“M-I-C-K-E-Y…” Remembering The Original Mouseketeers, And The Lives They Led After The Show
They stole our hearts with their charades, quips, and variety acts on television. The original Mickey Mouse Club was a resounding success for Disney, although sadly for some of the actors on the program, life after the show wasn't so great.
Child actors often face such tribulations when they enter adulthood. Contemporary Disney stars who have faced difficulties (like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Miley Cyrus) weren't too far off from what some of the original Mouseketeers had to face as well — but not all of the Mouseketeers' stories are sad, either, as some had resounding successes after appearing on the show, too. Read on to find out where these original stars of the program are now, and what surprises in life came about after they left the show (including one former cast member who ended up becoming "Ratboy").
The Concept Came From Walt Disney Himself
Walt Disney himself created the concept of The Mickey Mouse Club. Different iterations of the show aired from 1955 to 1996. The first version aired from 1955 to 1959 on ABC, coming on televisions across the nation immediately following American Bandstand. Though the cast has changed over the years, for many who remember it, the original cast still holds a close place in their hearts.
The original host of the program was Disney songwriter Jimmie Dodd, who acted as the Head Mouseketeer. He was seen as a leader both onscreen and off to the Mouseketeers, and children in the viewing audience, whom he always encouraged to make the right choices in life.
Who Came Up With The Mouse Ears?
Disney may have created the show, but the iconic ears worn by the cast members of the Mickey Mouse Club were the conception of a different individual. Roy Williams, a staff artist with Disney, was the one who suggested the ears on the Mousketeers' heads.
The variety show actually consisted of two different "teams," one called the red team and the other called the white team. The members of the red team were the ones people saw on television, and are the cast members people recall watching to this day. That original cast consisted of Cubby O'Brien, Doreen Tracey, Karen Pendleton, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Lonnie Burr, Darlene Gillepsie, and Annette Funicello.
Annette Funicello Was Discovered By Walt Disney
Annette Funicello is considered to be one of the most memorable of the original Mouseketeers cast members. She could rightfully claim that she was the only member of the troupe to be discovered by Walt Disney himself, who found her while she was doing a dance recital in Swan Lake.
Annette's popularity on the show soon landed her roles outside of the Mickey Mouse Club. She appeared in films like Babes In Toyland as the character Mary Contrary. She also appeared in the film Zorro, before becoming a teen idol when she appeared in the movie Beach Party. However, Annette would soon face some difficulties in her life as well...
Annette Receives A Daunting Diagnosis
As time went by, and Annette got older, she began exhibiting some alarming symptoms while promoting a film with co-star Frankie Avalon, who also appeared in BEACH PARTY with her. Many suspected Annette was showing signs of alcoholish. It turned out the problem was a different diagnosis: multiple sclerosis.
Annette decided to go public with her having MS, and went onto found the Annette Funicello Fund for Neurological Disorders. Sadly, Annette's health continued to slowly deteriorate, resulting in her losing the ability to walk or speak. In 2013, at the age of 70, she passed away. Annette remains in fans of the show's hearts and memories, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was also named a Disney Legend.
Then — Lonnie Burr
Another original cast member who was a fan favorite was Lonnie Burr, who many fans of the original program considered to be the best dancer on the show. Lonnie started acting at a very young age, around five years old, on the radio and on television commercials. If such a thing existed, Lonnie would likely have the "acting gene" — his parents were actors too, Vaudeville stars "Dot and Dash." No wonder he got the acting bug!
Rumors abounded that he was the first boyfriend of Annette Funicello, another fan favorite on the show. He also had an odd nickname: "The Velvet Smog," due to his husky voice.
Lonnie Burr Now — Actor, Director, Author
Lonnie Burr's life after being a Mouseketeer continued to be a successful one. He went onto act on television and movies beyond The Mickey Mouse Club, and has appeared in 25 films, including Hook, Sweet Charity, and one of the Police Academy sequels. He had guest roles on The Beverly Hillbillies and Murder She Wrote.
Lonnie continued to act and direct on Broadway. He also became an acclaimed writer, having bylines that appeared in The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Times. Additionally, he's written a memoir about his time with The Mickey Mouse Club.
