Heidi Zeigler
Encyclopedia
Heidi Zeigler is a former child actress from the United States
. Zeigler's most notable roles were in the television series Rags to Riches (1986–1988) and Just the Ten of Us
(1988–1990). Beginning her career at age three, she appeared in approximately 20–30 national commercials (for products including Barbie, Kraft Cheese, Kool-Aid, Cheerios, McDonald's and Clorox) before being cast at age four as a series regular in TV's Mr. Mom (starring Barry Van Dyke). Mr. Mom did not survive past its pilot episode. At five, Zeigler landed roles in two television movies, Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (starring Jeff Goldblum and Cloris Leachman) and California Girls (starring Robbie Benson, Ernie Hudson, Doris Roberts and Zsa Zsa Gabor). Perhaps Zeigler's most publicly acclaimed work was her role in NBC's Rags to Riches. Set in the 1960s, Rags to Riches was a one-hour comedy-drama-musical which has recently (2011) been compared to TV's Glee
, as both programs share similarities in genre. Zeigler played the role of "Mickey Foley" in Rags to Riches. Her character was the youngest of a group of six orphan girls who were adopted by a wealthy businessman (Joseph Bologna). Among her co-stars were Tisha Campbell-Martin, Kimiko Gelman and Heather McAdam. She won the 1987 Young Artist Award under the category of "Best Child Actress Under Age Ten", and was nominated for two Young Artist Awards (1988, 1990) for her work on Just the Ten of Us. Shortly after the series was cancelled in 1988, Zeigler, then in high demand as an award-winning child actress, Entertainment Tonight, 1988 landed the role of "Sherry Lubbock" on ABC's Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of ABC's Growing Pains. Zeigler appeared on two episodes of Growing Pains before commencing production on Just the Ten of Us. The show lasted for over three seasons before its cancellation in 1990. Following production of the last episode of Just the Ten of Us in 1990, Zeigler made several guest appearances on various television shows before she was cast in her first feature film, There Goes the Neighborhood (Paramount Pictures, 1992). Playing the part of "Swan Babitt", she was a supporting actress as a member of the film's all-star cast (Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'Hara, Hector Elizondo, Chazz Palminteri, Rhea Perlman, Dabney Coleman). Just months after the production concluded, Zeigler was cast as a series regular on FOX Television's Drexell's Class (starring Dabney Coleman). Playing the role of "Nicole Finnigan", an elementary school student in "Mr. Drexell's" class, Zeigler's co-stars also included Jason Biggs, Matthew Lawrence, Brittany Murphy and A. J. Langer. Heidi Zeigler declared her desire to retire after Drexell's Class was cancelled in 1992, citing her desire to attend public school.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Zeigler's most notable roles were in the television series Rags to Riches (1986–1988) and Just the Ten of Us
Just the Ten of Us
Just the Ten of Us is an American sitcom starring stand-up comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock, a teacher and the head of a large Catholic family with eight children living in Eureka, California. The series was a spin-off of Growing Pains, in which Kirchenbauer portrayed the same...
