Do you remember My Two Dads? Hitting screens in a time when same sex parents were not so widely accepted, this sitcom saw an orphaned child put in the care of two mismatched men, either of whom might be her biological father. This unconventional family unit lived in an apartment where their landlady was the very same judge who ordered the men to take the girl in. Could a real judge legally do this? Who cares! It was a fun comedy show we always sat down to watch.
Running from 1987 to 1990, My Two Dads may have been a bit short-lived, but it was still well-loved. Ever wonder what the show’s actors have been getting up to in the years since? Read on to find out…
Staci Keanan – Nicole Bradford
Staci Keanan starred in My Two Dads as Nicole, the youngster whose world is turned upside down when she loses her mother, but gains two fathers. Both the actress and the character were aged 12 when the sitcom began, and it was Keanan’s second screen acting credit after 1987 miniseries I’ll Take Manhattan.
Staci went on to appear in 160 episodes of Step by Step following on from My Two Dads, and appeared in several more movies and TV shows before stepping back from acting in 2010 in favour of a career in law. She is now a Deputy District Attorney and adjunct professor of law in Los Angeles, under her birth name Anastasia Sagorsky.
Paul Reiser – Michael Taylor
He might have played the more boring of the two dads, but Paul Reiser is by far the most familiar face in the sitcom’s cast. Prior to joining the show, he’d already appeared in Diner, the first two Beverly Hills Cop movies and the iconic sci-fi horror Aliens. After My Two Dads ended, he created another sitcom, Mad About You, which proved an enduring hit; running for seven seasons, it was later revived in 2019.
Reiser has continued to work extensively as an actor, with credits including such film as Funny People, Behind the Candelabra and Whiplash, and TV shows including Red Oaks and – most famously – Dr. Sam Owens in Stranger Things.
Greg Evigan – Joey Harris
As a hip and laid back aspiring artist, Greg Evigan was the cooler of the two dads (although some might question his hair and beard choices today). You might not have known that Evigan, who had a background in musical theatre, also co-wrote and sang the My Two Dads theme song You Can Count On Me. He came to the show having previously taken the lead role in late 70s action comedy series B.J. and the Bear.
Since My Two Dads, Evigan’s profile has fallen somewhat, but he’s still clocked up plenty of TV credits including a stint on soap opera General Hospital. His daughters Briana and Vanessa Evigan have followed their father into acting, whilst his son Jason Evigan is a successful musician and songwriter.
Florence Stanley – Judge Margaret W. Wilbur
Florence Stanley had enjoyed a long career before she came to the role of the matriarchal Judge Margaret Wilbur in My Two Dads. A working film and TV actress since the early 50s, she clockesd up 65 credits throughout her career, including appearances on Dark Shadows, Barney Miller and Night Court.
After My Two Dads, Stanley went to appear in Dinosaurs, Malcolm in the Middle, Mad About You and Cybill, as well as Disney’s The Goof Movie and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Sadly, she passed away in October 2003 at the age of 79 after suffering a stroke.
Giovanni Ribisi – Cory Kupkus
Giovanni Ribisi was aged 12, had seven credits to his name and went by the professional name of Vonni Ribisi when he joined the cast of My Two Dads in 1987. After the sitcom ended, he clocked up roles in Blossom, Davis Rules and The Wonder Years, but by the late 90s he reinvented himself as a bold and edgy film actor.
After landing a breakthrough film role in Saving Private Ryan, Ribisi has enjoyed a prominent career in film and television. He’s probably best known as Parker Selfridge in the Avatar movies, and the lead role in TV series Sneaky Pete.
Dick Butkus – Ed Klawicki
Dick Butkus was already very well known in the US for years prior to My Two Dads, having risen to fame as a pro-football player with the Chicago Bears in the 60s. After retiring from the sport in 1973, Butkus moved into acting. His many TV credits prior to joining the sitcom included episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, Fantasy Island and Magnum, P.I.
Butkus left My Two Dads after the first two seasons, and his later acting roles included appearances as himself in the movies Gremlins 2 and The Last Boy Scout. He hasn’t acted since 2014, but continues to work as a sports commentator.
Chad Allen – Zach Nichols
Chad Allen joined My Two Dads in its third and final season in 1989; he was 15 and already almost a decade into his acting career at the time, with credits including Airwolf, Punky Brewster and 46 episodes of Our House. Post-My Two Dads, Allen landed recurring role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman from 1993 to 1998.
Allen’s career suffered after he was forcibly outed as gay by a tabloid newspaper in 1996. He has since been a vocal advocate for the LGBT+ community. He quit acting in 2015 and trained as a clinical psychologist.
Amy Hathaway – Shelby Haskell
Amy Hathaway was 15 when she joined My Two Dads in its last season as Shelby, best friend of Stacey Keanan’s Nicole. Hathaway (no relation to Anne) had previously appeared opposite Charles Bronson in Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects. After My Two Dads, she made appearances on The Wonder Years, Weird Science: The Series and The New Adventures of Superman.
The 2000s saw Hathaway take roles in TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Castle and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, plus a small part in the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. She hasn’t acted since 2013, and it seems she is now focused on her family, as she is married with four children.