She was a darling little girl and a lovely teenager, and I don't think she would have taken her own life. [1] Early life This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Brian got out of work quickly, but then you have children who cannot work full days. Jones started her career as a very young actress, at the age of seven, appearing in television advertisements and theatrical productions. That's why Buffy was seen walking on crutches and sporting a cast. She also opened up about the tragic fates of several of her "Family Affair" co-stars, Brian Keith, who died by suicide, and Anissa Jones, who died of a drug overdose at just 18 years old. But that didnt really happen. Like the child star, her brother Paul passed away at 24 in March 1984 from an overdose. Actress. We're living two kinds of different lives, and I just moved down to Los Angeles. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. For instance, in 1967 The Los Angeles Times spoke to her, commenting, Every Monday night, little Anissa Jones enters the wonderful world of make believe for half an hour to play Buffy, the tiny tot on CBS Family Affair. Naomi Judd's Heart Was 'Ripped Out and Stomped on by Men' Inside Her Marriages, Elvis Was Pressured to Marry 'Living Doll' Priscilla Who Was 'Young Enough to Train' Any Way He Wanted, After Millionaire Husbands Death, Old Widow Is Forced to Live In Dirty Old Trailer Story of the Day, Cloris Leachman Did "Everything Humanly Possible" to Save Her Son & Failed - Meet Her 5 Grown-up Kids, After Estranged Mother's Death, Siblings Find Dusty Old Box In Parents' Closet Story of the Day, Melissa Sue Anderson Declared Love for Mike Landon - She Was Shaken When He Had Affair with a Teen, Mickey Rooney Said He 'Died' When 5th Wife Was Killed by Her Lover Yet He Married Her Best Friend. He got a job in aerospace engineering and their family moved to California because of it. Family Affair's Kathy Garver Opens Up About The Cast Curse - BrainSharper (Getty), Fox News: What caused the show to end?Garver: I think there was a change in the times. All Rights Reserved, Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google, Here's What Happened to 'Family Affair' Star Brian Keith, The 1960s: Your Guide to 101 Classic (and Not-So-Classic) TV Shows From Your Youth, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Hawaii Adventures! He got a job in aerospace engineering and their family moved to California because of it. Her hard-driving mother enrolled Anissa in dance classes at the tender young age of four. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. I do think she likes to be recognized in public it has some meaning., In October 1967, the same paper ran another piece on her in which Anissa explained how she makes herself cry: I hate it. Unable to get past the death of his daughter and deal with everything else on top of it all, he decided to end it all on June 24, 1997, when he shot himself in the head. Although she became a household name, the hectic schedule, promotions, and also of the products associated with the show like Buffy paper dolls, a clothing line and lunch boxes among others took a toll on Anissa who was still a kid. She felt that she was typecast as the adorable little girl when she played Buffy, which resulted in her not being chosen for other roles, such as the one in "The Exorcist." Said Anissa, Oh, I always know everybodys lines even my own, except when I miss them. On the surface, the saccharine level seems pretty high, and yet it connected with the audience and an adult audience at that, considering that it originally aired at 9:30 p.m. after the kiddies were off to bed. Per the New York Times, the doctor was charged with 11 felony counts of illegally prescribing powerful drugs, and Jones' family received $79,500 as compensation. Kathy Garver on April 19, 2009 in Universal City, California | Source: Getty Images. I want to do billboard painting. When told that that takes a long time, she replied, Yeah, I know, but I got a couple of years left.. Jones enrolled in dance classes at 4 years old, and two years later, she starred in her first commercial, per Reel Reviews. I had been living in San Francisco, just south of it for a long time. Her boyfriend at the time, Allan Kovan did little to curb her enthusiasm and generosity with the drugs and presents and parties. Fox News: It sounded like after Family Affair, you pursued theater more.Garver: After the show, I went to Israel to do an Israeli version of Family Affair in a musical comedy on stage. It was during that time, just about three weeks later, when I was notified that she, unfortunately, had died. A neighbor who had a child making TV commercials suggested that Mrs. Jones get Anissa started in the same field. The show aired from 1966 until 1971. Born on March 11, 1958, to parents John Jones and Mary Tweel in West Lafayette, Indiana, the family moved to Playa del Rey, California when Anissa was still very young. Anissa Jones Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The Police arrested her after she was reported as a runaway by her mother. The ones who end up truly well, like Ron Howard, are because his family knew exactly what to do and made sure when he was away from that set, he was a child that had chores in the house and responsibilities at home. Anissa Jones was born on March 11, 1958, in West Lafayette, Indiana. It embodies the trials of child actors, the devastation of typecasting, and the pitfalls of having, and then losing, stardom. