Tracey Gold (born May 16, 1969)[1] is an American actress and former child star known for playing Carol Seaver on the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains.

Tracey Gold
Born (1969-05-16) May 16, 1969 (age 54)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1976–present
Known forGrowing Pains
The Growing Pains Movie
Goodnight, Beantown
Shirley
Spouse
Roby Marshall
(m. 1994)
Children4
RelativesMissy Gold (sister)

Acting career edit

Tracey Gold became an actress at the age of four, first appearing in a Pepsi print ad. She appeared in two canceled series, Shirley with Shirley Jones in 1979, and Goodnight Beantown, starring Bill Bixby in 1983. Gold was originally cast as the youngest daughter in the original pilot series of the sitcom Gimme A Break! starring Nell Carter, but was replaced by actress Lara Jill Miller when the show went to series. She played one of Albert Finney and Diane Keaton's four daughters in the feature film Shoot the Moon (1982). Gold also guest starred on her sister Missy Gold's series Benson in 1985, playing the cousin of Missy's character, Katie Gatling.

In 1985, Gold auditioned for the role of Carol Seaver on Growing Pains, but was not initially cast. The actress chosen for the pilot was Elizabeth Ward, who had starred alongside Gold in The Hand-Me-Down Kid, a 1983 ABC Afterschool Special. However, test audiences did not favor Ward in the role of Carol, and she was replaced by Gold. Growing Pains ran from 1985 until 1992. During this time, Gold became a famous teen star and battled anorexia. In 1988, Gold also starred as Angela Strull in the teen film Dance 'til Dawn.

On August 9, 1988, Gold and her two sisters were the only celebrities at the funeral of murdered child-actor Judith Barsi. Gold read A Child Of Mine (from the poet Edgar Albert Guest) as a eulogy.[citation needed]

After the end of the series, Gold continued to work as an actress. Over the next decade, she starred in several television movies. In 2003, Gold appeared in an episode of the TV show The Dead Zone as the character Penny Barton. Gold was a contestant on the program Celebrity Mole: Yucatán in 2004, and starred in the movie Safe Harbor in 2006. She hosted the TV Guide Channel mini-show Trapped in TV Guide. In addition, she hosted the TLC series The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom, which debuted on March 3, 2008.[2] Gold appeared as the spokesperson in "Baby Sleeps Safe", a national television infomercial for Baby Guardian. On January 2, 2012, she appeared on the ABC network's reality series, Celebrity Wife Swap, trading places with singer Carnie Wilson for a week. On July 24, 2013, Gold returned to sitcoms with an appearance on the Melissa & Joey episode, "Something Happened," as one half of a lesbian couple with a home-schooled daughter.[3] Gold starred in the first episode of Heartbreakers called "Shot Through The Heart" on ID on August 13, 2014.

She competed on and won the twenty fourth season of Worst Cooks in America, the show's seventh celebrity edition titled That's So 90s, airing in April and May 2022.[4]

Battle with anorexia edit

Gold said around the age of seven, she thought about dieting, having learned the word and the concept on the many television production sets she worked on as a child actress. She became preoccupied with the television movie The Best Little Girl in the World, starring actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, about an anorexic teenager. In her autobiography, Gold says that in an attempt to control her development into a woman, she began restricting what she ate. When she was 11, she was diagnosed with the early stages of anorexia nervosa by her family pediatrician after a weight loss that accompanied a growth spurt. After some counseling, she eventually returned to a more normal weight for most of her teenage years. In 1988 at age 19, Gold gained some weight over the Growing Pains series hiatus. That season, the sitcom's scripts called for her to be the brunt of jokes about her being overweight from her television brothers for many episodes in a row.

Beginning in October 1988, Gold dieted from 133 pounds to about 110 pounds on a medically supervised 500-calorie-a-day (2,100 kJ) diet, but still occasionally the scripts continued to include weight-based jokes at her expense. In her autobiography, she says that between 1989 and 1991, she became increasingly obsessed with food and her weight and continued to slowly and steadily lose weight.

