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

Aug 09, 2023

Former child 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 young star, Mathers played the role alongside other classic Hollywood actors, including Hugh Beaumont as Ward Cleaver and Barbara Billingsley as June 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 in his role and became a huge star in no time.

After his stint as a child star ended, however, the actor faced a difficult time in his life. 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, 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 found his gumption fitting for the new show. Mathers played the freckled little boy Beaver for six years and 234 episodes and cemented his fame across the world.

Mathers became synonymous with innocence and childhood charm after gaining fame as the endearing "Beaver" in the sitcom "Leave It to Beaver." Born on June 2, 1948, in Sioux City, Iowa, Mathers captured the hearts of audiences with his portrayal of the curious and mischievous Beaver.

Mathers' journey into the world of entertainment began at a tender age. His parents recognized his natural charisma and decided to enroll him in local talent competitions. It was during one of these competitions that he caught the attention of a talent agent, which eventually led to his first television role in a commercial for PET Milk. This initial success paved the way for more opportunities in the entertainment industry.

However, it was in 1957 that Mathers truly made his mark when he was cast as Beaver Cleaver in the classic American television series. The show revolved around the everyday adventures and predicaments of the Cleaver family, with Mathers' character, Beaver, serving as the embodiment of innocence, curiosity and youthful naivety. His portrayal struck a chord with audiences, resonating across generations and making him a household name.

What set Mathers apart was his ability to capture the essence of childhood in an authentic and relatable manner. His expressions, reactions and interactions with other characters felt genuine, allowing viewers to empathize with the challenges and discoveries that come with growing up. His chemistry with his on-screen family, especially his older brother Wally, played by Tony Dow, and his interactions with his friends added depth to the show's narrative.

"Leave It to Beaver" ran for six seasons, showcasing Mathers' growth both as an actor and as a person. The show reflected the values and societal norms of the time, portraying an idealized suburban family life that resonated with viewers seeking a nostalgic escape. 

After the show's conclusion in 1963, Mathers navigated the difficult transition from child actor to adulthood. As a high schooler, Mathers played football for the junior varsity team. He also became interested in music and played in a band called "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.

Mathers then joined the Air Force Reserves, as he harbored dreams of becoming a Marine and fighting in the Vietnam War. However, this did not materialize as he was discouraged from active service for publicity reasons. 

After five years in the military, Mathers headed off to college. He studied philosophy at the University of California-Berkeley. After graduating, he found a job at a bank as a commercial loan officer before venturing into real estate, where, he told the Tampa Bay Times, was a better choice financially. 

However, Mathers couldn’t kick off his old fondness for acting and soon began dabbling in the performing arts once more, this time, on the live stage. With his former castmate Dow, Mathers acted in a short run of the stage play “Boeing Boeing.” It became a hit at an unexpected time as Mathers, then 31, was going through a divorce from his college sweetheart, Diana Platt, whom he wed in 1974. Mathers followed this up with a nationwide tour of another play, “So Long Stanley,” in 1981. The tour would prove to be a fortuitous event for Mathers, as it was then that he met the woman who would become his second wife, Rhonda Gehring.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Mathers had described meeting the 26-year-old public relations worker as such:

“This girl may have had a mind for business but her body was designed for sin.”

Mathers and Gehring had three children. After his stage hits, Mathers found work as a radio DJ. However, the past would continue to catch up with him, and projects such as “Still The Beaver” and the Disney Channel’s "The New Leave It To Beaver" that began airing in 1984 brought him back into the spotlight.

Now in his 30s, Mathers struggled to keep up the pace with the modern style of filming. While Mathers found the schedule hectic and physical requirements taxing, he continued on for the weekly $45,000 salary.  

Mathers had an underlying struggle with his weight, and his tedious job at Disney worsened the situation. However, the star was desperate to improve himself. He began adopting a liquid diet and began running and doing aerobics. The hard work paid off as Mathers dropped down to a low of 145 pounds after two years. The stresses of the job also put a burden on his marriage to Gehring. Mathers had gotten into the habit of getting up at 3 a.m. and sometimes working out until 9 p.m. to stay in shape, leaving Gehring possibly feeling a little neglected.

“Rhonda would meet me at the door in some Frederick’s of Hollywood outfit, and all I would fantasize about was food,” he recounted in his book, “And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver.” 

“Maybe if Rhonda would have dressed up as a truffle or a chocolate souffle, I would have been interested.”

When the show ended in 1989, Mathers decided to put his feet up for a while and spend more time with his family. However, Mathers was only 40 at the time, and many of his loved ones became concerned as Mathers dwindled his time away and began to put on weight once again.

The star was convinced by pals to lose weight and lead a healthy life. He adopted the Jenny Craig weight loss program and lost significant weight. While Mathers and Gehring faced some marital strife during this time, they both made a concerted effort to repair their marriage. Things looked to be on the up when they renewed their vows in a church ceremony, but it appeared the damage had already been done.

Mathers described being hit by a “bombshell” in discovering that Gehring’s affection had pivoted to another person. He conceded in his memoir that his “years in social and professional exile had already damaged our marriage beyond repair.” 

He cited the Disney show as having perhaps given his wife a picture of what the rest of their lives would look like, which didn’t turn out as planned. 

“Rhonda had married me at the start of ‘The New Leave It to Beaver.’ Living with a social and professional recluse was not in her original plan. Rhonda wanted out. People think that being married to a celebrity is fun, then they get fed up with the hassles of it. Rhonda had found someone else.”

Things took a turn when Gehring began airing their dirty laundry in public. She told the National Inquirer that: “Jerry is NOT Ward Cleaver. He is a great guy and a good husband and father but he is no Ward Cleaver.”

Mathers responded to the accusation in his book:

“Wow! This was so weird to me. How can I compete with a fictional character? My own wife was seeking the type of love demonstrated by my fictional father to my fictional mother.”

The pair finalized their divorce in 1997, but it would take almost 15 years before Mathers found love again.

The late 1990s wasn’t the best period of Mathers’ life. The out-of-work actor was dealing with the fallout from a messy divorce, and doctors were pushing him to get his weight under control or face the possibility of death in three to five years. With a new millennium on the horizon, Mathers knew he had to make a change. So, much like his indomitable alter ego Beaver, he got to work.

By 1999, Mathers was back on track health-wise, running daily, drinking lots of water and practicing portion control. All this helped him get down to a manageable 178 pounds from a high of 250 with a 32-inch waist.

“I feel like I'm in my 30s. I feel really good,” he said at the time.

Mathers did manage to land some guest roles on shows such as “Diagnosis: Murder” and “Married… With Children,” but he never again reached the highs of his “Leave It To Beaver” days. Nevertheless, Mathers carried on before discovering life had another surprise in store for him.

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 December 2015, Mathers officially joined the grandparents club and shared an adorable photo to prove it. The snap showed the newborn child lying on Mathers’ chest and was captioned: 

“Life is good. My first #grandchild!”

By 2017, he was showing off his second grandchild, too, with a social media post captioned, “Moments that I treasure.” Even after Mathers has long left Beaver Cleaver behind, his legacy has clearly endured in the love he receives from fans of all ages. One such fan left a comment that read:

“Oh my gush (sic) Mr. Jerry Mathers, such a precious photo and so nostalgic. May God bless you and your whole family always. I love your show LVTB and I do not go to sleep with out having watch (sic) it every single day. I love you Beaver a bunch !!!!”

Mathers shared another precious grandfatherly moment with the world in 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!"