(1988–1990). Beginning her career at age three, she appeared in approximately 20–30 national commercials (for products including Barbie, Kraft Cheese, Kool-Aid, Cheerios, McDonald's and Clorox) before being cast at age four as a series regular in TV's Mr. Mom (starring Barry Van Dyke). Mr. Mom did not survive past its pilot episode. At five, Zeigler landed roles in two television movies, Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (starring Jeff Goldblum and Cloris Leachman) and California Girls (starring Robbie Benson, Ernie Hudson, Doris Roberts and Zsa Zsa Gabor). Perhaps Zeigler's most publicly acclaimed work was her role in NBC's Rags to Riches. Set in the 1960s, Rags to Riches was a one-hour comedy-drama-musical which has recently (2011) been compared to TV's Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, as both programs share similarities in genre. Zeigler played the role of "Mickey Foley" in Rags to Riches. Her character was the youngest of a group of six orphan girls who were adopted by a wealthy businessman (Joseph Bologna). Among her co-stars were Tisha Campbell-Martin, Kimiko Gelman and Heather McAdam. She won the 1987 Young Artist Award under the category of "Best Child Actress Under Age Ten", and was nominated for two Young Artist Awards (1988, 1990) for her work on Just the Ten of Us. Shortly after the series was cancelled in 1988, Zeigler, then in high demand as an award-winning child actress, Entertainment Tonight, 1988 landed the role of "Sherry Lubbock" on ABC's Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of ABC's Growing Pains. Zeigler appeared on two episodes of Growing Pains before commencing production on Just the Ten of Us. The show lasted for over three seasons before its cancellation in 1990. Following production of the last episode of Just the Ten of Us in 1990, Zeigler made several guest appearances on various television shows before she was cast in her first feature film, There Goes the Neighborhood (Paramount Pictures, 1992). Playing the part of "Swan Babitt", she was a supporting actress as a member of the film's all-star cast (Jeff Daniels, Catherine O'Hara, Hector Elizondo, Chazz Palminteri, Rhea Perlman, Dabney Coleman). Just months after the production concluded, Zeigler was cast as a series regular on FOX Television's Drexell's Class (starring Dabney Coleman). Playing the role of "Nicole Finnigan", an elementary school student in "Mr. Drexell's" class, Zeigler's co-stars also included Jason Biggs, Matthew Lawrence, Brittany Murphy and A. J. Langer. Heidi Zeigler declared her desire to retire after Drexell's Class was cancelled in 1992, citing her desire to attend public school.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mr. Mom | Kate | TV, pilot |
| 1984 | Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter | Elizabeth Kovacs #1 | Television movie |
| 1985 | California Girls | Betty | Television movie |
| 1986 | Amazing Stories Amazing Stories (TV series) Amazing Stories is a fantasy, horror, and science fiction television anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. It ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987, and was somewhat erratically screened in Britain by BBC1 and BBC2 - billed in the Radio Times as "Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories" - with episodes... |
Deena | TV, 1 episode |
| 1986 | Rags to Riches | Mickey Foley | Television movie, series pilot |
| 1987 | Alf Loves a Mystery | Jo Hardy | Television movie |
| 1987–1988 | Rags to Riches | Mickey Foley | TV, 23 episodes |
| 1988 | Growing Pains Growing Pains Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based... |
Sherry Lubbock | TV, 2 episodes |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us Just the Ten of Us Just the Ten of Us is an American sitcom starring stand-up comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock, a teacher and the head of a large Catholic family with eight children living in Eureka, California. The series was a spin-off of Growing Pains, in which Kirchenbauer portrayed the same... |
Sherry Lubbock | TV, 47 episodes |
| 1991–1992 | Drexell's Class Drexell's Class Drexell's Class is an American sitcom aired by Fox as part of its 1991-92 lineup. The show was created by Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers.-Synopsis:... |
Nicole Finnigan | TV, 14 episodes |
| 1992 | There Goes the Neighborhood There Goes the Neighborhood There Goes the Neighborhood is the fifth studio album by Joe Walsh, released in 1981.-History:The album's biggest hit "A Life of Illusion" was recorded in 1973 with Joe Walsh's first solo band Barnstorm but was not completed. The overdubs and final mixes were completed during the There Goes the... |
Swan Babitt | Alternative title: Paydirt |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Won | Best Young Actress Under Ten Years of Age in Television or Motion Pictures | Rags to Riches |
| 1989 | Nominated | Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special | Just the Ten of Us (shared with Heather Langenkamp Heather Langenkamp Heather Langenkamp is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Nancy Thompson from the A Nightmare on Elm Street films... , Jamie Luner Jamie Luner Jamie Michelle Luner is an American television actress, best known for her role as Lexi Sterling on Melrose Place and Rachel Burke on Profiler... , Brooke Theiss Brooke Theiss Brooke Theiss-Genesse is an American actress who has starred in film and on television.Her first film role was in 1988's Little Nikita, but later that year, Brooke's big role came in the hit horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as Debbie Stevens, where the character was... , Matt Shakman Matt Shakman Matt Shakman is an American television/theatre director and actor. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the in Los Angeles, which was named one of "a dozen young American companies you need to know" by American Theatre Magazine... and JoAnn Willette JoAnn Willette JoAnn Willette is an American actress.Willette is best known for appearing in the role of Constance "Connie" Lubbock in the television series Just the Ten of Us from 1988 to 1990. She has also made appearances on a number of other shows including The Facts of Life, T.J... ) |
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| 1990 | Nominated | Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Television Series | Just the Ten of Us |