David Cassidy on the Web
'The Partridge Family Cast': Where Are They Now?
March 2, 2010
By: David Hofstede
http://insidetv.aol.com
Where are 'The Partridge Family' stars now? They invited you to 'C'mon Get Happy,' but did the cast of 'The Partridge Family' follow its own advice? David Cassidy, Danny Bonaduce, Brian Forster and Suzanne Crough are among the stars of the classic 1970s musical sitcom that reunited on NBC's 'Today' March 2.
Some of the TV family members have stayed in the public eye since their days of donning crushed velvet and singing 'I Think I Love You,' while others have long since gotten off the pop culture bus. Here's where the Partridges flew following the cancellation of the series in 1974.
Shirley Jones
Shirley Partridge
Jones had already enjoyed a substantial show business career before her 'Partridge' days, starring in such classic movie musicals as 'Oklahoma' and 'The Music Man' and winning an Academy Award for her performance in 'Elmer Gantry' (1961). After 'The Partridge Family' she remained in demand as a guest star on dozens of television shows, most notably as Drew Carey's girlfriend on 'The Drew Carey Show' and Colleen Brady on 'Days of Our Lives.' In 2009, she appeared on stepson David Cassidy's series, 'Ruby and the Rockits.'
David Cassidy
Keith Partridge
'The Partridge Family' made Cassidy one of the most successful singers and teen idols of the 1970s. He played sold-out concerts in America and became an even bigger star in England, where he continued to record hits after the series was canceled. He gradually overcame typecasting as a bubblegum pop singer, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance on 'Police Story' and starring in the short-lived spin-off series 'David Cassidy - Man Undercover.' In 2009 he portrayed an aging pop idol in 'Ruby and the Rockits' opposite brother Patrick Cassidy. His love-hate relationship with his Partridge fame made tabloid headlines after he stormed out of a Hollywood autograph show last October, refusing to sign any Partridge-related merchandise.
Susan Dey
Laurie Partridge
Any boy who wasn't crushing on Marcia Brady in the '70s probably had a thing for lovely Laurie Partridge. Following guest star roles on such series as 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Barnaby Jones,' Dey played Celia Warren on the adventure series 'Emerald Point N.A.S.' She then shattered her wholesome image in the R-rated film 'Echo Park.' Dey enjoyed a successful return to series television playing Grace Van Owen in 'L.A. Law' , then lampooned her Partridge days in a classic 1992 'Saturday Night Live' skit. Dey reprised her 'L.A. Law' role in a 2002 TV movie, and most recently appeared in a 2004 episode of 'Third Watch.'
Danny Bonaduce
Danny Partridge
As redheaded imp Danny Partridge, Bonaduce played a troublemaker so convincingly it wasn't a surprise when he embraced that role in real life. He's had a few highly publicized brushes with the law, including an assault on a transvestite hooker in 1991, and his volatile temper and his witty, self-deprecating sense of humor were on display in the VH1 reality series 'Breaking Bonaduce.' He defeated Donny Osmond and Barry Williams in celebrity boxing matches, and has found success as a radio personality on Philadelphia's WYSP.
Dave Madden
Reuben Kincaid
Veteran comedian Madden played the Partridge Family's acerbic manager, and a perfect comic foil for Bonaduce. He would later make recurring appearances as Earl Hicks on the sitcom 'Alice,' and launched a lucrative career in commercial voiceovers. His autobiography is entitled 'Reuben on Wry.'
Jeremy Gelbwaks
Chris Partridge
Gelbwaks played the Partridge's pint-sized drummer for just one season. Danny Bonaduce has said he was replaced for being a brat on the set, but some sources report the casting change was a result of the Gelbwaks family moving from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. He never acted again, but did appear on a 2003 'Biography' episode devoted to 'The Partridge Family.'
Brian Forster
Chris Partridge No. 2
As a child actor Forster also appeared on 'The Brady Bunch' and 'Family Affair' before taking over the role of Chris Partridge. After the series, he became a racecar driver, and still appears in California community theater productions. In 2008 he reprised his Chris Partridge role on the Internet sitcom 'Break a Leg.'
Suzanne Crough
Tracy Partridge
The youngest of the Partridge siblings, Tracy played tambourine and rarely spoke more than once in an episode. After 'The Partridge Family,' Suzanne Crough costarred in the 1977 series 'Mulligan Stew,' and played a groupie for Leif Garrett on a 1978 episode of 'Wonder Woman.' Her last acting credit was in the 1980 TV movie 'Children of Divorce.' Crough owned a bookstore in the 1990s and is now a wife and mother to two children.
Ricky Segall
Ricky was the Partridges' Cousin Oliver, a cute but largely unnecessary shark-jumping moppet who popped up in the last five minutes of several episodes in the series' final season. After a handful of television guest appearances as an actor and musician, Segall left show business to become an assistant pastor in Texas. However, he recently ended his self-imposed hiatus from performing and recently played Sir Dinadin in a Pasadena Playhouse production of 'Camelot.'
