Tracey Gold (born May 16, 1969) is an American actress and former child star known for playing Carol Seaver on the 1980s

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes. The series followed the misadventures of the ...

''.

Acting career

Tracey Gold became an actress at the age of four, first appearing in a

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...

print ad. She appeared in two canceled series, ''

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

'' with

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

in 1979, and '' Goodnight Beantown'', starring Bill Bixby in 1983. Gold was originally cast as the youngest daughter in the original pilot series of the sitcom '' Gimme A Break!'' starring

Nell Carter Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy; September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She was best known for her role as Ne ...

, but was replaced by actress Lara Jill Miller when the show went to series. She played one of Albert Finney and

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...

's four daughters in the feature film '' Shoot the Moon'' (1982). Gold also guest starred on her sister Missy Gold's series '' Benson'' in 1985, playing the cousin of Missy's character, Katie Gatling. In 1985, Gold auditioned for the role of Carol Seaver on ''

'', but was not initially cast. The actress chosen for the pilot was Elizabeth Ward, who had starred alongside Gold in ''The Hand-Me-Down Kid'', a 1983 '' ABC Afterschool Special''. However, test audiences did not favor Ward in the role of Carol, and she was replaced by Gold. ''Growing Pains'' ran from 1985 until 1992. During this time, Gold became a famous teen star and battled anorexia. In 1988, Gold also starred as Angela Strull in the

teen film Teen film is a film genre targeted at teenagers, preteens, or young adults by the plot being based on their special interests, such as coming of age, attempting to fit in, bullying, peer pressure, first love, teen rebellion, conflict with paren ...

'' Dance 'til Dawn''. On August 9, 1988, Gold and her two sisters were the only celebrities at the funeral of murdered child-actor

Judith Barsi Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She began her career in television, making appearances in commercials and television series, as well as the 1987 film '' Jaws: The Revenge''. She also provided the ...

. Gold read ''A Child Of Mine'' (from the poet Edgar Albert Guest) as a eulogy. After the end of the series, Gold continued to work as an actress. Over the next decade, she starred in several television movies. In 2003, Gold appeared in an episode of the TV show '' The Dead Zone'' as the character Penny Barton. Gold was a contestant on the program '' Celebrity Mole: Yucatán'' in 2004, and starred in the movie ''Safe Harbor'' in 2006. She hosted the

TV Guide Channel The American cable television, cable and satellite television network Pop (American TV channel), Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized electronic program guide, channel and program listings ...

mini-show '' Trapped in TV Guide''. In addition, she hosted the TLC series '' The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom'', which debuted on March 3, 2008. Gold appeared as the spokesperson in "Baby Sleeps Safe", a national television infomercial for Baby Guardian. On January 2, 2012, she appeared on the ABC network's reality series, ''Celebrity Wife Swap'', trading places with singer

Carnie Wilson Carnie Wilson (born April 29, 1968) is an American singer and television personality. She is the daughter of Brian Wilson and in 1989 co-founded the pop music trio Wilson Phillips with her younger sister Wendy. From 1995 onwards, she has also be ...

for a week. On July 24, 2013, Gold returned to sitcoms with an appearance on the ''

Melissa & Joey ''Melissa & Joey'' is an American television sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence that aired for four seasons between 2010 and 2015 on ABC Family (now Freeform). The series follows local politician Mel Burke (Hart) and Joe Longo ...

'' episode, "Something Happened," as one half of a lesbian couple with a home-schooled daughter. Gold starred in the first episode of ''Heartbreakers'' called "Shot Through The Heart" on ID on August 13, 2014. She competed on and won the twenty-fourth season of ''

Worst Cooks in America ''Worst Cooks in America'' is an American reality television series that premiered on January3, 2010, on Food Network. The show takes 12 to 16 contestants (referred to as "recruits") with very poor cooking skills through a culinary boot camp, t ...

'', the show's seventh celebrity edition titled ''That's So 90s'', airing in April and May 2022.

Battle with anorexia

Gold stated that starting at about the age of seven, she thought about dieting, having learned the word and the concept on the many television production sets she worked on as a child actress. She became preoccupied with the television movie '' The Best Little Girl in the World'', starring actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh Jennifer Jason Leigh (born Jennifer Leigh Morrow; February 5, 1962) is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough as Stacy Hamilton in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982). Sh ...

