Gerald Patrick “Jerry” Mathers (created June 2, 1948) is an American television, film, and stage performer. As he moved into his teen years, Mathers retired from performing to concentrate on high school. He attended Notre Dame High School, in Sherman Oaks, California. While he was still in high school, Mathers joined the Air Force Reserve. He appeared as a presenter in the 1967 Emmy Awards ceremony in his dress uniform. After graduating high school in 1967, Mathers continued to serve in the Military Reserve and made the position of Sergeant. In December 1969, a rumor started that Mathers was killed in action in the Vietnam War. Even though the source of the gossip is uncertain, Mathers never saw action and was never stationed outside America. Then he was employed as a commercial loan officer in a financial institution before using well-invested savings from his performing career, which started at $500 a week, to start a career in real-estate development. In 1978, he reentered the entertainment industry. Mathers and Dow subsequently toured the dinner theater circuit in a generation of So Long, Stanley for 18 months. In 1981, he was employed as a disc jockey at KEZY AM radio in Anaheim, California. In 1983, Mathers reprised his character in the television reunion movie Still the Beaver, which likewise featured the bulk of the initial Leave It to Beaver cast. The success of the television film resulted in the creation of a sequel show of the exact same name.
Gerald P. Mathers , Gerald Patrick "Jerry" Mathers , Jerry Mather , The Beav , Gerald Patrick Mathers , Mathers, Jerry
Movies
This Is My Love, The Trouble with Harry, That Certain Feeling, Back to the Beach, Down the Drain, Sexual Malice, Better Luck Tomorrow, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, The Hitchhiker, Lucky Day
TV Shows
The New Leave It to Beaver, Leave It to Beaver, NBC Matinee Theater
Star Sign
Gemini
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Quote
1
[Of Barbara Billingsley]: Well, you know, Barbara was very much on manners, so she taught me a lot of manners. I was always a rambunctious little boy, and so when we go places [a lot of times], she would walk [of course, as a lady] very slowly, and I would sometimes try to dash ahead of her, and she would always grab me by the little hairs right there in the back of my neck, and she would say, 'Ladies first!' And I would always say, 'OK, oh, but I wanted to make sure nobody was going to hurt you, you know?' No, no! She said, 'Ladies first!', and she pulled me back. She had a way of teaching manners that stuck with you.
2
[on his on- and off-screen relationship with Barbara Billingsley, who played June Cleaver]: Barbara Billingsley, who was my TV mom June, is as nice in person as she appeared on the show.
3
[on the death of Barbara Billingsley]: I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend and lifetime mentor Barbara Billingsley. She will live in the hearts of her fans as a wonderful actress and be remembered by her friends as a gracious lady. She will be deeply missed by all of her family, friends, fans and most especially by me.
4
Our generation is the first to have grown up with TV. I'm one of the first kids that they watched grow up on television.
5
[About being a TV star, all the while prior to being a son to his real-life family]: I had a very special family life. My mother and father made sure when we were home, we were part of the family, not a TV star. And the other thing: my father was fully employed while I was doing the series.
6
[When he auditioned for Leave It to Beaver (1957) at age 8]: All the original Leave It to Beavers were from real-life, so that things that really did happen to boys, say, in the 1920s, '30s, that really happened in the '50s can go on forever.
7
I have several computer companies. One of them I have a program for wide-format printing. I have a beauty program. So I have several different programs that I own for printing.
Before landing his iconic role on "Leave It To Beaver", Mathers had a small, uncredited role as Little Ricky Ricardo (in a dream sequence) on "I Love Lucy".
Best known by the public for his starring role as the title character on Leave It to Beaver (1957).
6
In the late 1990s Jerry owned and operated a sideline catering company in Santa Clarita, California. It was called "Cleaver's Catering" with Jerry using his "Beaver" photo. He was sued by the studio that produced the show. The court, however, ruled the studio did not own the image of Jerry's face. Concerning the company name, Jerry proved he also butchered meat for his company using cleavers.
7
Won his most famous role as the Beaver by admitting he'd rather be at his Cub Scout meeting than auditioning for the show. The producers chose him because they wanted a boy with a "real boy" attitude.
8
Served in the military after he grew up. Was mistakenly reported as killed in the Vietnam War when a similarly-named soldier was reported dead.
9
Is Diabetic.
10
No relation to Marshall Mathers who is better known as Eminem.
11
Father of Noah Mathers, Mercedes Mathers and Gretchen Mathers.
12
Spokesman for National Psoriasis Foundation.
13
Earned his BA in Philosophy. Worked in banking and real estate in 1970s.
14
Served in Air Force National Guard during Vietnam War.
15
Played in a rock band called Beaver and the Trappers.
Forever embraced as the cute young star of Leave It to Beaver (1957), he later toured with his TV brother, Tony Dow, in the 1980s stage productions of "Boeing, Boeing" and "So Long, Stanley".
$3 Million
