Bill Bixby with TV Son, Brandon Cruz, in 1967
Many former child actors don’t have a good track record when it comes to life after stardom and Brandon Cruz, a child star from the 60’s and 70’s, could have easily become a sad statistic. He struggled with drug and alcohol addition for 25 years, but unlike many who lost the battle, Brandon beat the odds. After conquering his demons, he now helps others stay clean and sober as a rehab specialist that works with a confidential clientele (including celebrities) in private and personalized treatment programs – much like the addiction treatment Prince’s team was working on arranging for him the day before he died of a suspected overdose of pain medication.
But Brandon is not just a crusader for people struggling with addiction, he is currently on a mission to get his late TV dad, Bill Bixby, a much deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Bixby, who starred in My Favorite Martian, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, and The Incredible Hulk, was like a second father to Cruz.
“Bill was a mentor to me,” Cruz said. “He was a father figure to me. He was the guy who told me, ‘No acting. We hired a kid. Remain a kid’.”
Bixby was loved in Hollywood and his career, that included acting and directing hit shows like Blossom, but somehow never received a Walk of Fame Star before his untimely death at 59 from prostate cancer in 1993.
Brandon is on a crusade to raise the $35,000 needed to cover the costs involved of the installation. He’s started a Go Fund Me page and needs to enlist the love and donations of fans to meet the cost and he is reaching out through social media and any means possible to give his TV Dad the honor he deserves.
Brandon Cruz – 2016
Brandon Cruz was just five years old when he was cast as Bill Bixby’s TV Son, Eddie Corbett, in the hit television series The Courtship of Eddie’s Father that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1972. Bixby and Cruz spent a lot of time together even when the show was on hiatus and according to Cruz, “Bill Bixby was like my second father.” When the series ended, Brandon had guest roles on iconic shows including Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, and The Incredible Hulk—which reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner, the Yankees pitcher, in the Blockbuster 1976 movie, The Bad News Bears. In the 1980s, Cruz turned to music as a member of the hardcore punk band Dr. Know. He has been working in the drug and alcohol recovery field for 15 years.
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