Kristy McNichol

Kristy McNichol
McNichol on the set of Family in 1977
Born	Christina Ann McNichol (1962-09-11) September 11, 1962 (age 54) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1970–1998
Partner(s)	Martie Allen

Christina Ann "Kristy" McNichol (born September 11, 1962) is an American actress and singer.

McNichol is known for such roles as Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence on the TV series Family, Angel in the film Little Darlings, and Barbara Weston on the sitcom Empty Nest.

McNichol was born in Los Angeles, California, and appeared with her brother, Jimmy McNichol, in commercials and later, on her own, in guest appearances on such other series as Starsky & Hutch, The Bionic Woman, Love American Style, and The Love Boat, thanks to family friend Desi Arnaz. Her first stint as a series regular came in the role of Patricia Apple in the short-lived CBS television series Apple's Way (1974).

In 1976, McNichol was cast as Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the television drama series Family (1976–80), for which she earned two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series (1977 and 1979).

In 1977, McNichol appeared on The Carpenters at Christmas TV special, performing several musical numbers with the duo. In 1978, she and Jimmy made their own foray into music, recording the album Kristy & Jimmy McNichol for RCA Records. It included the single "He's So Fine" (a cover of The Chiffons' 1963 hit), which peaked at #70 on the Billboard chart. The McNichols promoted the album at New York's Studio 54 discothèque with other celebrities, such as Brooke Shields. In 1978, McNichol performed with Jimmy in a second Carpenters' holiday special, The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait.