What Happened To The Cast Of Charles In Charge?

"Charles in Charge" has a unique legacy, mostly because it actually wasn't that much of a hit when the first season debuted, and it was cancelled after that first season too. However, CBS thought the show could have new life in syndication, and "Charles in Charge" was brought back from the dead, airing across local affiliates throughout the United States until it ended for good in 1990. Of course, it was heavily retooled when it came back, with pretty much just Charles (Scott Baio) and Buddy Lembeck (Willie Aames) returning. Despite the soft reboot, the core concept of the show remained the same, where Charles becomes a live-in nanny to a family while getting into all sorts of escapades as he attends college. 

There was something of a trend in the 1980s, where networks would revive sitcoms in syndication in the hopes they could find new life elsewhere, and as a result, "Charles in Charge" became must-watch viewing for people who wanted to see what shenanigans Charles would get embroiled in each week. We also have "Charles in Charge" to thank for Chuck Lorre's career, who began on the show as a writer before going on to create some of the most pivotal sitcoms of the 21st century, like "The Big Bang Theory." 

It's been a long time since fans last saw Charles babysit, so here's what the "Charles in Charge" cast has been up to over the last several decades.

The following slide includes references to sexual assault.

Scott Baio played the man who was in charge of our days and nights. Charles, who never had a last name on the show, routinely watched over various sets of children, often offering life advice and helping them out with their problems. He remained primarily a fixture on television post-"Charles" with recurring parts on "Baby Talk" and "Diagnosis Murder." Arguably, his most significant role outside of Charles is the Bluth family attorney Bob Loblaw on "Arrested Development." He appeared on some of the show's best episodes, whose name is the source of many tongue twisters, like the newspaper heading, "Bob Loblaw Lobs Law Bomb." 

The actor appeared on the VH1 reality series "Scott Baio Is 45... And Single," where he confronted his commitment issues and ultimately married his long-time girlfriend Renée Sloan. The two have a daughter together. 

These days, Baio is probably most known for his political campaigning. His conservative ideology dates back to Ronald Reagan's administration, with Baio even attending the former president's funeral. He also campaigned for President Donald Trump in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections. In 2018, Baio's former "Charles in Charge" co-star Nicole Eggert accused him of sexual assault, while "Charles in Charge" co-star Alexander Polinsky accused Baio of physically and verbally abusing him. Baio denied all allegations, and ultimately, the district attorney didn't pursue any charges as the statute of limitations had already passed. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

The following slide includes references to drug addiction and suicide.

Scott Baio may have played the titular character, but it was Buddy Lembeck (Willie Aames) who stole the show with his more comedic antics. Aames is also the only other actor outside of Baio to have appeared in every single "Charles in Charge" episode. It wasn't the actor's first time starring in a hit sitcom, as he previously appeared in "Eight is Enough." Plus, after "Charles" ended, he starred in the titular role in the "Bibleman" direct-to-video series, where he plays Miles Peterson, a mild-mannered man who becomes a superhero to defeat evil using the power of God. 

Aames also struggled with addiction throughout much of his career, and in an interview with Studio 10 (via The Daily Mail), Aames discussed his issues: "I lost everything. At one point I went from eating at the White House to sleeping in the bushes and brought myself back again." It got so bad that Aames almost died by suicide at one point. He survived and ended up selling off most of his possessions to get back on his feet. Aames went on to work as a cruise director from 2010 to 2016 but has gotten back into acting in recent years. 

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org

Nicole Eggert joined the "Charles in Charge" cast as Jamie Powell in season 2, after the show got retooled. She continued getting regular work throughout the 1990s, especially as Summer Quinn on "Baywatch," a role she had for two seasons. Eggert's appeared here and there in various TV shows and films over the years, but her last acting credit is in 2019 for a voiceover role on "Robot Chicken." 

Eggert has largely been a reality TV fixture throughout the last couple of decades, including playing Ginger on "The Real Gilligan's Island" as well as "Celebrity Fit Club." She also went on the celebrity cosmetic surgery show "Botched" to undergo a breast reduction. In 2015, Eggert pursued a new career path: ice cream truck owner. She drove her Scoops truck around Los Angeles, but it's unclear whether that's still in her portfolio. 

In December 2023, Eggert was diagnosed with stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer. She underwent treatment for the condition, which entailed a single mastectomy in the later part of 2024. 

