Kristy McNichol

Christina Ann McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American actress and singer. McNichol is half Irish on her father's side and her mother is of Lebanese descent. She is known for such roles as Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence in the TV drama series Family, Angel in the film Little Darlings, Polly in the film Only When I Laugh and Barbara Weston in the TV sitcom Empty Nest. 2Early life and career McNichol was born in Los Angeles, California, and appeared with her brother Jimmy McNichol in commercials and later, on her own, in guest appearances on such other series as Starsky & Hutch, The Bionic Woman, Love American Style, and The Love Boat, thanks to family friend Desi Arnaz. Her first stint as a series regular came in the role of Patricia Apple in the short-lived CBS television series Apple's Way (1974). In 1976, she was cast as Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the television drama series Family (1976–80), for which she earned two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series (1977 and 1979). In 1977, she appeared in the TV special The Carpenters at Christmas, performing several musical numbers with the duo. In 1978, she and Jimmy made their own foray into music, recording the album Kristy & Jimmy McNichol for RCA Records. It included the single "He's So Fine" (a cover of The Chiffons' 1963 hit), which peaked at #70 on the Billboard chart. The McNichols promoted the album at New York's Studio 54 discothèque with other celebrities, such as Brooke Shield