’80s sitcom The Facts Of Life was a show that taught its viewers all about the different situations one might encounter in the real world. This series showed that life has both good and bad parts to it (the theme song even talks about this) and it was a great show for young people to watch, since the characters were great role models — for the most part.
The series had lots of drama in it, but what is more interesting is some of the things that happened behind the scenes. Here are some little-known even the biggest fans of The Facts Of Life might not know.
Mindy Cohn Being Cast In the Show Was Not Planned
Mindy Cohn played one of the main characters on the series, so fans might be surprised to find out that her casting was not actually planned out very far in advance. When the creators of the show started working on it, they wanted to meet up with some real teenagers to find out what life was like for them at the time, and that is when they met Cohn.
Cohn was one of many students who voluntarily met with the creators to answer the questions they had, and part of the reason why she did it was to have an excuse to get out of class. The show creators liked her, and the rest is television history.
A Lot Of Spin-Offs Were Supposed To Come From The Show
Many television shows have one or more spin-offs that happen at some point, and The Facts Of Life was supposed to be one of them. There were a handful characters on the series who were supposed to get a show of their own, but things just did not work out that way.
One example of this is an episode that took place during the third season of the series. A military school was introduced to viewers, and they made a couple of appearances on the show. Apparently, there were plans for that to become a show of its own.
The Facts Of Life Itself Was A Spin-Off
The Facts Of Life was actually a spin-off show itself, which is something that some of the show’s fans might not realize. The show that kind of spawned this series in the first place was Diff’rent Strokes, and the character that connected the two shows together was Edna Garrett, played by Charlotte Rae.
In Diff’rent Strokes, fans might remember that she played housekeeper, which is a lot different than the job the character had on The Facts Of Life. Later on the show, the character decided to take on the role of a caretaker, and that is how The Facts Of Life got started.
A Lot Of The Original Cast Was Cut From The Show
Much of the show focused on a few main characters, but anyone who enjoyed watching the first couple of seasons of The Facts Of Life know that it did not start out that way, since the cast was really big at that time. During the beginning of the series, there were many girls who attended the fictional school that the series focuses on.
But after the beginning of the show, the rest of the girls were cut, and it only really focused on what was happening in the lives of Jo, Blair, Natalie, and Tootie. Mrs. Garrett was also a big part of the series, but most of the episodes focused on the core four girls.
One Famous Actress Didn’t Last Long On The Show
One of the most famous people that appeared on this series was Molly Ringwald, but she was only on it for a brief time. She was one of the cast members who only appeared in the early episodes of the series, and the character that she played was also named Molly.
In the show, her character was dealing with some pretty tough issues, which is one of the things that makes The Facts of Life so awesome and relatable. The young girl the actress played was trying to figure out how to navigate through life as the child of two newly divorced parents.
Lisa Whelchel Went On To Star On Another Famous TV Show
Some fans might only know Lisa Whelchel because she played Blair on this series, but she was actually a big part of another very well-known television series a few years ago. The actress was on the show Survivor, which ended with her walking away with a lot of money since she came in second place.
Whelchel has also done a lot of other things as well that have nothing to do with The Facts Of Life. She got into the music scene for a while, and she was even nominated for a Grammy at one point during her career.
George Clooney Was In It
This show featured lots of people who became superstars later on in life, and one of those people was George Clooney. The actor joined the cast of the series during the seventh season, and the character he played was a handyman who went by the name of George Burnett.
Clooney also had small roles on other television shows as well, and one of them was Roseanne. After his time on The Facts Of Life came to an end, the actor was well on his way to becoming the superstar he is today.
Kim Fields Had A Hard Time Filming The Show
Kim Fields, who played Tootie on the show, had a rather difficult time when she was on it. Growing up is a hard enough thing to do, but it is even harder when the whole world is watching it happen, and that is what Fields (and her co-stars) had to deal with during the time that the series was on the air.
Fields had a particularly difficult time with it, and she has been very vocal about her struggles. “When your body is changing, people can be mean – everyone goes through those awkward stages,” she shared.
Two Of The Cast Members Chose To Focus On Their Families After Being On The Show
Even though this series seemed to open up a lot of doors for the main cast members, Lisa Whelchel and Nancy McKeon decided to put their careers to the side for a while so that they could really focus on their families. Both of the actresses went on to have children of their own, and it seems that they have both welcomed the role of motherhood with open arms.
Nancy has a couple of daughters, and she seems to being a mom. “I’ve enjoyed these years getting to be their mom – it’s their time. Everyone says it goes by fast, and they’re not kidding,” said McKeon.
The Cast Later Reprised Their Roles In A Movie
There are lots of television shows that have reunions, and this is one of them. Fans of The Facts Of Life were probably very excited when the cast reunited back in 2001 to make the television film The Facts Of Life Reunion.
It seems that most of the main cast members from the series were a part of the reunion, but there was still one obvious missing face. Nancy McKeon was unable to be in the movie, so that meant that Jo was not really a part of it. The movie aired on television in November of 2001, and it must have been fun for fans of the original series to watch.
The cast also reunited recently when they starred in a Christmas film that aired on television. It was technically a reunion for them, but they played different characters.
