise oversee the special effects of a Doctor Who television film that aired
on Fox in the 90s.
From the moment that he chose to appear on Leave It To Beaver, Dow lost much of the control
that he had over his life and career.
By the time he was 12, Tony was being told what he could and couldn't do – be it on
the set of Leave it to Beaver or at home by his parents who doubled as his managers.
He felt like he had lost control – and this resulted in a unique form of grief that he
would have to learn to deal with for years.
Even to this day, Dow admits that at the age of 76, he still struggles with depression.
Dow's Depression Translated Into Anger
Depression left untreated can lead to anger.
The inverse is true as well.
And for Tony Dow, he learned this life lesson the hard way.
But by learning about what he was feeling and experiencing, acknowledging it, and seeking
help outside of himself, Dow was gradually able to heal.
One of the major sources of support whom Dow has relied upon has been his wife, Lauren
Shulkind.
She was the one that was able to show Tony that goodness still existed in his life.
Over the years, Shulkind, who works as an artist, has supported all of her husband's
artistic aspirations.
She has also done her best to remind him that being closely associated with his role of
Wally isn't always a bad thing.
Wally is a character that is known for being gentle and kindhearted – two traits that
are pretty admirable.
Dow has found purpose in life in his later years by sculpting bronze statues.
He works on these abstract pieces in a studio space that he shares with his wife.
While artistic expression has helped him keep his depression at bay, so has medication and
therapy.
Dow Was Hospitalized In 2021
In August of last year, Tony Dow was hospitalized with pneumonia.
USA Today reported on August 30, 2021, that he was up and about walking around and that
his doctors believed that he would make a full recovery and return home quickly.
Fortunately, they were right.
After the news broke that he had been hospitalized, Lauren Shulkind, thanked Dow's fans for all
of their support throughout those trying times, while promising that she would keep the public
updated on Dow's health.
For someone in their 70s, pneumonia can sometimes be a death sentence, so it's certainly good
to hear that Tony was able to recover from it.
At the moment, Dow hasn't done much in the way of acting, directing, or producing.
The last thing that he appeared in as an actor was the 2003 film Dickie Roberts: Former Child
Star.
In 2019, he was seen promoting Leave it to Beaver and several other classic television
shows on the MeTV television network.
Depression can be a very serious problem for people that are suffering from it, but Tony
Dow has always faced his struggles head-on.
His life may not have played out exactly how he envisioned it – and he may not have had
as much control over his career as he would have hoped for – but he's never given up
nor has he allowed his frustrations and depression to manifest into anything especially toxic.
If anything, Tony Dow is an excellent example of someone that has been able to transmute
their personal struggles into an asset.
The aftermath of appearing on Leave it to Beaver and being typecast as Wally, further
only showed Dow what was most important in his life.
Fame and fortune certainly have their perks, but for Dow, his relationship with his wife,
Lauren, is by far the most important thing in his life.
Where you a fan of the trailblazing, family-friendly sitcom Leave it to Beaver?
If so, what are some of your favorite memories from that show that involved Tony Dow's character,
Wally?
Let us know in the comments.
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