Brandon Cruz

Brandon Cruz
Brandon Cruz in his best-known role as Eddie from The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
Born	Brandon Edwin Cruz May 28, 1962 (1962-05-28) Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Occupation	actor, musician
Years active	1969-1978
Known for	The Courtship of Eddie's Father
Spouse	Elizabeth (1994-present)

Brandon Edwin Cruz (born May 28, 1962) is an American former child actor and currently a punk rock musician, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation case manager. Cruz is best known for his role as Eddie Corbett, son of widower Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby) on the comedy-drama The Courtship of Eddie's Father.

Biography

Cruz was born in Bakersfield, California, and moved to Silver Strand Beach in Ventura County, California, when he was two. At age five he beat out 65 other child actors for his breakthrough role as Eddie Corbett in television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father, which aired on ABC from 1969 to 1972. Bixby and Cruz spent considerable together, especially when the show was on hiatus, prompting Cruz to tell American Profile magazine "Bill Bixby was like my second father." Cruz continued as a child actor for several years following the demise of The Courtship of Eddie's Father with a number of guest appearances in television shows like Kung Fu, Gunsmoke, and The Incredible Hulk -- which once again reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner, the Yankees’ pitcher, in the 1976 movie The Bad News Bears.

Brandon Cruz turned his attention to music in the 1980s, performing with a hardcore punk band called Dr. Know. The group released several records before dissolving in 2010. Cruz also served as lead vocalist with Dead Kennedys until 2003. Cruz was interviewed in the documentary film American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock, 1980-1986. Reflecting on life after being a child star, which has brough tragedy to so many others, Cruz told American Profile "Surfing and punk rock probably saved my life." Cruz returned to limited acting in the 1990s and also did behind-the-scenes television work as an assistant editor on the animated series South Park, among other shows. Most recently Cruz has been working as a case manager for Walking Miracles Foundation, a drug and alcohol recovery program. He's also been active in A Minor Consideration (AMC), a support group for child actors and former child actors founded by Paul Petersen.

Brandon Cruz and Bill Bixby had lost contact with each other until a reunion on an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show. Thereafter they remained close until Bixby's death in 1993. Cruz has been married since June 1994 to actress Liz Cruz. They are the parents of a son and daughter. His son's middle name, Bixby, is in honor of Cruz's co-star and friend.