An Emmy Award-winning actress by the age of sixteen. An international superstar by the age of twenty. And a washed-up star on the verge of a comeback at the age of twenty-six. Kristy McNichol had lived a full life before she even knew what it all really meant. By the time she reached her thirties, it was no wonder she was ready for a break.Born Christina Ann McNichol in Los Angeles on September 11, 1962, Kristy and her brother Jimmy began acting in commercials as toddlers. At the age of twelve, Kristy landed her first regular acting gig, as a replacement for another actress in the role of Patricia Apple on the short-lived TV series Apple's Way. But it was her role on the 70s series Family that would put her on the map.
By the end of its rocky four-year run, Family earned Kristy two Emmys and national fame. Quick to overcome typecasting, she followed the end of her television role with a blockbuster feature debut in the movie Little Darlings. The film would earn her a Young Artist Award nomination for best young actress as well as a place on the cover of just about every teen magazine on the market.
Kristy did equally well in her follow-up movie, Only When I Laugh. Written by Neil Simon, the drama paired Kristy with Oscar-nominated actress Marsha Mason and helped Kristy land a Golden Globe nomination.
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia was released with the expectations of becoming a hit. But somewhere along the way the film fell flat with critics and audiences. 1982's White Dog met a similar fate. The film about a woman who unknowingly takes on a dog that has been trained to attack African-Americans was so controversial, it never received domestic distribution. It was released in Europe in 1982 and quickly vanished.
It was soon after this that Kristy's world began falling apart.
If anything could have propelled Kristy's career forward, it was a megaproduction like The Pirate Movie. Hot off the hit The Blue Lagoon, Christopher Atkins was set to be the next big heartthrob. The studio poured money into the production, making it the most expensive movie ever filmed in Australia, but critics and audiences weren't impressed. In fact, The Pirate Movie is still considered one of the worst movies of all time by some but in recent years it has been given it an almost cult-like status. The year of its release, however, it swept the Razzies, winning worst director and worst musical score as well as receiving nominations for worst actor (Atkins), worst actress (McNichol), and worst film.
Source: suite101.com
