Who’s Still Alive From the Original 1976 ‘Freaky Friday’?
Freakier Friday, the sequel to the 2003 Lindsay Lohan/ Jamie Lee Curtis version of Freaky Friday, hits theaters in two weeks, on August 8, 2025 — making now the perfect moment to revisit the original, 1976’s Freaky Friday.The classic Disney magical mother-daughter body swap comedy is nearly 50 years old, and though some of its stars have passed, a number are still with us.
Jodie Foster (62)
Annabel Andrews
Everett Collection; Michele K. Short/HBO/Everett Collection
The role of Annabel, the spunky teen daughter who swaps bodies with her mother, marked the end of Foster’s career making family films — in the same year Freaky Friday was released, she also appeared as an underage prostitute in Taxi Driver, a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination. Not to say she phoned in her role in Freaky Friday; she picked up a Golden Globe nomination for her role in that, too.
In the years that followed, Foster became one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation, winning two Academy Awards for The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, and directing multiple films and episodes of television. In recent years, she returned to acting in high-profile projects like The Mauritanian and Nyad; in 2024, she tackled her first major TV role, headlining True Detective: Night Country on HBO.
John Astin (95)
Bill Andrews
Everett Collection; Matthew Peyton/Getty Images
In Freaky Friday, John Astin played the harried father of the household, but classic TV fans know him best as the lovable Gomez Addams from The Addams Family. After Freaky Friday, he continued acting in films and television through the 1980s and 1990s, with memorable roles in National Lampoon’s European Vacation and The Frighteners. In an impressive second act, Astin spent 20 years as a professor of theatre at Johns Hopkins University. Now 95, he officially retired from acting in 2021 and lives with his wife in Baltimore.
Alan Oppenheimer (95)
Mr. Joffert
Everett Collection; Paul Butterfield/Getty Images
You may not recognize Alan Oppenheimer’s face from his brief role as Annabel’s high school teacher, but you almost certainly know his voice. Oppenheimer, now 95, is a prolific voice actor whose later career took off in animation. He became the voice of many 1980s cartoon characters, most notably the villain Skeletor in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He also lent his voice to characters in The Smurfs, Transformers and Falkor the luckdragon in The NeverEnding Story. Oppenheimer remained active into his 80s and 90s, even making a cameo voice appearance in Toy Story 4.
Marc McClure (68)
Boris Harris
Everett Collection; Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Marc McClure played Boris, the neighbor boy who helps Annabel (in her mom’s body) during that chaotic Friday. Now 68 years old, McClure is fondly remembered for his later role as Jimmy Olsen in the Superman film series alongside Christopher Reeve. He even appeared as Marty McFly’s older brother Dave in Back to the Future. McClure continued acting in television and films through the 2000s, and in a fun nod to his Disney roots, he had a cameo in the 2003 remake of Freaky Friday as a character named Boris again. These days, McClure makes occasional public appearances and often greets fans at conventions.
Sparky Marcus (57)
Ben Andrews
Everett Collection
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As little Ben, the pesky younger brother in Freaky Friday, child actor Sparky Marcus provided plenty of laughs. Viewers of that era might also recall him as child evangelist Jimmy Joe Jeeter on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. He also had a thriving career as a voice actor in the early 1980s and is probably best known as the voice of Richie Rich in the cartoon series Richie Rich. After voicing cartoon characters and making guest appearances on shows like Eight Is Enough, Happy Days and The Love Boat, Marcus retired from acting in his late teens. Today, at 57, he leads a private life out of the spotlight.
In Memoriam
Barbara Harris (Ellen Andrews)
Barbara Harris was the heart of Freaky Friday as Ellen, the mom who swaps bodies with her daughter. A respected stage and screen actress, Harris died on August 21, 2018 at age 83 from lung cancer. She had stepped away from acting in the 1990s, but her legacy endures through earlier work. She also earned an Oscar nomination for Who Is Harry Kellerman…? and starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s final film, Family Plot.
Dick Van Patten (Harold Jennings)
Dick Van Patten had a small role as Harold, one of the befuddled neighbors in Freaky Friday. He passed away on June 23, 2015 at the age of 86 due to complications from diabetes. He was best known as the patriarch Tom Bradford on Eight Is Enough, and also frequently appeared in Mel Brooks comedies like Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Offscreen, he cofounded a successful pet food company.
Sorrell Booke (Mr. Dilk)
Sorrell Booke brought comedic pomposity to the role of Mr. Dilk, Annabel’s school principal. Booke died on February 11, 1994 at age 64 after a battle with colon cancer. While his Freaky Friday part was brief, he had already cemented his fame as Boss Hogg on The Dukes of Hazzard.
Ruth Buzzi (Opposing Coach)
Ruth Buzzi made a cameo as the opposing coach in the field hockey scene. The gifted comedienne passed away on May 1, 2025 at the age of 88, after facing Alzheimer’s and complications from a series of strokes. She rose to fame on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, where she played the hilarious Gladys Ormphby. That character earned her a Golden Globe and made her a staple of ’60s and ’70s comedy.
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