Just One Season For Johnny Crawford
Another Mouseketeer who was an original member of the troupe was Johnny Crawford. Fans of The Mickey Mouse Club may recall that Johnny didn't go on to star in the show past the first season. After he starred on the program, he decided to take a different direction, going on to become a cast member of the Western television series Rifleman. The move was a good one for the former Mousketeer — it landed him an Emmy nomination. Johnny also appeared in another Western television series, The Lone Ranger, and has had 60 other television credits to his name.
Johnny Crawford Today
Johnny Crawford has had many successes in his life after the Mouseketeers, beyond his Rifleman role as well. He had a short-lived pop music career as a teenager, amassing a few hits in the Billboard Top 40. He also went onto perform on other television shows, including The Donna Reed Show and Mr. Ed. He appeared in a student film as a favor to a friend called The Resurrection of Broncho Billy. That student film went on to win an Academy Award for best short. Later on in life, Johnny would go on to become the leader of a vintage dance orchestra.
Sadly, in 2019, it was reported that Johnny was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Johnny Does Playboy?
We promised there'd be some scandals in this list of former Mouseketeer stars, and we're delivering them. In the 1970s, Johnny shed the Disney image completely by appearing nude in Playboy magazine, becoming the first man to ever do so. In spite of the controversy, it's clear that Johnny definitely had the body for doing so!
In fact, he would go onto appear in a later film called The Naked Ape in 1973, which was produced by Hugh Hefner. The film was an attempt to tell the story of human evolution — with a strong sexual focus.
Darlene Gillespie — Some Early Successes
Darlene Gillespie was one of the first cast members placed on The Mickey Mouse Club. She also appeared on a spinoff program of the show called Corky and the White Shadow.
Later in her career, she went on to play the title character in the live action version of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. She went on to pursue a music career under the name Dorothy Valentine, recording multiple albums under that name. She also had a very scandalous personal life after her time with Disney, later going on to become a big critic of the company itself...
Darlene's Criminal History
Long before the controversies of some other, more contemporary Disney stars, Gillespie found herself behind bars due to her involvement in criminal activities with her third husband, Jerry Fraschilla, who was a con man. Due to her and Jerry's actions, Darlene ended up being sentenced to two years in prison due to being found guilty of myriad crimes, including conspiracy, securities and mail fraud, obstruction of justice, and perjury.
Lucky for Darlene, she only had to serve three months of her prison sentence. She left the crime life behind her, and became a grandmother shortly after.
Gillespie's Bitter Dispute With Disney
Darlene Gillespie has been called the "bad seed" of Disney, and given some of the scandals she's been involved with, it's easy to see what that nickname was bestowed onto her.
After some serious problems with the law, Gillespie decided to go after her former employer, claiming that Disney had promised to make her a star and suing them in 1990 for failing to do so. She also sued the company for failing to pay her royalties she said she had been due. The House of Mouse and Gillespie ended up settling out of court for an undisclosed sum of cash.
Sharon Baird Then
Sharon Baird was another original cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club, but she acted well-before she came onto the show. Her first acting gig, at age nine, was in a film called Bloodhounds of Broadway. She also appeared on The Colgate Comedy Hour and did a dance number alongside Dean Martin in a movie called Artists and Models.
Sharon appeared in the first three seasons of the show, with her specialty being tap dancing. She also sang and acted on the program. After her time being a Mouseketeer, Sharon went on to graduate high school and earned a college degree in mathematics and secretarial science. But that wasn't the end of her theatrical life...
Sharon Baird Beyond The Mickey Mouse Club
Sharon Baird remained in show business after attaining her college degree. She worked as a puppet of sorts for many children's programs in the 1970s, including on the acclaimed show The Land of the Lost.
She was also involved in the 1970s animated version of The Lord of the Rings, doing rotoscoping for the film, and performing as a live-action model for the character Frodo Baggins. Sharon also performed in a very odd role, one that hearkened back to her time working with Mickey Mouse...only this time, it was as a rat!
Not Quite Mickey Mouse...
She didn't play Mickey Mouse in this role. Sharon Baird, in 1986, played the eponymous role in the movie Ratboy, wearing heavy makeup to make herself look like a rat-human hybrid in the film. She is credited as S.L. Baird in the movie, so many people didn't even realize it was a woman who played the rat "boy."
The film was heavily criticized in the United States as being too far out there, but it did well in foreign markets like in France. Afterward, Sharon went on to work once in a while with younger Mouseketeers, and is now retired from acting and show business.