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Following the show, Anissa wanted to endeavour in films but struggled to get roles of her choice. It was a great combo. When she auditioned for the role of Regan MacNeil in The Exorcist (1973), the director had a hard time imagining adorable little Buffy possessed by a demon. So, I don't think it's a curse. He got diagnosed with lung cancer and emphysema early in 1997, in April that year his daughter committed suicide. Though the cancellation seemed like good timing for Anissa Jones, who yearned to try something new, the young actress would struggle in the subsequent years. Viewers especially liked the doll she carried, Mrs. Beasley, which soon became a real-life toy that fans could buy. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. 'Family Affair' Star Anissa Jones Suffered Such A Loss Of Identity Mattel would use the adorable child to sell the doll and other merchandise including lunch boxes, clothing, a cookbook, and coloring books. She had an abundance of talent and liked making friends with the guests who appeared.. In her early teen years, as reported by Outsider, she started shoplifting and often skipped school. Jones was very intelligent and a natural actress, her co-star Garver wrote in The Family Affair Cookbook. Her life came to a tragic end at the age of 18 when she died of a drug overdose at a friends house in 1976. At Playa Del Rey, her father started working in aerospace engineering and she started attending Paseo del Rey Elementary School. Anissa Jones was only 18 years old when she died. Anissa Jones (1958-1976) - Find a Grave Memorial She was known on the sitcom as Catherine, "Cissy" Patterson-Davis. But he was able to get off drugs and he became a drug counselor, which is really good. At just eight years old, Jones was working long hours and getting little time to interact with her peers. Disillusioned, Jones also turned down a role on her former co-star Brian Keiths new show, The Brian Keith Show, as well as a chance to audition for the role of Iris Easy Steensma in Taxi Driver (1976). She died on 28 August 1976 in Oceanside, California, USA. In clips on YouTube and elsewhere, her performance as Buffy is captured forever like a fossil in amber. Anissa Jones Mary Anissa Jones / nis / [a] (March 11, 1958 - August 28, 1976) was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy Davis on the CBS sitcom Family Affair, which ran from 1966 to 1971. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/anissa-jones-35094.php, American Female Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. A mere five months later, Jones died from a drug overdose at a party she attended with her new boyfriend. She was an actress, known for To Rome with Love (1969), The Trouble with Girls (1969) and Family Affair (1966). We really don't see each other very often, if at all. We'd been on for five years. Kathy Garver Once Recalled the Tragic Ways Most Her 'Family - AmoMama 72-year old Kathy became a household name in the late 1960s as Catherine "Cissy" Patterson-Davis in the comedy series "Family Affair" which aired from 1966 until 1971. The coroner called it one of the most massive overdoses hed ever seen. She sadly died at the young age of 18 from combined drug intoxication. According to Buffy, the doll talked to her and in line with that notion Mattel marketed it as a talking doll. After being released, she was sent to live with her mother. YouTubeAnissa Jones on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971, the year that CBS cancelled Family Affair. 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And by the time it bubbled over, it was too late., Back in 1967, while speaking to the Star-Gazette, Anissa let the reporter in on a secret: she really didnt think she would be an actress all her life. She was offered a young-adult role by her Family Affair co-star Brian Keith in his American sitcom The Brian Keith Show (19721974), but she rejected the offer as she was not interested in television work anymore. "Autopsy: The Last Hours of" Anissa Jones (TV Episode 2017) - IMDb The following year she featured as Buffy in the CBS aired American sitcom To Rome With Love in its episode titled Roman Affair. She and some other kids stayed in a bedroom taking angel dust and coke" (via Reel Reviews). It's interesting the way that we approach the characters. Following a private service, Anissa was cremated and her ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean. Anissa Jones, The 'Family Affair' Actress Who Died At Just 18 The custody of the children was finally awarded to their father in 1973. Thats a lot of pressure to put on someone less than 10 years old, less so where one has a good family life where one has parents really working on behalf of the children to make sure their lives are as normal as possible. Muses Geoffrey, She had been dealing with so much: bad parents, crazy shooting schedule and production people who froze the children the way they did so that there was no character growth for them. