Barry Livingston Biography
Born: December 17, 1953
Date of Birth: December 17, 1953
Barry Livingston is an American actor who's been in the entertainment industry for over 50 years. A mainstay in both TV and film, he is best known for his nine-year run as Ernie Thompson on the hit ABC sitcom My Three Sons.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Barry is the younger of two sons of Lillian Rochelle and Hilliard Livingston. He was just five years when he was cast in the comedy Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) starring Paul Newman. Unfortunately, he was let go from the film because they did not want a child who required glasses.
In 1960, he landed a recurring two-year role as Barry Martin on the hit series The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. In 1961 he made a guest appearance as Philip Mathias on The Dick Van Dyke Show and he also made his feature film debut with a small role as a little boy who wants jelly beans in The Errand Boy (1961).
Barry then landed guest-starring roles on several more hit TV series, including a two-episode stint on The Lucy Show in 1963. The same year he joined the cast of the hit TV series My Three Sons, playing neighbor boy Ernie Thompson (who was later adopted by the Douglas family. The show, which began airing in 1960, already starred Barry's older brother Stanley Livingston as the youngest Douglas son. The show enjoyed 70 to 80 million viewers per episode and made Barry and the rest of the cast household names.
The year after My Three Sons ended in 1972, Barry resumed his work in television by appearing in episodes of Room 222, Ironside, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Thicker Than Water, and The Streets of San Francisco. During the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, he was cast in many movies, including the action thriller Side Winder 1 (1977), the sci-fi action feature Masters of the Universe (1987), the biker satire Easy Wheels (1989), the independent action comedy The Nutt House (1992), and the comedy Invisible Mom (1997).
Although he's continued to land parts in such high-profile films as Zodiac (2007), The Social Network (2010), Argo (2012), and Jersey Boys (2014), Barry's television resumé is a much more storied one. Over the past decade or so, he has earned consistent guest work on more than 20 television shows, including Crossing Jordan, Mad Men, Two and a Half Men, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Anger Management.
Most recently, the veteran actor had a recurring role on the ABC Family series The Fosters and a small role as a bureaucrat in the crime biopic War Dogs (2016), starring Jonah Hill and Miles Teller.
Barry has been married to his wife Karen since 1983. The couple have a son, Spencer, and a daughter, Hailey.
Filmography:
War Dogs (2016)Jersey Boys (2014)
Dancing on a Dry Salt Lake (2013)
Fun Size (2012)
Argo (2012)
Horrible Bosses (2011)
The Social Network (2010)
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Zodiac (2007)
First Daughter (2004)
Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)
Robbie's Brother (2001)
Steel Sharks (1997)
Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993) The Nutt House (1992)
Easy Wheels (1989)
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Sidewinder 1 (1977)
Love and Kisses (1965)
My Six Loves (1963)
The Errand Boy (1961)