Bobby Burgess Then and Now
Bobby Burgess was another one of the original cast members on The Mickey Mouse Club, and was picked by Walt Disney to be on the show after auditioning. But his acting career didn't stop there. Bobby also went onto appear on The Donna Reed Show, and became a regular on The Lawrence Welk Show.
It was there that he met Kristin Floren, the daughter of Welk's accordion player Myron Floren. The two began dating and later married. Bobby still lives in the Hollywood Hills area today, where he owns a dance studio, where he's also taught at.
Original Cast Member Doreen Tracey
Doreen Tracey is another of the original cast members of The Mickey Mouse Club. Originally from London, her parents were Vaudeville stars, and passed onto their daughter their talents at acting. Beyond being a Mouseketeer, Doreen also had successes in many films, including a Disney Western called Westward Ho, The Wagons!
Doreen's performances went performances went beyond the realm of film and television — she also traveled to South Vietnam and Thailand in order to provide performances for the military. But it was only a matter of time before this Mouseketeer, too, would be embroiled in scandal...
Doreen's Wild Side
Doreen Tracey took on a much wilder persona following her days with the House of Mouse. Twice in the 1970s, she posed nude for the magazine Gallery, doing so while donning the famed Mickey Mouse ears she wore as a child star.
The wild life seemed to suit Doreen. Later in life, she joined a rock band, and became a publicist for another wild rocker, Frank Zappa. She also dabbled in bodybuilding. Sadly, Doreen passed away in 2018 from pneumonia, which came about due to a two-year battle with cancer.
Tommy Cole Then
Tommy Cole was a Mouseketeer for all three seasons of the show's original run. He had some successes before being cast, however, as a singer in a Western-style swing band. His entire group auditioned to be on The Mickey Mouse Club, but only Tommy was selected to be on the "red team" cast.
After the initial run of the show ended, Tommy continued touring as a Mouseketeer in live performances with the group. He also went on to sing at teenage clubs, perform at other public events, and was the opening act for performances elsewhere.
Tommy Cole Now — Back In Hollywood, Not As An Actor
Tommy Cole went on to get an education, attending Pasadena City College. He also served in the United States Air Force, but his stint in the military wouldn't keep him away from show business.
Tommy came back to Hollywood, but this time his role would be on the other side of the camera — as a makeup artist. Tommy's work has even been recognized multiple times with Emmy nominations, including Emmy award wins for his makeup for television films like Backstairs at the White House and the TV special Gepetto.
Cubby O’Brien
Cubby O'Brien was the son of a big band era drummer named Hack O'Brien. Cubby's drumming skills were quickly picked up and put on the show. Cubby didn't have much prior experience with singing or dancing, but he was quick to pick up the talents and dance alongside the rest of the cast. Yet it was his drumming that was featured prominently on The Mickey Mouse Club.
Cubby has the distinction of being handpicked by Walt Disney to be a Mouseketeer. It was a good pick, too, by the company's founder: Cubby remained on for all three seasons of The Mickey Mouse Club's first run.
Cubby O'Brien Now: Still Banging Those Drums!
Cubby's drumming skills stayed with him, and he sometimes was the on-camera drummer for the Carol Burnett show on CBS. Cubby also drummed for some big name performers, such as Karen Carpenter, until her unfortunate death from anorexia. He still plays the drums to this day.
In the 1980s he performed on Broadway, but he moved back to live on the West Coast. He has made several appearances at Mouseketeer reunions, including the 50th anniversary in 2005.
Karen Pendleton Then and Now
Karen Pendleton was an original cast member on the show who stayed on through all three seasons. She often got paired with Cubby in acts on the show, as they were the youngest members of the group. Karen, however, did not have a significant acting career after the series ended, and lived a pretty normal life beyond being a Mouseketeer — up until a snowmobile accident in 1983. After that, she decided to go back to school, and earned a psychology degree.
She put that degree to good use, too. She has worked with women who have suffered abuse at women's shelters, and has also served on the Board for the California Association of the Physically Handicapped.
The Club Reunites On Its 60th Anniversary
The surviving cast members of the original Mouseketeers got to celebrate the group's 60th anniversary in 2015. Any time an anniversary like that can be celebrated, it's a big occasion! The crew was assembled by Disney, which was able to provide classic clips of the ensemble performing together, as well as show some never-before-seen clips.
