Who played judy on leave it to beaver

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Today Jeri Weil, the actress who played Judy Hensler on the CBS sitcom “Leave It to Beaver,” turns 73. The former child actress also appeared in “The New Leave It to Beaver” in 1987.

In that 1987 episode, “The Bruise Brothers,” Weil played Judy Hensler Benton. Her son is bullying Ollie Cleaver. In the original “Leave It to Beaver,” Weil played a smarmy teacher’s pet who irritated Beaver and his friends.

Aside from her 1987 appearance in “The New Leave It to Beaver,” Weil stopped acting after her turn on “Leave It to Beaver.” She went on to become a Los Angeles-area realtor, according to IMDb.

‘Leave It to Beaver’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Ward Cleaver actor Hugh Beaumont later became a Christmas tree farmer before he died of a heart attack in 1982, per Closer Weekly. June Cleaver actress Barbara Billingsley went on to appear in the movie “Airplane” and to supply the voice of Nanny on “Muppet Babies.” She died in 2010 at age 94 of polymyalgia, an inflammatory disorder.

Wally Cleaver actor Tony Dow also appeared in “The New Leave It to Beaver.” Then he moved into directing, helming episodes of such shows as “Coach,” “Babylon 5” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.” Eddie Haskell actor Ken Osmond died last May of cardiopulmonary arrest at age 76. He had appeared in “The New Leave It to Beaver” alongside his son Eric.

The Beaver actor Jerry Mathers had a varied career. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, worked as a loan officer at a bank, appeared on stage in dinner theater productions and even became a disc jockey before he returned to TV with “The New Leave It to Beaver.”

Child Stars on the Show Had It Good

“Leave It to Beaver” was a very family-oriented set, Mathers told Closer Weekly in 2019. The writers and producers were used to dealing with kids. And they populated the set with similarly kid-friendly people.

Mathers said the kids of “Leave It to Beaver” fared pretty well. They didn’t have to deal with the excesses of fame that teen heartthrobs or adult stars often do. And they enjoyed the perks of their moderate celebrity. Fortunately for them, none of the child stars of the show had showbiz parents who were trying to take advantage of their kids’ careers.

“People don’t pay a lot of attention to kids,” Mathers said. “Some people would recognize me on the street, but not that many. It was just a really good life. I had a great education and I got to do some fabulous things, like getting a private tour of the Smithsonian. Any place we went, we were singled out pretty much and got great treatment. Just a fantastic life for a kid.”

So the kids of “Leave It to Beaver” did not suffer the child star syndrome that many other Hollywood tykes have endured. And Weil, who went on to a stable career as a realtor, would seem to be a case in point.

Leave It to Beaver was one of the most popular TV shows of the late ‘50s. But one of its child stars had an uncomfortable experience on the series that led her to quit acting altogether. In a candid interview, actor Jeri Weil revealed that after her chest was taped down during filming, she was completely turned off by the idea of acting. 

‘Leave It To Beaver’ first aired in 1957

Leave It to Beaver aired for six seasons, from 1957 to 1963, and was considered a family show that promoted wholesome ideals. The series was centered on its young character, Theodore ‘the Beaver’ Cleaver (Jerry Mathers), and his brother Wally (Tony Dow). 

In most episodes, Wally and Beaver would manage to get into some kind of trouble. After coming clean, the brothers would get a meaningful lecture from their parents, June (Barbara Billingsly) and Ward (Hugh Beaumont), for their behavior. 

RELATED: ‘Leave It to Beaver’s Jerry Mathers Said the Show Was 1 of the First to Tackle the Topic of Alcoholism

Jeri Weil played Judy Hensler on ‘Leave It to Beaver’

Weil joined the cast of Leave It to Beaver at age 9 in 1957. She portrayed 7-year-old Beaver’s classmate and nemesis, Judy Hensler, and appeared in the series premiere, “Beaver Gets Spelled.” Judy, a goody-two-shoes, would often tattle on Beaver to his teacher in hopes of getting him in trouble.

Weil worked on the show for almost six years and appeared in 31 episodes. By the time she was dropped from the series in 1963, Weil was nearly 15. She was replaced by Karen Sue Trent, who played Beaver’s new nemesis-turned-crush. Penny Woods. 

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Jerry Mathers and Weil were the same age when they co-starred on the series. The actors knew each other before joining Leave It to Beaver. They worked together on an episode of a live show called Hallmark Hall of Fame at the age of 6. When talking to Baby Boomers Talk Radio, Weil revealed that her mom had become good friends with Mather’s mother at the time. 

RELATED: ‘Leave It to Beaver’: The Series Finale Revealed the Origin of Beaver Cleaver’s Name

Jeri Weil quit acting after leaving the show

After Leave It to Beaver, Weil went on to become a real estate agent and writer. In her interview with the Baby Boomers Talk Radio, she said her experience on the show turned her off from the industry, which is why she never pursued an acting career. 

“I didn’t even try,” Weil explained. “I wanted nothing to do with it — The reason that I left Beaver was because my womanhood was starting to show. So, they used to like, tape me down.”

The former child star said that she grew so “tired” of the whole idea, that she left the show. “After that, I had like a bad taste in my mouth, for the whole thing,” Weil added. 

In a time where body positivity and acceptance are becoming an overdue norm, Weil’s experience may seem bizarre and unnecessary. But it seems it was a common practice in film and TV.  Janet Jackson once revealed that her chest was bound while filming Good Times in the ‘70s.