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. I think that that is maybe one of the reasons that someone can inspire others. She received a little less than $200,000, which she blew almost immediately. This show, I thought, without being exploitive or macabre, really did a whole autopsy in a forensic way, because they had a forensic pathologist. And the humorous, tentative ways they get through to French., On the surface, it sounds like the simplest premise in the world, but the shows strength comes from its heart, and given that the current focus is on Anissa, it has to be said that she brought a lot of it to Family Affair. If you havent got anything to ground you, thats a very heady experience. This is the story of the life and death of Anissa Jones, the Family Affair actress who passed away tragically young. I work, have a glass of wine, make dinner and spend time with my husband. Said the Sacramento Bee in 1973, The shows cancelation after a six-year run represented a chance for its then 14-year-old leading lady to finally be herself free from the psychological burden of submerging her personality inside a screen character who never grew older.. The source of the flowers? But Garver doesnt believe in the so-called Family Affair curse. It was such a tragedy that this amazing little girl, such a bright light, was extinguished at such a young age.. With time she became a victim of drugs and started shoplifting. She's been married for 36 years and has a 28-year-old son who teaches her to cook. Around that time, producers Henry Garson and Edmund Beloin were developing a new show titled "Family Affair," and they thought Jones would be perfect for the role of Buffy. When it ended, they went their separate ways. It never eats. She gave audition for the role of Regan MacNeil for the American supernatural horror film The Exorcist that later released in 1973, but she was turned down as William Friedkin, the films director felt that her image as Buffy would still be fresh in audiences minds more so with the syndicated daytime reruns of Family Affair, and the movie goers will possibly think the possessed character in the film as Buffy. Well, when you control a young person and then all of a sudden theyre not wanted anymore, theyve got nothing to fall back on.. And she was as smart as anyone you ever met.. But the beautiful thing is the way Davis learns to understand and love the youngsters. So, Cissy never left me. Anissa Jones was born on 11 March 1958 in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. Just before she rose to fame, Jones' parents divorced and were engaged in a lengthy custody battle. 'Family Affair's Buffy: Anissa Jones And Her Tragic Death He had invited me over to have dinner with his family. I want to see God, she told me, because everyone always talks about him, but no one has seen what he looks like. Try our quiz and enter to win $500!Click below to check the trivia questionRemember Anissa Jones? Tragic Details Found In Anissa Jones' Autopsy Report - Grunge This goes from Shirley Temple and Judy Garland and Jackie Coogan all the way through to todays young people. However, your heart and your spirit, always a major thing. She died on 28 August 1976 in Oceanside, California, USA. Chemotherapy was rough on Brian, and apparently, he also suffered from financial troubles. Steve Hanford, Jones' friend, said, "The night Anissa died was weird. Other cast members from Family Affair died as well, death seems to be around everyone that starred in the show. Bad parenting. Today, Anissa Jones is best remembered for the role that made her famous. But if one can put something in a single word or a single sentence, that I think explains the unexplainable to many people. Even the doll that she used in the show became a best-seller in North America when it was marketed by Mattel. In Anissas case, this wasnt true. Fox News: How did you get the role in Family Affair?Garver: Well, I had been working as a child for a long time, since I was 8years old. With her blond pigtails and eager smile, Anissa Jones charmed TV audiences in her role as Buffy on Family Affair. She did not like being remembered as a member of "Familly Affair," but instead, she liked talking about deeper things, like poetry. After Family Affair ended, Jones struggled to make the transition to serious actress. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. It co-starred Whitaker playing the role of an orphaned boy named Jody Davis, living in a high-rise apartment in New York City with his twin sister Buffy ( Anissa Jones ) and older sister Cissy ( Kathy Garver ), his bachelor uncle Bill Davis (Brian Keith), and Bill's gentleman's gentleman , Mr. French . 20 Facts about the Famous 'Family Affair' TV Series Even Fans - AmoMama But shaking off her reputation as the adorable Buffy proved an insurmountable challenge. As the adorable Buffy, in the hit 1960s sitcom Family Affair (1966), Anissa Jones was the most famous child star of her generation. Then in the early 70s, they were going towards more of a realistic kind of show. Buffy and her doll became household names, and their faces were on merchandise everywhere. For Family Affair costar Brian Keith life was also hard to cope with. Anissa Jones. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Anissa Jones was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy Davis on the show Family Affair. Johnny Whitaker - IMDb Her middle name Anissa in Arabic means Little Friend. It's unfortunate that sometimes something that's very tragic can bring people together, but he was very supportive. 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