The group also got to put their hands on some old props from their time on The Mickey Mouse Club. And to cap it all off, they even performed together, by singing a song. When will the next anniversary performance be? See you real soon!
The Mouseketeers Return...
There were two revivals of the Mickey Mouse Club. The first revival came in 1977, and boy was it different from the original — all for the better. It featured a much more diverse class of Mouseketeers, and had music to match the times, such as disco. Unfortunately, the new Mouseketeers didn't stay on the air for too long: the show only aired for one season, and at that, only on 38 local stations. The show was syndicated on those stations for another year after that, however, so at least if you missed an episode, you had the chance to see it again.
...And They Return Again
The second revival of the Mickey Mouse Club came in the late 1980s. Starting in 1989, the All-New Mickey Mouse Club debuted, and lasted for six years into 1995. The show had a lot of updates for the 90s (besides just the title), including ditching the Mickey Mouse ears for letterman jackets. The show survived longer than either of the other two iterations of the program, but it too had to come to an end. Fortunately, many of the stars from that run of the Mickey Mouse Club went on to become amazing talents in the realms of music and acting.
Ryan Gosling Then
It's hard to believe, but Ryan Gosling, the incredibly gifted actor we know of today, was a cast member on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club who didn't appear on the show all-too-frequently. What a waste of talent! Appearing from 1993 to 1995, Ryan didn't take his lack of airtime personally, saying that "the show's producers realized that I wasn't really up to snuff in comparison to what some of the other kids were able to do." Talented and humble!
Ryan Gosling Now
Ryan Gosling continued to pursue other child acting roles, including appearing on Are You Afraid Of The Dark? and Goosebumps. He also appeared in many independent films. But most of us remember his unforgettable performance in The Notebook, which captivated the hearts of audience members in theaters across the nation. Since then, he's been a Hollywood mainstay, appearing in Crazy Stupid Love, The Big Short, and La La Land, for which he won a Golden Globe Award in 2016.
Justin Timberlake Wowed Audiences Then...
Justin Timberlake is an internationally recognized singing (and sometimes acting) talent. Imagine how different the world would be without him — and it all started on The Mickey Mouse Club. Doling out songs with his iconic falsetto oice, you couldn't blame anyone for predicting Justin would become the talent that he is today. Being a Mouseketeer helped the singer forge some serious bonds: Justin befriended Ryan Gosling on the show, and the two are still friends today. After The Mickey Mouse Club, Justin went on to join one of the most popular boy bands of all time, NSYNC, and remained with that group for seven years.
...and Timberlake Continues To Impress
Of course, Justin Timerblake's success beyond The Mickey Mouse Club are well-documented. After NSYNC, Justin went on to have a remarkable solo career, which includes hits like "Sexy Back," "Rock Your Body," and "Cry Me A River." These songs showcased Justin's more mature side, and are a far cry from his days as a Mouseketeer.
Justin took a short hiatus from music from 2008 to 2012, starring in theatrical films like The Social Network, Bad Teacher, and Friends With Benefits. In 2013, he released another best-selling album. Everything that Justin touches seems to turn to gold (or platinum). No wonder Time Magazine has named him one of the world's 100 Most Influential People...on two occasions.
Britney Spears Then
The All-New Mickey Mouse Club featured an all-star ensemble. It's hard to imagine how future pop superstar Britney Spears could be considered less of a standout Mouseketeer than her co-stars, but with Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling all appearing with her, it makes a little more sense. But it's still kind of hard to believe!
Britney would grow into her own star status after her time with the Mouseketeers. The show was, for sure, a great start for her young career, but the Britney we all remember was a teen superstar who grew up to become one of the biggest names in pop ever. She did forge strong bonds on The Mickey Mouse Club too, and even dated Justin for some time.
Britney Spears: Up, Down, Then Up Again
Britney Spears has had an up and down career, which is presently back to being up. After her first big single, "Baby One More Time," Britney kept making chart-topping-hit after chart-topping-hit, amassing 150 million singles sales and 34 million records sold in her career.
