At 75, ‘Leave It To Beaver’ Star Jerry Mathers Is Living His Best Life With Wife & Grandkids Following Weight Loss Journey

Jul 11, 2023

Star actor Jerry Mathers actively and impressively contributed to the prowess of the 1950s sitcom scene when he expertly embodied the famous title role of Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver in "Leave It To Beaver." As a child star, Mathers played the role alongside other classic Hollywood actors, including Hugh Beaumont (Ward Cleaver), Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver), and Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver.)

Mathers portrayed the role of the vibrant younger child in the Cleaver household, a suburban family with everyday relatable issues. From 1954 to 1963, Mathers delivered the role, and he was the star in no time. 

Years after he stopped being a child star, the actor faced a difficult time in his life, where he spiraled, gained excessive weight, and was at risk of health complications and the effects of a failed marriage. In 2023, the veteran actor was spotted out and about with his wife, and he appeared to have no hair out of place, despite enduring a challenging time in his prime.

Mathers was a star in his own right during childhood, having launched his acting career at the tender age of 2. At the time, he took roles in movies like "The Trouble with Harry, "Seven Little Foys" and "This is My Love," among others. He worked as a child model and appeared in ads for department stores. 

The young actor's career progressed when he unintentionally got the "Leave It To Beaver" gig. Mathers once revealed how he got the role. The then-youngster had told the show's producers that he would rather be a Cub Scout than do an audition for the role. 

The showrunners instead found his utterance fitting for the new show. Mathers played the freckled little boy Beaver for six years and 234 episodes. This role cemented his fame across countries. 

As a high schooler, Mathers played football for the junior varsity team. He also became interested in music, setting up and playing in a band known as "Beaver and the Trappers." In a 1999 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Mathers revealed that he had a lot of fun in high school.

During his prime years, Mathers joined the Air Force Reserves, where he wanted to become a Marine. He wanted to fight in the Vietnam War. However, this dream did not materialize as he was discouraged from joining for publicity reasons. 

Mathers was in the military for five years before going to college. He studied philosophy at the University of California-Berkeley. Mathers appeared to draw back from the Hollywood scenery due to changes like marriage and parenthood. However, he occasionally took up roles and made more film projects inspired by "Leave It To Beaver."

The former child star has been married three times — first to Diana Platt, his college sweetheart. The pair became man and wife in 1974 and were married for six years. 

Years later, Mathers met his second wife, Rhonda Gehring. The connection between them was instant; as Mathers recalled, "This girl may have had a mind for business, but her body was designed for sin." The pair had three children — Noah, Gretchen and Mercedes. He continued his career with projects like “Still The Beaver” and "The New Leave It To Beaver" on Disney. 

He struggled on the latter show due to requirements about his weight. Mathers had an underlying struggle with his weight, and his tedious job at Disney worsened the situation. After the show ended, Mathers' doctor told him to keep his weight in check due to Type 1 diabetes. His marriage to Gehring also became rocky at this time.

The star was convinced by pals to lose weight and lead a healthy life. He adopted the Jenny Craig weight loss program and significantly lost weight. Although he and Gehring tried to make things work, even renewing their vows, the marriage ended because "Rhonda had found someone else."

Per the Orange County Register, Mathers married his third wife, Teresa Modnick, in 2011. The lovebirds said their vows in front of over 150 guests at the Hilton Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach. Some of the well-wishers present included his mom, Marilyn Mathers, Ken Osmond and Melanie Hogan. The newlyweds enjoyed a joyful day with his brother Shawn giving the toast.

As a family man, he has been living out his retirement days with Modnick. Mathers became a grandfather in 2015, and he often shows off his lovely family on social media. 

In one post, the proud grandad showed off his two grandchildren with the caption, “Moments that I treasure.” Another of these moments was a 2018 post where he rocked matching bunny ears with his granddaughter for Easter. He shared a goodwill message: “Wishing you all a very happy and joyful #Passover and #Easter celebration from our family to yours!”

The actor celebrated 10 years of love with Modnick in 2021 and shared a post on Instagram in which he gushed over her. Mathers sweetly wrote:

“So happy celebrating 10 years of married bliss on our anniversary with my beautiful and adoring wife, lifetime partner and my perfect soulmate!”

In a 2023 star sighting, the health advocate looked agile while running errands with his wife. The couple dressed casually as they went about shopping. It is safe to say that Mathers once hit a rough patch, but his latter years are proving to be very fulfilling. 

Isn't it motivating that Jerry Mathers chose a healthy weight loss path after struggling for a long time? Do you recall watching him as the lively little boy on "Leave It To Beaver"? What do you think about his fulfilled family life with his third wife and grandchildren? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other fans of "Leave It To Beaver!"