"Leave It To Beaver" star Tony Dow, 76, has been hospitalized with pneumonia.
The actor's wife, Lauren Shulkind, confirmed on Sunday to TMZ that Dow was admitted on Thursday but had to spend 24 hours waiting in the E.R. due to a shortage of beds caused by the surge of delta variant coronavirus outbreaks. Shulkind further explained that her husband had tested negative for COVID-19 five times while in the hospital, where he is now on the mend. Doctors expect to release him within the next several days, according to TMZ.
Dow is best known for his role as Wally Cleaver in "Leave it To Beaver." He starred in all 234 episodes, until the show ended in 1963. From there he went on to appear in dozens of other shows including "The Greatest Show on Earth," "Never Too Young," and "Lassie" as well as guest roles in "Knight Rider," "Quincy ME," "Murder, She Wrote," "The Love Boat," and "Mod Squad." Dow also directed episodes of "Babylon 5" and "Star Trek," according to IMDB.
In an interview with Fox News, Dow explained that he broadened his interest to include directing after finding himself being typecast as a child star.
"Your voice changes. You’re no longer the cute little kid. You go through an awkward age and don’t get hired, so you quit," he said of growing up. "I wasn’t neglected by my family… I also started college and kept acting … Then I decided to stop and try other things, like directing, to keep things interesting."
Dow served in the National Guard from 1965 to 1968. Years later, in 1987, he was honored with the Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award by the Young Artist Foundation for his role in "Leave it To Beaver," Daily Mail reported.
After his acting career ended, Dow turned his attention to modern art sculpting and in 2008 one of his bronze sculptures was accepted at Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts, which is an art show staged annually at the Louvre in Paris, France.
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Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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