, about an anorexic teenager. In her autobiography, Gold says that in an attempt to control her development into a woman, she began restricting what she ate. When she was 11, she was diagnosed with the early stages of

anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gr ...

by her family pediatrician after a weight loss that accompanied a growth spurt. After some counseling, she eventually returned to a more normal weight for most of her teenage years. In 1988 at age 19, Gold gained some weight over the ''Growing Pains'' series hiatus. That season, the sitcom's scripts called for her to be the brunt of jokes about her being overweight from her television brothers for many episodes in a row. Beginning in October 1988, Gold dieted from 133 pounds to about 110 pounds on a medically supervised diet, but still occasionally the scripts continued to include weight-based jokes at her expense. In her autobiography, she says that between 1989 and 1991, she became increasingly obsessed with food and her weight and continued to slowly and steadily lose weight. In 1990, Gold began group therapy in an eating disorder program, but only learned more ways to lose weight. That season, her problem with weight loss was touched upon slightly on her television series, when Gold is seen looking at her body in a carnival mirror, and describes to another character the distorted image in her head. In 1991, she started starving herself more than ever and

vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteri ...

, and lost a massive amount of weight, to the point that she was admitted to a hospital in early 1992. Her lowest weight is estimated to have been near 80 pounds. She was suspended from the show for her skeletal appearance. Photos of Gold's emaciated body were plastered all over tabloid magazines, and she was one of the first celebrities ever to be formally outed for anorexia. She last appeared in the 1991 episode, "Menage a Luke" after missing the two prior episodes where her problem is very obvious in some scenes, and did not return until the last two episodes of the series in the late spring of 1992, although she was not nearly recovered at this point. After a several year struggle, Gold eventually recovered, and starred in the television movie '' For the Love of Nancy'' (1994) with

Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Ac ...

. The film explored a young woman's battle with anorexia and its effects on her family. Although she was warned of the possibility that she had done damage to her reproductive organs by the years of anorexia, Gold was able to give birth to four children. As she entered her thirties, Gold maintained a normal weight for her body structure, and often holds speaking engagements warning young women about the dangers of eating disorders, while continuing work as an actress.

Personal life

Gold met her husband Roby Marshall through ''Growing Pains'' co-star

Joanna Kerns Joanna Kerns (born February 12, 1953) is an American actress and director best known for her role as Maggie Seaver on the family situation comedy ''Growing Pains'' from 1985 to 1992. Early life Kerns was born Joanna Crussie DeVarona in San Franc ...

. Marshall served as a consultant on the true-crime miniseries Blind Faith, about the 1984 contract killing of Roby’s mother, Maria, arranged by Roby’s father,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. Kern portrayed Maria in the miniseries. Gold and Roby married on October 8, 1994, and have four sons: Sage Gold, Bailey Vincent, Aiden Michael, and Dylan Christopher. In 2003, Gold wrote the book ''Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life'' with Julie McCarron, about Gold's struggle with and eventual recovery from anorexia.{{Citation needed , date=May 2022

Arrest

In 2004, Gold was arrested for drunk driving after rolling her SUV down a California freeway embankment. Gold was arrested by

California Highway Patrol The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is a state law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and roads and streets outside city limits, and can exercise law enforcem ...

officers and charged with a felony count of driving under the influence causing injury. While Gold's husband and two of her sons (ages five and five months) were not seriously injured in the late-night crash, the actress's oldest child, 7-year-old Sage, suffered a broken

clavicle The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the r ...

and a head laceration. After CHP officers administered sobriety tests, Gold was arrested on the DUI charge, said CHP spokesman Steve Reid. Booked under her married name, Tracey Gold Marshall, she spent five hours in the Ventura lockup before being released on $50,000 bail. She eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month work release, 240 hours of community service, and 3 years of probation. {{cite web , url=https://clumsycrooks.com/celebrity-mug-shots/tracey-gold-mug-shot/ , title=Tracey Gold Mug Shot - World's Dumbest Criminals, Funny Crime Stories, Celebrities , date=26 April 2019

