Tina Yothers (/ˈjʌðərz/; born Kristina Louise Yothers; May 5, 1973)[2] is an American singer and former actress. Beginning a career as a child actor at the age of three, she is best known for her role as Jennifer Keaton on the hit NBC series Family Ties, as well as for her roles in numerous television films throughout the 1980s and early 1990s including The Cherokee Trail, Crash Course, and Spunk: The Tonya Harding Story among others.
Tina Yothers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kristina Louise Yothers May 5, 1973 Whittier, California, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1981–2013 |
Career
editYothers began her acting career in television advertisements at age three. Her first cinema role was in the 1981 television film The Cherokee Trail. She also appeared in the 1982 feature film Shoot the Moon. Her most famous role was that of Jennifer Keaton, the younger daughter in the television comedy Family Ties[3] that aired from 1982 to 1989. She also competed in the Battle of the Network Stars in December 1988. When Family Ties ended, Yothers abandoned her blonde hair color and has mostly worn it black since, with the notable exception of a 1996 appearance on the Married... with Children sitcom.[citation needed]
Yothers wrote the book Being Your Best: Tina Yothers's Guide for Girls and formed the band Jaded with her brother Cory. She provided the lead vocals while Cory played keyboard. In 1998, Jaded released their self-titled CD, which was co-written by Cory Yothers, Michael Anderson, Tina Yothers and performed by Tina Yothers (lead vocals), Michael Anderson (guitars/vocals), Jerry France (guitars/vocals), Larry Rosales (drums), Mike Wilson (bass) and Phil Jordan from No Doubt on trumpet, along with a DJ. Previously, Yothers sang a cover of The Raes song "Baby I'm Back in Love Again", which she later recorded as a single, in the "Band on the Run" episode of Family Ties that aired February 26, 1987.[citation needed]
After a nine-year absence from acting, Yothers was given the lead role in Lovelace the Musical, a 2004 stage show based on the life of former pornographic film star Linda Lovelace. She followed that up with a stint as a stock player in the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theater in Boca Raton, Florida from 2005 to 2007.
Despite retiring from acting to focus on her music, Yothers has appeared on several games shows and reality shows since.[4][5] She appeared as a contestant on a special TV child stars edition of The Weakest Link in 2001 where she was voted off in the fifth round. Yothers appeared on the fourth season of the VH1 reality television show Celebrity Fit Club, which began on August 6, 2006. After Yothers's second pregnancy, she appeared on Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp to try get back to her post-Fit Club weight. On January 17, 2012, she was featured on the ABC show Celebrity Wife Swap, where she traded places with Niecy Nash of Reno 911!. In February 2013, Yothers appeared on an episode of the TLC series What Not To Wear.
Filmography
editFilm and television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Peg Breydon | "The Cherokee Trail" |
| 1982 | Shoot the Moon | Molly Dunlap | Feature film |
| Father Murphy | Beatrice | "The Dream Day" | |
| 1982–1989 | Family Ties | Jennifer Keaton | 176 episodes |
| 1983 | Your Place... or Mine | Television movie | |
| 1984 | Domestic Life | Sally Dwyer | "Harold in Love", "The Candidates" |
| 1985 | Family Ties Vacation | Jennifer Keaton | Television movie |
| 1988 | Crash Course | Alice Santini | |
| Mickey's 60th Birthday | Jennifer Keaton | ||
| 1990 | Laker Girls | Tracy | |
| Family Double Dare | Herself | Celebrity contestant | |
| 1993 | Spunk: The Tonya Harding Story | Tonya Harding | Television movie |
| 1995 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester | Claire Howard | |
| 1996 | Married... with Children | Herself | "Kelly's Gotta Habit" |
| 2001 | The Weakest Link | Herself | Child TV stars special edition |
| 2006 | Celebrity Fit Club | Herself | Reality Television |
| 2006 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | ||
| 2012 | Celebrity Wife Swap | ||
| 2013 | What Not to Wear |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Young Artist Award | Nominated | Best Young Actress in a New Television Series | Family Ties |
| 1984 | Best Young Actress in a Comedy Series | |||
| 1985 | Won | Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series | ||
| 1989 | Nominated | Best Young Actress - Starring in a Television Comedy Series |
References
edit- ^ Brant, Marley (2006). Happier Days: Paramount Television's Classic Sitcoms, 1974-1984. Billboard Books p. 215. ISBN 0-8230-8933-9.
- ^ Arnold, Mark (2023). Stars of Walt Disney Productions. BearManor Media. ISBN 979-8-88771-072-3. "TINA YOTHERS aka Kristina Louise Yothers (born May 5, 1973)"
- ^ "Michael J. Fox admits he was in 'denial' for years after Parkinson's diagnosis: 'I was told I only had 10 years left to work'". celebrity.nine.com.au. November 20, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
- ^ "Tina Yothers Played Jennifer on "Family Ties." See Her Now at 48. — Best Life". bestlifeonline.com.
- ^ "The Cast of 'Family Ties': Where Are They Now?". Peoplemag.
External links
edit- Tina Yothers at IMDb
- Tina Yothers at the TCM Movie Database