Lauren Chapin, the Youngest Kid on ‘Father Knows Best,’ Dies at 80
lauren chapin, the child actress best known as Kathy "Kitten" Anderson on the 1950s sitcom Father Knows Best, has died at 80. Her son, Matthew, wrote on Facebook that she died after a long battle with cancer.
Lauren Chapin’s career and early roles
Chapin was born on May 23, 1945, and landed the role that defined her at age 9 after earlier appearances on a 1952 episode of Lux Video Theatre and an uncredited part in the 1954 film A Star Is Born with Judy Garland. She portrayed the precocious Kathy "Kitten" Anderson for the six-season run of Father Knows Best, which aired from October 1954 through May 1960. For her work as a child performer, she received five Junior Emmys.
On-screen family and the show's run
On Father Knows Best, Chapin joined a cast led by Robert Young and Jane Wyatt; her TV siblings included Betty "Princess" Anderson (Elinor Donahue) and James "Bud" Anderson Jr. (Billy Gray). The series reunited the cast for two television specials in 1977 and continued to have a life in reruns and syndication.
Personal struggles and later life
lauren chapin's life after the show included both high and low moments. She spoke publicly about sexual abuse she said she suffered as a child and about struggles with drug addiction and time in jail. She told interviewers that she lost eight children to miscarriages and that she battled heroin addiction for several years before achieving sobriety. In later decades she worked in ministry and talent management and appeared at nostalgia events.
Family announcement and survivors
Her son, Matthew, wrote on Facebook: "After a long hard fought battle over the past 5 years, the time has come. My mother Lauren Chapin passed away from her battle with cancer tonight. I'm at a complete loss for words right now. Please keep my sister and family in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this incredibly tough time. " Chapin is survived by her son and daughter and by her brother Michael; her brother Billy died in 2016.
Chapin first rose to fame as a child performer and remained tied to that legacy through reunions and public appearances. Father Knows Best ran for six seasons from October 1954 to May 1960, and Chapin returned to the role for the 1977 specials that reunited the principal cast.
The family has asked for privacy as they grieve. Matthew's Facebook post asking for thoughts and prayers is the most recent public update on funeral plans and immediate arrangements.
