Nancy McKeon - Actresses, Timeline and Life

Nancy was born on April 4, 1966 in Westbury, New York. His father was a travel agent. She had one brother named Philip. Her parents were devout Catholics and Nancy was brought up with strict catholic values.

As her father was interested in movies and television, Nancy and her brother had the opportunity to grow close to the entertainment industry. She and her brother got opportunity to perform in television shows and commercials.

Nancy started acting at the age of just two. She acted in some commercials that promoted baby products. As a child artist, Nancy also appeared in several soap operas like ‘The Secret Strom’ and ‘Another World’.

In the year 1979, Nancy’s family moved to Los Angeles as her brother got better career opportunities there. Nancy’s brother got a role in the blockbuster TV series ‘Alice’. Due to the growing influence of her brother, Nancy too got some guest roles in some TV series like ‘Starsky & Hutch’ and ‘The Love Boat’.

Till the early 1980s, the career of Nancy did not really take off. She continued to act in some commercials. In 1980, she got a promising role of the daughter of a detective in a police drama called ‘Stone’. But the TV series was discontinued due to funding problems.

She caught the attention of the casting director of the TV series, ‘The Facts of Life’ when she was performing in the advertisement for Hallmark greeting cards.

Nancy was given a key role of tomboy Jo Polniaczek in the sitcom ‘The Facts of Life’ from its second season. She got the opportunity as the show’s cast was completely replaced after the conclusion of its first season.

She portrayed the character throughout the series till it was cancelled in the year 1988. The Facts of Life was her most famous TV role and gave a major boost to her career. While working for the sitcom, Nancy also lent her voice to many cartoon characters like Scruffy.

After the discontinuation of The Facts of Life, Nancy’s career again took a hit when she lost in the auditions of a number of hit TV series like ‘Working Girl’ and ‘Friends’.

In the year 1992, Nancy made her debut in movies when she starred in ‘Where the Day Takes You’ with Will Smith.

In 1995, she produced her own TV series, ‘Can’t Hurry Love’ which was a flop and had to be discontinued after the first season.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nancy starred in some TV series like ‘Style & Substance’, ‘The Division’, and ‘Sonny with a Chance’. The Division was a good hit and resurrected her career.

Apart from the TV series, Nancy has also acted in made-for-TV movies all through the 1980s and 1990s. Some of the made-for-TV movies in which she acted were ‘A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story’ and ‘The Wrong Woman’. In the year 2003 starred in a mainstream film called ‘Comfort and Joy’.

Nancy continues to act in TV series and TV miniseries.

The Facts of Life and The Division continue to be the major works of Nancy. Her desire to make it big in Hollywood was never fulfilled as she never got good roles.

Nancy was nominated in the Young Artist Awards for ‘Best Young Comedienne in Motion Picture or Television’ in the year 1982 for her performance in The Facts of Life.

In the year 1983, Nancy won ‘Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television’ for her performance in The Facts of Life Goes to Paris.

In 2000, Nancy won the ‘Audience award for best short drama’ for ‘A Wakening’.

In 2003, Nancy was nominated to the Prism awards for her performance in The Division.

Nancy married Marc Andrus in the year 2003. The couple has two daughters. Aurora and Harlow.

She now lives in Austin, Texas with her family.

Nancy made name by transitioning from petty child roles to portraying mature characters at a young age and with lot of ease. She is still remembered by people of her age for her outstanding performance in The Facts of Life.

When she was young, her family was granted private audience with ‘Pope John Paul II’ due to their strict adherence to catholic values.