Trivia

Finding it harder to transition into young adult roles and following the tragic death of his 18-year-old Family Affair (1966) co-star Anissa Jones, he took what was supposed to be an extended sabbatical from acting and a return to "normalcy" by attending public schools again. He instead went into missionary work.

He was the only six-year-old who screen-tested for the role of Jody Davis in Family Affair (1966), which originally was supposed to be for a ten-year-old boy, but when the producers saw the chemistry between him and Anissa Jones (Buffy), they promptly rewrote the parts for six-year-old twins.

Speaks several languages fluently, including Portuguese, Spanish, French and American Sign Language.

Divorced in 1988. He went through a 12-step program to rid himself of drug dependency.

Originated the role of Scotty Baldwin, a General Hospital (1963) character still seen on the show.

A recovering addict since 1997, he has served to help others. He is President and Founder of Paso Por Paso, a California 501 (c)3 corporation dedicated to helping Spanish-speaking addicts / alcoholics find treatment and recovery.

He gave Jodie Foster her first on-screen kiss in Tom Sawyer (1973).

His first film, The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966) co-starred Brian Keith. He and Keith got along so well that Keith was instrumental in setting him up for an interview with the producers of Family Affair (1966), in which he was eventually cast as Keith's nephew.

In 1999 he received the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award at the Young Artist Awards.

Co-starred with young Jodie Foster twice in films. The first time was in Disney's Napoleon and Samantha (1972), and then she played Becky Thatcher to his Tom Sawyer (1973). He made national tours for the "Tom Sawyer" line of boys' clothing after being cast in the the musical film. Eventually the same firm put out a "Johnnie Whitaker" line as well.

Changed the spelling of his first name "Johnnie" to the more adult "Johnny" around 1973.

Began his acting career at the age of three. He was discovered while singing in his church's children's program, where he broke up the entire congregation after he'd forgotten the words to the song and started to improvise with his own. He went on to do his first on-air performance in a commercial for OK Used Cars.

For 13 years he worked closely with the joint SAG/AFTRA Young Performer's Committee helping current young performers receive the benefits and prepare them for the detriments that a career in show business is likely to produce.

Graduated from Sylmar High School outside of Los Angeles, CA, after Family Affair (1966) was canceled. He then spent two years in Portugal as a full-time volunteer missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. When he returned to the US, he attended Brigham Young University and obtained a degree in communications in 1986.

At one point he and two of his sisters and a brother were in a variety act called The Johnny Whitaker Show, and performed at fairs and Mormon church get-togethers.

His sister Dori is a well-established talent agent in North Hollywood, CA.

Best known by the public for his role as Jody Davis on Family Affair (1966).

Six of his siblings had parts in Tom Sawyer (1973).

After he graduated from college, he started work as a computer consultant with his own company and later decided to join his sister's L.A. talent agency, Whitaker Entertainment. Immediately prior to Dana Plato's suicide, he had signed her as a client.

Interviewed in "Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television" by Tom Goldrup and Jim Goldrup (McFarland, 2002).

Father taught at the junior high school.

He was the fifth of eight children born to Thelma and John O. Whitaker, Sr. He was born at 12:14 AM, Pacific Standard Time.

In June of 1984 he married a theatrical agent named Symbria Wright at the Mormon Temple in Westwood followed by a reception at the Beverly Hills Hotel. They divorced four years later.

Johnny Whitaker starred in the LDS church film A Day for Justin (1969) as the main child actor.

Brother of Billy Whitaker and Dori Whitaker.

In April 2005 he appeared at the Hollywood Celebrities and Collectors Show in Burbank, CA, to sign autographs.