Filmography

{, class="wikitable sortable" , +Film , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" , Notes , - , 1978 , ''{{sortname, A, Rainy Day, nolink=1'' , Stephanie as a Child , Short film , - , 1982 , '' Shoot the Moon'' , Marianne Dunlap , , - , 1986 , ''{{sortname, The, Best of Times, The Best of Times (1986 film)'' , Jaki's Friend (uncredited) , , - , 1988 , ''The Girl Next Door'' , Annie , , - , 1990 , '' The Willies'' , Carol Seaver , , - , 1998 , ''Wanted'' , Sue Bentley , , - , 2001 , '' What's the Worst That Could Happen?'' , Woman at Auction (uncredited) , , - , 2008 , ''Solar Flare'' , Dr. Joanna Clark , , - , 2011 , ''Your Love Never Fails'' , Samantha Pierce , Video , - , 2014 , ''My Dad's a Soccer Mom'' , Lori Brookstone , , - , 2016 , '' All Hallows' Eve'' , Didi Hallow , {, class="wikitable sortable" , +Television , - ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" , Notes , - , 1976 , '' Captains and the Kings'' , Rosemary Armagh , TV miniseries , - , 1977 , '' Roots'' , Young Missy Anne Reynolds , TV miniseries , - , 1978 , ''{{sortname, The, Dark Secret of Harvest Home'' , Missy Penrose , TV miniseries , - , 1978 , ''Night Cries'' , Donna Blankenship , TV movie , - , 1978 , ''Little Mo'' , Cindy Brinker , TV movie , - , 1978 , ''

Quincy, M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County med ...

'' , Lisa Carson , Episode: "A Test for Living" , - , 1979 , ''{{sortname, The, Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel'' , Laurie Mae Moon , TV movie , - , 1979 , ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who ...

'' , Tracey Kappleton , Episode: "Best of Friends" , - , 1979 , ''Jennifer: A Woman's Story'' , Emma Prince , TV movie , - , 1979 , ''{{sortname, The, Child Stealer, nolink=1'' , Pam , TV movie , - , 1979 , ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

'' , Linda/Donna , Episode: "Drive, Lady, Drive: Part 1"
Episode: "Drive, Lady, Drive: Part 2" , - , 1979 , ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'' , Monica , Episode: "Amusement Park/Rock Stars" , - , 1979–1980 , ''

'' , Michelle Miller , 13 episodes , - , 1980 , '' Here's Boomer'' , Laurie , Episode: "Overboard" , - , 1980 , ''

Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...

'' , Ellie , Episode: "Girl Under Glass: Part 1"
Episode: "Girl Under Glass: Part 2" , - , 1980 , '' Marilyn: The Untold Story'' , Young Norma Jean , TV movie , - , 1981 , '' CBS Afternoon Playhouse'' , Carrie , Episode: "I Think I'm Having a Baby" , - , 1981 , ''{{sortname, A, Few Days in Weasel Creek, nolink=1'' , Buddy , TV movie , - , 1981 , ''CBS Library'' , Jane , Episode: "A Tale of Four Wishes" , - , 1982 , '' Father Murphy'' , Jenny , Episode: "Eight-Eight Keys to Happiness" , - , 1982 , '' Beyond Witch Mountain'' , Tia , TV movie , - , 1982 , ''{{sortname, The, Phoenix, The Phoenix (1982 TV series)'' , Jan , Episode: "The Fire Within" , - , 1983 , ''Another Woman's Child'' , Lisa , TV movie , - , 1983 , '' ABC Afterschool Special'' , Ari Jacobs , Episode: "The Hand Me Down Kid" , - , 1983 , '' Thursday's Child'' , Alix , TV movie , - , 1983 , ''

Who Will Love My Children? ''Who Will Love My Children?'' is a 1983 American made-for-television biographical film based on the life of Lucile Fray. Lucile Fray was diagnosed with cancer in 1952 and wanted to find suitable homes for her ten children, since she felt her hu ...

'' , Pauline Fray , TV movie , - , 1983 , ''

'' , Michelle Robbins , Episode: "Three's a Crowd/Second Time Around" , - , 1983–1984 , ''

Goodnight, Beantown ''Goodnight, Beantown'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS for two brief seasons in 1983 and 1984. Synopsis The series stars Bill Bixby as Matt Cassidy and Mariette Hartley as Jennifer Barnes, two news anchors at WYN-TV, a fictional televis ...

'' , Susan Barnes , 18 episodes , - , 1984 , ''

'' , Jennifer Robins , Episode: "Where There's a Will" , - , 1985 , ''{{sortname, A, Reason to Live, A Reason to Live (1985 film)'' , Ellen Maynes , TV movie , - , 1985 , '' Lots of Luck'' , Cindy Maris , TV movie , - , 1985 , '' Benson'' , Laura , Episode: "Katie's Cousin" , - , 1985–1992 , ''