Sarah Powell, played by Josie Davis, was the quieter, more bookish sibling in the Powell household. Wanting to break out into a more diverse variety of roles, Davis auditioned for the famed Actors Studio in New York City, which is primarily known for emphasizing the use of method acting. Davis was just one of two acceptances the year she got in, and even though she's far from the type of actors with extreme method acting stories, she's consistently gotten work in the entertainment industry over the decades. 

She has over 80 credits to her name, which include stints on soap operas like "The Young and the Restless" and "Titans." She also had a recurring role on "Beverly Hills, 90210" for 11 episodes, and she could recently be found on the TV movie, "Festival of Trees."

Like many actors, Davis has branched out into podcasting with her show "Success Road." Topics range wildly, as one week she'll be speaking with Fabio and talk romance stories, and the next, she'll talk about the best ways to end animal testing. 

Alexander Polinsky played Adam Powell, the youngest of the Powell kids. It was his breakout role, but going forward in his career, he'd largely turn his attention to voiceover work, bringing to life characters in everything from "The Life and Times of Juniper Lee" to "Teen Titans Go!" However, this wasn't an immediate transition. Following his time as part of the "Charles in Charge" cast, Polinsky attended art school and spent some time working at a toy design studio, but he realized that wasn't really what he wanted to do in life. Polinsky's quoted on his website as saying, "It was like I had been sleeping for years in a tight, ego-induced nervous state. I finally opened my eyes, and the world was full of possibilities."

Polinsky had an assortment of other jobs throughout his life, including being a reverend, as well as a clown for Cirque du Soleil, but eventually, he found his true calling in voice acting. Plus, after a trip to Burning Man, Polinsky founded a new spiritual ideology known as Avatarism, which encourages people to view themselves as characters within a grander story to self-actualize their goals. 

James T. Callahan was already a veteran actor by the time he played Walter Powell on "Charles in Charge." This lent him an air of authority as the family's patriarch, as audiences were already familiar with him going back to the 1950s. Callahan even appeared in the "M*A*S*H" episode that infuriated network executives, which had the first instance of a soldier dying. It may have been shocking at the time but would wind up perfectly in line with the show's maudlin sensibilities. 

Callahan continued acting after "Charles in Charge," and he got a litany of other credits throughout the '90s and 2000s in shows like "The Golden Girls" and "7th Heaven." Callahan got married much later in life to Peggy Cannon, and the two would remain together until Callahan's death in 2007. Callahan was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in February of that year and succumbed to his illness just a few months later. Speaking to The Los Angeles Times about his work ethic, Callahan's former co-star Scott Baio said, "As an actor, he was just an absolute pleasure. He wanted what was best for the team, and that's very rare."

John Travolta's sister, Ellen Travolta, already had a history with Scott Baio before the two worked together on "Charles in Charge." Travolta played Charles' mother Lillian starting in season 2 of the sitcom, but previously, she played the mother to Chaci, also portrayed by Baio, on "Happy Days" and the spinoff "Joanie Loves Chaci." In an even stranger circumstance, Travolta played the mother to a character played by Jimmy Baio, Scott's cousin, on an episode of "The Love Boat." Despite being a Travolta, the actress clearly looks like she belongs in the Baio clan. 

Travolta continued appearing in various films and television series, but parts were few and far between. In 2017, Travolta experienced tragedy when her husband since 1983, Jack Bannon, died. Travolta told The Spokesman-Review about a strange occurrence involving taking in a stray cat named O following her husband's passing, "For half a minute I thought, 'Is Jack back as a cat? I can't ignore this.' So I let him in. He came up on the couch and we watched Hallmark. And that was the beginning of the rest of that year. From Oct. 25 on through, O and I watched Hallmark movies, and I fell in love with them."

The actress eventually landed a role in the Hallmark movie "Haul Out the Holly," with a little help from her famous brother. She's also appeared haphazardly in recent years on "General Hospital" as Gloria Cerullo, reprising her role from the '90s. 

Sandra Kerns had an impressive resume even before her work on "Charles in Charge." She appeared in a variety of TV series throughout the 1970s and '80s, including "Sanford and Son," "The Rockford Files," and "The Incredible Hulk." But "Charles in Charge" was easily her most sizable role, where she played Sandra Kerns, the mother of the Powell household who appears increasingly infrequently throughout seasons 4 and 5. 

