Kathy Garver: Surviving Cissy and Keeping the Legacy of Family Affair Alive

Published: May 18, 2023, 4 a.m.

From her iconic role as Cissy in the beloved TV show Family Affair to her extensive career in Hollywood and voice-over work, Kathy Garver has left a lasting mark on the entertainment industry. In this interview, Kathy shares her memories of co-stars, discusses the lasting appeal of Family Affair, and talks about her latest projects.


My guest, Kathy Garver, and I discuss:

  • "Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair Of Life In Hollywood" - Kathy Garver's memoir about her life in Hollywood and her iconic role as Cissy in the popular TV show, Family Affair.
  • Keeping the Memory of Family Affair Alive - Kathy Garver's dedication to preserving the legacy of Family Affair through appearances and her books, including "The Family Affair Cookbook" and "Family Affair Scrapbook".
  • Family Affair Reboot - A discussion of the reboot of Family Affair, including Kathy's thoughts on why the original magic wasn't captured in the Tim Curry reboot.
  • Aunt Cissy - Kathy's sequel pilot to Family Affair, where she once again plays the beloved character of Cissy as an aunt.
  • JL Hudson Detroit Thanksgiving Parade - A look at Kathy Garver's co-hosting duties with Sebastian Cabot in this iconic parade.
  • "Lem The Orphan Reindeer" - Kathy's classic spoken word album written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.
  • Balancing College and an Acting Career - How Kathy Garver managed to maintain normalcy on campus while pursuing an acting career, thanks to great advice from her mom and therapist.
  • Rachel in "The 10 Commandments" - A discussion of Kathy Garver's role as Rachel the slave girl in this iconic film, working with Cecil B. DeMille, and her lasting friendship with Charlton Heston.
  • Auditioning for Cissy - Kathy's experience auditioning for the role of Cissy on Family Affair.
  • The Lasting Appeal of Family Affair - Why Family Affair remains a beloved show to this day.
  • Episode Highlights - A discussion of two memorable episodes of Family Affair: "Waltz to Remember" and "Member of the Family".
  • Memories of Co-Stars - Kathy Garver shares her fond memories of working with Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot, Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker, and Nancy Walker.
  • Unique Filming Approach - How Family Affair was filmed to work around Brian Keith's movie star schedule.
  • To Tell The Truth - Kathy's time on the new version of this popular game show, and the question of whether she is Dolly Parton's sister.
  • Voice Over Career - Kathy Garver's extensive voice-over career, including narrating over 80 audiobooks and voicing Marvel's Firestar for "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends".
  • Latest Projects - A look at Kathy Garver's latest projects, including "Yellowbird" and "Old Man Jackson".
  • and much more!


You're going to love my conversation with Kathy Garver


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