Barry Livingston

2.1. Birth and Family Background

Barry Gordon Livingston was born on December 17, 1953, in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of Lillian Rochelle Palyash and Hilliard Livingston. His elder brother, Stanley Livingston, also pursued an acting career and was already established in the industry when Barry began.

2.2. Child Acting and Early Roles

Livingston started his career as a child actor in the late 1950s. He considers his film debut to be a role in the 1958 film Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!, where he played one of the sons of Paul Newman. His older brother Stanley was also featured in this film. However, Barry was later dismissed from this role due to needing glasses to correct his astigmatism. His first professional onscreen appearance was an uncredited small role in the 1961 film The Errand Boy. Following this, he secured roles as Barry, a neighborhood kid, in The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, and also appeared on The Dick Van Dyke Show. He portrayed Arnold Mooney, the son of banker Theodore J. Mooney (played by Gale Gordon), on The Lucy Show. In 1962, he appeared in the film My Six Loves as one of the six children adopted by Debbie Reynolds.

2.3. My Three Sons

In 1963, Barry Livingston joined the cast of the ABC sitcom My Three Sons. Initially, he played Ernie Thompson, the next-door neighbor. His older brother, Stanley Livingston, was already a regular on the series, portraying Chip Douglas. When Tim Considine, who played Mike Douglas, left the series two years later, Livingston's character, Ernie, was adopted into the Douglas family, allowing the show's title to remain relevant. He remained a central cast member until the series concluded in 1972. In 1964, at the age of ten, Livingston also appeared in the ABC medical drama Breaking Point in an episode titled "A Land More Cruel."

3.1. Continued Film and Television Roles

After My Three Sons ended in 1972, Livingston quickly secured roles in other popular television series, including Room 222 and The Streets of San Francisco. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he consistently worked in films, made-for-television movies, and episodic television. His credits from this period include appearances in Police Woman, Sidewinder 1, Simon & Simon, and 1st & Ten. In 1974, he was part of the cast of Sons and Daughters, a short-lived CBS series.

Livingston continued to be active in the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in notable films such as Zodiac (2007), You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008), The Social Network (2010), Horrible Bosses (2011), and War Dogs (2016). He also played a major role in the 2007 Hallmark Channel movie Final Approach. His recent television appearances include episodes of Mad Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, and Anger Management. As of recent reports, Barry Livingston is noted as the only cast member of My Three Sons who still holds an active Screen Actors Guild card, signifying his continued engagement in the acting profession.

3.2. Stage Performances and Autobiography

Beyond his screen work, Barry Livingston has also performed extensively on stage. He appeared as Linus in the musical You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, a role he later reprised when the musical was adapted for television in 1973. He has performed in various stage plays across the country, including productions on Broadway and off-Broadway. In October 2011, Livingston released his autobiography, The Importance of Being Ernie. The book is filled with anecdotes and details his career journey from his time on My Three Sons through his later work on shows like Mad Men and beyond.

4.1. Film

4.2. Television