Kathy Garver

I don't blame myself. I didn't know how bad the problem was.

[on her favorite Family Affair (1966) memories]: Family Affair was then the most popular show in that country, and a live musical presentation of the show was mounted. It was cast with impersonators, except for me. I performed my role phonetically in Hebrew - people were stunned when I stepped out onto the stage! Show less «

[on her on and off-screen friendship with Anissa Jones, who played Buffy]: We were like sisters as well as professionals. We did sleepovers, and made presents for the cast and crew. I went to her 18th birthday party, and her Mom asked me if I could spend more time with her - she thought she had fallen in with a bad crowd. I had to leave the next day to do My Fair Lady, but I promised I would, as soon as I got back. But Annisa OD'd and died before that could happen. Show less «

The hardest thing is being accepted as some one who has depth. Fortunately my parents stressed education and normalcy all through my childhood and during my Family Affair days. In learning to think and work independently, I firmly believe in hoisting ones own sails. Show less «

[on the death/suicide of her series' star Brian Keith in 1997]: It was so sad, but it was in line with who he was in real life. He was this very manly man, very in charge of his life, always doing things his way. When his daughter died and he was diagnosed with lung cancer and emphysema, and given only a few weeks to live, there was no way he was going to go out any way other than his way. I truly believe that. Show less «

[on the personalities and/or issues Brian Keith, who starred with her in Family Affair (1966), had tackled, both on- the show and in real-life]: Laid back! But actually, you know, he went through a lot of different personality changes, I think, when he was doing our show, because for that 5 years, he was married --- happily married, and he got divorced, and he had to get remarried, and then he went through depression, and then he went through a laden, and he being so true to his emotions, I mean, there was not one phony bone in Brian's personality. He said what he thought, if he liked the person, he told them, if he didn't, he did, tell him that too! And he was just right there! So, he wasn't laid back, the energy was there, but it wasn't overdone. Show less «

[on her on- and off-screen chemistry with Brian Keith, who played "Uncle Bill Davis"]: He was a fabulous star and also a marvelous mentor to me. I first met Brian when he starred in his initial series called, Crusader (1955). He played the character of "Matt", to my character, "Waif"; and he's absolutely terrific. He rescued me once again as the orphan teen-aged "Cissy" on our long-running TV series, Family Affair (1966). He took me under his penthouse wing, and raised me with kindness, understanding and most of all, love. That's what Brian Keith was all about, love. He loved his friends, his family, his co-workers, who ever needed him. Show less «

[Of Brian Keith]: I loved Brian, "I'm a cultural Irishman, don't you know, I'm a cultural Irishman", but he went through many manifestations and changes of character, during the 5 years that we shot. At first, he was up and then his second year, he was going through a divorce and then, the third year, he met somebody else; and he became more anecdotal and told stories that he loved kids, and he was very outspoken about those that he did not like. So, he was a very interesting character and it was Brian and Sebastian Cabot [who played "Mr. French"] had such a different style of acting and that's another reason I think that Family Affair (1966) was so popular and stayed as it did. Both excellent actors, both coming from very different methods and styles of acting with Sebastian was more from the classical style and he would take home his script and he would dutifully look at every single word and have it to perfection, and then Brian would come in and say, 'Oh what do we have today? Let me see the scene, uh-huh, uh-huh, let's go!' So he was very improvisational, motion of the moment. And those 2 different styles really worked out each other, very well. Show less «