‘Leave It to Beaver’ Star, 77, Shares Rare Comment About Late Castmate Tony Dow originally appeared on Parade.
Leave It to Beaver star, Jeri Weil, 77, who played Beaver Cleaver’s (Jerry Mathers) classmate Judy Hensler, is opening up about her friendship with her late castmate, Tony Dow.
During an August 2025 interview on That’s Classic, Weil said she was close to Dow, who played Beaver’s older brother, Wally Cleaver, during her time on the beloved sitcom.
According to Weil, Dow “was a love” and a wonderful artist. She also said Dow shared his character’s trait of kindness.
“I mean, just the nicest man and creative and just a wonderful human being,” said Weil during the interview.
Weil also said Dow’s second wife, Lauren Shulkind, “is a doll.” In addition, she said she was in communication with Dow and Shulkind for many years.
“Even as an adult, I would stay in touch with Tony. It was funny I had the same phone number for years, and years, and years, and every once in a while I would get a call from his wife, Lauren, and she would say, ‘Oh Jeri, this is still your phone number?’ And I would say, ‘Yeah. This is still me,'” said Weil.
She shared, however, that she “haven’t talked to [Shulkind] since Tony died” in 2022 at the age of 77 after battling liver cancer.
In a January 2022 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Dow discussed his complicated feelings about starring on Leave It to Beaver, which ran for six seasons until 1963. He said he felt a lot of anger and suffered from depression as an adult due to his childhood stardom.
“It’s sad to be famous at 12 years old and you grow up to be a real person and nothing is happening for you,” said Dow.
He said, however, that he began to appreciate the series when he was 40.
“At 40, I realized how great the show was and how appreciative I should be being in that show,” said the sculptor.
‘Leave It to Beaver’ Star, 77, Shares Rare Comment About Late Castmate Tony Dow first appeared on Parade on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
