Caution: Children at Work

(Note: This blurb ran along with a photo essay depicting Johnnie Whitaker and Anissa Jones on the set. I've scanned most of the photos onto my Images page.)

Their names are Johnnie Whitaker (who's seven) and Anissa Jones (she's nine), and they are the two children--supposed twins--who are the tiny wards of Brian Keith on Family Affair. Many kid actors are spoiled brats, incorrigible scene-stealers and generally rotten little egos. These kids aren't. They are precocious; and they do steal scenes (inadvertently--it's the nature of the beast), but they seem to get along well with the rest of the cast and with each other. As you can see from the pictures on these pages, they are constant companions: He seems to worship her and follows her everywhere (sometimes to her dismay). They are frighteningly capable actors who seem to learn lines faster than their seniors. Johnnie, who can cry at will--as taught to him by his mother--has been around acting for quite a while (he appeared with Brian Keith in the movie The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming). Anissa, however, is in her first real acting role, having appeared in only commercials previously. They do, for all their professionalism, get tired after too many retakes and start to yawn. The best thing about them, though, is that, with all their ability and precocity and talent, they seem human enough--a definite advantage for all concerned.

Return my My Family Affair Page