Updated: September 13, 2024

Adopted in 1949 by a Michigan family after her parents were killed in World War II, actress Marta Kristen is best known for her roles in such shows as "Lost in Space" and "My Three Sons." Kristen moved to Los Angeles in 1959 and eventually graduated from Santa Monica High School. She made her television debut in 1960 with a small role on "The Loretta Young Show," and soon landed supporting work on such shows as "Leave it to Beaver" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." After appearing on "My Three Sons," Kristen enjoyed commercial success with her role as a mermaid in the 1965 Annette Funicello-Frankie Avalon film "Beach Blanket Bingo." That same year she was cast as Judy Robinson on the space adventure series "Lost in Space." The show, which aired until 1968, followed the adventures of the Robinson family as they traveled through space and dealt with problems caused by a stowaway scientist. After giving birth in 1969 to her daughter, Kristen spent the '70s appearing in TV commercials and numerous films. She returned to regular series television on such hit shows as "Murphy Brown," "Trapper John, M.D.," and "Fame." Kristen has since appeared in the 1998 Hollywood adaptation of "Lost in Space" and voiced a character in the 2009 short animated film "The Bolt Who Screwed Christmas."