He was one of television’s most recognizable young heartthrobs, earning more money before turning 20 than most people could imagine. Decades later, Willie Aames would find himself facing bankruptcy, foreclosure, addiction, and periods without a stable place to live.
Yet the person who eventually became one of the most important parts of his new life had actually entered his story decades earlier — through a fan letter.
Born in 1960 in Newport Beach, California, Aames began working remarkably young. The son of a firefighter, he landed his first commercial when he was only nine and soon began appearing on television shows including Gunsmoke, The Odd Couple, and The Wonderful World of Disney.
His life changed dramatically when he joined Eight Is Enough. At 17, Aames was cast as Tommy Bradford, one of the children in the large television family headed by Dick Van Patten.
The series became enormously popular, and Aames quickly developed his own following. His youthful looks, sandy hair, and green eyes helped turn him into a teen idol, with photographs appearing in magazines and fan letters arriving in huge numbers.
Looking back on those extraordinary years, Aames acknowledged just how quickly success had arrived.
“I did my first commercial at the age of nine, and by nineteen, I was making a million dollars a year — and doing a killer job of going through most of it.” Continue Reading ⬇️