In 1990, Gold began group therapy in an eating disorder program, but only learned more ways to lose weight. That season, her problem with weight loss was touched upon slightly on her television series, when Gold is seen looking at her body in a carnival mirror, and describes to another character the distorted image in her head.

In 1991, she started starving herself more than ever and vomiting, and lost a great amount of weight, to the point that she was admitted to a hospital in early 1992. Her lowest weight is estimated to have been near 80 pounds. She was suspended from the show for her skeletal appearance. Photos of Gold's emaciated body were plastered all over tabloid magazines, and she was one of the first celebrities ever to be formally outed for anorexia. She last appeared in the 1991 episode "Menage a Luke" after missing the two prior episodes where her problem is very obvious in some scenes, and did not return until the last two episodes of the series in the late spring of 1992, although she was not nearly recovered at this point.

After several years' struggle, Gold eventually recovered, and starred in the television movie For the Love of Nancy (1994) with Jill Clayburgh. The film explored a young woman's battle with anorexia and its effects on her family. Although she was warned of the possibility that she had done damage to her reproductive organs by the years of anorexia, Gold was able to give birth to four children.

As she entered her thirties, Gold maintained a normal weight for her body structure, and often holds speaking engagements warning young women about the dangers of eating disorders, while continuing work as an actress.[5]

Personal life edit

Gold met her husband Roby Marshall through Growing Pains co-star Joanna Kerns. Marshall served as a consultant on the true crime miniseries Blind Faith, about the 1984 contract killing of Roby’s mother, Maria, arranged by Roby’s father, Robert. Kerns portrayed Maria in the miniseries.

Gold and Marshall married on October 8, 1994, and have four sons, Sage Gold, Bailey Vincent, Aiden Michael, and Dylan Christopher.[6]

In 2003, Gold wrote the book Room to Grow: An Appetite for Life with Julie McCarron, about Gold's struggle with and eventual recovery from anorexia.[citation needed]

In 2005, Gold pleaded guilty to a September 3rd, 2004 incident of felony drunken driving. The SUV she was driving had veered off the highway and rolled down an embankment, causing injuries to her husband and two sons.[7] As a result, she was placed on three years' probation and ordered to complete 30 days of work release and 240 hours of community service.[8]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
1978 A Rainy Day Stephanie as a Child Short film
1982 Shoot the Moon Marianne Dunlap
1986 The Best of Time Jaki's Friend (uncredited)
1988 The Girl Next Door Annie
1990 The Willies Carol Seaver
1998 Wanted Sue Bentley
2001 What's the Worst That Could Happen? Woman at Auction (uncredited)
2008 Solar Flare Dr. Joanna Clark
2011 Your Love Never Fails Samantha Pierce Video
2014 My Dad's a Soccer Mom Lori Brookstone
2016 All Hallows' Eve Didi Hallow