Kerns wouldn't stay in the entertainment business for much longer, as she formally retired from acting in 1993. She maintains an exceptionally private life, but she did take on the role of mother. Her and husband Hubie Kerns Jr. have two children together, Zachariah and Kallie. Zachariah Kerns is a DJ and owns his own business while Kallie Kerns followed more in her mother's footsteps and works as an actress occasionally, but she's mostly known for her stunt work, working as a precision driver for the likes of "Furious 7" and "Captain Marvel." 

Sandra Kerns may not seek out the limelight anymore, but her daughter is perfectly fine celebrating her. Kallie Kerns posted a recent photo to Instagram of her mother for her birthday, and she looks as stunning as ever. 

As mentioned earlier, "Charles in Charge" underwent massive changes between seasons 1 and 2, which involves the titular character nannying for a new family. But his first family were the Pembrokes, and Charles had to look after little Jason (Michael Pearlman). Pearlman was a child actor throughout the 1980s, appearing in "Soup for One" and "Kate & Allie," but after 1987, he wouldn't act again.

Pearlman's family would move him back to New York, and he'd focus more on his education in the years that followed. He eventually got a bachelor's degree in journalism from New York University, and he's gone on to work as a reporter and copywriter. Starting in 2019, he was appointed communications director for Wyoming governor Mark Gordon, and that's where he still is now. Plenty of child stars pursue normal jobs when they get older, and Pearlman definitely fits into that mold. Everything seems to have worked out well for him, even if he got dropped from a popular sitcom after one season. 

Michael Pearlman at least got to play Jason one more time in a single season 2 episode of "Charles in Charge," but the rest of the Powells weren't as lucky. Julie Cobb played mother Jill Pembroke for the show's first season, but Cobb was already a respected performer before that. In fact, her very first TV role was in the 1968 "Star Trek" episode, "By Any Other Name," just one of many episodes from the series that has a Shakespeare reference in the title. 

Cobb has over 90 acting credits to her name from her time before and after "Charles in Charge," many of which come from popular shows like "Growing Pains" and "Magnum, P.I." Around the time "Charles in Charge" first aired in 1986, Cobb married fellow actor James Cromwell, who appeared in "The Green Mile" and "L.A. Confidential." The pair divorced in 2005. 

She hasn't acted too much in recent years, with her last role as of this writing being on "Teenage Bounty Hunters." She may have too much on her plate already, as she's also worked as a life coach for the past 20 years. 

James Widdoes played patriarch Stan Pembroke on the first season of "Charles in Charge," and he would constantly end any inquiry directed toward Charles with the question, "Do you understand what I'm telling you?" A catchphrase wouldn't be enough to save Stan from getting the boot once season 2 rolled around, but Widdoes didn't do too shabby for himself in the aftermath. 

Widdoes continued acting in TV shows for a while. His most recent acting credit is for "The Goldbergs" in 2019, but he seems to have discovered another passion behind the camera. Widdoes has become a prolific director, primarily with sitcoms. He helmed over 100 episodes of "Two and a Half Men" and "Mom" a piece, and he received his first Emmy nomination in 2021 for directing the "Mom" episode "Scooby-Doo Checks And Salisbury Steak." When asked by Gold Derby about how he felt on his first nomination, Widdoes proclaimed, "I've been doing this for 30-some years. I've actually felt like I probably did some other shows that might've been deserving of a nomination, too. But I'll take the one I got." 

Before Nicole Eggert and Josie Davis, April Lerman played Lila Pembroke, the daughter of the family Charles had to look after. Lerman got a few more acting gigs following her brief detour through "Charles in Charge" on shows like "Growing Pains" and "Parker Lewis Can't Lose." But her last credit would come in 1992, and she'd instead focus on her education. 

Lerman graduated from law school, got married, and had a son. She put her career on hold for a while to be a stay-at-home mother, but when it came time to get back into the work force, she realized law wasn't for her. She went back to school to get a master's degree in counseling psychology, and today, she works as part of a community counseling group, focusing on helping children. When speaking with Celebrity Parents Magazine, she said her current career isn't too far off from acting: "Your job is to connect with people and have a relationship with them; it's similar to acting. It's an intense personal experience [and] I get so much out of it." 

The "Charles in Charge" cast have had very different career paths following their time on the '80s sitcom, and no matter how one feels about the show, you got to admit that the theme song was a banger.