Nancy McKeon is an actress who was born in Westbury, New York, on April 4, 1966. She began her acting career as a child actress in 1977 and went on to enjoy a successful career in both the television and film industries. She is best-known for playing the role of Jo Polniaczek in ‘The Facts of Life’, an NBC sitcom. Although she has enjoyed a long and successful career, it does seem a while since she was last seen either in a film or on television. So, whatever happened to Nancy McKeon?
McKeon initially began her career as a child, first appearing in television commercials. Her brother, Phillip McKeon, also began his acting career as a child appearing in television commercials. She also appeared in many television series and in television films, including ‘Return to Fantasy Island’ and ‘A Question of Love’. Her first regular television job was playing Jill Stone in ‘Stone’ in 1980.
In the same year, she landed the role of Jo Polniaczek in ‘The Facts of Life’ and it is for this role that she is still best-known, and which is responsible for her rise in prominence. She was in this series until 1988 and appeared in 189 episodes. During her time working on this series, she continued to take on other jobs and appeared in numerous television films and series.
Her success continued into the 1990s and, during this decade, she had many lead roles. She made her feature film debut in 1992 in ‘Where the Day Takes You’. This was followed in 1994 with a role in ‘Teresa’s Tattoo’ and then ‘Just Write’ in 1997. McKeon’s main television roles were playing Annie O’Donnell in ‘Can’t Hurry Love’ and Jane Sokol in ‘Style & Substance’.
It was at the turn of the Millennium that Nancy McKeon’s career took a downward turn. Her main television job during this period of her life was playing Inspector Jinny Exstead in ‘The Division’ from 2001 to 2004. She then appeared in several television films and appeared in five episodes of ‘Sonny with a Chance’ between 2009 and 2010.
The last time she appeared in an acting capacity on television was in 2011 when she played Millie in the television film ‘Love Begins’. Her only other appearance on television since then was when she appeared as herself on a 2016 special episode of ‘Home & Family’ titled ‘The Facts of Life Reunion’.
Since then, she has not been seen on television. However, in interviews, Nancy McKeon has stated that she wanted to spend quality time with her family. She married Marc Andrus in 2003 and the couple has two daughters together, Aurora and Harlow.
Although she has not officially retired from the entertainment industry and is still listed on information pages as currently working as an actress, she has kept away from the limelight in recent years. She has occasionally been photographed out and about with her daughters. The family now live in Austin, Texas, and it is in this area where she and her daughters are often spotted going about their daily lives.
Follow Us
