(1966-)

Who Is Nancy McKeon?

Nancy McKeon is an actress whose big break came in 1980 when she was cast as Jo Polnaiczek in The Facts of Life, a hit sitcom about a girls boarding school. The show lasted for eight years. Afterward, McKeon continued to act in TV shows like The Division and Sonny with a Chance.

Early Life

McKeon was born on April 4, 1966, in Westbury, New York. The daughter of a travel agent, McKeon and her brother, Philip, grew up in the entertainment industry. McKeon started making commercials at the age of 2, followed by guest appearances on such soap operas as Another World, before moving to California in the mid-1970s.

McKeon and her family relocated to Los Angeles for her brother’s career. He had landed a leading role in the sitcom Alice starring Linda Lavin. Lavin played the title character, a widowed single mother who works as a waitress in a diner. Philip McKeon played her son, Tommy. While her brother starred in a hit comedy, McKeon landed guest spots on such shows as Starsky and Hutch and The Love Boat.

‘Facts of Life’ and Early Career

In 1980, McKeon had a supporting role on the short-lived police drama Stone, playing the daughter of a detective (Dennis Weaver). However, her career really took off that fall with her role on the sitcom The Facts of Life. She joined the show, which followed a group of girls at an elite boarding school, in its second season.

On the show, McKeon played a rough-around-edges tomboy named Jo Polnaiczek. Her fellow students included Lisa Whelchel as the pretty and snobby Blair Warner, Mindy Cohn as the funny but insecure Natalie Green, and Kim Fields as the bubbly and active Tootie Ramsey. Charlotte Rae played their housemother, acting as a maternal figure for the girls. For a time, the cast also included George Clooney and Cloris Leachman.

Geri Jewell, Cloris Leachman, Nancy McKeon, Charlotte Rae and Lisa Whelchel attend the 9th Annual TV Land Awards at the Javits Center on April 10, 2011, in New York City.

The coming-of-age comedy became a big hit with television viewers, lasting for nearly a decade. At the time it ended in 1988, The Facts of Life was one of the longest-running sitcoms to date. McKeon also found time to take on other projects, branching out to take on more serious roles. She appeared in several television movies, including 1985’s Poison Ivy with Michael J. Fox. The two were reportedly a couple off-screen for a time as well. In 1987’s Strange Voices, McKeon starred as a young woman with schizophrenia. She also served as a producer on the project.

After The Facts of Life ended, McKeon found success in television films. She starred in 1989’s A Cry for Help: The Tracy Thurman Story, as a woman works to rebuild her life after becoming paralyzed from a physical attack by her husband. The film received strong reviews. Unlike some child stars, McKeon transitioned into more mature parts fairly easily. “I’ve been lucky. The audience has allowed me the chance to grow up and to be taken seriously,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

Film Debut

McKeon made her feature film debut in 1992 with a role in a drama about teenage runaways called Where the Day Takes You with Will Smith, Sean Astin and Ricki Lake, among others. In 1995, McKeon returned to series television with Can’t Hurry Love. The show focused on a group of friends living in New York City and was considered by some to be a copy of the popular sitcom Friends.

McKeon objected to this comparison, saying that “Just because we have young people on the show who are friends with each other doesn’t make us a Friends copycat. If anything, we’re more like a younger Murphy Brown, because we have the office setting.” The cast also included Mariska Hargitay and Louis Mandylor. The sitcom was canceled after its first season.

‘The Division’

A few years later, McKeon had better luck with The Division. The show, which aired on the Lifetime network, featured a group of female police officers. McKeon starred as Inspector Jinny Exstead and Bonnie Bedelia played her boss. Other cast members included Lisa Vidal, Tracey Needham and Jon Hamm. The show also provided McKeon with an opportunity to work behind the camera, serving as a director for several episodes. During the run of the show, McKeon turned down an opportunity to reunite with her The Facts of Life co-stars for a 2001 television movie.

After The Division was canceled in 2004, McKeon made guest appearances on such shows as Without a Trace. Most recently, she had a recurring role on the tween sitcom Sonny with a Chance starring Demi Lovato.

Husband and Children

McKeon has been married to Marc Andrus since 2003. The couple has two children together.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Nancy McKeon
• Birth Year: 1966
• Birth date: April 4, 1966
• Birth State: New York
• Birth City: Westbury
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Nancy McKeon is an American actress best known for her role as Jo on the long-running 1980s sitcom ‘The Facts of Life.’
• Industries
• Television
• Astrological Sign: Aries

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn’t look right,contact us!

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Nancy McKeon Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/nancy-mckeon
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 26, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

QUOTES

• I’ve been lucky. The audience has allowed me the chance to grow up and to be taken seriously.