But it hasn't always been great for the pop star. She's been married twice, both times unsuccessfully. The first one was no big deal: she got married in a drunken ceremony to her best friend, only to get it annulled later on. Then, she married backup dancer Kevin Federline. The two had two children together, but divorced in a made-for-tabloids fashion. After a mental breakdown that included Britney shaving her head bald, she disappeared from public life to regain her composure, then came back strong, signing a multi-year residency to perform at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.
Christina Aguilera Then
Christina Aguilera has obvious vocal talent — and that was obvious when viewing her singing prowess on The Mickey Mouse Club. Appearing on the show from 1993 to 1995, Christina definitely stood out among her peers, earning the moniker as "the little girl with the big voice."
Christina was the obvious talent on the show, still discovering the power of her voice but definitely displaying her gifts were well above that of her peers. Being a Musketeer was definitely a big break, but she'd get an even bigger one appearing on a Disney soundtrack years later...
Christina Aguilera Now
Anybody who doesn't know who Christina Aguilera is today is someone who doesn't listen to pop music (or has been living in a cave for the past 20 years). The pop singer skyrocketed to popularity after singing the song "Reflection" as part of Disney's Mulan soundtrack. Since then, it's been up, up, up for Christina.
She's sold more than 50 million albums and won five Grammys over her career. She's the first female judge to win The Voice. And she continues to put out new music. And it all started when she was a Mouseketeer.
Another Member Of NSYNC In The Troupe
We already know about one member of NSYNC, Justin Timberlake, who was originally on the Mickey Mouse Club, but another member of the boy band, JC Chasez, was also part of the troupe. JC definitely brought the talent, but he had a rough start at things in his childhood. When he was five-years-old, his mother handed him away, and JC was adopted by his foster parents. They took great care of him, and in 1989, JC's foster mom Karen saw an ad in the paper seeking children to be a part of the next Mickey Mouse Club. Answering that ad paid off, and in the fourth season, JC was cast, staying on until the series ended.
JC Chasez — With NSYNC And Beyond
JC Chasez joined NSYNC in 1995, and the group skyrocketed to popularity. They stayed together for seven years, until they disbanded after Justin wanted to pursue a solo project. JC also did some solo work, but he worked in the industry in other ways, too: by helping other artists with their work.
JC has been credited with writing and producing music with a number of acts, including Girls Aloud, Basement Jaxx, Matthew Morrison, and David Archuleta. He was also a judge on the MTV series America's Best Dance Crew. He remains in the music biz, still producing and writing music.
Keri Russell Then
From 1991 to 1994, Keri Russell was a part of The Mickey Mouse Club. She got to act alongside many amazing talent, but Keri was doing big things of her own before some of her co-stars made it on their own — including landing roles in "big" movies like Honey, I Blew Up The Kid in 1993. In that same year, she also landed a guest television role, playing Mr. Feeney's niece on Boy Meets World. Keri would go onto bigger things beyond those parts, too...
Keri Russell — Landing Felicity, And The Americans
Keri's biggest role came in 1998, when she landed the eponymous role in the WB Network series Felicity. She even won a Golden Globe for her acting. Not a bad start to her life outside of being a Mouseketeer! But the show started losing viewership in season two, and the series was eventually canceled.
It wasn't difficult for Keri to get other roles after Felicity ended, including starring in the critically acclaimed FX series The Americans, where she plays an undercover Soviet Russian spy living in plain sight in the United States during the 1980s Cold War period.
Tony Lucca Then — Aspiring Child Actor
Tony Lucca was one of those kids you just knew right away was destined to go onto bigger and brighter things. He started singing at age 3, was a child model by age 9, and performed in several bands in the Detroit area as a 12-year-old. At age 14, Tony auditioned for a role in the Disney movie Newsies, but discovered his successful audition was actually for The Mickey Mouse Club. He stayed with the show for four full seasons.
Tony Lucca Now — Musician
Tony Lucca's successes after being a Musketeer haven't been as thrilling perhaps as his other castmates' were, but he's done some pretty amazing things as well.
Tony was on Malibu Shore, an Aaron Spelling-created television show, for one season with his former girlfriend (and fellow Mouseketeer) Keri Russell. He had other roles as well, but he went back to his roots and began pursuing music. In 2012, he appeared on The Voice, and came in third place. He even got to reunite with his former castmate, Christina Aguilera, while doing so! Tony's music has been featured on a number of TV shows, including Brothers & Sisters, Felicity, and Friday Night Lights.
