From the Broadway stage to the main room at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Stephen Gustafson’s career flourished at a time when child performers were not the big business commodity they are today. His time in the limelight of stage and television would give him intimate access to a world reserved only for the elite of the Entertainment industry. Film stars like Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Susan Hayward, and Rita Moreno, and music greats such as Johnny Mathis, ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot, and Patrice Munsel, would become friends as well as performing partners. It was a magical journey full of travel, excitement, attention, and awards. It was also a trip full of hard work, sacrifice, and disappointment. The phrase “Too much, too soon” is often overused. In Stephen’s case, it’s the only phrase that can best describe how his childhood was hijacked by fame and opportunity.
Stephen starred in five-hundred and twenty episodes of PBS’s The Electric Company from 1971 to ’75, guest starred on an episode of Filmation’s Saturday morning SHAZAM! series, co-starred in the ratings blockbuster The Dark Secret of Harvest Home mini-series with Bette Davis, as well as the film Homework with Joan Collins. His book “My Name Is Buddy: The Life and Times of a Former Child Star, Who Nobody Remembers”, is a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like being a child star in the 1970’s. It’s available on Amazon.com.
We’re very happy to have Steve joining us again this year! Welcome Back!
