Kristy McNichol retired from Hollywood 25 years ago
Credit: Carnie Wilson/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- On July 20, Carnie Wilson shared a photo with Kristy McNichol that drew nearly 30,000 likes on Facebook
- McNichol later reached out to Wilson after seeing the attention their reunion received online
- In a recent interview, Wilson shared why meeting her longtime idol was such a meaningful moment
Carnie Wilson’s unexpected reunion with Kristy McNichol turned into something even more special when the former actress reached out to her afterward.
The Wilson Phillips singer had been thrilled to meet one of her childhood favorites, but a photo of the encounter quickly attracted nearly 30,000 likes on Facebook. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, Wilson revealed that the attention eventually made its way back to McNichol, who contacted her directly.
“She sends me an email: ‘We’re going viral,’ ” Wilson told Lewis.
Credit: Gustavo Caballero/Getty
Wilson, the daughter of late Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson, became a pop star herself as one-third of Wilson Phillips alongside her sister Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips. The group broke through in the early 1990s with hits including “Hold On,” giving Carnie a career in entertainment that has spanned music and television.
McNichol, meanwhile, was already a familiar face to television and movie audiences when Wilson was growing up. She became widely known for playing Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence on Family, a role that earned her two Emmy Awards, before starring in films including Little Darlings and The End.
She later appeared as Barbara Weston on Empty Nest, but ultimately left acting behind and retired from the industry in 2001.
In a rare 2014 interview with PEOPLE, McNichol previously explained that she was content with the life she had built away from acting, while admitting that she might return someday. “Never say never,” she said.
Credit: Bobby Bank/Getty
That history helps explain why Wilson was so nervous when she unexpectedly encountered McNichol at a Southern California restaurant chain, Bob’s Big Boy.
Rather than treating the meeting casually, Wilson wanted the actress to understand just how much her work had meant to her over the years, especially the movies she had loved as a young fan.
“I just ran into her when we first arrived,” Wilson told Lewis. “I said, ‘Little Darlings is one of my favorite movies ever and The End with Dom DeLuise’… but it took a lot of courage.”
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The brief exchange ultimately led to a photo Wilson posted on Facebook on July 20, where she celebrated finally meeting her idol, a post that ended up drawing thousands of reactions and comments, including from McNichol herself.
For someone who has largely stayed away from the spotlight since leaving Hollywood, McNichol’s message to Wilson made the viral photo feel far more personal.
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