'' , Carol Seaver , 166 episodes , - , 1986 , ''{{sortname, The, Blinkins, nolink=1'' , Shady (voice) , TV movie , - , 1988 , '' Dance 'til Dawn'' , Angela Strull , TV movie , - , 1990 , ''DuckTales: The Movie Special'' , Hostess , TV movie , - , 1990 , '' ABC Afterschool Special'' , Shauna Kelly , Episode: "A Question About Sex" , - , 1993 , ''Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story'' , Christa Uchytil , TV movie , - , 1994 , '' For the Love of Nancy'' , Nancy Walsh , TV movie , - , 1995 , ''Sleep, Baby, Sleep'' , Sylvie Pierson , TV movie , - , 1995 , '' Lady Killer (1995 film)'' , Sharon , TV movie , - , 1995 , ''Beauty's Revenge'' , Beth , TV movie , - , 1995 , ''Stolen Innocence'' , Stacy , TV movie , - , 1996 , ''{{sortname, A, Kidnapping in the Family, nolink=1'' , Sarah Landers Taylor , TV movie , - , 1996 , ''

Face of Evil ''Face of Evil'' is a 1996 American television film starring Tracey Gold as Darcy Palmer, Perry King as Russell Polk and Shawnee Smith as his daughter Jeanelle Polk. Plot Darcy Palmer (Gold) is a promising young artist. On the night before h ...

'' , Darcy Palmer / Barbara Richards , TV movie , - , 1996 , ''{{sortname, The, Perfect Daughter, nolink=1'' , Alexandra Michaelson , TV movie , - , 1996 , '' Diagnosis: Murder'' , Amy , Episode: "An Explosive Murder" , - , 1996 , '' To Face Her Past'' , Lori Molina , TV movie , - , 1998 , ''Dirty Little Secret'' , Sarah Wheetley , TV movie , - , 1998 , ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...

'' , Darlene Jones , Episode: "Vengeance Is Mine: Part 1" , - , 1998 , ''

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

'' , Darlene Jones , Episode: "Vengeance Is Mine: Part 2" , - , 1998 , ''The Girl Next Door'' , Anne 'Annie' Nolan , TV movie , - , 1999 , ''{{sortname, A, Crime of Passion, nolink=1'' , Alyssa Pierce , TV movie , - , 2000 , ''

Chicken Soup for the Soul Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is an American self-help, consumer goods and media company based in Cos Cob, Connecticut. It is known for the ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' book series. The first book, like most subsequent titles in the ...

'' , Anita , 1 episode , - , 2000 , ''Stolen from the Heart'' , Leslie Wagner , TV movie , - , 2000 , '' Twice in a Lifetime'' , Blair Wilson / Polly Murtaugh , Episode: "Party Girls" , - , 2000 , ''{{sortname, The, Growing Pains Movie'' , Carol Seaver , TV movie , - , 2001 , '' She's No Angel'' , Liddy Carlyle , TV movie , - , 2002 , ''Wildfire 7: The Inferno'' , Nell Swanson , TV movie , - , 2003 , '' Stephen King's Dead Zone'' , Penny Barton , Episode: "Misbegotten" , - , 2004 , '' Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers'' , Carol Seaver , TV movie , - , 2005 , ''Captive Hearts'' , Elizabeth Sorenson , TV movie , - , 2006 , ''Safe Harbor'' , Carly Segan , TV movie , - , 2006 , ''Trapped in TV Guide'' , Host , TV series , - , 2007 , ''

Final Approach In aeronautics, the final approach (also called the final leg and final approach leg) is the last leg in an aircraft's approach to landing, when the aircraft is lined up with the runway and descending for landing.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of ...

'' , Lina Howren , TV movie , - , 2009 , ''Sight Unseen'' , Molly , TV movie , - , 2012 , ''Arachnoquake'' , Katelynn , TV movie , - , 2013 , ''

'' , Polly , Episode: "Something Happened" , - , 2016 , ''I Know Where Lizzie Is'' , Judith , TV movie , - , 2017 , ''

Battle of the Network Stars ''Battle of the Network Stars'' is a series of competitions in which television stars from ABC, CBS and NBC would compete in various sporting events. A total of 19 of these competitions were held between 1976 and 1988, all of which were aired b ...

'' , Herself , Episode: "Competition 20" , - , 2017 , ''Daily Blast Live'' , Herself , Host , - , 2022 , ''

'' , Herself , Contestant (season 24)

References

{{Reflist

External links

* {{Tcmdb name, 72818, Tracey Gold * {{IMDb name, 0325097, Tracey Gold * {{amg name, 27422 * {{rotten-tomatoes-person, tracey_gold {{Authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Gold, Tracey 1969 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from California Actresses from New York City American adoptees American child actresses American film actresses American television actresses Living people Participants in American reality television series People from New York City People from Greater Los Angeles