Updated: May 25, 2024

Angela Cartwright

Born: 9-Sept-1952 Birthplace: Altrincham, Cheshire, England

Nationality: England Executive summary: Lost in Space

Angela Cartwright was a child actress, primarily remembered for her work in the 1960s. In the schmaltzy classic The Sound of Music, she played Brigitta, the second-eldest von Trapp daughter, and in the campy sci-fi series Lost in Space she played Penny Robinson, again the second-eldest daughter.

Her father was an artist, her mother was a nurse, and the family moved from England to Los Angeles when Cartwright was an infant. Almost immediately, a neighbor in their apartment building suggested that Cartwright and her sister go into modeling and acting. When she was two years old, she appeared in an ad for Sparkletts. At three, she played Paul Newman's daughter in Somebody Up There Likes Me. At four, she joined Make Room for Daddy as Danny Thomas's youngest daughter, a role she played until she was 13. During the show's run, dolls modeled on Cartwright's character were sold.

Then came The Sound of Music, where she sang "My Favorite Things" with Julie Andrews. With almost no break, Cartwright went from The Sound of Music to Lost in Space. When Lost in Space was cancelled, Cartwright was 16, and her career was nearly finished. She briefly reprised her Make Room for Daddy role in a short-lived sequel series, Make Room for Granddaddy. She has only occasionally acted since, and now works as a photographer.

Sister: Veronica Cartwright ( actress, b. 1950 ) Husband: Steve Gullion ( short story writer, m. 1976, two children ) Daughter: Rebecca Gullion ( production assistant, b. 1981 ) Son: Jesse Gullion (actor, b. 1985)

Television:

Make Room for Daddy Linda Williams ( 1957-64 ) Lost in Space Penny Robinson

Filmography as Actress:

Lost in Space ( 3-Apr-1998 ) High School USA ( 16-Oct-1983 ) Scout's Honor ( 30-Sep-1980 ) Beyond the Poseidon Adventure ( 18-May-1979 ) Theresa Mazzetti The Sound of Music ( 2-Mar-1965 ) Brigitta von Trapp Lad: A Dog ( 2-Jun-1962 )