Wally Cleaver
On Tuesday morning, a statement that Tony Dow (best known for playing older brother Wally on Leave It To Beaver) had passed away was posted on his verified Facebook page. However, according to Judy Twersky, a close friend of Dow's, he is still alive as of 3:30 p.m. His wife Lauren said that he is still breathing and in hospice care. Although Lauren Dow told Twersky that her husband is still alive, she was unclear about what happened with the statement posted on his managements Facebook page earlier today. Leave It To Beaver was a smash hit sitcom, starring Dow at the young age of 12. In the show, Dow played a typical suburban family archetype, and his name became well known to millions of viewers across the country. Dow was cast in the show when he unexpectedly auditioned over a burger and malt. The show aired from 1957 to 1963. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in January, Dow talked about learning that he got the part.
"There went my life," he said.
Wally Cleaver, the straight-arrow teenage son, star athlete and Boy Scout, became inextricably tied to Dow, who said he struggled to stand on his own.
"It's sad to be famous at 12 years old or something, and then you grow up and become a real person, and nothing's happened for you," he told CBS.
Dow, who said he experienced undiagnosed depression from age 20 to age 40, spoke out for decades about his mental health challenges, long before it was common for celebrities to disclose that information publicly. In 1993, he was an honorary speaker at a convention for the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association.
"I realize there's a perceived irony about this," he told the Baltimore Sun of his depression in 1993. "You know, the fact that I was in a TV program that epitomized the supposed ideal world of the '50s, and here I'm suffering from depression. But I'm just one of millions."
Dow told CBS that once he accepted his diagnosis and began treatment, he found hope. He channeled that hope into art, too, sculpting ornate pieces at his home studio.
"I think people should take the leap of faith that they can feel better," he said.
Dow continued to work in Hollywood, taking parts in TV series and even reprising his role in "The New Leave It to Beaver" in the 1980s. He also directed episodes of series like "Harry and the Hendersons," "Coach" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
Jerry Mathers, who starred opposite Dow as Beaver on their hit sitcom, told fans earlier this month that he'd been in contact with Dow, whose managers said had been "in and out of the hospital with various complications and treatments."