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Captains and the Kings Rosemary Armagh Mniseries
1977 Roots Young Missy Anne Reynolds
1978 The Dark Secret of Harvest Home Missy Penrose
Night Cries Donna Blankenship TV movie
Little Mo Cindy Brinker
Quincy, M.E. Lisa Carson Episode: "A Test for Living"
1979 The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel Laurie Mae Moon TV movie
Eight Is Enough Tracey Kappleton Episode: "Best of Friends"
Jennifer: A Woman's Story Emma Prince TV movie
The Child Stealer Pam
CHiPs Linda/Donna Episode: "Drive, Lady, Drive: Parts 1 & 2"
Fantasy Island Monica Episode: "Amusement Park/Rock Stars"
1979–1980 Shirley Michelle Miller 13 episodes
1980 Here's Boomer Laurie Episode: "Overboard"
Trapper John, M.D. Ellie Episode: "Girl Under Glass: Parts 1 & 2"
Marilyn: The Untold Story Young Norma Jean TV movie
1981 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Carrie Episode: "I Think I'm Having a Baby"
A Few Days in Weasel Creek Buddy TV movie
CBS Library Jane Episode: "A Tale of Four Wishes"
1982 Father Murphy Jenny Episode: "Eight-Eight Keys to Happiness"
Beyond Witch Mountain Tia TV movie
The Phoenix Jan Episode: "The Fire Within"
1983 Another Woman's Child Lisa TV movie
ABC Afterschool Special Ari Jacobs Episode: "The Hand Me Down Kid"
Thursday's Child Alix TV movie
Who Will Love My Children? Pauline Fray
Fantasy Island Michelle Robbins Episode: "Three's a Crowd/Second Time Around"
1983–1984 Goodnight, Beantown Susan Barnes 18 episodes
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Jennifer Robins Episode: "Where There's a Will"
1985 A Reason to Live Ellen Maynes TV movie
Lots of Luck Cindy Maris
Benson Laura Episode: "Katie's Cousin"
1985–1992 Growing Pains Carol Seaver 166 episodes
1986 The Blinkins Shady (voice) TV movie
1988 Dance 'til Dawn Angela Strull
1990 DuckTales: The Movie Special Hostess
ABC Afterschool Special Shauna Kelly Episode: "A Question About Sex"
1993 Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story Christa Uchytil TV movie
1994 For the Love of Nancy Nancy Walsh
1995 Sleep, Baby, Sleep Sylvie Pierson
Lady Killer Sharon
Beauty's Revenge Beth
Stolen Innocence Stacy
1996 A Kidnapping in the Family Sarah Landers Taylor
Face of Evil Darcy Palmer / Barbara Richards
The Perfect Daughte Alexandra Michaelson
Diagnosis: Murder Amy Episode: "An Explosive Murder"
To Face Her Past Lori Molina TV movie
1998 Dirty Little Secret Sarah Wheetley
Touched by an Angel Darlene Jones Episode: "Vengeance Is Mine: Part 1"
Promised Land Episode: "Vengeance Is Mine: Part 2"
The Girl Next Door Anne 'Annie' Nolan TV movie
1999 A Crime of Passion Alyssa Pierce
2000 Chicken Soup for the Soul Anita 1 episode
Stolen from the Heart Leslie Wagner TV movie
Twice in a Lifetime Blair Wilson / Polly Murtaugh Episode: "Party Girls"
The Growing Pains Movie Carol Seaver TV movie
2001 She's No Angel Liddy Carlyle
2002 Wildfire 7: The Inferno Nell Swanson
2003 Stephen King's Dead Zone Penny Barton Episode: "Misbegotten"
2004 Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers Carol Seaver TV movie
2005 Captive Hearts Elizabeth Sorenson
2006 Safe Harbor Carly Segan
Trapped in TV Guide Host
2007 Final Approach Lina Howren TV movie
2009 Sight Unseen Molly
2012 Arachnoquake Katelynn
2013 Melissa & Joey Polly Episode: "Something Happened"
2016 I Know Where Lizzie Is Judith TV movie
2017 Battle of the Network Stars Herself Episode: "Competition 20"
Daily Blast Live Host
2022 Worst Cooks in America Contestant (season 24)

References edit

  1. ^ Dye, David (1988). Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985. McFarland. p. 87. ISBN 9780899502472.
  2. ^ "TLC – Official Site". tlc.discovery.com.
  3. ^ ""Melissa & Joey" Episode "Something Happened" Airs On ABC Family July 24, 2013".
  4. ^ Knolle, Sharon; Lash, Jolie (March 16, 2022). "Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: That's So 90s Cast". TheWrap. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "My Story – Tracey Gold". thetraceygold.com.
  6. ^ "It's Another Boy for Tracey Gold". In Touch Weekly. April 2, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-04-11.
  7. ^ "Tracey Gold pleads guilty to driving drunk". Today.com. January 7, 2005. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021.
  8. ^ "Tracey Gold placed on probation". Today.com. March 22, 2005. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022.

External links edit